There are few things in media written about quite as extensively as the nature that surrounds us. It's the one thing that existed long before humanity and that will exist long past us, too. And trees are a major part of how we perceive nature, a discernible growth in the land, seemingly endlessly wise, and ancient observers of history.
Nature often surrounds us in the digital world, as well, and should be highlighted as such. Video game trees can take many forms: a landmark of history, a guidepost, a location for sage advice, and a place to house your themes. In this list, we'll take a look at some of the most iconic trees to ever appear in the medium.
10 Cleyra - Final Fantasy 9
Across the many Final Fantasy games, there are many iconic locations and plenty with commentaries on nature and its destruction. For many, Final Fantasy 9 is the greatest of them all. And, lucky for this list, it also has quite a few cool trees!
Cleyra is one of the most interesting locations in the game. This village is built around the trunk and branches of a great tree, and the tree itself is shrouded by a ceaseless sandstorm to keep it safe. It's a place of refuge from war, filled with those having fled their home in hopes of peace, and what better place than that to be one with nature?
9 The Everblossom - Sekiro
FromSoftware has quite a few notable trees across its catalog, including the Great Hollow and the Curse-Rotted Greatwood. Sekiro, though, houses a somewhat unique incarnation of a tree, one that beautifully expresses the game's themes, while also drawing from Japanese history and mythology.
Immortality is a core theme in the game, contrasted by Kuro's hope to sever it. And the Sakura tree, a national symbol of Japan, represents mortality. The Sakura tree appears frequently in Sekiro, and the biggest example is the Everblossom, a massive tree where you fight the vine-like Divine Dragon, which represents and is an extension of the tree. It's a shame that this game's thoughtful and thematically rich story is marred by association with Activision-Blizzard.
8 Reforms Tree - Total War: Three Kingdoms
So skill trees and the like in games are incredibly common, and not really something people look into the etymology of very often, but there's a reason for the name. You start at the base, as a seed if you will, and spread outwards in all directions along the branches until you've fully bloomed.
Total War: Three Kingdoms takes this a bit more seriously. Here, you have a reforms tree that allows you to build out your campaign, unlocking new units, buildings, and so on each season. However, it is styled like a tree, with your progress following the branches. It's not an actual tree, sure, but it is incredible wordplay.
7 Yggdrasil - Many JRPGs
More than likely, you've heard of Yggdrasil: the famed Tree of Life from Nordic cosmology that is the root of all existence. Plenty of cultures have their rendition, but Yggdrasil is the most popular. Roots that reach beyond time and realms of existence, it's a wonderful presentation.
But golly, has it far surpassed simple mythology. In fact, you could argue that Yggdrasil is the go-to tree when just about any JRPG wants a famous tree, including Valkyria Profile, Dragon Quest, Final Fantasy, Persona, and more. Few of them inherently are even linked to Nordic mythology, but who doesn't love a mystical tree?
6 The Ancient Oak - The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3 is one of those games that people just don't stop talking about. It's a cultural landmark in gaming at this point, one of those things you're expected to play to understand what games are nowadays. A bit of an exaggeration to be sure, but that's the reputation. In its defense though, it does have a stellar world.
Across its various regions, Velen and its trees stand out the most. The way they bend almost to breaking in the howling winds but refuse to move adds so much life to the world. And then there's the Ancient Oak, a giant, cursed tree towering over the horizon almost to show its age and demand respect. It's central to the plot, but with such scale has gained a folklore following of its own.
5 Ancestral Trees - Ori
Ori and the Blind Forest was a major release, a beautiful hand-drawn adventure, a Metroidvania that had a larger focus on platforming and movement, inspiring plenty to come. But it also has a moving story, one of self-discovery, acceptance, and defending your home from harm. Save the forest, save your soul.
And a major part of all that are the ancestral trees dotted throughout the world. These are from where Ori gains their powers, but they are also remnants of spirits that have passed on, spirits forming from their remains. It showcases the cycle of life, the beauty in it, and how it nourishes what comes after.
4 White Lady - Hollow Knight
On the topic of hand-drawn Metroidvanias, it's impossible to ignore Hollow Knight. A game that took the world by storm, Hollow Knight is incredibly challenging, beautiful, and a great example of more subtle storytelling in games. Hallownest is a decrepit world, run to ruins, with nature slowly encroaching upon it.
Of the many figures throughout the world of Hollow Knight, the White Lady is a very particular one. Though married to the Pale King, she seems to care far beyond him, to the very nature of the world. She is linked to it, after all, her roots stretching throughout it all. She is a beautiful, pitiful soul, sorrow overtaking her for her part in the collapse and perversion of Hallownest.
3 Whispy Woods - Kirby
Kirby is having a bit of a moment lately. That's not to say Kirby was ever not beloved, but rather he wasn't getting the pedigree treatment of other Nintendo franchises. But with the release of Kirby and the Forgotten Land, he's firmly back in the spotlight. But one of his most iconic villains was always well known.
And that is, of course, the Whispy Woods! By far Kirby's most reoccurring boss, Whispy Woods is typically the first boss Kirby faces. Despite trees being ancient and immovable, well, Kirby is a space monstrosity that fears nothing, so maybe a tree with a long nose and some apples isn't that much of a threat.
2 Great Deku Tree - Zelda
The Legend of Zelda is one of gaming's most iconic franchises. Its setting, the lands of Hyrule, is so vast and varied that one of the most famed characters only appears in three mainline games.
The Great Deku Tree is a character that almost every Zelda player has heard of, yet they only appear in Ocarina of Time, Wind Waker, and Breath of the Wild, though his presence is always notable. They are the ultimate representation of trees, massive and wizened, and holding an incomprehensible amount of knowledge.
1 Erdtree - Elden Ring
This was an obvious one at this point, really. Nowhere in recent memory has a game had such reverence for trees as its central motif, and FromSoftware already has quite the love for trees. But Elden Ring brings it so much further, having a great tree hang over you at every moment.
The Golden Grace of the Erdtree is immense, but even the Minor Erdtrees are unmissable. They're all landmarks to follow if you ever lose your way, but also a constant reminder that their influence is inescapable. The only place that can attempt to match its heights is the Mountaintop of the Giants, a place shunned and cursed by the Erdtree.