Among all the NPCs from the Souls games, there is one that has particularly stayed in players’ memories. Not because he is particularly nice, on the contrary: This character has always generated a kind of love-hate relationship among fans.
Which character is it? Have you ever played a spin-off of the Soulsborne series from FromSoftware? If so, you probably encountered an unassuming, bald guy during your wanderings through the dark worlds.
Fans of the games, of course, know who is being talked about. Patches. Yes, Patches. For some reason, this NPC can be found in all Soulsborne games since Demon’s Souls. He even appears in Armored Core: For Answer from 2008, also developed by FromSoftware.
Little is known about the character itself. He seems to exist across different universes. Patches is often found in remote corners of the game world, where he likes to ask your character questions. If you give, as in Dark Souls 1, the wrong answer, Patches will attack you. If you answer correctly, he remains peaceful. At least for a while. Because Patches is mainly known for one thing: his nasty, sneaky nature.
In the story trailer for Elden Ring’s DLC new details about the story can be seen – will Patches be in it?
Beware of deep abysses!
Why is Patches mean? In both Demon’s Souls and Dark Souls, Patches lures you to an abyss and gives you a precise kick into the void. In Dark Souls 1, this happens in the pitch-black tomb of giants. You fall into darkness and find yourself in a pit full of strong enemies.
If you survive and return to Patches, he apologizes and begs for his life. If you spare him, he becomes a merchant.
In Bloodborne, Patches appears as a creepy spider, but thanks to his bald head and stupid expression, he remains unmistakable. Here too, he kicks you into the abyss.
He similarly lures you into nasty traps in Dark Souls 3 and also in Elden Ring. Whether he will make another appearance in the upcoming DLC “Shadow of the Erdtree” is still unclear – but it would be believable of the developers.
A true love-hate relationship
What do the fans think? Over the years, players have developed a true love-hate relationship with Patches. Sure, he annoys you and causes a nasty death for careless players. Still, some seem to fall for his charm and even accept his apology. Even though he uses the same trick repeatedly.
On Reddit, the user Sea-Craft-4791 posted a montage showing all appearances of Patches in the games. Among them a meme that says: “I hate you in every universe”.
The comments under the post are divided on whether to hate or love the NPC:
- “Damn Patches. I need to know what happened to him, and I hope he appears in the DLC (of Elden Ring),” writes Mesterjojo.
- “As much of an asshole as he is, I just can’t hate that bald bastard,” comments Covid669.
- User AFlyingNun adds: “I love him in every universe.”
- VeryBottist puts it even more precisely: “I love to hate you in every universe.”
- “I’ve forgiven him more times than I would most people,” admits Careless-Emphasis-80.
No matter how divided the players are, FromSoftware has definitely managed to create a memorable character. It doesn’t always take a complex backstory to captivate players, as in Elden Ring, just confuse them. Sometimes, a good dose of sneakiness is enough.
Have you encountered Patches in the Soulsborne games? Did you trust him or kill him immediately? Feel free to share your experiences with the rascal in the comments. Maybe he was also one of the reasons why a player sold Dark Souls on eBay – including a charming message.
