The history of Elden Ring’s Patches goes back to before Demon’s Souls, the first Souls game, to Armored Core. Here’s every appearance of the notorious Souls rascal.
For the past 15 years, I’ve been repeatedly tricked by Patches, the lovable scamp of FromSoftware’s Souls games. Despite him leaving me for dead multiple times and generally being a sniveling little shit, I never want him to go away. He’s become the best long-running joke in FromSoftware’s games since his debut appearance in 2009’s Demon’s Souls, and he made a very memorable appearance in 2022’s Elden Ring.
While Patches is a staple of game director Hidetaka Miyazaki’s Souls games, his history traces back further, to FromSoft’s Armored Core series. And according to one theory, Patches may have been secretly plaguing FromSoft games even before that.Patches in Armored Core
In the 2008 game Armored Core: For Answer, Miyazaki’s second game as director, Patches is introduced as Patch the Good Luck, pilot of the AC “No Count.” Patch’s mech is equipped with a long-range sniper rifle and electronic countermeasures, meaning he prefers to fight from a distance utilizing stealth rather than engaging in battle directly.
Players battle Patch and a handful of other enemy AC pilots in an early mission, and when things start going badly for Patch, he’ll beg for mercy. “Wait, wait! I give up!” Patch says, his mech (somehow) visibly shaking and cowering. “H-hey, I’m just following orders here.” Upon realizing you aren’t going to kill him, Patch will retreat.
Patch’s sneakiness and cowardice in battle is presaged in a mission briefing: “His favored combat strategy is to snipe from the air or from concealed locations to catch his opponents off guard.” That description sets the tone for his dishonorable, opportunistic behavior in Demon’s Souls and subsequent games.Patches in Demon’s Souls
The character’s first real appearance comes in Demon’s Souls, where he’s known as Patches the Hyena. Players encounter him twice: once in the underground mining area of Stonefang Tunnel, where Patches will lure them into a trap, and again in a dark temple in the Shrine of Storms, where he’ll greet the player and promise them riches… if only they’ll peer into a hole that leads to a dungeon below. If players do follow the trickster’s directions, Patches will boot them in the ass and send them to their presumed death. Should they survive and confront Patches, he’ll pass it off as a big misunderstanding.
After being duped by Patches and sparing his life, players then find that he’s returned to the game’s hub world, the Nexus, where he’ll serve as a merchant. In this capacity, Patches acts like he’s doing you a favor. Demon’s Souls establishes Patches as a notorious gaslighter.Patches in Dark Souls
Patches returns in Dark Souls. Players can meet him in two locations, the Catacombs and Tomb of the Giants — both dark underground areas, a recurring thematic residence for Patches. He’ll introduce himself, amusingly as “Trusty Patches,” and one of the first things he does is lure the player into (you know where this is going) a trap. When players survive and return to Patches, he’ll once again dismiss his treacherous behavior as a prank. No big deal. Water under the bridge!
Patches’ turn in Dark Souls is remarkably similar to that of his appearance in Demon’s Souls, perhaps in part because FromSoft’s follow-up was now reaching a much wider audience.Patches in Bloodborne
Players next saw Patches in a very different form in Bloodborne. He returns to his old tricks, luring players into a trap by promising them treasure and kicking them off the side of a cliff.
