Patches



Patches, also known as Trusty Patches, is a character in Dark Souls. He is an opportunistic trickster with a hatred towards clerics. He is voiced by Will Vanderpuye, who also voiced Patches the Hyena from Demon's Souls.

Location

 * Initially in The Catacombs if the player visits it early enough, until entering the Tomb of the Giants. He can still appear in The Catacombs after ringing the bells of awakening if the player hasn't spoken to Petrus.
 * In the Tomb of the Giants until Gravelord Nito is defeated.
 * At Firelink Shrine after the defeat of Nito, as a merchant. Face Kingseeker Frampt, turn left towards the doorway leading to the catacombs and turn left before the stairs, in a little 'cove' should be Patches squatting down and facing Frampt's direction.

Plot
When the player first meets patches he will ask "are you a cleric?". Answering "Yes" will result in him attacking the Chosen Undead instead of later offering wares if the player had answered with "No" to his question.

Other characters such as Lautrec express misgivings about Patches before the player can even encounter him. This can be a tip to players new to the Souls games that Patches is not trustworthy.

If visited before ringing both Bells of Awakening, Patches appears in the first half of The Catacombs next to a bridge-lever. Although he is seemingly neutral, his intentions are less than friendly. Upon attempting to cross a bridge, he will attempt to kill the player by flipping it. Players may survive by either running back before the flip animation starts, or rolling off the bridge onto the conveniently placed ledge to the right of the center of the bridge. Talking to him after his murderous attempt will cause him to ask if the bridge-flip caused any trouble; answering "Yes" nets the player a Humanity. He will remain in the Catacombs until the player enters the Tomb of the Giants.

Patches is encountered again early on in the Tomb of the Giants, not far from the earliest available bonfire. He will attempt to trick the player into looking over the edge of a cliff, and will promptly kick them off. Upon making their way back to him, Patches will beg forgiveness, asking if he was still a friend. Answering "No" prompts Patches to give the player one Twin Humanities.

Patches remains in the Tomb of the Giants until the player defeats Gravelord Nito, upon which he will travel to Firelink Shrine, in an alcove near Frampt, and remain there as a vendor for the rest of the game. Patches sells some useful items, many of which are of limited stock, as well as assorted cleric equipment—likely collected from earlier victims.

Lore
Little to nothing is known about Patches and his background. He has been previously acquainted with Shiva of the East, Solaire of Astora, Lautrec of Carim, and Petrus of Thorolund.

While Trusty Patches is obviously a reference to the Patches from Demons' Souls, it is clear that he is not the same person as Patches the Hyena, as the world of Demon's Souls is not the same world as Lordran.

Strategy
Patches will use his spear to his advantage and attack the player with his shield up. Backstabbing can work well, though Patches may not leave his back open often.

Trivia

 * Patches is the only name attributed to a character to be used in both Dark Souls and Demon's Souls.
 * Patches could possibly be a reference to the character "Patch the Good Luck" from Armored Core: For Answer, which was also developed by From Software. Both Patches and Patch the Good Luck are cowardly, use ambushes and are quick to grovel when placed at a disadvantage.
 * Although it is clear either Patches from Demon's Souls and Dark Souls are different to the other, both Patches seem to prefer a light-weight greatshield with only partial physical damage reduction.