FromSoftware has a long history of taking characters who've appeared in previous work and reusing them in new titles. FromSoftware's penchant for recurring characters can be seen in older games such as Armored Core, as well as newer titles like Dark Souls and Bloodborne.
Popular FromSoftware characters are also known to appear in titles outside of the game or franchise they initially appeared in. With recurring characters being so prevalent throughout many of the company's titles, it's possible fans may even see some familiar faces making a return in Elden Ring once the game finally releases.
While little is known about the Elden Ring, one thing that is certain is that it will be an open-world dark fantasy RPG, and that players will need to do battle with nightmarish monstrosities in order to survive. As this premise is not too different from FromSoftware's previous works, here are 11 recurring FromSoftware characters who could appear in Elden Ring.
1. Patches In Elden Ring
Fan-favorite and all-around scoundrel, Patches made his first appearance in Armored Core: For Answer as "Patches The Good Luck," a cowardly mercenary piloting a mech geared out for long-range battle. Upon defeat, the character is quick to surrender and beg for forgiveness, not unlike the Patches that would later appear in another FromSoftware title.
The shameless swindler would later appear as Patches the Hyena in Demon's Souls, located in Tunnel City, where after claiming a pit to be full of treasures, he promptly kicks the unsuspecting player inside. This act of indiscriminate betrayal continues to define Patches' character throughout all future appearances.
Patches later returned in Dark Souls, calling himself Trusty Patches, and appeared again in Dark Souls III, where he refers to himself as Unbreakable Patches. FromSoftware also brought the lovable rouge back in the eldritch horror-inspired Bloodborne as Patches the Spider, a horrifyingly large spider sporting Patches' head.
The cunning con artist has gone out of his way to trick players in every game he's appeared in so far but remains a much-loved character among the Souls community despite his mischievous nature.
2. Knights of Catarina In Elden Ring
Affectionately referred to as "Onion Knights" by fans due to their uniquely-shaped armor, the Knights of Catarina have appeared in every game in the Dark Souls trilogy. Players are first introduced to a Knight of Catarina when encountering Siegmeyer in Dark Souls, who's sitting outside of Sen's Fortress. By following Siegmeyer's quest-line, it is also possible to meet his daughter Sieglinde, herself a knight of Catarina.
While players can encounter a Catarina knight in Dark Souls II in the form of an invading red phantom, it is not until Dark Souls III that players meet another non-hostile member of the knighthood, the endearing but tragic knight Siegward. Given the popularity of the Knights of Catarina among fans, having a member of the curvaceous order make an appearance in Elden Ring would be a mighty fine thing indeed.
3. Sparkly, Snuggly, Dyna, Tillo, or Pickle Pee the Crow in Elden Ring
Known for calling out to players who wander close by, these invisible nesting birds offer unique wares in exchange for the right item. The cawing character was first introduced in Demon's Souls as Sparkly, and similar entities have gone on to appear in the Dark Souls trilogy going by various different names. While these cawing companions may seemingly lack a physical form, their charm, endearing character, and penchant for shiny things have made them a fan-favorite throughout the Souls franchise.
4. Andre of Astora in Elden Ring
The first blacksmith most players will encounter in the world of Dark Souls is Andre of Astora. The hulking mass of muscles first appeared in the original Dark Souls, found clanking away below the bonfire in the Undead Parish, and becomes the player's go-to blacksmith whenever weapons or armor need repairing.
Andre may have been left out of Dark Souls II but made a riveting return in Dark Souls III, in which he not only repairs and upgrades the player's wares but can still also infuse weapons with special stones that provide various effects. The need for a good blacksmith never dies, and knowing FromSoftware games, Elden Ring will most likely feature a plethora of monstrous abominations that will need felling with a good, well-tended blade.
5. The Maiden in Black, Fire Keeper, or The Doll in Elden Ring
While these characters' roles may differ slightly, their function is to aid the protagonist on their journey and act as a medium through which players can level up stats via an in-game currency earned through felling enemies.
The first of FromSoftwares's dutiful damsels to make an appearance is Demon's Souls' The Maiden in Black. After succumbing to the tutorial boss, players teleport to the Nexus, a place between life and death, and are greeted by a blind maiden dressed in black who offers to assists the protagonist with the arduous task of felling several archdemons and saving the land of Boletaria. Characters sharing a similar role or function to The Maiden in Black have gone on to appear in the Dark Souls trilogy as well as Bloodborne, acting as a guide and a means to level up.
With the Elden Ring being FromSoftware's first attempt at a large open-world game, the possibility of a Nexus or Fire Link-like area appearing somewhere in the vast land seems likely. And within such an area, players may well meet yet another maiden eager to offer power and guidance.
6. Crestfallen Warrior In Elden Ring
The unfortunate inhabitants of Demon's Souls cursed kingdom of Boletaria and the cursed world of Dark Souls find themselves locked in a seemingly unending nightmare that not even death can offer respite. Crestfallen and with regret as a constant companion, these poor undead souls have appeared throughout Demon's Souls and the Dark Souls trilogy, informing the player of just how hopeless the situation is.
The first encounter players have with one of these depressing denizens is in Demon's Souls Nexus where the character known only as "Crestfallen Warrior" points the player to the Boletarian Palace Archstone as a place to go should they wish to collect Demon Souls. Later conversations reveal tidbits of lore regarding how the curse came to befall the kingdom of Boletaria, as well as how completely and utterly hopeless the character believes the situation to be.
While the Crestfallen Warrior character appears again in Dark Souls I and later in Dark Souls II as Crestfallen Saulden, it is not until Dark Souls III that we get a more fleshed-out version of the character in the form of Hawkwood the Deserter. An ex-member of the Abyss Watchers, who long ago attempted to link the fire but failed and was reborn as an Ashen One. Hawkwood first appears in Firelink shrine, where he offers tidbits of lore and points the protagonist in the right direction. The character is unique to previous Crestfallen Warriors, as he can be summoned for boss fights, and becomes antagonistic if players follow his questline.
Knowing FromSoftware's penchant for creating cursed worlds inhabited by hopelessly lost souls, chances are high that the Crestfallen Warrior will make another appearance in Elden Ring in one form or another.
7. Old Monk, Merciless Roenna and Xanthous King, Jeremiah
Demon's Souls' fog brought with it a host of demonic monstrosities that took over the Kingdom of Boletaria, some of which also appear to be able to possess a person's attire. The Old Monk is a boss enemy in Demon's Souls and can be found in the Tower of Latria. The boss fight is unique in that the enemy is actually controlled by an invading player, who, if successful in defeating the human player while controlling the Old Monk, will be awarded the Old Monk's Wrap. When inspecting the head wrapping from the inventory menu, a sinister description eludes to the headpiece being possessed with a will of its own.
A headpiece resembling the Old Monk's Wrap also appears in the Dark Souls trilogy, only this time it's referred to as the Xanthous Crown. Donned by invading phantoms, the sinister headpiece can be acquired by defeating Xanthous King Jeremiah, Merciless Roenna, and Yellowfinger Heysel.
8. Havel The Rock in Elden Ring
Havel the Rock wields a sturdy Greatshield cut straight from a great slab of stone, a large Everlasting Dragon tooth, and possesses one of the toughest armor sets in the Dark Souls trilogy. Havel first made an appearance in Dark Souls, where he can be found at the bottom of the spiral watchtower guarding the entrance to Darkroot Basin.
When players first meet the imposing knight, he has long since lost his mind and humanity after succumbing to the undead curse. Various items found throughout the game hint at Havel being a high-ranking knight of Lord Gwyn's army during the age of Fire, who aided the future Lord of Cinder in felling the Everlasting dragons. While Havel's armor set can also be found in Dark Souls II, it is not until Dark Souls III that players are able to challenge the notorious Dragon Slayer for one last duel at Arch Dragon peak.
9. Kirk, Knight of Thorns in Elden Ring
The notorious phantom Kirk invades the player's world three times throughout Dark Souls, making sure that even offline players get a taste of the game's PvP experience. While the character has no dialogue and is given little lore to go on in Dark Souls, the very sight of his pointed black armor, barbed straight sword, and spiked shield is enough to make any warrior's blood run cold.
The character goes on to appear in Dark Souls III as Longfinger Kirk, now allied with the covenant Rosaria's Fingers, whose members are tasked with invading other worlds and collecting the pale tongues of their victims for Rosaria, Mother of Rebirth.
10. Hawkeye Gough In Elden Ring
Hawkeye Gough the Giant, first introduced in Dark Souls II, was once the leader of the Greatarchers and Dragonslayers, but after being tricked into believing he is blind spends his time musing philosophically and making arch tree carvings. Even though Hawkeye Gough cannot see, because he is in possession of the Hawkeye Ring, he is still able to ground the Black Dragon Kalameet after wounding the beast with a great arrow, forcing it to come crashing down mid-flight.
In Dark Souls III, a Giant wielding a very similar great bow and arrow appears atop the tower in the Undead Settlement. While this Giant is only able to string a short sentence together, the nameless character is also in possession of the Hawkeye Ring and offers to aid the player by launching great arrows at enemies near certain white birch treas.
11. The Crimson King in Elden Ring
The Crimson King made his first appearance in Otogi: Myth of Demons as a boss character. Named after his most notable feature, long flowing blood-red hair, the former human-turned-demon differs from other bosses in the game as he does not wish to simply kill the protagonist Raikou, who he often refers to as a puppe, but instead wants to test Raikou to determine whether or not he truly has free will of his own. The Crimson King also appears in the game's sequel, Otogi 2: Immortal Warriors, but only as a special endgame boss.
The Crimson King's flowing red hair is also surprisingly similar to both the female character and the monstrously large character that bursts into flames in the 2019 Elden Ring trailer. While this may simply be a coincidence, given FromSoftware's penchant for recurring characters, it's certainly not unreasonable to suspect that the Crimson King may make an appearance in the Elden Ring in one form or another.