The release of Elden Ring is right around the corner, with it scheduled to come out on February 25, 2022, and many players are likely expecting long-time developer favorites like Patches to appear. It’s no secret that FromSoftware reuses concepts, characters, and other assets between their games. Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Sekiro each play differently, and each one changes the formula in some key respects, but they are recognizably similar. People can expect Elden Ring to have many of these "Soulsborne" elements, and some of those who have played the closed beta test call it a spiritual successor to Dark Souls.
One of the recurring characters in games by FromSoftware is that of Patches. In several FromSoftware games, specifically, the ones directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki, a bald man named Patches has shown up to antagonize players. This usually involves a pit of some kind, and Patches kicking players into it. Patches is probably not the same person between all the games, just as the various characters named Link in The Legend of Zelda series are not the same people, but rather the characters are related in concept.
Patches first shows up in Armored Core: For Answer as Patch the Good Luck. While he doesn't kick anyone off ledges in this game, he does have a mech suit with a sniper rifle and a cloaking device. As this is a game featuring giant robots, his attacks mark him as a trickster type. Patches becomes much more of a threat (and a friend) in later titles.
Patches Appearances In Other FromSoftware Games
Patches' next appearance is in Demon's Souls. Here, he is known as Patches the Hyena. Players encounter him in the Stonefang Tunnel. He tells tales of a great treasure within a pit, and when players peer over the ledge, he kicks them down into it. Luckily, they can escape and when next they meet Patches, he offers an item and begs players to forgive him. He later can become a merchant.
The next game Patches shows up in is Dark Souls, as Trusty Patches. His appearance is very similar to the one in Demon’s Souls, with players encountering him in the Tomb of Giants and subsequently getting kicked down into a pit. When players confront him, he turns friendlier, much like before. Players can meet Patches at other points in the game as well, where he attempts to flip a bridge over by activating a lever and causing players to fall to their doom.
He will attack players who claim to be clerics, but there might be a reason for this. A particular cleric that players meet early on, Petrus of Thorolund, is described by the Pardoner Oswald of Carim as “drenched in sin.” His actions later on in one of Dark Souls' side quests prove this to be true if left to his own devices. This could explain Patches hatred, though it’s not as if he is a paragon of virtue either. Furthermore, in the pit Patches kicks the player into, there are some clerics which have gone hollow and will attack.
In Dark Souls II, Patches is absent, though the game was not directed by Hidetaka Miyazaki. He does show up again in Dark Souls III as Unbreakable Patches. In Dark Souls III, he steals the armor of a character encountered previously and attempts to lure players into a trap. Players can encounter Patches several times throughout the game, and Patches does have a much bigger role than in previous entries, including once again becoming a merchant later in the game and even helping players rescue another NPC. He’s also in the DLC, which takes place far in the future, and somehow Patches has survived, even though he has forgotten who he is.
In Bloodborne, Patches appears as a bald human head on a spider’s body, which certainly fits the aesthetic of the game. This time he goes by Patches the Spider. At first, Patches seems friendly enough, as players can only see his head. Later, he kicks them off a ledge into a pit filled with poison, and it leads to a boss fight. Once players escape, they can surprise him, and if they don’t forgive him for his actions, he will become a merchant.
Patches Possible Appearance In Elden Ring
It still has not been confirmed whether a character named Patches will show up in Elden Ring or not, but there are some hints. The character has shown up in Hidetaka Miyazaki’s other works that he directed, except Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice. Why does a character named Patches show up in all these games? It seems that Patches serves as a message to players from Dark Souls' director. Putting oneself in danger initially can lead to greater rewards. Perseverance is key, and that’s why Patches helps players out after they escape their predicament, giving or selling them new items.
There is a character in Elden Ring who certainly resembles Patches. He’s a bald, thin man that players encounter while attempting to storm Stormveil Castle. The man warns players against going in the main entrance as the guards have pointed artillery in that direction. He recommends they take an alternate route instead, and they can choose to heed his advice or not. Seeing as how this character helps players out in this instance, this indicates that it's likely not Patches. His name is Gatekeeper Gostoc, but that could just be a cover name. It’s possible that players can encounter this character later in the game and he won't be so benevolent, and instead has lulled players into a false sense of security.
Elden Ring has a vast open world and all manner of places for players to discover. It is possible that players can encounter Patches several times throughout the game in different locations. He could play a bigger role in the story than in previous titles, possibly tricking the player in different ways. He could don disguises like in Dark Souls III, or even look different like Patches the Spider from Bloodborne. This is all speculation though, and he could not appear at all, but he will likely show up in some capacity, even if it is by another name.