More FromSoft NPC realness. Yesterday, I outlined my faves in Dark Souls II (Scholar of the First Sin). Today, I’m going to mash together Sekiro and Bloodborne because I’m pretty sure I cannot do a post each even if I don’t give a targeted number for each. I have played each of the Dark Souls games a dozen times, but I’ve only played through Bloodborne completely twice and Sekiro once. I’m very close to the end of NG+ on Sekiro, but that will not happen.
Let’s start with Sekiro as it’s my least-favorite From game for reasons I have enumerated several times in the past. Honestly, when I think of it, I can’t remember very many NPCs at all. My favorite is someone who is a boss if you go for the bad ending. Let’s get to it.
1. Emma. Emma is the equivalent of your level up lady in the game. Not that you can level up. But she’s the one you give your gourd seeds to in order to strengthen your gourd. Which is your Estus Flask in this game. She’s the adoptive daughter of a doctor and learned from him.
I will say thatt the story is much more straightforward in this game, probably because Activision was the publisher. It’s also probably why there is a hidden shitty map in the game because they insisted there be one (not a shitty one, but a map). Everything about the game is streamlined in a way that I did not appreciate.
Emma is interesting in that she’s loyal to Isshin. She’s his doctor, but she was also rescued by him on the battlefield. I think. She’s the one who drops a letter to you so that you’ll come save Kuro. She knows secrets that she’s not telling you, but you can eavesdrop and overhear her talking about them with the Sculptor.
It seems as if everyone but you know what is happening. That’s another thing that I dont really like about the game. You’re just the pawn. I mean, it’s true in all the game,s but it’s so blatant in this one that you’re being manipulated and used.
Here’s one thing about Emma that sets her (and Isshin) apart from other NPCs (I mentioned it earlier). If you choose to go for the Shura ending, which means to forsake Kuro and follow Owl, then Emma becomes a boss fight, followed by Isshin. She turs from Emma the doctor and gourd lady to Emma, the Gentle Blade. And she’s pretty badass. Oh, wait. There’s a third NPC who becomes a boss. The Sculptor. He’s an on optional boss, the Demon of Hatred, and one whom many people consider the hardest boss in the game. I’m not sure if I’d call him the hardest, but he’s certainly one of the most tedious. Wait! Owl is like this as well. So there are four in this game that go from NPCs to bosses!
2. Black Hat Badger. This is mostly for his cool hat. He is a merchant who has struck fear in the hearts of the soldiers around him. He does move and have dialogue and a quest, but it’s nothing much. I just like his attitude and his hat. Also, NPCs I like in this game are thin on the ground, so he’s on the list.
That’s it for Sekiro. let’s move on to Bloodborne. I’ll continue with number 3, but just know this is actually #1. She is the best. Thats a hint. She is one of my favorite NPCs in the FromSoft multiverse.
3. Eileen the Crow. She is fucking amazing. The end. Ok, not the end. First of all, her outfit is stunning. Plague Doctor with wings. My Elden Ring character is currently dressed as closely to her as possible. It’s not a direct homage to her, but it’s not NOT an homage, either.
Her voice is incredible. I love that her voice actor, Jacqueline Boatswain) is black, but that’s neither here nor there. “A hunter must hunt.” The way she says hunter is so damn sexy. She is inimicably cool, and she gives you Shake Off Cape as a gesture when you first meet her.
She also has an intricate questline that if you faithfully follow, ends up with an emotionally wrenching scene. Along the way, you get to fight by her side, which is cool. If you miss a few steps, though, it ends with her hunting you down and you have to fight her. I’ve never done that, and I’m not sure I would be able to fight her without pulling my punches. She’s probably pretty hard, though.
I love everything about her. Like I said, she’s one of my favorite NPCs overall in all the games, right behind Yuria of Londor from the third Souls game. her weapon is not my cuppa, but it’s pretty dang cool as well.
4. Patches. I know I said I wasn’t going to name him in every game, but, again, there aren’t many NPCs in this game I care about, and he’s different enough in this game that I wanted to give him a nod. I’m not going to teasingly lead up to what’s different about him in this game. he’s a spider. No idea why, but he’s worshipping Amygdala and boots you into a swamp as is his wont. He’s also the one who gives you the Tonsil Stone so you can get ttransported by the Amygdala later down the line.
I love Patches. He won me over, maybe it was more wearing me down, by repeated exposure. And by him doing the same thing every time. Patches fucks you over. It’s his thing. Usually by kicking you down into a hole. Then crowing about it and saying he’s going to take the treasures off your corpse. And he scolds you for being so greedy. And he hates clerics. And he has a lot of information about everyone in the world.
Then, when you manage to claw your way out of the trap and hunt him down, he’ll pretend to not know you and if you push it, he’ll ask for your forgiveness. You KNOW this is going to happen. You expect it from Patches. Hell, I’ll say that you probably will be disappointed if Patches didn’t do this when you met him!
In Elden Ring, he has a much bigger role and questline. He’s found in several different areas. He’s an early ‘boss’ fight! Then, later on, he does the classic, “Ooooooh, look there’s a treasure over there!” Then you go peer over the edge and he kicks you down.
It’s so perfect. I loved it! It made me smile, even though I ended up near basilisks, which were some of the worst enemies in the Souls games. Not as bad in Elden Ring, but still, the sight of them caused panic.
Then, you continue on your merry way and find him later on. And do him a favor or two. And find out that he’s sweet on another NPC. And then you find him outside a boss door, and he’s dying. He gives you something to give to his sweetie before expiring. That actually made me tear up.
But, then they made it so he shows up back in his first spot again because they couldn’t just leave him dead. I don’t know if they patched that in or not.
I’m done for now because I’m suddenly tired. I may continue tomorrow or I may just go to Dark Souls III. We shall see!