Apparently, this is my current obsession. NPC questlines in Elden Ring, I mean. It’s in part because I’m rewatching the first series of the boys playing Elden Ring and all the accempanying Roundtable Holds. They talk quite a bit about the NPCs in the game, and Rory and Gav are quite invested in the stories.It helps to have a Krupa painstakingly explaining things and piecing things together for them. Here was the last post, which was part four.
I have never had the same favorites in any of the From games whom everyone else loves. In the OG Dark Souls, it was Solaire and the Onion Knight (Siegmeyer). I will never say this in any From forum, but Soliare is not in my top five in the game, let alone the series. In an episode of Krupa’s plat (for the original I think?), he asked me which NPC was my favorite because I said something casually about my favorite, and why was it Solaire?
It’s not. It’s Laurentius of the Great Swamp, and it’s because he’s my pyro teacher. I do really like Siegmeyer (Onion Knight), but I like his daughter, Sieglinde, even better. I would put Quelana before Solaire as well. Also a pyro teacher.
And, of course, Patches. He is always in my top five in every game he’s in. Weirdly, his replacement in two, Pate, is not on my list. I always side with Creighton in that battle.
Since we’re on the sceond game, let me rattle off a few of my faves in that game. Lucatiel, of course. She’s the best–the absolute best. Um. Ah. I had to Google. It’s been some time since I played this game. But also, the NPCs aren’t as interesting for the most part. I like Straid of Olaphis quite a bit–and, yes, he’s another pyro teacher. Not just pyros, though. Also hexes and boss soul items. Ornifex is pretty cool, too. She does more important boss soul items. Manscorpion Tark and the Head of Vengarl are pretty cool, too, but not to the level of ‘they’re the best!’. I like the second game better than most people do, but I will admit that the NPC questlines are lacking.
Dark Souls III. My favorite game before Elden Ring. Now tied. My recent returrn to Lothric was incredible and reminded me of how much I loved the game. I found ways to cheese that I had not known before. Dorhy’s Gnawing is so damn good. It’s like Swarm of Flies from Elden Ring.
In the third game, Yuria is BAE. Then there’s Sirris and Karla. Karla can teach pyros, just to keep that consistent. The fact that I love pyro teachers, I mean. Anri is the best as well, and his/her questline and Yuria’s are entwined.
It’s funny because there are a few NPCs who turn into bosses in this game. And there are a few in Elden Ring as well. Oh. I forgot Bloodborne–my secnd-least favorite From game.
Eileen the Crow. The end. She is by far the best NPC of the game. Like, can I even think of any other? And, yes, you can fight her as an enemy/boss at some point if you go down a certain path. Her armor is awesome and her weapon is great if you’re a dex character. She is the hunter of hunters, and she’s just the best. She is a black British woman in real life, which I appreciate as well. Look. Diversity matters, even if you can’t see the person. And her voice is just lovely.
Interestingly enough, I don’t feel any particular warmth for the level up ladies. I don’t dislike them, but I am not all over them as many players are. If I had to choose one as a favorite, it’s probably the Fire Keeper from the third game. No real reason.
Are there any other NPCS in Bloodborne that I really like? Arianna is pretty cool as is Annalise. And they’re probably related. That’s about it.
Side note: It’s interesting how in some of the games, repeated beginning letters is a tihng. In Bloodborne, there are a bunch of ‘A’ names. Annalise and Arianna as I mentioned, plus Adella and Alfred.
Oh, another NPC I really like in Bloodborne is Djura. I always try to make friends with him if I can. Plus he has a very rich and lush voice. He makes an entrance, by the way, because once you reach a certain point in Old Yharnam, he starts shooting a Gatling gun at you.
Sekiro is the ignored game for me. I did not get on with it at all. So I am not going to talk about it. Instead, let’s go to Elden Ring. This ties with Dark Souls III as my favorite game of all time.
Elden Ring faves: Of course there’s Ranni and Blaidd. Almost everyone loves the two. Then there’s Iji. Those three are probably the fan favorites.
I will stan forever for Patches. His questline in Elden Ring is the best, and it really adds some flavor to the constant character. I want to know more about him and would gladly play a game in which he is the protagonist.
There is Miriel, the spacelturtle pope. He is incredible, and it makes me happy that he is in the game. Again, Alexander is a fan favorite, but he’s not one of mine. I don’t go for false bravado and the bungling man who thinks he’s more than he is. Sorry, but I get enough of that in real life.
It’s interesting to see who Rory and Gav like and don’t like. They really hate Boc because of his vocie (Gav) and because how much Gav hates him (Rory). But also because he’s very fragile emotionally. It’s the same with Roderika and Rory. He hates her because she’s self-doubting and, let’s just say it, whiny.
Someone in the RKG Discord stood up for Roderika by saying not everyone had the self-confidence that Rory has and that some people just need someone backing them to blossom. I agree. I am not a big fan of Roderika, but I don’t hate her, either. And it’s interesting to me that she gave Rory one of his favorite spirit ashes AND can do something incredibly useful with the spirit ashes, yet he hates her. Alexander, on the other hand, is completely useless (but so self-assured! Mostly! And speaking in manly, confident tones!), but Rory loves him.
Same with Boc. He can do something for you, but he’s full of self-doubt. And, he, too, is weak. But the level of disdain they have for Boc is outsized.
I know I will always be the weirdo, even in whom I like in these games. I am fine with that. Forever weird.