Elden Ring lets you use its most pathetic boss as its most pathetic summon

Elden Ring
(Image credit: Bandai Namco)

Elden Ring lets you summon its most pathetic boss as an equally pathetic summon in another boss fight. Be warned, there are spoilers for Elden Ring here!

Relatively early on in Elden Ring, you'll encounter none other than Patches, recurring FromSoftware rapscallion. This time, you're forced to defeat Patches in a boss encounter, by way of getting him down to roughly two-thirds of his health bar, before he cowers in fear and you've the option to spare him and let him go.

Later on in FromSoftware's new game, Patches rears his ugly head again. This time, you can actually summon Patches as an ally for another boss encounter, where you and a crowd of other summoned allies all charge the boss in one climactic showdown fight.

This boss is Starscourge Radahn, and they're a powerful foe. So powerful, in fact, that all it takes for Patches to buckle and retreat from the fight is a single hit. The skulking vagabond simply ducks out the fight as soon as humanly possible, leaving you and your allies one comrade down in the fight against the deadly boss.

Screw you, Patches. It's one thing for the character to keep on popping up in FromSoftware games in various attempts to con and deceive us, but this encounter really takes the biscuit. Not content with being the worst boss battle in Elden Ring, Patches is seemingly gunning for the title of worst allied summon, and it's one he no doubt earns.

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Hirun Cryer

Hirun Cryer is a freelance reporter and writer with Gamesradar+ based out of U.K. After earning a degree in American History specializing in journalism, cinema, literature, and history, he stepped into the games writing world, with a focus on shooters, indie games, and RPGs, and has since been the recipient of the MCV 30 Under 30 award for 2021. In his spare time he freelances with other outlets around the industry, practices Japanese, and enjoys contemporary manga and anime.

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