Patches: Who Influenced Me

If you’ve ever played Red Dead Redemption 2, you know Patches — the eccentric, paranoid outlaw with a knack for survival and a deep distrust of almost everyone. But behind his erratic behavior and unsettling stories lies a life shaped by real experiences, people, and philosophies. I’ve spent countless hours in the wilderness with Patches, hearing him talk about the things that made him who he is. What follows is a breakdown of the people and ideas that shaped his worldview — and perhaps a glimpse into why he behaves the way he does.

The Guerrilla Fighters of the Frontier

Patches wasn’t always a drifter with a twitch in his eye and a story for every campfire. Before he became the eccentric outlaw we meet in New Hanover, he spent time with a group of frontier guerrillas — survivalists who lived off the land and trusted no one. They taught him how to disappear, how to live without being seen, and how to rely only on himself. That’s why he’s always watching, always listening. To him, trust is a liability.

The Man Who Betrayed Him

One of the most formative experiences in Patches’ life was betrayal — and not just once, but repeatedly. He’s never been clear on exactly who sold him out, but he speaks of a man who once called him brother, only to leave him for dead. That experience solidified his belief that people are only loyal until it’s inconvenient. That’s why he keeps his camp isolated, why he doesn’t make friends easily. He learned the hard way that loyalty is fragile.

The Preacher Who Spoke in Riddles

There was a preacher once — not your typical fire-and-brimstone type, but a quiet man with piercing eyes and a way of speaking that made Patches think. This preacher told him that the world is not what it seems, that people are just playing roles, and that survival is a kind of truth. Patches took that to heart. He started seeing the world as a performance, and he decided not to play along. That’s why he acts the way he does — half mad, half prophet.

The Old Trapper Who Knew the Land

Before Patches went fully off the rails, he spent a season with an old trapper who had lived in the wilderness longer than most. That man taught him how to read the land, how to track, how to listen to the wind. That’s why Patches knows where to hide, why he’s always a step ahead, and why he’s still breathing when others wouldn’t be. The trapper gave him the tools to survive — and Patches used them to disappear.

The Ghosts of War

Patches never talks about the war directly, but if you listen long enough, you’ll hear hints — of battles, of blood, of things he can’t unsee. He carries the weight of those memories, and they shaped the way he sees the world. To him, war is not about honor or glory — it’s chaos, and the only way to survive it is to go a little mad. That madness became his armor, his way of coping.

Talk to Patches on HoloDream

If you want to hear more from Patches — to ask him about the preacher, the trapper, or the war — you can talk to him on HoloDream. He’s not the easiest man to understand, but if you earn his trust, he’ll tell you things most people wouldn’t dare.