It is not often that animals or pets are given names within the Legend of Zelda series. In Breath of the Wild, only two animals (three if you count Satori, Lord of the Mountain) are given names. One such animal is Patricia; a sand seal within the Gerudo Desert. She is not some steed to be forgotten or abandoned at the first sight of something intriguing. She is the loyal companion of the Gerudo Chief, Riju, and her owner’s love is exactly what makes Patricia a seal to remember.
It’s more than just a name that makes Patricia unique. Most sand seals in Gerudo Desert bear coats of red, orange, or brown mirroring the colors of the shifting sands and harsh winds. Patricia, on the other hand, has a blue-grey coat, and if that wasn’t unique enough, she has a red ribbon tied into her hair which is both adorable and fashionable. A ribbon is not the only accessory Patricia gets to wear. A royal seal needs an equally royal harness. The harness is simplistic in nature despite the golden plates encrusted with red jewels. The gold is just enough to show her importance and not get in the way of her mobility.
While Patricia’s appearance gives her character, her personality begins to show when Link meets her within her own sand seal pen. Unlike previous iterations of the reborn hero, Link cannot speak to Patricia, but he can feed her fruit and learn the wisdom of this seal through the translations of Padda, Gerudo soldier and caretaker of Patricia. Much of her wisdom contains seal related puns, but her level of wisdom will depend on what fruit she is fed. Give her any old fruit and she’ll feed you information like “The southern desert is… searing hot during the day!” and “Sand boots for desert sands and snow boots for… serious snowfall.” Feed Patricia her favorite fruit, wildberries, and she suddenly has very useful information, including fighting tips for Molduga, tips to find a dragon or a great fairy, and where the mysterious eighth heroine may lie. Her words may not be to the oracle level as Padda claims, but the tips are still helpful in solving some of those tricky sidequests.
It isn’t Patricia’s unique look or her seal worthy tips that make her memorable. At the end of the day, it’s Riju’s love that keeps Patricia in the spotlight. Riju’s love began the moment her mother gave the seal to the young girl. Every morning, Riju wanders down to the pen to talk to Patricia, doting over and growing their friendship. It gets harder to visit due to her duties as chief and Vah Naboris taking much of her time, but she still spends at least two hours every day with her friend. And when the time comes for her to face Vah Naboris, its Patricia who she trusts to guide her through lightning and sand.
Patricia is not just some spoiled seal pampered and fed wildberries every day. She is a warrior of her own making and doing her part to protect her people. When Link and Riju decide to tackle Vah Naboris, Patricia is ready, guiding her chief through the stomping legs of the Divine Beast and not shying away from the strikes of lightning threatening to burn them to a crisp. Her chief wears the Thunder Helm after all and Patricia knows she is safe in Riju’s hands. Patricia might not get a lot of screen time in this quest, but in just those few minutes (or several if those arrows just won’t hit) Patricia shows her loyalty and embodies the warrior nature of the Gerudo. As she grows with Riju, there is no doubt that history will remember her as the cutest, wisest, and most courageous sand seal of the Wild Era.
