Father Gascoigne is the first boss you have to fight in Bloodborne, the Lovecraft-inspired horror RPG. He is a tough boss and a cautionary tale of what happens to blood-drunk hunters, those who would become just as beastly as that which they hunt.
But, he is so much more than just that. He is also a father, a man, a husband. What were his dreams, his aspirations, his desires? Who was he before he was pitted against you, dear hunter? Read on and find out.
10 He Serves As A Demonstration Of Core Gameplay
Father Gascoigne’s fight serves as a tutorial for the core gameplay mechanics you’ll need to survive the hunt. As a fellow hunter, Gascoigne can trick his weapon, parry you with a well-timed bullet, and dash and dodge effectively.
He also serves as a warning that not all hunters are friendly, and that some are in fact blood-drunk beasts. He serves as a great warning, to never overindulge in the blood. His fight is one of the best boss fights in the game. Once you beat him you’ll feel like a far more competent player.
9 He Is An Outsider
The description on his clothes state that Father is a rank not held by any within the Healing Church, and that it is a title he earned in a foreign land. It is clear then that he is not from Yharnam, and must have instead travelled to it for some reason. Was it to participate in the hunt and cleanse the streets? Or was it to cure some ailment that plagued him? Perhaps he just lusted after the blood and madness the hunt would allow him to indulge him, and which he eventually succumbed to.
8 Had A Wife And Daughters
It is very possible to miss this, and most NPC quests on your first playthrough. This game is truly unforgiving to beginners, but you’ll learn fast. Not just a Father in title, Gascoigne was also a husband with two daughters. One is the Young Girl you can talk to near the viaduct. She asks you to find her mother, who went out in search of her father, a hunter. This is a detail that humanises the beastly boss and gives some reasoning as to why he went on the hunt - to protect his family.
7 He Is Tainted By A Pungent Beastly Stench
It seems the scourge of the beasts had long festered within Gascoigne, as his clothing is described as being tainted by a beastly stench. This implies his beasthood has been a part of him for some time.
However, it could also be interpreted as meaning he has killed so many beasts that their stench now forever lingers on his clothes, their blood so seeped into his garments that they are a part of them. Perhaps that is how he became a beast himself.
6 Parted Ways With The Healing Church
While Gascoigne was a hunter within the Healing Church, his clothes reveal that he eventually parted ways with the Church. It is not known if this happened once he married and had kids, deciding that protecting his family was more important than ridding the streets of never-ending beasts. It is more likely that he left due to his own beasthood, however, as he still hunts, even without the orders of the Church. Members of the Church would kill hunters they thought had become tainted by the blood, so he probably got out while he still could.
5 Was Partnered With Henryk
Henryk is another hunter you can find amongst the beasts of Yharnam. This hunter has not turned into a beast, but has still gone mad. Their clothes state that the pair worked together on the hunt and that they formed a very effective duo. The clothes also state that Gascoigne was responsible for Henryk’s “tragically long life”, though the exact meaning of this is never really explained. Gascogine’s prominence within the Church could have granted Henryk lots of blood to keep him alive, or perhaps Henryk’s life was tragic because he had to see so many fellow hunters turn to madness.
4 He Killed His Wife
Remember the Young Girl that asks you to find her mother and bring her father home from the hunt? Well, you’ll have to disappoint her. She tells you her mother wears a red brooch, and you find one, on the corpse of a woman in Gascoigne’s boss arena. It seems that in his blood-induced madness he killed her. This is a great detail that shows just how corrupting the influence of the blood truly is. What other details may you have missed?
3 His Family Knew Of His Beasthood
When his daughter asks you to find her mother, she gives you a Tiny Music Box. She says that she and her mother play it to her father when he forgets them, to remind them who he is and who they are. If you read the item description of the Box it has two names in it, Viola and Gascoigne.
Viola forgot to take it with her when she went to look for Gascoigne and he killed her without realising who she was. They must have loved him dearly if they were willing to risk their lives being around a beast. If you play the Box during his boss battle he’ll recoil and wail, briefly brought back to reality and the horrors that he has committed. Maybe madness is better.
2 Was Henryk’s Son-In-Law
One explanation for Henryk’s “tragically” long life could be that he is Viola’s father. The Young Girl states that she has a grandfather, and you can later see Henryk at the tomb of Oedon, using the Roar gesture when he finds Viola and Gascoigne’s corpses. This suggests that he is the Young Girl’s grandfather, Viola is his daughter, and Henryk is his son-in-law. So, Henryk goes mad due to the loss of his family, and you put him down to prevent his rage from spreading further.
1 You End His Bloodline
As if killing Father Gascoigne wasn’t enough, you actually lead to the destruction of his entire bloodline. Fitting for a game all about blood. You get his daughter killed when you send her to Oedon Chapel, she gets eaten by a huge pig in the sewers. You kill his father-in-law who goes mad at the sight of him and Viola’s corpse.
You even get his older daughter killed too. She throws herself from the top of the ladder outside their house after you show her the Young Girl’s blood-stained ribbon. You wiped the man’s presence off the face of the earth. Your hunt is complete.
