Lies of P is packed with an eclectic range of eccentric characters whom you begin to encounter from the earliest few areas and onward. In Area III, in the Workshop Union, you encounter two suspicious siblings, Red Fox and Black Cat, and you meet them again later in the Malum District.
On your second encounter, Red Fox asks you to cause a distraction while they take on the Black Rabbit Brotherhood, and you have an important choice to make. You might be wondering whether or not you should help Red Fox and Black Cat, but this article is here to help.
Who is Red Fox in Lies of P?
Red Fox, along with her adopted brother Black Cat, are mysterious masked characters whom players first meet in Area III, the Workshop Union. Red Fox is classy, well-spoken, and very fond of herself, mentioning to P that her admirers “follow her everywhere.” She cares deeply for her brother, and they are both on a quest to find a cure for Black Cat’s blindness.
While Red Fox and Black Cat will be suspicious of the player at first, they’ll warm up to you in subsequent encounters, but only if you make the right choices.
Red Fox and Black Cat questline in Lies of P
You have two opportunities to befriend Red Fox and Black Cat, and your decisions influence the way their quest ends in the final area. Be warned, this article contains spoilers for Red Fox and Black Cat’s questline in Lies of P, as well as some late-game areas and encounters.
III: Workshop Union
Your first encounter with Red Fox and Black Cat is straightforward. They’re not far from the Workshop Union Culvert stargazer in Area III, on the upper level, by a square protruding platform. They have some interesting dialogue, but other than that, there are no decisions to make here. Exhaust their dialogue and carry on with your journey.
V: Malum District
When you get to the Malum District from Path of the Pilgrim in Area V, right next to the first stargazer at the beginning of the area, you’ll see Red Fox and Black Cat again. After a short dialogue sequence, Red Fox asks you to help them raid the Black Rabbit Brotherhood. You can either accept the offer or refuse.
If you accept, Red Fox and Black Cat will follow and help with combat as you progress through the streets to the Black Rabbit hideout building, which is just a little down the way. If you listen carefully, you’ll hear them disparaging you, calling you their new “dumbass.” When you get close to the building, they’ll wait outside to “take a breather” while you go in and clear all the enemies out. After you’re done, you can go back to where you left them for some more dialogue, and they’ll disappear shortly after.
If you refuse, this encounter won’t happen, and you’ll proceed through the level without them. They’ll remember your decision later.
VII: Grand Exhibition
You next encounter Red Fox and Black Cat in Area VII, the Grand Exhibition, by the monorail at the end of the area. They reveal more about themselves this time around, and Black Cat will ask you for a Gold Coin Fruit. If you choose to give him the fruit, he will be very grateful and mention that he thinks you’d be good friends. Red Fox will thank you, and give you the Quixotic vinyl record and the Beg gesture.
If you don’t give him the fruit (or don’t have any), they’ll plead with you to hand over a fruit, and you’ll still have the option to give them one. However, if you progress into the next area without handing over the fruit, Red Fox and Black Cat will move on and consider that you refused to give them a fruit. If you want Red Fox and Black Cat to be fond of you but you don’t have a Gold Coin Fruit, we’d advise that you go back and get one from the Gold Coin Tree in Hotel Krat before continuing.
XI: Arche Abbey Outer Wall
After reaching Area XI and progressing to Arche Abbey, you’ll separately encounter both Black Cat and Red Fox. If you choose not to help them, both characters will be boss fights and you will have to defeat them to continue forward. However, if you helped them in the Malum District and gave Black Cat a Gold Coin Fruit in the Grand Exhibition, you don’t have to fight them.
If he considers you a friend, Black Cat will ask you for a Gold Coin Fruit instead of fighting you. Give him the fruit to avoid his boss fight, and he’ll ask you to spare his sister, too, and give you the Black Cat Mask as a reward. Shortly after, you’ll meet Red Fox again. If she considers you a friend and you didn’t kill Black Cat, she’ll ask you for one more Gold Coin Fruit and give you the Red Fox Mask.
Should you accept or refuse Red Fox’s offer?
Yes, you should accept Red Fox’s offer in the Malum District, as there are no downsides to accepting. They will both accompany you as allied NPCs as you fight through the next portion of the level, which should make it a fair bit easier. Additionally, this decision is the first step toward befriending Red Fox and Black Cat, which lets you avoid them both as boss fights later in the game if you choose to do so.
If you accept, you’ll be on your way to achieving Red Fox and Black Cat’s “good” ending. If you’re following their story, you’ll come to realize that Red Fox and Black Cat aren’t antagonists at all, and are just looking out for themselves. This is the option I chose, and it was satisfying to help Red Fox and Black Cat succeed in their goals thanks to the Gold Coin Fruit I gave them. Ultimately, this is the option I’d recommend.
If you refuse, then their final act plays out differently, and you’ll need to defeat them both in combat. It does feel like more of a “bad” ending, but it’s a valid option, especially if you’re keen for more boss fights. Your last encounter with Red Fox and Black Cat happens close to the end of the game, and they’re both fairly tough bosses, but they should be no match for you if you’ve made it this far.
