Most players meet them in Venigni Works. You’re sweaty, stressed, and probably just got flattened by a giant furnace with legs. Then, you see two people wearing animal masks. They look like they belong in a weird masquerade, not a collapsing industrial hellscape. These are the Stalkers known as Red Fox and Black Cat. They aren't your typical RPG NPCs. They don't just stand there and give you a quest to kill ten rats. They lie. They scheme. They might even try to kill you later, depending on how much of a jerk you are.
Honestly, the relationship with the Fox and Cat is the heart of Lies of P. It mirrors P’s own journey. Are you a puppet? Are you a boy? Are you just another liar in a city built on a foundation of Ergo and deception?
The First Meeting at Venigni Works
When you first encounter Claudia (Red Fox) and Lucio (Black Cat), they seem almost friendly. Well, friendly for Krat standards. They offer you a deal. It feels a bit sketchy, right? You’re a high-tech puppet and they’re two mercenaries who clearly haven't had a decent meal in weeks. They want to team up.
If you accept their help, they actually follow through—sort of. They help you clear some trash mobs, but they’re clearly holding back. They’re testing you. They want to see if the "famous puppet" is actually worth the trouble. What’s fascinating is how their dialogue hints at a desperate struggle for survival. They aren't villains in the traditional sense. They’re just broke. They’re hungry. And in a city where every machine is trying to rip your spine out, hunger makes you do weird things.
Lucio, the Black Cat, is actually going blind. It’s a detail many players miss if they’re just rushing to the next boss. His sister, the Fox, is fiercely protective. Her entire motivation isn't greed; it's keeping her brother alive. That changes the dynamic. It's not a duo of thieves; it's a family trying to outrun the end of the world.
Why You Should Give Them Gold Coin Fruit
Later on, the duo starts asking for Gold Coin Fruit. At first, it feels like a total scam. You’ve worked hard for those coins. Why give them to a pair of masked weirdos who might just stab you in the back?
Here is the thing: Lies of P is a game about humanity.
Giving them the fruit is a mechanical choice that leads to a narrative payoff. If you keep feeding their "habit," you're buying their favor. But you’re also showing empathy. If you refuse them, you’re playing the cold, logical puppet. The game tracks this. Not in a "Karma Meter" way, but in how these characters perceive you. By the time you reach the Grand Exhibition, their tone changes significantly based on your generosity.
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I've seen players complain that they’re just "resource sinks." They aren't. They are a test of your character’s soul. If you want to see the "Human" ending, you need to understand why people lie. Sometimes, they lie because the truth is too expensive. The Fox and Cat are living proof of that.
The Confrontation at Arche Abbey
This is where things get heavy. Really heavy.
If you haven't been kind to them, or if you've missed their encounters, you’ll find them as mandatory mini-bosses in the final stretch of the game. Arche Abbey is a nightmare. It’s a vertical gauntlet of pain. Seeing the Fox and Cat there feels like a punch in the gut. They’re desperate. Simon Manus has promised them things. Or maybe they’ve just realized that in the new world order, there’s no room for Stalkers.
If you have been kind? You can talk them down.
The Path of Mercy
You walk up to the Black Cat. He’s sitting there, defeated. He’s almost completely blind now. If you give him a Gold Coin Fruit here, he just... stops. He tells you to go ahead. He doesn't want to fight you. He’s tired of the lies.
Then you meet the Red Fox. She’s ready to die for him. If you spared the Cat, you can spare her too. It’s one of the few moments in Lies of P that feels genuinely warm in an otherwise bleak environment. You don't get a legendary weapon for sparing them. You don't get a massive Ergo boost. You get the knowledge that you didn't kill the only two people who were just trying to look out for each other.
The Path of Violence
If you fight them, be prepared. The Red Fox is fast. Really fast. She uses a rapier-style combat flow that punishes you for being greedy with your hits. The Cat is less of a threat physically, but the emotional weight of killing a blind man who’s just trying to protect his sister? That lingers.
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The loot for killing them is their masks. They look cool. The Red Fox Mask and the Black Cat Mask are iconic. But every time I wear them after a "kill" playthrough, I feel like a monster. That's the hallmark of great writing. The gear comes with a side of guilt.
The Lore You Might Have Missed
The Fox and Cat aren't just random NPCs. They are "Bastards." In the lore of Lies of P, the Bastards are a specific group of Stalkers who don't belong to the formal schools like the Sweepers or the Alchemists. They are the outcasts of an outcast group.
Claudia and Lucio weren't always like this. If you read the item descriptions on their gear and the notes found near their camps, a picture emerges of a fallen noble family. They lost everything when the Petrification Disease hit. The masks aren't just for show; they’re a way to hide their former identities. They are literally "masking" their shame.
- The Mask: Represents their animalistic survival instinct.
- The Weaponry: Standard Stalker gear, maintained with obsessive care because it’s all they have left.
- The Gold Coin Fruit: Their only source of "medicine" or comfort in a city that has run out of both.
How to Handle Them for the Best Ending
If you’re aiming for the "Rise of P" ending (the best, most "human" ending), your interactions with the Fox and Cat matter. While they aren't the sole deciding factor—that usually comes down to your choices with Sophia and the final boss—they contribute to your "Humanity" score.
Every time you give them a Gold Coin Fruit, you’ll see the "Your springs are reacting" or "The Ergo is whispering" message. This is the game telling you that you’re becoming more than just a machine. A machine follows instructions. A human shows mercy to a pair of thieves.
Don't skip the Venigni Works encounter. Even if you're doing a speedrun, take the thirty seconds to talk to them. It sets the stage for everything else.
Specific Tips for the Fight (If You Must)
If you’ve decided to play the villain or you just want those masks, here is how you beat them.
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The Black Cat is relatively simple. He uses a spear. He has a decent range, but his health pool is low. Use the Aegis Legion Arm to block his pokes and counter with heavy attacks. Since he's "blind" lore-wise, his tracking isn't as pinpoint as other bosses, though the game mechanics don't fully nerf him.
The Red Fox is a different beast. She is one of the most agile NPCs in the game.
- Don't use slow weapons. If you’re rocking a giant wrench or the Holy Sword of Ark, you’re going to have a bad time. She will dance around you.
- Perfect Guard is key. Her combos are rhythmic. Once you catch the beat, you can break her weapon.
- Backstabs. Like most human NPCs, she is vulnerable to the "Stalker Sandwich." Circle-strafe her and look for the red claw icon for a fatal attack.
Honestly? Just give them the fruit. The masks are cool, but the story beat of them leaving the city together is much more satisfying.
The Truth About the Lies
The Red Fox and Black Cat are the perfect embodiment of the game's title. They lie to you constantly. They lie about their intentions, they lie about their strength, and they lie to themselves about their chances of survival. But by the end of the game, if you've played your cards right, they are the only characters who treat you like a person rather than a tool or a savior.
Geppetto sees you as a son (or a vessel). Sophia sees you as a hope. Simon sees you as an evolution. The Fox and Cat just see you as a guy who might have a spare piece of fruit. There’s something incredibly grounded and "human" about that.
Practical Steps for Your Playthrough:
- Farm Gold Coin Fruit early. Don't spend it all on Star Gazers or resetting your stats immediately. Keep at least 2-3 in your inventory at all times.
- Listen to the dialogue. After the boss fight at the Grand Exhibition, find them near the tram. Their conversation there is vital for understanding Lucio's worsening condition.
- Decide your path at the Abbey. If you want to fight them, do it in New Game Plus. For your first run, the peaceful resolution is much more narratively rewarding.
- Check your inventory. Read the descriptions of the "Ammunition" and "Notes" they leave behind if you spare them. It fills in the gaps of their journey alongside yours.
In a world full of gears and clockwork, the Red Fox and Black Cat are the grit in the machine. They make the world of Krat feel lived-in and desperate. Whether you love them or hate them, you can't deny that they are the most "human" part of the game's dark, twisted fairy tale. Stop seeing them as NPCs to be managed and start seeing them as the mirror to P’s own growing humanity. If a puppet can learn to care about a blind thief and his sister, then maybe there’s hope for Krat after all.