You're wandering through the Arche Abbey, probably exhausted from dodging disruption crystals and those weirdly aggressive carcass monsters, when you finally stumble upon a cell. Inside sits a man—or what’s left of one—wearing a test subject's uniform. This is Subject 826 Lies of P players often overlook, but he’s one of the most grounded, strangely human NPCs in the entire game. He isn't a god, he isn't a legendary stalker, and he isn't trying to rewrite the laws of the universe. He’s just a guy who survived the Alchemists' horrific experiments and wants to see the sky again.
Honestly, finding him feels like a breather. In a game where everyone is either a puppet or a mutated mess of ego and Ergo, Subject 826 is just... tired.
Most people miss his full questline because it requires a lot of backtracking after a specific late-game boss fight. If you don’t go back to find him after he leaves his cell, you miss out on one of the best armor sets in the game and some of the most poignant dialogue about what it actually feels like to be "human" in Krat.
Who is Subject 826 anyway?
Basically, he’s a survivor. While the Alchemists were busy trying to reach "Evolution" through the Petrification Disease and Ergo experimentation, they went through a lot of test subjects. Most died. Others became those screeching monsters you've been parrying for the last thirty hours. Subject 826 is a rarity. He kept his mind. He kept his personality. But he lost his sense of self in the process, which is why he goes by a number rather than a name.
When you first meet him in the Arche Abbey (specifically near the Outer Wall Stargazer), he’s surprisingly chill. He’s not hostile. He’s just sitting there, waiting for the end of the world or a chance to walk out the front door. He asks you about the outside. He wants to know if the wind still blows and if the world is as beautiful as he remembers. It’s a gut-punch moment because, by this point in the game, you know the "outside" is a corpse-strewn nightmare. But you don't have the heart to tell him that.
Finding Subject 826 Lies of P and finishing his story
Getting his quest right is tricky. First, you have to talk to him in his cell at the Arche Abbey. You'll need to reach the lower levels of the Abbey, near the elevator that takes you back down toward the beach areas. Open his cell door. Talk to him until his dialogue repeats. He’ll tell you he wants to leave once the "noise" stops.
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The "noise" he’s talking about is Laxasia the Complete.
Once you defeat Laxasia—which, let's be real, is one of the hardest fights in the game—Subject 826 actually makes his move. He doesn't just vanish into thin air like some NPCs. He travels all the way back to the Rosa Isabelle Street entrance.
Specifically, you’ll find him standing on the bridge overlooking the fires, near the area where you fought the White Lady earlier in the game. This is a massive trek for an NPC, and most players never think to go back there once the endgame starts rolling toward the Nameless Puppet or Simon Manus.
Why you absolutely shouldn't skip him
If you find him on that bridge, he becomes a merchant. And he’s not selling junk. He sells the Black Cat's Hunting Apparel and the Provocation gesture. If you're into the "fashion souls" aspect of Lies of P, that outfit is a top-tier pick.
But beyond the loot, his dialogue on the bridge is fascinating. He talks about the smell of the city. Even though Krat is burning and filled with the stench of death, to him, it’s paradise compared to the sterile, blood-soaked halls of the Abbey. It’s a subtle bit of world-building. It reminds us that "humanity" in this game isn't just about P growing a heart; it's about the sensory experience of living.
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The Alchemist experiments: A bit of context
To understand why Subject 826 is such a big deal, you have to look at what the Alchemists were actually doing. They weren't just making gold. They were trying to create a "True Human" by shoving massive amounts of Ergo into living tissue. This usually resulted in the Petrification Disease taking over.
Subject 826 is a "failure" by Alchemist standards. He didn't transform into a giant, multi-limbed nightmare. He didn't gain god-like powers. He just stayed a guy. In a way, he represents the very thing Simon Manus and Valentin Manal were trying to "improve" upon—and he's the only one who seems at peace with himself by the end of the game.
Common mistakes and misconceptions
A lot of players think Subject 826 is tied to the "Happy Memory" or "Blue Butterfly" endings. He isn't. His quest is independent of the main endings, though his dialogue changes slightly based on how much "Humanity" you've gained. If you've been lying consistently and your hair has turned white, he notices. He comments on your warmth.
Another mistake? Killing him. Look, I get it. You're on edge. Everything in the Abbey wants to kill you. But if you attack Subject 826, you lock yourself out of his shop and his final bits of lore. Don't do it. He’s one of the few genuinely kind souls left in a city that has gone completely insane.
- Location 1: Arche Abbey - Bottom floor near the elevator shortcut.
- Trigger: Defeat Laxasia the Complete.
- Location 2: Rosa Isabelle Street - On the bridge where the Mad Donkey or White Lady vibes are strongest.
- Reward: Black Cat's Hunting Apparel, Provocation Gesture, and a sense of closure.
What this means for the lore of Krat
Subject 826 serves as a living testament to the cruelty of the Alchemists. When you talk to him, he doesn't hold a massive grudge. He's just empty. He mentions how the experiments took everything from him, including his memories of his family.
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This ties back into the Ergo theme. If Ergo is crystallized human memories, then the Alchemists were literally stripping people of their souls to power their machines and their "evolution." Subject 826 is what's left when you take almost everything away but leave the consciousness intact. It’s haunting.
Actionable steps for your current playthrough
If you are currently pushing through the late-game of Lies of P, do not rush to the final boss immediately after Laxasia. Take a moment.
- Double-check the Abbey: Make sure you actually opened 826's cell. It's easy to run past it when you're being chased by those headless things.
- Teleport to Rosa Isabelle Street: Use the Stargazer near the entrance (the one where the carriage was on fire).
- Walk to the bridge: He’ll be standing right there, looking out over the ruins.
- Buy his stock: Even if you don't like the outfit, the gesture is required if you're aiming for 100% completion or the "Learning about Emotions" achievement.
- Listen to his final lines: It provides a much-needed perspective on the tragedy of the Alchemists' ambition.
By the time you reach the end of his dialogue, you'll realize that Subject 826 is the mirror image of P. P is a puppet becoming human; 826 is a human who was treated like a puppet. Both are just trying to find a reason to keep standing in a world that's falling apart.
Once you've finished his dialogue and bought the apparel, head back to the Abbey to deal with Simon Manus. You've done the one thing the Alchemists couldn't do: you treated a test subject like a person.
Next Steps for Players: Confirm your current Humanity level by checking the portrait at Hotel Krat; if your nose is long or your hair is grey/white, Subject 826's reactions to you will be more profound. After finishing his quest, ensure you have also completed the "Old Lady at the Window" questline, as these two NPC stories provide the most complete picture of the civilian toll the puppet frenzy took on Krat's residents. If you've already defeated the final boss, check the bridge in Rosa Isabelle Street anyway—he may still be there if you spoke to him in the Abbey earlier.