Lies of P concludes with a surprising link to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and teases that another beloved children’s tale will be twisted into a mechanical nightmare. Here are 10 Wizard of Oz characters that should appear in the Lies of P universe, and how.
Dorothy Gale
Starting with the character we already know will be making an appearance. The protagonist of The Wizard of Oz, Dorothy Gale is a young girl from Kansas who, alongside her loyal terrier Toto, is swept away to the Land of Oz by a twister.
The post-credit scene positions Dorothy as another key to eternal life, sought after by Paracelsus and the Alchemists. We only see her legs and famous red shoes in the short clip, so there is every chance Dorothy might be a Puppet in this universe or even have a prosthetic arm like Pinocchio. Whatever the case, Dorothy will play a major role in the story to come.
The Tin Man
The Tin Man is incredibly well suited to the world of Lies of P and would feel right at home in the Puppet-ridden streets of Krat. He would make for a perfect mirror to Pinocchio with both of them searching for their humanity. With some good writing, a boss fight between the pair could make for an encounter as emotional as it is difficult.
He could be equipped with a large axe that players could unlock as a unique weapon. Drawing more parallels between the pair, the Tin Man could be looking for his own heart-like P-Organ and, desperate for the abilities it grants, tries to take Pinocchio’s.
The Cowardly Lion
The Cowardly Lion could appear in Lies of P as a member of the Stalkers, the mercenary group that wears distinctive animal masks in the base game. Lies of P used these characters to adapt some of Pinocchio’s major animal characters, notably the Mad Donkey, Red Fox, and Black Cat; and could repeat the trick for The Wizard of Oz.
As his name would suggest, perhaps the Cowardly Lion could be a previously unseen member of the Stalkers who was hiding during the events of the main story. Only emerging to avenge his fallen compatriots and wearing an unnerving lion mask.
Winged Monkeys
These enslaved minions of the Wicked Witch of the West could provide players with a fun new challenge as they come up against a rare flying enemy in Lies of P. The Winged Monkeys could be a common enemy good for farming Ergo, but difficult to manage in a group.
Neowiz and Round8 would have to be careful not to make these enemies annoying as they fly around the player. Perhaps the Winged Monkeys are particularly susceptible to Pinocchio’s Legion Arm. The Puppet String could pull them out of the air and in reach of the player’s blade. They could be redesigned to fit the Lies of P aesthetic quite well and make for a unique-looking Puppet enemy.
Wheelers
The 1985 film Return to Oz traumatized a generation of children with its adaptation of the Wheelers. Debuting in the third novel Ozma of Oz in 1907, the Wheelers are human-like beings that travel on all fours. Their limbs are uncomfortably long and they have wheels instead of hands and feet. Crazed and screeching, their wheels sound like rusted metal scraping against your eardrum.
They would make for a truly unnerving enemy in Lies of P. Patrolling the streets of Krat, this army of failed Alchemist experiments would be fast and have a long reach, requiring nerves of steel from Pinocchio.
Glinda the Good Witch
Glinda the Good Witch of the North is a figure of guidance to Dorothy on her journey through Oz, pointing her towards the Wizard and the Emerald City, and gifting her the magic slippers that will eventually get her home. The 1939 film adaptation of The Wizard of Oz combined the novel’s Witch of the South and Witch of the North into one figure.
In Lies of P, the Good Witch could play a similar role to Sophia, the game’s adaptation of Pinocchio’s Blue Fairy. Players go to Sophia to spend Ergo and upgrade Pinocchio’s stats, and she revives him upon death. Glinda could play a similar role, but as an NPC focussed on more magical elements of the gameplay. For example providing Fable Arts resources and upgrades.
The Wizard of Oz
The fraudster that rules the Land of Oz, the Wizard of Oz is sought out by Dorothy and her friends as she looks for a way home. He could make for an interesting two-phase boss fight. A Lies of P DLC or sequel could feature the Wizard as a final boss.
Starting in the Wizard’s emerald throne room, the battle could see him taking on different forms; a reference to his various disguises in the original story. Following that, a dramatic reveal of the Wizard’s hot air balloon could lead to a final climactic fight aboard the vessel as the Wizard attempts to flee the city. Again, taking inspiration from Baum’s novel.
The Wicked Witch of the West
The Wicked Witch of the West would, quite obviously, be a major boss fight in a Wizard of Oz-centric expansion to Lies of P. This nasty, green-skinned witch doesn’t play a great role in the book series beyond the first novel. Despite her power, she often relies on hordes of animals including wolves and the Winged Monkeys to do her bidding.
Her obsession with the Ruby Slippers (which were originally silver in the novel) leads to her stalking Dorothy across the Land of Oz. She is also famously aquaphobic, melting at the touch of it. As such, Lies of P’s boss fight against the Wicked Witch has to conclude in this very way.
Tik-Tok
Tik-Tok, the character, not the social media app, debuted in the Ozma of Oz alongside the Wheelers. Considered by some to be one of the first robots in literature, Tik-Tok is a rotund clockwork man who acts as a servant to, and protector of, Dorothy. While he doesn’t have emotions in the novels, Tik-Tok’s jolly appearance reminds me of the Dark Souls series’ various ‘Onion Knights’ of Catarina.
As such perhaps Tik-Tok could take some inspiration from him and appear as a loyal companion in a Lies of P DLC or sequel. Not only would this add some levity to the dark city of Krat, but Tik-Tok could make for another good parallel to Pinocchio thematically as the pair team up to help Dorothy.
The Scarecrow
At the end of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz novel, the Wizard gifts the Scarecrow with the crown of Emerald City. Despite his lack of physical brain, he is considered one of the wisest men in Oz and is a trusted advisor to the Emerald City’s subsequent rulers.
I can see the Scarecrow playing a much different role to Dorothy’s other companions in Lies of P. Rather than an enemy or boss battle, he could appear as an NPC in possession of key pieces of lore that link the worlds of Lies of P and The Wonderful WIzard of Oz.
When Lies of P was first announced its central concept of a Pinocchio-themed Soulslike seemed ludicrous. The game was released to positive reviews and added dimensions to the subgenre. So much so that Dorothy and the rest of The Wizard of Oz cast appearing in the Lies of P universe doesn’t seem that crazy. For more on Lies of P, check out the articles below.
