EarthBound Wiki
Register
Advertisement
EarthBound Wiki

"Lucas!! I'll now lower my voice and talk to you in a whisper! I hate to ask, but could you go and see if this look-alike really is my moron or not? Fassad's cronies are on the lookout for me, so I can't go anywhere or do anything. Please. Go find that moron for me."
— Wess

Wess is a character in Mother 3. He is the father of Duster, and a highly-skilled thief from eastern Tazmily Village Village who taught Duster all he knows. Wess receives little regard from the townsfolk of Tazmily, and is also very strict towards his son. Even so, he does truly care for him, along with the town he lives in.

Biography[]

According to his own memory, Wess was at one time a close friend and retainer to the king of Osohe Castle. In turn, he also knew the young Princess Kumatora. Before the royal family of Osohe fled the Nowhere Islands, King Osohe tasked Wess with the protection of a sacred object, the Egg of Light, which was said to hold all the world's secrets. Should "the time" come, Wess would recover the Egg, and release its secrets unto the world. Wess was also exceedingly firm with Duster, once accidentally crippling him in the left leg after pushing him too hard in his thief training.

Wess first appears in Chapter 1, whereupon he summons Duster to aid Flint in his search for his family. Later, he shows concern towards Flint over the loss of Hinawa.

In Chapter 2, Wess alerts Duster that "the time" has come, and tasks Duster with retrieving the Egg of Light from Osohe Castle, bequeathing to him the Thief Tools. Believing a proper thief should determine what he must steal, Wess refuses to describe the object in question, only calling it "shiny". When Duster brings back the wrong item, the Noble Spittoon, Wess shatters it in a rage, only calming down when Duster presents Kumatora's pendant. He accompanies his son back to the castle to recover the Egg, berating him all the while. After meeting up with the princess, the trio recover the Egg, but are swept out of the castle through the river. As Wess and Kumatora wake up, they learn that Duster and the Egg have gone missing.

Soon after, Wess and Kumatora discover the abuse of Salsa at the hands of Fassad. The pair rescue the monkey, but are attacked in turn by the Pigmask Army, only saved by the timely arrival of Lucas.

By the time of Chapter 4, the elderly Wess has been confined to the Old Man's Paradise, an unkempt retirement home, and is kept away from the modernized Tazmily. Having heard that one of the members of the DCMC rock band strongly resembles Duster, Wess requests Lucas to check if it is truly him, being unable to leave. Wess can be talked to at any time from inside the Paradise.

Later, acting on instruction from Hinawa given within a dream of Alec's, Wess and he pile a bunch of hay in a specific spot. By a miracle, Lucas and Boney, plummeting from the sky after the events of Chapter 5, land softly in that exact spot.

In Chapter 8, Leder reveals that Wess's rmemories are a fabrication, created as part of the predetermined "story" of Tazmily Village by the people on the White Ship, who desired to forget their pasts. Wess and Duster's roles in this story were to recover the Egg of Light, in truth containing the memories of the White Ship people, should they be truly needed. Later, Wess is one of the islanders to make it to the 100th floor of the Empire Porky Building to encounter Porky.

After the Dark Dragon awakens and the Nowhere Islands are destroyed, as the player navigates the end screen, Wess teases the player by poking them in the back and feigning innocence; however, Alec calls him out. His ultimate fate, along with the rest of the characters, remains unknown.

Special Attacks as a Party Member[]

When Wess joins Duster in the middle of Chapter 2, and when he joins with Salsa towards the end of Chapter 3, he is one of the non-playable party members who can actually contribute to attacking an enemy. Like Fassad and Alec, he can deal damage, inflict a status ailment, or simply waste his turn in battle.

  • Attack! -- Just like Fassad and Alec, Wess deals moderate to high damage, depending on the enemy he's fighting against.
  • Throw a Thunder Bomb -- Whenever Wess goes into any thief adventure, he carries this bomb around. This item can be usable with any party member. In rare occasions, it deals numbness or solidifaction to an opponent. Strong against water-based opponents.
  • Throw one of Duster's Socks -- Not only is it humiliating to Duster, but it rarely inflicts solidification to an opponent. Advisable against Pigmasks.
  • Secret Thief Arts Technique -- Wess' strongest attack. Its power rivals that of Fassad's Bomb attack, and explosives like Sprinting Bombs and Pencil Rockets. This attack is rarely used.

Wess can also waste his turn in battle by doing one of the following:

  • Scold Duster sharply and concern about Kumatora's safety -- No effect in battle.

Trivia[]

MOTHER_3-_Wess_Dance

MOTHER 3- Wess Dance

A full video of the Osohe/Wess Dance from the fan-translated patch.

  • Wess was planned to be a playable party-member. In a screenshot from Earthbound 64, you can see Duster and Wess fighting a Pork Trooper. Hackers have also found the code that allows for Wess to be playable.
  • Wess is well known for a dance he forces himself to perform to open a door in Osohe Castle. This dance is commonly referred to as the "Osohe Dance" or "Wess Dance" and has gained internet fame.
  • Wess's bringing-up and treatment of Duster is often viewed under intense scrutiny by fans, given his harsh treatment to his son in Chapter 2, and the fact that he was the one who inflicted Duster's limp. However, should Lucas return to Wess in Chapters 5 or 7 with Duster in tow, Wess will express relief that his son is alright, and treats him more cordially, showing he does care for his son in some regard.
  • The Thunder Bomb behind his house respawns every time the crossroad is accessed, in any of the chapters of the game. This includes the time it's transformed into a rest home.
  • Wess (ウエス) comes from "rag" or "cloth" in Japanese. This is meant as a shared name theme with Duster, both being named after cleaning implements.
  • Besides Lucas, Wess is the only character in Mother 3 to appear in every chapter.
Advertisement