Wess


 * "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 thief from eastern Tazmily Village who taught Duster all he knows. After Duster steals the wrong artifact from Osohe Castle during Wess's test of his skills, Wess joins him to return to Osohe as a guide, ensuring that Duster this time confiscates the right object. He usually uses Thunder Bombsas his primary offense in battle, and is the first character shown to perform the Osohe Dance to open a door. He is playable again during Chapter 3, when the party attempts to rescue Salsa from Fassad.

Some time after the modernization of Tazmily, Wess's house was torn down to build a rest home, where Wess is forced to stay. Possibly because of this, the townspeople treat Wess as an outcast.

Earlier Life
Not much is known about Wess's early life. However, at some point in his life (when there were still kings in Osohe Castle) the king asked him to guard an important object. Some time later, he sends Duster to retrieve it. However, Leder's speech in Chapter 8 proves that this is a fabricated memory, created as part of the 'story of Tazmily' by the original settlers. It is unknown when he learned to perform the Osohe Dance.

Special Attacks as a Party Member
When Wess joins Duster in the middle of Chapter 2, and when he joins with Salsa, 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. Wess can also waste his turn in battle by doing one of the following:
 * 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, however.
 * Scold Duster sharply and concern about Kumatora's safety -- No effect in battle.

Trivia

 * Hackers have found that Wess, while not being a playable character, can still gain levels (which can be changed in the Debug Room). This implies that he was not originally intended to be a temporary party member. This also shows how godlike he really is.
 * Wess appears to have been partly responsible for Duster's limp. In Chapter 2, he will mention that he is to blame for Duster's leg if Duster responds "No" to his question about being ready. On Tanetane Island, Wess appears as one of the hallucinations and claims that Duster's limp was his fault if talked to.
 * In the beginning of the game some people may think that Wess is a bad father for giving Duster a limp, smashing the wrong treasure Duster got and then calling him a moron repeatedly even 3 years after Duster was missing, and scowling at him sometimes, but later Wess cares more for Duster.
 * 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. After all, it's not gay if it's Wess!