Sorin Markov is a Failure

[@silvermyr]

What's your favourite Sorin screw up?

[@easyyo6784]

the friendship he screw up with Nahiri and the punishment he suffered from her revenge. i like Nahiri more than Sorin, because she makes more sence and actually do something (where we can discuss if its good or bad)

[@Moardieb]

When he got compleated by the phyrexians.... wait that hasnt happened yet has it, nvm?

[@somerandomdude3729]

@@easyyo6784 Honestly that's his greatest failure. When Nahiri brought Emrekul to Innistrad he realized how much he fucked up. He did try to fix the problem with another mistake but that's another story for another day.

[@yoav.kats6328]

When he didn't helped Ugin and Azor to kill Bolas for good

[@cheeseburgerpaladin]

when i didn't draw him

[@NovemberXXVII]

Sorin has some of the better characterization out of major planeswalkers, IMHO. Other planeswalkers will be presented as relatable but start acting like mythical figures the moment the plot requires it - Sorin presents himself as a mythical figure, but deep down is Just Some Dude (TM). I honestly find him more relatable, precisely because the writers don't try to make him relatable.

[@midnightmonarus]

Especially his mood when his dad remarries to some woman you don't like. I can relate to that.

[@christophergoldshot9028]

Sorin Markov and Gideon Jurra are some of the most relatable as the worst and best of humanity just going by biography and canon. Also I look forward to Nicol Bolas

[@Machiroable]

Sad that he one of the biggest victims of MTG's bad writting, worst yet because his most recent appearances exemplify how much MTG's recent sets storytelling have devolved. or maybe Midnight Hunt and Crimnson Vow(together with Double Feature) just suck.

[@christophergoldshot9028]

@@Machiroable the story and lore for those two sets we're not that good, although I don't think it's been too great since round about gatecrash and theros

[@jheckie14]

Listen, I get what you mean, I really do. But after actually watching this video, I personally find it REALLY hard to root or relate to Sorin after all the massive Ls. Like, I hate myself too, but not to the degree that I would look at this guy and say "ye, he's just like me for real". Practice some self love... (this was partially a joke)

[@KingBobXVI]

It would be great if you'd do a followup in this format but for "Karn is a Failure" - because Karn has a LONG history of trying to fix things and just failing absolutely miserably. The difference though is that he _does_ care and tries his best, which might just make it a lot more sad.

[@KLR-rp6pn]

Agreed, this would be a cool concept for a series!

[@D-Skotes]

You're forgetting he often doesn't just fail absolutely miserably he often makes the situation actively worse.

[@BBBshow]

They are all failures. They plug a hole by creating 3 new holes :)

[@keithfilibeck2390]

@@BBBshow Jeska isn't, she became the strongest character ever in existence and then patched up the Multiverse, then dipped out before she could ever fail again.

[@LexYeen]

Karn takes after his father.

[@Meese12]

8:30 i feel like theres a very simple solution to this contrivance. Rather than having sorin just "forget", one of the key features of Zendikar is The Roil, the reason why no permanent cities or large developments can spring up as they'll just be torn apart by the land. Just say The Roil moved where the eye was since Sorin was last there and you're good.

[@ThatWildcard]

I mean, also it has been a LONG time since he was there. With all the shit going on on Innistrad and maybe the odd mini-adventure here and there, its no wonder Sorin doesnt remember where to go on a plane that looks different everytime you go there.

[@0th_Law]

Pretty sure Emrakul's "plan" is to simply be what she is: the third Eldrazi. After the plane's surface has been swept away (Ulamog) and reworked (Kozilek), Emrakul's role is to advance new life on the plane that's had its Aether recycled to the Blind Eternities.

[@silvermyr]

I really love this, is this canon? I can't remember. Definitely gives Emrakul's exit speech more context

[@0th_Law]

@@silvermyr It’s heavily implied, at least. For instance, look at how Ugin responds to the idea of killing the Eldrazi.

[@libsoric6693]

@@silvermyr Technically not canon yet but it makes a lot of sense as the Eldrazi each have their own way of warping the world around them and Emrakul only has control over creating and altering life. It's theorized that the Eldrazi are essential to creating new planes or reworking old ones and that since the world of Innistrad wasn't "ready" from the passage of the other 2 titans, Emrakul sense something wasn't right and now waits for a more barren land to repopulate.

[@RedDragon924]

Yeah, it also explains why Kozilek seemed to "randomly" go back to sleep in BFZ while Ulamog kept on going. He was just waiting for his turn until Ulamog "cleaned up". Kozilek only woke back up cause Ob Nixilis was pissed at Nissa.

[@calemr]

I'm hoping there's going to be some plot point where it turns out that everything done to stop the Eldrazi has some major negative effect. That the cycle is necessary for some reason. Possibly involving Omnath? They consume Mana, Omnath IS mana, what happens once it finishes its journey, absorbs Black mana, and becomes WUBRG? We don't know, yet. But maybe Eldrazi have a purpose, and it's stopping whatever Omnath does.

[@MrKeroro623]

In midnight hunt there is a great back and forth with sorin and teferri. Sorin is like"my long life makes me see things differently" and teferri is like "lol you have no idea"

[@brendancorey7831]

Teferi is the doctor in worldview, sorin is a 13 year old's version of what eternal people would see.

[@louiesatterwhite3885]

​@@brendancorey7831doctor in worldview and actions. He Gallifrey'd Zalfir

[@erebusvonmori8050]

I think you have it backwards on Sorin's relationship to Avacyn, especially given his despair in Midnight Hunt, Avacyn was always his daughter even if pretended to think of her as a tool.

[@holyordersol2668]

The way I see it, Sorin conceived of Avacyn as a tool (hence the Helvault, the Avacynian wards, etc.), but grew to see her as a daughter, based on his anguish when he had to kill her.

[@anthonydelfino6171]

I will never stop loving that the entire plot of Crimson Vow was Sorin trying to keep his elderly dementia-ridden grandad from being seduced into a marriage by a younger gold digger. Maybe he'll have a change to earn another point in March of the Machine.

[@spagandhi]

The best description ever

[@T4N7]

Y did the writers need him to magically forget where the Eye of Ugin was when the Roil causes the geography to change constantly? They alrdy had a reason for him to not know where it is but instead made him a bumbling idiot

[@GFreeGamer]

As much as I have an issue with Midnight Hunt introducing a massive sundial/clock that nobody ever had brought up before, I appreciated the final chapter of Crimson Vow when Katilda discussed with Arlinn the nuances of being grateful for Tovolar's aid, but not excusing his atrocities.

[@Mat-tg4fk]

Ive always seen Sorin as a character weighed by the trauma of his existence. Even if you account for his pre lore backstory being grand and filled with OP accomplishments never to be seen, he hated being turned into a vampire from the getgo, the suffering clearly has been with him since the beginning. Despite his best efforts, the suffering continued to pile on purely from his own half measures being just that. His character doesn't have to end here, hopefully he can finally catch a break and give himself a chance to reflect on his past choices.

[@DarthHao]

Now that you put this entire storyline into context, I feel that Sorin is meant to reflect a major pitfall of immortality. If anyone lived as long as Sorin did, “redefined objectives” takes on a whole new meaning.

[@keithfilibeck2390]

multiple characters prove him wrong, Teferi and Jhoria are older than him yet are far less morose about their existence.

[@happylandings3823]

@@keithfilibeck2390 I’m pretty sure Sorin is older than them in terms of storyline i know he is about 7000+ years old I think he was born 2500 years before the brothers war occured

[@DieFrauAmHerd]

@@happylandings3823 Yeah its difficult if time twists are involved, they are probably older by date of birth but Sorin surely has "lived" more time from his birth till now then they did.

[@viserproductions1]

Sorin feels like someone who doesn't do good because he wants to, or because it's the right thing to do but because he heard people say that you should and so he does because it's what's he thinks is expected of him. Something about how he does the bare minimum to help except for innistrad just rings to me of someone who knows he needs to be a good person but doesn't know why. And even on innistrad he doesn't do a lot he just makes something to do it for him.

[@badwrongfun5541]

Ah yes the often absent, dead beat dad of Inistrad. His greatest nemesis is only the consequences of his own actions.

[@DM-Oz]

Different from other planeswalkers (cof cof Nahiri) who dont actually get consequences for their actions at all

[@sashalittledemon6766]

​@@DM-Oz She got compleated because she did reckless things in Phyrexia. Now, another big baddie has access to this big lithomancer. And also Nissa. And Jace. Hum. Are the phyrexians goin to compleat the eldrazi?

[@DM-Oz]

@@sashalittledemon6766 Nahiri getting compleated is not related to her previous actions that lead to Avacyn dying. And it lasted two whole sets.

[@maddie4834]

She lost her spark because she couldn’t believe ajani would give her a second chance and decided to kill all planeswalkers

[@VinnieKielbasa]

I like how Teferi, Kaya and Chandra go help Sorin sort out his family issues where he's adamant that a powerful vampiress had enslaved his brilliant grandfather's mind, but it turns out that the old coot married some hottie out of his own will and gave Sorin a lecture for being a disappointment and scolded him for ruining his wedding ceremony.

[@learntoplaymagic5202]

I personally like Sorin for the powerful duality shown in Sorin's character and how he is his own worst enemy, slowly devolving into a jaded old man

[@h2ojr1]

I don't know who this youtuber is, but he's handsome AF, made an hour long video about Sorin Markhov, and looks like he should have his own entourage of gothic and eccentric styled gentlemen that I aspire to be a part of. Glad I got recommended this channel.

[@silvermyr]

Haha cheers! But you're describing a way cooler version than my actual life. Now I'm jealous of pretend me

[@TheIhplodur]

With Bolas Gone, he is the oldest Planeswalker after Ugin. He was able to create and destroy Avacyn and somehow getting a piece of the moon, but somehow he is unable to lean and often acts like a child. Even Lilliana who is poor black started to learn and changed. I hope at some point he will accept his mistakes and reconcile with Nahiri. Maybe when Emrakul escapes the moon.

[@keithfilibeck2390]

Teferi is older than him, as is Karn.

[@TheIhplodur]

@@keithfilibeck2390 Sorin ist around 7000 years old Teferi and Karn are around 1200 years old.

[@keithfilibeck2390]

@@TheIhplodur ya know.. I just assumed that Teferi and Jhoria's time at Tolaria happend way longer than that.

[@matheuscordeiroKH]

He can reconcile Nahiri if he got compleated too, both fighting together for phyrexia

[@holyordersol2668]

My problem is that the numerous writers even felt it necessary for him to make all these foolish, Saturday morning cartoon villain levels of mistakes. I checked out after he attempted to drain the downed Nahiri at the end of Eldritch Moon for a dramatic end, causing him to lose, when he should have just ended her efficiently.

[@TheAngelRaven]

Today I learned: Emrakul said 'Fuck this shit, I'm out' rather than continue fighting, deciding she rather be imprisoned in a moon than fight. Chad.

[@romyjane17]

When he asks the group in midnight hunt “what have you done for the plane?”, didn’t Chandra try to stop Emrakul while he was busy getting revenge?

[@Famygdala]

To be fair, that WAS part of the mess she made with Jace on Zendikar.

[@crisgon9552]

They made Sorin look bad after Zendikar was softly rewritten. Miss the Jace and Liliana plot also.... ​@Famygdala

[@sev1120]

I mean if Sorin turned up to help Nahiri when she came to him it wouldn't have been as bad Sorin knew the way to unlock it and didn't even once go "I haven't heard from Ugin in a long while, even with the interplanar message barrier up he'd usually check in physically. Might as well see if he's still alive" Sorin is an immortal, ageless vampire, he can afford to spend one day a year checking in on the hedron prison

[@The_Loreseeker]

This was a good analysis of the character. Sadly the poor way Sorin's been handled in recent years drives me to dislike how the story around him, and he himself, developed. He's gone from an aloof, highly-dangerous vampire to what amounts to a pouting child. As an aside; it's good to see you so focused on this content, great work overall.

[@silvermyr]

It's true he doesn't ever quite get enough focus or really get to fulfil what he's implied to be. By midnight hunt his characterisation was pretty embarrassing. But I'm hopeful for a better Sorin in the future! And thanks man, much appreciated

[@jaojintalonis92]

I dunno. After that exhaustive list of failures a little hopelessness is appropriate. He created avacyn to save the humans, not because he felt obligation to them, but because the vampires would starve. Then, in his final moment of need, his kin abandoned him. Seems like he finally said "Fuck it, let the world burn." He actively IS trying to hinder their efforts to save the plane. Think of it, you spend years trying to save a people who actively hate you for it, then it all goes to ruin, everything is destroyed and the people you were trying to save spit in your face and abandon you. Let the humans he never cared about die and the vampires starve. Let the werewolves have the plane. Then these cheeky heroes come along and want to save everyone, nah forget about it and move on, leave this plane to it's fate. Then he remembered something to care about. It all seems like a pretty human reaction to me.

[@victimizeakaboomsta8995]

Lore is one thing. But true failure is that the card doesn’t see play in standard after it’s released.🤣 sorin doing just fine rn…

[@scarfhat1]

@@jaojintalonis92 i agree up until "nah forget about it and move on. Leave the plane to its fate." Y'know that's actually fair enough until he decides to actively take part in dooming it. There's bad actions (or lack of actions) that are understandable and potentially well-written given what a character has gone through, and then there's bad writing. If he was an uncooperative ass and refused to tell them where the key was i could maybe see it, but he goes well beyond that

[@jaojintalonis92]

@@scarfhat1 It might seem a bit of a 180, but if his actions were always for the good of the vampires, then Olivia's betrayal could have turned him to hate. You have to remember, there's no indication that he immediately escaped the wall. He had awhile to think, and solitude can take you to some dark places. After that, it's just arrogance and age that would make him stubbornly stick to this revelation. Though I may be giving them too much credit, and it was just bad writing after all.

[@Valiguss]

There is a solid chance that sorin did introduce vampirism to tarkir on account of the fact that he seems to have done the same thing to zendikar Also I think it’s a little bit of a disservice to paint sorin as completely incapable when like 98% of his skill set seems to be killing things and basically none of his problems can be solved by killing things, it sorin had to be like doom guy he’d probably be very successful but that’s not really his situation so he just kinda fails Sorin also seems to have basically the same power set as kaya killing things, with a side of blood magic instead of sneaky shit

[@edgarmarques97]

If I remember correctly Vampires on Zendikar originated from Kozilek's influence on the plane.

[@Andy_Sidaris]

@@edgarmarques97 Sorin brought the Eldrazi to Zendikar so in a way he is responsible for the vampires

[@edgarmarques97]

@@Andy_Sidaris in his defense, Ugin was the one who gave the idea, and Nahiri agreed to it

[@sev1120]

​@@edgarmarques97 Ulamog's brood helped make the Eldrazi, not Kozilek's

[@yaboiskittlez7943]

Sorin is my favorite planeswalker and I'll always love him. I even named my son (now 14 months at time of writing this comment) after him. Sure, he's been mostly out of the story lately, with only small roles as of late and he hasn't had a big role outside of Crimson Vow for a long time. And sure, he's not perfect, but that's what makes him likable to me. I like fallible characters. Characters with flaws are interesting, because a perfect and infallible character is not realistic. Sure, he made bad choices with Nahiri, his former friend and someone who saw him as a mentor. And yeah, he became disenchanted to helping the multiverse and Innistrad as a whole after Avacyn was killed and he did nothing but brood and sit for a long time. But I can't fault him for being mournful and hateful for what he had to do, basically sacrificing his own daughter of sorts who he had made to protect his people, and for what? Sorin made himself the enemy of his own family for the betterment of the people they fed from and the plane as a whole. He sacrificed a lot and gained little. Sure, some recognize the losses he's had or respect him, but on a grand scale, he's alone and all he wanted was his world to survive and not succumb to multiverse threats like the Eldrazi or the Phyrexians. He had a full character arc, and he's changed and learned a lot. Even recently, he's seen in Crimson Vow that Sigarda is worthy of being the protector and has filled the shoes of Avacyn just fine, which is what he feared would never happen. He's grown, and is a two dimensional character, not a flat one dimensional one like some other characters with little to no character growth or mistakes that lead them to become new people who are better in the end. I feel his story is not over, yet. When or where we will see him again I don't know, but hopefully he comes back on the side of the heroes to help them again, soon.

[@villepirttimaki2081]

20:23 "Sorin, Sad Tourist" got me :D

[@gaminggeckos4388]

30:44 This also shows that Sorin failed at his goal, even if this failure didn't happen in the timeline. He still is the kind of person who would give up, if he found Ugin dead.

[@jomas1803]

Honestly I wont be surprised when your channel blows up the video quality is so high and you clearly put effort into these videos.

[@WolffangLightwood]

Shoosh you, Elspeth is my favorite character and I'm glad she's finally back

[@silvermyr]

Tbh I don't mind her being back, I just wanted her to be a returned. But I did like being shooshed

[@WolffangLightwood]

@@silvermyr if she was a returned she wouldn't have her spark anymore and out there somewhere would be Elspeth's soul as an eidolon. Though that could have been cool if her returned body and her eidolon soul reunited and turned her whole once again. But I'm satisfying just having her back

[@christopherb501]

41:30 Damn. Good job at presenting things such that, for the first time, I'm actually sympathetic towards _Nahiri._ It's not like I didn't know she had a rough go of things, but this was much better for her than the official prose.

[@silvermyr]

That's really lovely to hear, cheers. I have a huge soft spot for Nahiri so I wanted to present her motivations as best I could

[@Jetsetradio]

That was a thoroughly entertaining breakdown of Sorin being a nob. Now I'd love to see a tear down of Nissa considering how pampered wizard's had her be for years after the retcon.

[@frankie3010]

Nissa is a lesbian. Criticizing her characterization will get Pinkerton's on your tail.

[@COBsomeone22697]

I think they could have easily fixed the "Sorin made himself forget where the Eye of Ugin is, for some reason" and the "Why is he bringing Nissa along?" with the Roil, it's an already established mechanic of the plane that literally shifts geometry and makes maps useless. That would explain how Sorin doesn't know where it is after millennia pass. Nissa being an elf native to that plane should be able to locate and navigate better than almost any other being on the plane, so why they didn't just let her know where the Eye of Ugin is instead of adding the other dude they follow seems like a strange decision

[@0whatman]

I like that he's depressed as hell and thus he probs thinks his emotions are more dulled by vampirism than they actually are he needs a therapist lol I think (and hope) the plan is for him to not appear for a while then once we finally get back to innistrad after all the phyrexian stuff and random stuff he is on his way to being a new person, black/white with an emphasis on white; where he had let humans into his manor for care originally they without his objection made it their new home, where he now protects people and such and is getting therapy lol

[@theedandyman]

I love Innistrad with all my heart, and Sorin being the failure he is; is one of the main reasons. This video was amazing, great work.

[@litewavegames3967]

Your production quality is insane my guy, and this is the kind of Magic Lore deep dive content I've been craving. You have gained yourself a subscriber.

[@emixam6947]

Honestly with Tamiyo and Nahiri now compleated, I am so ready to see Jin Gitaxias try his hand at invading Innistrad. If properly written such a stroy would be AWESOME.

[@Famygdala]

I really WANT to agree with that but I haven't been much of a fan of the writing choices as of late. Don't think they could do it justice as is...

[@ThatWildcard]

@@Famygdala Its sad to see them dup their toes into a big reset of the cast for the Xth time now (They should almost all have died in WotS) just to pussy out at the last moment. At least Jace HAS to die after ONE. I'm a huge Jace fanboy and own almost every single card ever printed of him but its way overdue to have him die a martyrd death.

[@emixam6947]

@@ThatWildcard 20 bucks says he doesn’t die. I mean srsly look at him, all he’s got is a metal arm, while almost everyone else have had half their body replaced.

[@ThatWildcard]

@@emixam6947 yeah thats my fear aswell. Just another cheap plotarmor moment. Its getting tiresome by now. There are so many cool planeswalkers to take the lead, let him die in peace.

[@holyordersol2668]

If that happens, I’m expecting to see a repeat of SOI, where all the writing will place the blame on Sorin. I’d be *mildly* interested in seeing the Phyrexian Aliens/Xenomorph look fuse with the gothic horror aesthetic , though.

[@michaelcollins4534]

You had me thinking he was a loser until you brought up the love he has for his grandpa. Now I love him

[@gunbladeuser19]

I think with Emrikuel, the idea is that she felt so much "death" on innistrad and felt confused about that world.She had been "tricked" into being called to a nice tasty mana buffet only to find a land that was stained, rotten, and starved. (Like when Venom says "THIS FOOD IS DEAD!") So under that lens I understand why She left. In the sense she was escorted to a lovely looking restaurant only to find out it's super gross inside. So she ran away to the Moon. (Probably to give the "taste" of the plane a -5 Stars on Yelp.)

[@PhileasLiebmann]

You know, it would be really interesting if Sorin's propensity for wildly oscillating between extreme, almost sociopathic apathy to the point of becoming nearly unable to function as a person and extreme agitation to a point where he indiscriminately attacks (both physically and otherwise) even close friends and allies, was actually written as a consistent part of his character and not just a consequence of bad writing and bad communication between writers. Maybe Sorin has a serious psychological issue that has simply gone completely unaddressed for thousands of years. Maybe this could've been an interesting twist on the curse aspect of vampirism. We could've had a really interesting and supremely tragic character here, but no… Edit: I appreciate you trying to be nice, but fact of the matter is still that in War of the Spark Sorin chose to pointlessly duke it out with Nahiri while Nicol Bolas was trying to conquer the multiverse in the main plot by killing them all and neither of them chose to help in any way. Sure, maybe Nahiri shot first again, but that just means they both should get a point for failure.

[@fredranzalot4849]

The sad fact is that therapists don't exist on Innistrad.

[@erebusvonmori8050]

I'm going to have to disagree hard, yeah Bolas is a multiverse grade threat but Nahiri tried to raze an entire plane out of petty revenge.

[@PhileasLiebmann]

@@erebusvonmori8050 So kill her afterwards? Keep your priorities straight Edit: also if you want to go there, Bolas is doing this for significantly more petty reasons and much more successfully than Nahiri did with Innistrad.

[@ThatWildcard]

Its a common trope for vampires or immortals in general. You lose your empathy at some point after seeing generations grow up and die around you. Sorin has been alive for so long, and knows he will be millenia from now so why care? Mourning every death happening would throw a seriously big wrench into your daily life.

[@baconsir1159]

42:50 - Good point, I'm pretty sure the whole reason Liliana destroyed it was because she couldn't release just Griselbrand.

[@AmmaThor]

i laughed so many times during this. My favorite was you giving Emrikul the point for stopping herself. Wanted to say that the characterization for Midnight Hunt worked for me. Being So Angery that you want to see all your cousins forced to suffer for the decisions you tried to save them from and ready to fight anyone who tries to save them again is something i can believe as a low point after so many failures

[@alexwenner5746]

This is so good!! Loved the analysis and the framing device. We need more magic content that isn’t just… commander gameplay

[@GD0nly]

I think if we'd been re-introduced to an aloof, uncaring Sorin, unconcerned with saving Innistrad, who had had time to think on everything he'd done for the plane, everything he'd experienced through his multiversal travels and vampiric immortality, a Sorin that was just a broken husk of the man he had once been and we got a story where his desire to protect Innistrad was renewed, his care for humanity and the people of Innistrad bolstered and perhaps a greater move to white (1BWW cost maybe?) I think that would've been some interesting growth for Sorin.

[@macmusial3644]

With Nahiri and Nissa possibly dead/permanently compleated as of Phyrexia: All Will Be One, I think it would be interesting to see Sorin move on from Innistrad for a while and decide to look after Zendikar in their absence. It would force him to understand just what his actions did to the plane, and I'd like to see him and Anowon interact again because it would be a good opportunity to flesh out their shared history and give Sorin another vampire who actually has experience trying to atone for their mistakes to talk to.

[@arklaw8306]

Failing that it would be neat if he somehow saved Nahiri only so she could be herself when he slits her throat or something.

[@holyordersol2668]

@@arklaw8306 Somehow, i doubt they would ever allow Nahiri to die like that, especially not to Sorin; whom (it seems) most of the community and writers love to place blame upon.

[@Exarchon]

I have very little to say that others haven't said before, but I have to say something, and I guess I'm going to say a lot. I adore Sorin's design and aesthetic, and I adore the lore of MtG, including the way it twists and writhes in response to the demands of game mechanics and corporate branding. This video was nothing short of spectacular - a true delight to watch. I clicked mildly interested but a little skeptical of the title and run time. However once I started, I couldn't stop watching your hilarious and gripping Sorin Markov mini-documentary. On my first watch (on a different account a couple hours ago) you were at 849 subscribers. I'm now off to watch your Guildless series, and you're at 1K. I suspect that trend is indicative of at least your near future. Even with a very sparse upload schedule, content of your quality cannot remain hidden for long. And on a final if utterly superficial note, your presence is incredibly pleasant. You look like Tom Holland with a beard and sound like Taron Egerton with the enthusiasm of Spice8Rack. Maybe that's just being a youthful British-sounding lad, but it is a good energy nonetheless. I look forward to everything you will put onto KZbin with excitement. Just keep doing what you're doing! Cheers!

[@bonidc6732]

I love your videos because they are so much quality, is like you came from nowhere and launch an hour long lore video and manage to keep it interesting. Keep doing this pls

[@murdockberk8888]

"black mana planeswalker with white mana problems" that sounds like a joke from an eddie murphy movie LOL 11/10

[@matthewmcafee2957]

I'm not sure how big of a list there is, but I would love to see the History of "Serra The Benevolent". I always feel like there are plenty of cards that make some reference to her yet I can't find a comprehensive and complete story.

[@lucethedoormat81]

I'm shocked you have so few subscribers, your videos are great

[@a243137]

I love that you share how Sorin actually is. I was totally hyped to see in my feed an innistrad video instead of ravnica. Keep it up

[@stinkyratman]

600 subs? How? Well, hang in there you will blow up very soon if you keep this insane video quality, your hard work is very much appreciated, thank you.

[@ty_sylicus]

Was recommend to this channel from my MTG Discord. Well worth it! What a fantastic video. I love the deep dive and your sense of humor. You gained 10 subs in the time it took me to finish this video. I'm number 609. Nice.

[@silvermyr]

Nice. And thanks!

[@TheTrueFool]

Now I really want to see Sorin as MTG's first Wall Planeswalker card.

[@Vic13th]

Your videos deserve so much attention. You can tell how much effort you're putting into these, and I'm always ecstatic when I see a new upload. Here's hoping for many more videos and many, many more subs!

[@samuelwhite1129]

I genuinely want the in-set writing of sorin to align with his backstory, a conflicted and often self serving but at the very least competant anti-hero. For all that Sorin is a planeswalker, we don't actually get to see too much of him doing that. It often seems like he just... broods in his crypt til the plot demands he go to One of the other Three planes he has any fleeting stake in and then... just kind of mopes there for a bit too. Give me a set where Sorin is our primary focus planeswalker, on a world other than Innistrad. With the Markov crypts empty after Crimson Vow, Sorin's obligation to his family is over, and he may well take the time to actually travel, as he did before the Mending. I personally would love to see Sorin on Ixalan In many ways, Sorin's White/Black Identity has been at odds with the Black/Red character of the Vampiric condition on Innistrad. In truth, he has more in common with Saint Elenda the Dusk Rose than the Vampires of his Home and Family.

[@Pandora_The_Panda]

Now I'd like to see Elanda share her wisdom with Sorin.

[@soarel325]

The side of Sorin which was emphasized a lot early on but seems to have been was his hedonistic one. His motivation for doing everything he did was that he was a pleasure-seeker touring the multiverse for entertainment. His original motivations for his supposedly altruistic actions were ultimately self-interested ones - he saved planes purely because they amused him, he wants to protect Innistrad in the same way that a model train hobbyist would protect their train set. If his character is going to be taken in a new direction, I'd re-emphasize this side of him.

[@ferrucciofichera5906]

Fantastic storytelling, I've always loved MTG but never read any of the books so I had no idea of Sorin's failing past! I really enjoyed your video!

[@atamakita]

54:24 "[...]a Bad Dragon invaded [...]" 😂 cant keep my mind out of the gutter for this one

[@gaminggeckos4388]

Wow, this video was REALLY GOOD for how little attention this video and channel have received. Deserves more

[@nickday8581]

Congrats on hitting 1,000 subscribers!

[@hexpapple1255]

Sat through this whole video after it appeared on my feed, had it playing in the background while working and glanced over every so often while nothing was going on, and when I got to the end and you mentioned only being on 500 subscribers my mind was blown! You’re very likeable and the way you’re telling the stories is very entertaining, and your editing is brilliant! I know it’s been a while since this video came out and you’ve gotten plenty more subscribers since but still very well done! Can’t wait to binge more if your videos now :)

[@ThreeGuysOneBucket]

Your channel is brilliant. Its one of those channels where I saw the subcount and had to do a double take. I'm really picky with my subs because I don't like my sub feed clogged with stuff I dont care about, but you earned one. I hope you keep putting out regular content! Cheers

[@tyranitararmaldo]

At the time of Khans of Tarkir, I did wonder about that vampire token being a bad idea....

[@Ohmargod]

Why do you only have under 2000 subscribers?!? Commented for algorithm, subbed and shared with a friend. The best to your future endeavors, now I will watch ALL of your videos.

[@felixrivera895]

I did Really Like the story segments from Avacyn's perspective. Exploring her perspective was really interesting and alien.

[@wellwhatever2787]

I'm so glad I've discovered your channel recently. I can listen to you talking about MTG lore for hours!

[@Yesnomu]

I was really keyed into the story around the BFZ/SOI time, so I really like this recap! And I think losing all the time fits Sorin. After all, you can't be a brooding vampire without things to brood over, right?

[@MagusFlorren]

This was ravishing… Loved every second of it

[@a.summers9180]

Oh man! Thank you for simultaneously making me feel sad and understanding of Sorin while making me laugh my butt off! Keep up the good work, dude! 🤣 🦇👍 Edit: After all of the lore I've read and listen to about Sorin, I want to give him a hug (even if he won't accept it) because of how I can relate to losing someone close.

[@Marceline5711]

I've watched this video a few times now and just noticed the "Sorin, Sad Tourist" part, lmao. Great vid!

[@PanthalassaRo]

Being a more casual player during the early 10's era and came back recently to the game I love these lore videos, always mentioned in flavor text but never found those articles, I was very entertained during the whole video, grest narrating!

[@Fellwar_Finch]

I can’t believe this channel is so small this is some amazing content! Very excited for that myr video, love me a myr

[@Jacobcuz]

Another fantastic video James. Get a Patreon going, I have a feeling lots of people would help you create these masterpeices.

[@MyHandsAreBlank]

Another excellent video. Take as long as you need on the Ravnica video! They're always great and I don't mind waiting longer :)

[@placeholdername3818]

I wouldn't mind it split into two videos. Glad to see you're back!

[@Big_Dai]

Current Magic doesn't know how to write their Planeswalker characters. Urza (from years ago) is the closest to a being that feels strange and I can't really understand. Current-era Walkers are just "dumb people" with human ambitions.. which doesn't make sense due to the life's they live.

[@ljwilson90]

So good James!! And a great shirt ;)

[@silvermyr]

Cheers! I hope you enjoyed the Friends joke

[@jacebeleren9290]

Oh boy an hour and a half of dunking on Sorin? I can't wait

[@silvermyr]

I knew you had a bone to pick after he nearly let Avacyn murder you

[@jacebeleren9290]

@@silvermyr Well, that and doing fuck-all in the War of the Spark. Useless

[@VGJustice]

Well, this was the video that the algorithm decided to drop on me, and I'm intrigued enough to look into the rest of your videos. So, congrats on that at least!

[@josephdowie976]

What a great video. I was amazed at the end when you mentioned how small this channel is. I doubt it will stay small for long

[@slightlyOnion]

you deserve more viewers. If I new some folk that was into mtg lore, id send your vids to them

[@RioGrandeHenderson]

I dig it, your topics are off-kilt and refreshing keep on keepin' on man!

[@johndoriansmith]

Lovely video, though hearing all about Tarkir and how we're not going back made me cry a little on the inside (and outside). I really hope we return to that plan, I love the lore and flavor, and just want to see my beloved Abzan return ;-;

[@0th_Law]

Jeskai for me, personally.

[@phindude13]

Crimson Vow wedding crash plan likely came from making the Chandra, Dressed to kill art and them needing to get her to the wedding.

[@BrazilianCitizan]

Great video. Loved the trip down memory lane and you have some real great talent for writing in a way that makes it feel unique. Keep it up. I'm going to watch the other videos later and def gonna subscribe ^^

[@mcbiscuits8015]

Maybe the vampire token confusion is fixed by saying that after the time fuckery he got a guide from a different clan

[@jutton11]

The Bolas Ravnica set (I forget what its called lmao) enraged me. At this point in the story Sorin should priotize his revenge against Nahri above all else, but he just kinda lets it go when its hero time. Completely shits on his character arc. We just skipped the revenge portion of his story, and went straight to being sad.

[@keithfilibeck2390]

wrong, Sorin wants desperately for a reason to NOT hate Nahiri, he has a weird Tsundere relationship with her, despite all she did to him, and all he did to her, he just wants to go back to being friends again, because he secretly loves her.

[@izwe794]

sounds like they really dropped the ball in the last two appearances: They could have had a mono black sorin and then a mono white sorin. When he was sulking in his mansion he could have expressed that whatever they do they are doomed. If they heal the planet, emrakel will end them. If they do nothing, the vampires and beasts will destroy themselves, just as he had tried to prevent before. I could see him reading the situation as allowing it's destruction as the only way left to free it from the curse of vampirism and lycanthrope. That he could have planned to pick up the pieces when it's all crumbled. A mono black planeswalker then being him fighting the arch angel to keep the key from the people. Then in the second card, a mono white. It's him fighting to defend the dying arch angel and it's blood from the vampires and holding the same key, this time to give it to the people. It's a shame.

[@NoneNullAnd0]

I was pretty confused about Sorin's lore even after looking him up a couple times. This helped a lot.

[@easyyo6784]

this was a fun video to watch. i had seen the white/black color change as the result that the creator wanted to show a planeswalker who struggles with the idea to help the other while beeing a vampire. but when i read the stories about sorin, i more see just the white controll aspect and the black lazyness. i like sorin as a card and interested with the next story he's playing a role.

[@jcole4341]

I like Sorin from War of the Spark. He's great for planeswalker control with his uptick and reanimating extra creatures every turn or every other turn for no mana is a top notch effect

[@starmanda88]

Man I’m glad you were recommended to me! That never happens! Keep up the great work and I am subbed!

[@southparkking2]

You hath returned? Glad you have survived the limbo.

[@midnightbard3935]

Great video! I'm really looking forward to what this channel has in store

[@epicdude8742]

This was pretty eye-opening. I went into this thinking of Sorin as a wise planeswalker who was racked with guilt from some hasty, short-sighted decisions like locking Nahiri in the Helvault - only to lose all semblance of himself to bad writing after Eldritch Moon. Now I realize bad writing isn't a new thing for him, all the wisdom I thought he had was part of his facade and that one of his best turning point moments happened in a set I was too pessimistic to read into Thanks a ton for making this video. As someone who's always liked Sorin, I feel like I can really appreciate who he is now - in all his flawed glory. There's just never going to be another character quite like him.

[@AdderMoray]

The way it was written, I got the feeling that Edgar wasn't *actually* charmed. He was playing a long con the same way Olivia was trying to play a short one. After all, his family was almost entirely dead by this point. He would need another power base. But that may just be my interpretation.

[@charleschamp9826]

Can we have Castlevania's Alucard? We have Castlevania's Alucard at home. Castlevania's Alucard at home:

[@el_TG]

I love a good video shining some light on the kinda overlooked Magic story (as big as the game is). Great work.

[@Mouspadu]

I enjoyed your video and of course went looking for long form videos about blocks I played to death and then never thought about again. Bully job!

[@claudiomonteverdi847]

When Sorin went: "It's Markoving time!" I knew WotC really screwed up with this character

[@godzillasymbiote8342]

Loved this, hope you do a series covering other Planeswalkers.

[@Arthas1397]

First time I check out your channel, and even if as you can see from my profile pricture I'm a Sorin Fanboy I really enjoyed your video, was refreshing to listen to such a well made recap and analysis of what happened, and I do share the same anger as you when Sorin seems like a goddamn 8ys without conscience and critical thought. Anyways, I'll be sure to check more of your content, keep it up!