Legacy of Kain | Soul Reaver - A Timeline

[@VladSpatariu]

Mad respect for all content creator who doesn't let this series to be forgotten.

[@Harucardiel]

Its crazy too, most ppl I know no matter what they're into always seem to have some love for one of them games which ever one it may be but you still hardly still see ppl talk about them but die hard fans

[@TheHeroExodus]

I hope this video finds the holders of kain's IP and inspires em and in a few years we too can reap the rewards

[@IceBreak23]

they will never be forgotten, i had Blood omen 1 but i never played because i didn't knew english when i was a kid but now i finally complete Blood omen, Soul Reaver and now Soul Reaver 2, i am going for Blood omen 2 and Defiance, it is a great Series and the Story keeps you on your sit, such a amazing Story to watch

[@smoya1801]

@@Harucardiel ppp]00p0p⁰and

[@epiclegion1040]

@wood 210 They are a small company under Square Enix now, they just made the avengers game if I am correct.

[@deadlyerick2692]

I love when there's still people who loves this legendary franchise ♥️

[@jameswatsonatheistgamer]

I have every game and LOK SR 1 twice.

[@huseron391]

I love this game

[@denisibriks9768]

I still play it to this day

[@singletona082]

So long as one of us exists. We are Legion.

[@emperortrevornorton3119]

A magazine from the 90's made me look up this character and now I'm here

[@gentlemanviking2644]

These games need a remaster. From blood omen 1 to defiance.

[@PerceptionVsReality333]

Yes.

[@johnnykopp7304]

The only company I would trust to do the remasters properly, is CD PROJECT RED.

[@johnnykopp7304]

@marcus24000 yes, Defiance still holds up today.

[@DrJellyFanguzzz]

@@johnnykopp7304 stop, a man can only get so erect.

[@Disconnect350]

Defiance is easily better than like 95% of today's games. Personally I'm getting tired of this remake/remaster trend.

[@MCPunk55]

Raziel's claws can pierce through metal so he's correct when he says "It was not the lack of options." Those six daggers are sharp.

[@emperortrevornorton3119]

Got two knives and four daggers they might lack the digits of humans not a handicap for the vampires or wraiths because they would rip bones like butter

[@SamuelBlack84]

"Those blind with rage are by destiny ensnared"

[@EugeneAtlas6713]

Kain: MWAHAHAHAHAH! Raziel: "I swore i saw a glint of satisfaction in Kain's eye"

[@strictlyfantasy]

That always made me laugh tbh XD

[@taz0k2]

Amazing!

[@karozans]

@@strictlyfantasy Where did you get that high res image of the blood reaver?

[@bloodnchocolate]

Well, he was technically in the spectral realm while Kain was having his little laugh-fest, though!

[@taz0k2]

@@bloodnchocolate In that case, Kain's laughter trancends dimensions!!

[@Muzz624]

"I am, as before, your right hand. Your sword."

[@ClockworkWyrm]

So, so good!

[@AnnaCurser]

best dying sentence

[@im2hastyle]

This line brings tears to my eyes every time. So powerful. So tragic. So heroic.

[@vanyadolly]

"Kindred, this blade and I" 😭

[@mikewillis9537]

After all these years those lines give me a lump in my throat

[@SirPream]

"History abhors a paradox." This always stuck with me for some reason, history always wanting to make sure there is only one version of something, not two. I don't know why, but out of all of the lines used in Legacy of Kain I feel these words hold the most weight. Thank you for keeping the lore alive for this franchise. Even though the series is amazing and could absolutely have a future, it could only do so in another timeline as the one we are in would rather try to direct the franchise to a team shooter than continue the franchise via the ways it built its legacy: as a single player game. For now it seems the game is stuck in the same fate its characters were chained to: an endless cycle of replays with no real way to alter the future... at least until the edge of the coin is landed on and we get the continuation that we deserve. Take care

[@patrykjedi4583]

The coin landing on its edge line is pretty epic aswell. I think it's the most remembered dialogue from Kain.

[@SamuelBlack84]

An interesting idea that time itself has in-built safeguards to peotect against paradoxes and put all of time itself at risk of being destroyed

[@JamesCarmichael]

Notice the similarities between Razie's head and the skull on the blade itself? No jaw, straight jagged edged hair and boney facial features? It's almost as if the blade was designed with his image in mind. (In lore)

[@k-yo]

Dude wtf! After years I've just realised this while watching this video, and then I see your comment mentioning it. Talk about synchronicity...

[@mattmoylan4226]

I just posted a similar comment because I just noticed this similarity as well!!

[@abhishekrao405]

Woww never realised that until u said it, damnn how did I miss it ???

[@JamesCarmichael]

​@@abhishekrao405 What's even stranger is that in Defiance Raziel's eyes glow when the influence of the Hylden is near. The blade's eyes also glow after Raziel is absorbed. Another Hylden trick? Non related? Or just a coincidence? Perhaps that's why Raziel is dipicted as the Hylden champion as he'll be the instrument of the Elder God destruction and the Hylden are no lovers of him.

[@johntrains1317]

Mmmm

[@KalleVilenius]

The voice-acting and dialogue is just so good

[@antoniojerez9096]

This series is as old as some of their fans, yet, it still drives people to create content, it could tell you how beloved the series is. Good job my guy.

[@taz0k2]

Long live Kain!

[@savageshot3723]

​@@taz0k2 "Kang is dead Long live kang"

[@taz0k2]

@@savageshot3723 Kang? Do you mean Kain is it some kind of "We wuz vampires" meme?

[@savageshot3723]

@@taz0k2 when you put "long live kain" I assumed you were referencing marvels Kang the conqueror. In a recent comic run, a young iteration of Kang kills his older self As he lays dying, he says; "Kang is dead... Long live kang" as in his younger version is gonna become Kang despite him trying not to be, by killing his older self I thought you referenced that and the time traveling also. My bad

[@taz0k2]

@@savageshot3723 Ah, no I have no idea about that. I sort of reference a beta/alpha version of Soul Reaver where the developers put in "Long live Kain" text graphics (as placeholders?) in the "pillar throne room".

[@Disconnect350]

Legacy of Kain Franchise, especially Soul Reaver 2 and Defiance have stuck with me since childhood. Probably one of the most amazing stories in video games.

[@aaron90omar]

I cannot stress enough on how important this game was for me during my late childhood and early teenage years. Especially for the quality of the dialogues in it. Being English my second language (Spanish being my native), the game helped me a lot with the improvement of my vocabulary.

[@alvaronavarro4895]

​@@aaron90omarGrandee, compañero español! Legacy of Kain es una obra de arte que pocos conocen, y menos aun en territorio hispanohablante. Al menos aquí en España nadie lo conoce jajaja

[@KatherinaBathory]

I'm a simple person. I see Legacy of Kain, I click

[@gentlemanviking2644]

Dude same

[@soulreaver1983]

😈👍

[@Ankzep]

SIP

[@soulreaver1983]

@@Ankzep 👍

[@eoingallagher6735]

Respect

[@i-keeper]

This game was too early for its time Forget Nathan Drake Give me a Soul Reaver Animated Series, GoT style

[@hendyswardika]

Live version please

[@Taiko206]

If we go for something like that it should be a series based on the "Elric of Melniboné" saga, wich i believe inspired Blood Omen series greatly. There's just too many similarities between the 2 stories to deny that.

[@i-keeper]

@@Taiko206 if u hv any links to the saga, pls share. I intend to read up on that. Thanks 👌🏽

[@Taiko206]

@@i-keeper Sadly all i have is a paperback version of the Elric part of the saga, and then in German. I personally don't know any links to that but i'm sure there are othets willing to help you with that. And if you find them i wish you happy reading, i'm sure you're going to love those stories ☺

[@Taiko206]

@@i-keeper One more thing i said the "Elric " part because there's a lot more then just that. Michael Moorcock wrote about many more heroes who are similar yet different and at some point or another one or more of these heroes meet each other and work together because the ate each aspects of the same "eternal hero".

[@numberfourtytwo]

"Kindred, this blade and I" I love the new meaning that line takes, after learning the Reaver's true nature.

[@gjtrue]

Kain had NO damn idea lol.

[@UllyrWuldan]

"With this, I am as I once was, YOUR right hand." - Raziel I cried a little

[@HCSR2]

22:06 Imagine walking into someone's trap after rewriting history THREE TIMES. What kind of absolutely monumentally one billion IQ 5th dimensional chess were the hylden playing that rewriting history three times was all according to keikaku*? When I got to that point in the game I just couldn't stop laughing at the sheer magnitude of events that line was implying. * keikaku means plan.

[@arx3516]

the players in this game aren't humans, it's heavily implied in the series that both ancient vampires and hylden were far more evolved than humans.

[@maulwind9001]

I believe the hylden could see the future and that’s how they knew. The seer in BO 2 is what made me come that opinion.

[@johntrains1317]

It's the classic twist. But somehow even more silly cause of the massive timeline. Rewrites

[@SinaelDOverom]

@marcus24000 When Kain saved Raziel from being consumed he had CREATED the Blood Omen 2 time line, which did not exist until then, and thus he had no memory of it at the time. That when his memory was reshuffled - then the memories of his younger self confronting the Hylden in BO2 had appeared.

[@theflashgordon193]

@@SinaelDOverom wow I never understand what was BO2 until now. Thank you

[@Grorl]

I've always loved the story of this series, but funny enough, I never understood it until watching your videos. Thank you for this!

[@jameswatsonatheistgamer]

It does take some energy to work it out. I enjoyed every bit of the story and yes I didn't attack the humans or vampire hunters. I am their God.

[@komlat253]

Same but im still lost .never played blood omen 2 or finished the 1st one

[@vdr1981]

I was waiting something like this for a "millennium" ! Thank you very much! After 20 years, the first Soul Reaver is still unforgettable... :)

[@masterofmythology]

It's interesting once you realize that Raziel possesses free will and is able to change history because there is always two of him present. Himself, and the Spectral Reaver.

[@scootza1]

Does he have free will as a sword though?

[@Brandelwyn]

​@@scootza1not until it was cleansed by the balance guardians magic i think

[@christopheraaron1255]

Except that he doesn't always have the blade. He has to get it in SR1.

[@EternalRoman]

@Strictly Fantasy Actually you should not avoid dwelling into Blood Omen 2, this game's story though some may not realize is still extremely important to the timeline. The fact that the Hylden were trapped in the Demonic realm gave them also a level of timelessness, which through it they helped hatch the plans that affect all of Nosgoth as we have seen. This is one of the key things that the "Sarafan/Hylden" General had mentioned to Kain when before Kain killed him and absorbed his soul. There are things that obviously were left in Mystery such as the Witch, that seemed to be not a Vampire as Kain thought she was, but in fact a Human Hylden hybrid, and I believe that it may be the very same woman portrayed in a painting in Vorador's keep in the 1st blood omen. Remember that Vorador is basically the very first human turned Vampire by Janos Audron himself, so he has a long and still vast knowledge of ancient vampire history. There are also things I noticed in BO2 that explained the "evolution" of Kain in SR, for example his altered appearance seems directly from the Witch herself since he drank from her. The evolution on Kains vampiric sons all may have derived from the creatures from BO2 like the insectoid creatures that Kain feeds from in the game, and Zephon inheriting these attributes. One has to follow the bestiary of BO2 and see the connection clearly and here comes Raziel OWN evolution, his Hylden appearance comes from the Hylden that Kain fed from as well. As you had stated before when Kain orders Raziel to the abyss, his look was of knowledge of the gamble, but I go further back. When Raziel presents himself in front of Kain and shows his wings, Kain's look of apparent anger was in fact of knowledge that it was the time to act upon his plans. He had knowledge of the times and twists, explained to Raziel in the Time Streaming chambers by Kain, whom had studied all the visions throughout millennia. Obviously the ill events were mostly orchestrated by the Elder "god" and I may even believe that the Hylden, who were mentioned that originally may not be from Nosgoth and may have arrived there in a long time before, may in fact be unknowing minions of the Elder god as the actual catalyst, and they may have in fact rebelled against him which prompted him to dupe the vampires and create all the chaos that happened since. That being said, the Hylden being timeless in the Demonic Realm, as well as the Elder god used the weakening of the Pillars to steer things, even explained by Mortanius to Raziel and the Hylden through him and then to Kain when he kills Mortanius and the Hylden take over his body. Blood Omen 2 seems inconsequential to those that do not see it deeply, but it is key important as well...even Janos Audron himself was in a way like Raziel, existing in tandem in the same timeline with himself as physically he was in front of Kain but Kain himself carried Janos's heart within him. THIS paradox was created by Mortanius as he fought against his possession of the Hylden within him. Remember that Mortanius was in league with Moebius but realized the error of his ways and I am sure that Moebius was the one that somehow got Mortanius possessed by the Hylden to further his stupid but formidable plans as he is used as a puppet by the Elder god. When Janos was thrown into the Demonic Realm it gave a sort of freedom to Kain in a sense as well, hence when the heart of Darkness was torn from Future Kain and thrown into the Demonic Realm too, he was NOT dead, allowing then that when he returns to Nosgoth past the Purified Raziel heals and purifies him from the corruption of the circle of 9. BO2 makes it full circle.

[@jesseritchie9282]

Now this is indeed a great look how things are of BO2. I didn't think about putting together the link of the witch and her blood to affect Kain in that way, but that does make sense of the apparent look of him as well as the looks of some of the revived warriors. This was very well put

[@bullymaguire9318]

Priceless explanation

[@orlandoalessandrini2505]

It all makes sense.

[@TheMastermind729]

I have no idea what any of this means… btw was the elder god actually a good guy?

[@EternalRoman]

@@TheMastermind729 No, the Elder "god" seems to be a spiritual parasite. I have a standing theory that the creature was created as a nexus when he absorbed the powers of Moebious The Time Streamer, allowing it to mess around the timelines to feed itself from the spiritual energies. If you think about it, by having time powers, it could had traveled back to ancient times and initiate ALL of the events that brought everything forward. It is an evil monster, and as such has been the outright antagonist always.

[@AlexSaysHi2013]

"MY GOD, THE HYLDEN!" One of my favorite moments of time travel fuckery in the series

[@TogonzoMedia]

And could've been made better if Kain had said "Vorador?!?" in confusion first as then suddenly gasped "Uma!" in instant recognition triggering a single involuntary tear to streak down his face. From there, Kain face palms and delivers that line in utter grief and shock. Then when he turns on Raziel, the centuries of loss and grief catching up to Kain that the tears flowed freely -- he bellows into his Raziel's face, "Janos Audron must stay dead," before Raz slips into spectral ...

[@gjtrue]

Seeing Kain himself terrified about something we didn't know as of yet is indeed worrying.

[@cscs3818]

I can not tell how many times I had listened to all the movie versions of the franchise, but you managed to shred some light to some aspects that I still did not understand. Thank you for that. Very good and informative video.

[@theflashgordon193]

so I'm not the only one ? lol He make me understand the Blood omen 2 timeline

[@JPG.01]

Legacy of Kain is a milestone for video games as a narrative medium and should never be forgotten.

[@gabrielteixeira7564]

I was waiting for a simple character study of Janos or Vorador, but this video is a truly masterpiece with no doubt. You have surpassed my expectations. 👏👏👏

[@jonathanferguson7791]

I've prophesied... they'll come out. Just don't walk into a paradox.

[@gmork5051]

VAE VICTIS

[@Sela1]

So glad this game is still talked about today. It's one of the most well written and voice acted series with an original and unique settings. It would be an utter shame for it to be forgotten. Thank you!

[@bobifetski]

Amazing you recovered plot holes in this game i was trying to understand for years

[@almirtoska4314]

Just amazing... what an incredible mindblowing/bending, story this game has. Words can not describe. Way ahead of its time and the time yet to come in my opinion. To those ppl who created this story, they deserve the best there is oscar or whatever you name it. And the best oscar there is to my man "Stricly Fantasy" for this beautiful and perfeckt elegant art Documentary, again! Thank you so much, i enjoyed all your videos as much as it gets. All the best to you, take, care and stay safe. (sorry for my english )

[@theflashgordon193]

agree I think it's best story I come across in video game

[@emiliosalazar9962]

I just wish Amy Hennig could write and finish the story as maybe as a book, or comic book series.

[@CoconutChriss]

I bet people would willingly pay on Kickstarter for something like this. But I also think because of licensing legal issues she wouldn't be allowed to do so.

[@BigKevSexyMan]

@@CoconutChriss I don't think she would want to anyways. Defiance was basically her wrapping up raziel's story (her story) before moving to naughty dawg.

[@louissteyn6871]

@@BigKevSexyMan and while there she did the last of us, a game while generic in terms of gameplay was renowned for its story, but in a moment of sheer stupidity she was fired and didn't make its sequel which was less than ideal to say the least

[@ranzigerkaefer]

with the events of Blood Omen 2, there isnt much left to tell till SR1. Yeah, 800 years of conquering nosgoth by kain and reviving his servants. in the end, its a full circle. the pillars are still destroyed because of blood omen 1. the soul reaver is still the soul reaver (but this time with a few changes) because of defiance. the elder good is in hiding because of defiance, janos audron is lost because of blood omen 2. there is only one question open: how was vorador revived in blood omen 2 when he was beheaded in blood omen 1?

[@cruelwraith2games926]

@@ranzigerkaefer is because Kane create a paradox and blood omen 1 by going back in time and assassinating King William the just before he became tyrant which led to the outcome of blood Omen 2 Vordor being still alive

[@stealthsmoke5780]

I didn't realize there was more obsessed over the Legacy of Kain series! I absolutely loved this series any time i see Crystal Dynamics or Eidos on a game I think only of my first of the series Soul Reaver 1 when it was released years ago. Then i obsessed over getting all the games in the series and hope so often that another Series game comes back or remastering it. Thanks for going back to the past! I loved your series content! You masterfully summarize it! I will send as many as possible your way!

[@shrump87]

Brother, please accept my humble comment in that your amazing grasp of this convoluted story and your ability and willingness to help us wrap our own little minds around it is nothing short of a Godsend. Thank you so much! 🙏

[@strictlyfantasy]

I love this story so it's my pleasure :)

[@matthewvolb94]

The ability to follow this story and timeline is astounding but what is really amazing is the ability to explain it to the point where I can actually understand it. I loved these games growing up I'm glad I came across this video.

[@cornholio4049]

Remaster of this serie would be a dream come true.

[@roblodocus2539]

The quality of these videos can’t be denied. I remember hunting down old style web text files when I was playing these games years ago to try to understand the timeline and some of the complexities of the LOK story. It’s one of my favourite game series of all time, and to be able to find mini documentaries on it today is something 20 years ago me would’ve been itchy to get my hands on. What a great time to be alive. Thank you Strictly Fantasy for these videos. Incredible job! Separately I would love to see remakes of these games, only if they kept the original voice score. I think a new cast could only do a worse job as the original was so perfect, and even a re-record would be difficult considering ages and I believe some of the OG cast are no longer with us. I would love to see a finalisation of the story though, if the R&K actors could return. Something that may sadly never happen. Michael Bell is 84 so it needs to happen soon!

[@tsquipnottsquip5128]

Soul Reaver is the game that got me into gaming. I was nearly 30 and gaming finally got its vampiric claws into me.

[@-Gilver]

Legacy of Kain does Time Travel in such a unique and intriguing way that I dare say this whole series sets the bar for time travel phenomena

[@gregorygreenwood-nimmo4954]

I still hold out hope (perhaps just a fool's hope...) that we will see a continuation of the Legacy of Kain games one day.

[@aaronporter4586]

Complete remakes with the same story would be amazing.

[@Artemisarrowzz]

I don't trust Square to do it properly.

[@gregorygreenwood-nimmo4954]

@@Artemisarrowzz A fair point.

[@wbbooth]

"The first bitter taste of that terrible illusion... Hope"

[@johnnykopp7304]

@@Artemisarrowzz the only company I would trust with this series would be CD PROJECT RED.

[@warface4881]

I played the one game SOUL REAVER and still think about it to this day. I always wondered about the story, when you just play the one game so much is left a mystery but in a good way, it makes you imagine what must have happened. Good video.

[@Vendrius]

This games deserves to be remebered as one of the greats.

[@healsyeah]

thanks for keeping the memory of this franchise alive

[@nodood]

Dude. Thank you. I have been looking for ANYONE to make a timeline for the reaver blade itself. I gave up on the search. Then BOOM here you are with this excellent piece of work! Good job 👍

[@WellManneredNate]

The wordplay of the Elder God's speech to Raziel; "Become my weaver of souls." And the Soul *Reaver* itself is peak subtlety

[@michaelperez3887]

When I was a child, I found it hard to understand the way they spoke in the game but learn many words.

[@Smique4542]

The first time I played LoK: Soul Reaver I was way too young to even understand what was going on but I knew there was something very special about this series. After many years I finally got my hands onto all of the games and replaying them, back then as a teen I immediately became a fan of the series. Since then I did my best to tell everyone about this series and how unbelievably amazing the story telling, characters, music and lore overall is. Im so happy that people still go back to this series and cover everything the series has to offer. It's also incredibly how even in modern days when we have deep stories and complex characters and all that, nothing comes even close to this series. This is not just nostalgia talk, this is what EVERYONE I've met have always said when they got into the series. Heck, just showing the intro for LoK:SR1 brought pretty much all of my friends to this series. Sorry for the long text, but I just had to say how important this series is to me and how everyone should atleast give this series a chance if they're even a tiny bit interested.

[@blueeyelaser5449]

Thanks for this. I didn’t understand much of the story until recently. This game used to intrigue me and at the same time freak me out as a boy lol. Love the storyline, really is one of the few intelligent and conceptual game storylines ever made. Thumbs up 👍

[@theflashgordon193]

the universe was so scary as a child. The spiritual world was the worst part for me

[@victoriousf.i.g.3311]

Just found this playlist last night and... damn, it's good.

[@pepehorhae]

this is a badass vid brother. i suddenly felt the urge to revisit the lore of this game as i never understood it when i was a child. i have gone to star wars theories to harry potter theories up into your channel. thank you for making all this effort into simplifying this series to those confused such as myself. watching your videos one by one.. the descent had destroyed me, and yet.. *i lived*

[@zackaryabbotts5972]

One of the greatest stories in the history of gaming beautifully presented, with first class editing and a very detailed explanation of the time lines within the LOK universe, anybody who hasn't experienced these games is really missing out on something very special, many thanks for all your hard work and dedication to this incredible franchise.

[@mattpadilla6952]

These games were amazing for their day, and even stand up now. A remaster would be awesome! Some of the best lore, voice acting, storytelling, and game play ever.

[@MrDiableg]

BRO!! THIS IS AN AMAZING JOB!! YOU DESERVE MORE VIEWS

[@prince_nocturne]

I need to go back and replay this series again. I always knew it was well written, but God DAMN did I forget just HOW well written!

[@bigredrocks2521]

Amy Hennig's best writing by far. If only this became a TV series as there's no way you could've made this into films. Great vid SF.

[@MrGrimlocksmash]

Kid me: “This game looks dumb. Pass” Adult me: “Holy lovecraftian ties Batman! Get in my collection.”

[@iljasidlun1952]

This series have spoiled my future experiences of games. An intricate lore, dark wisdom, feelings of despair and agony, with a bittersweet taste of universal lie - hope, has left it's marking on my soul. Forever after leaving a sour taste of anything I tried playing in next two decades. Legacy of Kain was one of the first, my most beloved games I played, I thrived by exploring the lore, the masterpiece of dialogues in it, awaiting a short exchange of words like a 2nd coming, unlike anything after, I've never once had thoughts of skipping anything, replaying the scenes in order to secure the fact I haven't missed a sliver of knowledge. Perhaps only Prince of Persia Warrior Within, comes somewhat on the horizon to a tale worth hearing, but the difference of quality is unfathomable, the Legacy of Kain series are an apex of what a good game was, you not only enjoyed playing it, but you actually came out wiser as a person after finishing them. The last game I have enjoyed, that made me invested was of course Witcher 3, but it still doesn't hold a candle to this epic tale. If they ever make a worthy sequel, with old voice actors, even though some of them are no longer with us, and Amy Hennig coming back to operate this orchestra of Shakespearean dialogues and lore, nothing would stand against this series glorious rebirth.

[@LoudVapors]

Gives me chills just hearing the music! Amazing story.

[@dentman5679]

Man I just found ur channel when I googled if they had plans for another game or remake finally I’m glad I did and happy people like u keep my favorite game series from fading away

[@jodh1991]

I love legacy of kain series, thanks for the videos

[@tomspecter6812]

Thank you so much for making all of this clear 👍🏻 very satisfying

this is the video I was waiting for, just awesome, we need more content like this of Legacy of kain !

[@NinjaBusCow]

Your breakdowns are always entertaining and well thought out. Thanks for the telling of the epic/fun storylines of this series, and Legacy of Kain , and all the others. I'm not sure how long it takes to make these, but I appreciate the effort very much.

[@fightinggamesexplained453]

I absolutely love these video essays! Thank you for keeping this lovely series alive!

[@darthgorthaur258]

This franchise needs a remastering...not a remake or retcon just a straight remaster scene for scene remade exactly the same...

[@CoffeeForAll]

How would you sell microtransactions through a game like that? Well.. I suppose it could be made into an open world RPG.

[@bobloerakker7010]

Yes!! With the same voice acting ofcourse

[@Arkangelx98x]

Or something like the Halo CE and Halo 2 remaster with better looking graphics but keeping everything the same

[@markthecruel1055]

everything left out of SR needs to be included and a 'choose your path/timeline' added

[@jessehelton9919]

Soul reaver is getting a remastered first for PS5 and then the PS pro model and then the Nintendo switch Iverson later on in the year for PC.

[@J4k7193R]

Story wise, no game has yet to reach the pinnacle that this game set.

[@2dostone2]

This series were ahead of its time If they are released today, it would probably be in a level as god of war, if not even better.

[@ruleraziel7995]

I even got my gamer tag from this game I try to carry its great Legacy! This is by far the greatest games to ever be played they defiantly need a remake.

[@1e33n7]

Yewr videos are top notch quality, prod & what yew endeavor to convey. Cannot say how many times I've watched them but I only have a massiv thanks & hope that yew continue. Ughhh Madd Love & respect, m8.

[@TragoudistrosMPH]

Such a great job covering such a complex plot! Well done indeed!

[@bossgbini]

THIS! These LOK videos have made me sub, but it has placed this channel on top of the pile as my favourite KZbin Channel . Thanks brother..... thanks.

[@Cthulhusdreams]

This is hands down my favorite game series and I'm a older gamer. Legacy of kain was a masterpiece. I wish they would release either a 4k remaster or finish the story for us.

[@synchrodeath]

Thank you for this. The legacy of kain series is one of the best stories that have graced our generation.

[@KatherinaBathory]

Interesting... I also think that when Kain becomes purify new guardians would be allowed to be born. Kain could look for them, train them, make vampires of them and lead them to a final confrontation with the elder god. Then they might be able to restore the pillars or they might decide the pillars are no longer necessary and use their own guardian energies to restore Nosgoth. After all, the pillars are a physical manifestation of Nosgoth prime energies, not the energies themselves. This is just a theory I have...

[@felipecruzrocha]

Cant be done. Only the purified bearer of the purified Reaver can *see* the Elder God. Not even Mobieus could, until Raziel purified his sight (even then, only with the pure Ariel Reaver). The Elder God was also succesful in elluding previous guardians, he could do it with new ones as well. Kain can't control that. Beyond that, only the pure physical Reaver could *touch* the Elder God. And even so, only if held by someone even higher than a Guardian as well. Kain was not only guardian, he was *Scion* of balance. His nature even prevented him from dying after Raziel stole his heart from him. However or whatever the solution to Nosgoth's balance was, we might only know if Amy Henning leak her writing documents, or if a new game is made with her directing (probability near zero).

[@KatherinaBathory]

@@felipecruzrocha oh I actually agree with a lot of that! Nevertheless, I still think my escenario is posible, I just need to explain it further. First, I think the guardians could become able to see the Elder God because they are all symbiotically bound. So they could become able to see him through their bond to Kain. Second, Kain would have to instruct them into what the Elder God really is and also compel them to become vampires. How he would do it is an interest area that allows for tons of speculation alone, but he is pretty smart. Precisely because he is the Sion of Balance, he is destined to bring the pillars back to vampire rule, so I think he would pull it off just fine. Regarding taking the fight to the Elder god. I think Kain would be the only one who'd be able to harm him directly, but the other guardian could play other roles (by this I mean that I don't think the ultimate battle for the soul of Nosgoth is ONLY a physical one. There's a lot of restoring to be made). From what I've read, the Dark Prophecy game would have taken Kain to the Hylden dimension to deal with them, but then the Elder God needs to be taken care of too, or he would just continue to spread hatred and war to feed himself with more souls. (Amy even said that if the SR1 would have had the original ending and Raziel would have killed Kain, he would have then realised that it was a mistake to wipe out the vampires and he would've gone back to time to save Kain and... Pretty much we would have still got a different version of the events of SR2, but with Raziel knowing more). So still, the Elder God is the main bad guy, and he pillars (and consequently the guardians) are pivotal to the restoration of Nosgoth. We will probably never have a concrete cannon answer, so all we can do is speculate with what we have.

[@ranzigerkaefer]

dont forget the pillars were already destroyed in the outcome of defiance. they must be rebuild. only the ancient vampires could do that, but they are all gone.

[@KatherinaBathory]

@@ranzigerkaefer in Dark Prophecy, supposedly, Kain would have gone to the Hylden dimension and rescue Janos. So maybe Janos could have rebuilt them.

[@ranzigerkaefer]

@@KatherinaBathory hm. I doubt that.The pillars are created in a ritual, which needs more than one ancient. we saw that in SR2 as recorded history on the walls beneath the pillars itself. but ok, whatever the creators wanted to be could happen. would be a little shallow to me...

[@zoltanz288]

instant sub. Thank you for existing. This series CANNOT be forgotten.

[@vdr1981]

BTW, do you agree that the Hillden were actually a "good guys" (or at least not so bad as portrayed in the vampire culture)? This was quite obvious in the Defiance where is revealed that all conflicts were started by their rejection of the "wheel of faith" and the elder god. I like to think that the Kain him self is also finally aware of this at the end of the Defiance as well...

[@KatherinaBathory]

Probably when the war began, but then not after their banishment, which destroyed them and deranged them (as seen by their treatment of Raziel and Janus). What I love of this series is that... At it's core: they are all bad.. everyone is a serious PIECE OF SHIT (the lesser maybe Raziel, to a point) and it's so great! (This allows you to actually root for Kain, even he is seriously crappy too, and recognise his character growth amidst all this shit).

[@vdr1981]

@@KatherinaBathory Yes , perhaps I didn't use right choice of words. The are no god or bad guys in Nosgoth, only "people" fighting for their own cause and interest...As in our world...

[@karljohan2300]

think hylden from the start were as any race it was only their banishment that fucked them up to half demons,

[@markgresch9944]

I wouldn't, because in Nosgoth, no one is entirely innocent and every race works in various shades of dark grey. Given the Sarafan Lord says before he dies "Our banishment…in the demon dimension…also ensures our immortality". I would wager that the Hylden were tinkering with the demon dimension to obtain immortality and some kind of incident happened that set off the war. My guess (no proof mind you), the Hylden were pulling demons and energy from the demon dimension, to obtain their immortality and steal it from the infernal dimension, because hey who doesn't want immortality. While doing so, they didn't realize it at the time, they pulled the Elder God from the demon dimension, hoping to steal his power, but instead the elder god slipped away and attached itself to the wheel of fate, who then in turn, started the war by advising the Vampires of what the Hylden were doing before they had a chance to clean up the mess they made.

[@karljohan2300]

@@markgresch9944 pulling th eelder god from the demon dimension? that is an incredible idea and would make sense too

[@tattyboi1594]

I must have played this game when I was 10 years old. You've really brought it back for me, I missed so much of the story playing it at that age. I've gone through literally every single one of your videos on LoK in the last 24 hours. Quality vids, thanks so much. I really hope they do a remake at some point!

[@dakinademino977]

Damn, I just had a thought. What if the only reason Raziel has free will in the first place is because he's wandering around with two soul reavers, himself and the wraith blade. Only from the moment Kain shattered the blade and Raziel merged with the wraith blade was he free to follow his own course through history.

[@arx3516]

i thought the Raziel's rebirth as a wraith was the reason behind his free will.

[@Teixas666]

@@arx3516 Raziel's Rebirth as a Wraith is due to causality, Raziel HAS to exist for the Soul Reaver to exist in the way it does if Raziel was to Perish then the cycle would break, as there would be no entity in the Reaver and there would be a whole slew of events changing where either the reaver wouldnt exist at all, or raziel would have never become a vampire. this is also why at the end of Sr2 RAziel knows he hasnt averted his fate: the reaver was still on his arm, if he had sucessfully prevented his imprisonement in the reaver, the Wraith blade would be gone. howeverthis would have been a Fatal Paradox as these eventsare not compatible with Raziel ever becoming a Vampire.

[@TheKain202]

Correct, Raziel has free will because he's a walking, talking temporal paradox.

[@TheKain202]

@Fra Goesh you've seen it wrong then. Raziel became an immortal wraith because of causality. If he died in the abyss, he wouldn't become the Reaver, which would start a chain of events when he doesn't even become a vampire in the first place - a Fatal Paradox. History protects itself by making him immortal. The Soul Reaver shattered on his head for the same reason, it cannot devour it's own soul before said soul became the Reaver. It would start a chain of events where the Reaver isn't made and thus a Fatal Paradox. History defends itself by destroying the indestructible blade to save Raziel. His Free Will is a result of a paradox that allows him to reshape destiny. History become malleable and susceptible to changes when two instances of the same thing from different times come in proximity. Raziel's very existence is a paradox, he's walking around with a second instance of his own soul, thousands of years from the future wrapped around his arm. Meaning, every step he takes is paradoxical and capable of reshaping history.

[@dakinademino977]

@@arx3516 Sorry for the late reply. No, my theory is that from the moment Raziel is awoken as a wraith at the bottom of the lake of the damned to the moment he fuses with his own soul after his battle with Kain, he is bound to follow the path destiny has written for him without having a say in the matter. This is seen in how easy Raziel follows the commands of a giant, bloated, eye covered squid when everyone would stop and go "wait a minute" However, since Raziel has to be fused with his own soul inside the wraith blade to kill Kain, he becomes a walking talking paradox with the ability to say no to whatever history has predestined for him. Fro that moment on the Elder God has to use cunning and that of his most trusted minion to keep Raziel on the path through history he wants him to follow. Finally, In SR2 we see the world wobble and distort whenever Raziel comes close to a physical reaver with his soul inside it, since at that point in time there is not two of him present but three in total. This is something which makes the paradox so much more powerful that it can be seen in the physical realm as space distorting around him. It is that distortion of time and space that allows Kain to rip the reaver out of Raziel at the end of SR2. The paradox of 3 Raziel's present at the same time was so powerful it could allow others to say "yeet you" to history if they were around him.

[@swagzydon1947]

I'm so glad I have come across this channel, these games was a big part of my childhood

[@DebFiloriBurrous]

The first game blood omen is my favorite of series. What I like about it was how free roaming the gameplay was being able to choose armors weapons spells and magical items. Exploring the world unlocking secrets. They didn't have that in blood omen 2 or soul reavers let alone defiance. Now after all the time paradoxes I would love to see a remake of blood omen 1 and where it possibly go from there.

[@RGMda]

These games had an incredibly profound impact on me as a youngling, and I still to this day draw much influence from the masterful work. Thanks for making this series, it has been very refreshing in an otherwise stressful time.

[@johntrains1317]

Wow. Thanks for making the story a little more comprehensible. This is my fav game of all time but i couldn't fully wrap my head around the time travel paradoxes. And damn, when I was young I hoped Raziel would kill Mobious when he had the chance because he was finally able to. But he let him get away lol

[@TSotP]

(from memory) "These two blades, now coiled in sinister embrace, have struck terror into the hearts of creatures far more durable than you, old man. I dread to think what they would do to your soul fragile shell" Such amazing writing. This game, to this day, still has some of the best writing and best voice acting ever committed to "programme"

[@munstrumridcully]

When you mentioned how you doubted that even the Elder God could bring Moebius back from a paradox like Raziel killing him in that moment, it reminded me-- I've always wondered what actually _is_ the Elder God? I mean, he's obviously not what he claims to be-- some necessary being that keeps life on track. The most we get is suspicions from Raziel that he is a cosmic parasite...but what _is_ he? My own head canon is that he is an extradimensional entity in the vein of Shumah Gorath from Marvel (tentacles and all) that inserted himself onto the "Great Wheel" early in the history of Nosgoth to feed off all the souls of the dead. That is another reason that I am so disappointed that the series didn't get a proper ending. They seem to be hinting that they would explain more about the nature of the elder god and a subsequent title! Bah!

[@nateaho8357]

God this was such a beautifully done series if any game deserves a reboot or better yet a remastering it's this.

[@BelartWright]

You do such good work. Big thumbs up from a Legacy of Kain fan!

[@infamousjack3524]

The biggest thing I appreciate about this series is how everything falls into perfect symbiotic placements. Everything feeds off of each other to deliver the story. From the outstanding voice acting syncing with the epic sound track at perfect pacing to fighting a epic foe to the same sound tract. All to deliver the epic storyline

[@blueeyelaser5449]

I wish they would make a movie series or remake the game with today’s technology!!!!

[@PerceptionVsReality333]

No, not even that, they would make a $h*tty movie & remake. At the very least an HD remaster of all the games.

[@theflashgordon193]

this game story need to be retold

[@MrAtis472]

Oh my god! The music, the script, the lore, the voice actors, everything is brilliant in LOK

[@bonetower]

I kinda want to see the timeline where Razial struck down Mobius when the blades linked. How different it would be if he had never collected the blade to place in Kains path or gift to the young king.

[@dudebro5527]

6:12 "After slaughtering his brethren..." Me: "Again" I do love that Raziel recognizes Kains blasphemous ironic joke, in that Raziel kills his Sarafan self and brethren, leaving Kain to resurrect them as vampires, and then Raziel kills them again.

[@b.lloydreese2030]

In my opinion this is probably the most realistic depiction of time travel minus the ability to change it. History abhors a paradox

[@Dionysus-207]

This is so in depth, people new to this series surely needed this great video! At the very end you said that old Kain presumably left the Soul Reaver at the pillars for Moebius to find it, however that's impossible because Raziel consumed Moebius's soul before reanimating into his corpse and entering the Reaver, thus killing Moebius for good. We would need an explanation on what happened to the blade and how did young Kain from Blood Omen 2 got it in his hands.

[@strictlyfantasy]

According to the developers, at the end of Defiance, Kain is supposed to travel back in time again to a point in history before Moebius' soul was consumed. For this to work, it would need to be some time between the slaughter of the Circle and 50 years prior to Blood Omen 1 (i.e. in the period when William was born). Apologies if I wasn't clear on that part.

[@Dionysus-207]

​@@strictlyfantasy Never really knew about that part, thanks for the clarification!

[@locutus442]

11:18 Oh, the irony of that statement. Kain had no idea just how kindred that blade was to him.

[@strictlyfantasy]

I suppose that makes Raziel's final words to Kain that more powerful. "I am as before, your right hand, your sword."

[@xUzumakix]

This game brings some nostalgia to days when i was little and played Legacy of Kain:Defiance

[@Fengtos]

absolutely brilliant game series. still one of my favorite ever. The writing was just so fantastic. Don't understand why this hasn't received a proper remake yet with the current trend of remakes.

[@kurosbelmont2355]

There's a reason why my first tattoo is the soul reaver. I will NEVER forget this. My all time favorite series. And massive respect to you as a fellow fan who keeps the series alive. Love the videos.

[@The-Legendary-JD]

That was truly amazing the legacy of kain saga as some of the best story telling I hope that Sony can remake this masterpiece for the ps5

[@colin6845]

Glad to see somebody else still has a love for this series, I make sure I play through the series at least once a year

[@Gyrannon]

Events play out ALMOST as you described, but you missed one key point: History & Destiny Collide. Remember that scene where Kain convinces Raziel to not kill him in William's Chapel? That was suppose to be Future Kain's death. Then when Raziel went back, killed his human self, and was being devoured by the Blood Reaver, Kain wouldn't be there cause he would've been dead, hence why Raziel wasn't saved. The other question still remains; where did the OTHER Soul Reaver come from if Moebius possessed the one that recently devoured Raziel?

[@chaimnisan2841]

What an unbelievable and conclusive summary of all the timelines of LOK. Absolutely wonderful.

[@TalsarGeldon]

"Let's not dwell on Blood Omen 2." Yeah, good luck trying to explain that train wreck of a time line...one word...Vorador

[@darthgorthaur258]

Blood omen 2 is actually by far the best game out of the lot, it might be a pain for the timeline but it is the best game...

[@TalsarGeldon]

@@darthgorthaur258 it's not just the time line that's messed up. The quality of the character models and animations are sub-par when compared to Soul Reaver 2 and Defiance. Kain's scar is missing in some versions of the game and cinematics.

[@DisorderedArray]

@@TalsarGeldon I do think it probably has the most satisfying control mechanics thought. Defiance looked great for instance, and tied up a lot of loose ends in the story, but the camera was linked to character direction, which is the worst possible way to do it. BO2 was at least pretty fun to play, maybe even more than SR2, even though I love that game the most from the series.

[@TalsarGeldon]

I agree the camera in Defiance is terrible. I was doing a play through of it recently and missed the same jumps repeatedly or ran off an edge because of it.

[@markgresch9944]

They originally were going to explain it in Defiance. Raziel would encounter Umah as a human, who was working as a spy for Vorador and seeking to be one of his brides. After Vorador had been slain, she would set him on the path to retrieve Vorador's head and revive him (possibly because he was the only one who knew how to use the heart to restore Janos) as Vorador had the foresight to prepare for his death, but it got cut. The sheer volume of items that got cut from all of these games is absurd.

[@stalwartteakettlepotato9879]

This lore is extremely well put together and thought out. Thank you for making videos explening it since I doubt many people would ever hear about it otherwise