Why The Duke Was So Mysterious | The Story of The Duke Explained

Why Was The Duke So Mysterious, This is the question that's been brought up countless times during Resident Evil Village. As we have this Jolly old Merchant aid Ethan Winters on his Journey to save his Daughter Rose.
Which in this video we'll be covering the full Story of the Duke, were we explain his background, his character creation and design, the portrayal by Aaron Laplante, and theories on who and what he truly was.
We'll also be covering his story involvement during RE Village, his acquaintances with the Merchant from Resident Evil 4, his Business dealings with Alcina Dimitrescu, and the interactions he's had with the Villagers.
We also cover his possible connection with the Megamycete, Mother Miranda, and why he aided Ethan to defeat the 4 lords, which included Donna Beneviento and her doll Angie, Salvatore Moreau, and Karl Heisenberg. And lastly we Even compare The Duke to the Resident Evil 4 Merchant, and the connections between the merchant and duke.
Anyways if you guys enjoyed this video then please feel free to like and Subscribe ‪@HeYDeVuH‬
for More Resident Evil videos or upcoming news for Resident Evil 4 Remake and Resident Evil Village DLC.
0:00 Intro
0:56 Preface: The Duke's Role
1:51 Meeting The Duke
3:38 The In Castle Dimitrescu
5:37 The Duke, Ethan, and Rose
9:12 Defeating Donna Beneviento, Salvatore Moreau, and Karl Heisenberg
11:48 Creating The Duke
18:46 Who is The Duke?

[@HeYDeVuH]

What did you guys think about The Duke and what're your Theories on the Owl Sigil inside of his Carriage?

[@kingshadow8782]

Happy Sunday

[@kingshadow8782]

The Duke is a great helper.

[@kingshadow8782]

I'm enjoying this video HeY DeVuH!

[@soulreaver1983]

Perhaps one of the lords who has his own agenda?

[@Travis-4U]

The Duke is from another dimension

[@CreditR01]

He's one of my favorite characters in Village. He a very "Cheshire Cat" kind of character. He's no stranger to the madness around him, and clearly has his own goals and motives, but he isn't unsympathetic to Ethan's cause, and helps significantly in his own ways. He's very calculating, using his connections to mine information as well. (His voice is fantastic, too.)

[@Alex_the_Copper]

Just finished the game myself and loving this character. Lots of theories about him but the one I'm rolling with is he's a mold creature himself but is not connected to the hive mind of Miranda's or by the RE7 girl. My thinking is he's his own hive mind and the merchant from RE4 is one of those connected to it. Because of his entrepreneur nature and maybe the small size of his network he uses his network to gather information and help tip the scales in favor of whatever side he picks. That still leaves how he can get into rooms he had no business fitting into. My thinking is he can change shape/size temporarily, his big size most likely being his natural form.

[@SubduedRadical]

Cheshire Cat is probably the best way to describe him, and I love that.

[@GWB184]

@@SubduedRadical I'll second that, very well put

[@whoknows8225]

but he is a merchant, not saying that that is something that makes someone evil... but obviously has to have motives... a salesmen acts when there's profit to be made.. You could apply this to as to why he's helping... it could be beneficial.. How we don't know

[@BearPawSwipe]

This is a great way to describe him!

[@xanderlowe1543]

There was something bizarrely heartwarming about waking up in the back of the Duke's carriage, and learning he not only gathered up your body and put you in the safety of the back, but was already on his way to let you confront Miranda. After spending so long in the dark and cold, it was nice to know you had a friend after all.

[@nouns7504]

he may not be a friend he may not be a foe, but he is a real one, and thats all that matters

[@aziiime]

Thata why im really sad to know duke is going to be the antagonist of dlc

[@RedDeadClips]

@@aziiime Wait he is? How tf is he going to do anything lmao

[@DIAGOLDBEAST_YT]

@@RedDeadClips apparently he summons Monsters

[@justinnegron4843]

@@aziiime to Rose though not Ethan. He probably respects Ethan but Rose he does not

[@user-em6ie2be7x]

Given what's known so far The Duke is acting as intermediary between the outside world (With the Log book) & The Village possible bringing in New Victims to be experimented on, as to with regards to Ethan if he helps he earns a quick buck & if Ethan Wins he gets to leave The Village. He was basically playing both sides.

[@HeYDeVuH]

That's true, I just want to know what happened to him after our fight against Mother Miranda. Did he escape, was he part of the Megamycete, and does Chris know about him.

[@StonedHunter]

Honestly the impression I got was that someone else was supplying bodies while The Duke was in charge of bringing money and goods into the village. Those kinds of centuries long experiments need supplies and updated/replaced equipment from time to time. It would also help explain how Moreau got a TV.

[@xlbthedemigod5662]

@@HeYDeVuH he probably left, there is no way for Duke to survive a big bomb

[@Gatorade69]

@@xlbthedemigod5662 You sure about that ? The Duke seems pretty bulletproof/explosion proof.

[@astolfofansunny4047]

@@Gatorade69 he is dynamite proof for sure but that c4 was able to destroy an entire village so it is quite possible that be too much for him to just not be harmed. But he likely got his cart away from the place if he wanted to live or he was content with his live so he decided to just stay put and go with the village

[@rc4780]

My theory is the Duke has a cadou, but his powers were largely based on making people more compliant/non-aggressive. That would explain why none of the bosses/enemies attack you in his presence, and how he got so large, yet seems to always be ahead of Ethan.

[@HeYDeVuH]

That's an awesome theory, would explain why the other Lords and Mother Miranda wouldn't attack him.

[@drkinferno72]

He’s just a good cook

[@eaglesix6585]

@@HeYDeVuH maybe they are friends with benefits.

[@thomasdeen2099]

eh he's probably the true mother miranda

[@natsudragneel2258]

I always had a theory where he was kinda like Schrödinger, being everywhere and anywhere while also being nowhere, and he could potentially use this to appear anywhere he felt like, but due to mother Miranda’s influence he couldn’t leave the village. Also wondered if he could use the ability to hide Ethan by projecting his ability onto him and making them unable to perceive ethan

[@igmz777]

Something interesting to note, that I got from online research, regarding owl folklore, especially with the setting of the game being: "In Romania, it is said that the souls of repentant sinners fly to heaven as Snowy Owls." Which is what The Duke's sigil is.

[@A_YouTube_Commenter]

🤔

[@HeYDeVuH]

Wow that's an interesting folk lore behind the Owl. It makes you wonder what he was in the past and how he turned things around.

[@CommandoJaJas]

And what is Ethan last name? Winters.... Snowy owls and Winters

[@loadspiller]

@@CommandoJaJas and LEYKIS 101

[@Meekmillan]

Also Hilary Clinton prays to them when she sacrifices children underneath the capital in her marble chamber

[@icarusthefoxkidd]

It was always my head cannon that Duke was one of Miranda's "children", specifically being the one who gathered info for her. He was the one to set everything up to actually take her out to be free of her.

[@A_YouTube_Commenter]

Interesting theory and it fits.

[@HeYDeVuH]

That'd an interesting story point, I'd love to see this covered more in the game.

[@CreditR01]

That'd be really cool, if he set up a plan not unlike Heisenburg, but was much more subtle and calculating about it.

[@Elementroar]

I think the Duke was shown to have been one of the big bads in early concept art. He was made neutral/friendly merchant as the game developed.

[@Monkforilla]

Your make believe headcannons don’t mean shit go write a fanfic

[@Kameth]

The Duke is so chill he's perfectly willing to converse politely with the weird headless person that keep causing chaos.

[@HeYDeVuH]

That's true, I like how he completely polite to Ethan, even when things were going a little out of hand.

[@bearzdlc2172]

That's true, I like how he completely polite to Ethan, even when things were going a little out of hand.

[@user-em6ie2be7x]

Amazing how in that Twisted Village a character as ambiguous as The Duke was greatest source of information & Comfort. Even helping Ethan understand his fate.

[@HeYDeVuH]

Exactly, it's a great change of roles to think that we feel safe with someone who's so mysterious

[@simbriant]

I always wanted to speculate the Duke we meet isn't the actual Duke, but a creation of the mold there to help Ethan. (Or maybe the Duke was assimilated by the mold similar to Ethan.) It would explain why he pops up everywhere. But I have absolutely no proof to back up that idea.

[@raviolimasteroli2341]

The Duke just seems like a real homie, like the type of guy who, after putting up with so much bullshit, Ethan can sit his ass down and have a cigar and whisky with the guy.

[@HeYDeVuH]

The Duke was great and was awesome to see him be so helpful to Ethan, I hope to see him again in a future RE game

[@badluckrabbit]

the parts hypothesizing that The Duke purchased the petrified corpses of the Four Lords to consume them and strengthen his powers reminds me of highly specialized species of fungus that specialize in colonizing other species of fungus, feeding on them and eventually replacing the other fungus' biomass with its own. The Duke being a fungus-eating fungus would explain why he has powers similar to the lords but is also free to subvert Miranda's plans without her knowledge

[@HeYDeVuH]

This would be a very interesting plot to focus in. I really do hope they delve more into his story in the upcoming Village DLC

[@yusukeelric]

I don't think the Duke is a Miranda experiment. but someone who found the megamycete before, but never had any major ambition, so he just kept traveling. I think he could be one of the village founders too. but only because of his title.

[@badluckrabbit]

@@yusukeelric oh I agree that The Duke isn't a product of Miranda's experiments, but I don't think he found the megamycete first; in fact I don't think he's a product of the megamycete that Miranda found at all. I think The Duke was an Italian merchant in the 19th century who in his travels found and became the host of a distinct variant of the Mold, a variant that feeds solely on other variants of the Mold to survive. In order to keep the fungus and therefore himself alive, The Duke used his new fungal abilities to find a Mold colony to parasitize, and found The Village with Miranda already experimenting on the megamycete. The Duke has probably been feeding on Miranda's experiments for decades

[@ashurean]

The voice actor described EXACTLY why I liked the Duke. In a world where everyone's out to get you, he's the only one in your court. Honestly I always felt he was just some guy who got wrapped up in all this mess, someone who ended up seeing and knowing too much to just go back to living a normal life. He's an observer, the man who knows the story after everyone else is gone.

[@badluckrabbit]

I just realized what The Duke reminds me of!! One of those old coin-operated automaton psychics! His voice has a speaking cadence reminiscent of the pre-recorded lines of dialogue that were triggered by activating and interacting with the automaton's button interface, though The Duke has a charisma and pathos the automatons lacked. They were often stereotypes of Romani people, which fits well with the Balkan setting of the game. His cart even frames him in a similar manner to the ornamented glass cases that protected the automatons from damage.

[@moosesues8887]

Arg arg arg

[@ashchisalleh1454]

Interesting subjects.

[@superduty4556]

So gypsies

[@thedumbasian7164]

The Duke is an amazing character. He’s such a chill character, so chill that he doesn’t show other emotions of being mad, sad, etc. He really helps you in miserable difficulties such as Hard and Village of shadows. What I think is kinda funny is that if you throw a grenade at him, he doesn’t even care, lol. In the end, I love the duke.

[@HeYDeVuH]

Very true, also he was so relaxed when Ethan was updet finding out about Rose and the flask. The Duke showed that being calm and helpful really helps with any kind of situation, hence in in Ethan's case.

[@TheHobgoblyn]

With the name "The Duke" and his extraordinary immense size, I cannot help but think that Baron Harkonnen from Dune was a major inspiration for this character.

[@detectiverichard8221]

The main inspiration for the Duke was Ethan Ralph

[@antichristcomplex21]

@@detectiverichard8221 Bruh lmao 💀💀

[@elfodelputoinfierno]

Yes! Also Varys from Asoiaf. The soft spoken voice, kindly face...

[@lockwoodstudios5462]

Duke is Mario and Harkonnen is Wario 🤣🤣🤣

[@briandaaranda9735]

There is a story in the closing credits of the game, told through the storybook images, that shows a man turned into a lycan who then kills his daughter. I feel like this might be The Duke, affected by the cadeau parasite and turned into a monster, but the shock of what he had done was enough for him to get it under control (even if he's still massive, maybe due to having to keep the "mass of the wolf" within himself, or being a mold creature). He might've then renounced his status as a Lord of the Village, refusing to be under Miranda's thumb but still keeping tabs while doing his business. And he helps Ethan because he sees a chance to redeem himself through Ethan: he will save A daughter, if not HIS daughter.

[@StuartLegomanLittle]

That is a good theory and explains how he knew the information about the mold

[@nibbagay7082]

cadou*

[@dwest84]

You didn't discuss the most disturbing thing about the Duke: How does one single horse pull his big cart plus Duke's own "generousness" all by itself? Either the horse is a mold monster too, or the Duke is filled with helium.

[@ggnkrsfkoqxbk5078]

Heh, balloon duke.

[@JJM8043]

The Duke may work hard, but his horse works harder.

[@samir.xanmuradov]

@@JJM8043 Duke is a mold and his horse is a mold for sure.

[@JJM8043]

@@samir.xanmuradov no shit.

[@TheRedRaven_]

The most disturbing thing about Duke is how he fits through those doors in the castle. Nevermind the steed, lol

[@LucienYT]

Fantastic video, my apologies I've missed the last few. I thought after playing RE8 that The Duke was an infected and may have had his considerable girth due to his eating something that gave him power... Maybe the items such as Heisenberg's heart, or perhaps even the Cadou. However, after learning about his book and the owl on the cover, I thought of another thing. In Romanian folklore, which a large part of the setting and mythos are derived from, the owl (specifically the white snowy owl that it looks like is depicted on the cover) acts as the avatar of repentant sinners flying to Heaven after passing on. Could The Duke be acting as a Ferryman of sorts? Collecting the remains of his fallen (one-time) friends in the hopes of repenting for the sins they collectively committed? That could also be why he helps Ethan, in an effort to end what Mother Miranda was doing to his people (as I thought it he was in fact the Fifth Lord, the only area unspoken for was the village itself, making the villagers in fact "HIS" people) and what she'd done to the Four Lords; attempting to bring peace to the area and their souls as a whole. Either way, The Duke is honestly my favorite character from the Ethan Winters saga, Jack Baker a close second. The depth of the character with the minimal amount of information we're given outright is what makes speculating about him so fun and engaging. Keep up the great work DeVuH! 👍🏻

[@areyouserious7668]

this needs more likes

[@psychon2083]

That is a very interesting piece of information on the folklore cause when ethan ask him who or what he is he says even I don't know. Now either he was genuine there or was just hiding something idk but I feel like he's so much more then what he's leading on

[@Charharr]

Oh I love the idea of the Duke being a ferryman archetype!

[@HeYDeVuH]

Thank You so much and no worries, I'm happy that you're taking your time to come back and support the channel. Also we'll said, there are so many theories as to what he truly was. As you said he could very well be the ferryman representation. So I really do hope once the DLC comes out that they explore more into this and show The Dukes real origin, how he interacted with the four Lords and Mother Miranda. Anyways again thank you so much for the support and hope to see you on the next video.

[@jared8530]

"I'm driving Mutha fucker" some crazy Louisiana mold guy probably....

[@StrikerFX47]

The Duke is such a great and intriguing character. He was one of the only characters who's not out to kill you. And a guide and sort of a friend.

[@HeYDeVuH]

Yes that's true, also I really loved that cutscene of Ethan inside his carriage, it was a perfect moment after all the revelations and actions that just happened prior, and seeing the Duke being the one to help Ethan at that time was great to see.

[@bearzdlc2172]

@@HeYDeVuH Yes that's true, also I really loved that cutscene of Ethan inside his carriage, it was a perfect moment after all the revelations and actions that just happened prior, and seeing the Duke being the one to help Ethan at that time was great to see.

[@Charharr]

If he's from the village, maybe Miranda mutated him, but he was a large step beyond even Heisenberg in terms of abilities, independence and smarts, and eventually ended up more powerful than Miranda herself. Perhaps in developing strong psychic powers as a result of the Cadou, he was then paradoxically the only one not really affected by the 'hive-mind' of the megamycete. Miranda was making him the 5th Lord, hence the Owl sigil - I'd like to think he chose it himself, as a tongue-in-cheek nod to the fact he was realising he was 'wiser' than her. He was then able to conceal all knowledge his real origin from Miranda and the Lords, but he may still have been tethered to some extent (even if non-physically) to the megamycete. With his psychic ability, perhaps he sees many different possibilities play out. He helps Ethan because he realises Rose is even more powerful than he is, and he understands her potential as a catalyst; if Miranda successfully puts Rose back together and obtains her abilities (via Eva or otherwise), then the Duke may be found out and put under someone else's control, without much hope of freedom in the future. If he helps Ethan and Rose escape and destroy the megacycete, it could sever any last thread of it's control over him, and his connection to the village. The Duke is then free to be out in the world and do as he wishes. I hope he remains amoral (in the original sense - not really 'good' or 'evil'). Just following his own interests and playing all sides as it suits, but never with any real malevolence. I like the idea that he's a mouldy avatar of change, almost like The Outsider from Dishonored. Separately, someone with unknowable or alien motivations is far, far scarier than any more obvious baddy.

[@sprigslashvital291]

“That castle arouses suspicion” “And so do you” “:D”

[@HeYDeVuH]

Love the banter between the two

[@captainjaber5610]

I love the Duke. He made RE Village that much better

[@michelleririn5075]

without duke, RE-8 was so much less of an experience......just plainnn

[@ss3goben]

Okay so, got a bit of a mental theory but thought I'd throw it out there. So The Duke was going to be the fifth lord. This could mean that in some way he's still allied to the other four, but not to Miranda, who possibly could have rejected him outright as a failed candidate for lord. And maybe that rejection has given him clarity on how Miranda has treated them, similar to Heisenberg. It's made quite clear in the game that Rose has been turned into a crystal, but can still be saved. He also is willing to pay a high price for the crystallised remains of the lords. Maybe this was his motivation all along. Helping Ethan so he could gather the crystals of his would-be fellow lords, in order to free them from Miranda; Ethan kills them, delivers The Duke their crystal forms, and he can revive them as Rose was revived, out from under the service of Miranda. Once he has guided you to each lord and you've provided him with their crystals, he merrily delivers you to finish the job by killing Miranda.

[@zegolem3607]

but, rose was the chosen child in which is said that she will get back to her form no matter what. now my question is: are the lords in the same boat?

[@luxitos2867]

Rose is also incredibly powerful (beyond Miranda to the point it scared her) and I remember that the Ceremony needed an incredibly huge amount of biomass. This is why Miranda instructed the Lords to slaughter all their servants and workers, along with everyone else in the village. Secretly, she wanted to see how strong Ethan was and used him to kill two birds with one stone: test his strength by killing the other Lords, as well. Heisenberg alone of the Four knew this and this was why he offered the deal to Ethan to help each other.

[@jeremyknight9980]

It doesn't surprise me that he was originally the 5th lord, that would've been such a twist having someone that was helping Ethan the whole time turn on him. Duke definitely played both sides and I can't shake the feeling that he might bring the 4 lords back, why else would you be able to sell their bodies? Edit: He's the main villain in Shadows of Rose, I knew there was something funny about him. I wonder what he could want with Rose. Edit 2: Nevermind, it was a fake made up in the megamycete world. I was kinda mixed about it. If we saw the other Lords they would've been fakes too.

[@HeYDeVuH]

That'd be amazing to see if he could return the Lords back somehow.

[@HanZufu]

You don't sell Donna's body though since her drop is Angie, but would love to see them brought back!

[@user-wd7dh3bs3o]

Angie is not Donna's body though

[@silverhawkscape2677]

Angie does have part of the parasite in that doll so its probably.

[@captainquickshadow]

Such a twist! Nah ive been betrayed by helpfull charecters all the time lile patches

[@robertb.warren4749]

I think he might be Hermes. In addition to being the messenger of the gods, Hermes is also the god of merchants, travelers, commerce, and theives. It would explain how he moves so swiftly between locations to sell you things. Hermes is also connected to pack and herd animals like wolves, horses, goats, and stags, all of which appear in this game either figuratively or literally. Also, his insignia is thematically similar to Hermathena, a composite statue combining him and Athena, as the insignia features elements of owls, horses, and stags- -animals synonymous with both gods. I'm probably completely wrong about this, but it's fun to speculate.

[@coronin8587]

Don't forget that they both essentially act as psychopomps

[@thunderstudent]

I think Duke is a lord but from another village. I think he was one of Miranda’s first experiments but ended up being more powerful than she anticipated and was unable to control him. A Cadou creation that was so powerful that she couldn’t control him and even fears him.

[@HeYDeVuH]

That's a great possibility and makes sense why he was able to freely move in and out of the Village with Mother Miranda knowing

[@NagaYamiyo]

My belief is that the Duke is an avatar of the Megamycete, created to gather information outside of the Hive's normal range, and/or as a back up incase something were to happen to it's main body. Reason for helping Ethan could be as an act of rebellion against Miranda, as it was over with her experiments and manipulation, and wanted freedom. But due to the nature of their beings they were unable to kill each other directly, so he helps Ethan kill her.

[@HeYDeVuH]

Great point, if they were all connected by the Mold then that could be the reason why he didn't outright antagonize Mother Miranda.

[@paulberry5750]

@@HeYDeVuH Duke might be from a rival Megamycete colony... Miranda was attracting too much attention & needed to be taken out.

[@_LadyWhistledown_]

Great theory

[@thedoc7184]

The strongest character in resident evil is the duke’s horse

[@rpnct]

22:14 in French "le droit" can mean "the right" (as in "the right to something"), but it can also mean "the law". The canadian RMCP has the motto "maintiens le droit" ("maintain law and order"). So "l'argent défend le droit" could mean something like "money defends my right", or "money is what keeps law and order".

[@HeYDeVuH]

That's awesome, I love these small details about the characters, I do hope that they explain more about his background in future RE games or DLCs

[@zamed88]

That could also be interpreted as "Money defends the righteous", reminiscent of how he mlight be conviced his business role grants him impunity from the Lords in its dealings with the player (or the other way around, shielding him from repercutions of working with the Lords as he is vital to the player)...

[@ElectricLegend14]

I think something to consider is to look at the Lords as a deck of cards. Jack = Moreau, being the least respected and lowly of the four, but still more worthy than the normal fiends Queen = Dimitrescu, seeing how she was seemingly the favored Lord and even had an entire castle and descendants to her name King = Donna, because of her lineage and use of pawns (Angie) to fight for her (and how she is the weakest piece, like a King in chess) Ace = Heisenberg, Miranda's big last resort, but also the one that could mess up her charade like his rebellion towards her (since some games the Ace card can be of lower or higher value/merit) Then you have the Joker, even Ethan refers to him as it on one occasion, which Duke slides right into. The card that is usually not used and even placed to the side in most games, but he is still there and (especially in RE8) of such high importance and utility. I do love one of the alternate endings where Duke sacrifices himself, taking the explosive device out of his hands, letting Ethan go back home with his family.

[@MultiMwhahahaha]

Alternate ending?

[@AndrewJayGuitar]

I would like there to be a society of particular people like the Duke and Merchant who oversee, but do not necessarily intervene in the events of the RE games. Eventually, we would get to know about that society and whether we can trust them or not. I think that would be an interesting way to expand and deepen the lore, rather than have virtually everything be Umbrella related.

[@aerinsoleris]

It'll be interesting if the owl crest or the text returns as an Easter egg in the resident evil 4 remake, further cementing the link between the merchant and the Duke.

[@Gamemaster-64]

@@aerinsoleris Duke already knows the Merchant or he know someone that knows both and had an influence on the Merchant.

[@MTH3h3l0l]

I felt like he was a nice touch to the game, a calming presence that is there to provide either comfort or advice

[@HeYDeVuH]

I agree, it was cool to have the Duke be that calm in the middle of all the craziness inside the Village.

[@user-em6ie2be7x]

My theory on The Owl Sigil is possibly after you give him The Essence of The 4 Lord's he'll probably become a character similar to Mother Miranda. Which could pave the way to another RE Village game where The Duke is The Main Antagonist. 🤔

[@HeYDeVuH]

Interesting, it really does make you wonder, because there is no way that the Developers just placed it there for us to see and have no significance. I hope In the Future RE Village DLC they explore more into this topic

[@Xehanort10]

19:34 Him giving a villager that paper suggests he doesn't approve of Miranda cutting the village off from the rest of the world presumably to better control them.

[@HeYDeVuH]

Exactly, found that interesting that he had the freedom to go back and forth between the Village and the outside world. Makes you wonder what Mother Miranda thought of the Duke

[@carlycrays2831]

Or at least he felt relatively safe going against her in small ways.

[@BradStarnes]

I found it pretty amusing he makes reference in one of his greetings when you open the shop to knowing the merchant from RE4 which caught me off guard. "What're ya buyin? Haha, just something an old friend of mine used to say." Also, Heisenberg's reference to Chris calling him a "boulder punching asshole" which is a throw back to RE5 and one of the most ridiculous moments in the series in my opinion.

[@HeYDeVuH]

Yeah it's great to see how this game references back to previous games.

[@jaydenslaptop]

Was scrolling through comments, it’s nice to see you actively engage with your fans and reply to most comments, consider me a subscriber.

[@HeYDeVuH]

Thank You so much and I really really do try to reply to every single comment but at times I can't keep up. Also again Thank you for Subscribing and welcome onboard.

[@Nantosuelta]

My theory is that The Duke needs a much larger undershirt.

[@mistingwolf]

When I first saw the Duke, I was simultaneously on guard but comforted after he started talking to Ethan, but then again still wary, exactly because the RE games like to mess with you. Pleasantly surprised the Duke did not turn into a twist villain, which by now is far too over-done.

[@mr.rimota1939]

oh really now?

[@Havoc5864]

3:27 The Duke: That castle arouses suspicion Ethan: Yea, and so do you The Duke: :D

[@APopptart]

After Dimitrescu leaving the scene early in the game, my love of the Duke became one of the best parts of the game.

[@HeYDeVuH]

He was so helpful during the game, I hope we see The Duke again in a future Resident Evil game

[@rorywalters1614]

The last time we had a merchant wasn’t the RE4, but the RE: Degeneration game, released on Nokia’s phone gaming platform and later ported to iOS around 2008. The merchant, probably an arms smuggler (couldn’t remember) was in the zombie infested airport terminal selling Leon stuff, but later the terminal was blown up and the merchant didn’t escape with Leon and the survivors, which made me question what’s the point that he risk his life to make money and then get blown up with the terminal. He just felt very out of place. That game was NOT very well known, and it’s also not canon, the RE: Degeneration movie was canon instead.

[@Lampebruder]

The Duke is literally playing the Devil’s Advocate role. If you win, everyone is free. If you lose, no harm no foul on his part.

[@CWHolleman]

One of my favorite moments was him accidentally burning himself with his cigar. Saw this in Castle Dimetrescu. I appreciate that you captured the "safe" feeling of coming across him though. You knew you had a moment to catch your breath. Excellent story.

[@HeYDeVuH]

Thank You!!!

[@luxitos2867]

I always loved that. He did it each time he would nod off a little bit. I mean, that room looked really comfy and warm. Plus, the music?

[@beelzeboo]

That Spencer joke at 19:36 it’s just..chefs kiss 👌😂

[@paulberry5750]

Duke took out a rival mold colony. He owns Miranda, Heisenberg, Lady D, Donna, the 3 fly girls & Ethan's remains. He'll be a major NPC next game.

[@polkidotsock]

I always had many questions about the Duke! His mysteriousness, appearing anywhere, even his motives. As always, your video was super enjoyable! ☺️

[@HeYDeVuH]

Thank You so much and glad you enjoyed the video!!! Also yes, still so many question in regards to his background and what he truly was. I hope they explain this in the future Resident evil game, maybe he could be a guide to Rose Winters as well.

[@polkidotsock]

@@HeYDeVuH That would be a fun outcome! I like the idea that he's an ex lord as well- though that raises even more questions. These videos have given me even more love for the Resident Evil games :D

[@stephenwoods74]

HeY DeVuH,absolutely loves your videos. Your attention to detail is truly that of a die hard fan of the series, always look forward to your videos. Keep up the amazing work!

[@HeYDeVuH]

Thank You So much, I'm glad you're enjoying the videos. Also I apologize for a two week delay, these videos take me so long to make but it's really worth it to know that so many people support it. Again Thank you for your kind words!!!

[@davidlejenkins]

4:03 "Lady D." Had me 💀💀💀

[@Xehanort10]

I think that since Ethan was probably Duke's best customer he decided to help him get Rose back.

[@HeYDeVuH]

That could very well be the reason

[@momokunn]

I like how he sound so wholesome yet so mysterious. Someone you want to partner with which is good because he is a merchant afterall

[@carlycrays2831]

I think he must have been a lord at one point, but gradually distanced himself from the others. But given his job, Mother Miranda couldn't get rid of him entirely and the other lords have to rely on him to. The thing is, what happened to the village happened over time. I'm sure that initially, what Mother Miranda was doing may have seemed like a good idea. It was bringing him money, it was helping sick people, but then things just kept getting worse and worse until it wasn't just hurting his business, but hurting everyone. And the Duke just couldn't support Miranda anymore.

[@JJM8043]

The Duke was actually meant to be the 5th Lord, but the idea got scrapped and was replaced with him being a merchant.

[@efnfen]

Nice work, Hey Devuh. I liked the video. You brought up plenty of interesting speculation.

[@videonmode8649]

It's Albert Wesker. He took the fallout of fighting with Chris at the end of RE5 pretty hard and went into a depression.

[@sir-mass3909]

My personal theory is that he's actually a high ranking member of the Connections, which we know is the main new enemy faction as they created Evelyn. This would explain why he knows so much, since the Connections also worked alongside Miranda for a bit. However, Miranda did essentially leave the Connections, which means they would consider her a threat, hence why the Duke would willingly help you defeat her. It'd also explain why he was willing to buy, not just the remains of the four Lords, but basically anything from you. We know he didn't like buying random stuff from Ethan due to his dialogue, but he does so anyway. If he worked for the Connections then it'd explain why he did so, as it'd have Ethans DNA on those items, and Ethan is a mold creature, so his DNA would be useful for research, same as basically every mold creature remains we sell to him, he buys them because it'd provide useful research and may produce a new bioweapon. Furthermore, this would also explain why we cannot kill the Duke, as he would also be a bioweapon himself, just like Ethan, however this doesn't necessarily mean he's mold, he could be a bioweapon given power from something else entirely. As for why Miranda and the other Lords didn't attack him, or enter his areas, that's easily explained by simply not wanting bad blood. Miranda left the Connections, but she didn't attack them or do anything that'd negatively affect them, which indicates she doesn't want any bad blood between them, hence why none of the Lords or enemies enter his rooms, as Miranda may have ordered them not to in order to not create any bad blood.

[@nastynate534]

First of your videos I've seen. I like your narration and appreciate your competence in the Delivery, Pronunciations, and Oration..difficult to come by in this medium, yet you are nailing it, friend!!

[@pennypillow4445]

i love that first meeting with the duke when you are trying to hide from lady dimitrescu, you are running trying to find a safe place to hide and you find yourself in a quiet, warmly lit room with a large cuddly looking man playing with a lighter and cigar, a weird toy thing in the corner and a type writer on a table nearby

[@yvetteaguirre9522]

Ugh! As always excellent content Devuh! I’ve always enjoyed your dissection and explanations of the characters and that for me brings a lot of validation to what I believe the characters are who they are and why they are that way and so forth. As to The Duke, I think he had to be affected by the mold. Why else would he know all about the lords and Mother Miranda. It’s no coincidence at all and of course he needs to make money and after all the villagers became Monsters, how would he be able to make money? He’d be very upset about that, so helping Ethan out would definitely help bring Miranda’s lifelong sick project down and guide Ethan to rescue Rose.

[@HeYDeVuH]

Thank You so much and It does make sense that he could be connected to the Megamycete in some way. He hints to his powers several times during the game, one being that he could "Feel" the essence of the four lords treasures when he buys them. In the next game, most likely RE9, I hope that they bring back the Duke and explain more into his lore, background, and what he truly was.

[@AH-is5yg]

The Duke was a great help. He knew what was going on. He able to help Ethan throughout the game.

[@HeYDeVuH]

He was a big help and I really liked the moment inside of his carriage and how he helped out Ethan so much

[@AH-is5yg]

@@HeYDeVuH yet he was very mysterious. He knew so much, but we know very little about him. How he was able to get around without getting killed.

[@Anthonymous]

20:18 "Oh, Lady Dimitrescu! Beautiful even in death. That waistline, yes~" Even The Duke isn't afraid to show attraction towards the tall dommy lady.

[@puffer_frog]

My headcannon: The duke and the merchant alike work for black market organizations that are tasked to source treasures to be sold to the wealthy. Places like Castle Salazar and Miranda's kingdom hold historical sites full of treasures ripe for the taking. They supply guns and ammo to treasure hunters (or in these cases, desperate men in missions) that sell them whatever they found, to be then sold to their real clients for a huge profit.

[@danmoar94]

It's a great game with brilliant voice acting, but it always bugs me how characters who should be European, like the duke, have American accents.

[@HeYDeVuH]

You're right, they did a great job voice acting wise but it was noted by many fans why they lacked the accents for that particular area.

[@goldcherries]

Forget the accents, why does no one speak or write in Romanian the entire game??

[@atdorianisart9132]

@@goldcherries is there a Romanian Language version of the game? with English subtitles? I'd love to play the game that way

[@SilentSpringz]

Im more dissapointed of the game. 40/50% is just walking then 1 ez boss and then ugly fish. Only 1 and 4 area is fun to me. But yea duke is my fav character.

[@tonyspicy4361]

A fat guy who sells you guns? Makes sense he’s American

[@teraomi]

He's the true original idea behind Spencer wanting everlasting life. Felt the power and attraction to the Duke and wanted to become a god with him.

[@Notworthy85]

I am late but the music in this is amazing,Good job man.

[@soulreaver1983]

Absolutely outstanding video thanks for covering this cool character DeVuH!!!!😎👍🏻 i thought it was so cool that he knew the merchant from Resident Evil 4!👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@HeYDeVuH]

Thank you Soul Reaver!!! I appreciate the kind words and glad you enjoyed the video!!! Also I wonder when Resident Evil 4 Remake comes out that the Merchant would mention Duke in that game

[@soulreaver1983]

@@HeYDeVuH You're welcome as always DeVuH! Your channel deserves a lot more subscribers! I'm always telling my friends about how awesome your channel is! Hopefully they will subscribe to your channel! And yes I hope The Duke gets a mention in the Resident Evil 4 remake it would be an awesome little easter egg indeed!😎👍

[@Kammithekiller]

heeey devuh

[@HeYDeVuH]

Thank You Kammi!!! I appreciate the support and hope you enjoy the video later when you have the chance :)

[@ERjX9]

you definitely deserve more subscribers bro

[@HeYDeVuH]

I really appreciate that, I'm happy that so many support the channel and honestly truly Thankful and Humbled, So you're kind words really does help motivate me to keep doing better. Thank You!!!

[@monospider666]

A reupload with information from Shadows of Rose would be great

[@BrimCopper]

21:37 Hahahaha, that caught me so off card, I spat out my coffee XD

[@purposly]

with the Rose DLC announced and the trailer showing perhaps that 5th lord version of the Duke, we may be fighting him in October

[@dagothurgaming7016]

I hope the Duke appears in more resident of evil games. Would be cool to see him in more

[@HeYDeVuH]

Yes that'd be awesome if he does, if anything imagine a reunion of The Duke and the merchant from Resident Evil 4

[@NyleTrewTattoos]

I've never been more glad to see someone than the ol' Duke. What a fella

[@Sllepll]

This was a Very Nice well made video! They announced the rose DLC for RE Village and the Duke seems kinda Evil there, my friend i think u Just hit the spot! Congratulations

[@AbsolutelyAmel]

Even he doesn't quite know what he is. I hope he returns in RE9 to help Rose through her hardships 💜

[@HeYDeVuH]

That'd be amazing if he is brought back in RE9, though that would bring up questions on how he escaped before the Village's destruction, where did he go, and what was he really. Anyway thank you so much for watching!!!

[@milkdrinker117]

Hey so the new trailer of rose's dlc came out and the duke is shown as a villain now. What are your thoughts about that?

[@jamestomlin5525]

That wasn't really him tho

[@lobiseja3517]

Love the content!

[@HeYDeVuH]

Thank You so much and glad you're enjoying the video!!!

[@Kaiju-Driver]

Sadly I did not gleam new information from this video. however the production values, the voicing, and the pacing was on point. a very enjoyable and well presented video.

[@arturdobosz1999]

I would love to see such analysis on the Legacy of Kain characters... Kain and Raziel especially :)

[@Henry-dh3gt]

Duke is someone who worth simping for

[@sd5371]

He has a business, style, and honestly Van Living is popular so he's got a lot of things going for him

[@tishamac529]

Been waiting for this one, the most mysterious of RE8 characters.

[@HeYDeVuH]

Hope you enjoyed the video and Thank You for watching!!!

[@wesleyvl8572]

A other good vidoe dude keep it up you rock

[@Freaky..]

I love the duke for how mysterious he is and I love his character design and also how they didn’t just put him in the game just so you could get things from him. They put the duke in the story and that’s really interesting. Most games just put a character like the duke in so the player can have access to different items but the duke is there to also help the player find rose and also he has a part in the story. That’s pretty much why I love the duke so much.

[@FullMoonOctober]

We may all disagree on who he is and what his true intentions are, but I think we all agree that we want to see him reappear in later games! I'd like to see him guiding Rose the same way he guided Ethan. Maybe he'll help her save her father like he helped her father save her? There's a lot of potential left in this character to play with.

[@thalassophile8398]

Welllllllll you may wanna go check Rose's playthrough. You will find the answer to ur comment

[@madhumitakumari1617]

@@thalassophile8398 yep 😂 dunno why but for me Resident Evil plot is fked up and I want to know what happened to other characters and the biggest question" How did the mould came on earth ??"

[@thalassophile8398]

@@madhumitakumari1617 probably due to some weird experiment gone wrong or maybe it was intentionally created by a secret cooperation cus we all know in the re franchise, all villains aim to create the ultimate power to take over the world... I dunno that's just my theory

[@svenbernhagen6320]

I love your use of the Dino Crisis and Devil May cry music 😍

[@elijahlothrop6544]

2:50 "Lamp oil, rope, bombs? You want it? It's yours my friend, as long as you have enough rubies."

[@Ohhhwehere]

the duke is probably the megamycide itself manifested into a "human"

[@HeYDeVuH]

That could very well be the case, I hope they explore more into this in the future. Anyway Thank You so much for watching!!!

[@souradipmallick1550]

Anything is possible but you know i like and love this character. I want him in RE8 Village DLCs or RE9 game or next any RE games. Thank you Duke for everything. And thank you Aaron Laplante for acting and give the voice for this character.

[@JasonOmegaKakos]

I really enjoy your videos on resident evil. I know you did a video on urias and his brother urias strajer but can you do a video on urias strajer by himself and go deeper into his story if there is anymore story. Thank you so much and again I love your channel and videos. 🤝

[@HeYDeVuH]

Thank You so much and yes I can do that

[@bhuvanbhavni5613]

While playing the the lady dimetrescu part of the game the biggest relieve is just getting into his room and now you know your safe

[@AlexanderJoneshttps]

The merchant reminds me of the mechinc from the Soulsborne games when given him items to change

[@legionandsons8763]

Because the merchant is always mysterious, hence the one from re4. And they knew each other according to the Duke. But they just seem to be traveling businessmen amd don't take sides, they will buy and sell to and from both sides that's pretty much it. The Duke did help more than you would think but I think capcom didn't know how to get ethan from getting his heart ripped out to Miranda's ceremony site so it's obvious that they would use the duke.

[@joshuar3632]

At one point when the basement went dark in heisnbergs factory. I wandered for way too long.lost going in circles.....I just wanted to get back to the duke and tune my shit up. I'm loving shrines punch ability in the mercs

[@kingshadow8782]

Nice job

[@ChNiNe09]

About the owl i always thought that The Duke was part of some sort of merchants guild and that was how he knew the merchant from RE4 and that was like their moto or something. Always giving a helping hand to those that do good and can become valuable customers.

[@Venislovas]

If that's true then they are truly wonderful, have a good one

[@sunflow57]

There's something supernatural about the Duke. I dunno but he feels like this otherworldly being like The Happy Mask Salesman from Majora's Mask.

[@jerrylou9285]

I like on how you add the Chris Redfield Boulder moves

[@Gilgamesh_King_Of_Uruk]

"That castle arouses suspicion 😐" "Yeah, and so do you" "😀"

[@tashibalampkin8555]

"I heard the reason why the Duke's stomach is so big is because it's full of secrets."

[@AMRedemption]

In British peerage a Duke is a high rank, but anyone of higher social rank to the commoner can be called a Lord, not interchangeable. So he would be a higher power in relation to the 4 Lords, who were bestowed their power and role. The Duke is above them. He was making power moves using an unwitting pawn to clear the land of meddling opposition because combined he couldn’t defeat them. Now the deck is cleared he will reveal his true goals and powers.

[@HeYDeVuH]

Very good point and it just makes you wonder what his end goals were and what'll happen in the future, I really really do hope that they explore more into his character and lore.

[@owouwwu2631]

Taking a look at roses dlc and getting to fight the duke it seems very interesting as he has control over the infected which explains why none are every present in his area

[@chrish7308]

The way he rolls out of that wagon makes it seem like it's a coffin with doors at the end.