Kain (Legacy of Kain)

"VAE VICTIS!"

- Kain

Kain is the protagonist and anti-hero of the Legacy of Kain series, acting as the main villain in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver.

He was voiced by Simon Templeman in all of his appearances.

Appearance and Personality
Kain is initially introduced in Blood Omen as a human who's killed by a band of brigands. Upon his resurrection, Kain becomes a vampire and, initially seeking revenge on his killers, is eventually entangled on a plot to defeat the Circle of Nine, the corrupted guardians of the land, while seeking for a cure for his vampiric curse. As the game progresses, however, Kain starts to embrace his vampirism, eventually coming to terms with his current existence upon learning of his role as the last member of the Circle and shifting his goals into becoming ruler of the now corrupted land of Nosgoth. In this game Kain is seen as a middle-aged man, with pale skin and wearing a black set of armour and red leather.

In Blood Omen 2, Kain is once again set on revenge, this time against the Hylden Lord, while seeking to regain his rule upon Nosgoth. His appearance is mostly similar to the first game, initially wearing less armor with his torso exposed before changing into a hooded robe and a golden set of armor with spiked shoulders by the end of the game. In the two Soul Reaver titles and Defiance Kain is seen with a more mutated appearance, with three-fingered claws in place of his hands and pointed protusions on his face. Having spent millenia uncovering the secrets of Nosgoth and his own existence, Kain has shifted his motivations towards restoring Nosgoth and destroy those who would manipulate him to further their own agendas or prevent him from fulfilling his role as the Scion of Balance.

The character of Kain grew significantly throughout the games. He is initially seen as a petty nobleman who blindly seeks revenge for his death, showing cynism and a misanthropic disdain for humanity, with little to no concern for the fate of both Nosgoth and those who lived there, something which allowed him to easily become a unwilling pawn for the machinations of both Moebius and the Hylden Lord. After embracing his vampiric powers Kain begins to lust for power, while striving to escape other's manipulations and forging his own destiny.

On subsequent games Kain, feeling the weight of his actions and of his destined role, becomes a more fatalist and cunning individual, though he values loyalty and sincerity above all else, despising traitors and cowards. Though he realizes his ultimate goal of restoring Nosgoth may be beyond his reach, he still takes careful steps to ensure his plans will go smoothly and as to not fall into traps laid by others. Despite his often violent temperament, he shows true compassion for his sons and those loyal to him.

Quotes
"Gift? Pah! Vorador thought my curse a blessing. That we were gods and that mortals offered their blood as sacrifice so that we could enjoy our supernatural powers. And somewhere deep inside my new self I knew he was right. That mortal dreams were prayers. Prayers to us - begging for our power."

- Kain, Blood Omen

"Conscience...? You dare to speak to me of conscience? Only when you have felt the full gravity of choice should you dare question my judgment! Your life's span is a flicker compared to the mass of doubt and regret that I have borne since Mortanius first turned me from the light... To know that the fate of the world hangs dependent on the advisedness of my every deed -- can you even begin to conceive what action you would take, in my position?"

- Kain, Soul Reaver

"Let’s drop the moral posturing, shall we? We both know there’s no altruism in this pursuit. Your reckless indignation led you here – I counted on it. There’s no shame in it, Raziel – revenge is motivation enough. At least it’s honest. Hate me, but do it honestly."

- kain, Soul Reaver 2

"Given the choice - whether to rule rule a corrupt and failing empire, or to challenge the fates for another throw, a better throw, against destiny - what was a king to do? But, does one truly have a choice? One can only match, move by move, the machinations of fate, and thus, defy the tyrannous stars."

- Kain, Defiance