@@Kainlarsenthis is the fault of WOTC. They decided that the awful BG novelisations would be the canon. The author of those books didn’t play the games and his BG2 novel didn’t have the full plot details given to him by the developers and thought Bodhi was the main villain. Hence why the bhaalspawn was canonically the abusive lughead Abdel Adrian, Sarevok and Viconia are not redeemed etc
Hi, long time Sarevok fan here. I feel there should be an addendum here about Larian's Implementation of Sarevok. The inclusion of Sarevok isn't very random, nor is his return to evil. Between the launch of Fifth Edition D&D and Larian's BG3 many supplemental books were released, namely "Minsc and Boos Journal of Villainy" in 2021 which is sadly accepted into Forgotten Realms Canon. This book is pretty controversial with old school Baldur's Gate fans due to it's slapshod continuation of these famous characters, Sarevok being one of them. Stripped of any second chance or redemption he went into a depression and became a poor beggar, in which the revived Bhaal recruited him back into the murderous fold. I think Larian's use of Sarevok is their subtle attempt to close the book on this famous villain, in a less abused way. If you would like to read more you can see the BG1-BG2 canon being destroyed on page 125 of the book. You can also read up on other characters from BG1/2 that had their canon screwed up in the book as well.
Almost everyone who's speaks of hating how a bg1 and 2 character is used in 3 haven't read these supplements/books. Because larian has to work with the canon there's only so much that can be done and even with viconia I feel like they did the absolute best with what they had and with what time they had
WOTC absolutely destroyed pretty much everything to do with Bhaalspawn Saga. Terrible novels and supplements. Should have just left it well enough alone.
Could you imagine a Sarevok who is actually on your side and good trying to help the dark urge through his urges trying to be a good brother like you were to him in BG2 remember how we cared for him back then and him swearing to guide you on the right path or kill you before you can fall. I like to think that would be an amazing story line.
Could be a very awesome companion that is unique to the dark urge origin or only limited in other origins. However, I think the main reason why Larian had to work out BG3 this way is because of WOTC(Wizards Of The Coast) that held the franchise and current canon lore changed a lot of Forgotten Realms lore that had controversial supplementary contents that updated the BG1&2 main characters.
My personal head canon for bg3 is [spoilers for a dark urge play through] in act 3 if you stand against Bhaal he kills Durge. Withers then mentions that technically Bhaal can only take back what he gave, freeing you of the curse of Bhaal. I think something similar happened with Sarevok. Where Bhaal needed Orin to be born so brought Sarevok back as he was the most successful Bhaal spawn for his plan. Thing is, Bhaal only has the urge part of Sarevok, not the whole thing. Meaning this modern Sarevok is just the aspect devoted to Bhaal. Just a head canon tho
You'd be surprised how much DnD has influenced Pop Culture outside of Baldurs Gate. A lot of games and series have characters, worldbuilding and lore that came out of the developers playing DnD.
@@JGCO115yeah my favourite series dorohedoro seems like it was also just based off a dnd campaign. It’s about a lizard man who wants to become a sourcerer. Dark urges story is incredible similar to kaiman.
Dam almost like bg3 and other stuff like dnd honor amongst hives are canon stuff, I mean you have wizard of coast as the publisher, the current owner of the dnd franchise
Ah Sarevok. The first time I ever played BG1 and got to that final battle, both me and him were killed because we failed a save roll from one of his mages spells. The game over played, I reloaded and then the final cutscene played with my character surviving. Got to love old coding sometimes.
Man, Black Isle used whatever clout they had to keep the most badass VA on that they could. Him voicing the Enclave soldier you prank call is still fucking hilarious.
Kevin Michael Richardson is most definitely up there with Keith David, Fred Tatascoire, and Tony Todd with some of the best of the deep and badass baritone voices in the VA business.
i fought Sarevok yesterday in bg3. i enjoyed him as a character, but then again i haven’t played the first two games. his story of at least partial redemption is much more compelling than him regressing and becoming an undead arbiter of the dread lord’s will. since baldurs gate is all about player’s choice, i choose to believe that this new Sarevok is nothing more than a shade. a hollow echo of what he once was. the real Sarevok is elsewhere in Toril, living out his second chance at life.
11:45 “So who knows how many babies were apart of this…” Well, if you count the columns at the end of Baldur’s Gate 1 that has all the statues of Bhaalspawn, you’ll see they’re 18 around in a circle, and the game’s scene ends before you can see how many stories they extend upward, although you can make out a minimum of 20 stories high. And since 18 times 20 is 360, we know there were AT LEAST 360 children of Bhaal before Sarevok got the first kill in the prologue to Baldur’s Gate 1. And yes, there MIGHT have been more, but the ending cutscene fades before the camera can pan higher, so we don’t know if there were more than 20 flights of statue columns hidden below the underground temple where the final boss fight against Sarevok takes place. I should also mention that this is for the original version of the game with the old late 90’s CGI. The enhanced edition doesn’t conform to small details of the original.
@@saberzgaming7385 they weren't all his literal children. They were descended by several if not dozens of generations. Bhaal got around, but one child =/= one mistress.
yeah, but not every bhaal spawn child was involved in the initial ritual. they probably had about a dozen or so spawn in the one place. the rest would be so scattered across the world that bhaal's return would be inevitable as it would be impossible to track them all down.
1:00 hey!! That's from one of my build guides!! It's an honor to be included in such a great Lore video brother :D I was in bed watching this and was like man that looks like - HEY IT ME!!!
this game shocked me as a 15 year old. I bought it because my computer sucked and it was cheap but oh man I didn't expect this, BG1 opened my eyes for old games and along with portal games it's still the most special experience I've had in gaming
Never played BG1 or did I know the history of Sarevok. But when I stepped into that tribunal and heard his voice for the first time and then heard his and Jaheria’s shared history, I knew there was something more to him and I thought that was pretty cool.
I just finished my first playthrough recently and I was so embarrased about the fact that I didn't realize it was him lmao felt so fucking dumb for that
Wow, i never played baldur's gate one or two, so this deeply changes my thought on Sarevok in bg3. When i came across him, he just seems like a cool wrestlemania villain. Now I get some of the comments down here.
Thank you for this video. I love Sarevok. I'm glad to see he's become a sort of Legacy character for D&D games, like Minsc, Boo, and Jaheira. The first two games (and their respective expansions) were well played and well delved. They stayed a part of my gaming rotation for years. Thanks for the nostalgia rush. For the next video (or at least a future video), how about Jon Irenecus, the foe from Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn? Whomever you choose, keep up the good work!
I love how Jim Cummings is also in basically everything. Pete the cat, Winnie the Pooh, tigger, a bunch of people in Skyrim and the list just goes on and on
Kevin Michael Richardson was the god of fire in Sacrifice, a game with some serious voice acting elites behind it. Makes sense, since his performance as Sarevok is godly as well.
Fun fact: In "Conan: the Destroyer" movie, during her introduction the queen wears the same helmet Sarevok likes. I'm willing to bet it was part of the inspiration for Sarevok's character design
Wizards basically took a huge dump on BG2 with the supplemental book called Minsc and Boo's Journal of Villainy. They made Sarevok a homeless drug addict. That's why he's back to serving Bhaal even though it makes no sense since he specifically said that he no longer had any of Bhaal's essence in Throne of Bhaal. But Wizards didn't just screw up Sarevok. They brought back Irenicus and Bodhi. Irenicus is now a lich. Imoen is a leader in the Shadow Thieves and she was turned into a vampire by Bodhi. The book just had a bunch of stuff that didn't make sense. Like how Sarevok was recruited by Bhaal but Bhaal wasn't resurrected until about 100 years after Throne of Bhaal. And they said that Irenicus and Bodhi learned how to steal godly essence from the Shadowfell which led to the events of BG2, but the Shadowfell didn't even exist during BG2.
Wasn't the book explicitly written by the writers of the original BG series? Not only that, but Wizards had almost no hand in the supplement other than putting it online with their logo.
47:58 Great video as usual! I'm super happy to see Sarevok being added to the Villainpedia. Just a small correction to a detail that doesn't concern Sarevok specifically, that being that Amelyssan wasn't a Bhaalspawn, though she's certainly up to no good as you pointed out. She's a former high priestess of Bhaal, the one follower that the God of Murder trusted the most.
Man I just love your videos, you have such a unique style of commentary that I haven't seen anyone else do in the lore scene here on youtube. I got hooked on your dark souls videos but then I started watching all your other stuff aswell and at this point i've watched basically everything you put up on your channel in the span of a few weeks😄Keep up the great work man! ❤
I remember the first time I encountered Sarevok. It was 1997, and for years he became the most elusive and difficult villain. It took 2 iterations of the first game with Tales of the Sword Coast and then the Enhanced Edition before I finally mustered the know-how to beat the first game. I love everything Baldur's Gate has given me over the last 30 years. I love BG3, but nothing will have a grip over me like the first game. The music, the story, being just a kid discovering your first Forgotten Realms story, it becomes very personal as you dive into this world of magic and monsters.
It seems like well-handled dialog could have covered that gap well. Like he spent all that second life seeking purpose and never finding it, loving and losing and conquering and exploring, but never having the satisfaction of a clear personal desire or achievement. Then he gets word that his father is reborn, and all that long fatigue and desperation collapses in on him and his will finally breaks. He gives up on finding a purpose of his own and submits himself to Bhaal, sacrificing his freedom in return for purpose as custodian. Make it a clear tragic end, at least.
Currently in the midst of an EET run (modded smoosh together of bg1, sod, bg2, tob, etc in one continuous campaign), and I beat sarevok about a week ago. Awesome timing! looking forward tp bg3 when I'm done with EET. Sarevok is a great and underrated villain for sure.
Sarevok has always been a favorite of mine, and I was also a bit skeptical of his inclusion in bg3. Not sure if he's already in the Villainpedia pipeline, but Jon Irenicus for a followup would be an amazing go! Legendary voicework by David Warner (Morpheus from Fallout 1 as well!), and quite a backstory and evil gameplan!
Major Spoiler here: When you play as Dark Urge and discover your legacy of being a Bhaalspawn born from blood of the very god and not his seed, your encounter with Sarevok is very unique, he basically tasks you with killing Orin and when you do, he then attacks you to try to claim his divine herritage once again.
I'm writing a paper on the legacy of Frankenstein for one of my classes and I'm using your Frank Horrigan and GLaDOS videos as two of my sources with my professor's blessing. Strange world eh?
@@Ghostcharm I'll shoot it your way in an email once it's finished to read at your leisure. One of my aims is to argue that games and such are worthy of academic study so maybe it's up your alley. Either way, thanks for the great videos, they've help me do justice to the characters.
As someone who found Sarveok trough bg3, I loved his look and presence, didn't know anything about his past, I just love the old style, bloodthirsty, evil but smart villains, and he while not a villain, still presented this menace and a simple yet layered evil...it was perfect
He is a top tier character for sure. He was a perfect visual representation of an antagonist. You explained it well: you don't know him and just look at him and you know what you're dealing with. He is a very simple, Conan-esque, straight to the point character and it works because who else would be as raw and brutal looking as a (ex) Bhaalspawn? Only Bhaal himself I reckon.
my favourite part about sarevok in bg1 was that that his plan was absolutely understandable, realistic and also cruel as all shit (mirroring a life path of his father bhaal, obviously). he tried to get his divinity in a way that makes sense while also making a great mirror to the murder-hobo that is charname. seeing him lose his agency in baldurs bate 3 was quite understandable (he had it so close once, obviously he'd slip back into bhaalism, since bhaal is back at it again and seemingly successful), but imho they absolutely wasted his "pragmatic but evil as fuck" character trait, which is what makes him such a fascinating villain and potential companion. larian writing him as a creepy cooky murderous fantasy charlie manson sitting on a throne doing pretty much nothing was kinda lame. your video is as great as always, much love from ukraine!
what a great video! I grew up with BG 1 & 2 and always left a massive inpression on me and Sarevok both as villain and companion were some of the best moments though Irenicus also comes close. Still need to fully play through BG3 but even the small spoiler here has only made me more exited to play through it in my vacation.
I feel like his appearance in BG3 might be his released essence from his first death that became a part of Bhaal. The "Bhaalspawn soul fragment" of him perhaps. It would explain his reversion to BG1 tendencies.
Sadly no. This is the Serevok that travelled with Abdel in the Throne of Bhaal expansion. The better canon spackle for this is that when Bhaal "came back" he invested a portion of his divinity back into Serevok and forced him to join the cult.
@@stevemanart I mean, he had a part of Abdel's Bhaalspawn soul in him. But otherwise I think you're right here. Main thing is the timeline doesn't line up. Bhaal has only been back for like... 10 years? Means Sarevok returned to Baldur's Gate, got in touch with the remnants of the cult of Bhaal, had a daughter and had a daughter with his daughter. Could be he just wanted power over the cult, and then when Bhaal came back he influenced his will over Sarevok. Same way the Dark Urge and Orin seem to be under his sway. All of the Bhaalspawn before only had to deal with nightmares before when Bhaal was dead.
They did my boy dirty in bg3. Edit: Seems like there was a reason why Larian handled sarevok like that. @LordSpaztic down below the comments shared useful info on the subject.
Bg3 is game of the year for me but Imo they took a shit on vicky and saravok and to some extent minsc I understand minsc tho his name is massive for marketing reasons to have in the game
Fabulous video Ghost and a fantastic tour through a game series I haven't played in ages. The original BG 1 & 2 were such incredible formative experiences when I was a teenager first digging into western RPG's and really helped shape my own gaming interests to this day. Great villain deep dive all around. I wonder if perhaps covering everyone's favorite Banshee Queen, Sylvanas might make for a compelling exploration in a future Villainpedia entry. Especially considering how heavily her story circles your previous coverage of Arthas. She's always been a personal fan-favorite and it's been interesting to see her character go through some controversial changes through the years, partly because of behind-the-scenes issues with a particular (now-notorious) figure at Blizzard. And then to see her character come forward once again in recent expansions for...perhaps not a redemption, but at least a new reframing of her journey by the newer writing team is as intriguing as it is ambiguous. Talking through some of the strengths and weaknesses of her character writing over time would be pretty fascinating.
Awesome video once again, I would love to see a Villainpedia on THE END from Sonic Frontiers, that antagonist is a super cool and unique type of villain, kind of reminds me of GlaDos in some ways too!
Baldur's Gate 3 is my only experience with Sarevok, so I don't have much to compare it to. However, hearing the way you described him in this video matched exactly the impression I had of him in BG3. Charismatic and intelligent, beyond simple brawn and bloodlust. Impressive that a man his size is intimidating for reasons entirely not physical.
I remember when BG1 cames out. I was in high school. The only CRPG based on D&D I had played before was Descent To Under Mountain and it wasn’t very good. BG1 was massive for the time. It was on 5 cds and blew my mind. I still play the enhanced edition from time to time. Good memories!
I made Aribeth from NWN and had her duel Sarevok 1v1 in my BG3 playthrough. Felt it was a fitting crossover and bookend to his arc: his death coming from the hands of a Neverwinter Nights character who had embraced her redemption rather than discard it.
I always interpreted his appearance in bg3 as the manifestation of the bhaal spawn spirit that died it bg1. It just made the appearance make more sense to me and makes the resurrection and rebirth in bg2 still have meaning.
i wasnt even born when bg2 was released, so its nice to see how older players feel abt a sequel finally coming. i think this game is a masterpiece and its nice to learn abt the previous installments and the deeper lore behind it. im happy on your behalf that bg3 was such a win. it feels more special when you know how long original fans have been dreaming about it. thank you for this video
Sarevok Anchev respects strength and power, if you are strong and powerful as a good guy, he chooses to follow you into becoming a good guy. If you choose to be a bad guy, he will remain a bad guy and help you achieve your goal. Either way, he detests weakness and looks down on any companion you have he considers weak, regardless of alignment, difference being, if he is chaotic good, he'll instead ignore the weak and detest the strong who prey on the weak, considering them cowards for punching down.
I always thought the Sarevok we met in BG3 was just the part of him that he lost when he was killed in BG1, not the real and full Sarevok. thats my head cannon at least.
In some ways, bg3, is a fanfiction. For example, they put Jaheyra, an Half-elf as young as 200 years ago (with the events of BG2, that minimum had like 30, most probably around 50) and that without saying that she was already old in that time (in human sense of time). But, they decided to put her anyway. And Minsc its the greatest ofender for being petrified and you released him 200 years later. Yes, its true that this is posible in that World, but when you can play with Jaheira, Minsk and Viconia, its difficult to not say that Baldurs Gate 3, has some fanfiction.😅😅
From what other comments state, this wasn't something Larian had a say in. This was a change that WOTC made well before the 3rd game was even being developed when they made the Baldur's Gate books the official canon.
@@Frendlu They literally mention BG1 happened a century ago, but more specially about 125 years ago give or take, with BG2 happening the following years. So Jaheria as a half- elf she can live upwards of 150- 180 years. Possibly longer with the Druid ritual, but chose not to. Which makes sense why she is old lady by the time we meet her. In Minsc’s case, he got turned into a statue about 1409 DR. Then got freed at about 1480 DR. So he is a middle age man in his 50’s give or take by the time of BG3. Which is 1492 DR. But I do recall Larian saying the purposely put fan service in BG3. They did an okay job with Jaheria and Minsc’s inclusion. But did our boy Sarveok dirty and who cares about Virconia 😂.
For those on the fence of play the old Baldur's Gate games the Enchanced Edition has a Story Mode Story Mode makes you near impossible to kill I've only seen a character die in that mode once and it was a optional Demon boss that can turn companions into ghouls. The secret is to use potion of mirror eyes or any other anti-petrification buff to guard your party before the fight. Also kill the Cultist in the room first they act as 1ups for that boss fight.
Serevok, along with FFIV's Golbez, were the two most influential villains on me as a game master. So seeing Serevok in BGIII really hurt, his story was complete in BG2 and it was so good. So I had to create my own lore spackle, which is that when Bhaal came back (sort of) Serevok didn't have a choice. Bhaal exerted control over all of his former children in one way or another and Serevok's lack of divine spark left him the weakest to Bhaal's influence.
GoG has the "Original Saga" version of the game. Free of weird changes by Beamdog. Real cutscenes. And, thank god, no handholding. Best way to play the game IMO.
To be honest, I was also really disappointed about Sarevoks appearance in BG3. It makes relative sense to be like this, since the lore character of Abdel was more of a "relatively good dude" and did not turn Sarevok good. But running back to Bhaal made absolutely no sense, based on even just the fact that the Bhaal part of his soul is gone. I also agree about the heavy use of fanservice characters. Jaheira was really well done, Elminster was fine, Minsc was questionable and Sarevoks inclusion just tries to retconn a option we were given by Bioware more than 20 years ago. I blame Larian less than WotC for this, but it should have been handled way better. Also I forgot them shoehorning the Five from ToB into the game. Balthazar was fine as a reference but Illasera is literally on screen for 10 seconds in BG2. (Abazigal would have been cool tho)
Yep when I came across Sarevok in BG3 I immediately killed him, scrubbed him from existence and deleted his items. I was that disappointed he was in the game in such a manner.
Small nitpick During the Times of Trouble Helm was allowed to remain divine as he guarded the gates of the celestial realms incase anyone trying to sneak back in and because he's a good boy Otherwise? Thank you so much for doing him justice. I loved the first 2 BG games growing up and seeing a deep dive on him so well done and clearly from a place of love is amazing
That's kinda how I felt, too. Most of my video gaming friends had either never heard of it, or didn't want to mess with it due to its age or the 2e ruleset
One thing about Sarevok's appearance in BG3 - he has yellow eyes. The only other character that has yellow eyes in BG3 is Isobel when she's mind controlled by Ketheric. It's possible that Sarevok is in some similar way controlled by Orin. It wouldn't surprise me if Orin would be able to exert some kind of power over him.
I fought Sarevok in my BG3 game. Got him paralyzed in the end of the fight and had one of the ghouls you can summon kill him. My friend was watching open mouth because he played the previous games and was like “He’s one of the hardest fights in the previous games and you clowned him”.
man i love your videos so so much, they always have me hanging on every word while also getting several laughs out of me per video, it’s clear you really care for and enjoy the topics you cover and it’s always such a delight to see new videos of yours pop up on my home page. As always, fantastic job and know so many people appreciate what you do :) 👍👍
I love these videos. I first came across your channel by stumbling on the Sheogorath video. Truly something I love making an evening out of them. I will say however, as much as we all love a good villain story. I really hope there are more Heropedia videos coming.
I knew of the plot of bg1 going into bg3 from watching josh strife hayes' retrospective as my frist exposure to the baldur's gate franchise, and the appearance in bg3 felt still kinda off, it was the one instance of being very clearly fanservicey in a way that I felt wasnt quite right and hearing what happens to him in bg2 definitely puts better context in that, honestly I think if he should've shown up anywhere, it either should've been with the harpers where you see how he's worked to better himself alongside Jaheira, or somewhere in the questline to unlock minsc.
I was so disappointed when he showed up in BG3. It's fan service, but it's FAILED fan service in an otherwise excellent game. He completed his character arc in 1 and 2, he shouldn't have been in 3. Anyway, great video, Ghostcharm.
Has it occured to anyone else that Sarevok, in his guise as Koveras, was functionally working to "kover" his ass? I see you, BioWaaare. Your puns are visible to me.
I'm with you dude. the fact that you see Sarevok again and he is back to being evil really sucks. The books that became canon and have him returning to villainy are also super terrible. they character assassinate everyone from Jahiera and Khalid to Minsc and the rest of the companions. I like to think that maybe this version of Sarevok we see is just that part of him that was a Bhaalspawn. Much like how the Durge character has their Bhaal essence reclaimed by Bhaal (if you choose certain dialogue options); this version of Sarevok is like that part of him that belonged to Bhaal and out there in the wide world is the "real" Sarevok who is journeying for purpose still.
So, keep in mind that though the player character *can* persuade BG2:ToB Sarevok to the light, that doesn't mean that's actually how it went down in the canon. Outside of that, I do agree that he never had intentions to serve Bhaal, but rather, to succeed him. My thought was that, after his second chance at life, he likely parted ways with Abdel after seeing him refuse their father's throne with a feeling of disappointment and unfulfillment. After learning of his father's imminent return, he returned to his old stomping grounds: the temple beneath Baldur's Gate. He was likely the one that delivered the murderous blow to Abdel, which was the final stroke that rebirthed Bhaal back into the world, fully committing himself to the cult and receiving the power and station we see him with in BG3. I was both surprised and elated to see him. The returning character that I was honestly disappointed with was Minsc.
I think i'm going to throw up. Larian completely disrespected Sarevok, and all the old characters from the previous games. Its like they deliberately tried to make them look horrible to make their own uninteresting characters, and highschool level writing look tolerable.
Fun fact about the three adventures who man takes aspects of the god of death: this was actually based off an actual campaign of players. Their characters quested to become gods and WoTC canonized it.
that was unfortunately pre-existing. larian just made do with what they had, and worked wonderfully within the confines of the horrible canon ruined by supplemental novels. so all they did was just try and finish his story as best as possible
@@themagicsweettartpills9518 sad thing about canon in the end saravok did get his redemptoin but was fucked over hard by baals rebirth. while viconia was just an idiot who also got her redemption then went right back to her abuser a few years later
Ooh, that would be real interesting; I know if Ghostcharm can make us think and care about characters and locations from games we've never played (ever or in a long-ass time), he'd crush it at a critique
Considering how common it is for people to turn to religion in real life when they feel lost, it's not beyond the realm of possiibilty that Sarevok had undergone a similar crisis in the century between games, it's just the religion he chose to devote himself to was his dad's murder cult, which he was already pretty familar with. Perhaps he even sees it as the only means he has to be as close as he can get to the greatness he once aspired to?
I finally got past the BG3 spoilers, so I could go back and watch the rest of this now! I agree with you, the fight was fun and he gives good loot but I wish they had left him out of it. Also, while the VA is no Kevin Michael Richardson, the new one kind of reminded me of Riddick which makes me want Vin Diesel to play him if Baldur's gate ever gets a movie, though that would probably be a nightmare in and of itself.
Making Minsc an act 3 companion that you won’t unlock until level 11-12 with the worst class/subclass in the game is the only thing I dislike about BG3.
What an awesome video. Thanks for bringing something like that up and especially for Sarevok. Your final thoughts really touched me as well. Your passion about the project really speaks for itself. Wish you a good time and a nice christmas. If at all afterwards, you might choose John Irenicus as a follow up. :)
I've been playing DnD since 2014, and played mostly 5e with a little 3.5 at the start. I've been working for a 5e video game, and have only played BG3, I had no idea that the story was so interconnected with the first two.
My favorite KMR role is his turn as The Joker. He gives the Joker a real "Bouncy" quality that's still threatening. Also more than slightly leaning Batman/Joker on his side. Check out Batman vs Dracula for a good time with him as a secondary character.
@@fenharel2137 You never even played the previous games. What you're describing is literally the Sarevok from BG3. Did you even listen to anything in this video?
What I enjoy most about Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 is all the character builds. Human Duel-Class Fighter/Cleric is beast build. Also liked the Kensai/Mage Build.
My head cannon say that after Sarevoks' second chance, he became a great worrior. He buried the love of his life, and despite all his power and second chance, he could find nothing left in the life of a mortal. Perhaps from there, he recklessly charged stronger and stronger foes till he shredded himself physically and mentally. Maybe he was bound by infernal chains or trapped in a devils deal. Either way, the Sarevok we fight in BG3 is a man no more. His eyes alight with infernal power, but serving a cause his person would never willingly submit to.
I agree with everything except his depiction in Bg3. Sarevok was not just a minor basic villain he was at the top of the murder tribunal. This is perfectly in line with one of the paths that you could have taken with him from Bg2. He doesn't have to turn good in fact it is extremely hard to make him turn good. If the player isn't doing a perfectly good play through he will stay CE. I think it is entirely consistent that he would go right to the top of the murder tribunal and yes we would say he was drinking the koolaid but if we are honest his natural love of murder is already pretty much in line with Baal. It would not surprise me at all to learn that he is playing the long game and he still wants to take Baal's place. His interactions with other characters and how he reacts to the dark urge are fantastic story points not just fan service. In my first playthrough I was playing a pretty good character not an perfectly good character but good enough that I basically had no choice but to tell him that I was going to kill him and I was intimidated. His boss fight is aboslutely epic and I loved every minute of him his appearance in BG3. This is how you bring back a badass villain. If you manage to beat him you are rewarded with an amazing sword.
Dude! Sarevok is the hardest and the best boss Ive ever fought. I played with with a challenge where I couldnt revive secondary characters so when I barely reached Sarevok...dude it was just horrible to a point I almost wanted to quit but in a honorless move I downgraded the difficulty to the easiest...and still it was hard and after trying for several times I beat him...without honor but I did, crowning him as the best boss Ive ever fought against.
I remember the first time I played Baldur's Gate, my computer wasn't strong enough to play the intro movie. It feels sometimes that 1998 was just yesterday.
![The Complete Story of Destiny! From origins to Shadowkeep [Timeline and Lore explained]](/img/n.gif)
Somehow, Sarevok returned
Somehow, Sarevok was turned into a one-dimensional joke by Larian.
Again
@@Kainlarsendon't forget WoTc as well.
Ez
@@Kainlarsenthis is the fault of WOTC. They decided that the awful BG novelisations would be the canon. The author of those books didn’t play the games and his BG2 novel didn’t have the full plot details given to him by the developers and thought Bodhi was the main villain. Hence why the bhaalspawn was canonically the abusive lughead Abdel Adrian, Sarevok and Viconia are not redeemed etc
Hi, long time Sarevok fan here. I feel there should be an addendum here about Larian's Implementation of Sarevok. The inclusion of Sarevok isn't very random, nor is his return to evil. Between the launch of Fifth Edition D&D and Larian's BG3 many supplemental books were released, namely "Minsc and Boos Journal of Villainy" in 2021 which is sadly accepted into Forgotten Realms Canon.
This book is pretty controversial with old school Baldur's Gate fans due to it's slapshod continuation of these famous characters, Sarevok being one of them. Stripped of any second chance or redemption he went into a depression and became a poor beggar, in which the revived Bhaal recruited him back into the murderous fold.
I think Larian's use of Sarevok is their subtle attempt to close the book on this famous villain, in a less abused way. If you would like to read more you can see the BG1-BG2 canon being destroyed on page 125 of the book.
You can also read up on other characters from BG1/2 that had their canon screwed up in the book as well.
This needs to be higher up and more seen. Many people don't know about it, and would probably help with their disdain of how he was handled I'm BG3
Almost everyone who's speaks of hating how a bg1 and 2 character is used in 3 haven't read these supplements/books. Because larian has to work with the canon there's only so much that can be done and even with viconia I feel like they did the absolute best with what they had and with what time they had
Damn didnt know that.Thanks for the info
Oh i stopped buying 5th ed books since tasha came out, damn a pulpy trash splatbook altering canon? A shame really
WOTC absolutely destroyed pretty much everything to do with Bhaalspawn Saga. Terrible novels and supplements. Should have just left it well enough alone.
Could you imagine a Sarevok who is actually on your side and good trying to help the dark urge through his urges trying to be a good brother like you were to him in BG2 remember how we cared for him back then and him swearing to guide you on the right path or kill you before you can fall. I like to think that would be an amazing story line.
Could be a very awesome companion that is unique to the dark urge origin or only limited in other origins. However, I think the main reason why Larian had to work out BG3 this way is because of WOTC(Wizards Of The Coast) that held the franchise and current canon lore changed a lot of Forgotten Realms lore that had controversial supplementary contents that updated the BG1&2 main characters.
Abden was forcefully turned into Baal because of the fine print on the contract.
They share a soul. Like Abden he didn’t have a choice in the end.
@@imran8880you can have him as a companion in bg2 thrones of bhaal if im not mistaken
My personal head canon for bg3 is [spoilers for a dark urge play through] in act 3 if you stand against Bhaal he kills Durge. Withers then mentions that technically Bhaal can only take back what he gave, freeing you of the curse of Bhaal. I think something similar happened with Sarevok. Where Bhaal needed Orin to be born so brought Sarevok back as he was the most successful Bhaal spawn for his plan. Thing is, Bhaal only has the urge part of Sarevok, not the whole thing. Meaning this modern Sarevok is just the aspect devoted to Bhaal. Just a head canon tho
I like this head canon, it fixes all of my personal issues with Sarevok and I will adopt it, it's mine now, you may not have it back
This makes it all work. I'll take your headcanon and make it my own.
And for Viconia, Shar is just so seething the original got away that she forced another follower to transform into a duplicate.
@op Headcanon accepted 😊
Learning that Sarevok is an adaptation of a character from just a normal D&D campaign played with some friends is the most oddly heartwarming thing.
Looking at Bhaal's backstory, I wouldn't be surpised if he was also a D&D character.
You'd be surprised how much DnD has influenced Pop Culture outside of Baldurs Gate. A lot of games and series have characters, worldbuilding and lore that came out of the developers playing DnD.
@@JGCO115yeah my favourite series dorohedoro seems like it was also just based off a dnd campaign. It’s about a lizard man who wants to become a sourcerer. Dark urges story is incredible similar to kaiman.
@@JGCO115 I was born after 1980 and _haven't_ been living under a rock since then, so D&D's cultural influence across media is _not_ lost on me
Dam almost like bg3 and other stuff like dnd honor amongst hives are canon stuff, I mean you have wizard of coast as the publisher, the current owner of the dnd franchise
Ah Sarevok. The first time I ever played BG1 and got to that final battle, both me and him were killed because we failed a save roll from one of his mages spells. The game over played, I reloaded and then the final cutscene played with my character surviving. Got to love old coding sometimes.
Man, Black Isle used whatever clout they had to keep the most badass VA on that they could. Him voicing the Enclave soldier you prank call is still fucking hilarious.
Kevin Michael Richardson is most definitely up there with Keith David, Fred Tatascoire, and Tony Todd with some of the best of the deep and badass baritone voices in the VA business.
@@DT-267Kcan't forget Tony Jay (rip)
@@carlosthejakl8493 the og goat of deep voice badassery.
@@DT-267K Is simon Templeman Baritone? I don't know enough.
i fought Sarevok yesterday in bg3. i enjoyed him as a character, but then again i haven’t played the first two games. his story of at least partial redemption is much more compelling than him regressing and becoming an undead arbiter of the dread lord’s will. since baldurs gate is all about player’s choice, i choose to believe that this new Sarevok is nothing more than a shade. a hollow echo of what he once was. the real Sarevok is elsewhere in Toril, living out his second chance at life.
11:45 “So who knows how many babies were apart of this…”
Well, if you count the columns at the end of Baldur’s Gate 1 that has all the statues of Bhaalspawn, you’ll see they’re 18 around in a circle, and the game’s scene ends before you can see how many stories they extend upward, although you can make out a minimum of 20 stories high. And since 18 times 20 is 360, we know there were AT LEAST 360 children of Bhaal before Sarevok got the first kill in the prologue to Baldur’s Gate 1.
And yes, there MIGHT have been more, but the ending cutscene fades before the camera can pan higher, so we don’t know if there were more than 20 flights of statue columns hidden below the underground temple where the final boss fight against Sarevok takes place.
I should also mention that this is for the original version of the game with the old late 90’s CGI. The enhanced edition doesn’t conform to small details of the original.
Holy sh** Baal got around 😮
Side note great job on the information
@@saberzgaming7385 they weren't all his literal children. They were descended by several if not dozens of generations. Bhaal got around, but one child =/= one mistress.
yeah, but not every bhaal spawn child was involved in the initial ritual. they probably had about a dozen or so spawn in the one place. the rest would be so scattered across the world that bhaal's return would be inevitable as it would be impossible to track them all down.
@@saberzgaming7385 It is also Forgotten Realms canon lore that Bhaal fucked a Chinchilla, as you can find a Bhalspawn Chinchilla in BG2
Doesn't the prophecy outright say there's a score of Bhaalspawn? As in 20.
1:00 hey!! That's from one of my build guides!! It's an honor to be included in such a great Lore video brother :D I was in bed watching this and was like man that looks like - HEY IT ME!!!
Love your videos man ❤️
@@Ghostcharmback at ya brother! :D
this game shocked me as a 15 year old. I bought it because my computer sucked and it was cheap but oh man I didn't expect this, BG1 opened my eyes for old games and along with portal games it's still the most special experience I've had in gaming
Never played BG1 or did I know the history of Sarevok. But when I stepped into that tribunal and heard his voice for the first time and then heard his and Jaheria’s shared history, I knew there was something more to him and I thought that was pretty cool.
Oh yeah, Sarevok, one of my favorite villains. I remember when i was a kid, and i first played the game, and i met Koveras.
I just finished my first playthrough recently and I was so embarrased about the fact that I didn't realize it was him lmao felt so fucking dumb for that
I actually psyched myself out the first time I played and thought “there’s no way they just reversed his name, this has to be reverse psychology”
Wow, i never played baldur's gate one or two, so this deeply changes my thought on Sarevok in bg3. When i came across him, he just seems like a cool wrestlemania villain. Now I get some of the comments down here.
WOTC did him so dirty which is why he is so disappointing in BG3. Canonising him in such a boring way was a shame.
him and Viconia were done really dirty
Sarevok in Bladur Gate 3 feels as if Vegeta became a generic villain easily killed in Super after events of Z. They done him dirty.
@@MrConredsX this just translated the common complaint for me as someone who loves dbz but hasnt playrd bg1&2
Thank you for this video. I love Sarevok. I'm glad to see he's become a sort of Legacy character for D&D games, like Minsc, Boo, and Jaheira. The first two games (and their respective expansions) were well played and well delved. They stayed a part of my gaming rotation for years. Thanks for the nostalgia rush.
For the next video (or at least a future video), how about Jon Irenecus, the foe from Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn? Whomever you choose, keep up the good work!
Dude look at this dude Sarevok, he has all them resistances and still gets bounced by magic missile
Your name is very topical for this video
In the original game he couldn't be hurt by magic missile only level 3 or higher spells could harm him.
I love how Jim Cummings is also in basically everything. Pete the cat, Winnie the Pooh, tigger, a bunch of people in Skyrim and the list just goes on and on
Villanpedia is my absolute favorite of your series 😊 Always stoked to see a new one pop up
Kevin Michael Richardson was the god of fire in Sacrifice, a game with some serious voice acting elites behind it. Makes sense, since his performance as Sarevok is godly as well.
Fun fact: In "Conan: the Destroyer" movie, during her introduction the queen wears the same helmet Sarevok likes. I'm willing to bet it was part of the inspiration for Sarevok's character design
Wizards basically took a huge dump on BG2 with the supplemental book called Minsc and Boo's Journal of Villainy.
They made Sarevok a homeless drug addict. That's why he's back to serving Bhaal even though it makes no sense since he specifically said that he no longer had any of Bhaal's essence in Throne of Bhaal.
But Wizards didn't just screw up Sarevok.
They brought back Irenicus and Bodhi. Irenicus is now a lich.
Imoen is a leader in the Shadow Thieves and she was turned into a vampire by Bodhi.
The book just had a bunch of stuff that didn't make sense. Like how Sarevok was recruited by Bhaal but Bhaal wasn't resurrected until about 100 years after Throne of Bhaal. And they said that Irenicus and Bodhi learned how to steal godly essence from the Shadowfell which led to the events of BG2, but the Shadowfell didn't even exist during BG2.
damn, that book sounds like some awful fan fiction from someone who hates BG.
Wasn't the book explicitly written by the writers of the original BG series? Not only that, but Wizards had almost no hand in the supplement other than putting it online with their logo.
WOTC slop.
And that’s why that one’s none canon
I will borrow line from If-Emperor-Had-Text-To-Speech-Device
"THIS IS NOT FUCKING CANON!"
47:58 Great video as usual! I'm super happy to see Sarevok being added to the Villainpedia. Just a small correction to a detail that doesn't concern Sarevok specifically, that being that Amelyssan wasn't a Bhaalspawn, though she's certainly up to no good as you pointed out. She's a former high priestess of Bhaal, the one follower that the God of Murder trusted the most.
Man I just love your videos, you have such a unique style of commentary that I haven't seen anyone else do in the lore scene here on youtube. I got hooked on your dark souls videos but then I started watching all your other stuff aswell and at this point i've watched basically everything you put up on your channel in the span of a few weeks😄Keep up the great work man! ❤
I remember the first time I encountered Sarevok. It was 1997, and for years he became the most elusive and difficult villain. It took 2 iterations of the first game with Tales of the Sword Coast and then the Enhanced Edition before I finally mustered the know-how to beat the first game. I love everything Baldur's Gate has given me over the last 30 years. I love BG3, but nothing will have a grip over me like the first game. The music, the story, being just a kid discovering your first Forgotten Realms story, it becomes very personal as you dive into this world of magic and monsters.
I beat baldur's gate in my third run through, but yay Saravok was a difficult foe, and a great character.
It seems like well-handled dialog could have covered that gap well. Like he spent all that second life seeking purpose and never finding it, loving and losing and conquering and exploring, but never having the satisfaction of a clear personal desire or achievement. Then he gets word that his father is reborn, and all that long fatigue and desperation collapses in on him and his will finally breaks. He gives up on finding a purpose of his own and submits himself to Bhaal, sacrificing his freedom in return for purpose as custodian. Make it a clear tragic end, at least.
Great story telling. I’m driving from California to Minnesota for Christmas by myself and I’ve been putting videos into playlists. ADDED MATE 💯💯💯💯👍🏽
have a great holiday buddy
Have only played BG3 and even there he was interesting enough to read into his bio and his previous games appearances. Thanks for the video
Currently in the midst of an EET run (modded smoosh together of bg1, sod, bg2, tob, etc in one continuous campaign), and I beat sarevok about a week ago. Awesome timing! looking forward tp bg3 when I'm done with EET. Sarevok is a great and underrated villain for sure.
More Baldur's gate characters! I love your way of storytelling and would also love to hear more about those old RPG villains.
Sarevok has always been a favorite of mine, and I was also a bit skeptical of his inclusion in bg3.
Not sure if he's already in the Villainpedia pipeline, but Jon Irenicus for a followup would be an amazing go! Legendary voicework by David Warner (Morpheus from Fallout 1 as well!), and quite a backstory and evil gameplan!
Morpheus is from Matrix though 😂😊😊
Major Spoiler here: When you play as Dark Urge and discover your legacy of being a Bhaalspawn born from blood of the very god and not his seed, your encounter with Sarevok is very unique, he basically tasks you with killing Orin and when you do, he then attacks you to try to claim his divine herritage once again.
I'm writing a paper on the legacy of Frankenstein for one of my classes and I'm using your Frank Horrigan and GLaDOS videos as two of my sources with my professor's blessing. Strange world eh?
hope you get an A buddy. if not, send your teacher to me ill straighten em out
@@Ghostcharm I'll shoot it your way in an email once it's finished to read at your leisure. One of my aims is to argue that games and such are worthy of academic study so maybe it's up your alley. Either way, thanks for the great videos, they've help me do justice to the characters.
Brilliant, I been looking forward to this. One of my fav voice acting in a rpg having the bloodlust of Bhaal but stoic too.
Sarevok failed because he didn't have the power of friendship.
As someone who found Sarveok trough bg3, I loved his look and presence, didn't know anything about his past, I just love the old style, bloodthirsty, evil but smart villains, and he while not a villain, still presented this menace and a simple yet layered evil...it was perfect
He is a top tier character for sure. He was a perfect visual representation of an antagonist. You explained it well: you don't know him and just look at him and you know what you're dealing with. He is a very simple, Conan-esque, straight to the point character and it works because who else would be as raw and brutal looking as a (ex) Bhaalspawn? Only Bhaal himself I reckon.
my favourite part about sarevok in bg1 was that that his plan was absolutely understandable, realistic and also cruel as all shit (mirroring a life path of his father bhaal, obviously). he tried to get his divinity in a way that makes sense while also making a great mirror to the murder-hobo that is charname. seeing him lose his agency in baldurs bate 3 was quite understandable (he had it so close once, obviously he'd slip back into bhaalism, since bhaal is back at it again and seemingly successful), but imho they absolutely wasted his "pragmatic but evil as fuck" character trait, which is what makes him such a fascinating villain and potential companion. larian writing him as a creepy cooky murderous fantasy charlie manson sitting on a throne doing pretty much nothing was kinda lame. your video is as great as always, much love from ukraine!
what a great video!
I grew up with BG 1 & 2 and always left a massive inpression on me and Sarevok both as villain and companion were some of the best moments though Irenicus also comes close.
Still need to fully play through BG3 but even the small spoiler here has only made me more exited to play through it in my vacation.
savory anchovy seems like an alright guy
This Kaveros guy seems sussy tho
I feel like his appearance in BG3 might be his released essence from his first death that became a part of Bhaal. The "Bhaalspawn soul fragment" of him perhaps. It would explain his reversion to BG1 tendencies.
Sadly no. This is the Serevok that travelled with Abdel in the Throne of Bhaal expansion. The better canon spackle for this is that when Bhaal "came back" he invested a portion of his divinity back into Serevok and forced him to join the cult.
@@stevemanart I mean, he had a part of Abdel's Bhaalspawn soul in him. But otherwise I think you're right here. Main thing is the timeline doesn't line up. Bhaal has only been back for like... 10 years?
Means Sarevok returned to Baldur's Gate, got in touch with the remnants of the cult of Bhaal, had a daughter and had a daughter with his daughter. Could be he just wanted power over the cult, and then when Bhaal came back he influenced his will over Sarevok. Same way the Dark Urge and Orin seem to be under his sway. All of the Bhaalspawn before only had to deal with nightmares before when Bhaal was dead.
I never played BG3 but played 1 and 2 and loved how Sarevoks story unfolded. It feels like his appearance in 3 was a slap in the face.
They did my boy dirty in bg3.
Edit: Seems like there was a reason why Larian handled sarevok like that. @LordSpaztic down below the comments shared useful info on the subject.
Honestly I liked that I can get to kill him
Nah, he was still cool.
Viconia, on the other hand…
Nah, he was good in BG3.
As someone who hasn't played the first two games, I thought he was cool.
His voice did things to me.
Bg3 is game of the year for me but Imo they took a shit on vicky and saravok and to some extent minsc I understand minsc tho his name is massive for marketing reasons to have in the game
Fabulous video Ghost and a fantastic tour through a game series I haven't played in ages. The original BG 1 & 2 were such incredible formative experiences when I was a teenager first digging into western RPG's and really helped shape my own gaming interests to this day. Great villain deep dive all around.
I wonder if perhaps covering everyone's favorite Banshee Queen, Sylvanas might make for a compelling exploration in a future Villainpedia entry. Especially considering how heavily her story circles your previous coverage of Arthas. She's always been a personal fan-favorite and it's been interesting to see her character go through some controversial changes through the years, partly because of behind-the-scenes issues with a particular (now-notorious) figure at Blizzard. And then to see her character come forward once again in recent expansions for...perhaps not a redemption, but at least a new reframing of her journey by the newer writing team is as intriguing as it is ambiguous. Talking through some of the strengths and weaknesses of her character writing over time would be pretty fascinating.
Awesome video once again, I would love to see a Villainpedia on THE END from Sonic Frontiers, that antagonist is a super cool and unique type of villain, kind of reminds me of GlaDos in some ways too!
Baldur's Gate 3 is my only experience with Sarevok, so I don't have much to compare it to. However, hearing the way you described him in this video matched exactly the impression I had of him in BG3. Charismatic and intelligent, beyond simple brawn and bloodlust. Impressive that a man his size is intimidating for reasons entirely not physical.
heh ball spawn
Aren't we all?
this says a lot about our society
I remember when BG1 cames out. I was in high school. The only CRPG based on D&D I had played before was Descent To Under Mountain and it wasn’t very good. BG1 was massive for the time. It was on 5 cds and blew my mind. I still play the enhanced edition from time to time. Good memories!
the BG3 Sarevok is like a kick in the balls for old players
An hour long CBT session 😞
I made Aribeth from NWN and had her duel Sarevok 1v1 in my BG3 playthrough. Felt it was a fitting crossover and bookend to his arc: his death coming from the hands of a Neverwinter Nights character who had embraced her redemption rather than discard it.
On occasion, my mind would drift away for a moment, but the mere utterance of “Bhaalspawn” snapped me right back to attention lol
I always interpreted his appearance in bg3 as the manifestation of the bhaal spawn spirit that died it bg1. It just made the appearance make more sense to me and makes the resurrection and rebirth in bg2 still have meaning.
Props to Ghostcharm for saying Baalspawn so often without laughing.
👏 👏 👏
i mean its real mythology lol
bhaalspawn on these nuts
Murder god is stored on the Baals.
why would it be funny? 2 a's imply long a i'm pretty sure, it's balespawn basically, What's funny about spawning hay bales
@@forwhomthebelltrolzIt's pronounced Ball. Balls is an inherently funny word.
i wasnt even born when bg2 was released, so its nice to see how older players feel abt a sequel finally coming. i think this game is a masterpiece and its nice to learn abt the previous installments and the deeper lore behind it. im happy on your behalf that bg3 was such a win. it feels more special when you know how long original fans have been dreaming about it. thank you for this video
I always wondered why Sarevok was left behind while the other Bhaalspawn were taken in and given to people to raise...
Sarevok Anchev respects strength and power, if you are strong and powerful as a good guy, he chooses to follow you into becoming a good guy. If you choose to be a bad guy, he will remain a bad guy and help you achieve your goal. Either way, he detests weakness and looks down on any companion you have he considers weak, regardless of alignment, difference being, if he is chaotic good, he'll instead ignore the weak and detest the strong who prey on the weak, considering them cowards for punching down.
I always thought the Sarevok we met in BG3 was just the part of him that he lost when he was killed in BG1, not the real and full Sarevok. thats my head cannon at least.
In some ways, bg3, is a fanfiction.
For example, they put Jaheyra, an Half-elf as young as 200 years ago (with the events of BG2, that minimum had like 30, most probably around 50) and that without saying that she was already old in that time (in human sense of time). But, they decided to put her anyway. And Minsc its the greatest ofender for being petrified and you released him 200 years later. Yes, its true that this is posible in that World, but when you can play with Jaheira, Minsk and Viconia, its difficult to not say that Baldurs Gate 3, has some fanfiction.😅😅
From what other comments state, this wasn't something Larian had a say in.
This was a change that WOTC made well before the 3rd game was even being developed when they made the Baldur's Gate books the official canon.
@@Frendlu They literally mention BG1 happened a century ago, but more specially about 125 years ago give or take, with BG2 happening the following years. So Jaheria as a half- elf she can live upwards of 150- 180 years. Possibly longer with the Druid ritual, but chose not to. Which makes sense why she is old lady by the time we meet her.
In Minsc’s case, he got turned into a statue about 1409 DR. Then got freed at about 1480 DR. So he is a middle age man in his 50’s give or take by the time of BG3. Which is 1492 DR.
But I do recall Larian saying the purposely put fan service in BG3. They did an okay job with Jaheria and Minsc’s inclusion. But did our boy Sarveok dirty and who cares about Virconia 😂.
For those on the fence of play the old Baldur's Gate games the Enchanced Edition has a Story Mode
Story Mode makes you near impossible to kill I've only seen a character die in that mode once and it was a optional Demon boss that can turn companions into ghouls.
The secret is to use potion of mirror eyes or any other anti-petrification buff to guard your party before the fight. Also kill the Cultist in the room first they act as 1ups for that boss fight.
That's lame, just play on Normal or don't fight Bassilisks.
BG2 is still the peak, and Jon Irenicus is one of the greatest antagonists of all time.
Technically I think Irenicus must still be trapped in Avernus. Maybe we will see him again. Hopefully it won't be a bad cameo lol.
@@TheFlamingPike Always assume the worst outcome
Nope. He and Bodhi are now in the domain's of dread. As per Minsc and Boo's journal of villainy@@TheFlamingPike
28:21 I knew him originally as Bulkhead from Transformers: Prime. Fantastic show, fantastic character, fantastic voice work.
Sarevok and Viconia were both done dirty, making it seem like the canon Abdel Adrian was an uncompromising “kill or exile all evil” type.
Serevok, along with FFIV's Golbez, were the two most influential villains on me as a game master. So seeing Serevok in BGIII really hurt, his story was complete in BG2 and it was so good. So I had to create my own lore spackle, which is that when Bhaal came back (sort of) Serevok didn't have a choice. Bhaal exerted control over all of his former children in one way or another and Serevok's lack of divine spark left him the weakest to Bhaal's influence.
GoG has the "Original Saga" version of the game. Free of weird changes by Beamdog. Real cutscenes. And, thank god, no handholding. Best way to play the game IMO.
To be honest, I was also really disappointed about Sarevoks appearance in BG3. It makes relative sense to be like this, since the lore character of Abdel was more of a "relatively good dude" and did not turn Sarevok good. But running back to Bhaal made absolutely no sense, based on even just the fact that the Bhaal part of his soul is gone. I also agree about the heavy use of fanservice characters. Jaheira was really well done, Elminster was fine, Minsc was questionable and Sarevoks inclusion just tries to retconn a option we were given by Bioware more than 20 years ago.
I blame Larian less than WotC for this, but it should have been handled way better.
Also I forgot them shoehorning the Five from ToB into the game. Balthazar was fine as a reference but Illasera is literally on screen for 10 seconds in BG2. (Abazigal would have been cool tho)
Yep when I came across Sarevok in BG3 I immediately killed him, scrubbed him from existence and deleted his items. I was that disappointed he was in the game in such a manner.
Small nitpick
During the Times of Trouble Helm was allowed to remain divine as he guarded the gates of the celestial realms incase anyone trying to sneak back in and because he's a good boy
Otherwise? Thank you so much for doing him justice. I loved the first 2 BG games growing up and seeing a deep dive on him so well done and clearly from a place of love is amazing
It's crazy to see how popular Baldurs Gate has become. I remember it being my only little game that only I liked when I was teen.
That's kinda how I felt, too. Most of my video gaming friends had either never heard of it, or didn't want to mess with it due to its age or the 2e ruleset
One thing about Sarevok's appearance in BG3 - he has yellow eyes. The only other character that has yellow eyes in BG3 is Isobel when she's mind controlled by Ketheric.
It's possible that Sarevok is in some similar way controlled by Orin. It wouldn't surprise me if Orin would be able to exert some kind of power over him.
I played KotOR first so hearing Jolee Bindo’s voice come out of the main villain was…odd
It's been 22 YEARS my guy surprised your brain even noticed.
I fought Sarevok in my BG3 game. Got him paralyzed in the end of the fight and had one of the ghouls you can summon kill him. My friend was watching open mouth because he played the previous games and was like “He’s one of the hardest fights in the previous games and you clowned him”.
Holy crap. I got knocked out of my seat with this one. I’m so happy to see this guy get some respect. Love your work!
man i love your videos so so much, they always have me hanging on every word while also getting several laughs out of me per video, it’s clear you really care for and enjoy the topics you cover and it’s always such a delight to see new videos of yours pop up on my home page. As always, fantastic job and know so many people appreciate what you do :) 👍👍
At long last, the wait was worth it bois. Thank you ghost.
I love these videos. I first came across your channel by stumbling on the Sheogorath video. Truly something I love making an evening out of them. I will say however, as much as we all love a good villain story. I really hope there are more Heropedia videos coming.
I knew of the plot of bg1 going into bg3 from watching josh strife hayes' retrospective as my frist exposure to the baldur's gate franchise, and the appearance in bg3 felt still kinda off, it was the one instance of being very clearly fanservicey in a way that I felt wasnt quite right and hearing what happens to him in bg2 definitely puts better context in that, honestly I think if he should've shown up anywhere, it either should've been with the harpers where you see how he's worked to better himself alongside Jaheira, or somewhere in the questline to unlock minsc.
He actually does mention how he turned his back on Bhaal and his bloodline, but it's in one single line that's like 6 words long.
I was so disappointed when he showed up in BG3. It's fan service, but it's FAILED fan service in an otherwise excellent game. He completed his character arc in 1 and 2, he shouldn't have been in 3. Anyway, great video, Ghostcharm.
The SHOCK AND EXCITEMENT when I saw this. Jon Irenicus has gotta be featured too down the road.
Has it occured to anyone else that Sarevok, in his guise as Koveras, was functionally working to "kover" his ass?
I see you, BioWaaare. Your puns are visible to me.
Doesn’t make him too creative though I mean all he did was flip his old name
It's also Sarevok backwards.
I'm with you dude. the fact that you see Sarevok again and he is back to being evil really sucks. The books that became canon and have him returning to villainy are also super terrible. they character assassinate everyone from Jahiera and Khalid to Minsc and the rest of the companions.
I like to think that maybe this version of Sarevok we see is just that part of him that was a Bhaalspawn. Much like how the Durge character has their Bhaal essence reclaimed by Bhaal (if you choose certain dialogue options); this version of Sarevok is like that part of him that belonged to Bhaal and out there in the wide world is the "real" Sarevok who is journeying for purpose still.
So, keep in mind that though the player character *can* persuade BG2:ToB Sarevok to the light, that doesn't mean that's actually how it went down in the canon. Outside of that, I do agree that he never had intentions to serve Bhaal, but rather, to succeed him. My thought was that, after his second chance at life, he likely parted ways with Abdel after seeing him refuse their father's throne with a feeling of disappointment and unfulfillment. After learning of his father's imminent return, he returned to his old stomping grounds: the temple beneath Baldur's Gate. He was likely the one that delivered the murderous blow to Abdel, which was the final stroke that rebirthed Bhaal back into the world, fully committing himself to the cult and receiving the power and station we see him with in BG3. I was both surprised and elated to see him. The returning character that I was honestly disappointed with was Minsc.
I think i'm going to throw up. Larian completely disrespected Sarevok, and all the old characters from the previous games. Its like they deliberately tried to make them look horrible to make their own uninteresting characters, and highschool level writing look tolerable.
Fun fact about the three adventures who man takes aspects of the god of death: this was actually based off an actual campaign of players. Their characters quested to become gods and WoTC canonized it.
You know this obliges you to do Jon Irenicus, right?
I started playing BG1 because of BG3 and Saverok has definitely stood out, good video choice!
I loved BG3, but bringing Sarevok back was bullshit. I really enjoyed his redemption arc in BG2:ToB.
that was unfortunately pre-existing. larian just made do with what they had, and worked wonderfully within the confines of the horrible canon ruined by supplemental novels. so all they did was just try and finish his story as best as possible
@@themagicsweettartpills9518 sad thing about canon in the end saravok did get his redemptoin but was fucked over hard by baals rebirth. while viconia was just an idiot who also got her redemption then went right back to her abuser a few years later
I think the Sarevok in BG3 is his dark half that Bhaal absorbed or a changeling taking on his from to power the cult.
You should do a villain you find to ve terribly written and go over how it could have been made to work.
Ooh, that would be real interesting; I know if Ghostcharm can make us think and care about characters and locations from games we've never played (ever or in a long-ass time), he'd crush it at a critique
He kinda does that with Alduin
@@ryankeith2712 Oh yeah! Guess I need to rewatch that. Hopefully we can see more of it.
The end had me thinking I had a paladin of tyr for a campaign and it would have been so cool if he got immortalized in media the way sarevok is
Considering how common it is for people to turn to religion in real life when they feel lost, it's not beyond the realm of possiibilty that Sarevok had undergone a similar crisis in the century between games, it's just the religion he chose to devote himself to was his dad's murder cult, which he was already pretty familar with. Perhaps he even sees it as the only means he has to be as close as he can get to the greatness he once aspired to?
I think it was a bit of this, followed by bhaal's rebirth. After that he was fully under the sway of his father.
I finally got past the BG3 spoilers, so I could go back and watch the rest of this now! I agree with you, the fight was fun and he gives good loot but I wish they had left him out of it. Also, while the VA is no Kevin Michael Richardson, the new one kind of reminded me of Riddick which makes me want Vin Diesel to play him if Baldur's gate ever gets a movie, though that would probably be a nightmare in and of itself.
Making Minsc an act 3 companion that you won’t unlock until level 11-12 with the worst class/subclass in the game is the only thing I dislike about BG3.
What an awesome video. Thanks for bringing something like that up and especially for Sarevok. Your final thoughts really touched me as well.
Your passion about the project really speaks for itself. Wish you a good time and a nice christmas.
If at all afterwards, you might choose John Irenicus as a follow up. :)
Jon Irenicus can't be far behind then
So sayeth the wise Alaundo
I've been playing DnD since 2014, and played mostly 5e with a little 3.5 at the start. I've been working for a 5e video game, and have only played BG3, I had no idea that the story was so interconnected with the first two.
That fucjing iconic voice!
Jolee Bindo!
My favorite KMR role is his turn as The Joker. He gives the Joker a real "Bouncy" quality that's still threatening. Also more than slightly leaning Batman/Joker on his side. Check out Batman vs Dracula for a good time with him as a secondary character.
They really ruined Sarevok in that abomination of a game Baldurs Gate 3. In fact they took a big dump on all the old characters.
Are you delirious
ah yes he's such a good character in previous games. AAARGH IMMA KILL EVERYONE 'CAUSE I'M A BAD GUY
@@fenharel2137 You never even played the previous games. What you're describing is literally the Sarevok from BG3. Did you even listen to anything in this video?
@@charlieosborne5800 Nah, just truth. Zoomers won't know until something they've loved from childhood has been ruined. You'll get there
@@Sothpawman he's not a well written character in any of these games. Just some basic corny writing about good vs evil
What I enjoy most about Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 is all the character builds. Human Duel-Class Fighter/Cleric is beast build. Also liked the Kensai/Mage Build.
My head cannon say that after Sarevoks' second chance, he became a great worrior. He buried the love of his life, and despite all his power and second chance, he could find nothing left in the life of a mortal. Perhaps from there, he recklessly charged stronger and stronger foes till he shredded himself physically and mentally. Maybe he was bound by infernal chains or trapped in a devils deal. Either way, the Sarevok we fight in BG3 is a man no more. His eyes alight with infernal power, but serving a cause his person would never willingly submit to.
I agree with everything except his depiction in Bg3. Sarevok was not just a minor basic villain he was at the top of the murder tribunal. This is perfectly in line with one of the paths that you could have taken with him from Bg2. He doesn't have to turn good in fact it is extremely hard to make him turn good. If the player isn't doing a perfectly good play through he will stay CE. I think it is entirely consistent that he would go right to the top of the murder tribunal and yes we would say he was drinking the koolaid but if we are honest his natural love of murder is already pretty much in line with Baal. It would not surprise me at all to learn that he is playing the long game and he still wants to take Baal's place.
His interactions with other characters and how he reacts to the dark urge are fantastic story points not just fan service. In my first playthrough I was playing a pretty good character not an perfectly good character but good enough that I basically had no choice but to tell him that I was going to kill him and I was intimidated. His boss fight is aboslutely epic and I loved every minute of him his appearance in BG3. This is how you bring back a badass villain. If you manage to beat him you are rewarded with an amazing sword.
Dude! Sarevok is the hardest and the best boss Ive ever fought. I played with with a challenge where I couldnt revive secondary characters so when I barely reached Sarevok...dude it was just horrible to a point I almost wanted to quit but in a honorless move I downgraded the difficulty to the easiest...and still it was hard and after trying for several times I beat him...without honor but I did, crowning him as the best boss Ive ever fought against.
I remember the first time I played Baldur's Gate, my computer wasn't strong enough to play the intro movie.
It feels sometimes that 1998 was just yesterday.