It's funny how a single kind character can be so powerful a motivator in this story that fate was literally rearranged in an attempt to save him. There was no need to plot, no need to scheme, or make war, or kill, he was just a beacon of good and that was enough for Raziel to try to save him. Others, of course, manipulated that fact to their own ends, but without Janos' pure intent, everything else falls apart. The lynch pin of the Hylden's plans was someone just being *nice* for once in the entire game series. It's kind of wild, really.
The Legacy of Kain is largely about the manipulation and inanity of intent, will, ideas, fate and beliefs, it makes sense really. Good men in history are often manipulated, and used by those "above" them who only seek to gain more via their sacrifice.
That's not really true. Janos as a vessel for the Hylden Lord was necessary only as far as the fourth timeline is concerned. Before that, the eons of Kain's rule were uncontested by the Hylden. Moreover the Hylden are clearly a variable that the Elder God wants out of the table, based on Mobius' last discussion with the Elder God. It's simply a shame that the Hylden grew increasingly corrupted and now plan to kill everyone else, should they escape their prison.
@@Craxin01 I think that's a good explanation. He must have been totally exhausted, and was at a huge disadvantage. There's no way to tell when he might have last fed properly, maybe 400 years ago?? Poor Janos.
It's funny. If you teleport everywhere, your wing muscles atrophy away? It was a vortex, and a tornado does give birds flying problems. And he got dunked into that sucking vortex. Dunked and sucked. That's what I'm going with, and I'm trying to say it with a straight face.
"He is the greatest of us all, the father of our race" And yet Janos and the ancient vampires were the cause of Nosgoth' misery. They condemn a different race to oblivion, leading to their corruption and causing both Vampires and Hylden to go mad, albeit for different reasons. All because a giant squid was hungry. For all their knowledge and advancement, the ancient vampires were perhaps the biggest fools of them all.
To be fair, we can't blame them that much, if anyone is guilty, it's the master manipulator Elder God, who forced them to the war - it would be the same with two Human factions as well, anything that feeds him more souls is a fair game. Their salvation is in the form of prophesizing the Savior, who will make things right - yet, unwittingly or not, that means killing or imprisoning the Elder, the god they worshiped. So yes, they were great and Hylden were great and both were ruined by hunger of one space squid.
I’d really be curious to see what the ancient vampire culture was like, and what led them to commit acts of war. There’s themes of racial superiority, genocide, and fanaticism throughout the entire franchise, where inevitably a group believes survival is only achievable through domination. Did the elder god push this onto the ancient vampires, or was that already in their culture? Furthermore, was the elder god there during the development of their culture and religion, or did he just insert himself in there after? If the latter, did he manipulate their society to encourage traits to make them more accepting of him? Or did he just find the perfect role to assume? I’d really love to take an anthropological (or I guess xenological?) look into the ancient cultures of the Hylden and the ancient vampires.
Holy shit you're right! Religion is the cause of these 20000 years of turmoil in Nosgoth. Raziel pointed that out to Janos in Defiance: "They liberated you from the wheel of fate" to which Janos corrected him: "They IMPRISONED our souls in this flesh". That was when Raziel was delusioned and realized Janos was as big a fool as the rest of them.
@@benknightbus1729 Good questions. Maybe the Hylden refused to worship because they could see the EG for what he truly was, a hungry giant squid? One question that I have to wonder, does the EG have free will like Raziel does? I would say yes and in thier banishment so do the Hylden.
If Kain wasn't as complex as he was , Janos would easily be my favorite character from this series There's just this calming and benevolent serenity to the character that makes you instantly trust him The fact that he is basically Kain's vampiric father and , by extension, Raziel's vampiric grandfather just goes further to solidify his role as this wise elderly figure René Auberjonois voice is just the cherry on top, what a legend....
@@TheWayneStatic unless I'm mistaken, his heart was used to raise Kain as a vampire after he died and Kain later raised Raziel in a similar manner by "breathing his essence " into him and his siblings So, yeah, while unorthodox, Kain and Raziel both track their vampiric origins to Janos, making them "brothers" to Vorador in an indirect sense
@@filipvadas7602 By the way really opened my eyes there. I hadn't really thought of Grampa Janos before. Lol! I definitely gonna remember it that way now.
Janos became a fan-favourite simply because of his wise and kind-hearted nature despite his reputation. An immortal being present when history was written, suffering despair and the tragedy of his kind and the looks of an angel. Watching him getting corrupted or better said possessed by the Hylden general it felt like all hope, the last remaining ray of good in this wasteland of a world has vanished.
That's what I find so beautifully done, because the prophecy was exactly right, just not as expected. The Soul Reaver was forged for Raziel, but not as evisioned. It was the weapon for the Scion of Balance The purpose of the blade was to destroy the "enemy", the true enemy hidden in the shadows. Raziel was the Redeemer and destroyer And maybe that is one of the reasons the Elder God "abandoned" the Vampires: They forged the weapon that could destroy him! That and with the Vampires winning the war, there was no more strife to feed the wheel of the Elder God. Time to drum up some more and sick the humans on the Vampires.
It's honestly heartbreaking how much of a tragic character Janos is in the grand scheme of the entire series. To end up becoming a puppet of the Hylden.
As soon as a new one came up, I was like “here we go” Not many LOK lore fans out there anymore. All but forgotten. Just like the true intentions of the pillars.
It's been a long time I've ever wanted to see a Legacy of Kain Fan-Favorite character of all time. Janos is by far one of my favorites. #RIPReneAuborjonois #RIPOdo
@@strictlyfantasyOh I remember now. He’s the voice actor of Chef Louis who was making a mess while chasing Sebastian in The Little Mermaid 1 and The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea and he played as Alar from Stargate SG-1 and he voiced the scarab in two episodes of the Mummy the animated series and Maurice in one episode of Wander Over Yonder called the lonely planet and Pomfrey Lefuzzbutton in Skylanders 5 Superchargers. I hope they’ll add him as a memorial Easter egg along with Tony Jay and Earl Boen and Paul Lukather.
In a setting where agenda, plots, cabals, and more swirl ceaselessly fore and yon and back again Janos is an almost impossibility. Exactly what he appears to be.
The kindest most humble and unselfish character in the whole series and he's arguably one who endures the worst strife and misfortune. That is the kind of place Nosgoth is.
Instant clicked the video. You're doing god's work man. I can't wait if you plan to continue the series not only to LOK, but the medievil and many other similar series.
A character like Janos stands out all the more due to how corrupt everyone else is in LOK. "My voice isn't being yelled out with contempt" has to be on one of the greatest lines ever. It's also interesting how only fiction can geniunely have people who are pure and kind and not have them to do it out of an ulterior motive.
On the subject of Janos flying away, wings don’t necessarily mean an ability to fly whenever and wherever. Birds are very light with hollow bones, small bodies and powerful wings, because of how difficult it is to fly with weight. Ancient vampires had claws, probably to climb and scale surfaces so they could get enough height to glide, more than fly. We do see Janos fly from the ground during and after his possessed fight with Raziel, but I can’t recall another example, so magic may have something to do with it here. Secondly, we don’t know the physical conditions of the gate area where the climactic battle takes place - there could be any number of factors that wouldn’t provide enough lift. Even if Janos could fly from anywhere at whim, that would’ve been during earth-like conditions. Things like gravity, currents, and even composition of gas in the atmosphere could’ve messed up Janos’ natural abilities to fly. Thirdly, Janos is thrown down, not long after centuries of being drained and imprisoned - to the point where he devolved. Look how easily the Hylden lord just grabs Janos and throws him like a rag doll. I don’t think Janos had the strength or resilience to attempt flight in less than ideal conditions, a feat which may have already been impossible due to his biology.
Janos is such a tragic character. I realised now only how much of an impact Janos probably has if you meet him in person... Raziel was distrusting and questioning everyone and everything in Soul Reaver 2 but instantly let his guard down when he saw how authentic, wise and kind Janos was.
Janos Audron does appear to be a generally kind hearted and benevolent individual. And BOY OH BOY does he screwed over every time he makes an appearance!
Another fantastic video! I always felt every line Janos delivered was burdened with guilt. Even when Raziel asks him, why did faith not sustain the others, and he replies 'I do not know'. I believe here he cannot bare to admit to Raziel the falsity of his beliefs. The other original vampires must have lost faith the moment the elder god turned his back on them. Perhaps it became self evident to the rest of the race, that there jihad and banishment of the Hylden race was ultimately wrong. His confrontation with the Hylden leader in blood omen, only makes me reaffirm this, as the Hylden leader makes valid points, while Janos replies only with blind anger (understandable after 400years of torture, and thousands of years of losing faith with the secret knowledge that your races destruction was wrought by your own hand) it be pretty hard not to just blame your created enemy rather than look at the fate you wrought upon yourself. Perhaps it truly is poetic justice that he's sent to the demon realm. This doesnt excuse the Hylden, there still clearly twisted Muthaf*ckers, but they were somewhat in the right. Anyway, i say this all to highlight the point that i think Janos spends almost all the games, burdened by great guilt, and his piety and kindness to Raziel may actually be drawn partly from denial and another type of blind faith in prophecy. (In a sense he's not without some aspect of manipulation although it is for, what he convinces himself altruistic reasons) It also draws up the question whether he knew raziels fate in the blade, or inadvertently created it. The fact Kain and him never really meet and have time to chat, outside bloodomen 2 and their brief encounter near end of game (Kain is also still a fledgling at this point, so what could Janos possibly relay to him, he would need to meet future kain to have any sort of impactful conversation on events). I imagine Amy hemming would have written another chapter of kain finally meeting Janos in the demon realm, and perhaps devising a prophecy to save the future..perhaps it is Kain who travels way back into Nosgoths past and writes the vampire prophecies. Now that really would be a beautiful poetic finish, that kain writes his own destiny as balance guardian into being. Master of fate and destiny and checkmating the elder god from earlier on...maybe why the game was rumoured to be called Dark prophecies. Anyway, Janos is an intriguing character and there is much unexplored depth to him, that is only ever gleamed in his reflection and reaction to the Hylden his sworn enemy (cough cough, elder god.) Thanks for your great videos, looking forward to the vid on the heart of darkness and its implications with Kain's dodging death.
You raise excellent points. Yeah, I also picked up on Janos' behaviour when he's confronting the Hylden Lord. How he seems to just bicker back and forth with the Hylden Lord about which Race was at fault when clearly the vampires started the wars for religious reasons. If it weren't for the Hylden wanting to exterminate all living things apart from their own Race, I would sympathize more with their struggle.
It was always a strange juxtaposition that through evolution, Raziel was becoming more akin to a pure Vampire. Meanwhile Kain had gained notable Hylden features. Perhaps those aspects were also part of the prophecy and destiny of both characters?
@@introvertedextrovertedtraver Each of the murals Raziel observed were open to interpretation. Depending on the point of view, the Hylden or the pure Vampires are depicted as the "good guys". Though the truth isn't as straight forward. Which is the conclusion Raziel and Kain ultimately reached together.
@@alexinfinite7142 I like to think this would have been explored fully in Dark Prophecy. You have to wonder if Kain becoming more Hylden-like appearance was less to do with evolving than symbolic of his forsaking the Pillars? Their destruction leading to the restoration of the Hylden. Thus Kain became a new, less Vampiric, Balance Guardian. Also how would Janos, lost to the Demon dimension for some time, view Kain and his appearance. If they encountered each other in that game? He looks noticeably different to the last they saw of each other in Blood Omen 2. I wish Amy Hennig or anyone involved in Dark Prophecy had some lore insights or story boarding on it, to share.
Janos is an amazing character. He is a living example of No Good Deed Goes Unpunished. He wholeheartedly worships, yet his god is a monster. He maintains the pillars, but is demonized. He mentors Raziel, and suffers. The captivating aspect is the ironic tragedy of his life. Great video.
I figured Janos should have had at least one wing damaged by the Hyldon Lord in their fight, but I'm guessing time was running out during the making of the game.
Have you looked at Blood Omen 2 Janos? He's immensely scarred, probably both from the machine and because he had the heart of darkness removed prior to this probably made him weaker all together. And his wing geometry in Blood Omen 2 also makes him look like an unfortunate crow that just flew into someone's closed window xDDD
I realise that Janos was injured from his centuries of imprisonment. However, that didn't stop him from flying down onto the platform to confront the Hylden Lord.
@@strictlyfantasy look at 17:25, you can see that he didn't grip Janos by the shoulders, but by the bases of his wings. I could've sworn I heard what sounded like a snap right after.
@@strictlyfantasy True, but here's my theory, and I love your reasoning to that, It's probably because Janos wasn't at his full-strength. The reason why Kain was able to defeat the Sarafan/Hylden Lord/General, is because he had full strength, as Umah, mentioned, *"The more creatures you drink from, the more lore you will gain, and the greater your health will become."* Yes, Janos had wings and can fly up, but the point I think, is that Janos was weak, his strength was partially returned after Kain poisoned the Mass. That's like if (and apologies for the Sidetracking) Superman was partially restored, but didn't have his powers yet, and the bad guy kills him, which was stupid, but they worked around how he was able to regain his powers in the Death and Return of Superman storyline. Same goes with Janos, he wasn't at his full-power as of yet to take down the Hylden Lord, and Kain succeeded in doing that. Even Vorador wasn't at his full-strength too to take him down.
I will always feel sad about the fact they abbandoned to create more of this game series. This rich universe should deserve way much more credit than it was ended. Good to see a true lorekeeper of Nosgoth. Keep up the good work.
Janos' meeting with Raziel had such a powerful impact on the story that it's almost enough to make Soul Reaver 2 my favorite of the series. It's so refreshing and so tragic to have a character that genuinely wants to help only to pay such a heavy price.
Yeah especially @10:34 where you see Raziel bow his head in utter despair. For a character who is quite snarky towards the likes of Kain, Moebius and Elder God (he always has cheeky comeback), it's moving to see him feel genuine sorrow for another individual in this series.
Aaaaaw yeeeeeah I have just noticed that Raziel is also depicted by the Sarafan on the Heart of Darkness painting in the chapel! There could have been another twist there, he could also look for whoever watched the whole thing only to find out it was himself!
Janos and the Hylden Lord's exchange of words was rather enlightening. Rather than claiming that the Hylden were the ones who started the conflict, Janos counters every accusation with the EFFECT of the Vampires' original war on the Hylden; HE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A LEG TO STAND ON IN THAT ARGUMENT. Janos was most likely alive when the original war broke out between the 2 races, so he truly believes the Hylden to be evil, but when confronted with the crimes of the vampires, he circles back to , "WE HAD TO BANISH YOU BECAUSE YOU WERE EVIL!!" Well, why are they evil? Because they refused to worship the obviously false god that you and the rest of your race did? If anything, the vampires are the source of ALL of Nosgoth's problems. 1) They started the war with the Hylden and banished them, resulting in the curse with which they now are inflicted. 2) Many chose to live with their curse rather than see that it was turning them into monsters. They even came to see humans as cattle rather than the ones they were meant to protect. 3) They prioritized the banishment of the Hylden over EVERYTHING ELSE, going so far as to KIDNAP CHILDREN and turn them into vampires in order to keep their seal intact.
This game series is still one of my all time favorites. Been hoping for a long time that someone would remake and remaster it. Would love to play this game in the massive open world of Nosgoth; with the entire story line laid out in in it. Time travel and all. And with all the formerly cut content included. 🖖✌️
I know that this will probably show up in the heart of darkness video, but I love the attention to detail that the team took in this franchise. They took an extra life mechanic and basically a background character and made lore around it so deep that it not only changed but greatly added to the lore and story. I really wish they had been able to give us one last game.
Loved it! Janos is probably the character in LoK that has suffered the most. He was martyred-- what, three times over? I'm glad you mentioned him speaking Raziel's name upon their first meeting, because I was confused by that as well. Your explanation seems fitting, since many of their species seems to have some form of precognition. All I have to say is that I really feel bad for poor Janos. This is what happens when someone of power is naturally good, but exists in a wholly corrupted and diseased world.
If I could give this video a thousand likes, I would! Janos is one of the most intriguing characters in the series. Meeting him in Soul Reaver 2 was such an incredible and memorable scene. I, like Raziel, did not expect his character to be how he was. Absolutely outstanding, he is. I really wish more games came around featuring him in it. Defiance had a lot of revelations, but one of the best was finding out that Kain had Janos' "Heart of Darkness" all along! Shocked the heck out of me. Thank you ever so much for continuing to shed light and talk about this amazing game series. As you said, let's keep the Legacy of Kain series alive! Happy Holidays to you. 12/28/2023. 🙂
Seeing as the Hyldens' plans relied on Kain's past self defeating them so his future self could set their plans in motion in the first place makes me wonder if The Hylden Lord and his forces, knowingly or unknowingly, were sacrificed to set the stage for a greater operation down the road.
Yeah I address this in my Hylden video. Honestly, for me it doesn't make much sense for the Hylden General to mastermind changing the timeline to his advantage only for a younger Kain to thwart the Hylden down the road in Blood Omen 2. The Hylden Lord's comment at the end of BO2 about Kain "not surviving that long," does imply that he is referring to Raziel ripping out Kain's heart in Defiance and thinking that the Elder Kain died there. Still, as I'm typing this I'm now starting to think that maybe the Hylden Lord was being manipulated by some higher authority. The developers mentioned a Hylden King and Queen for the cancelled sequel so perhaps this King or Queen only gave limited information on the new timeline 4 to the Hylden Lord which was convenient for them (i.e. left out his death in Blood Omen 2). I'm certain we would have met the Hylden again in Dark Prophecy in any case.
There is great spiritual wisdom to be learned from the character of Janos Audron. Imagine being isolated for thousands of years while your race is slowly dying out to another, and you still have enough strength of character to not give in to hate. Janos was both "human" enough to feel tremendous pain over this and yet enlightened enough to always see the bigger picture and try to do what he believed was right.
I entered into this glorious series at the age of six, I played the original soul Reaver when I had my first PlayStation one, and believe me it took my six year old self a good amount of building courage even to face the very first enemies of that game. But as I grew older and absorbed the Lore, I continued to grow a profound fascination and adoration for the many gorgeously written concepts and story points of this fantastic series. Having recently discovered these character studies, I thank you the author for this incredibly welcome blast from the past. Near the end of this video, you mention that concepts or ideas for the now canceled continuations of the series are available to you, I would be greatly moved and appreciative if you could share those ideas in plethora and detail with us the audience, and I’m sure I’m not alone in this. Whispers recently have crossed the digital landscape of the Internet, giving rise to the thought that there may be a remaster in the works somewhere in the books and tapestries of the companies that crafted the series, but we can only hope and pray indeed, pray indeed not to an eldritch horror lol Please again I hope you will read this, I give you my thanks for these gorgeous studies and videos, and I hope you would share some of the “lost tapes” shall I call them of information of what could’ve been
All of your videos are very refreshing and nostalgic. It gives so much more depth in the lore of LOK and character development. Not a single detail is missed out and you provide bonus content. Keep up the good work! Also you should do character lore on Kains lieutenants from blood omen 2.
This channel has been a hidden gem for me. Never found it till now and I've watched a ton of LoK videos. I love this channel. You earned this sub. Great work. Very thorough thought out and put together
Absolutely outstanding thanks so much for covering one of my favourite character!!!!!!!😄👍👍👍 you sir are absolutely outstanding!!!! Thanks so much for all these excellent legacy of kain video's!!!!!! 😎👍👍👍👍👍👍
Anytime I think of a continous of the games, I always hope to see Janos rip his own heart out and give it to Raziel to return him to his original vampire form but with the powers of reaver still intact.
Not intending to put a spoiler on your ideas, but how would Raziel get his original form back now that his spirit inhabits the Soul Reaver? Will there be an idea for a future game where the Soul Reaver gets broken & Raziel is freed?
Every time I think you might be done with the Legacy of Kain, you surprise me. Normally the next day after I check your page for new stuff and these gems. Love your work, it's really just you and Vivziepop keeping me going on UA-cam any more lol
I was hoping the next video would be Janos Audron. He’s such a great character with how he’s not just some generic evil vampire lord, how he understands why humans are afraid of vampires. I wonder who the next lore video would be, i hope it’s Mortanius.
These videos are really great mate. Going through the whole playlist like its a TV Series and learning so much about this plot that I missed as a teenager. Very well explained and the editing is entertaining to watch :)
I am always excited to see another Legacy of Kain video from you! Once again, well done!! I look forward to the next and thank you for keeping this legacy alive.
15:30 I think Janos was very weakened during this and couldn’t fly. I think having his wings be more drooped back or having him breath heavily would be a good solution convey him not being able to fly
السَّلامُ عَلَيكُم Habibi another masterful video. I genuinely love the plot of these games. And I hope to see more of them. May ٱللَّٰه bless you and yours. Keep up the good fight 💪🏼😉
Use your wings Janos. For the love of your weird God fly! I like BO 2 but that scene and Kain's final outfit are just priceless. I have a recommendation for other videos, please check out the game Sacrifice. A lot of the voice talent is the same and the game is a masterpiece in my opinion. The lore is rich and will attract a lot more people to your channel.
Glorious job on your outline for this one! Really covered all the angles. Great replay value. Helpful for keeping everything straight while pointing out all the departure points for our remaining curiosities. Bravo.
Thank you again for making this video, I love Legacy of Kain, to see you putting allot of effort to make these video's brings me joy and hopeful that one day, we may see Kain and Raziel again.
It's funny how a single kind character can be so powerful a motivator in this story that fate was literally rearranged in an attempt to save him. There was no need to plot, no need to scheme, or make war, or kill, he was just a beacon of good and that was enough for Raziel to try to save him. Others, of course, manipulated that fact to their own ends, but without Janos' pure intent, everything else falls apart. The lynch pin of the Hylden's plans was someone just being *nice* for once in the entire game series. It's kind of wild, really.
The Legacy of Kain is largely about the manipulation and inanity of intent, will, ideas, fate and beliefs, it makes sense really. Good men in history are often manipulated, and used by those "above" them who only seek to gain more via their sacrifice.
@@NachozMan Rather like the advisors of Henry VIII
You must reclaim the reaver.... It alone was forged for you.... Alone... Alone... It was for you alone xD
@@Slodsworth he is alone pretty much…
Honestly makes you think he had more with him at one point but they all died.
That's not really true. Janos as a vessel for the Hylden Lord was necessary only as far as the fourth timeline is concerned. Before that, the eons of Kain's rule were uncontested by the Hylden. Moreover the Hylden are clearly a variable that the Elder God wants out of the table, based on Mobius' last discussion with the Elder God. It's simply a shame that the Hylden grew increasingly corrupted and now plan to kill everyone else, should they escape their prison.
It is heartening, after all these year, that I'm not the only one thought it odd that Janos simply didn't fly out of the Hylden portal.
Yeah, Blood Omen 2 is a little weird like that :D
My only theory on the matter is that his wings were weak from centuries of disuse and being trapped in a different form for so long.
@@Craxin01 I think that's a good explanation. He must have been totally exhausted, and was at a huge disadvantage. There's no way to tell when he might have last fed properly, maybe 400 years ago?? Poor Janos.
It's funny.
If you teleport everywhere, your wing muscles atrophy away?
It was a vortex, and a tornado does give birds flying problems.
And he got dunked into that sucking vortex.
Dunked and sucked.
That's what I'm going with, and I'm trying to say it with a straight face.
@@larrymcmacarroon9529 Considering the fanart that hounded this series, to say that with a straight face is an act of will indeed.
"He is the greatest of us all, the father of our race"
And yet Janos and the ancient vampires were the cause of Nosgoth' misery. They condemn a different race to oblivion, leading to their corruption and causing both Vampires and Hylden to go mad, albeit for different reasons. All because a giant squid was hungry. For all their knowledge and advancement, the ancient vampires were perhaps the biggest fools of them all.
To be fair, we can't blame them that much, if anyone is guilty, it's the master manipulator Elder God, who forced them to the war - it would be the same with two Human factions as well, anything that feeds him more souls is a fair game. Their salvation is in the form of prophesizing the Savior, who will make things right - yet, unwittingly or not, that means killing or imprisoning the Elder, the god they worshiped. So yes, they were great and Hylden were great and both were ruined by hunger of one space squid.
I’d really be curious to see what the ancient vampire culture was like, and what led them to commit acts of war. There’s themes of racial superiority, genocide, and fanaticism throughout the entire franchise, where inevitably a group believes survival is only achievable through domination. Did the elder god push this onto the ancient vampires, or was that already in their culture? Furthermore, was the elder god there during the development of their culture and religion, or did he just insert himself in there after? If the latter, did he manipulate their society to encourage traits to make them more accepting of him? Or did he just find the perfect role to assume?
I’d really love to take an anthropological (or I guess xenological?) look into the ancient cultures of the Hylden and the ancient vampires.
@@RepliAmras It's the age old war of politics disguised as spirituality that repeats time and again.
Holy shit you're right! Religion is the cause of these 20000 years of turmoil in Nosgoth.
Raziel pointed that out to Janos in Defiance: "They liberated you from the wheel of fate" to which Janos corrected him: "They IMPRISONED our souls in this flesh".
That was when Raziel was delusioned and realized Janos was as big a fool as the rest of them.
@@benknightbus1729 Good questions. Maybe the Hylden refused to worship because they could see the EG for what he truly was, a hungry giant squid? One question that I have to wonder, does the EG have free will like Raziel does? I would say yes and in thier banishment so do the Hylden.
If Kain wasn't as complex as he was , Janos would easily be my favorite character from this series
There's just this calming and benevolent serenity to the character that makes you instantly trust him
The fact that he is basically Kain's vampiric father and , by extension, Raziel's vampiric grandfather just goes further to solidify his role as this wise elderly figure
René Auberjonois voice is just the cherry on top, what a legend....
Janos is only Voradors father =P
@@TheWayneStatic unless I'm mistaken, his heart was used to raise Kain as a vampire after he died and Kain later raised Raziel in a similar manner by "breathing his essence " into him and his siblings
So, yeah, while unorthodox, Kain and Raziel both track their vampiric origins to Janos, making them "brothers" to Vorador in an indirect sense
@@TheWayneStatic For a split second I thought the same thing you did but The Heart of Darkness.
@@filipvadas7602 By the way really opened my eyes there. I hadn't really thought of Grampa Janos before. Lol! I definitely gonna remember it that way now.
@@roserichards1460 well yea. Im just not sure if a heart transplant makes you a father. If i ever meet a vampire i'll ask him.
Janos became a fan-favourite simply because of his wise and kind-hearted nature despite his reputation. An immortal being present when history was written, suffering despair and the tragedy of his kind and the looks of an angel.
Watching him getting corrupted or better said possessed by the Hylden general it felt like all hope, the last remaining ray of good in this wasteland of a world has vanished.
The delivery of "But I have taken yours" by micheal bell is amazing. There's such sadness in it.
Janos Audron: The wisest vampire but he missed some signs of the Prophecy. He didn't realized what was about to come in nosgoth like Kain.
As Kira from Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal quoted:
"Prophets don't know everything!"
That's what I find so beautifully done, because the prophecy was exactly right, just not as expected.
The Soul Reaver was forged for Raziel, but not as evisioned.
It was the weapon for the Scion of Balance
The purpose of the blade was to destroy the "enemy", the true enemy hidden in the shadows.
Raziel was the Redeemer and destroyer
And maybe that is one of the reasons the Elder God "abandoned" the Vampires: They forged the weapon that could destroy him!
That and with the Vampires winning the war, there was no more strife to feed the wheel of the Elder God. Time to drum up some more and sick the humans on the Vampires.
It's honestly heartbreaking how much of a tragic character Janos is in the grand scheme of the entire series. To end up becoming a puppet of the Hylden.
"It alone was forged for you, and you, alone, it was forged for you...I'm dying here, give me a break!"
As soon as a new one came up,
I was like “here we go”
Not many LOK lore fans out there anymore.
All but forgotten.
Just like the true intentions of the pillars.
Wrong LOK had quite the cult following
Your opinion is incorrect
Just pre ordered the remaster
Janos is one of the most intriguing characters in the series. Appreciate these lore videos, I have been binging since the remaster was announced!
It's been a long time I've ever wanted to see a Legacy of Kain Fan-Favorite character of all time. Janos is by far one of my favorites. #RIPReneAuborjonois #RIPOdo
He was a magnificent voice actor. RIP Rene Auberjonois
@@strictlyfantasyOh I remember now.
He’s the voice actor of Chef Louis who was making a mess while chasing Sebastian in The Little Mermaid 1 and The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea and he played as Alar from Stargate SG-1 and he voiced the scarab in two episodes of the Mummy the animated series and Maurice in one episode of Wander Over Yonder called the lonely planet and Pomfrey Lefuzzbutton in Skylanders 5 Superchargers.
I hope they’ll add him as a memorial Easter egg along with Tony Jay and Earl Boen and Paul Lukather.
In a setting where agenda, plots, cabals, and more swirl ceaselessly fore and yon and back again Janos is an almost impossibility.
Exactly what he appears to be.
I was browsing youtube while taking a pause from dnd, and weve since stopped playing dnd for the moment.
Back to dnd.
The kindest most humble and unselfish character in the whole series and he's arguably one who endures the worst strife and misfortune.
That is the kind of place Nosgoth is.
Janos was a religious fundamentalist. Kind to Raziel. But not kind.
Instant clicked the video. You're doing god's work man. I can't wait if you plan to continue the series not only to LOK, but the medievil and many other similar series.
Instant Like
God's work? Don't be pathetic and cringe. Praise it yes, don't be a moron and undermine the entire comment
@@CSM100MK2 lmao your comment is just as cringe
We all do Rock on.2.5
A character like Janos stands out all the more due to how corrupt everyone else is in LOK. "My voice isn't being yelled out with contempt" has to be on one of the greatest lines ever. It's also interesting how only fiction can geniunely have people who are pure and kind and not have them to do it out of an ulterior motive.
On the subject of Janos flying away, wings don’t necessarily mean an ability to fly whenever and wherever. Birds are very light with hollow bones, small bodies and powerful wings, because of how difficult it is to fly with weight. Ancient vampires had claws, probably to climb and scale surfaces so they could get enough height to glide, more than fly. We do see Janos fly from the ground during and after his possessed fight with Raziel, but I can’t recall another example, so magic may have something to do with it here.
Secondly, we don’t know the physical conditions of the gate area where the climactic battle takes place - there could be any number of factors that wouldn’t provide enough lift. Even if Janos could fly from anywhere at whim, that would’ve been during earth-like conditions. Things like gravity, currents, and even composition of gas in the atmosphere could’ve messed up Janos’ natural abilities to fly.
Thirdly, Janos is thrown down, not long after centuries of being drained and imprisoned - to the point where he devolved. Look how easily the Hylden lord just grabs Janos and throws him like a rag doll. I don’t think Janos had the strength or resilience to attempt flight in less than ideal conditions, a feat which may have already been impossible due to his biology.
Janos is such a tragic character. I realised now only how much of an impact Janos probably has if you meet him in person... Raziel was distrusting and questioning everyone and everything in Soul Reaver 2 but instantly let his guard down when he saw how authentic, wise and kind Janos was.
10:54 it was this moment I swore all sarafan I saw would die by my hand
Janos Audron does appear to be a generally kind hearted and benevolent individual. And BOY OH BOY does he screwed over every time he makes an appearance!
Another fantastic video!
I always felt every line Janos delivered was burdened with guilt. Even when Raziel asks him, why did faith not sustain the others, and he replies 'I do not know'. I believe here he cannot bare to admit to Raziel the falsity of his beliefs. The other original vampires must have lost faith the moment the elder god turned his back on them. Perhaps it became self evident to the rest of the race, that there jihad and banishment of the Hylden race was ultimately wrong. His confrontation with the Hylden leader in blood omen, only makes me reaffirm this, as the Hylden leader makes valid points, while Janos replies only with blind anger (understandable after 400years of torture, and thousands of years of losing faith with the secret knowledge that your races destruction was wrought by your own hand) it be pretty hard not to just blame your created enemy rather than look at the fate you wrought upon yourself. Perhaps it truly is poetic justice that he's sent to the demon realm. This doesnt excuse the Hylden, there still clearly twisted Muthaf*ckers, but they were somewhat in the right.
Anyway, i say this all to highlight the point that i think Janos spends almost all the games, burdened by great guilt, and his piety and kindness to Raziel may actually be drawn partly from denial and another type of blind faith in prophecy. (In a sense he's not without some aspect of manipulation although it is for, what he convinces himself altruistic reasons) It also draws up the question whether he knew raziels fate in the blade, or inadvertently created it. The fact Kain and him never really meet and have time to chat, outside bloodomen 2 and their brief encounter near end of game (Kain is also still a fledgling at this point, so what could Janos possibly relay to him, he would need to meet future kain to have any sort of impactful conversation on events). I imagine Amy hemming would have written another chapter of kain finally meeting Janos in the demon realm, and perhaps devising a prophecy to save the future..perhaps it is Kain who travels way back into Nosgoths past and writes the vampire prophecies. Now that really would be a beautiful poetic finish, that kain writes his own destiny as balance guardian into being. Master of fate and destiny and checkmating the elder god from earlier on...maybe why the game was rumoured to be called Dark prophecies.
Anyway, Janos is an intriguing character and there is much unexplored depth to him, that is only ever gleamed in his reflection and reaction to the Hylden his sworn enemy (cough cough, elder god.)
Thanks for your great videos, looking forward to the vid on the heart of darkness and its implications with Kain's dodging death.
You raise excellent points. Yeah, I also picked up on Janos' behaviour when he's confronting the Hylden Lord. How he seems to just bicker back and forth with the Hylden Lord about which Race was at fault when clearly the vampires started the wars for religious reasons. If it weren't for the Hylden wanting to exterminate all living things apart from their own Race, I would sympathize more with their struggle.
It was always a strange juxtaposition that through evolution, Raziel was becoming more akin to a pure Vampire. Meanwhile Kain had gained notable Hylden features. Perhaps those aspects were also part of the prophecy and destiny of both characters?
Oh man thank you for pointing it out. I couldn't quite put my finger on it about Kain's appearance that tickled my brain
That’s why the prophecy kept confusing Raziel. He wasn’t sure which hero he was supposed to be.
@@introvertedextrovertedtraver Each of the murals Raziel observed were open to interpretation. Depending on the point of view, the Hylden or the pure Vampires are depicted as the "good guys". Though the truth isn't as straight forward. Which is the conclusion Raziel and Kain ultimately reached together.
@@alexinfinite7142 I like to think this would have been explored fully in Dark Prophecy. You have to wonder if Kain becoming more Hylden-like appearance was less to do with evolving than symbolic of his forsaking the Pillars? Their destruction leading to the restoration of the Hylden. Thus Kain became a new, less Vampiric, Balance Guardian.
Also how would Janos, lost to the Demon dimension for some time, view Kain and his appearance. If they encountered each other in that game? He looks noticeably different to the last they saw of each other in Blood Omen 2.
I wish Amy Hennig or anyone involved in Dark Prophecy had some lore insights or story boarding on it, to share.
@@pious83 I'd settle for a book if we aren't gonna get a game. Just something
Makes me want to go back and play these games again. The story arc was so great would have loved another after defiance.
Yeah. I hope one day we get a Storybook ending to this series! It really needs it.
Janos is an amazing character. He is a living example of No Good Deed Goes Unpunished. He wholeheartedly worships, yet his god is a monster. He maintains the pillars, but is demonized. He mentors Raziel, and suffers. The captivating aspect is the ironic tragedy of his life. Great video.
I figured Janos should have had at least one wing damaged by the Hyldon Lord in their fight, but I'm guessing time was running out during the making of the game.
Have you looked at Blood Omen 2 Janos? He's immensely scarred, probably both from the machine and because he had the heart of darkness removed prior to this probably made him weaker all together.
And his wing geometry in Blood Omen 2 also makes him look like an unfortunate crow that just flew into someone's closed window xDDD
I realise that Janos was injured from his centuries of imprisonment. However, that didn't stop him from flying down onto the platform to confront the Hylden Lord.
@@strictlyfantasy I see it as less than flying and more like gliding down.
@@strictlyfantasy look at 17:25, you can see that he didn't grip Janos by the shoulders, but by the bases of his wings. I could've sworn I heard what sounded like a snap right after.
@@strictlyfantasy True, but here's my theory, and I love your reasoning to that, It's probably because Janos wasn't at his full-strength. The reason why Kain was able to defeat the Sarafan/Hylden Lord/General, is because he had full strength, as Umah, mentioned, *"The more creatures you drink from, the more lore you will gain, and the greater your health will become."* Yes, Janos had wings and can fly up, but the point I think, is that Janos was weak, his strength was partially returned after Kain poisoned the Mass. That's like if (and apologies for the Sidetracking) Superman was partially restored, but didn't have his powers yet, and the bad guy kills him, which was stupid, but they worked around how he was able to regain his powers in the Death and Return of Superman storyline. Same goes with Janos, he wasn't at his full-power as of yet to take down the Hylden Lord, and Kain succeeded in doing that. Even Vorador wasn't at his full-strength too to take him down.
I will always feel sad about the fact they abbandoned to create more of this game series. This rich universe should deserve way much more credit than it was ended. Good to see a true lorekeeper of Nosgoth. Keep up the good work.
Janus shares the fate of every nice guy. Heart ripped from chest while the chad Kane reeps the reward.
Sad but true.
Janos' meeting with Raziel had such a powerful impact on the story that it's almost enough to make Soul Reaver 2 my favorite of the series. It's so refreshing and so tragic to have a character that genuinely wants to help only to pay such a heavy price.
Yeah especially @10:34 where you see Raziel bow his head in utter despair. For a character who is quite snarky towards the likes of Kain, Moebius and Elder God (he always has cheeky comeback), it's moving to see him feel genuine sorrow for another individual in this series.
Kindness is to be used and abused. Kain, you know this as well as I. Poor Janos. A Nobel man and easy prey.
Janos is exactly what an elder vampire should be
So immortal that he's just achieved his own level of zen.
Aaaaaw yeeeeeah
I have just noticed that Raziel is also depicted by the Sarafan on the Heart of Darkness painting in the chapel! There could have been another twist there, he could also look for whoever watched the whole thing only to find out it was himself!
@17:54 - You ain't chit!!🤣🤣🤣 Had me rewinding like crazt!😂😂🤣🤣🤣🤣
But he probably couldn't fly correctly after getting his nads kicked hard up his neck.
OMG don't remind me! That kick to his nuts was SO BADLY animated XD
We dont talk about Blood Omen 2... its like all the rules of Fight Club in one.
God I fucking love this series (both, the Legacy of Kain, and this series of videos discussing Kain topics).
Man, I miss Legacy of Kain games.😭
aways a pleasure to see your videos
Thank you for this content. The Legacy of Kain deserves to be remembered as a great story.
Couldn't agree more. I just wish Square Enix would bring it back or at least sell the IP onto a developer that wants to.
Yasssss. I love this series of videos.
I like how they went with Janos having the classical Dracula voice since hes the vampire progenator.
Janos and the Hylden Lord's exchange of words was rather enlightening. Rather than claiming that the Hylden were the ones who started the conflict, Janos counters every accusation with the EFFECT of the Vampires' original war on the Hylden; HE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A LEG TO STAND ON IN THAT ARGUMENT.
Janos was most likely alive when the original war broke out between the 2 races, so he truly believes the Hylden to be evil, but when confronted with the crimes of the vampires, he circles back to , "WE HAD TO BANISH YOU BECAUSE YOU WERE EVIL!!"
Well, why are they evil? Because they refused to worship the obviously false god that you and the rest of your race did?
If anything, the vampires are the source of ALL of Nosgoth's problems.
1) They started the war with the Hylden and banished them, resulting in the curse with which they now are inflicted.
2) Many chose to live with their curse rather than see that it was turning them into monsters. They even came to see humans as cattle rather than the ones they were meant to protect.
3) They prioritized the banishment of the Hylden over EVERYTHING ELSE, going so far as to KIDNAP CHILDREN and turn them into vampires in order to keep their seal intact.
17:35 oh god hahaha so much drama to suddenly be stopped by a kick to the groin
Janos is the most inspiring vampire in any lore
This game series is still one of my all time favorites. Been hoping for a long time that someone would remake and remaster it. Would love to play this game in the massive open world of Nosgoth; with the entire story line laid out in in it. Time travel and all. And with all the formerly cut content included. 🖖✌️
Thank you for your fantastic work in introducing this series those who may not have had the chance to grow up with it like we did.
I’m glad to see these games not forgotten about and still loved
It's cool that you're still doing these.
Now what's left is a study of why the franchise lies dormant.
I always look forward to these.
I know that this will probably show up in the heart of darkness video, but I love the attention to detail that the team took in this franchise. They took an extra life mechanic and basically a background character and made lore around it so deep that it not only changed but greatly added to the lore and story. I really wish they had been able to give us one last game.
Loved it! Janos is probably the character in LoK that has suffered the most. He was martyred-- what, three times over? I'm glad you mentioned him speaking Raziel's name upon their first meeting, because I was confused by that as well. Your explanation seems fitting, since many of their species seems to have some form of precognition. All I have to say is that I really feel bad for poor Janos. This is what happens when someone of power is naturally good, but exists in a wholly corrupted and diseased world.
I love your Videos. Well done! :) Your LOK Videos are amongst my favourite videos on UA-cam 🤟😎
Yes! you got to Janos Audron.
I'm going to enjoy this video.
Janos is still my Favorite supporting character. Amazing work on him, Ive learned a few new things now
Fun fact: the guy that voiced Janos Audron also voiced Mr. House in Fallout New Vegas
Rene Auborjonois was a fantastic actor all around, really. He is sorely missed.
If I could give this video a thousand likes, I would! Janos is one of the most intriguing characters in the series. Meeting him in Soul Reaver 2 was such an incredible and memorable scene. I, like Raziel, did not expect his character to be how he was. Absolutely outstanding, he is. I really wish more games came around featuring him in it. Defiance had a lot of revelations, but one of the best was finding out that Kain had Janos' "Heart of Darkness" all along! Shocked the heck out of me. Thank you ever so much for continuing to shed light and talk about this amazing game series. As you said, let's keep the Legacy of Kain series alive! Happy Holidays to you. 12/28/2023. 🙂
So glad this exists. You're doing such a great amount of work to this sadly overlooked work of art. Thank you.
Janos is my favourite character in all of the series, followed by Möbius.
Loved this video and breakdown.
The only thing janos and moebius have in common is their worship of the elder god. Great video by the way.
Absolutely love these. What a story Soul Reaver had. Thanks for the work!
Seeing as the Hyldens' plans relied on Kain's past self defeating them so his future self could set their plans in motion in the first place makes me wonder if The Hylden Lord and his forces, knowingly or unknowingly, were sacrificed to set the stage for a greater operation down the road.
Yeah I address this in my Hylden video. Honestly, for me it doesn't make much sense for the Hylden General to mastermind changing the timeline to his advantage only for a younger Kain to thwart the Hylden down the road in Blood Omen 2. The Hylden Lord's comment at the end of BO2 about Kain "not surviving that long," does imply that he is referring to Raziel ripping out Kain's heart in Defiance and thinking that the Elder Kain died there.
Still, as I'm typing this I'm now starting to think that maybe the Hylden Lord was being manipulated by some higher authority. The developers mentioned a Hylden King and Queen for the cancelled sequel so perhaps this King or Queen only gave limited information on the new timeline 4 to the Hylden Lord which was convenient for them (i.e. left out his death in Blood Omen 2). I'm certain we would have met the Hylden again in Dark Prophecy in any case.
No sabía que seguías haciendo los de lok, genial, amo esta saga. 🥰
Awesome video, dude. Janos was one of my favs, and the Fire Forge and accompanying soundtrack were my absolute favorites.
There is great spiritual wisdom to be learned from the character of Janos Audron. Imagine being isolated for thousands of years while your race is slowly dying out to another, and you still have enough strength of character to not give in to hate. Janos was both "human" enough to feel tremendous pain over this and yet enlightened enough to always see the bigger picture and try to do what he believed was right.
Keep them coming!!! Bloody love these videos and loved the game
I entered into this glorious series at the age of six, I played the original soul Reaver when I had my first PlayStation one, and believe me it took my six year old self a good amount of building courage even to face the very first enemies of that game. But as I grew older and absorbed the Lore, I continued to grow a profound fascination and adoration for the many gorgeously written concepts and story points of this fantastic series. Having recently discovered these character studies, I thank you the author for this incredibly welcome blast from the past. Near the end of this video, you mention that concepts or ideas for the now canceled continuations of the series are available to you, I would be greatly moved and appreciative if you could share those ideas in plethora and detail with us the audience, and I’m sure I’m not alone in this. Whispers recently have crossed the digital landscape of the Internet, giving rise to the thought that there may be a remaster in the works somewhere in the books and tapestries of the companies that crafted the series, but we can only hope and pray indeed, pray indeed not to an eldritch horror lol Please again I hope you will read this, I give you my thanks for these gorgeous studies and videos, and I hope you would share some of the “lost tapes” shall I call them of information of what could’ve been
Thanks for making these videos, I hope you can find more concepts of LoK to keep em coming
Love these videos! Keep them coming please!
Gotta love this game and the fact you've been making an effort to keep it alive is awesome keep it up
So excited, I almost punched through my phone playing this video.
All of your videos are very refreshing and nostalgic. It gives so much more depth in the lore of LOK and character development. Not a single detail is missed out and you provide bonus content. Keep up the good work! Also you should do character lore on Kains lieutenants from blood omen 2.
I’ve been waiting for Janos’ character study for so long.
This channel has been a hidden gem for me. Never found it till now and I've watched a ton of LoK videos. I love this channel. You earned this sub. Great work. Very thorough thought out and put together
God DAMN everytime that OG kain theme music plays it gets me so f'in PUMPED! I gotta go back and play! AGAINN!
I instantly liked this.
Another great addition to this series, love the in depth research you do with the mythos and backgrounds of these character. Top notch as always.
Absolutely outstanding thanks so much for covering one of my favourite character!!!!!!!😄👍👍👍 you sir are absolutely outstanding!!!! Thanks so much for all these excellent legacy of kain video's!!!!!! 😎👍👍👍👍👍👍
I love that you do other content, without a doubt.
BUT I"M SO GRATEFUL YOU DO THE LEGACY OF KAIN SERIES
I love your content. By far one of if not the top thing I love to listen too
People are still making Legacy of Kain videos, IM SO GLAD
I really want a remake of this series and hope someday we get another part after Defiance
Anytime I think of a continous of the games, I always hope to see Janos rip his own heart out and give it to Raziel to return him to his original vampire form but with the powers of reaver still intact.
Honestly…. I just want raziel to gain his wings back in his damaged form xd
Not intending to put a spoiler on your ideas, but how would Raziel get his original form back now that his spirit inhabits the Soul Reaver? Will there be an idea for a future game where the Soul Reaver gets broken & Raziel is freed?
Just to hear Rene Auberjonois speak again... Worth it!
I remember playing these games as a kid on my dad’s PS2. Thanks for the memories man! ✊🏾
Your videos are fantastic I love each one LOK is my favourite series and these deep drives are beautiful
Every time I think you might be done with the Legacy of Kain, you surprise me. Normally the next day after I check your page for new stuff and these gems. Love your work, it's really just you and Vivziepop keeping me going on UA-cam any more lol
I was hoping the next video would be Janos Audron. He’s such a great character with how he’s not just some generic evil vampire lord, how he understands why humans are afraid of vampires. I wonder who the next lore video would be, i hope it’s Mortanius.
Might be since he had a major part in the series.
I hope so too.
These videos are really great mate. Going through the whole playlist like its a TV Series and learning so much about this plot that I missed as a teenager. Very well explained and the editing is entertaining to watch :)
I am always excited to see another Legacy of Kain video from you! Once again, well done!! I look forward to the next and thank you for keeping this legacy alive.
great video don't ever stop making your content your input and voice on this beautiful series is eye opening and superb
and we love it 10/10 👍👍👍
I absolutely love that you are keeping this classic series of games alive, great videos bro!
15:30
I think Janos was very weakened during this and couldn’t fly.
I think having his wings be more drooped back or having him breath heavily would be a good solution convey him not being able to fly
السَّلامُ عَلَيكُم
Habibi another masterful video. I genuinely love the plot of these games. And I hope to see more of them. May ٱللَّٰه bless you and yours.
Keep up the good fight 💪🏼😉
Rest in Peace Rene Auberjonois. I will remember you as Odo and Janos.
Use your wings Janos. For the love of your weird God fly! I like BO 2 but that scene and Kain's final outfit are just priceless. I have a recommendation for other videos, please check out the game Sacrifice. A lot of the voice talent is the same and the game is a masterpiece in my opinion. The lore is rich and will attract a lot more people to your channel.
Glorious job on your outline for this one! Really covered all the angles. Great replay value. Helpful for keeping everything straight while pointing out all the departure points for our remaining curiosities. Bravo.
Huzzah!
I absolutely love this series. Thank you for making content on these games!
Thank you again for making this video, I love Legacy of Kain, to see you putting allot of effort to make these video's brings me joy and hopeful that one day, we may see Kain and Raziel again.
Amazing video as always keep up the great work man
Yes more Strictly Fantasy video game content 🥰 I love your character studies!
Wonderful video as always. Thank you.
I truly enjoy every single video you make about this amazing lore.