Maybe it's just because I've dealt with a lot of devils in my years of playing DnD, but I wasn't impressed with Raphael. I'm doing a slow play through with my brother, sister, and cousin. So, I'm only on Act 2 and there are likely some things we've missed because we don't have any of the main characters in our party. With all those caveats, I think Raphael sounds too obviously evil. He doesn't make me want to consider any of his deals. Every word out of his mouth screams "I am the most untrustworthy person on the planet and I'm asking you to trust me. Don't believe me? Here, have a vague half truth that isn't very helpful." Maybe he gets better, but I'm not impressed so far. It also might be that people talked him up so much.
That basically makes me almost physically unable to antagonize him. Sure, dude is a devil but he's straight up the most honest person in this shit. That combined with the unbelievably great performance and amazing writing of his lines turns him into such a manipulative force.
@@icaroadriel7970ah, but the devil is in the detail! He makes his main motives clear yes, but when he writes those contracts they'll be heavily in his favour.
@Jaceareeno Only if you don't fulfil your part of the bargain, that is, not giving him the crown and not stealing the contract. He says that his plans for the crown doesn't include mortals. And he says that right away if you ask him what will happen if you dishonor the contract.
You’re undermining the power of the most powerful school of wizardry: “barrelmancy” the strongest school of magic The fact that it takes 5 shows how strong Raphael is (it only takes 1 to kill my tav)
Indeed - Divinity Original Sin trained me well, i was already an adept of Barrelmancy before i even arrived on the Sword Coast. If a Wizard ever complains that 'its not a real school of magic' or 'you're just throwing barrels around' or 'how did you get in my house' just use the secret technique known as '30 smokepowder barrels stuffed in a chest thrown by a barbarian'. Their arguments (and entire being) will be removed
@@BigMac9748 Raphael: sings his boss theme Bard Tav/Durge: drops weapons, pulls out instruments, and gets their party to play their own theme Cambions: drop their weapons and pick up instruments on Raphael's command to give him background music Yurgir: "...I seriously don't get paid enough to put up with this."
Right? It strikes such a good balance of the fact that he needs other's help to get his place in the hells he's after, but how he won't just take any desperate soul for his efforts. Thanks for the comment!
@@tyrant-den884I mean Lord AO and the Gods know of the luminous being who is basically a Dungeon Master stand in, and a few big devils were once angels, so they probably do know what’s going on with the 4th wall
god knows my knees go WEAAAKKK for fourth wall breaking i am OBSESSED. the thought of raphael knowing the absolute butcher, stubborn yet good natured *god slayer* that is tav for the whole game, only to break the fucking fourth wall and find the REAL tav (that’s us!!!) just. laying in bed. in our pyjamas. wrapped up in a blankie. probably at not the most flattering angle. bags under our eyes because god knows we’ve all played this game way too far into the night at least once. that’s as funny as it is humiliating
The fact that there are multiple villains and that they conflict with each other in BG3 is a shining example of why this game is such a masterpiece. The Netherbrain, the Dead 3 and their chosen, Raphael, Shar, the Hag, Cazador, Vlaakith, Zariel, and Mizora. This isn't just a good guy vs bad guy story. It's a complex story with many different sides who have their own interest. This is how the real world is. There was even conflict between the Dead 3 and their chosen despite their alliance. When I first met Raphael 3 years ago in early access, I knew this would be an epic character on full release.
Exactly! And each have their own expertly crafted storylines to be sucked into and have manipulate how the ending of the game comes to be. It’s incredible narrative work!
But there is a difference between evil and villain. Not everybody is in gradation of hero and villain. Some characters just exist in some alignment domain, but don't play exactly villainois or heroic side. Mizora while being evil is nothing like a villain. Yes, she has some own goals, but that is her nature. She is a demon. Would you call all demons villains by default? Yes, Zariel is villain indeed, but Mizora is like executioner. I wouldn't call her by default a villain. Evil, yeah, chaotic, yeah, but villain? There is too much of a grey area between villain and hero to call names for everybody. Is Shar a villain just because she stole Shadowheart and enslave her parents? Well, she is evil and has own goals in Forgotten Realms, but she is not technically a villain. She is godded of shadows. Of course her methods would be unorthodox. The Hag is just evil creature, so again, it is her nature to get people used. It is like saying that parasytes and mold are villains, which is not correct. It would be more correct to define heroes and villains from the story perspective, not from perspective of alignment. From the story point, indeed the Dead 3, the Netherbrain, Raphael and Zariel are villains. Cazador and Vlaakith may be considered villains, but not directly of the story. Both want the same - domination and ruling, just scope is a bit smaller.
I just did this fight for the second time last night. Raphael chews the scenery every time you meet him. He's so extra, I love him. I also found out that the female voice in the song is Korilla. When Korilla died to some barrelmancy the female voice disappeared from the song. Raphael also stops singing if he's stunned or silenced. The whole area is so well done, and this boss fight in particular is so fun, that I think I will always do it no matter who I support in the end. The thing that floors me about it is that it's completely optional.
So many extra features of his character and those who surround him that really put the cherry on top of it all for a great experience. Thanks for the comment!
I have not been able to get Raphael to stop singing during the battle by silencing (spell, Sussur weapon, Arrow of Arcane Interference), stunning, or paralyzing (Hold Monster, Crawler Mucus, Surgeon's Subjugation Amulet, Burnished Ring) him. I've also tried Otto's Irresistible Dance and Command (grovel or halt). Has anyone made him stop singing on PC?
@@jimking8342I didn't realize he was supposed to keep singing. I used a scroll of phantasmal killer on him and I'm assume that's what made him stop for me.
@@jimking8342 For me the song played normally. It switched to the normal battle theme briefly, oddly enough, when korilla got nuked, but it returned to the full, normal song afterwards. Perhaps it got changed?
oen thing you didnt mention is that the whole "down comes the claw" refers back to his very first sentence when he introduces himself. The whole cat and mouse poem. This reinforces the feelings that from the very beginning, he was in full control.
@@ThwipThwipBoom i was thinking about that when i finished it 2 weeks ago...poor bastards. We COULD try to roll a critical success on Larian convincing them to do it(after Divinity Original Sin 3, of course).
@@andyenglish4303I like Orin. Especially in the Dark Urge plot I think she’s great. But Ketheric is such a high standard to live up to. He makes his presence known the MOMENT you step into his lands where his curse hangs over you, and then finally getting to the Towers and seeing his immortality in action is… wow.
Ketheric is lame ASF? He has no principles or true guiding ideal other than power? He kills his daughter after seeming so grateful she's alive? IDK the chosen three were kinda lame but I liked orin the most. Straightforward, understandable, principled (bad ones but still holds true). I guess gortash was interesting bc he reflects real life smarmy wealthy folk who use charisma and money to convince scared people he's their salvation. But even that is a little tired bc it's reality and not special
My favorite part about Raphael is that for all of his frippery and grandstanding, he is absolutely _not_ a pushover and has more than enough power to back up his massive ego.
It might be cause i was playing i Balanced difficulty and my Karlach was running the GWM brainrot + me as a sorcerer with quickened spell spam + Astarion with a legendary sneak attack bow but his 666 hp lasted only 3 turns. Don't get me wrong, love his theme, just think that he wasnt one of the toughest battles in the game. I'm doing a tactician run rn so I might eat my words when I get back to his bossfight.
@@uh4875 if you call using the core mechanics of a class, a feat, and an item you get _by progressing the story_ "exploiting the game's mechanics", man you sure have a low standard.
The quest with the Orthon Yurgir is such a clever move by Raphael as he managed to get four whole contracts out of one simple situation: According to an old letter you can read in Act 2 a villager from Reithwin made a deal with Raphael to kill all the dark justiciars so the resistance can rise up against Ketheric Thorm. So Raphael contracted Yurgir to make him kill all the justiciars, and then made another deal with the last surviving justiciar to prolong his life and potentially make Yurgir desperate enough to replace his near impossible job with a new potentially worse contract. The player's role is to end Yurgir's task early in any way which turns into a breach of contract so that Raphael can make that new deal with better negotiating power.
And even if you cross Raphael, he still end up pulling out a win. Maybe not getting as much leverage as he wanted but definitely getting something worthwhile out of the deal.
Just recently, I had Yurgir kill Raphael while I used Insect Plague to limit his movement. I was really scared that with his 666 (haha) HP he would be a frustrating fight, but hot damn was he the opposite.
Tip : if you choose to make a deal with Raphael for the Orphic hammer at ' Sharess Caress ', and then go to the House of Hope anyway- be SURE to steal your Soul Contract back BEFORE the final battle in the Portal/ 4 Pillars room. Otherwise he can use the Contract to cause your Sudden Death & triggering a Game Over ..😮🏴☠️.. And AVOID using Radiant Energy spells that trigger Dmg to the Caster..😬
I have fought him in all 6 of my playthroughs, no matter what else I end up doing in Act 3 I always fight Raphael. Dude is so smug that I just can't help myself
Update that 6 to a 7 cause I just finished a tactician difficulty playthrough as Karlach. The forces of hell are no match for the power of rune powder bomb and barrels galore
Added info: If you talk to one of the lil goblins at his place, he will tell that Gortash lived in the hosue of hope for a while. In the ps4 trailer there is even a sentence by larian saying somthing like the lord raised by the devil or something, i dont remember. So the parents sold Gortash to him, and the goblin says that he beat the lil boy up frequently. It is most likely that Gortash knew about the crown because of Raphael. At the end, actually choosing Gortash is the best course of action. After with 2 wisdom checks you can read his mind and he admits he just wants an equal that is not a crazed idiot like Orin. He even feels like you are only his equal if you actively refuse to give him the stones when you get Orin's... with Raphael its always a deal and he always has to have the upper hand at the end. Cant imagine how pissed he might be about the fact that Gortash got the crown and not him. You can ask him how does it feel that mere mortals got the crown before him but he just says they had advantage cause they worked with the diabolist. He just does not want to admit someone outsmarted him. Also fun lil info, in the diabolist shop, there is a little orb that watches over raphael, before going in, you can take a peak at him, but he looks back at you. After you defeat him, you can see him being ready to be consumed by his daddy mephitopheles. If you dont defeat him he admits that after taking the hells he will come to Faerun.
Wow! Lots of awesome info that I couldn’t dig up! The amount of detail in the storytelling that you can miss is astonishing! Thanks for the thoughtful comment.
That is a gnome, not a goblin. There is a big difference. You can also talk to Gortashs mother about that. She sold him to Raphael, believing him to be a warlock. She also said, that she was afraid of her son, when he was a child, so a totally healthy family all around ...
With the addition of the Epilogue there's actually a secret interaction available with Raphael if you: 1. Romance Gale and make him defy Mystra 2. Take the contract for the Crown of Karsus 3. Not kill Raphael Safe to say, it's... REALLY cool.
Netherbrain: "Get Lost! You're not the main Villain of this game!" Raphael: "Oh, you're a Villain all right, just not a Super one!" Netherbrain: "Oh? What's the difference between you and me?!" ::Raphael's Final Act starts playing:: Raphael: "Presentation!"
@@BIGESTblade In Mythic Odessys of Theros, *an official setting book*, it states that there is no difference between devils and demons, and you can use stablocks from either along side the demons presented in the book.
@@The_Crimson_Witch Just like I said, unless it's a special case. In Ebberon, Greyhawk, Dragonlance, Planescape and pretty much everywhere else it all works the same. It's usually even the same characters too. Asmodeus is always the ruler of Nessus and all devils, Mephistopheles is the inventor of Hellfire, Zariel and/or Bel are on Avernus fighting the Blood War. In Abyss Grazzt, Vechna, Orcus and Demogorgon all do their usual chaotic shit.
And she did make that deal, you can find her contract in House of Hope and give it to ther back to either get support from her or tell her that you killed Raphael in which case she's absolutely pissed off at you.
a truly great villain, and the VA's voice is like melted caramel for my ears. i find myself always trying to 'sweeten' raphael up by choosing the more naive/passive dialogue options as he'd call you with pet names, only to later on sleep with Harleep and dunk raphael with the sick burn dialogue option. gotta love how the incubus is totally fine with their master getting killed cause they'd be able to rise within the ranks in Avernus later on xD
Dude someone just pointed out to me that Haarlep is just Raphael with the letters switched around and it's the dumbest thing that has blown my mind this week
Raphaels' final act is the greatest boss theme I have ever heard, and nothing can compare to the moment when he starts singing. What I wouldn't give to experience that again for the first time ever. I laughed til I cried and had chills at the same time. So incredible.
Raphael is literally the only NPC i can never skip any dialogue on, no matter how many replays. He just CHEWS everything and his voice is magic, so smooth, so seductive, and what a fantastic actor, physical and voice.
The fact that the villains in BG3 have so much depth to their motivations (aside from orin maybe, I know Durge is meant to be the proper chosen of Baal but I do wish she had a little more content with the other origin characters) makes it so replayable. It's not like any antagonist is just "hello I am villain #5", you typically have a way to turn them into an ally. It really lets you get into your character as more morally grey playthroughs may have no qualms making deals with Raphael. It's a very refreshing take on antagonists that reminds me of games like New Vegas, where the villains are half of the fun in the game itself.
Exactly!! It gives you the opportunity to truly feel out each character as they approach in our adventure, and not feel like you are missing out when you choose another option as it just wasn't how your playthrough's story went
@@jonathanalexander9881 of course, major spoilers ahead But starting in act 1, it's pretty clear that Raphael has SOME ulterior motive to offering to help you, but you don't know what that is yet. Fast forward to when he offers you his contract and he reveals that he not only wants to get the crown of Karsus, but he wants to unite the hells under his control. It's not completely just for power though, as he seems more annoyed at the fact that Mephistopheles never used the crown rather than the fact that he himself didn't get it. He's quite similar to both the Emperor and Gortash in the manner that their main goal is to come out on top, and at every major turn in the story they are quick to present themselves to the player in an attempt to sway them to their side. As opposed to being overtly combative, they're true to their characters as politician-types and sweet-talkers.
@@texpendable 💀Oookay... When someone says character "depth" it usually means the character has more to themselves than their main need for power as their sole motivation. Raphael does not have this. He wants power because he is a DnD devil. He tries to manipulate you because he is a DnD devil. He sings his own theme song because he is a DnD devil. There is no hidden agenda revealed about him at any point in the game aside from the fact that he wants the Crown of Karsus (which you find out about in the first place, he does not tell you about it explicitly at any point as some kind of unexpected big reveal) to conquer the Hells, because he is a DnD devil... He does not have some deeply seated trauma or complex character motivations causing him to imprison and torture Hope for a hundred years aside from the fact that he is bad because...*sigh* - because he is a devil with a penchant for poetic twists. His dislike for Mephistopheles is irrelevant, it's merely a detail and not a motivation. As for the rest of the characters, they are disappointingly shallow. Orin is a blood-crazed Bhaalspawn who does bad things because she is bad. She always has been and there isn't a single redeeming quality about her. She is horrible and it's her only personality trait. Gortash is a complete bore on screen and they wasted his potential by making him a common politician with a lust for power whose story of climbing the ladder from humble origins to where he is is not even touched upon. They could have made more of an effort with his background aside from his cobbler family in a tiny and irrelevant area of Act 3 but they did not. I'm afraid that Larian's idea of writing a sociopath is a comically evil "most important man in the room" with a permanent smirk on their face. Ketheric Thorm is the only villain in the game with more to him than just being bad because the game needed an antagonist. Act 2 is masterfully crafted, the lore bits you find about him are intriguing and by the time you meet the "feared general" you realize this is a man who was tried and tortured by horrible circumstances and was tragically not strong enough so as not to succumb to his demons. And even when he did succumb, he still did it for his daughter. Ketheric has enough depth to him to put every other villain in BG3 combined to shame. I won't go into the remainder of BG3's bloated roster of antagonists because this is getting long enough already and I doubt anyone will read this anyway, but I will quickly mention Cazador who is little more than a bad guy who does bad things because he is bad (notice a trend already?). Larian tried to create some pity for him if you read his mind while he is in his coffin but his self-loathing inner monologue is incongruent with his actions and is not logically causal. The Emperor was an interesting idea on paper, something like a mirror of our player's choices who would play a big role in the game's ending, only to fall flat at the end during that "one" scene where he just throws everything out the window and joins the Netherbrain because Larian wanted a twist. It was very poorly done and the Seven gods in D:OS2 were way more interesting in that regard. Skyrim's Paarthurnax is a more interesting character than The Emperor. Now don't get me wrong, the voice acting in BG3 is phenomenal and carries the game through its massive issues on its back. Every time Raphael was on screen he took the spotlight. Orin's mad tantrums were a joy to listen to and the little bits from the Song of Balduran playing in the background whenever the Emperor talked to us was a great foreshadow of his real identity. Nothing could really save Gortash, however, as not even his voice acting could save him from the slop of a script Larian gave him. But I'm afraid voice acting can only go so far in a game with so many conflicting antagonists and mediocre writing and reading all the other comments around here I can't help but feel like I'm on one of those hidden prank shows trying to make me think I'm crazy. "Raphel and Thorm [...] two of the greatest villains ever?" Seriously? And what's this about people going mad over Raphels' theme song? It's cool to listen to, yeah, but the lyrics are kinda cringe and it's far from being one of the best themes. I feel like people have not taken off their rose-tinted glasses yet and I'm hoping that in time we might be able to have a decent discussion about just how low our standards have fallen.
@@jonathanalexander9881 bro wrote a small novel in the youtube comments fr but anyways P1: being a bombastic dnd devil isn't a bad thing, and the majority of his presence is told through environmental storytelling, as you see his effect on various characters and areas in the game, as well as texts you read which mention him. He's not anything out of a Shakespeare play but he's a refreshing villain because he's comically villainous while not being too samey. P2: You're completely ignoring everything concerning orin's family (sarevok, durge, and the other baalspawn). Especially with the context of BG 1 and 2 most of her character is told by precedent. With Gortash, his main connection to the character is through Karlach, with him being the MAIN driving force against her. Also, his "ambiguous beginnings" are that he was literally sold to Raphael by his parents, explaining why he retaliated by essentially lobotomizing them. His plans (which are told by cutscenes as well as various journals) explain so much of the background driving plot in the game that he can't really be shrugged off as irrelevant, even if he's a dick on screen. P4: I think Cazador is the only major villain that they dropped the ball on, as he's essentially Raphael-1. The Emperor, however, is written greatly IMO as he gradually gets revealed as a straight up rat that will do anything to keep himself at the very least alive. He sides with the Netherbrain because he knows he'll eventually find a way to break free again, not just to make a cheap twist. As for Raphael's theme, music is subjective lol, if you don't like it that doesn't mean it can't be beloved by others also, "how low our standards have fallen", in regards to the game that had AAA devs shitting their britches and complaining that people shouldn't expect such good games in the future, lol. I'm interested to hear what you consider a good game
Have not played this game yet (I do plan to get it) but I do enjoy watching clips of him. Andrew Wincott's performance as Raphael is so brilliant, that almost every male fictional villian I read, I end up reading them in his voice!
ah man, you should’ve thrown in a clip of the song when raphael and the female singer’s voices swell super loud at the same time! that part is the peak of the song! it’s at the very end of the song when they both sing “YOUR TOMB”
Only so much I felt I could've included narratively. But trust me... I know exactly the moment you're talking about. Wish I could've included the whole song!
There’s also that one ending where you didn’t go to the house of hope, gale becomes god of ambition, and he sticks it up to Raphael and banishes the devil away.
Raphael is evil for sure, but he is also honorable in that he doesn't lie to you and does keep his word. He is indeed an extremely well done character in this game.
Well, he IS a bard XD One of my favourite moments is when you sneak approach him near the entrance of the mausoleum, you can actually hear him practicing his lines.
I’ve literally never considered not killing him in all of my play-throughs. He’s such a stereotypical devil in 5e Faerun. When he first meets you, he has no real understanding or comprehension of what you may become….. no true eye for the future of your moves. I’ll admit I don’t get the hype around him. Every time he offers me the deal in act 3, I just wish there was a dialogue option for “Remember when you a were a bitch to me at level 3… well, now 3 levels is all that separates us… so I’m gonna rob you and kill you in your crib, just to prove a fucking point, you self absorbed nobody.” Man’s got NOTHING on Mizora…. That bitch comes to YOUR CAMP, doesn’t say shit when Orin kidnaps a hoe, and then tries to slide in to your DMs INFRONT of a romanced Wyll….. she is cold as Cocytus.
Amazing video, dude. Honestly, the main way I've been trying to sell BG3 to my mates recently is that the boss I'd just fought had a full musical-theatre number as he kicked the shit out of me. No other game has that.
@@FiguringOutFantasy omg no I had no idea! I wish I’d seen her there my first run I would have been so confused 😆 I will look out for her when I get there again.
Impeccable analysis! The villains of this game are spectacular and, even if it’s extremely hard, Raphael is able to surpass them all. As the title of this video states, he’s truly the greatest villain of this generation.
Bro, I got to take some notes so I can improve my own dnd campaigns. The part about "any villain that makes you question whether you should make them an ally or fight them feels infinitely more potent" is alone making me super hyped to try and implement that type of character into my games.
Honestly if You are familiar with greater DnD lore taking Raphael's deal makes the most sense, the only reason not to would be if you want to do the boss fight, even if Raphael becomes a god AND manages to conquer the 9 hells by defeating or negotiating with the archdukes the simple fact that Asmodeus isn't even mentioned just shows how little of a threat Raphael actually is, his final line taking on the meaning of "you have no idea what you are signing up for" rather than "that was pretty threatening".
It's ironic how he attacks Karsus and Gale's character concerning "ambition" when he seems to be wrapped up in his own ambition himself. On an unsuspecting party though, he could come across as a much greater figure in the world than he really is. There are countless devils in the hells after all. Thanks for the comment!
Zariel worked her way up to become an archdevil. Considering he can get some of those to pledge their support if he gets the crown means he can at least get on their level. Asmodeus is still probably gonna vaporize him but still, Hell is kind of meritocratic
@@elseggs6504I guarantee Asmodeus was 100% watching the whole thing going “I’m gonna enjoy killing this little bitch, stupid hoes gonna bring me that crown gift wrapped in his skull.” However, I also found Raph low key kinda boring…. too stereotypical villain and not enough DnD Devil. A devil is as Lawful as they are Evil…. I want to see that erotic and terrifying love of bureaucracy. It’s why I love Mizora…. Yeah she’s always scheming , but she gets the way the 9 hells actually works and knows who her fucking boss is…. Plus she’s straight cold, just watching as Orin Steals a motherfucker from your camp… I bet she stopped a bitch just to have a nice chat.
It's really not a bad idea to give raph the crown, he claims he'll use it to rule the nine hells but if you know anything about that you know he has no chance, his massive ego makes sure he's doomed either way. Either you clap him because he underestimates you or someone like Asmodeus does effortlessly.
@@jeremygilbert7989 I mean, what's he gonna do? He's already a god. Mephistopheles had the crown under his couch for thousands of years at this point. Asmodeus could've had it by now if he wanted it. If anything he knows that whoever tries to use it will get absolutely crapped on by Mystra, just like Karsus was, which is why Mephistopheles never used it himself.
@@BIGESTbladethe only reason she did that though gale was because he tried to supplant her, there’s no reason to bother if that’s not the case. A good example of this is when gale becomes the god of ambitious, she wasn’t apposed so no need to smite
He's such a great villain. honestly they could have gotten away with making him a one shot boss in some obscure quest, but they gave him story and built up to his final act. Brilliantly written, brilliantly performed, just brilliant.
Raphael is text book lawful evil. He's very upfront, very straight forward and while all of his machinations are evil and self serving, most of the time he does truly want to help the player, but to further his own evil goals. As long as the players goals align with his own, he'll gladly give the player the tools they need to defeat the brain. He reminds me of Gortash in that way, as Gortash does the exact same thing before getting #rekt'd by the Netherbrain.
The leadup to his fight was incredible... the entirety of House of Hope is just hammering home "you shouldn't be here". And most of this games fight music is kind of generic and blends into the background... so it stood out all the more when there was suddenly silence for a few moments... before that singer belts out a dirge for your impending death... Definitely a moment that will live on in my memory for quite some time.
First time i met him i was solo exploring the rafters of the goblin sanctum after killing the leaders, having split up from my party so i can traverse easier. No night vision and with only a torch in the dark, it was truly menacing having raphael exit from the shadows with all his swagger and menace. Best entrance ever!
Raphael is magisterly written. I will coming back to him for a long time. 16:58 in an interview Raphael’s v/a stated that it was all done in one take. Incredible. BAFTA nom totally deserved for the v/a mr. Andrew Wincott.
Tactician Run: Fighting this guy without cheesing him like using explosive barrels and the invulnerable sphere was the the second most difficult fight I had encountered (first was Ansur) I've ever endured (destroying the pillars doesn't count as cheesing)
I've only watched 1 minute of the video so far. Before I continue I just want to stop and take note of the fact that you really accurately differentiated the roles of Antagonist and Villain. I'm looking forward to the rest of this video now.
Yup. heavy agree on Raphael being one of the greatest villains. heck... this might just be copium on how underwhelming the two chosen were after ketheric, (as well as naratively the netherbrain being a 'meh' BBEG for first impressions) but i think Raphael is the mastermind behind the plot of the game, or at least have a theory for such. Raphael was old enough to see the downfall of netheril. He wants the crown. His father has it. what he needs is plausible deniability. It's revealed that gortash's parents sold him to Raphael. So what does Raphael do? create the scenario where gortash and durge would go and get the crown and use it to gain power. Next would be securing adventurers... powerful people to destroy the netherbrain. He would do this by securing the astral prism and the emperor, someone who could use the powers to stand against the strength of the brain, ending up with a band of adventurers that want to be rid of the tadpoles. After all, it is awfully convinient that he has the orphic hammer... orpheus. As well as just so happens to have the very thing needed to destroy his shackles. And the very same shackles on Hope herself. It's also shown in the deal that he has the power to shut out the emperor's communication. Next... he meets the adventurers that he has slated to destroy the netherbrain and eventually get the crown. He worms his way into your head, making sure you know that he's an option, and when able, sending someone to save you and keep an eye on you. Of course, he also continuously keeps tabs on you, and ensures that you still keep him in mind with showing up in the shadow lands. Just to ensure you always remember him as an option.... Lastly, when you know the stakes, that's when he plays his hand, trying to get you to trust the gith over the mind flayer. you save who you want to save... and he gets what he wants. all without directly going against his own father.
I beat him yesterday, and at first I thought it was kinda underwhelming he only changed his appearance slightly during the fight. Then he transformed into that one form that looked like a demonic xenomorph and I got a little scared.
I liked the song and stuff but everytime I saw Rapheal I was just like "This fucking lame poet guy again? Get out of here" he was just never an intimidating presence to me.
The last game I can think of with a villain as great as Raphael was Vaas in FarCry 3. But to be fair, Vaas wasn't as important in the story as Raphael is in BG3.
Raphael is an interloper. He gets in the way of unfolding events and changes their course from outside of their context. He's clearly done this before, such as when he sent Yurgir and his merregons to kill the Sharrans in their gauntlet when said Sharrans were threatening what would later become the cursed woods. He also offers the party a hammer they'll need to release Orpheus, if they don't just take the hammer from him, that is.
Raphael is one of the most intriguing characters by far. He’s one of the only main character that we have no direct ties to. Everyone else has something tying them to a character. He’s also the only character that reaches out to us instead of us reaching out to them. Oddly enough he’s the only character that meets us in his domain versus us meeting them in their domain. I feel like there’s more to Raphael than what we’ve discovered… as in, more dialogue, more cut scenes, more options. Etc. we just need to find them
I'm surprised Hope wasn't discussed. Her character and the supplemental materials really help inform Raphael's character even more. He waits for people to reach their darkest moments, but he's obsessed with Hope and forcing her submission. Raphael names his house after her and it seems he doesn't plan on killing her even after she assisted the party. There's a power exchange between the two. I wish Hope got more attention because she's amazing.
*sees a well-groomed, well-dressed, teleporting man in the middle of nowhere* Me: *sighs* okay, devil you know joke in 3… 2… Raphael: what’s better than a devil you don’t know? Me: Anybody gonna get that phone, CUZ I FUGGIN CALLED IT.
7:45 I recently replayed the game (as you do) and this time around, because I was a druid, so I permanently had speak with animals and had developed the habit of speaking with any animal I saw since I felt that was appropriate for this character and what they'd do, managed to uncover the secret in the gauntlet of shar revolving around the hidden justiciar-- and the hints that Raphael himself was the one who hid him so that Yurgir would be trapped as he couldn't fulfill the contract. I'd thought for sure that meant this time I'd free Yurgir instead of killing him in some way like I'd done before, but nope, here came Raphael, a surprise appearance from him since I'd never seen him inside the gaunlet of shar before, to inform us all that Yurgir was in breach of contract due to letting the player fulfill his contract for him. That was the moment that truly elevated Raphael for me; he was already a great villain and I loved him even before this, but when I saw how everything tied in so well together like that, I loved him and this game even more. I just love how big the world feels; Raphael, despite his sporadic appearances so far, has a PRESENCE pretty much eveywhere you look in this game, really making him feel like he's always been there all along, long before you even booted up the game, a detail that is consistent with his character. Such clever writing with his character and storyline.
Raphael wasn't the main villain but his fight felt far more personal than the Elder Brain and the Mindflayers. He chewed every scene he was in and was a delight to watch everytime!
One of the best villains in gaming history. He was so entertaining to watch. And when he started singing in his boss battle, I've never had so much fun during a boss fight.
As cool of a character as he is, I think it's safe to assume that he was very much inspired by Gaunter o'Dimm. Nothing wrong with that, and definitely done well and in an original way, though I don't think he surpassed the original, with those being the key things. - Raphael has a clear goal in mind, something that he works to, gathering his strength, while Master Mirror already has everything (or doesn't let us know there is something else he can't get himself) and only does things for fun - Raphael reveals his true form, removing the aspect of mystery and dread of unknown, whereas Gaunter does not. Raphael also takes an obviously standing-out form, whilst Gaunter looks like a common, unsuspecting man. - Raphael can be fought and defeated, while Gaunter can only be 'defeated' by using his own contract rules against him, and he makes a very potent show of his abilities that the player (Geralt) can't beat (Notice how Geralt loses to Caranthir for the first time as he is frozen and thus can't move. Master Mirror just stops the time all together). - Raphael sings a banger song, though one that takes away from the fear factor. Gaunter does not have any comedy about him. - Raphael is humanized (the succubus for example, his father) while the only things we know about Gaunter are related to what he does as his 'job'. Of course it's entirely possible that these two were two different types of chatacters, but I think that Gaunter o'Dimm has a much stronger presence.
I haven't beaten the witcher 3 yet personally, so I can't speak on Gaunter O'Dimm, but from the sounds of it he is the first character that comes to many people's minds when thinking of a comparison to Raphael. And from your description it sounds like they aim to achieve similar goals, but it also sounds like they may just have different tactics on how to get to that end goal. Raphael by default is cunning and witty to the point of putting on a show which has it's own intimidation factor off of his confidence, while Gaunter sounds like he embodies much more of a "true villain" status and carries the aspects that would come along with the best of them. Thanks for such a well thought out comment!
To be fair, Raph is 'a' devil. Dimm is 'The' Devil. Two extremely different levels of power and presence in the worlds they inhabit. Raph is more entertaining, whereas Dimm is more intimidating and powerful. Both are manipulative in similar ways though. Raph plays the devil on your shoulder, Dimm is just classic biblical Devil though, to the point the whole DLC is based off of a Devil tale.
6:00 I think you got it backwards. The phrase is "The better the devil you know", as in "it's better to make deals with an enemy you understand because you know what they're capable of, as oppose to an unknown enemy who might do anything to you".
My interpretation is that a devil who knows you could be more dangerous than the devil you don’t, because they know how to take advantage of your desires? Too wordy for my brain 😅
In many ways Raphael is a classic devil. With good writing for him, an exceptional performance capture of motion and voice by the actor - and weaving in the music into the package as well, it shows why a classic devil is, well, a classic. It was often overused in many books and plays and/or not written well, but when it *is* done well like in BG3 they make for great antagonists precisely because they are often charming, have a dramatic flair that makes them memorable and always make sure to have the upper hand that lets them savor their superiority. On top of that, the fact that they *are* honest in their deals also helps them being compelling, because villains so often are not honest. To be sure, they very much will trap you with the exact wording of the contract, or the absence of a specific phrase in it. The letter of the law/contract is both the trap and the escape route for the player/protagonist.
On my third playthrough, I finally fought him, and it was fantastic to tear through his house and free Hope, especially because I'm romancong Karlach, so it provides a fun headcanon of my Tav and her using it as a safehouse while in Avernus.
In every playthrough I’ve done I’ve refused the contract, stole the hammer, and then never used it. I always kill him just for the loot you can get in the house of hope
I clicked on this video before the thumbnail loaded and fully expected it to be about Handsome Jack so i appreciate that he at least got a shoutout. Dudes always gonna be the GOAT in my eyes but singing your own boss music is baller i gotta admit.
Easily the most epic fight I've had in game so far. I thought if I abandoned Hope I could get out in time and would have some advantage by fighting him back in Faerun instead of the House of Hope. Then he cuts off the portal and strolls up and I'm like "Oh... oh no." Then I used an inspiration to persuade Yurgir to switch sides, and then as his summons and my summons (Us and 6 Ghouls) charged at each other, Shadowheart used Bestow Curse and then Gale used Hold Monster. Shadowheart puts Darkness on us and then I switched to Slayer form since I was getting ganked and started smashing as many autocrits as possible while Astarion was sniping down the devils when my Ghouls paralysed them. Although even all this wasn't quite enough and I started spamming the potions I'd been hoarding since the start of the game. Everyone gets fire resistance and I give myself and Shadowheart Haste. And even then it still nearly all went to hell because he busted out of Hold Monster in the same turn me and Shadowheart got stunned from the potions wearing off. He would've nuked us then and there but Astarion's dagger casts silence and I managed to swipe him. At no other point in the game was everyone's individual role so crucial. Although in my first load of initiative he took down half my team in one turn before I worked out my strategy.
Rafael's Final Act is just yet ANOTHER mind-blowing experience from this game that is cemented in my 35 year gaming experience as a core gaming moment. Everything written, acted, delivered regarding Rafael is top tier performance by Larian. Unbelievable game.
His fight was hands down my absolute favorite in the entire game and the only one that came close was the Avatar of Myrkul, but even then Raphael blows Myrkul out of the water. I made a manual save before his fight and I keep it just so I can replay the fight whenever I wish.
I absolutely adore the way he's written and the way he acts and carries himself. But I would pretty much never engage much with him as I usually play chaotic good types of characters who would never take a devil's deal. In my first playthrough I didn't even try freeing Orpheus because I couldn't justify accepting the deal with him from my character's point of view - I didn't even hear him out.
My favourite thing is. If you're all respectful and fearful at the first meeting, he basically shits on you. But if you shit talk him, he seems to respect you more So he *wants* you to be combative with him, not just all for him right off the bat
Raphael is particularly skilled at one thing, and that one thing is pissing me off. It makes him grating in every scene where I'm forced to interact with him, but also makes it VERY gratifying when I beat the everloving shit out of him as he's helpless to fight back because he's trapped in an Air Myrmidon flail chain stun. Devils < Druids.
When Raphael was on screen he had my full undivided attention
They gave him such an infectious personality how could he not demand your full attention! Thanks for the comment!
@@FiguringOutFantasy exactly! But even his voice was so smooth like oh damn I’m listening now
Maybe it's just because I've dealt with a lot of devils in my years of playing DnD, but I wasn't impressed with Raphael. I'm doing a slow play through with my brother, sister, and cousin. So, I'm only on Act 2 and there are likely some things we've missed because we don't have any of the main characters in our party. With all those caveats, I think Raphael sounds too obviously evil. He doesn't make me want to consider any of his deals. Every word out of his mouth screams "I am the most untrustworthy person on the planet and I'm asking you to trust me. Don't believe me? Here, have a vague half truth that isn't very helpful." Maybe he gets better, but I'm not impressed so far. It also might be that people talked him up so much.
He’s got the charm of a Disney villain.
“But they suck”
A 90s Disney villain
Probably the best way to represent him, yeah. I'm trying to do that with my villain too.
I love the fact that he rarely actually lies to you.
He’s totally up front with what he wants from each deal.
That basically makes me almost physically unable to antagonize him. Sure, dude is a devil but he's straight up the most honest person in this shit. That combined with the unbelievably great performance and amazing writing of his lines turns him into such a manipulative force.
@@icaroadriel7970ah, but the devil is in the detail! He makes his main motives clear yes, but when he writes those contracts they'll be heavily in his favour.
@JaceareenoAny *mortals*. He will use the Crown to unite the Hells, so he definetly will subjugate devils
@Jaceareeno Only if you don't fulfil your part of the bargain, that is, not giving him the crown and not stealing the contract. He says that his plans for the crown doesn't include mortals. And he says that right away if you ask him what will happen if you dishonor the contract.
@@DeathbyCrows True
greatest villain? sure didn't do so well against 5 explosive barrels...
Great point. XD
You’re undermining the power of the most powerful school of wizardry: “barrelmancy” the strongest school of magic
The fact that it takes 5 shows how strong Raphael is (it only takes 1 to kill my tav)
Indeed - Divinity Original Sin trained me well, i was already an adept of Barrelmancy before i even arrived on the Sword Coast.
If a Wizard ever complains that 'its not a real school of magic' or 'you're just throwing barrels around' or 'how did you get in my house' just use the secret technique known as '30 smokepowder barrels stuffed in a chest thrown by a barbarian'. Their arguments (and entire being) will be removed
In barrelmancy we trust
*Looking at paladins, monk, Tavern brawler builds* Look at what they need to do to mimic a mere fraction of our power.
Homeboy says something like "have another rhyme, for old times sake" then spits some slam poetry at me.
the audacity...
If you play a bard the fight with him should've been some kind of rap battle, ongs
@@BigMac9748 Just cast Vicious Mockery every turn and that's what it is
@@BigMac9748
Raphael: sings his boss theme
Bard Tav/Durge: drops weapons, pulls out instruments, and gets their party to play their own theme
Cambions: drop their weapons and pick up instruments on Raphael's command to give him background music
Yurgir: "...I seriously don't get paid enough to put up with this."
@@joshuakim5240 What would Tav/the party play in this case? The Power? Down By The River? I Want To Live?
I like the detail that he doesn't make deals with anybody who isn't well and truly Hopeless.
Right? It strikes such a good balance of the fact that he needs other's help to get his place in the hells he's after, but how he won't just take any desperate soul for his efforts. Thanks for the comment!
He is a man… devil of class, why would he degrade himself by helping the helpless? The juicy souls are the ones who didn’t really need him.
Which explains why he keeps Hope locked up in his dungeon. She's the last thing he wants people to have.
What is Hope, though?@@caseyb1346
Hope... hahahah... such a tease....
I love how in Raphael's credit scene, he isn't addressing the characters in the story. He's addressing the player directly.
A certain dialogue with Karlach suggests that this is something many devils may be capable of.
Like it's just a cannon learnable skill in BG3.
He threatened to come to my house. I'm glad I defeated him, because I didn't get this credit scene.
@@tyrant-den884I mean Lord AO and the Gods know of the luminous being who is basically a Dungeon Master stand in, and a few big devils were once angels, so they probably do know what’s going on with the 4th wall
god knows my knees go WEAAAKKK for fourth wall breaking i am OBSESSED. the thought of raphael knowing the absolute butcher, stubborn yet good natured *god slayer* that is tav for the whole game, only to break the fucking fourth wall and find the REAL tav (that’s us!!!) just. laying in bed. in our pyjamas. wrapped up in a blankie. probably at not the most flattering angle. bags under our eyes because god knows we’ve all played this game way too far into the night at least once. that’s as funny as it is humiliating
The fact that there are multiple villains and that they conflict with each other in BG3 is a shining example of why this game is such a masterpiece. The Netherbrain, the Dead 3 and their chosen, Raphael, Shar, the Hag, Cazador, Vlaakith, Zariel, and Mizora. This isn't just a good guy vs bad guy story. It's a complex story with many different sides who have their own interest. This is how the real world is. There was even conflict between the Dead 3 and their chosen despite their alliance.
When I first met Raphael 3 years ago in early access, I knew this would be an epic character on full release.
Exactly! And each have their own expertly crafted storylines to be sucked into and have manipulate how the ending of the game comes to be. It’s incredible narrative work!
and the main player character as Dark Urge.. a magnificent game like no other
Istg bg3 fans needs learn what words mean, it’s not complex, every villain end of day wants to rule the world just by different means
@@people2chronically-onlinethat's not true in the slightest everyone has their own goals that's true but it doesn't have to mean domination
But there is a difference between evil and villain. Not everybody is in gradation of hero and villain. Some characters just exist in some alignment domain, but don't play exactly villainois or heroic side.
Mizora while being evil is nothing like a villain. Yes, she has some own goals, but that is her nature. She is a demon. Would you call all demons villains by default? Yes, Zariel is villain indeed, but Mizora is like executioner. I wouldn't call her by default a villain. Evil, yeah, chaotic, yeah, but villain? There is too much of a grey area between villain and hero to call names for everybody.
Is Shar a villain just because she stole Shadowheart and enslave her parents? Well, she is evil and has own goals in Forgotten Realms, but she is not technically a villain. She is godded of shadows. Of course her methods would be unorthodox.
The Hag is just evil creature, so again, it is her nature to get people used. It is like saying that parasytes and mold are villains, which is not correct.
It would be more correct to define heroes and villains from the story perspective, not from perspective of alignment. From the story point, indeed the Dead 3, the Netherbrain, Raphael and Zariel are villains. Cazador and Vlaakith may be considered villains, but not directly of the story. Both want the same - domination and ruling, just scope is a bit smaller.
“Have you ever encountered a villain who SINGS HIS OWN BOSS MUSIC?”
The Great Mighty Poo: “am I a joke to you?”
"I-I-I-I ammmm the great mighty poo and I'm going to throw my shit at you" hits so hard
Is he not though?
was about to write that shit
Also the joker in Arkham Knight. Man serenades you for a whole tune!
My brother in Christ, your name is Great Mighty Poo
I just did this fight for the second time last night. Raphael chews the scenery every time you meet him. He's so extra, I love him. I also found out that the female voice in the song is Korilla. When Korilla died to some barrelmancy the female voice disappeared from the song. Raphael also stops singing if he's stunned or silenced. The whole area is so well done, and this boss fight in particular is so fun, that I think I will always do it no matter who I support in the end. The thing that floors me about it is that it's completely optional.
So many extra features of his character and those who surround him that really put the cherry on top of it all for a great experience. Thanks for the comment!
I have not been able to get Raphael to stop singing during the battle by silencing (spell, Sussur weapon, Arrow of Arcane Interference), stunning, or paralyzing (Hold Monster, Crawler Mucus, Surgeon's Subjugation Amulet, Burnished Ring) him. I've also tried Otto's Irresistible Dance and Command (grovel or halt).
Has anyone made him stop singing on PC?
@@jimking8342I didn't realize he was supposed to keep singing. I used a scroll of phantasmal killer on him and I'm assume that's what made him stop for me.
@@jimking8342 For me the song played normally. It switched to the normal battle theme briefly, oddly enough, when korilla got nuked, but it returned to the full, normal song afterwards.
Perhaps it got changed?
NO WAY ITS KORILLAAAAAA
oen thing you didnt mention is that the whole "down comes the claw" refers back to his very first sentence when he introduces himself. The whole cat and mouse poem.
This reinforces the feelings that from the very beginning, he was in full control.
Great point! I didn't notice that!
tried the silencing arrow and he didnt stop D: not complaining tho hahah nice that some players experienced that
He certainly wants us to think that.
Interesting how comes out better, assuming she doesn't die.
Either in control or at the very least watching and waiting to pounce.
Isn't it the most obvious thing?
he is actually singing it... if you cast silence on him the lyrics stop but the music continues...
The attention to detail in this game is nuts.
@@FiguringOutFantasy Fr. I feel bad for whoever WotC lets make BG4. I can't imagine how you could possibly top BG3. It's the greatest RPG ever made.
@@ThwipThwipBoom i was thinking about that when i finished it 2 weeks ago...poor bastards.
We COULD try to roll a critical success on Larian convincing them to do it(after Divinity Original Sin 3, of course).
@@ThwipThwipBoom Larian already promised that their next project is gonna be even better.
@@mackrjj Good luck convincing the soulless machine that is Hasbro though.
Him and Thorm being in the same game is madness. Not one but two of the greatest gaming villains ever
We're spoiled as gamers!
Orin balances it out by being so lame.
@@andyenglish4303I like Orin. Especially in the Dark Urge plot I think she’s great. But Ketheric is such a high standard to live up to. He makes his presence known the MOMENT you step into his lands where his curse hangs over you, and then finally getting to the Towers and seeing his immortality in action is… wow.
I think Gortash is the lamest of the 3
Ketheric is lame ASF? He has no principles or true guiding ideal other than power? He kills his daughter after seeming so grateful she's alive? IDK the chosen three were kinda lame but I liked orin the most. Straightforward, understandable, principled (bad ones but still holds true). I guess gortash was interesting bc he reflects real life smarmy wealthy folk who use charisma and money to convince scared people he's their salvation. But even that is a little tired bc it's reality and not special
"Liiiiiives, all mortal liiiiives!"
Firebolt -> Runepowder Barrel
"Expiiiiireeee"
Don't forget to drop a bubble shield, and then send Minthara, Lae'zel, Karlach and/or Asterion out to puree whatever's left of his health.
@@JoshSweetvaleIf there is something left of him, you did not use enough barrels.
I giggled like a child at this
Some immortal lives also expire, as it seems :D
3 runepowder barrels + the bomb. Not to mention the 40 smoke powder kegs I’d saved up to that point.
My favorite part about Raphael is that for all of his frippery and grandstanding, he is absolutely _not_ a pushover and has more than enough power to back up his massive ego.
definitely the most intimidating boss fight for sure, if you don't hit the soul pillars anyway.
It might be cause i was playing i Balanced difficulty and my Karlach was running the GWM brainrot + me as a sorcerer with quickened spell spam + Astarion with a legendary sneak attack bow but his 666 hp lasted only 3 turns. Don't get me wrong, love his theme, just think that he wasnt one of the toughest battles in the game. I'm doing a tactician run rn so I might eat my words when I get back to his bossfight.
@@davidperte62 “I abused and exploited many of the games balance systems so this fight ackually wasn’t hard at all 🤓” no shit
@@uh4875 if you call using the core mechanics of a class, a feat, and an item you get _by progressing the story_ "exploiting the game's mechanics", man you sure have a low standard.
Found the guy who had to switch to explorer xD
The quest with the Orthon Yurgir is such a clever move by Raphael as he managed to get four whole contracts out of one simple situation:
According to an old letter you can read in Act 2 a villager from Reithwin made a deal with Raphael to kill all the dark justiciars so the resistance can rise up against Ketheric Thorm. So Raphael contracted Yurgir to make him kill all the justiciars, and then made another deal with the last surviving justiciar to prolong his life and potentially make Yurgir desperate enough to replace his near impossible job with a new potentially worse contract. The player's role is to end Yurgir's task early in any way which turns into a breach of contract so that Raphael can make that new deal with better negotiating power.
And even if you cross Raphael, he still end up pulling out a win. Maybe not getting as much leverage as he wanted but definitely getting something worthwhile out of the deal.
Actually, that villager from Reithwin is the first character you meet when entering the House of Hope, the skeleton. Have a chat with him next time. 😉
Just recently, I had Yurgir kill Raphael while I used Insect Plague to limit his movement. I was really scared that with his 666 (haha) HP he would be a frustrating fight, but hot damn was he the opposite.
Tip : if you choose to make a deal with Raphael for the Orphic hammer at ' Sharess Caress ', and then go to the House of Hope anyway- be SURE to steal your Soul Contract back BEFORE the final battle in the Portal/ 4 Pillars room.
Otherwise he can use the Contract to cause your Sudden Death & triggering a Game Over ..😮🏴☠️..
And AVOID using Radiant Energy spells that trigger Dmg to the Caster..😬
I have fought him in all 6 of my playthroughs, no matter what else I end up doing in Act 3 I always fight Raphael. Dude is so smug that I just can't help myself
The armor he gives is tough to pass up on!
@@FiguringOutFantasynot just the armor. The amulet is great for concentrationspells
I was the opposite. He annoyed me so I didn’t even bother to go fight him
Update that 6 to a 7 cause I just finished a tactician difficulty playthrough as Karlach. The forces of hell are no match for the power of rune powder bomb and barrels galore
His questline items are beasts and too hard to pass on. The greed really gets ahead of me
two things ill remember about BG3: the fight with raphael, and getting pegged by karlach.
what the
Whar?
@@lordjeebusiii408 y'all didnt get pegged by karlach? what are you gay?
@@shmogaStill on my first playthrough but about to do the final boss, this just convinced me to romance Karlach next run. Lol
@@DirtyDeedsDoneDirtCheapD4Cyikes red flag
I love him he's such a bard.
Nah, Bards are good at sex.
"Have you ever encountered a villain who sings his own boss music?" Yes, The Great Mighty Poo!
Phantom of the Rabbid opera.
Glorious Conker's Bad Fur Day
Added info: If you talk to one of the lil goblins at his place, he will tell that Gortash lived in the hosue of hope for a while. In the ps4 trailer there is even a sentence by larian saying somthing like the lord raised by the devil or something, i dont remember. So the parents sold Gortash to him, and the goblin says that he beat the lil boy up frequently. It is most likely that Gortash knew about the crown because of Raphael. At the end, actually choosing Gortash is the best course of action. After with 2 wisdom checks you can read his mind and he admits he just wants an equal that is not a crazed idiot like Orin. He even feels like you are only his equal if you actively refuse to give him the stones when you get Orin's... with Raphael its always a deal and he always has to have the upper hand at the end. Cant imagine how pissed he might be about the fact that Gortash got the crown and not him. You can ask him how does it feel that mere mortals got the crown before him but he just says they had advantage cause they worked with the diabolist. He just does not want to admit someone outsmarted him. Also fun lil info, in the diabolist shop, there is a little orb that watches over raphael, before going in, you can take a peak at him, but he looks back at you. After you defeat him, you can see him being ready to be consumed by his daddy mephitopheles. If you dont defeat him he admits that after taking the hells he will come to Faerun.
Wow! Lots of awesome info that I couldn’t dig up! The amount of detail in the storytelling that you can miss is astonishing! Thanks for the thoughtful comment.
That is a gnome, not a goblin. There is a big difference. You can also talk to Gortashs mother about that. She sold him to Raphael, believing him to be a warlock. She also said, that she was afraid of her son, when he was a child, so a totally healthy family all around ...
@@fylimarBanespawn, after all.
At least Raphael taught him tact.
With the addition of the Epilogue there's actually a secret interaction available with Raphael if you:
1. Romance Gale and make him defy Mystra
2. Take the contract for the Crown of Karsus
3. Not kill Raphael
Safe to say, it's... REALLY cool.
Thats exactly how my first playthrough went 😂
How can you not kill Raphael if you take the contract? He attacks you when you try to leave the house.
@noamto thats the thing... dont go to his house.
You get the option to make a "deal" with Rapheal at Wyrms Crossing.
@@noamto I think they meant it as in take the deal not the actual part where you take the contract.
Netherbrain: "Get Lost! You're not the main Villain of this game!"
Raphael: "Oh, you're a Villain all right, just not a Super one!"
Netherbrain: "Oh? What's the difference between you and me?!"
::Raphael's Final Act starts playing::
Raphael: "Presentation!"
*Raphael starts to voice warm up*
Megamind move.
LIIIIIIVES
Orthons are devils, not demons.
In Fearun (the name of the game's setting), demons and devils are very distinct creatures that are at war.
You're right, thanks for the clarification!
It's not Faerun, it's just refular D&D. It works like that literally everywhere unless it's some special case that DM insists on.
@@BIGESTblade In Mythic Odessys of Theros, *an official setting book*, it states that there is no difference between devils and demons, and you can use stablocks from either along side the demons presented in the book.
@@The_Crimson_Witch Just like I said, unless it's a special case. In Ebberon, Greyhawk, Dragonlance, Planescape and pretty much everywhere else it all works the same. It's usually even the same characters too. Asmodeus is always the ruler of Nessus and all devils, Mephistopheles is the inventor of Hellfire, Zariel and/or Bel are on Avernus fighting the Blood War. In Abyss Grazzt, Vechna, Orcus and Demogorgon all do their usual chaotic shit.
@@FiguringOutFantasyjust remember that devils are from hell and demons are from the abyss
damnit. I didnt even realize Mol was standing there making a deal with the devil in the Inn. lol. TOTALLY went over my head.
And she did make that deal, you can find her contract in House of Hope and give it to ther back to either get support from her or tell her that you killed Raphael in which case she's absolutely pissed off at you.
a truly great villain, and the VA's voice is like melted caramel for my ears. i find myself always trying to 'sweeten' raphael up by choosing the more naive/passive dialogue options as he'd call you with pet names, only to later on sleep with Harleep and dunk raphael with the sick burn dialogue option. gotta love how the incubus is totally fine with their master getting killed cause they'd be able to rise within the ranks in Avernus later on xD
Haarlep is an absolute champion. Putting up with Raphael for a thousand odd years is no easy feat. Mephisto must've promised them a serious promotion.
@@OMercifulZadkiel i had this same idea tbh! must be a great promotion xD
Dude someone just pointed out to me that Haarlep is just Raphael with the letters switched around and it's the dumbest thing that has blown my mind this week
Raphaels' final act is the greatest boss theme I have ever heard, and nothing can compare to the moment when he starts singing. What I wouldn't give to experience that again for the first time ever. I laughed til I cried and had chills at the same time. So incredible.
My runepowder barrel and vial i stole from the Gnome really helped.
Raphael is literally the only NPC i can never skip any dialogue on, no matter how many replays. He just CHEWS everything and his voice is magic, so smooth, so seductive, and what a fantastic actor, physical and voice.
0:04 The great mighty poo?
Memememe! I am The Great Might Poo, and I will throw my $#!T at you!
Epic Rap Battles of History: Raphael vs The Great Mighty Poo
Nitpick: Raphael is not "The Devil," he is simply just one devil of very many in the DnD worlds.
Exactly!!
The fact that the villains in BG3 have so much depth to their motivations (aside from orin maybe, I know Durge is meant to be the proper chosen of Baal but I do wish she had a little more content with the other origin characters) makes it so replayable. It's not like any antagonist is just "hello I am villain #5", you typically have a way to turn them into an ally. It really lets you get into your character as more morally grey playthroughs may have no qualms making deals with Raphael. It's a very refreshing take on antagonists that reminds me of games like New Vegas, where the villains are half of the fun in the game itself.
Exactly!! It gives you the opportunity to truly feel out each character as they approach in our adventure, and not feel like you are missing out when you choose another option as it just wasn't how your playthrough's story went
What depth is there to the villain's motivations?
@@jonathanalexander9881 of course, major spoilers ahead
But starting in act 1, it's pretty clear that Raphael has SOME ulterior motive to offering to help you, but you don't know what that is yet. Fast forward to when he offers you his contract and he reveals that he not only wants to get the crown of Karsus, but he wants to unite the hells under his control. It's not completely just for power though, as he seems more annoyed at the fact that Mephistopheles never used the crown rather than the fact that he himself didn't get it.
He's quite similar to both the Emperor and Gortash in the manner that their main goal is to come out on top, and at every major turn in the story they are quick to present themselves to the player in an attempt to sway them to their side. As opposed to being overtly combative, they're true to their characters as politician-types and sweet-talkers.
@@texpendable 💀Oookay...
When someone says character "depth" it usually means the character has more to themselves than their main need for power as their sole motivation. Raphael does not have this. He wants power because he is a DnD devil. He tries to manipulate you because he is a DnD devil. He sings his own theme song because he is a DnD devil. There is no hidden agenda revealed about him at any point in the game aside from the fact that he wants the Crown of Karsus (which you find out about in the first place, he does not tell you about it explicitly at any point as some kind of unexpected big reveal) to conquer the Hells, because he is a DnD devil... He does not have some deeply seated trauma or complex character motivations causing him to imprison and torture Hope for a hundred years aside from the fact that he is bad because...*sigh* - because he is a devil with a penchant for poetic twists. His dislike for Mephistopheles is irrelevant, it's merely a detail and not a motivation.
As for the rest of the characters, they are disappointingly shallow. Orin is a blood-crazed Bhaalspawn who does bad things because she is bad. She always has been and there isn't a single redeeming quality about her. She is horrible and it's her only personality trait. Gortash is a complete bore on screen and they wasted his potential by making him a common politician with a lust for power whose story of climbing the ladder from humble origins to where he is is not even touched upon. They could have made more of an effort with his background aside from his cobbler family in a tiny and irrelevant area of Act 3 but they did not. I'm afraid that Larian's idea of writing a sociopath is a comically evil "most important man in the room" with a permanent smirk on their face.
Ketheric Thorm is the only villain in the game with more to him than just being bad because the game needed an antagonist. Act 2 is masterfully crafted, the lore bits you find about him are intriguing and by the time you meet the "feared general" you realize this is a man who was tried and tortured by horrible circumstances and was tragically not strong enough so as not to succumb to his demons. And even when he did succumb, he still did it for his daughter. Ketheric has enough depth to him to put every other villain in BG3 combined to shame.
I won't go into the remainder of BG3's bloated roster of antagonists because this is getting long enough already and I doubt anyone will read this anyway, but I will quickly mention Cazador who is little more than a bad guy who does bad things because he is bad (notice a trend already?). Larian tried to create some pity for him if you read his mind while he is in his coffin but his self-loathing inner monologue is incongruent with his actions and is not logically causal. The Emperor was an interesting idea on paper, something like a mirror of our player's choices who would play a big role in the game's ending, only to fall flat at the end during that "one" scene where he just throws everything out the window and joins the Netherbrain because Larian wanted a twist. It was very poorly done and the Seven gods in D:OS2 were way more interesting in that regard. Skyrim's Paarthurnax is a more interesting character than The Emperor.
Now don't get me wrong, the voice acting in BG3 is phenomenal and carries the game through its massive issues on its back. Every time Raphael was on screen he took the spotlight. Orin's mad tantrums were a joy to listen to and the little bits from the Song of Balduran playing in the background whenever the Emperor talked to us was a great foreshadow of his real identity. Nothing could really save Gortash, however, as not even his voice acting could save him from the slop of a script Larian gave him. But I'm afraid voice acting can only go so far in a game with so many conflicting antagonists and mediocre writing and reading all the other comments around here I can't help but feel like I'm on one of those hidden prank shows trying to make me think I'm crazy. "Raphel and Thorm [...] two of the greatest villains ever?" Seriously? And what's this about people going mad over Raphels' theme song? It's cool to listen to, yeah, but the lyrics are kinda cringe and it's far from being one of the best themes. I feel like people have not taken off their rose-tinted glasses yet and I'm hoping that in time we might be able to have a decent discussion about just how low our standards have fallen.
@@jonathanalexander9881 bro wrote a small novel in the youtube comments fr
but anyways
P1: being a bombastic dnd devil isn't a bad thing, and the majority of his presence is told through environmental storytelling, as you see his effect on various characters and areas in the game, as well as texts you read which mention him. He's not anything out of a Shakespeare play but he's a refreshing villain because he's comically villainous while not being too samey.
P2: You're completely ignoring everything concerning orin's family (sarevok, durge, and the other baalspawn). Especially with the context of BG 1 and 2 most of her character is told by precedent. With Gortash, his main connection to the character is through Karlach, with him being the MAIN driving force against her. Also, his "ambiguous beginnings" are that he was literally sold to Raphael by his parents, explaining why he retaliated by essentially lobotomizing them. His plans (which are told by cutscenes as well as various journals) explain so much of the background driving plot in the game that he can't really be shrugged off as irrelevant, even if he's a dick on screen.
P4: I think Cazador is the only major villain that they dropped the ball on, as he's essentially Raphael-1. The Emperor, however, is written greatly IMO as he gradually gets revealed as a straight up rat that will do anything to keep himself at the very least alive. He sides with the Netherbrain because he knows he'll eventually find a way to break free again, not just to make a cheap twist.
As for Raphael's theme, music is subjective lol, if you don't like it that doesn't mean it can't be beloved by others
also, "how low our standards have fallen", in regards to the game that had AAA devs shitting their britches and complaining that people shouldn't expect such good games in the future, lol. I'm interested to hear what you consider a good game
Have not played this game yet (I do plan to get it) but I do enjoy watching clips of him. Andrew Wincott's performance as Raphael is so brilliant, that almost every male fictional villian I read, I end up reading them in his voice!
ah man, you should’ve thrown in a clip of the song when raphael and the female singer’s voices swell super loud at the same time! that part is the peak of the song! it’s at the very end of the song when they both sing “YOUR TOMB”
Only so much I felt I could've included narratively. But trust me... I know exactly the moment you're talking about. Wish I could've included the whole song!
@@FiguringOutFantasy totally understand! love that song
There’s also that one ending where you didn’t go to the house of hope, gale becomes god of ambition, and he sticks it up to Raphael and banishes the devil away.
Raphael is evil for sure, but he is also honorable in that he doesn't lie to you and does keep his word. He is indeed an extremely well done character in this game.
Well, he IS a bard XD One of my favourite moments is when you sneak approach him near the entrance of the mausoleum, you can actually hear him practicing his lines.
Silence, Devil!
「 S T R O N G R U N E
P O W D E R B O M B 」
I’ve literally never considered not killing him in all of my play-throughs. He’s such a stereotypical devil in 5e Faerun. When he first meets you, he has no real understanding or comprehension of what you may become….. no true eye for the future of your moves. I’ll admit I don’t get the hype around him.
Every time he offers me the deal in act 3, I just wish there was a dialogue option for
“Remember when you a were a bitch to me at level 3… well, now 3 levels is all that separates us… so I’m gonna rob you and kill you in your crib, just to prove a fucking point, you self absorbed nobody.”
Man’s got NOTHING on Mizora…. That bitch comes to YOUR CAMP, doesn’t say shit when Orin kidnaps a hoe, and then tries to slide in to your DMs INFRONT of a romanced Wyll….. she is cold as Cocytus.
Amazing video, dude. Honestly, the main way I've been trying to sell BG3 to my mates recently is that the boss I'd just fought had a full musical-theatre number as he kicked the shit out of me. No other game has that.
Wait, i'm the greatest Villain of a generation? Whoa
I didn’t know Korilla could appear at more parts of the game!! This game is insane I love it so much
Did you catch her lurking behind a cart in the shadow cursed lands? Right before the stairs up to Raphael before the grand mausoleum? Always watching…
@@FiguringOutFantasy omg no I had no idea! I wish I’d seen her there my first run I would have been so confused 😆 I will look out for her when I get there again.
Impeccable analysis!
The villains of this game are spectacular and, even if it’s extremely hard, Raphael is able to surpass them all. As the title of this video states, he’s truly the greatest villain of this generation.
Happy to hear your enjoy his character as much as I do! Thanks for the thoughtful comment.
@@FiguringOutFantasy Would you like to analyze other characters as well? Katheric, for example?
@@caiacw Oh there is plenty more to come don’t you worry! If people are enjoying then I’ll continue to deliver!
@@FiguringOutFantasy Good! I’ll turn on the notifications, then!
Bro, I got to take some notes so I can improve my own dnd campaigns. The part about "any villain that makes you question whether you should make them an ally or fight them feels infinitely more potent" is alone making me super hyped to try and implement that type of character into my games.
This is one of my favorite comments I've gotten! I'm stoked to hear I could inspire your DND campaign!!
Honestly if You are familiar with greater DnD lore taking Raphael's deal makes the most sense, the only reason not to would be if you want to do the boss fight, even if Raphael becomes a god AND manages to conquer the 9 hells by defeating or negotiating with the archdukes the simple fact that Asmodeus isn't even mentioned just shows how little of a threat Raphael actually is, his final line taking on the meaning of "you have no idea what you are signing up for" rather than "that was pretty threatening".
It's ironic how he attacks Karsus and Gale's character concerning "ambition" when he seems to be wrapped up in his own ambition himself. On an unsuspecting party though, he could come across as a much greater figure in the world than he really is. There are countless devils in the hells after all. Thanks for the comment!
Thing is that Raph isnt even a full devil, he's a cambion, a bastard devil.....THE DEVIL however.....thats a much more frightening experience
Although he behaves like a Pit Fiend.
Zariel worked her way up to become an archdevil. Considering he can get some of those to pledge their support if he gets the crown means he can at least get on their level. Asmodeus is still probably gonna vaporize him but still, Hell is kind of meritocratic
@@elseggs6504I guarantee Asmodeus was 100% watching the whole thing going “I’m gonna enjoy killing this little bitch, stupid hoes gonna bring me that crown gift wrapped in his skull.”
However, I also found Raph low key kinda boring…. too stereotypical villain and not enough DnD Devil. A devil is as Lawful as they are Evil…. I want to see that erotic and terrifying love of bureaucracy. It’s why I love Mizora…. Yeah she’s always scheming , but she gets the way the 9 hells actually works and knows who her fucking boss is…. Plus she’s straight cold, just watching as Orin Steals a motherfucker from your camp… I bet she stopped a bitch just to have a nice chat.
Means it helps he is the son of MEPHISTOPHELES who is arguably the second most powerful being in the nine hells known for his mastery of arcane magic.
It's really not a bad idea to give raph the crown, he claims he'll use it to rule the nine hells but if you know anything about that you know he has no chance, his massive ego makes sure he's doomed either way. Either you clap him because he underestimates you or someone like Asmodeus does effortlessly.
That's why this game is so great! You can reason your way through making any choice you want. Thanks for the comment!
But do you really want Asmodeus, of all entities, to have access to such an artifact in that case?
@@jeremygilbert7989 I mean, what's he gonna do? He's already a god. Mephistopheles had the crown under his couch for thousands of years at this point. Asmodeus could've had it by now if he wanted it. If anything he knows that whoever tries to use it will get absolutely crapped on by Mystra, just like Karsus was, which is why Mephistopheles never used it himself.
@@BIGESTbladethe only reason she did that though gale was because he tried to supplant her, there’s no reason to bother if that’s not the case. A good example of this is when gale becomes the god of ambitious, she wasn’t apposed so no need to smite
@o71434 You think Mystra would have no issues with a fiend becoming a god?
5:58 The saying is actually - "better the devil you know than the devil you don't know" but pretty much the same meaning
When i discovered the house of hope and wormed my way through, and finally hit the climax and the song hit ; man, I was HYSTERICAL !
He's such a great villain. honestly they could have gotten away with making him a one shot boss in some obscure quest, but they gave him story and built up to his final act. Brilliantly written, brilliantly performed, just brilliant.
Raphael is text book lawful evil. He's very upfront, very straight forward and while all of his machinations are evil and self serving, most of the time he does truly want to help the player, but to further his own evil goals. As long as the players goals align with his own, he'll gladly give the player the tools they need to defeat the brain. He reminds me of Gortash in that way, as Gortash does the exact same thing before getting #rekt'd by the Netherbrain.
The leadup to his fight was incredible... the entirety of House of Hope is just hammering home "you shouldn't be here". And most of this games fight music is kind of generic and blends into the background... so it stood out all the more when there was suddenly silence for a few moments... before that singer belts out a dirge for your impending death... Definitely a moment that will live on in my memory for quite some time.
The fight with him gives me goosebumps every time I fight it. I'm on my honor mode play through now. I just *LOVE* this game!
First time i met him i was solo exploring the rafters of the goblin sanctum after killing the leaders, having split up from my party so i can traverse easier.
No night vision and with only a torch in the dark, it was truly menacing having raphael exit from the shadows with all his swagger and menace. Best entrance ever!
I believe the phrase is “better the devil you know than the one you don’t” actually
Raphael is magisterly written. I will coming back to him for a long time.
16:58 in an interview Raphael’s v/a stated that it was all done in one take. Incredible.
BAFTA nom totally deserved for the v/a mr. Andrew Wincott.
Tactician Run: Fighting this guy without cheesing him like using explosive barrels and the invulnerable sphere was the the second most difficult fight I had encountered (first was Ansur) I've ever endured
(destroying the pillars doesn't count as cheesing)
Raphael died because he tried to run away to use his aoe spell, but got caught by opportunity attack from zombie and got paralyzed for 2 turns.
I've only watched 1 minute of the video so far. Before I continue I just want to stop and take note of the fact that you really accurately differentiated the roles of Antagonist and Villain. I'm looking forward to the rest of this video now.
I hope you enjoyed!
Raphael put recent Disney villains to shame.
Yup. heavy agree on Raphael being one of the greatest villains.
heck... this might just be copium on how underwhelming the two chosen were after ketheric, (as well as naratively the netherbrain being a 'meh' BBEG for first impressions) but i think Raphael is the mastermind behind the plot of the game, or at least have a theory for such.
Raphael was old enough to see the downfall of netheril. He wants the crown. His father has it. what he needs is plausible deniability. It's revealed that gortash's parents sold him to Raphael.
So what does Raphael do? create the scenario where gortash and durge would go and get the crown and use it to gain power.
Next would be securing adventurers... powerful people to destroy the netherbrain. He would do this by securing the astral prism and the emperor, someone who could use the powers to stand against the strength of the brain, ending up with a band of adventurers that want to be rid of the tadpoles. After all, it is awfully convinient that he has the orphic hammer... orpheus. As well as just so happens to have the very thing needed to destroy his shackles. And the very same shackles on Hope herself. It's also shown in the deal that he has the power to shut out the emperor's communication.
Next... he meets the adventurers that he has slated to destroy the netherbrain and eventually get the crown. He worms his way into your head, making sure you know that he's an option, and when able, sending someone to save you and keep an eye on you. Of course, he also continuously keeps tabs on you, and ensures that you still keep him in mind with showing up in the shadow lands. Just to ensure you always remember him as an option....
Lastly, when you know the stakes, that's when he plays his hand, trying to get you to trust the gith over the mind flayer. you save who you want to save... and he gets what he wants.
all without directly going against his own father.
I feel that theory could very well have some hints of reality to it! Thank you for such a thoughtful comment!
I beat him yesterday, and at first I thought it was kinda underwhelming he only changed his appearance slightly during the fight.
Then he transformed into that one form that looked like a demonic xenomorph and I got a little scared.
13:10 deal! No further details of the agreement. You have yourself a deal my fine gentleman!
Raphael would be proud of me! Happy to have you along for the ride.
His Voiceactor would have deserved an Award! He is perfect and made Raph so strong, besides the writing!
He won the BAFTA for best performer in a supporting role.
Rapheal is nothing that a few barrels of runepowder and my extremely damaged eardrums cant handle
That fight was the most memorable just for the freaking song. Holy crap, Larian out did themselves with that one.
if we get a 4th game i would love for him to be the main villain, along with some more isobel and aylin screentime, plus a grown up arabella
Sorry mate, not gonna happen , I killed him :(
Raphael in Act 2 at the temple: i remember feeling so happy to have this character/actor in this game.
11:59 I’d have to disagree there, the strongest source of power is actual 12 barrels of smoke powder.
I liked the song and stuff but everytime I saw Rapheal I was just like "This fucking lame poet guy again? Get out of here" he was just never an intimidating presence to me.
The last game I can think of with a villain as great as Raphael was Vaas in FarCry 3. But to be fair, Vaas wasn't as important in the story as Raphael is in BG3.
I’m not familiar with Vaas personally, but if he’s any sort of caliber like Raphael I might have to check him out! Thanks for the comment!
Both are red-coded cults of personality, but so different in demeanor
Gaunter O'Dimm still smokes Raphael imo and hes the closest to a being like Raphael i can think of
Really sucks that he and Mizora never talk about each other.
Fun Fact: If you sleep with Harleep and make him tell you about Raphael's performance in bed, you can use it as a comeback as you "final words" 😂
Raphael is an interloper. He gets in the way of unfolding events and changes their course from outside of their context. He's clearly done this before, such as when he sent Yurgir and his merregons to kill the Sharrans in their gauntlet when said Sharrans were threatening what would later become the cursed woods. He also offers the party a hammer they'll need to release Orpheus, if they don't just take the hammer from him, that is.
Larian’s sound tracks are fire, when i heard Raphael’s them i was flabbergasted-
Raphael is one of the most intriguing characters by far. He’s one of the only main character that we have no direct ties to. Everyone else has something tying them to a character. He’s also the only character that reaches out to us instead of us reaching out to them. Oddly enough he’s the only character that meets us in his domain versus us meeting them in their domain.
I feel like there’s more to Raphael than what we’ve discovered… as in, more dialogue, more cut scenes, more options. Etc. we just need to find them
Best fictional demon villain since Screwtape!
I'm surprised Hope wasn't discussed. Her character and the supplemental materials really help inform Raphael's character even more. He waits for people to reach their darkest moments, but he's obsessed with Hope and forcing her submission. Raphael names his house after her and it seems he doesn't plan on killing her even after she assisted the party. There's a power exchange between the two. I wish Hope got more attention because she's amazing.
Looking back, there is a lot more that I could've covered in this video. Hoping to potentially remake it someday without leaving a stone unturned!
@@FiguringOutFantasy o i would love that so much
*sees a well-groomed, well-dressed, teleporting man in the middle of nowhere*
Me: *sighs* okay, devil you know joke in 3… 2…
Raphael: what’s better than a devil you don’t know?
Me: Anybody gonna get that phone, CUZ I FUGGIN CALLED IT.
7:45 I recently replayed the game (as you do) and this time around, because I was a druid, so I permanently had speak with animals and had developed the habit of speaking with any animal I saw since I felt that was appropriate for this character and what they'd do, managed to uncover the secret in the gauntlet of shar revolving around the hidden justiciar-- and the hints that Raphael himself was the one who hid him so that Yurgir would be trapped as he couldn't fulfill the contract. I'd thought for sure that meant this time I'd free Yurgir instead of killing him in some way like I'd done before, but nope, here came Raphael, a surprise appearance from him since I'd never seen him inside the gaunlet of shar before, to inform us all that Yurgir was in breach of contract due to letting the player fulfill his contract for him.
That was the moment that truly elevated Raphael for me; he was already a great villain and I loved him even before this, but when I saw how everything tied in so well together like that, I loved him and this game even more.
I just love how big the world feels; Raphael, despite his sporadic appearances so far, has a PRESENCE pretty much eveywhere you look in this game, really making him feel like he's always been there all along, long before you even booted up the game, a detail that is consistent with his character. Such clever writing with his character and storyline.
Honestly my favorite part about him was the freeing of Hope and the way characters describe everything he’s done to her just because of curiosity
Raphael wasn't the main villain but his fight felt far more personal than the Elder Brain and the Mindflayers. He chewed every scene he was in and was a delight to watch everytime!
14:30 Only opportunity....? My bard stealing it and saying Raphael is a bad lay 😎 (he then sings his boss music)
One of the best villains in gaming history. He was so entertaining to watch. And when he started singing in his boss battle, I've never had so much fun during a boss fight.
As cool of a character as he is, I think it's safe to assume that he was very much inspired by Gaunter o'Dimm. Nothing wrong with that, and definitely done well and in an original way, though I don't think he surpassed the original, with those being the key things.
- Raphael has a clear goal in mind, something that he works to, gathering his strength, while Master Mirror already has everything (or doesn't let us know there is something else he can't get himself) and only does things for fun
- Raphael reveals his true form, removing the aspect of mystery and dread of unknown, whereas Gaunter does not. Raphael also takes an obviously standing-out form, whilst Gaunter looks like a common, unsuspecting man.
- Raphael can be fought and defeated, while Gaunter can only be 'defeated' by using his own contract rules against him, and he makes a very potent show of his abilities that the player (Geralt) can't beat (Notice how Geralt loses to Caranthir for the first time as he is frozen and thus can't move. Master Mirror just stops the time all together).
- Raphael sings a banger song, though one that takes away from the fear factor. Gaunter does not have any comedy about him.
- Raphael is humanized (the succubus for example, his father) while the only things we know about Gaunter are related to what he does as his 'job'.
Of course it's entirely possible that these two were two different types of chatacters, but I think that Gaunter o'Dimm has a much stronger presence.
I haven't beaten the witcher 3 yet personally, so I can't speak on Gaunter O'Dimm, but from the sounds of it he is the first character that comes to many people's minds when thinking of a comparison to Raphael. And from your description it sounds like they aim to achieve similar goals, but it also sounds like they may just have different tactics on how to get to that end goal. Raphael by default is cunning and witty to the point of putting on a show which has it's own intimidation factor off of his confidence, while Gaunter sounds like he embodies much more of a "true villain" status and carries the aspects that would come along with the best of them. Thanks for such a well thought out comment!
To be fair, Raph is 'a' devil. Dimm is 'The' Devil. Two extremely different levels of power and presence in the worlds they inhabit. Raph is more entertaining, whereas Dimm is more intimidating and powerful. Both are manipulative in similar ways though. Raph plays the devil on your shoulder, Dimm is just classic biblical Devil though, to the point the whole DLC is based off of a Devil tale.
6:00 I think you got it backwards. The phrase is "The better the devil you know", as in "it's better to make deals with an enemy you understand because you know what they're capable of, as oppose to an unknown enemy who might do anything to you".
My interpretation is that a devil who knows you could be more dangerous than the devil you don’t, because they know how to take advantage of your desires? Too wordy for my brain 😅
In many ways Raphael is a classic devil. With good writing for him, an exceptional performance capture of motion and voice by the actor - and weaving in the music into the package as well, it shows why a classic devil is, well, a classic.
It was often overused in many books and plays and/or not written well, but when it *is* done well like in BG3 they make for great antagonists precisely because they are often charming, have a dramatic flair that makes them memorable and always make sure to have the upper hand that lets them savor their superiority.
On top of that, the fact that they *are* honest in their deals also helps them being compelling, because villains so often are not honest.
To be sure, they very much will trap you with the exact wording of the contract, or the absence of a specific phrase in it. The letter of the law/contract is both the trap and the escape route for the player/protagonist.
On my third playthrough, I finally fought him, and it was fantastic to tear through his house and free Hope, especially because I'm romancong Karlach, so it provides a fun headcanon of my Tav and her using it as a safehouse while in Avernus.
i will never stop loving that they use the incredible Tigger quote of TTFN.
I think "Great Minghy Poo" also sings his music ;)
In every playthrough I’ve done I’ve refused the contract, stole the hammer, and then never used it. I always kill him just for the loot you can get in the house of hope
I clicked on this video before the thumbnail loaded and fully expected it to be about Handsome Jack so i appreciate that he at least got a shoutout. Dudes always gonna be the GOAT in my eyes but singing your own boss music is baller i gotta admit.
I agree . Raphael and his house of hope are the BEST part of the game . I made a save file just so I could replay it anytime
Easily the most epic fight I've had in game so far. I thought if I abandoned Hope I could get out in time and would have some advantage by fighting him back in Faerun instead of the House of Hope. Then he cuts off the portal and strolls up and I'm like "Oh... oh no." Then I used an inspiration to persuade Yurgir to switch sides, and then as his summons and my summons (Us and 6 Ghouls) charged at each other, Shadowheart used Bestow Curse and then Gale used Hold Monster. Shadowheart puts Darkness on us and then I switched to Slayer form since I was getting ganked and started smashing as many autocrits as possible while Astarion was sniping down the devils when my Ghouls paralysed them.
Although even all this wasn't quite enough and I started spamming the potions I'd been hoarding since the start of the game. Everyone gets fire resistance and I give myself and Shadowheart Haste. And even then it still nearly all went to hell because he busted out of Hold Monster in the same turn me and Shadowheart got stunned from the potions wearing off. He would've nuked us then and there but Astarion's dagger casts silence and I managed to swipe him. At no other point in the game was everyone's individual role so crucial.
Although in my first load of initiative he took down half my team in one turn before I worked out my strategy.
Rafael's Final Act is just yet ANOTHER mind-blowing experience from this game that is cemented in my 35 year gaming experience as a core gaming moment. Everything written, acted, delivered regarding Rafael is top tier performance by Larian. Unbelievable game.
Raphael VA was straight up..
Fire 😎
His fight was hands down my absolute favorite in the entire game and the only one that came close was the Avatar of Myrkul, but even then Raphael blows Myrkul out of the water.
I made a manual save before his fight and I keep it just so I can replay the fight whenever I wish.
I love his voice and presence. True bard at his core. I can't believe he only had 30 minutes of screentime
I absolutely adore the way he's written and the way he acts and carries himself. But I would pretty much never engage much with him as I usually play chaotic good types of characters who would never take a devil's deal. In my first playthrough I didn't even try freeing Orpheus because I couldn't justify accepting the deal with him from my character's point of view - I didn't even hear him out.
My favourite thing is.
If you're all respectful and fearful at the first meeting, he basically shits on you.
But if you shit talk him, he seems to respect you more
So he *wants* you to be combative with him, not just all for him right off the bat
The fact his VA wasn't nominated is CRIMINAL
Raphael is particularly skilled at one thing, and that one thing is pissing me off. It makes him grating in every scene where I'm forced to interact with him, but also makes it VERY gratifying when I beat the everloving shit out of him as he's helpless to fight back because he's trapped in an Air Myrmidon flail chain stun. Devils < Druids.