He wasn't supposed to be the hero. When Crystal Dynamics and director Amy Hennig first started conceptualizing the sequel to Silicon Knights’ cult classic Blood Omen, the protagonist wasn't even a vampire. He was a "shifter" in a completely different IP called Chakan: The Forever Man or a brand-new concept entirely. But fate—and IP rights—intervened. What we got instead was a blue-skinned, jawless wraith with tattered wings and a scarf that hid a horrific wound. Legacy of Kain Raziel became an icon of the PS1 era not because he was powerful, but because he was a victim.
Most protagonists from the late 90s were power fantasies. Duke Nukem, Lara Croft, even Kain himself in the first game. Raziel was different. He was executed. Thrown into the Lake of the Dead by his own father-god for the "sin" of evolving wings before his master. It’s a brutal, Shakespearean opening that immediately divorced the player from the typical "save the world" trope. You weren't saving Nosgoth; you were seeking a very personal, very violent revenge.
The Tragedy of the Scavenger Lieutenant
Raziel didn't start as a monster. Before he was a wraith, he was a vampire. And before he was a vampire, he was a Sarafan priest—a holy warrior dedicated to exterminating the very species he eventually became. This irony is the bedrock of the entire series. When you play Soul Reaver, you’re essentially peeling back layers of a cosmic joke played by the Elder God, a giant squid-like entity that claims to be the "Wheel of Fate" but is really just a parasite.
The genius of the character design lies in the limitations of the hardware. Raziel’s lack of a lower jaw wasn't just a cool aesthetic choice; it allowed the developers to focus more on his expressive eyes and the flowing motion of his cowl, which masked the technical difficulty of animating a mouth in 1999. It’s funny how technical debt sometimes creates legendary character design. Honestly, if he’d had a face, he probably wouldn't have been half as memorable.
Raziel's soul-sucking mechanic replaced the traditional health bar. You didn't find floating hearts or medkits in the ruins of Nosgoth. You hunted. You tore the souls out of your fallen brothers—Melchiah, Zephon, Rahab—each one more mutated and grotesque than the last. This wasn't just gameplay; it was narrative progression. Every boss you killed gave you a piece of their "evolution," the very thing Kain executed you for. It’s a tight, circular narrative loop that most modern games struggle to replicate despite having a thousand times the processing power.
Why the Legacy of Kain Raziel Narrative is a Headache (In a Good Way)
If you try to explain the plot of Soul Reaver 2 or Defiance to someone who hasn't played them, you’ll sound like a conspiracy theorist. Time travel. Paradoxes. Multiple timelines where the "Soul Reaver" blade is actually Raziel himself, trapped in a cycle of eternal agony. It’s dense. Amy Hennig’s writing didn't treat players like idiots. She used words like "perennial," "supplicant," and "precipice" without blinking.
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The relationship between Kain and Raziel is arguably the best-written rivalry in gaming history. It isn't a simple hero-versus-villain story. By the time you get to the Pillars in the later games, you realize Kain is trying to find a "third option" in a rigged game of destiny. Raziel is the only creature in Nosgoth with free will—a literal "glitch" in the machine of fate.
This makes his eventual sacrifice in Legacy of Kain: Defiance feel earned. He wasn't just a puppet of the Elder God anymore. He chose his end. Most games today rely on choice-based endings to give the player agency, but Legacy of Kain did the opposite. It showed you a fixed, bleak destiny and then showed you the sheer, bloody-minded will it took to change one single moment.
The Voice Performance That Defined an Era
We have to talk about Michael Bell. Without his performance, Raziel might have just been another edgy 90s anti-hero. Bell brought a weary, aristocratic dignity to the role. Even when he was screaming in rage at the Elder God (voiced by the late, legendary Tony Jay), there was a sense of profound sadness.
The recording sessions for these games were unique. Unlike modern games where actors often record their lines alone in a booth, the Legacy of Kain cast recorded together. This allowed the actors to play off each other’s energy. You can hear it in the timing of the barbs they trade. When Kain (Simon Templeman) calls Raziel his "right hand," the response isn't just a line of dialogue; it’s a sneer you can feel through the speakers.
The Soul Reaver Blade: A Paradox in Steel
The weapon Raziel carries isn't just a sword. It’s a character. The physical Blade was forged to drain the blood of its victims, but when it shattered against Raziel in the first game, its spirit bonded to him. This created the "Wraith Blade."
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- The Physical Realm: The blade is a flicker of energy that drains your health if you’re at full power.
- The Spectral Realm: It is your only constant companion, never breaking, always hungry.
- The Elemental Upgrades: From Fire and Ice to Light and Darkness, the blade's evolution mirrored the decaying world around it.
There is a specific moment in Soul Reaver 2 where Raziel realizes he is the spirit inside the sword. It’s a "Luke, I am your father" moment, but much more existential. He is essentially looking at his own tomb and his own future simultaneously. The series explored the concept of "The Edge of the Coin"—the idea that fate isn't just A or B, but a thin, improbable middle ground. Raziel was that edge.
Is a Comeback Actually Possible?
For years, fans lived on breadcrumbs. We had the canceled Dead Sun project, which leaked footage showed a very different, perhaps too "modernized" take on the world. Then we had Nosgoth, a multiplayer game that lacked the narrative soul of the originals. It felt like the franchise was buried in the Lake of the Dead for good.
Then Embracer Group bought the IP from Square Enix. Suddenly, things changed. A survey released in late 2022 by Crystal Dynamics received over 100,000 responses from fans begging for a revival. That's a massive number for a dormant "cult" hit. We now have the Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver 1 & 2 Remastered collection, which is a huge step toward proving the IP's viability.
The challenge is that Raziel's story is technically finished. Defiance wrapped up his personal arc in a way that’s hard to undo without cheapening his sacrifice. However, the world of Nosgoth is vast. The era of the Sarafan, the early days of Kain’s empire, or even a complete reimagining are all on the table. But for the purists, Raziel is the franchise. His silhouette—the cowl, the glowing eyes, the spectral blade—is one of the most recognizable designs in the medium.
Actionable Steps for Fans and Newcomers
If you’re looking to dive back into the abyss or experience the story for the first time, don't just jump into a random wiki. The experience is in the atmosphere and the dialogue.
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1. Play the Remasters over the Originals
While the original PS1 and PC versions have charm, the camera controls in the 1999 Soul Reaver were a product of their time (and not in a good way). The remasters provide the necessary quality-of-life updates to make the platforming feel less like a chore and more like the fluid movement the developers originally intended.
2. Watch the "Soul Reaver: The Dead Sun" Leaks
If you want to see where the series almost went, look up the canceled PS4-era footage. It’s a fascinating look at how developers tried to translate the gothic horror of Nosgoth into a post-Shadow of Mordor gaming landscape. It serves as a great "what if" for the community.
3. Read the "Raziel" Comic Tie-ins
There are various promotional comics and lore deep-dives from the late 90s and early 2000s that flesh out the Sarafan era. Understanding Raziel’s life as a human crusader makes his fall as a vampire—and his rebirth as a wraith—much more impactful.
4. Focus on the Dialogue
Seriously. Turn the subtitles on. The script for these games is written in a style of English that you just don't see in games anymore. It’s dense, theatrical, and unapologetically intellectual. Pay attention to how Kain and Raziel manipulate each other through language alone.
The legacy of Raziel isn't just about a cool character design or a neat time-travel plot. It's about the rare instance where a studio took a massive risk on a depressing, philosophical, and complex narrative in an era dominated by mascot platformers. Raziel remains a testament to the idea that players want more than just a win condition; they want a story that stays with them long after the console is turned off.
Next Steps for the Nosgoth Obsessed:
Check out the official "Lost Worlds" archives online to see the cut content from Soul Reaver, including the original intended ending where Raziel uses a "Sonic Organ" to wipe out the vampire race. It provides a stark contrast to the time-traveling epic the series eventually became.