Deckard Cain, bad guy in Diablo 3

[Coleridge]

Quoted from the Diablo 3 FAQ


It has been twenty years since the events of Diablo II. Of those who faced the Lords of Hatred, Terror, and Destruction in the battle over the fate of Sanctuary, there are few still living who can bear to remember the horrors that the Prime Evils wrought upon the world. And of those who did not witness the terrible events firsthand, most believe the stories to be little more than myth. But something evil is stirring once again in Tristram, and it may already have claimed its first victim: Deckard Cain.
He's the new Diablo! ;)

[ironbarb]

There's the "maybe" in the quote, and the barbarian saving him in the gameplay video. I guess the "maybe" references him being lost in the dungeons, or what do you, guys, think.

[tuxor]

I think that was just referring to the fact that he was being attacked in the dungeons, but Diablo Cain would be sicknasty.

[Arkansaw]

Stay awhile and Listen!

[stillman]

I like how the barb is OLD. He looks really well designed. His armor too.
I kind of don't like the old rescue Cain again, go back to Tristram again theme. It reminds me of Terminator 3 with the same old plan to send a machine back in time to kill John Connor. Anyway, I also like the inventory screen; not just a static paper doll format. Looks like there are 12 slots for gear instead of 10.

[Erwwwd]

Stay awhile and Listen!

Judging by a certain page in Cains journal, I think we'll be hearing

"I sense a soul in search of answers"

again.

[Leohappy]

But something evil is stirring once again in Tristram, and it may already have claimed its first victim: Deckard Cain.sounds like the pandemonium event from D2

[Cwicseolfor]

I highly doubt Cain will turn evil.

[Arkansaw]

Cain's leg for the new cow level?

[Felix]

Corrupted Tyrael, what else?

[DayDream]

Corrupted Tyrael, what else?

Awesome cool angel going bad? Awesome cool.

Looks like I may have to upgrade my computer as the game is approaching.

[jamesisbest]

So far the ideas for the main antagonist(s) I've seen in order of popularity:
Corrupt Tyrael
Evil Deckard
Belial/Azmodan

Any other creative ideas? I definately think all 3 on the list are viable. I hope they have a few awesome bosses like the Butcher from D1 and Diablo from D2 ("Not even death can save you from me!" gave me chills back in the day)

[Erwwwd]

Any other creative ideas?

Adria

Why else would there be an entire page in Cain's journal about her, in which he's saying he is a bit suspicious about the witch.

But a more creative idea:

Spongebob Squarepants,

definitely a possibility

[stillman]

Farnahm's Revenge--do I smell an expansion? Or is that booze...

[Tanith]

I am predicting that we will see Adria in some form or other, based on the journal page and also the fact that she was conspicuously absent from the smouldering remains of Tristram in D2.

Tanith ;)

[J Cash]

no no no, Cain cant be evil, who else will identify my magic items?

[Cwicseolfor]

ADRIA and Farnahm!!! Woo. Awesome awesome awesome!

[kakunashanow]

Diablo 3 def. needs farnham

[sicilian]

Man, Cain was old back in Diablo 1... he must be over 100 in this one if it's 20 years later!

[Arkansaw]

Good Angel Gone Bad, Tyrael, what you at?

[Erwwwd]

Good Angel Gone Bad, Tyrael, what you at?

It happens when he has a moment of "perfect happiness" with a blonde Vampire Slayer.

[Zarniwoop]

I loved how he interrupted him in the middle of his "stay awhile and..."

[Arkansaw]

Adria - Cain's sunset romance in a desperate bid to prolong the Horadrim line -
plays right into the hands of *unnamed prime evil X* as Adria turns out to be a spy and will coax Cain into betraying the forces of good. Before Cain would have discovered his faltering judgement of character, he would have had a hand in the creation of the ultimate demonspawn - the Horadrim Evil

[Zeek]

He also mentioned he was having nightmares after being rescued from Tristram. I wonder if he's being possessed slowly too.

[Hello Jim]

I think Cain is deffenitly a key char here.
However, I don't see Tyral turn evil. In the trailer and artwork he looks much like he's leading the attack on the forces from Hell.

And yeah, the "they never listen" thing was AWESOME (:

[Booner]

http://i279.photobucket.com/albums/kk141/Boonerang42/diablo-1.jpg

[Meenah]

100% Win right there.

[Giriath]

Diablo, Mephisto and Baal have all been defeated and had their soulstones destroyed. I would be surprised if any of them could return to Sanctuary. As such, Blizzard might have decided to implement a new Prime Evil.

"When Deckard Cain returns to the ruins of Tristram's Cathedral seeking clues to new stirrings of evil, a comet from the heavens strikes the very ground where Diablo once entered the world. The comet carries a dark omen in its fiery being and it calls the heroes of Sanctuary to defend the mortal world against the rising powers of the Burning Hells – and even the failing luminaries of the High Heavens itself." - Blizzard

This confirms that the comet falls from the Heavens (which would imply the Heaven realm, not the Earth's sky) and is most likely the source of evil that spreads through Sanctuary in D3. This illustration has many similarities with Lucifer's fall from Heaven. His fall is often illustrated as a comet striking Earth and splitting up into three sixes before impact. Blizzard's text also says the luminaries of the High Heavens are failing. According to the Bible, this is what caused Lucifer and his followers to be banished from Heaven. He led a rebellion against God, which certainly upset and stirred God, Jesus and the rest of the Archangels.

"And the Heavens shall tremble" - Blizzard

In the Bible, it is said that Lucifer's fall caused the Earth to tremble. He still aims to return to Heaven and take the throne of God. In other words - to make the Heavens tremble. Lucifer is commonly considered to be Satan, or the Devil, which in Spanish translates to Diablo.

When the Worldstone was destroyed, the barrier that separated the mortal realm from the Hells and Heavens disappeared. Maybe the angels banished from Heaven during Lucifer's rebellion unexpectedly fall to the mortal realm when the barrier no longer exists to stop them from doing so.

Blizzard might have done their own take on Lucifer and have him as their Prime Evil in D3. It might even be Tyrael who takes Lucifer's place and is banished from Heaven.

[DeusEx]

how come Tyrael has no face?

[Cheeseflys]

how come Tyrael has no face?


Because, he's Chuck Norris, learn your basic knowledge. :coffee:

[psykeman420]

I have to agree with Felix Tyrael beign corupted is more likely than Cain being evil imho

[finalorder]

Tyreal acted in his own accord when he choose to help mortals. Heaven's armies were not supposed to interfere.. Perhaps he has been plotting this all along, spanning all 3 games, and much of the lore. The player was always the fall back. Perhaps he wanted to destroy the worldstone to help him achieve his goal.. but couldnt do so openly..

He lets baal corrupt the worldstone, you kill baal, and tyreal destroys the worldstone under the pretense of it being corrupted.

Also.. deckard cain would be a good canditate for possession. He is of horadrim blood, is EXTREAMLY knowledgable, and what, probably was pretty powerful in his day since he is a horadrim. I remember reading lore that said the prime evils each possessed a powerful person so the prime evils themselves would be stronger once they transform.

Diablo had the champion from D1, Baal had the mage, Tal Rasha, and Mephisto choose the leader of the zakarum priests.

Im just remaining lesser 2 evils will play a part as well. They teamed up agaisnt the prime evils to take control over hell, but once they won, they turned on each other. Perhaps blizzard will write in lore in which they make a compromise and fight together now.. or perhaps they fight each other AND their old enemies.. who knows.

[Hello Jim]

I don't know if it has been mentioned before, cause I don't have the str to read the whole thread but "first victum" sound more like death than corruption.

Cain being dead and out hero struggling to find another wisdom source (maybe the girl in the trailer) sound really exciting.

[Swiffer]

Judging by a certain page in Cains journal, I think we'll be hearing

"I sense a soul in search of answers"

again.

http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/media/artwork.xml#39

Maybe yes? She is certainly not accounted for.

[ThulRasha]

"Stay a while, and BURN IN MY HELLISH FLAMES!!!"

[Reanimator]

I think it sounds more like Deckard will be a victim of evil rather than being the source of it. That said, it would be pretty cool if Tyreal was possessed by Diablo - although I will be weeping in my tea if he is - I loved that guy! :D However, I think we haven't heard the last "Stay awhile and listen"!

[Meimu]

I think this artwork is the most intriguing evidence of Tyrael's fall from grace.

http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/_images/artwork/ss35-hires.jpg

Doesn't it seem he gets more and more evil looking in each slide?

[SirMoogie]

I think this artwork is the most intriguing evidence of Tyrael's fall from grace.

http://www.blizzard.com/diablo3/_images/artwork/ss35-hires.jpg

Doesn't it seem he gets more and more evil looking in each slide?

Except that might not be Tyreal. Look at the sketch, the individual shielding themselves from the glow of the floating individual looks more like Tyreal than the individual transforming.

[Thirty-Thirty]

Since the High Heavens should play more of a role (right?), it may well be another (arch)angel.

[SirMoogie]

At the very least, it appears as if two archangels are present in that scene.

[Meimu]

True, it doesn't exactly look like Tyrael, and could very well be a different Archangel.

Still, the speculation of ANY angel(s) switching sides and turning evil, having to defeat them and all that is very exciting. I think we all look forward to a plot with plenty of twists and turns.

Hopefully they can pull off the betrayals in D3 a bit more dramatically than they did in D2. Izual was pretty good, but the events of his betrayal happened much much much prior to when we arrived on the scene. And Nihlathak....he was just some queer npc in the back of town that didn't do anything. You were hardly surprised, or really, even aware that he dissapears and joins up with Baal until you rescue Anya and go after him. And even then, he wasn't -evil-, his crimes were pretty PG, when equated with say..the archbishop lazarus in D1. He froze a chick in ice, and spouted idiocies. He wasn't evil, just very stupid.

[ThulRasha]

At the very least, it appears as if two archangels are present in that scene.

To me it looks more like a man with a cape. There is a distinct difference in the drawing style of the wings and the cape.

[onishin]

about Cain

he could be diablo. Since he was so old in diablo1 and even older in Diablo 2, no very old guy lives 20 more years without being posessed by an evil demon!!

[ThulRasha]

Everyone that was possesed surely didn't live long either. So there goes that theory.

[detestrian]

Lesley Smith in kotaku interview at http://kotaku.com/5020721/the-man-behind-diablo-iii-talks-plot-lore-and-battlenet :

"In the previous two games, Diablo and his two brothers, Mephisto and Baal, were the three Prime Evils of a world called Sanctuary. Where we start off in Diablo III, it’s twenty years later (after Diablo II: Lord of Destruction) and the brothers are gone, they’ve been vanquished. Essentially everyone was kind of geared for Hell to actually invade. At the end of Lord of Destruction, the Worldstone was destroyed, it left a giant crater and everyone was expecting the hordes to come pouring out of it and nothing happened. So, Deckard Cain is one of our main characters from the first two games, he’s spent the last two decades trying to find out where the last two Evils are, what they’re doing and why the invasion didn’t happen. A lot of the rest of the story focuses on Tyrael, the Angel of Justice, and what’s happened to him since that event as he was actually the angel who destroyed the world."

So - I don't think he's dead or anything... But Belial and Azmodan are certainly featured somehow.

[Dennis_KoreanGuy]

I'm really digging the intelligence level on this forum. The entire d3 section really, everyone's really into it and sharing knowledge.

Maybe I'm just used to the pvp forum. ^^

[onishin]

Everyone that was possesed surely didn't live long either. So there goes that theory.

they don't live that long because the possessed demon doen't want it, it wants to get out. But if cain was possesed by a patient demon (maybe one of the new lords of hell, who wanted to be in charge and helped the heroes defeat Diablo) :p

[lionheart]

Lets not start to make everybody corrupted. Cain is basically needed because he is the character that is being carried through the series as story teller and person that helps you. They kept that concept in the first 2 games, then why shouldnt they keep it in the third one as well. Try to turn him bad as well would just make it lame for me. Let him be what he is supposed to be and thats it.

[mackemradge]

I am not a wealth of knowledge when it comes to Diablo history but it strikes me that all great trilogies have something in common, basic rules if u like.

The concluding part of a trilogy should do the following:

1, Tie up all loose ends and answer all long standing questions.
2, give a sense of closure to the adventure.
3, change something fundamental that we all took for granted from the outset.

Read in what u like guys, but just like the stupid, half naked girl in the slasher movie who runs upstairs instead of out the front door, these things have a very specific formula.

I think we could see an evil Cain, setting us all up throughout D1 and D2 for the mother of all double crosses in D3. (to punish all who did not stay a while and listen)

Could be a load of waffle but judging by some of the theories I have read, u never know.

[lionheart]

Who said that this is a trilogy? I never heard anything from blizzard that this would be the last one that would put an end to the whole story...

[Grunthex]

Lesley Smith in kotaku interview at http://kotaku.com/5020721/the-man-behind-diablo-iii-talks-plot-lore-and-battlenet :

"In the previous two games, Diablo and his two brothers, Mephisto and Baal, were the three Prime Evils of a world called Sanctuary. Where we start off in Diablo III, it’s twenty years later (after Diablo II: Lord of Destruction) and the brothers are gone, they’ve been vanquished. Essentially everyone was kind of geared for Hell to actually invade. At the end of Lord of Destruction, the Worldstone was destroyed, it left a giant crater and everyone was expecting the hordes to come pouring out of it and nothing happened. So, Deckard Cain is one of our main characters from the first two games, he’s spent the last two decades trying to find out where the last two Evils are, what they’re doing and why the invasion didn’t happen. A lot of the rest of the story focuses on Tyrael, the Angel of Justice, and what’s happened to him since that event as he was actually the angel who destroyed the world."

So - I don't think he's dead or anything... But Belial and Azmodan are certainly featured somehow.

Hmm, the Worldstone kept Heaven, Hell and Sanctuary separate, didn't it? Maybe with it's destruction, Azmodan and Belial said "Forget the middle ground. Let's go stomp Heaven!" Would give lots of reasons for Heaven to get seriously involved, angels to be corrupted, all sorts of neat things...

[Gamekk]

I've also found an evidence of Deckhard Cain being evil. Just in the gameplay trailer : He says his famous "stay a while and...". Then gets shut : "... bah, no one ever listens!". Then he's pretty mad at this you can tell, but as you gazed onto those new mercenaries, I zoomed on Deckhard Cain and he stabbed his head with Baal's soulstone because he was pissed off.

We should've listen!!!!!:yes:

[lionheart]

Ok there...:whistling:

[BelialsWrath]

bump! any new theories guys?

[fmulder]

bump! any new theories guys?

Nothing yet. I certainly hope Cain is not evil though.

[BelialsWrath]

i was reading on the official diablo site that cain was diablos first victim

[sirwhere]

Nothing yet. I certainly hope Cain is not evil though.

Cain is evil in D2. The guy keeps annoying me with his stories and requests to do this or that quest.

And I can't even waste him :crazyeyes:

[kortlan]

cain will never be evil.

[nnommu]

cain will never be evil.

Spoiler: he's a replicant.

[Neinball]

Spoiler: he's a replicant.

His flame must not be very bright to be that old.

[Siege Valgore]

Judging by a certain page in Cains journal, I think we'll be hearing

"I sense a soul in search of answers"

again.

I do believe she has already been confirmed :)