Raziel

Raziel is the protagonist of Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver and Soul Reaver 2, and one of the two lead characters in Legacy of Kain: Defiance, alongside Kain. Once a vampire – Kain's lieutenant, "prodigal son", and second-in-command – Raziel evolved to such an extent that he surpassed Kain, a transgression which seemingly prompted his execution. Cast into the Lake of the Dead, Raziel was, like Kain before him, revived by a mysterious benefactor, and returned to Nosgoth as a wraith, to exact his revenge. Driven by this new master, the Elder God, Raziel systematically eradicated his former brethren in the wasteland of Kain's empire, obtained the Wraith Blade, and unearthed his own ironic past; originally a human born in Nosgoth's early history, he had become a leading commander in the vampire-hunting Sarafan brotherhood before his death and resurrection. Lured through time and confronted by revelations, Raziel realized his terrible, inevitable future: he was destined to become the captive, ravenous spirit trapped within the Soul Reaver – later the Wraith Blade itself. Temporarily rescued from this fate by Kain, his lust for vengeance was gradually tempered, superseded by a higher quest for knowledge and freedom. Finally exposing the Elder God's parasitic nature through several twists and turns, Raziel ultimately accepted his fate, and achieved respite from his cyclical destiny. Dually sacrificing himself to the Soul Reaver and dispersing the Wraith Blade – his future soul – into Kain, he simultaneously trapped himself within the sword, and freed himself from thousands of years of torment. This act cleansed Kain of the corruption of the Pillars, enabling him to see, battle, and oppose the Elder God at last.