Kain is a fictional character, and the main protagonist and title character of the Legacy of Kain video game series. First introduced in Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain in 1996, he was created by Denis Dyack and Silicon Knights, and has appeared in all subsequent Legacy of Kain games under the direction of developer Crystal Dynamics. Between games, he serves as either the central playable character, or as an antagonist, but in all his depictions he has consistently been described as an antihero. Drawing inspiration from the morally ambiguous character of William Munny from Clint Eastwood's 1992 film Unforgiven, Silicon Knights conceived Kain as a nobleman murdered and revived as a vampire to take revenge on his assassins. He gradually embraces his new existence, and learns of his birthright to maintain balance in Nosgoth (the fictional setting of the series). Crystal Dynamics later portrayed Kain as an Oedipus-like figure, seeking to thwart the fate determined for him before his birth. Beyond his role in the series, Kain has also featured in tie-in comics, and in Crystal Dynamics' Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light. In all of his voiced appearances, he has been played by actor Simon Templeman. He has been favorably received by critics and fans, with praise centering around his memorable personality, nuanced characterization and moral greyness; his transition from protagonist in Blood Omen to antagonist in Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver was positively singled out. Concept and creation Kain's character was originally conceived circa 1993 by Silicon Knights' president, Denis Dyack, as the protagonist of The Pillars of Nosgoth, an initial video game concept for what would become 1996's Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain. He was modeled in part on William Munny, the protagonist of Clint Eastwood's 1992 Western film, Unforgiven. The developers set out to craft an antihero to suit "a game where the player is put in the position where everyone believes you are evil", feeling that the industry required a story addressing issues of moral ambiguity and wondering how players would react when "everyone in the world was your enemy (including yourself) [...] where you had to kill innocents to survive [and] you are the ultimate pawn". Other influences which helped to define Kain's character arc included The Wheel of Time, Necroscope, and cover art from The Pillars of the Earth. In comparison to Count Dracula, Dyack commented in an interview that he believed