MediEvil | Zarok - A Character Study 

Ah, one of my favourite villains from my childhood. Zarok was simply on another level. No sympathetic origin, no drama, just good ol' pure evil. My favourite kind of villain.

I do hope you do more videos on this game.

Fun fact: as a kid I used to play the Pizza Hut demo disc that had this games demo on it like religiously, and MediEvil was the one I played the most. Zarok scared me so much as a kid that I had this vivid nightmare that he was coming down my hallway (all I could see was his shadow cast by the streetlight) to the point that it became an issue. As a result, my family wouldn’t let me play very mature games for the longest time.

Ah my childhood game, bought the PS4 remake and I have been playing it off and on. Great video Fantasy. Edit: Also I would love to see Tim Burton and Henry Selick make a movie from this game.

I can't find a single issue I disagree with you about here. Zarok suffers the same in the remakes as Michael Myers did in Halloween as the series went on: what made them sinister wasn't knowing their background, it was simply their intent. But the story is made too much based around the former and not the latter and it cheapens them overall.

I agree, OG Zarok motivation is much better. The "I miss my puppy" tries to humanize and make him "relatable" villain. Hating the very concept of kindness makes him almost the physical manifestation of evil, which is actually menacing.

I myself wasn't too preoccupied with the updated looks for the PS4 remake of Medievil; I was just happy they kept the dialogue and VA's from the original

Eh, I don't think we were supposed to actually take suggestion that he was trying to raise his puppy from the dead at all seriously. It's more like a Chuck Norris 'fact', just a quick gag more than a factual analysis. I agree on the two redesigns though, especially the MediEvil Resurrection version. The only worthwhile thing from the Resurrection game was the gorgeously orchestrated soundtrack. I find the ambiguity about Sir Dan more interesting though. There are many digs at him for cowardice and incompetence during his actual life and he was in his position to start with purely because of his storytelling over his actual abilities but we never hear anyone who actually knew him when he was alive treat him with less than the greatest respect (Canny Tim and the King) even though they knew the truth of his death. His death was purely due to bad luck and he _was_ leading the charge against Zarok when he suddenly died. Was he a true hero all along tragically cut down before he could prove it? Was he a cowardly buffoon? Was he both?

Thank you for using class cut scenes. Even though the remasters is pretty it is still such a classic

I agree, outside of the first game the creators really did this guy dirty in every other appearance he had

I agree with your Zarok take. As a kid he was intimidating and made you feel uneasy anytime he was on screen.

I THINK you may be taking the remake too seriously on the whole 'reasoning' behind what he does... I mean I just think its a off handed joke that it COULD be the reason and the womans voice drips with sarcasm

Please cover the Sarafan order

The problem goes... "More power and more resources = More detail!" They feel they need to keep adding things to the remake to show "progress" because they can now and to "leave their mark". What happens is they do it for its own sake without thinking much about the reproductions. "Your developers spent so much time thinking weather or not they could, they didn't stop to think weather or not they should."

love the flaming torches

Ah, yes, MediEVIL

I agree with you, especially Zarok is the male version of Maleficent and it really is sad to see how the marketing distort unnecessary changes in the character. But I still hope for the meaning of the Dark Lord since for some reason he is so iconic and it is worth respecting and satirizing him in the most dignified way.🧙😈🐉

Zarok's character is an inversion of Dan's. Both are meant to be vague, so that the player has an easier time filling in the gaps and getting immersed in the setting. Dan = simple and relatable; Zarok = simple and evil.

I found some of your Legacy of Kain videos and wow, all your videos are delving into games I grew up playing xoxo Keep up the great works !!

I love the character studies you do! You explain things very well and delve into the character traits perfectly

It had been so long since I played the original Medievil that I hadn't realised Zarok had such a massive redesign in the PS4 version. All I remembered was his pixelated in-game sprite. I do think the developers made a big error there with Zarok, his skin does look just a bit too clean/smooth. I mean he's supposed to be well over a century old by now, so surely his appearance could reflect that? Still overall the PS4 remake was at least faithful to the majority of the character designs. I do hope we get a Medievil 2 remake and maybe even a third game. We can't let that one comic be the potential end point of the series =/

One of my favorite games as a kid.

I thought the remake's version of Zarok's design made him look more psychotic, as for the puppy factoring into his motives I just chose to regard it as a joke.

Such an awesome game!excellent video thanks

My second favorite video game franchise! I love this channel!

I was always amused by the silly humour in MediEvil. Especially the remakes. But you've made me realise how they've done a great unjustice to Zarok's character. The PS4 remake was a big improvement over the childish cartoony Resurrected version for PSP. Because I hadn't played the original for so long, I forgot just how menacing Zarok originally was.

Great game and video, Zarok was a fittingly proper menace

I bought Medievil with my PSX 24.12.1999 r. I love this game since that day...

Unfortunately Resurrection is the only version of the game I could play, unaware of the original for my ps2 and lacking a ps5. However, despite this I really appreciate the game and everything behind it with its grim yet whimsical nature. Fantastic game and who knows, maybe we’ll get lucky with a further remake in fix for its sequel or so.

7:34 - ...Turel?! The others were grotesque, but...

I loved his first incarnation except for the giant gecko he transformed into. His PSP transformation was great but I hated his demeanor, he was just too goofy but which I’ll admit fit the scenario better! With that said I wish MediEvil II got more love, I liked that one a lot more than the first but the first is still really great!

That backstory is soooo bad! You're right about evil sorcerers benefiting from less backstory. I think of Dhoulmagus from Dragon Quest VIII, my fav JRPG. We know barely anything about him but every bit of screen time he does have is epic!

Hearing Zarok's voice reminds me of Tomar

This desrrves more love 😢

You briefly showed FFVIIR when complaining about remakes making unnecessary redesigns. Perhaps you could make a video elaborating on the subject?

Great video

I disagree with your thoughts on Resurrection but I never played the original, I like Resurrection because it reminds me of early 00s platformers like Ratchet and Clank, and Jak Daxter the Precursor Legacy. I didn't find it too bad on it's own. One thing I am kind of confused on. "Villain decay" is often seen in sequels but Resurrection is not that so wouldn't "Adaptation Wimp" apply to Resurrection Zarok more instead?

Yeah 😄 To be honest I even searched for some kind of Neca figure of Zarok, it's one of my favourite bad asses

I agree that giving useless depth to character and giving reasoning for everything is ruining most characters especially villains .

Doesn't Dan end up in Modern day Cambridge at the end of the comic? I don't think he's stuck in a time loop.

In the remake it does feel a bit more cringy but i wouldn't say they butchered it... New design is "ok". It could have been so much worse. Good video btw :D

Oh….. Avon!!!

Common Am I really the only one who thought Zarok was a woman 😭😅👀

there was a 2019 remake !? ha you don't say

zarrok was just gelous of sir dan

sir dans arms r too long in the 2019 re-make

bad lip syncing in the remake

As a veteran player of the series (I was 8 qhen the first one came out and played it to exhaustion with my cousins I agree in almost everything you argued - Zaroks design and character is much, much better in the original game. However, I don't. ind the re-design so much. What I can't stand is people transforming a truly menacing, albeit dorky, villain into a goofball. Being menacing and dorky at the same time fits the evil wizard character a lot. After all, what is a dark wizard if now an edgy nerd locked in his tower, plotting something evil?

Having recently played through *Final Fantasy VII Remake* recently for the first time, I certainly agree with that little bit you referenced in the video. 🫠