Everyone should be celebrating Deckard Cain’s replacement in Diablo 4, and watching his lore videos

Anyone remotely familiar with the world of Devil no doubt you know the name Deckard Cain. You may have even heard his distinctive voice at some point or another, even if you don’t know him by name.

Deckard Cain was one of Diablo’s oldest characters and effectively served as a scholar of the series’ lore. He’s been the go-to in previous games for all your story questions, and his iconic “Stay Awhile And Listen” is right up there with “It’s Dangerous To Go Alone,” though it’s nowhere near played.

Sadly, Deckard Cain is no longer with us, so Blizzard had to find a new character who could replace him as the Horadrim Order’s man of arcane lore in Diablo 4 and beyond. Lorath Nahr is the studio’s pick, and it’s already been a huge hit.

Lorath is one of the key characters in the Diablo 4 narrative. If you’ve played the beta or any of the earlier Diablo 4 tests, you already know him well. A big part of why everyone loves him is the acting chops of Ralph Ineson, whose voice and cadence are unmistakable.

I couldn’t get enough of him during my time with Diablo 4, and I know Connor loved it too (you can read all about it in his review). Blizzard knew he had a new fan favorite on his hands, so the studio used him beyond in-game dialogue.

Enter: The Book of Lorath, a series of history videos on YouTube, where Lorath recounts the events of the entire series, beginning with the creation itself through the events of Diablo 3 and its expansion. A quarter of which just dropped as well.

All of them are essential for new players looking to understand the Eternal Conflict and learn about the key players in the never-ending battle at the center of Diablo’s universe. Long-time fans will find them a good refresher, too, especially for some of the older games in the series. And just look at the gorgeous artwork that fills the screen as Lorath narrates, it’s definitely on par with the quality of Diablo 4 itself.

Diablo 4 unlocks in a few hours for Early Access players and launches in full on June 6 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.