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Diabolic Evolution: The Butcher

by - 9 years ago

Throughout the years, Diablo and the world around him have continued to change and evolve. With each new era, we are introduced to a brand new vision of what Hell and Sanctuary really are. Now, we fight in a world so extensive and complex that it is hard to believe that we started our journey in tiny little Tristram. Let us glance back into the past and remember that which was forgotten and realize the path it has taken to the reality of today.

 


Welcome to the first edition of Diabolic Evolution. Every other week we shall take a look back and compare how things have evolved since those times long gone. Many of the most iconic parts of Diablo have transcended through each game, allowing us to feel the nostalgia that many of us crave, while also seeing how it all has grown. This first week, we will look at what is probably one of the most memorable parts of Diablo 1, The Butcher.

Butcher

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“Ahhhh, Fresh Meat!”

These were the first words many of us heard as we opened the door to The Butcher’s Lair long ago in Tristram Cathedral. Like many, I myself was absolutely terrified by the mere sound of his voice, let alone his gruesome appearance. This demon has haunted the dreams of many a gamer, with his saw blade like voice and blood dripping from every pore, he was truly our worst fear. Today he appears to have grown and added another weapon, however he seems to have lost much of his former chilling demeanor. Let us take an in-depth comparison of the two:

Appearance

The Original:

  • A single long bloodied cleaver to hack at your face.
  • Short, dripping horns.
  • Tattered, red-stained tunic.
  • Deep crimson, blood-like skin.

The Evolved:

  • Both a massive blood dripping cleaver and a chained bone sickle.
  • Large, curling horns.
  • Leather, blacksmith-like, black apron.
  • Stitched together body parts, made from pieces of meat.

With the new Butcher, we see a more demonic, menacing version of this fiend from hell. The original gave a more human element to it, bringing him closer to our hearts and minds. While we expect a demon to be twisted and frightening, a creature that better reflects the evil dwelling inside of us presents a truly disheartening enemy.

The Lair

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The Original:

  • Small and isolated in the upper levels of the Cathedral.
  • Naked human bodies speared atop spikes and hanging from the walls.
  • Blood soaked floor and splattered walls.

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The Evolved:

  • Large gladiator-type pit deep within Leoric’s Keep Depths.
  • Hanging chains and cages dangling from the ceiling, empty.
  • Flames surround on all sides, even through the grates below.

The classic Butcher lair contains what you would expect from a butcher, hanging meat. He embodies the “Butcher” image put into a hellish form. The new one though seems to more emulate his home in Hell and represents more of torture chamber than a slaughterhouse.

So I leave it up to you to decide which the better Butcher is. Although my opinion may seem obvious, it is really your opinion that matters. And for those of you who haven’t seen the terror that is the original Butcher, here he is:


JR Cook

JR has been writing for fan sites since 2000 and has been involved with Blizzard Exclusive fansites since 2003. JR was also a co-host for 6 years on the Hearthstone podcast Well Met! He helped co-found BlizzPro in 2013.


0 responses to “Diabolic Evolution: The Butcher”

  1. What a good idea for series of articles!
    And i can’t leave without dropping some links.

    Lair comes first, and then monster created: http://www.diabloii.net/blog/comments/david-brevik-answers-a-few-diablo-questions
    David Brevik: The whole Butcher room and the Butcher himself came about late in the development of that level. We were making tiles and one of the artists created a really bloody room. From there we started joking about it and it turned into a butchers shop. Then we said “oh we gotta create a new monster for this called The Butcher”. The line wrote itself!

    Memories from developers: http://games.slashdot.org/story/13/11/03/2035225/david-craddock-and-two-blizzard-north-co-founders-video-2-of-2
    Max Schaefer: What made the butcher though was the balance of him was spot on, the first time you went and got to the butcher room, he would make a great noise, all of a sudden he is out, and then he will kill you. And that was usually your first time dying at least your first time legitimate screen and indecisively dying in the game. And I think it was timed perfectly and it is something that has been very hard to recreate in subsequent games.

    Butcher moment with Nemesis on console Diablo 3. Well written piece: http://kotaku.com/one-diablo-iii-feature-that-gets-the-game-back-to-its-r-1633638514