Transformed

The Transformed
Enemies article
The Transformed in Defiance.
Introduced in	Legacy of Kain: Defiance (2003)
Appearance(s)	Defiance

The Transformed were an enemy class featured in Legacy of Kain: Defiance. Part of the Possessed sub-grouping, the Transformed were created by Hylden souls originating in the Demon Realm entering the Material Realm through Possession of a living human - if the possession was of sufficient strength the host would be killed and their body transformed by the Possessing Hylden. The Transformed featured mainly in the later chapters of Legacy of Kain: Defiance.

Profile

The Transformed were the strongest of the Possessed sub-class of enemies encountered in Legacy of Kain: Defiance. Like all members of the Possessed sub-class, The Transformed manifested when the weakening of the binding caused the breakdown of the barriers between the planes of existence - this process allowed the disembodied souls of Hylden to possess living hosts. If the possession was of sufficient strength - and the victim and the binding sufficiently weak - The Possessed host would be "broken" or consumed by the Possession and their bodies would transform into a monstrous, deformed spiky shape. The Transformed vaguely resembled the humans they had once been, though much of their body and limbs were overgrown or mutated.^{[Defiance strategy guide][Defiance][Defiance/12]}

The Transformed in game

The Transformed were first featured in the chapter Battle Kain as Raziel returned from Avernus Catacombs and fought his way through Vorador's Mansion to reach Janos Audron with the Heart of Darkness. Throughout the chapter the Transformed could manifest from Chained humans and other weakened enemies.^{[Defiance strategy guide][Defiance][Defiance/12]}

The Transformed, like their 'predecessors' The Possessed, enjoyed increased strength and power, but their larger size and mass made them noticeably slower than other enemies. The transformed would often attack using its great strength, attempting a grab/throw move that enabled them to "slam its enemies like rag dolls". Like other Hylden enemies, the transformed were resistant to telekinesis attacks and were best dealt with quick combat techniques.^{[Defiance strategy guide][Defiance][Defiance/12]}

Abilities

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Grab/Throw - With their enhanced strength a transformed human is able to pick up grab Raziel and throw him around like a ragdoll causing high damage.^{[Defiance strategy guide][Defiance][Defiance/12]}

Notes

• The Transformed and other Possessed classes were not explicitly named in game, however the overarching "Possessed" enemy grouping is mentioned in Legacy of Kain: Defiance: Prima's Official Strategy Guide along with the sub groupings "The Possessed" and "The Transformed".^{[Defiance strategy guide]} Game files list the class as "hylden_p".^[Defiance]
  • The abilities of the Transformed are identified in Legacy of Kain: Defiance: Prima's Official Strategy Guide - which explicitly lists the "Grab/Throw" title. The guide also lists the ability in the moveset of the Possessed class, however this is not seen in use in the game with that class instead preferring bare-handed swipe or slash attacks.^{[Defiance strategy guide]}
  • "The Possessed" and the overarching "Possessed" titles are based upon the beliefs of Spirit Possession and Demonic Possession found in many cultures where an outside force (typically a ghost or demon) take control of an observer. These beliefs are arguably the basis for a number of abilities through the series.
    • "Transformed" or "Transformation" generally refers to a dramatic change in form or appearance. In fiction possession is often accompanied by some form of transformation experience as the controlling entity takes over the host.

• A Hylden soul after the defeat of a Revenant

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• The Transformed are one of the two enemy classes in the Possessed sub-category identified in the Legacy of Kain: Defiance: Prima's Official Strategy Guide - the other being The Possessed. The description of both the Possessed and the Transformed is noticeably similar to that of Revenants, except using living hosts. Both require a vessel to be 'taken over' by Hylden Possession from the Demon Realm.^{[Defiance strategy guide]}
• The Possession process used by the Transformed is essentially the same process as used by Raziel to reach the Material Realm by taking control of corpses (who notably reshapes corpses in a similar manner) - in the same way the Hylden use Revenants - but using living beings instead of corpses. The Possession ability itself originated in the possession ability planned for Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver whereby Raziel could take control of an enemy character. Similar Mind Control abilities are seen in the Control Mind and Spirit Wrack abilities of Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain ^{[Blood Omen][Blood Omen/6][Blood Omen/9]} and the Dominate Mind ability of the Zephonim Deceivers in Nosgoth.^[NOS]

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• As with the Revenant classes and The Possessed class, when defeated the Transformed will leave behind a Hylden soul - indicating that the previous human soul has been displaced.^[Defiance]
• The Transformed are notably one of the few classes that can trigger an allegiance system among fellow enemies - when a Transformed or Possessed human emerges from a regular enemy, the accompanying enemies will often attack it and treat it with hostility leading to infighting among groups.^{[Defiance][Defiance/6][Defiance/12]}

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• The creation of the Transformed is described in the Legacy of Kain: Defiance: Prima's Official Strategy Guide thus: "When the Hylden possessor is especially strong, and the host is sufficiently weak, the Hylden will completely transform their hosts into a grotesque beast of flesh. This creature has great strength and the ability to grab and slam its enemies like rag dolls. These intense Hylden energies will eventually consume the unfortunate host".^{[Defiance strategy guide]} This description - and indeed the general appearance of the Transformed - is noticeably reminiscent of the method and form taken by the Dark Entity in his boss battle at the end of Blood Omen: Legacy of Kain, when Mortanius' body was 'broken' by possession: the implication being that this form was not the true form of the Dark Entity, merely a deformation of Mortanius' flesh. As the true form of the Dark Entity was seen and fought in Blood Omen 2 (as 'the Sarafan Lord'), it is likely 'the transformed' were planned to explain the apparently 'demonic' deformation of Mortanius in Blood Omen - though the Defiance transformed did seem to have a more 'randomly chaotic' appearance.^{[Defiance strategy guide][Defiance][Defiance/12]}

possible early Possessed/Revenants design in Blood Omen 2 concepts

• Chained humans are notably susceptible to the effects of the Transformed and can become the Transformed with minimal damage or prompting. Legacy of Kain: Defiance: Prima's Official Strategy Guide even lists the chained humans special attack as "Hylden possession".^{[Defiance strategy guide][Defiance][Defiance/12]}
• Blood Omen 2 concepts posted by Blood Omen 2 developer Steve Ross appear to show five different Hylden castes planned for that title, where only two appeared in the final game. One caste depicts a skeletal figure emerging from a portal and could suggest an early design that eventually became the Defiance Possessed and Revenants.

Gallery

The Transformed in game

The Transformed in Bonus materials

The Transformed in Bonus materials

The Transformed in prerelease materials

The Transformed fighting underwater

See also

• Hylden
• Possession (Defiance)
• Possessed
  • Possessed (enemies)
• Revenants
  • Human revenants
  • Vampire revenants
  • Hylden revenants