Next year Fable The reboot isn't a complete reset of the famous RPG series, as it will feature at least one prominent character from the entries' past: Jack of Blades. This legendary character is referenced a few times throughout the original trilogy, but his most prominent, meaningful appearance is in the first Fablewhere his insane thirst for control and almost comical power scaling cemented him as one of the most iconic gaming villains of his generation.
In it Fable release date trailer, we get a look at a new villain, Isabelle, played by Haley Atwell. In typical villainous fashion, she monologues about why she wants power, why Albion is doomed without her, and so on. But then there's a brief shot of Isabelle approaching some sort of crystal, and in that crystal we can see the Sword of Aeon, a mythical and enigmatic weapon that allows the Jack of Blades to realize its full power. Basically, where the Sword of Aeons appears, Jack will soon follow, which is why it's not too surprising when he finally appears at the end of the trailer. That being said, his inclusion in this new Fable risks backfiring if Playground Games isn't careful.
Who is Jack of Blades, Fable's most powerful villain?
Long before humanity emerged from the primordial muck, there was a place called the Void, where the Jack of Blades lived along with the Queen of Blades and the King of Blades. Together they were known as the Court of Blades. The trio approached the people of Albion demanding worship, but they refused. In retaliation, the court literally burned the earth. Later they would return to assert their authority, and again the people rejected them, prompting the court to send a great flood. Eventually they returned a third time and threw out a third time: the court sent a wave of madness across the country. This time the people relented, and so began the court's long tyranny over Albion.
Some time later, a boy named William Black was born, gifted with special powers that would later be called Will – the basis of Fables magical system. After acquiring Jack's very own Sword of Aeons, William defeated all three members of the court, but Jack's soul became trapped in his iconic mask, which would allow him to return to Albion ages later in a corporeal form. But his powers were greatly diminished without his sword, which William Black had hidden. Jack discovered that he could locate the sword by using the blood of William Black, and so he sought out the descendants of Black, the protagonist of the original Fable and his sister Theresa. Jack slaughtered their father, kidnapped their mother and blinded Theresa, while the protagonist escaped.
Eventually, this protagonist would defeat Jack of Blades, destroying his mask and throwing him back into the void. Alternatively, the player can choose the “evil ending” and become Jack's new ship, but this has been widely ignored as non-canon due to the events of subsequent entries. However, it is highly unlikely that Jack of Blades is actually dead and gone, as he is a deity that exists beyond time and space, more like a force of nature than a human.
Jack of Blades can define the connection between old and new fable
With Jack of Blades heading back in Fablethe stakes can be much higher than originally expected. Again, Jack is basically a multi-dimensional god who, when in possession of the Sword of Aeon, is virtually unstoppable. Had William Black, arguably the most powerful hero in Albion's history, not been given this sword, he would almost certainly have died at the hands of Jack of Blades. At full power, he poses a massive threat to the New World State Fablewhich is promising in its own right.
But there is also the question of exactly what Jack's plan is, and how he will go about realizing it. He is not shown with the Sword of Aeon in it Fable trailer, so we can perhaps assume that his goal will be to track down the weapon once more. To this end, he can seek out the player character or their allies, just as he did with the first one Fables protagonist; Jack was once again able to search for William Black's blood, thereby confirming the new game's continuity with its predecessors.
In turn, this can make the game more impactful. Kind of like 2018's soft reboot of God of warthis new Fable could offer a distinct experience while meaningfully building on the overarching narrative of its series. It would be addition rather than a total refresh. Given both his threat level and importance to FableJack of Blades can be a good tool for this particular strength.
Fable's new version of Jack of Blades can still be a disappointment
I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but it's worth tempering expectations for Jack of Blades' return, if only because massive IPs tend to exploit nostalgia for cheap or cynical thrills. A certain iconic space opera series comes to mind here, but I digress. The point is, Jack of Blades could come back as little more than some predictable fan service, perhaps simply reprising his role from the original or, worse, used for a shallow twist, like revealing that this isn't the real Jack, or that he's actually just a misunderstood moper. Improperly handled, Fables reinvention of Jack of Blades could backfire and undermine the character's original meaning.
Kind of like 2018's soft reboot of God of warthis new Fable could offer a distinct experience while meaningfully building on the overarching narrative of its series.
Thankfully, there are many interesting directions Fable may take into account its Jack of Blades history. Maybe the game will finally give a full look at the Court of Blades, or maybe it could reintroduce other characters from previous games, like Theresa, who have been absent from the game so far Fable reboot's marketing. As always, the devil is in the details, so Playground Games will need to use a deft hand in whatever it hopes to accomplish with this fresh take on Jack.
- Released
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February 23, 2027
- ESRB
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Mature 17+ / Blood, sexual themes, strong language, violence
- Publisher
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Xbox Game Studios
- Engine
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unreal engine 4, forza tech
