Characters Named Cain

tim-cain naming pop-culture video-games narrative-design humor

Abstract

Problem: Why does the name "Cain" (and its variants) appear so frequently across fiction — books, TV, movies, and especially video games?

Approach: Tim Cain catalogues the many fictional characters named Cain/Kane/Kaine he has encountered throughout his life, from childhood to his professional career in game development.

Findings: The name is absurdly overused across all media, from Lord Byron's 1821 play to modern video game franchises. Even Cain himself is guilty — the cab driver in Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines is named Cain.

Key insight: A lighthearted plea to writers and narrative designers everywhere: stop naming characters Cain. It's been done to death. There are literally a million other names.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vG8WWB_HYho

The Burden of a Famous Name

Tim Cain opens by noting that growing up with the last name "Cain," he kept encountering his name used in books, TV, movies, and video games. Sometimes the reference is biblical (an allegory to the original Cain from Genesis), and sometimes it's just a name writers gravitate toward. He recalls a high school teacher who loved calling on him by last name — "Caine, are you able to answer this question?" — which, as a teenager, he found impossible not to respond to with the obvious joke. There's even a brand of hot cocoa called Cain's.

Cains in Literature, Film, and Television

Tim runs through a catalog of notable Cains across media:

  • Solomon Kane — Robert E. Howard's 1920s anti-hero character (spelled differently, but still a Cain). Howard also created Conan, whom Tim was a big fan of as a teenager.
  • Lord Byron's "Cain" (1821) — A play, though this one was directly biblical.
  • The Caine Mutiny — Tim assumed it was about a Captain Caine, but Caine is actually the name of the boat.
  • Kung Fu (1970s TV show) — The lead character was named Caine. Tim notes the very 1970s casting choice of a white actor playing a Chinese character.
  • Battlestar Galactica — Commander Cain appeared in both the original series and the reboot, which Tim thought was cool.
  • Citizen Kane — The famous film.
  • Alien (1979) — The character Kane (the one who "gives birth" to the alien out of his stomach) is only called by name four or five times in the film, so many people miss it.
  • The Matrix Reloaded — A character named Cain works for the Merovingian. Tim only caught the name by watching the credits.
  • Highlander: The Final Dimension — Features a Kane. Tim admits he stopped watching the Highlander movies after the second one, "and I think for good reason."
  • Community — Tim's favorite use of the name. Professor Kane (the biology professor) hated the study group, calling them "the mean clique." Tim strongly recommends the show.

Cains in Comic Books

Tim notes that Kane appears in a ton of comics despite not being a big comic reader himself:

  • Batwoman (Kathy Kane) and Batgirl (Cassandra Cain) — Both named Kane/Cain, which surprised him.
  • Spider-Man's Clone Saga — Spider-Man's clone was named Kaine, who hates Spider-Man and tries to kill him.

Cains in Video Games

This is where Tim gets particularly animated. The name has been used "to death" in games:

  • Diablo — Deckard Cain, the iconic narrator. Tim remembers going to his boss at the time and asking "Hey, is this guy named after us?" since the boss's name was Decker.
  • Vampire: The Masquerade – Bloodlines — Tim admits guilt here. The cab driver's name is Cain, though he notes that Caine exists within the Vampire universe lore, and the game never comes right out and confirms it.
  • Resident Evil — Timothy Cain appears in the series and at least one of the movies. Spelled C-A-I-N. Tim's reaction: "Hey, is that me?"
  • Command & Conquer — Another Commander Kane.
  • Mega Man — Dr. Cain.
  • Ultima 7 — An alchemist named Cain.
  • Final Fantasy IV, Fire Emblem, Zork Nemesis, Xenogears, Guardians (City of Heroes, where Tim worked at sister company Carbine) — All feature characters named Cain.
  • Twisted Metal — An entire family of characters named Cain.
  • Mass Effect 2 — Yet another Kane.
  • Legacy of Kain — An entire video game series named after Kain.

The Verdict

Tim's message to book authors, TV and movie script writers, and especially game designers and narrative designers: stop making characters named Cain. It has been done to death. There are literally a million other names you could use. Stop it. You're thinking about it right now, aren't you? Stop.

References