Wolfenstein: In Case You Were Wondering, Yes - B.J. Blazkowicz Is Jewish
Throughout Wolfenstein's history, the theme of fighting Nazis has been abundantly clear. What [...]
Throughout Wolfenstein's history, the theme of fighting Nazis has been abundantly clear. What hasn't been abundantly clear is more about B.J Blazkowicz, the series protagonist and all around badass. Many have wondered about Blazkowicz and his background, especially with his love and talent of taking out Nazis. So finally, the long-awaited question comes to a head: Is B.J Blazkowicz Jewish? Short answer: Yes.
John Carmack and Tom Hall, Id Software co-founders, have repeatedly stated that the star of the franchise was meant to have Jewish heritage. Though the intent was there, the games themselves never actually made that clear. At least, not "canon." To further explain the original intent, the pair took to Twitter to answer a few fan questions.
B.J. Blazkowicz
One Twitter user asked, "Is B.J. Blazkowicz Jewish, by any chance?" The duo responded:
@ID_AA_Carmack @TheSilkiest @ThatTomHall That's been suggested. My intent was: his mother was Jewish, tried to hide that, unsuccessfully.
— Bat Tomb Hallway (@ThatTomHall) March 2, 2014
A new interview with the voice of the Wolfenstein protagonist shed some new light on his heritage. This is what Brian Bloom had to say about the character's identity and what was most important to him narratively:
"I think what's more important is: does B.J. identify that way? I think what's more important to him is that he sees himself as somebody who wants to fight bigotry no matter what or who he is. I think that's probably the greater takeaway, rather than getting bogged down in the specificity, although the story does get into that because that's a fulcrum or lens you can use to orbit that subject."
More importantly, the latest title, The New Colossus, gives a canon answer to the age old question. The games, at last, recognize his heritage fully.
prevnextWolfenstein: The New Colossus
Though Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus isn't out yet, we've had plenty of hands on with the latest title (review pending). One of the aspects made abundantly clear is that of the gnawing curiousity surrounding the protagonist. Various parts throughout the game gave verification and a little more analysis into B.J's history.
The first slap in the face about Blazkowicz's mysterious past is that the player learns that his abusive father married a Jewish woman, B.J's mom, specifically because of her ties to her family business. The story did not paint his father in a good light, instead showing him for the aggressive bigot he was.
Though Blazkowicz does not actively practice his mother's faith, fans of the franchise can trace back his roots through in-game developments throughout his life. Not only that, but traditionally speaking - Orthodox Judaism centers around inheritance from the maternal side. This means that declaring oneself a Jew is valid when the mother is of practicing faith. Because of this, and the fact that his mother was a practicing Jew, the heritage claim is 100% backed by the practicing religion in real life.
Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus will be available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC on October 27th, with a Nintendo Switch release later.
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