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Jack of Blades, Page 2

Jack of Blades is a character in the Fable universe and the main villain of the first game: the original Fable (2004), its expanded edition Fable: The Lost Chapters (2005), and the 2014 remaster Fable Anniversary.

You are currently on page 2 of our article about this character.

History of Jack of Blades

Mentions and references in Fable 2

Five hundred years later, the memory of Jack is still alive among the people of Albion:

the game features an alcoholic drink named Jack O' Blades and a Cult of Blades tattoo associated with a cult that worshipped Jack and believed in his return;
children at play sometimes ask whether Jack will really eat them if they misbehave;
the author of the book "The End is Almost Nigh" compares the possibility of the world ending because of the construction of the Spire with the possibility that "a strange being shall transform into a dragon and lay waste to all that lives."

In addition, the Demon Door in Fairfax Gardens claims that Jack once tried to open it but failed.

Mentions and references in Fable 3

Jack's Hammer. Its description states that this was the very weapon used by the villain of the first Fable to activate the Focus Sites hundreds of years ago.

In reality, however, Jack used a master cleaver during that quest. Perhaps the developers actually had the Septimal Key in mind.

Ilona Pureheart's work. One of the books that librarian Samuel asks the Hero to find is "The Pangs of Sunset." This horrifying piece of pseudo-historical fan fiction describes erotic relationships between famous figures from the past. When the Hero of Brightwall brings him the book, Samuel mentions an even rarer work by the same author involving Jack and Lucien.

Reference to the book Fable: Jack of Blades. In Mourningwood, the player can find Fred's grave. According to its inscription, he was the "brother" of the notorious Jack of Blades — which is not entirely accurate, as explained below.

Other appearances and references

In Fable: The Journey (Xbox 360, 2012). More than 600 years have passed since the events of the first Fable. Theresa, aware that her death may be approaching, tells Gabriel about her life during stops on their journey to the Spire.

"They came into the village, burning everyone in their path. Their leader was a villain named Jack of Blades. <...> They asked where my brother was, and I just stared at them. Then Jack held his sword to my eyes..." Theresa recalls after arguing with her protégé before their journey to the Forge of Fire.

Source: YouTube channel КРАЗОН

Theresa mentions Jack once more before Gabriel sets out for Bladebarrow, while describing the beginning of her own travels.

Source: YouTube channel КРАЗОН

In Fable Heroes (Xbox 360, 2012). Here Jack was one of the 12 playable puppet Heroes. He is armed with the Sword of Aeons and uses fireballs.

Source: lionhead.com (archived)

"An ancient evil, Jack of Blades once ruled Albion as part of the Court before his defeat at the hands of William Black. However, Black was only able to destroy Jack’s physical form, and his spirit lived on in his Mask. He continued his reign of terror by possessing any being unfortunate enough to put it on, and Jack was not truly vanquished until the Hero of Oakvale destroyed the Mask at the Bronze Gate. While this Doll does appear to be wearing the Mask, it’s probably safe to assume Jack has not returned as a tiny puppet, ready to enslave Albion with acts of unspeakable cuteness," the character's official description said.

Outside the game itself, Lionhead also released a Jack of Blades costume for Xbox avatars.

In the book Fable: Jack of Blades (2012). The story takes place in a town called Oddwood. At first, it is presented as though Jack rules the settlement together with his bandit henchmen.

Cover of Fable: Jack of Blades (enhanced by FableGame)

By the end, however, it turns out that their leader is merely a man named Fred, while the real Jack appears to have been the protagonist of the story, Xiro.

"This man," Xiro finally said, his voice carrying down the street, "was not Jack of Blades. His name was Fred, and he imagined himself to be Jack of Blades' brother."

In the card game Fable Fortune (2017). In this case, Jack of Blades appeared in one of the best-known pieces of artwork created for the game.

Source: Steam page, Oman

Facts about Jack of Blades

Reference to playing cards. The character is not called Jack of Blades by accident. Here, Jack is not merely an English given name but also the name of the jack playing card (J). Blades, meanwhile, is a modified version of the suit of swords.

Voice acting. Jack's voice differs between the original Fable (2004) and Fable: The Lost Chapters (2005) / Fable Anniversary (2014).

True age and nature. According to the Snowspire Oracle, Jack is definitely neither human nor a Hero and was already ancient long before humanity appeared. In the battle inside the Chamber of Fate, the Hero of Oakvale defeated only the villain's latest host before his dragon form.

An unusual coincidence. "Jack of Shadows" is the title of a 1971 novel by Roger Zelazny.

Jack's doll in the first Fable. The item is a reward for completing the Hero Dolls quest, which can be obtained from the schoolteacher in Bowerstone.

Jack's outfit. Before the remaster of the first Fable, Jack's outfit could not be obtained without mods. DLC for Fable Anniversary added the ability to buy it in Bowerstone North.

Role in the announcement of Fable Anniversary. When the developers decided to announce the game, they released a teaser trailer whose only character was Jack himself.

Jack of Blades fan creations

As Jack is one of the most popular characters in the Fable universe, he has inspired a huge amount of fan art, merchandise, cosplay, and theories.

Fan art. Here are a few examples that can be found online.

Jack of Blades fan art. Artist unknown

Artist: jack_of_blades1 / Reddit

Jack of Blades cosplay and merchandise. Likewise, here are several excellent examples of bringing the iconic character to life.

Creator: Abigail Lewis / FinstereFrau (DeviantArt, 2014)

Creator: Feeling_Valuable_483 (Reddit, 2025)

In addition, a great deal of merchandise is based on Jack's Mask itself. Examples can be found in our separate article about it and in the dedicated gallery.

Jack of Blades mods. There are many Fable TLC mods related to the character, including mods for removing his mask, playing as Jack, obtaining his armour, powers, or title. Other options include giving the Hero Jack's eyes, retexturing the antagonist's model, and adding new versions of his mask (one and two).

Similar mods exist for other games as well, including a mod that adds Jack's armour to Oblivion Remastered.