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- "I lost my shoe."
- ―Kenny's catchphrase[src]
Kenneth Orkanti, better known simply as Kenny, was a recruit in the Earth Defense Force and the newest member among the Alien Artifact Acquisition team. He is a major supporting character introduced in Serious Sam 4.
Biography[]
Kenny was born to Nestor and Marlene Orkanti in Holliston, Massachusetts, but was raised on the island country of Madagascar. His parents were notable zoologists, and visited the island to research it's unique biodiversity.[1]
After receiving his high school diploma at the age of 17, he went on to study exobiology at the Gnosis Alpha Orbital University. His studies were interrupted when the university was destroyed between semesters, which inspired Kenny to join the Earth Defense Force. He was inexperienced but highly dedicated to the human cause.[1] Despite his youth and lack of experience, he was chosen by Howard Brand to serve as a member of his personal team, the Alien Artifact Acquistion.
Appearances[]
Serious Sam 4[]
Kenny in one of the cars of the Triple-A convoy, on the way to the Vatican Library.
Kenny is sent along with Sam, Carter, Hellfire, Jones, and Rodriguez to meet up with Father Mikhail, a Russian priest who the Earth Defense Force believe will help assist them in their search for the Ark of the Covenant and the Holy Grail. The EDF spectate that the grail has the power to help humanity turn the tide in the war against Mental.[2] On the team's way to the Vatican, their convoy comes under attack by Octanian Raiders, and the car Kenny and Sam are in is hit. Luckily for them, they survive the crash unharmed, though their driver is killed. As Kenny's gun broke in the crash, he is left defenseless and is forced to follow Sam as they proceed on foot to find Father Mikhail. They eventually meet up with him, and the three fight off more aliens as they make their way to the extraction point, the Piazza della Repubblica.
Once at the extraction zone, they find Jones and Rodriguez clearing the area of aliens, but a Gnaar managed to survive and dashes to Kenny shortly before he kills it, with the shotgun Sam provided for him mere moments earlier. This causes Kenny's shoe to fall off and prompts him to say a really bad 'one-liner' and his most iconic phrase "I lost my shoe. Rodriguez begins mocking Kenny for his terrible 'one-liner'. Suddenly, a large horde of Mental's forces show up, and the team are forced to deal with them. Just when they think the fighting is over, a Saggitarian Sidewinder bursts out of the ground, which starts a boss fight. After the fight, Hellfire comes with a bus and extracts them all.[3]
Kenny and the team drive to an EDF base to discuss plans with General Brand. Carter proposes the usage of the HAARP, a seismic weapon fired from a satellite. Knowing how dangerous it is, they accept it and head to Pompeii to plant the beacons. Kenny and the crew manage to place all their beacons, but at the cost of Jones' life. After a signal interference, the HAARP is fired, which causes Mount Vesuvius to erupt.[4] Sam, Hellfire, Rodriguez and Kenny are forced to run for their lives to avoid getting burned alive or succumbing to the ash. Sam finds Kenny with his leg underneath the statue of Uranus, but Kenny cuts Sam off before he can start a joke relating to the statue's name. Sam helps Kenny up, and the two fight their way through the ruins to get back to the car. Just before they make it to the exit, a Witch-Bride of Achriman appears, initiating a fight. Sam eventually defeats the creature, and gets Kenny to say a one-liner seconds before she dies. Sam is impressed, seeing that the rookie is starting to get the hang of what it means to be a part of the team.[5] Kenny and Sam both make their way to Hellfire in the car. They drive off as Sam mentions that Jones didn't make it out.
Later, Kenny stays behind at the EDF headquarters while Sam and Rodriguez make their way into Rome to rescue Carter and Father Mikhail. Sam finds the object they are looking for in the Vatican; a sacred book. From the text deciphered in the book, the team are able to find out the location of the Ark and the Holy Grail.[6] Kenny tags along with the rest of his team, and is confused about the specific nature of their mission. and boards a plane to Carcassonne in France. As the team makes into France, the plane comes under attack by an Octanian raider fleet. The crew is forced to jump off the plane, making Kenny lose his shoe again. Sam then tells Kenny to meet him at Carcassonne, which is not far from where they are.
The Triple-A team on their way to Carcassonne, with Kenny on the far right, on the right of Sam.
Kenny and Sam finally meet again in Carcassonne, and they both fight groups of aliens in a park, but as Sam compliments Kenny about the fight, Lord Achriman shows up behind Sam, with Kenny in his clutches. Achriman further taunts Sam about how "impossible" it is for humanity to win and that Sam is a "relic from an old world". Sam proposes fighting Achriman one-on-one without involving Kenny. Achriman tells him why should he do something like that before impaling Kenny in the head with his fingers, which instantly kills him. Sam apologizes to Kenny, saying that at least he died with his two shoes.[7]
Lord Achriman kills Kenny.
After meeting up with the resistance, finding the alien informant Charlie and teaming up with his crew, Sam, Hellfire, Rodriguez, Carter and Father Mikhail finally reach the church which contains the Ark of the Covenant. But being entering, Lord Achriman shows up and taunts them once more. After wondering why Achriman's legs are so tiny, Achriman enters his shell-like body part and flies like a butterfly, which prompts a boss fight against Achriman. After defeating him, Sam walks up to him and says Kenny's famous phrase "I lost my shoe" before blasting off Achriman's head with his shotgun, avenging Kenny in the process.[8]
Later on, after Sam ends up stranded in the Arctic Circle, a future version of himself appears to assist him. Kenny can be heard talking to future Sam through the portal, indicating that he (or at least, a different version of him) is still alive in an alternate timeline or universe.[9]
Kenny is mentioned by Sam during the game credits. Sam proposes a toast to his fallen friend, and his friends join in to drink to their lost comrades.
Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem[]
He doesn't make a canonical appearance, nor is he mentioned, but he can be selected as a playable character in the multiplayer settings.
Relationships[]
Sam Stone[]
Kenny having a conversation with Sam in the SUV.
The relationship between Kenny and Sam started off as a kid trying to impress his entourage or at least be at the same level as them. As Sam and Kenny started to be in more and more missions together, their relationship begins to improve. By the time they make it to Carcassonne, Sam is already impressed with his combat abilities and usage of one-liners. After Lord Achriman killed Kenny, this deeply affected Sam on a personal level, giving him mixed emotions of grief, sorrow, and rage. Sam later gets payback for Kenny's death after he defeats Lord Achriman in a fight. He uses his Kenny's catchphrase "I lost my shoe", seconds before blasting Achriman's head off with his shotgun to avenge the latter.[10]
Mikhail Obruchev[]
The two got along well and respected each other. Mikhail would protect Kenny from the alien invaders when they were in Rome together, especially considering that Kenny didn't have a gun on him at the time until they met up with Rodriguez and Jones. They also would converse occasionally when not engaged in combat.
Dwayne Rodriguez[]
They didn't interact very much. Rodriguez would constantly mock and tease him after his attempt at a 'one-liner'. However, after Kenny's death, Rodriguez was quite upset by the tragic news, seeing that he was just getting used to being on the team.
Thomas Jones[]
Unlike Sam and Father Mikhail, Jones had more of a neutral view of Kenny. This was most likely due to Kenny being the newest recruit amongst the team. Jones would occasionally toughen him up or scold Kenny by showing him what it meant to be a member of the Triple-A team.
Daniel Carter[]
They saw little interaction with one another. When Kenny asked Sam what purpose Carter served in the EDF, he wasn't exactly sure, stating that it was "classified".[11]
Personality and skills[]
Being a recruit, Kenny was at first inexperienced when it came to fighting, and dealing with Mental's forces was a frightening experience for him. This was due to the fact that he didn't have a gun at the time (as it had broken after the car blew up). Soon after acquiring a shotgun, though, he was already able to take down some of Mental's forces with the weapon, especially when he fought alongside his comrades like Sam. He was also proficient when using an assault rifle, which came in handy for him when he fought alongside Sam in Carcassonne.
As his parents were zoologists, Kenny became interested in the subject and was his main focus of study during his time at university.
Powers and abilities[]
- High Intelligence: Kenny was remarkbly intelligent, especially given his time studying zoology back at his university and that his parents were famous zoologists. He was very knowledgable with the anatomy of animals and aliens, especially amphibious creatures like frogs and even aliens with amphibious traits, such as Marsh Hoppers. He also had specialized knowledge of the Aludran Microhopper's endocrinal clustergland.[1]
- Weapons Proficiency: While Kenny at first lacked any form of combat experience due to being a rookie, he somewhat lacked proficiency with firearms. However, after he was given a shotgun by Sam, he was able to take down a female Gnaar with a single shot, although the blow from the weapon caused him to fall over and lose his shoe in the process. Over time, Kenny becomes more proficient with weapons like shotguns and assault rifles, being able to take down many hostile aliens with them.[5][7]
Appearance[]
Kenny was a young, bespectacled Caucasian man in his early twenties. Unlike the other members of the Triple-A team, he wore the standard EDF combat uniform. He would either carry a pistol, shotgun or assault rifle in combat; all of which are standard-issue weapons for EDF soldiers.
Behind the scenes[]
- "Kenneth" is a given name of Gaelic origin. It means "handsome" or "fire-born".
- "Orkanti" is not a well known surname. Apparantly, it is more common among those who live in India.[12]
Trivia[]
- Kenny was allergic to Belgian champagne, strawberries, and petrichor.
- He enjoyed turn-based strategy games, fiction, and French cuisine.
- He can be heard encountering Marsh Hoppers on Sam's earpiece, despite the enemy not making a physical appearance in the game.[13]
- He can be selected as a player model in multiplayer in both Serious Sam 4 and Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem.
- His birthday (December 25) falls on Christmas Day.
- Kenny was one of the youngest characters in the Serious Sam series before his death.
Gallery[]
Artwork[]
Retail[]
List of appearances[]
- Serious Sam 4 (First appearance)
- Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem (Player model only)
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Art of Serious Sam 4, page 165
- ↑ Serious Sam 4 level: Death from Above (opening cutscene)
- ↑ Serious Sam 4 level: Death from Below
- ↑ Serious Sam 4 level: Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Serious Sam 4 level: Gates of Hell
- ↑ Serious Sam 4 level: A Breakfast in France (opening cutscene)
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Serious Sam 4 level: One for the Road
- ↑ Serious Sam 4 level: Anathema Unto God
- ↑ Serious Sam 4 level: From Earth With Love (opening cutscene)
- ↑ Serious Sam 4 level: Anathema Unto God (Lord Achriman's defeat cutscene)
- ↑ Serious Sam 4 level: One for the Road (conversation between Kenny and Sam)
- ↑ https://forebears.io/surnames/orkanti
- ↑ Serious Sam 4 level: A Breakfast in France (Kenny's radio chatter)