N’Zoth
We have defeated most of the Old Gods. Perhaps not forever, but at least temporarily. C’thun from Ahn’Qiraj is history, Yogg-Saron has bitten the dust, and Y’Shaarj was crushed by the Titans long before our time. N’Zoth also died at the end of the expansion Battle for Azeroth.
But did we really defeat N’Zoth? There are now many indications that this is not the case. For in Dragonflight, new voice lines for N’Zoth were introduced and officially confirmed: N’Zoth knew exactly how the battle at the end of Battle for Azeroth would turn out.
Since N’Zoth’s whole powers are based on madness and illusions and there were several quests in which we were exposed to his illusions, there are many speculations that we may not have defeated the Old God after all.
After all, just before the final battle against N’Zoth, there was a small cutscene in which the dagger Xal’atath (the vessel, not the actual being Xal’atath) was used to wound the body of N’Zoth. It looked as if something was being “sucked into the dagger” – before the dagger simply vanished without further mention.
The theory: The essence of N’Zoth is in this dagger. We didn’t defeat anything other than an illusion of him that he left behind.
This is also supported by the rather peculiar cinematic at the end of the N’Zoth battle. Because this cutscene is considered historically bad in the narrative of World of Warcraft. It is completely exaggerated and shows our character serving as a conduit for titanic machines to blast N’Zoth out of existence with a huge laser (in the best Son Goku Dragon Ball manner).
This is the first and only time that our character is personally responsible for such an exaggerated heroic way to defeat such a powerful enemy.
Exactly this fact makes it unrealistic. It is the perfect heroic illusion we would wish for. And that is why many are still skeptical that this actually happened.
Even newer is a revelation from the past of Xal’atath. Because in her quest series from Lorewalker Cho, we learn that N’Zoth supposedly built something significant “deep under Ny’alotha”, something so disturbing that even the Void would immediately attack if it ever found out.
Incorporating such innovations into the story only makes sense if one intends to bring these details back to life at some point. This again must mean that N’Zoth and thus his empire from Ny’alotha is not really gone. We only believe it.
Of course, there are more enemies in the World of Warcraft universe who are still waiting for a beating, like Queen Azshara or some leaders of the former Scourge, who have been regaining strength recently. But these enemies are also perfect candidates for “smaller” threats that can always reappear. They make good opponents for telling smaller, local stories again – and that’s what WoW wants to do more of in the future.
