Cortyn from MeinMMO is convinced by the latest WoW cinematic. There is much criticism – but sometimes it seems to be pulled out of thin air.
The latest cinematic in World of Warcraft is out. It takes place directly after the provisional final boss Anduin Wrynn in the raid “Mausoleum of the First”. As has been the case in recent times, the cinematic causes a split in the community. Some were thrilled and celebrate it, while others are annoyed and think that illogical details prevail and the characters have been ruined.
I find the cinematic great, as it treats all characters with respect and is quite logical. Let me explain to you why this is the case.
Spoiler warning: If you don’t want to know anything about the cinematic, you should not continue reading. You have been warned.
Where do the souls of Varian and Saurfang come from?
The first point of criticism is that some players find it illogical that the souls of Varian Wrynn and Saurfang help to free Anduin from the grasp of the Jailer. After all, Saurfang was killed by Sylvanas and should have landed directly in the Maw, and Varian Wrynn was destroyed by Gul’dan with fel magic, which completely obliterated his soul.
The simple answer is: The ones in the cinematic are not the souls of Varian and Saurfang.
They are merely small echoes, a reverberation of the former wielders of the sword. Both Varian and Saurfang were wielders of Shalamayne, who died while using the sword, and both are very significant characters for Anduin. That Anduin sees his father in this way has happened more frequently in the past – for example, when he first picks up the sword on the Broken Shore.
“So much more could have been done with Arthas” – Really?
The second major point of criticism is the treatment of Arthas as the former Lich King. In the cinematic, it becomes clear that only a “last, glowing spark” of his soul remains. He was incorporated into the forges of the Jailer in Torghast, and virtually nothing remains when the sword becomes Shalamayne again and the last spark of Arthas’ soul extinguishes.
Some believe that “much more” could have been done with Arthas and that “his character has been ruined”.
Here I must critically ask: Would that have really been wise? Would it have really been clever to give Arthas a bigger role?
I don’t believe that at all. Already before the launch of Shadowlands, developers stated that they would probably not encounter Arthas “personally” and want to treat the character “with respect”.
I believe this has been fully realized when you think about it a bit. Because unlike many other characters who have drastically changed with Shadowlands, Arthas has remained Arthas. He is an essential part of the Anduin battle as the “Fallen King”, but does not play a significant role in the story.
We can continue to remember Arthas exactly as we loved and hated him in Warcraft III and Wrath of the Lich King. His character has hardly been touched, none of his deeds have been excused or trivialized, and he remains the good prince who has gone astray.
Jaina and Uther hold back
Another point of criticism that I keep reading is the lack of what Uther and Jaina say about the rest of Arthas’ soul. After all, the two were long companions of Arthas and played an important role in his life – and vice versa.
Here it is often forgotten that both of these characters had already made their peace with Arthas.
Jaina did that back in Icecrown when she discovers that until the very end, a piece of the “old” Arthas remained in him and he had kept the medallion from her – until the last moment.
Moreover, Jaina has grown. Even though they had a romantic relationship in the past, many years have passed. Jaina even had another partner in between, and in general a lot has happened in recent years that had little or nothing to do with Arthas. Jaina has already had her “closure” with the Arthas story.
Something similar applies to Uther. A large part of the campaign from Patch 9.1 revolved around the perceived mistakes he made in his life with Arthas. All of this ultimately culminated in him throwing Arthas into the Maw and thereby sealing the fate of Arthas’ soul, which was eventually processed in Torghast. Uther ruined his own “closure” with Arthas when he chose revenge and banished Arthas to the Maw.
The only one who never found a proper ending with Arthas was Sylvanas. Since she became trapped in undeath and became a banshee, she wanted revenge. Ultimately, she was denied that as she was not present in the fight against the Lich King and only reached the Frozen Throne later – after which she plunges from Icecrown and falls further into the grasp of the Jailer.
Sylvanas was the only one who truly needed that closure. The certainty that nothing remains of Arthas, who has so shaped her decisions, that she can chase after or punish.
The last point of criticism is: “There’s Sylvanas again.”
I’m not quite sure how to respond to that. I understand that some are completely fed up with Sylvanas. I can relate to that. But it should be clear that Shadowlands represents the (provisional) conclusion of Sylvanas’ story and she will at least not be the main character after that. Therefore, I find it even more important to tell the end of this story now. Yes, this does mean we have quite a bit to do with Sylvanas in this patch.
But that is certainly better than cutting off this plot again. Let Blizzard finish this act, because if they do it right, then there will be plenty of room to bring other characters into the spotlight – and I am sure that will be the case with 10.0.
I know that the cinematic has once again divided the player base – but I liked it. And the longer I think about it, the more I believe that they have brought a whole series of storylines to a reasonable conclusion without stepping on the characters’ legacy.
But what do you think?
