For years, World of Warcraft has been using its great heroes as raid bosses. Cortyn is investigating this…
With over 10 years under its belt, World of Warcraft is not only one of the longest-lasting games but also one of those that offers the most gameplay content. Five expansions have continuously expanded Azeroth and brought tons of new raids, adversaries, and new storylines. Many a villain has already met their end. The Lich King Arthas, the Naga Lady Vashj, the Blood Elf Prince Kael’thas, and many other characters have already lost their lives. Blizzard is repeatedly confronted with the accusation: You are using up all the great characters! But is that really true? Or has our perspective faded a bit over the years?
Warcraft: Death has always been a fixed part
Things were better in the past. In Warcraft 3, heroes and adversaries were treated with respect! Oh, really? Did our characters survive significantly longer back then? What has become of Uther the Lightbringer? What about Ranger General Sylvanas Windrunner? What about Kel’thuzad, the human leader of the Cult of the Damned? Or Antonidas, the archmage of Dalaran? What happened to the demigod Cenarius and where exactly did Gromm Hellscream go? Who mourned for Menethil, the king of Lordaeron?
You see where I’m going with this: Important characters have died in Warcraft. Always. Blizzard did not start this in World of Warcraft and they certainly won’t stop anytime soon. The demise of beloved and hated characters is simply dramatically important. Of course, the death of a beloved character is terrible – but if this event can give rise to three new, exciting characters, it’s worth it!
Dead is not the same as dead
One more thing that is often forgotten is that not everything that is possible in World of Warcraft necessarily happened that way in the lore. This may sound like a lame excuse to many, but: Apart from children (who can’t even be buffed!), every character in WoW can be killed.
Whether it’s Vol’jin, Velen, Varian, or Tyrande, all major faction leaders have been able to be killed by a raid for years. And yet that has never become part of the lore, even though it has happened countless times.
Also adversaries that are tied to specific quests fall into this category. Hogger, for example, was already killed in the Elwynn Forest 10 years ago and his skull has been handed in countless times. Yet he is now a dungeon boss in the Stockades of Stormwind.
What one should remember is: Just because something is possible in the game, doesn’t mean it’s part of the lore. That is ultimately decided by the team of creative minds at Blizzard, for better or worse.
