A great hero of the Alliance in World of Warcraft is changing. But does this break the old story? Or is it truly brilliant from Blizzard?
The story of Warcraft spans over 30 years now. 20 of those have been filled solely with World of Warcraft, but even before that, there was a lot of history surrounding Azeroth and Draenor. The upcoming expansion “Midnight” will reference an event that took place back in Warcraft II. The circumstances of this event are now literally shining in a whole new light.
Spoiler warning: This article discusses story developments of the upcoming expansion for World of Warcraft: Midnight. Those who do not want any advance information should not continue reading.
Which character is being referred to? The discussion is about Turalyon. Turalyon was a hero of the Alliance in Warcraft II and one of the first paladins to establish the Order of the Silver Hand. He later fought on the other side of the Dark Portal and was long missing. In the Nether, he fought for 1,000 years against the demons of the Burning Legion and was subsequently lightforged. He is now back on Azeroth, serving as the temporary leader of Stormwind and representing the Holy Light.
What event is being discussed? It concerns one of the decisive battles of Warcraft II. The humans succeeded in pushing the orcs back from Lordaeron all the way to their hideout in Blackrock Mountain. However, the final attack fails. Anduin Lothar falls in battle against the orcs.
Turalyon is then filled with divine wrath, as one knows from the Holy Light, and strikes the orc Orgrim’s hammer from his hand, allowing him to be captured, thus ending the threat of the orcs.
The YouTuber and analyst Bellular summarizes this well:
What is being brought to light about Turalyon? The moment when Turalyon was filled with the Holy Light and falls into wrath is seen in Midnight as the first time Turalyon is affected by “Light Blindness.” This is a state in which one essentially wants to purify everything and everyone until it meets one’s own, nearly unattainable ideal of holiness – basically the perfect light. In this state, one also attacks their own allies because hardly anyone (except other Light-blinded individuals) is holy and worthy enough to meet the requirements.
The light blindness fades for some individuals, but they often cannot remember exactly what happened during that time.
Is Turalyon going to be changed then? Not changed, but developed further. One criticism from parts of the community is that Turalyon is no longer the shining hero he was in Warcraft II. Back then, he was a symbol for humans and simply a “good” character – at least that is the argument. However, many seem to overlook the fact that Turalyon already had fanatical and totalitarian views back then. He was a priest with fervor before becoming a member of the Silver Hand. Even then, he spoke of “purity within” that needed to be protected and strengthened.
What Blizzard is attempting here is not to rewrite a character that is being altered retroactively. Instead, details from the past are picked up and woven into newer lore, making them appear retroactively like a “foreshadowing.” Exactly that is not a “retcon,” but an expansion of the story of Turalyon, as one would hope.
