Hello, all. So you all know how Anduin released Saurfang and the events that transpired after that, right? Well I’ve been thinking and analyzing those events, and I realized something. Why do you think Anduin released Saurfang? Was it because he wants Saurfang’s help to defeat Sylvanas and restore honor to the Horde? After analyzing those events, I’ve determined that the answer to that question is NO. In actuality, Anduin is MANIPULATING Saurfang in order to ultimately DESTROY the Horde.
Don’t believe me? Read on.
First, let’s talk about why the “peace-loving” Anduin would want to destroy the Horde. During the events of the Siege of Orgrimmar, Varian had a chance to destroy the Horde. He doesn’t, however, but warns the Horde that he will if they commit further atrocities (I honestly forgot his exact wording, but it was something like that). The Horde has committed more atrocities, with the burning of Teldrassil being the most obvious example.
Now Anduin might not have agreed with Varian’s words at first. He recognized that Sylvanas had to be stopped but still thought there was hope in the rest of the Horde. However, he may have changed his mind…
“When this war began, I thought we were fighting for peace. But we’re just…fighting.”
-Anduin Wrynn, in Lost Honor
He says that as he gazes upon the dead soldiers of the Alliance, soldiers that the Horde killed. He no longer believes that they were “fighting for peace.” If he no longer wants “peace” with the Horde, then what else would that mean if not the Horde’s destruction?
So Anduin wants the Horde’s destruction. However, there is a problem with achieving that goal, a problem that becomes apparent as he gazes upon the fallen soldiers. War to “destroy the Horde” would cost the Alliance an enormous number of casualties (remember, “destroying” the Horde is not the same as merely “defeating” the Horde). Anduin does care about the Alliance and it’s soldiers and citizens. He therefore needs a way to effectively get rid of the Horde without causing too much Alliance death. And he thinks he has an idea…
“At Lordaeron, you had the chance to take my life, maybe even end the war. Why didn’t you kill me?”
-Anduin Wrynn to Varok Saurfang, Lost Honor
When he first speaks to Saurfang in the cell, he asks him, “Why didn’t you kill me?” Saurfang doesn’t give him a straight answer at first, and they have a little conversation, but eventually Anduin asks again. Saurfang’s answer to the question is very important and confirms what Anduin was suspecting about Saurfang.
“I hoped you would stop her.”
-Varok Saurfang, Lost Honor
By giving this answer, Saurfang admits to being a traitor. After hearing this, Anduin now knows that Saurfang not only harbors no loyalties to Sylvanas, but actually wishes for her to be stopped. Anduin now knows that, if he were to release Saurfang, the orc would not go after the Alliance, but rather Sylvanas. For his plan to work now, he needs to convince Saurfang to leave and help fight Sylvanas.
He first tells Saurfang the following.
“I spared you because I believe you have honor. Was I wrong? Do you want more innocents to suffer?”
-Anduin Wrynn to Varok Saurfang, Lost Honor
In telling Saurfang this, he is establishing an association between “not letting innocents suffer” and “helping stop Sylvanas.” He knows that Saurfang, an orc whose honor means a lot to him, would be against the suffering of innocents. This makes Saurfang more likely to help him.
The second thing he tells Saurfang is much more important. After Saurfang tells Anduin that he hoped Anduin would stop Sylvanas, Anduin tells Saurfang…
“I can’t. Not alone.”
-Anduin Wrynn to Varok Saurfang, Lost Honor
This quote is VERY important. One of the most important things about this quote is that it is 100% a total LIE!
Anduin does not need Saurfang to stop Sylvanas. I mean, think about it. The Alliance, at the time of the cinematic, has bombs on the boats of the Zandalari fleet. Once the Alliance destroys those boats and launches their invasion on Dazar’alar, not only will the Zandalari army be crippled, but the Alliance would have complete naval superiority. The reasons for going to Kul Tiras and Zandalar were because the Horde and Alliance needed a stronger navy. Now that the Zandalari no longer have their fleet, but the Kul Titans still have theirs, the Alliance navy would be significantly larger than the Horde’s (this is only further supported by the Alliance stealing back the Abyssal Scepter, but, to be fair, the Horde still had the Abyssal Scepter at the time of this cinematic, so I suppose that doesn’t count). Furthermore, the novella “A Good War” established the fact that an invasion of Orgrimmar would be easier than an invasion of Stormwind. The Alliance also has the Vindicaar and void elves, who can tear holes in reality and send enemies into the void, which I honestly cannot see the Horde matching. Look, it may indeed be “difficult” to defeat Sylvanas on your own, but outright saying that you “can’t” is total BS.
(On a side note, remember that quote in Legion that everyone stopped talking about for some reason? “The boy-king serves at the master’s table. Three lies he will offer you.” I believe this is one of those lies.)
Anyway, the reason why Anduin lied to Saurfang about this is because he wants Saurfang to think he’s needed. He wants Saurfang to believe that if he doesn’t help, his desire to see Sylvanas stopped cannot become a reality. Thus, Anduin is manipulating Saurfang into taking arms against Sylvanas.
However, Anduin does not want Saurfang to “join the Alliance.” He is not “discussing” plans with Saurfang, but rather forming his own plans against the Horde and letting Saurfang do his thing (I don’t think Saurfang would want an attack against the Zandalari, for instance). He sent out his SI:7 to make sure no member of the Alliance attacks Saurfang or vice verse, but that was it.
By making Saurfang appear as if the Alliance is not helping him, Anduin is hoping that members of the Horde who hate the Alliance, but still have honor, would join Saurfang in a rebellion.
But what is the purpose of the rebellion in Anduin’s eyes? Is it to stop Sylvanas and restore honor to the Horde? Nope! Anduin is using Saurfang and those who join him as CANNON FODDER in order to weaken the Horde! That is why he was encouraging Saurfang to rise up and fight. The more he fights and inspires his fellow traitors to fight, the more deaths that happen on BOTH SIDES of the civil war.
To Anduin, it does not really matter who ultimately wins the civil war. Whether Saurfang succeeds in killing Sylvanas and her supporters, or Sylvanas succeeds in killing Saurfang and his supporters, the end result is the same. The Horde becomes severely weakened and the Alliance would be able to easily conquer and destroy the Horde without having too many Alliance casualties.
This is already beginning to be showed in game. In the Saurfang questline, if you side with Saurfang, you help him kill some of Sylvanas’s BEST DARK RANGERS who are trying to kill Saurfang. If those rangers were used against the Alliance instead, that would cause Alliance deaths. But since Anduin incited Saurfang to rebel, Saurfang is weakening Sylvanas’s forces and Sylvanas’s forces are attacking members Saurfang’s rebels, causing Horde deaths instead of Alliance deaths.
Anduin’s plan will save Alliance lives by having the Horde take the place in the graves that would’ve held Alliance soldiers (figuratively speaking, of course). By using Saurfang as cannon fodder, Anduin is making his ultimate goal of destroying the Horde easier.
Now THAT is morally gray.