kinda, but to me the real problem is teldrassil.
in any realistic scenario, alliance leaders would be wanting AT LEAST the complete dismantle of the horde as a faction so they can not longer commit their atrocities.
Why? well, because of the pre-patch. wanting peace after that is, at least. not ideal.
you remove that from the ecuation and anduin would be portrayed more reasonable for wanting peace and i bet that more people would like him.
Which again doubles back to the issue with Anduin and BfA.
The most he actually contributes to BfA was to justify there being a Horde in the next expansion.
I guess I see that as part of the same problem. Teldrassil got all dumped on Sylvanas too. She used it to kill a bunch of night elves to send them to the Maw, plus instigate the Alliance into attacking the Horde for even more death.
I find the whole premise for this war story dumb. Realistically, yeah things would be way different. Realistically, the Horde shouldnât have followed someone like Sylvanas for as long as they did in the first place.
They could have used Sylvanas to give him a much needed, heavy loss. But instead Jaina ruined that potentialâŚ
âŚor an Alliance.
Iâm rather fine with Anduin. Iâm just worried thereâs not enough of him
edit: an example of what I mean is for him to encounter Rastakhan instead of Genn-- Genn is already suppose to be at darkshore. Anduin meeting Talanji and her father while also attempting to spare that empire (recall the story has Anduin spare Saurfang eariler) wouldâve gave heavy gravity.
To make Anduin likable he needs to have a crisis of faith; either in himself, the light, or the Alliance itself.
Having a lack of faith in himself would probably be the easiest route, with him questioning his decisions to help the Horde and to pursue peace in general, wondering if peace is worth the cost. This would probably be the most satisfying for the Alliance fan base too since it would show him doubting the Hordeâs value and trustworthiness. But, even if it is the easiest I do think it is the least likely as dedication to the cause of peace rather than justice or vengeance has always sort of been the corner stone of Anduinâs character.
Now, having him question the wisdom of the Light would be something worth pursuing if we were moving in the direction of having elements of the Light take on a more antagonistic role in the narrative. Having Anduin suddenly have a crisis of faith, where he has to question all of those moments where the Light worked through him could make him a little more human. Are mortals just being used by vast and formless beings, ultimately unconcerned with the suffering of the pawns in an unending war that they never signed up for? Given the source of Sylvanasâ new powers and the constant threat of the Old Gods, it might make Anduin a little more relatable, a little more human, if he started to question his role and the role of mortals in general in the apparently cosmic conflict weâre all caught in the middle of.
The hardest might be to have him lose faith in the Alliance itself. While Tyrande and Genn might push for a more aggressive stance towards the Horde it doesnât look like there is any real threat to the stability of the Alliance or to the core identity of the Alliance at this time. If the Alliance were to go through a period of inner turmoil as the Horde did in BFA and MoP, however, it could give Anduin the opportunity to stake out his ideal of what the Alliance is and what they are meant to be. Are they just an organization meant to project their will on the rest of the world? Are they meant to actively do good, for all of Azeroth and not just themselves? Are they a primarily defensive organization or should they take a proactive role in the fight against injustice no matter where it may be? And what is Anduinâs role in the Alliance? Is his the guiding will or is he simply a servant of the people? Should he maintain his authority or give it up, and which would truly be better fornthe Alliance in the long run? And is âwhat is good for the Allianceâ really what is best for all of Azeroth in the long run?
There is a lot of soul searching for Anduin to do that could help establish him as a more likable character, but until he has cause to doubt himself, his faith, or his people that kind of introspection canât happen.
That the thing. Hes aim for peace, or trying it.
As a player, Iâm all for more war. But you also need think outside of just a game a little. A good leader donât start wars or continue wars.
I disagree. Any Alliance character could have been there to make sure there was an Alliance going into Shadowlands.
Only Anduin cares enough about the Horde to make sure it doesnât get destroyed so it can be there too.
Thatâs why so many people want Tyrande or Genn drown Orgrimmar in blood and are upset that Anduin is holding them back. Just about any other Alliance character in the leadership position would certainly press whatever advantage the Alliance would have to cripple the Horde. Only Anduin wouldnât because heâs a good little egg. That is his main contribution to BfA, the one purpose unique to him.
I disagree. If it werenât for people like Illidan or Alleria, heâd be following any Naaru like an obedient dog. By himself he would not even think to question any orders that Xâera would have given him.
They did in Elegy, and the Tyrande was forced by the narrative to bend over backwards and kiss his head for just trying. The Author favoritism is real with Anduin.
Anduin will always be that guy that crys in every cinematic.
Seems like youâre assuming that such actions would be pretty one sided. If the war continued beyond where it stopped there is a very good chance that no one in the Alliance would even be in a position to do anything about the Shadowlands, as they would still be neck deep in the consequences of pursuing a bloody extermination crusade.
Some of you folks toss around ideas like âdismantling the Hordeâ like there simple actions, once done that any threat the races that make up the Horde could pose could never possibly arise again. Itâs hilariously short sighted and misses the point that the Alliance already dismantled the Horde once before and it just led to the creation of the current iteration.
The fact that you think Anduin is the only Alliance character that would preserve the Horde actually says more about what is wrong with the Alliance than what is wrong with Anduin.
Folks who want Hero Chin Junior are never going to be happy. Anduin isnât Little Varian and he never will be.
Folks who want an Alliance berserker wonât be happy either.
And of course there are those who simply want to lay everyone elseâs failings including those of Greymane, Tyrande, Shaw, Alleria, and Shandris on him as well.
As far as I can tell Anduin still reflect the morality the Alliance had always had, one centered on peace even if said attempt can backfire on the Alliance. Dont forget, before the retcon Lothar of all people wanted to parley with the Horde(and ambushed for it).
Ultimately, as much as people might hate Anduin for it, his attempt at peace will ultimately allow us the reprive we need to stop Nâzoth and possibly stop whatever Sylvanas is planning.
We just did this with Jaina. As for justice/vengence, I see it as Anduin prioritizing the minimization of the loss of and then focusing justice and the ones who most deserve it.
I think Anduin would have been great as the official/head Alliance Ambassador in this expansion. But not as High King.
It would add at least a dash of political machinations and conflict to the Alliance: Anduin pursuing the Gathering while his fellow leaders tell him itâs never going to work but have fun; Anduin trying to influence the running of the war itself to keep casualties on both sides down, butting heads with the generals and other faction leaders and having to negotiate a middle ground; Anduin secretly releasing Saurfang to further his hopes of a less bloody end to the war, then having to explain his reasoning to the other leaders when found out and confronted; Anduin and Jaina discussing strategies when planning the strike on Dazarâalor to try to get the Zandalari to surrender (or at least not join the Horde theyâve been hosts to), arguing over how much/little force vs persuasion to useâŚ
Anduin works well enough as the personification of pure Alliance ideals and empathy - but it doesnât lead to great storytelling when that character is in charge and uncontested. And especially not when the story warps around him to make everything he does, even the mistakes - especially the mistakes - still look both 100% morally right and effective.
Iâd love Anduin as a neighbor or friend, but I donât want to read a story about him.
Except at the end of the faction war we are implicitly told that the Horde is in the stronger position. Specifically, right before the confrontation at Orgrimmar we are told that only Sylvanas has an army capable of confronting NâZoth. Thatâs minus the Horde rebels, who are then folded back into the Horde.
There seems to be some misconception that the Alliance was winning the war when it ended. They certainly had their chances earlier (e.g. after the battle of DazarâAlor), but then so did the Horde (e.g. when Saurfang spared Anduin at Undercity).
Itâs not like the Alliance can just âdrown Orgrimmar in bloodâ if only Anduin would let them.
What about folks who just want a character with a shred of believability? Who isnât a seventeen year old epitome of perfection?
Do you believe that a person as perfect as Anduin could actually exist? I donât like Anduin because I think he reduces the story to the level of tween fantasy.