Can someone explain to me why that’s a thing and why Blizzard is using it so heavily?
With that I mean the dead, or even unknown mother and no spouses. Even faction leaders have this problem. Some don’t even have a family, or we never see them. Even Sylvanas made a joke about it. I think the ones we about know about are mostly humans, some elves and perhaps a view Orcs.
For example: What about Vol’jins family, Rokhans, Mekkatorques, or Kurdans?
Was Velens wife ever mentioned?
Edit: Apparently she was during legion. https://wow.gamepedia.com/Echo_of_Nuuri
I’d like to know what happened to Tyrande’s parents. What about the accident that the Stormrage’s were in? Kael’Thas’ mother? I think they leave out this family information so that they don’t have to spend time writing about it, which if true is just really sh!ty. I have my own head canon for some of these though.
I mean, you can’t have it all; it’s a slippery slope. Of course they leave it out, there’s not really much point in including it. Would it be good to know? Absolutely. Does it change anything? No. Something like an MMO can’t really suffer from character bloat, especially when most characters are segmented by what xpacs they appear in, but like c’mon.
Because “stuffed in a fridge” is a common trope in comic books. Also the Warcraft setting was created and is still written by dudebros who haven’t asked a woman’s take at what they think their power fantasy is. They have their own idea of what a “power fantasy” is. They live through their characters, who happen to be male most of the time. Women in those setting tend to be more matronly and docile. And if they aren’t magic users, they are often exclusively archers because or bias even when said race isn’t even human. Orcs are often the race of a designated Red Sonya archetype.
I know there are women on the staff, but they either have their own wish fulfillment for roleplay, or are ignored. It is frustrating because I was brought into the setting through the Night Elves of Warcraft 3 because I LOVE the Amazon fantasy. However, Blizzard doesn’t care about it or has either forgotten or watered it down to make it more appealing to the masses.
Kael’Thas mother is a especially weird one. I would expect a queen to be mentioned in a story somwere at least.
Even if her place wasn’t in his story with the scourge etc.
It depends. Does it take away we don’t know who the parents from everyone are? No. Would it be nice to hear or see something from Sen’jins wife? Perhaps sure.
It’s rather strange to me though how often that’s the case and if we know about a parent it’s mostly only the father we know, or for main characters.
Were it becomes a problem are cases like Vol’jins missing family (he supposedly had).
I will be glad to read more from your point of view. Interesting post.
Metzen once said: His daughter asked him about the dragon aspects and their bikinis. It was an awkward moment for him (no I don’t have anything against such things). Which is weird. Simply be open.
True, but at the end of the day it’s mostly just fluff “bonus” info. Who ruled before Azshara? What’s the boat in DM (definitively) used for? How the hell did Theradras bone Zaetar? All things that would be nice to know, because they absolutely warrant an explanation, but at the end of the day, fluff info. I don’t even think Vol’jin’s family situation warrants any real explanation in an objective sense - I personally would like to know, but is it worth the time that would otherwise be spent on something… better?
I suspect this thread’s going to hit rock bottom soon. Stand by. We went from “where are all the parents?” to “men are pigs” in record time.
What would, say, his children’s perspective bring to the table? I would say - what would they contribute to the story? A side character in the Pandaria Voljin book? An NPC at his funeral?
Why would they be side characters after Vol’jins death? Is Anduin a side character?
And that you thought my statement about Metzen was “men are pigs” is even weirder. It’s simple, it’s fantasy and fun, even art, there is nothing awkward about it.
I’m not talking about a full background story on all the parents, at least not outside of major lore figures and faction leaders, but at least some details about them. Who were they and what did they do, stuff like that. It doesn’t need to be expansive. The issue isn’t that they leave it out but they do it so so many characters and they ignore family relationships, such as Vol’jin’s kids, Saurfang and Thura, Alexstraza and Ysera, and Tyrande and Shandris all together. Have we ever even seen the three Bronzebreard brothers together or mention each other? So not only are they leaving it out but they are ignoring what what exists which just makes it worse.
Exactly! We got nothing at all. It’s a hole in the characters story. Not a large one but still a missing piece.
Seeing as Rokhan is now leading the Darkspear (perhaps due to the fact the kids have been forgotten about - who can say) leads me to think that leadership of the tribe isn’t necessarily passed down familiarly. Why does the family have to run it? It’s not like the Zandalari - in troll terms, the Darkspear are minor. A ‘new generation’ doesn’t have to be based on the ‘ruling family’.
That was in fact something that was RPG lore, at least for the Amani in Lands of Conflict (I think was it). I liked the dynamics of it (leading by merit, or cunning and not bloodline only).
On the other hand Sen’jin was also the leader before and Rastakhan was king before Talanji (still both had to prove themselves). Even though it could work differently for the Zandlari, for sure.
You are right. I think, now it’s too late. I’m happy with Rokhan. But it’s still weird mentioning someone once and then never again, if they are direct family members (mates and children especially).
For me it rally doesn’t have to be the family. But at least some closure would be nice. Knowing what happened at least. Why even start a story if you don’t finish it?
That’s also a good point. Sure not hugely important, but scenes like those could be nice. I think only 2 have met so far.
I would like so see some more fluff, world bluing and backstories.
I agree, but where we disagree is whether it really matters. Things get cut all the time for various reasons, that unfortunately is just something we have to live with. I don’t agree that it counts as “unfinished”. Unfinished, I think, would be if there was no followup of Vol’jin’s story at all in BFA and beyond, since it’s actually pertinent to the story.
Please don’t get me wrong, I want this as well, but I don’t really think it’s important.
Nothing wrong with that, I can understand you and don’t even think you’re wrong or something.
We don’t even disagree really. I simply wish they would pay more attention and give us a little bit more. I think we’re not really that far off each other here.
I wouldn’t call it all fluff information if it helps to round out a characters back story.
Sidenote: Who ruled before Azshara was never fluff, it’s a large chunk that’s missing and now we really need it because apparently there was a previous Night Warrior and we don’t know when or why or what they fought. Again it doesn’t need to be expansive but at least details of what these events were about.
I agree, it’s just a little added bonus, and world building in general in sorely needed.
Sometimes they are neat details, but often times it can be superfluous. We can assume Kaelthas had a mother, unless Anastarian conjured him alone somehow, which is unlikely. But she most likely died with everyone else when Arthas attacked, or in childbirth. What ever made her noteworthy is not very relevant, anymore.
They could always make it relevant, and fill in blanks later. Like make her wedding ring a magical family heirloom, or something. But not every couple is Turalyon and Alleria. Sometimes there is a “silent partner” of little acclaim who just happens to be partnered with a character.
I’m not ENTIRELY sure that the absence of parental figures contributes to the Disney trope. Of most of the characters you mentioned, like Rokhan or Mekkatorque, I find that I’m not really chomping at the bit to hear about their parentage (or whether or not their parents are still alive - probably not given their age), because I’ve never been led to presume that their parents were terribly important to the current narrative. Who was Tyrande’s mother? I don’t know, and I don’t much care really - her character remains wholly intact without that bit of information.
As for the leaders that DO have parents? Commonly, they do tend to serve the fridge trope - as in a character who is slain to spur another character to action. Characters like Vol’jin, Thrall, or Geya’rah have these events as intrinsic parts of their character from their inception. Others, such as Baine, Anduin, or Talanji, have their parental figure’s demise come later in the story after they’ve already been developed. Some even directly contribute to the death of their parent, like Lilian, Erazmin, or Jaina.
Ultimately, the fridge trope is not something that’s unique to Blizzard, or even Disney for that matter. The death of a loved one and the call to action because of that has been a widely used trope in fiction for a very long time, partly because it is steeped in plausible believability. However, there is a large difference between the parents’ demise, and the parents relative nonexistence due to irrelevance.
If Ji Firepaw’s parents were crucial to his story at large, I’d want to know who they were. As it stands, they are not, yet I don’t consider that a fridge trope in itself.
Is all relevant information that we actually have for The Kingdom if Strom and it’s decents and the Trolls.
But back to the family situation, isn’t odd that ou of 20 faction leader characters and a bunch of other major lore figures we only have rounded family stores for 3 of them, Varian, Thrall, and Anduin? Yeah, their families were major characters too but still…