There were several years between the Lich King losing his grip on Sylvanas and Arthas’ death. Again, the Death Knights of the Ebon Blade were also under his hold - even forced to kill a loved one during that time - and most of them didn’t sink into turbo depression or become what they hate.
Anduin’s experience surpasses Sylvanas’ in those two areas. Horrible as Sylvanas’ experience was, she wasn’t possessed or used as a suicide bomb (even if the latter failed for Anduin).
Knowing Sylvanas’ story was the product of a tug-of-war between two devs - one an obsessed fan and the other a toxic hater, I can’t hate her like I used to. But I don’t want to see her for awhile and they’d better tread VERY carefully if they bring her back in any the next three expansions.
Saying anduin had it worse is hilarious, man got used for like 2 days and hurt a stranger, sylvanas was made to slaughter the people she grew up with like what.
I thought Shadowlands might end with Arthas being “saved” by Anduin and rejoining the Alliance while Sylvanas rejoined the Horde.
To set up a grudge match at Silvermoon, in the next faction conflict!
Shadowlands didn’t end that way. Seeing the Arthas fanboys react the way they did might have been more enjoyable.
If Midnight is a big Elf expac, Sylvanas might have some involvement. Especially if her sisters and family is all involved. Maybe Tyrande will grant her a vacation from the Maw to help save the Elves.
There was a certain level of amusement and enjoyment with Sylvanas telling the remnants of Arthas’s soul to kindly go the way of the dinosaur because he’s a relic of an old age
I thought the lesson of Shadowlands was everyone was deserving of a second chance?
The entire point isnt so much he deserves a better fate then Sylvanas so much as he deserves the same fate. If Sylvanas can be allowed to be redeemed. So should Arthas.
The other option I would have perferred is they torment each other but WoW seems to want to end with a more positive note so that certain wouldnt do.
The “best ending” was what we got in Wrath but Blizzard decided to unbury Arthas, desecrated the story. I say they fix it.
Its not like he got sentenced to eternity in a thousand myriad hells, he just kinda dispersed from existence. He’s getting less punishment than Sylvanas, who is basically Sisyphus with the promise of release after rolling the boulder up the hill billions of times.
He never sought redemption, why should he get it? As awfully written as the SL saga was, Sylvanas was nominally trying to do good in the most vicious, stupid way possible, and turned on the Jailer when she realized what was up. Its nowhere near enough to give her a pass for what she did, but Arthas had full control of himself for years.
The only redemption story I’d accept is the last shard of humanity and goodness he casted off not being fully destroyed and getting a sendoff, but they didn’t do anything with Matthias, so it is what it is.
And Sylvanas will potentially get to spend the rest of her eternity after that in some afterlife she wants, potentially with Nathanos. Arthas should get the same chance.
Slyvanas never sought redemption either. She just got thrust into it thanks to our Shadowlands shinanigans. 2) even Arthas, after he became Lich King thought what he was trying to do was “good” even if it meant turning all of us into undead minions.
All I can say is I hope it does get changed in the future. Hell, Blizzard has literally reversed course on what was fairly controversial decisions before(the ending of the Aspects for example) maybe they will do the same for Arthas someday.
Sylvanas will not likely ever get to return to Azeroth. And regardless, as per that Margrave, no one escapes death forever, she will end up in the Shadowlands someday.
The undead kind of get the short end of the stick on the judgement thing. They get judged based on everything they did as an undead also, even if they already got judged and then later pulled back to our reality with necromancy.
Arthas seemed abit relieved when he died he even asks his father if it was “over”. He didnt get the chance to regret what he did.
As for “much worse”. He may have killed alot of people but he wasnt sending their souls to be used by Jailer to be destroyed or tortured in some sort of hell dimension.
He doomed millions to the curse of undead, betrayed his menthor and father alike, destroyed at least 3 nations(Dalaran, Quel’thalas and Lordaeron, forced leading undead to do horrible things against their own people and then tried to off a 4th nation(Gilneas). Then he killed Ner’zhul and tried to drown even the rest of the planet for said curse. I doubt it can get any worse then this.
There was always an undercurrent even back then that the helm of domination was wearing arthas as much as he was wearing it, and he was never truly in control of it. Back then it was tied to Yogg-Saron, the “god of death”… I guess now it be Zovaal, which really is unfortunate.
Combine that with the fact that a good chunk of Sylvanas’ soul was severed and separate from her when she did her worst acts and is now back to being part of the whole.
Its a very messed up situation overall, philosophically speaking
Sylvanas wasn’t evil until she became undead and Teldrassil is one genocide alone. By pure body count Arthas wins as being worse. And unlike Arthas she actually regrets whats she had done and now makes amends for the rest of eternity fetching souls.