Helm of Domination's Connection to the Shadowlands

I have quite a few issues with the cinematic for Shadowlands. I loved it and was hyped right up until Sylvanas owned Bolvar and literally ripped apart the Helm of Domination (imagine someone doing that to Doomhammer). My issue, though, is with the Helm of Domination’s connection to the Shadowlands.

Kil’jaeden created the Lich King. Why did breaking the helm open up the Shadowlands? Did Kil’jaeden know that it had such a connection? Did Blizzard just pull this out of nowhere as they’ve seemingly done for everything to come in 9.0?

The Helm of Domination’s ability to tear open a rift to the Shadowlands seems a bit out of nowhere, especially considering it was created for Ner’zhul by the Burning Legion.

Let’s discuss.


Leave your thoughts and opinions, but as always, keep it civil.

-Aspiring Loremaster Wickham

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I have the same questions. It did seem to come out of nowhere. An interesting twist, to be sure, but I had no idea the Helm held such power.

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I think Blizz is implying that Kil’jaeden forged the connection so if the helm it was ever destroyed Azeroth would be as well.

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That makes sense, but it surely wasn’t established beforehand. Seems Blizzard is pulling stuff out of nowhere for this expansion. None of the zones nor factions looked interesting enough for me to want to play.

A Lich King expansion, hell even Sylvanas becoming the new Lich King, would’ve been far more interesting, imo.

Ah well. Looks like this is the first xpac I’ll be sitting out. I’ve long said I hoped the leaks weren’t true.

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I can only offer my own speculation, but I imagine that, the Helm being the keystone by which the Lich King controlled all of the undead, it’s destruction may have resulted in a mass freeing of souls. The immense flood of souls traveling to the Shadowlands in a location where the veil is thin, could have resulted in it’s shattering.

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Are you seriously saying that a straight repeat of WotLK would be more interesting than an entirely new place to explore?

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Which is silly because that means if Illidan had succeeded in destroying the Lich King during TFT, such an outcome would have robbed the Burning Legion of its ultimate prize.

I didn’t say a “straight repeat” of WotLK (though BfA was largely a straight repeat of MoP) - I said the Lich King returning would’ve been far more interesting than going to a realm with little buildup and a bunch of new factions/races they pulled out of nowhere.

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That means the Legion could’ve just won by ripping the helm apart at any time.

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I won’t say I loved it becuase I’m sick of looking at Sylvanas but it was good up until then. And they talk about Tyrande and Malfurion being overpowered.

Yes I think they pulled this out if nowhere. I don’t even think we have an origin for the helm. So blizz used that lapse in story telling to create this mess.

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It just works.

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We do, the dreadlords made it (as well as the rest of the armor and Frostmourne) to house Ner’zhuls soul on Kil’jaedens orders.

This is blizzard writing things out of their butt because “subverting expectations is cool, even when it is done poorly”

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And this is why I said in another thread that this cinematic was arguably a nail in the coffin for established lore.

Is anyone really excited about the Lich King being destroyed and the next two years being centered around a bunch of realms, factions and races no one has ever heard of?

With BC we had Draenor, the orcs, draenei, BL, etc.

With Wrath we had Arthas, Ner’zhul and the Scourge.

Cata had Deathwing and the Old Gods.

Mists had the Pandaren and faction war.

WoD - same as BC + iconic orc leaders/Gul’dan.

Legion and BFA had the BL, Kul Tirans and Zandalari - both highly anticipated additions to the game.

What does Shadowlands have? Sylvanas and the spirits of Varian/Vol’jin? Pass.

Something tells me the Blizzard writers loved the final Game of Thrones season.

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Excerpt from WoWiki

helm of the Lich King or Lich King’s crown was crafted by demons, both to hold the spirit of [Ner’zhul] and grant him his powers. The helm, which helps command undead and others, was bonded to Ner’zhul’s spirit and locked within the [Frozen Throne]

So if this ^ is the true lore, what is the connection between Ner’zul’s spirit? And her ripping it apart like it was a phone book, that just kinda proves my theory that she is possessed by and old god, because if she were that strong to begin with, to basically pwn the current king’s butt, and destroy the helm why the hell couldn’t she beat Arthas?

I’ve been a steady player since `04 but I think the writers are stretching. There is a lot of inconsistency’s in the lore. A LOT of holes…

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Chris Metzen would ask for his old job back, then quit said job out of protest if Blizzard did that.

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I thought Bolvar as the Lich King was going to have more of a role to play. It feels like there was going to be a different path for the overall story but when they reached Shadowlands they changed direction, hence the out-of-nowhereness. I figured it’d be a matter of time before new material would have to be made, which is good, but I’m not seeing much connection in the new zones, like where do Trolls fit in? There’s still more info about the expansion we have to get, but that’s my impression right now.

That’s just the story too, we should’ve got a new class with this expansion such as a necromancer.

That has been running theory here on SF since the start of BFA, iirc.

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Yea I was really surprised by this… every xpac there has been a new class or a new race this time just broken lore. Time to retire WoW v1 and make WoW2 or world of diabo or something. Anything but taking established lore and taking a pooh on it just for the sake of making content to keep the raiders happy.

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Apparently Pandaren and the AR’s are getting DK’s at the end of BFA / start of SL. I’m not excited for that, but you can be.

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what next a fury goblin DK or DH? ffs.