TLDR: The writers did Kael’thas so dirty back in TBC and he deserves redemption.
I just want to say, Kael’thas (In WC3) was a very compelling character. He returned to his homeland, made hard decisions (Destroy the Sunwell before its corruption killed them) then fought to reclaim his home from the Scourge, then put aside pride to rejoin the Alliance only to be met with a racist who did everything he could to see them killed, despite the Scourge being a more pressing foe. He showed respect and integrity when he joined forces with the Night Elves, speaking to them in their own language and saving Tyrande’s life, just as she saved theirs. To save his people, he was willing to do anything, including literally leaving Azeroth behind in exchange for a bold future where they could sate their lethal withdrawal, regain power, and take the fight to Arthas. He inspired my love for Blood Elves and I’ve never stopped liking them… until Midnight, where I realize they’ve been written to sort of forget their darker history, pretending they’re “Light Elves” instead of Blood Elves. I don’t dislike them, but they’re not interesting anymore.
And then it all just… fell apart. He became power-hungry, selfish, and insane. Instead of saving his people, he attacked them, stole their power sources, and tried to use the Sunwell to summon the Legion into Quel’thalas (Effectively destroying it). Also, Arthas who? He totally forgot about the burning need for vengeance. His two motivations were saving his people, and destroying the Scourge. But in TBC, he attacks his people and ignores the Scourge. This remains the biggest character 180 in all of Warcraft History. A complete subversion of who he was.
I had hoped in Midnight to see him redeemed, brought back through the power of the Sunwell to once again lead his people; not erasing their past, but moving forward with the harshest lessons learned, as befits the Sin’dorei. Instead, his statues are tossed into the bay while Sylvanas (Whose crimes are INFINITELY WORSE THAN ANYTHING KAEL DID) has statues erected in her honour. It’s insane, the double standards are crazy!
Yeah, keeping Sylvanas’s statues and remembering her as the Ranger-General while ignoring everything good about Kael’thas is a double standard (especially as most of Kael’thas’s bad problems were not entirely his fault, it is not his fault Illidan did not give him a cure for the elves’ mana addiction for instance) ignoring that it’s not possible to divorce him from the Blood Elves completely.
Finding Kael’thas statue in the harbor and having Blood Elves having the name “Blood Elves” as their continued faction name after Kael’thas literally declared them so. That’s hypocrisy. Either abandon his name given to you all or retain it and remember the good the former prince did. Even if you think he went insane at the end, he was still the Thalassian ruler up until he got beheaded at the end of Magister’s terrace.
Theoretically abandoning the Blood Elf name should be easy if they’re legitimately trying to forget Kael’thas, as it wasn’t even tied to Kael’thas specifically- it was a name to honor the fallen.
There was an arcane fount or w.e in the Black Temple that the Black Harvest (Kanrethrad and Jubeka) discovered that Illidan was using to free his demons of fel corruption. They theorized that the Blood Elves could have used it but for whatever reason Illidan never let them near it.
100% agreed. Sylvanas as the Ranger-General was a hero, but after what she did… what she became… Kael’thas was a hero too. I think the reason I’m still upset is because his turn was so sudden and complete.
It makes me sad. I wonder how WoW would have been different with Kael leading the people, instead of Lor’themar, who honestly had more set-up to be a villain than Kael’thas if you look at old Silvermoon.
Doesn’t the Sylvanas statue specifically state she died to the scourge which would be admittedly a rejection of her banshee-queen period?
Anyway Kael’thas was done dirty by the writers, WC3 Kael’thas was a boy scout and also the opposite of arrogant (he was respectful to Malfurion and Tyrande both as individuals and as the senior druid and priestess of Elune he recognized more or less on sight, even humble, and was getting ordered into obvious death traps by some random ponce with only snide comments out of earshot), but it’s also been 20 years now and hard to undo without full on retcons to TBC
Kael’thas coined the name and his first declaration as leader when he returned to Silvermoon and the dust settled was to declare the High Elves as Blood Elves to honor the blood of the fallen. You could in theory say, “Well he may have named us so during the aftermath of the scourging of Quel’thelas… but we choose to retain the name to honor those that died like his father.” I guess, it works…. but still if you hate him so much, then why retain the very name he gave you? I get it isn’t specifically tied to him, but he coined it and everyone who calls themselves blood elves retained it. Just seems like odd writing.
His declaration that the monarchy was over now that Anasterian was dead also stuck and that one was probably a sentiment shared by most of the people of Quel’thalas anyway. Given book Vereesa’s surprisingly even handed attitude towards the Blood Elves compared to how she was in-game before, like, Legion, she probably agreed with some of the change in spirit anyway before her character became what it is in Wrath.
TBC was the full-on retcon, if you ask me! It squandered very compelling characters like Kael, Vashj, and Illidan. I would not mind one bit if they retconned the retcon, and brought back the Kael’thas people liked!
I like how he refused to become the next king of Quel’thalas too. He wasn’t arrogant in Wc3. He was a realist who recognized that what occurred required a drastic change in their culture. The way they’re telling the story now in Midnight, pretending the isolationist Anasterian was a saint… eh. There’s no impact to the Light Elves anymore. They feel so unearned, like the story is being forced in this direction even if it doesn’t feel right.
Declaration from the Sun King means he took his father’s throne. We also have the encounter in Castle Nathria i.e. Sun King’s Salvation. So he officially rescinded that in start of BC
Sunhawks – my precious, loyal children – your king commends you. Your presence on Azeroth is of the utmost importance to both myself and the Master.
Soon, the sun portal will be ready to transport reinforcements from Tempest Keep directly to Bloodmyst Isle.
We will reclaim the Exodar. We will slay the blue skinned mongrels where they stand. Velen will pay for his crimes.
Azuremyst is really weird writing wise and at no other point in TBC is he referred to with the title of king.
Look, I don’t disagree (I think a lot of things that were changed from Frozen Throne were a huge waste, this includes the writing for Kael and Illidan, this includes the out of nowhere hostility between Quel’thalas and the night elves which doesn’t exist except as a justification to crowbar the faction rivalry, and even if the BC blood elves weren’t as edgy as the median warlock main pretends to remember they were, they were still made edgier in ways that were basically pointless and mostly come off as trying too hard out of fear that horde players would hate the race, which a lot did anyway - probably most at the time)
