Hello, friends.
With the World of Warcraft story still chugging, we have witnessed quite a lot of character “progression” that has been miserable at worst and questionable at best.
So, I thought I might ask this question to my fellow players:
Which character, in your opinion, has had the worst character progression from the start of their story to its present continuation or past conclusion?
Thanks.
I’m going to preface this by saying, I would have to not count about a million characters who have simply not progressed at all, like Anduin. He hasn’t changed a bit since he was a child.
That having been said, it’s a toss up between Garrosh Hellscream and Kael’thas Sunstrider, and for the same reason.
Both were incredibly charismatic leaders who weren’t entirely certain of their ability to lead, but grew into the role from necessity. They became strong figures within their respective societies and led their people to greatness, albeit with some strategies or forces that were ethically questionable. Both characters experienced a sudden, jarring turn towards villainy. Both characters could have been amazing, strong forces within the narrative if they hadn’t been sacrificed upon the altar of raid boss status.
No shocker in what I’m about to say but I nominate Tyrande Whisperwind to compete in the worst character progression in WoW.
No other racial leader suffered from the worst use as a plot device and always in the most horrible way.
Even now after so many years of trash writing and when the time finally came to use her in the perfect way she was made to look useless against a simple undead, she being the Hight Priestess of Elune loses faith in her Goddess and is now on her way to be a crazy villain for wanting to stop the very person responsible for all that has happened.
Way to go Blizzard!
I think Kael’Thas really got shafted. Plus it’d be neat if the Horde had at least one powerful magic character. Don’t get me wrong I like Lor’Themar and First Arcanist Thalyssra just fine but especially considering Jania’s relevance in BFA it would have been cool to get at least one Red VS Blue Wizard’s duel.
Khadgar or Sylvanas
Yeah early on I assumed Windrunner was going to be for the undead what Thrall was for Orcs. A humanizing figure head. I mean fel she’s already a stupidly sexy elf lady why even go that route if you’re not trying to make a #relatable zombie leader?
Granted we’re yet to see the end of her arc and in the end I thought Illidain had a decent one. So who knows maybe she’ll be double secret heroic emo elf #2.
I’d really hate this but I am already prepared for it lol. Blizzard can’t bring themselves to kill her she’s one of their favorite characters. I think she’s on the new Blizzcon banner too.
Kael’thas, by far.
His character “arc” is a relic of the age of BC, where the story department was still wet behind the ears and couldn’t figure out how to continue the story of Illidan’s faction without having them be playable. So they simply turned them all into villainous raid and dungeon bosses and killed them off, with the sole exception of Akama.
It still pains me to play the blood elf campaign in WC3 because of what happened to Kael’thas in WoW, and it’ll pain me again once Reforged comes out.
I say Azeroth
Just everything to do with what has gone on this planet.
Kaelthas no doubt.
like, that wasn’t even character progressión, it was literally character assasination in every way.
another one hm… problably grom hellscream.
This 100%!
Kael’thas
Garrosh
Sylvanas
Pretty much, if you’re a character in Warcraft, and you feel depressed, angry, sad, or outraged over something you need to have a spouse and children to save you from hurling yourself into the pit of evil.
Thrall went down this path, but he has a family, so he climbed back out of the pit.
Tyrande is looking to throw herself into the pit, but she has a husband and adoptive daughter, so she might be okay, we’ll see if they want to deviate.
Alleria is snorting the source of evil in the universe like a drug, but she has a husband and son to look after, so she’s fine.
But if you’re single and angry, get ready to die.
Honorable mention to Thrall. Yeah, he’s not in a terrible place now, but when I remember how beloved he was from WC3 through WotLK, I just wanna cry.
Unless you’re Jaina. But then, it was her dragon boytoy who talked her out of flooding Org.
I stand corrected. Jaina has defeated the “Negative Emotions = Evil” curse in Warcraft.
She has her remaining family to cherish her, and she is being good for them.
Sylvanas has living family, but they decided they don’t like her, so she won’t be rescued by them.
Kael and Garrosh didn’t have family either. Hmmmm, more data is needed.
Well jaina was going alone and going evil until she reconnected with her family to support her.
But if we want to talk about family… what about calia?
didn’t she was left alone after she lost all the members of her family?
her brother killed her dad and mom, destroyed her kingdom, and then she lost her daughter.
but surprinsinly, she didn’t went insane and now she is a paragon of light.
Kael, Garrosh,and Sylvanas for me. All done dirty by Blizzard in their own special ways.
Ugh, Alleria and Vereesa are awful sisters. I would hate to have siblings like them.
best windrunner
It warms my heart to see so many people mention Kael. He was truly the greatest loss to WoW lore.
It drives me insane how Blizzard took such an incredibly likeable character and turned him into a fel sucking villain because they needed some more loot pinatas. He should still be leading Quel’thalas to this day.
Easily Kael’thas. The guy went from a hero who worked to rescue his people from extinction, to a raving lunatic that was a pawn of the Burning Legion. As if getting villain-batted wasn’t enough, his ultimate fate was even worse: becoming a meme. “________ was merely a setback!” is all he’s remembered for now. Dayum shame.
I’m actually going to say Jaina.
Mainly because of how her arc was handled in that she went from a peace seeker, to an angry vengeful woman which was fine. Then Blizzard decided they didn’t know what to do with that so they made her suddenly peace seeking again just to turn her vengeful in Mists, only to have her mellow out by the end of War Crimes BUT instantly in WoD have her attempt to bar the Horde from working with the Kirin Tor, to just peacing the hell out during Legion rather than work with the Horde again before FINALLY having her arc come to an end with BfA where she finally accepts her various decisions in the past and learns to forgive herself, so NOW she’s back to being peaceful.
This took like 7 bloody years.