I mean, is he just vaporized into Stygia in the Maw? People are assuming we will encounter his soul at some point, but Arthas has been a long time in the Maw, since his death at the end of WotlK, which in turn translates to much longer in the Maw.
We know that even a short time in the Maw can obliterate some souls, the night elf souls in Torghast are example of this, and even though Arthas may have more anima than some of the younger souls, chances are it was extracted faster by greater torture on his soul.
Alternatively, I see the Jailer trying to harness him as a weapon, and Sylvanas going to be really pissed when she finds out.
I hope Jaina and Calia team up to face a Arthas that was tortured into a devoted servant of the Jailer helping Uther come to terms with what he did by obliterating his wayward student’s soul giving the only mercy possible for him.
Well as much I hate to say it, The Jailer is going to need another second in command after we face Sylvanas in 9.1 where her redemption kicks in(or the cause of her jumping sides again at seeing the Jailer was going to replace her with him anyway)
Honestly, I hope we redeem him and he kills Sylvanas again for ironic* justice.
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I would say … no. He’s too much of a high profile character to just off like that, especially with so many characters who have relationships to him being highlighted within SLs. We have his Mentor in Bastion, Uther. We have his lover who still harbors regrets about him, Jaina. We have his long lost older sister, Calia. We have one of his highest profile victims, Sylvanas. And finally we have the kid who had quite a few homage scenes in BfA, Anduin. There is a little too much “Arthas” for him to be gone.
At most if Arthas has been ground down to something usable, he’s that blue crystal that the Jailor shoved into Shalamourne, and Anduin will get some Arthas spirit time while he’s enjoying his temporary tenure as the Jailor’s Weapon. Until Sylvie’s “redemption arc” kicks in, and she aids us in the rescue.
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Who do you think was in the blue crystal in the latest cinematic? An Anima-fueled Arthas.
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Why? Arthas wasn’t particularly an awesome person without the powers from the Jailer himself.
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He was basically nothing without the helm and frostmourne. Just a slightly above average paladin.
Because he was already bathed in the Jailer’s power he’d be perfect as the source of a new weapon.
Is this a shipping innuendo?
So you’re not here for serious discussion. Gotcha.
Oh, for a second I thought you were shipping those two. My bad
On to serious matters; what does bathing in the Jailer’s power has to do with anything? They are the Jailer’s power I don’t get the sense that bathing in his power is anything important.
There is no godly way Blizzard would specifically show Arthas being thrown into the Maw, not show his fate there, and then just leave it at that. You better believe he’ll be popping back up again. My bet is in the last patch, either as the Jailer’s post-Sylvanas lead general or as an ally against him in a redemption arc.
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I want Sylvanas to get her long overdue comeuppance, but this is the absolute LAST thing I want to see happen at all. It’d be both narratively gross and extremely unsatisfying to see Sylvanas’s abuser be hailed as a hero and to be the one to punish her.
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Anima is about what you accomplished on Azeroth. It’s very much a meta “how much narrative did you accumulate?”
Warcraft was built on Arthas’s back, no matter how boorish I think he is.
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Dread he is our dk daddy no need to be so rude about him lol.
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Yeah but he did betray you guys.
I’m hoping he’s somewhere in Torghast as a backup plan for the Jailer and we Gul’dan him for some stupid reason by letting him out and we inadvertently create our new Big Bad.
I also want this exchange at some point.
Kel’Thuzad says: P-prince Arthas?! You’re alive?
King Arthas says: That’s King Arthas to you, Lich. Come on. We have work to do.
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I’m totally down with that. 
I’m not opposed to an Arthas redemption arc, but it’s going to have to come at an astronomical cost to him. Imagine the pathos when after a lifetime of arrogance and cruelty Arthas makes the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of the Worldsoul of Azeroth knowing it would do him no good, no-one outside the select few would ever learn of it and would have to keep it secret lest it be in vain, but does it instinctively because of all the lessons Uther taught him.