It doesn’t have to be an either/or. They both should be developed as a comical duo.
1 Like
We all know having spine means doing what the horde does so you feel better about yourself
But again, though, Jorin Deadeye and Thura exist already. They would already fill this role of “next generation” and “up-and-coming”, and would be much better at it than Zekhan. Literally the only tie to the narrative he has is that he’s a Saurfang fanboy.
Hell, Garrosh, Zaela, Nazgrim, heck even Baine they were exactly this. All of which had a very strong showings and good ties to the overall narrative, something which Zekhan just does not possess.
5 Likes
I think the issue is Zekhan doesn’t have a solid grounding within the world. He started off as Random Shaman NPC #1331 and became popular, so Blizz spun up his character out of whole cloth and tried to convince us he was a meaningful character. They’re basically doing the work of filling in the outline on the fly - which is probably what this book is. Zekhan feels like an empty character to me - he was never introduced to the story in a proper way, and thus feels like a kind of rush job.
8 Likes
After everyone reeing about character heel turns in BFA why wouldn’t they go with a blank slate everyman character who we know next to nothing about?
Here’s what I know about Zenkan
- He’s a Darkspear Shaman; who are unremarkable Horde military units.
- He’s a war orphan
- He really respected Saurfang- pretty much everyone did so that’s not notable.
- Happenstance put him in a position where he to participate in important events
The character can serve as an audience PoV character. We know nothing about him and presumably he knows less than our PCs do. His inclusion is conceptually a good narrative idea. We’ll see how it works out in terms of execution.
13 Likes
Saurfang started as a fan driven character.
16 Likes
Players grew attached to Nazgrim when he was nothing more than a quest giver in Wrath.
Both the players and Blizzard have this aversion to Knaack characters. As for Jorin, Blizzard has the same aversion to Outland.
That’s entirely true, but I feel like with both Nazgrim and Saurfang, it took some years for the character to grow from fan favorite to established story character? Correct me if I’m wrong.
What I object to is the feeling (and again, I could be wrong) that Blizzard is trying to rush an organic process. If Zekhan showed up again in Shadowlands, was a questgiver here and there and maybe got to act centrally in his own four-quest mini arc or something, and then started getting pushed to take a bigger role, it’d feel more “real” to me than CGI appearance > shows up randomly during someone else’s quest > important book character.
5 Likes
Elves had already left the alliance by the time orgrimmar was founded.
Except here’s the thing: Vereesa and Falstad are both very much still seen in the narrative. Falstad in particular is actually pretty well-regarded by most people.
The whole “aversion to Knaak characters” is simply not true, as there are a few that people actually still like to this day. In Thuras’ casr, she is effectively a clean slate anyways, all Knaak did was create her. The writers are free to do whatever they want with her.
Garrosh. Hellscream.
4 Likes
To be honest, the lack of Alliance is a bit jarring. Already Shadowlands proves to have little reason for Alliance involvement beyond Sylvanas. I struggle to see any reason why we’d go into the death realm itself.
How about if I want to see more of Zekhan -and- Thura and Jorin?
Really, the Horde needs a whole crop of characters built up. Even if the story doesn’t get altered to include these sorts of new/unused characters in a major way, just a few references to them here and there could really help.
10 Likes
The thousands of innocent night elf souls sent to the Maw? Tyrande seeking answers in Ardenweald?
2 Likes
Lol what did you not watch blizzcon they barely talked about horde characters
People in the story, or the players? Does anyone even like him beyond the meme?
Like who?
Players hated Rhonin, or were indifferent towards him.
Find Vereesa to be either deranged, boring, or a trophy wife.
Then there’s that Fox guy who was some Emerald Dream experiment?
They can, but there’s not much motivation to. This book is going to explore Talanji’s role in the Horde and relationship with Bwonsamdi. The only other troll character with ties to these points is Rokhan.
Yes, but look at how well he was received.
I think it’s a matter of taste. Why not use a book to explore his character? If he’s popular there, they can put him in Shadowlands. It may not even be possible for him to be physically there, so this book could be all we’ll see of him for a while.
2 Likes
Both and he most certainly is. He’s as much a meme as the whole dwarf race is a meme. In that the writers have made it a habit to ignore them as an important race in the Alliance.
The aforementioned Falstad, Krasus, and Kalecgos to name a few. Not to mention being basically responsible for 90% of the characterization of the Dragon Aspects.
I agree that Knaak’s writing generally has left much to be desired, but that doesn’t mean that his characters are poisoned from conception due to his name being attached to them.
Saurfang was her extended family! Yes, they sure as hell can.
The motivation is literally right on the wall, but with writers who are too blind to see it.
Yeah, who isn’t the Darkspear representative in this novel for whatever reason. It’s not like he’s a character whom people have also clamored for more from over the years.
Yeah, I do, he was incredibly popular.
To you OP, not all books/stories are writing about some big name hero. A lot of stories focus on commoners. You don’t have to be a big name to tell a good story.
Recently this is what was done with “the Mandalorian” they pulled out blank slate character nobody knew about before and wrote a story about him and it turned out to be a great success. He is already considered superior to any of his predecessor.
So it’s not necessary a bad move to give a spotlight to a nobody, especially when casual fans or new readers will have completely different outlook on a lot of things about them and they don’t have to do massive research on the character on what he was doing in the past, exploring relatives and such. This is why I see they chose him over Rokhan (even though Rokhan would be imo amazing choice and I’d love to read more about him and especially see more of his interactions with Talanji) and Zekhan deserves a bigger exploration while Rokhan already has a very good relation with Talanji, so he won’t look at her from a more neutral point of view and lastly Rokhan was just promoted to be tribe Chieftain so I guess he can’t work as bodyguard yet again.
Besides a young and inexperienced person will also avoid the traps of a “high ranked veteran not knowing about something he should know or be accustomed to certain things” He offers completely new start, new perspective where already established heroes doesn’t need to show off and since this is his true start as a hero journey his failures and mistakes would be more forgiveable.
And why Zekhan over Thura, Jorin? They’re not Darkspears, that’s why. It would be odd for orcs to throw their lives for the loa they don’t really care about. The quest is to secure Bwonsamdi. And to continue work on bond between Zandalari and the Darkspears and only the latter are the only Horde’s subfaction that Talanji actually cared and admired. Having any other race member in place of a troll wouldn’t really do it imo. Bwonsamdi bonds Zandalari and Darkspears on a religious aspect.
However I agree that orcs also needs their roster expanded. Still Darkspears were long overdue for a new champion.
If Zekhan has to get out of Saurfang’s shadow and if we’re meant to learn that he is much more than that - then a book is the best option to give him exactly that. I highly doubt that by the end of the book he will be next World Shaman, or some OP being. But I do expect he will be slightly more accomplished Darkspear shaman, a proud champion of the tribe and a truly man on his own and not a kid that covers behind bigger figures.
To make it short: Fresh new characters being the focus of a story is not a bad move at all, it all depends how it will be executed.
10 Likes
I feel where you’re coming from. TBH I’m not that super-excited about this one either, I was at least somewhat curious about BtS as I was wondering if there would be any light shed there about the WoT and maybe some tie-ins to the novellas.
But if the preview summary for the novel is accurate then I’m really not that excited about this either, though not because I dislike Zappy.
Yes I’m judging a book by it’s cover but it just sounds like it’s trying to do too much while also doing it incoherently. For example;
-
Alleria and Turalyon hunting for Sylvanas? Makes sense, but why is there no mention of Tyrande and the Sentinels, given that is what is conveyed to the player in-game?
-
Zappyboi and Talanji teaming up to rediscover what makes the Horde strong? Maybe this is just me but this part just sounds weird. Horde strength is one of the few things that is again, actually conveyed to the player in-game. In the part where just before the siege on Orgrimmar, Alleria mentions to Anduin that Sylvanas’ commands perhaps the strongest fighting force left on Azeroth to combat the Void. Furthermore, Zappyboi and Talanji represent the new Horde and instead of trying to rediscover something old should be trying to discover something new.
-
In the end we all know what’s going to happen tho! lol
Sylvanas’ evades capture, blows open the sky, and hopefully nobody important dies along the way because getting knocked off in a WoW novel outside the game sucks
1 Like
Please God, no. Now, those are the literal WORST types of characters unless dealt with finesse. And if the current writting team lacks anything, that´s finesse.
Why worst? Cause the risk of them evolving into self inserts is BIG. Look at Anduin… where do you think he started?
1 Like
I think it’s way too early to judge that. So far the preview that was presented had imo good quality and I liked that it shown flawed character.
It was refreshing to read about someone who is not treated like a god-sent from heavens, who is not “wise beyond age” and who is even acknowledging that.
4 Likes