It showed that she was still willing to gamble the rest of the Horde to the benefit of solely the Forsaken. Which made her previously development moot. Why show her struggling with the burden Vol’jin left her if she’s literally just going to keep on keeping on?
When you’re clashing with the Alliance during a demonic invasion… yeah, it’s against the interests of the Horde.
This was about her being a war monger. That was all Genn. Also Genn’s intel amounted to “Sylvanas was here doing something”. That was all he needed to attack her. There was also very little knowledge at that time of Odyn as him revealing himself and having us take the test happened after that.
Dude, the reason why we were classing with the Alliance is because Genn and his worgen were attacking Sylvanas and her forces to get vengeance for Gilneas from Cata. Did you not play legion?
That’s a fair point, then. I did overstate my case by using the term.
I’m going to stop you right there. She did whatever it took for her continued survival. “Her people”, the forsaken, are just a means of keeping her alive. Fodder to throw at whatever threatened her. Now she has abandoned them and the horde (that from the start she has described as an “alliance of convenience”), because she doesn’t need them anymore.
Vol’jin was manipulated by Mueh’zalla. It was to bring all eyes on her so she couldn’t act without people knowing her plans. In Legion she couldn’t do everything through subterfuge. Genn catches on, foils her plans and now with no other choice she goes BfA Sylvanas on us. What “moot” development are you talking about? All through Legion she made it pretty clear she didn’t really want to be Warchief to begin with. She hardens up after her failed attempt in Stormheim as she realizes she is now out of options.
She dies in WC III, breaks free. Is driven by vengeance. Realizes Arthas is dead, kills herself. Is subjected to the Maw, comes back with a bargain that if she serves, she will not suffer. She attempts to use the Val’kyr and the Forsaken as her exact words “Arrows in her quiver” to save herself. Is made Warchief in Legion, only to have her plans to steal immortality so she didn’t have to honor the bargain taken from her by Genn leaving her with no option other than to serve. So we get BfA Sylvanas. What exactly am I missing here? She has always been self serving.
That’s a more recent (mis)characterization.
The Forsaken simply wouldn’t have existed at all if she was 100% self interest.
Is it really recent if it happened in Edge of Night something like ten years ago?
Sylvanas did not move or shy away. “I was once like you, Garrosh,” she answered, her voice quiet and steady, loud enough only for the warchief to hear. “Those who served me were tools. Arrows in my quiver.” She reached up and slowly brought down her hood, then directed her dark gaze at him. Her eyes were alive, their oversized jet-black pupils livid with rage, red embers glowing deep within.
At that moment, nobody dared look Sylvanas Windrunner in the eye. Nobody but Garrosh Hellscream.
What he saw was a great black void, an infinite darkness. There was fear in those eyes, but also something else. Something that terrified even the great warchief. His wolf began to edge away instinctively.
“Garrosh Hellscream. I’ve walked the realms of the dead. I have seen the infinite dark. Nothing you say. Or do. Could possibly frighten me.”
The army of undead that surrounded and protected the Dark Lady was still hers, body and soul. But they were no longer arrows in her quiver, not anymore. They were a bulwark against the infinite. They were to be used wisely, and no fool orc would squander them while she still walked the world of the living.
I have a few nitpicks, but I agree with your general thesis here.
My point is, they gave her that post-announcement moment of introspection. And if she was going to continue to be exactly what we knew about her beforehand… why hint at all at potential character development? It was just a manipulative moment to get us to feel a certain way that was subsequently completely disregarded.
If you’re old like me, yes. 
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Ask yourself who the person is in charge of this game who makes the ultimate decision about the narrative.
There is your problem.
I wouldn’t blame a single person, but overall? Data-driven design over passion and feeling. This is what happens when you try to get statistics to tell you what is fun and engaging.
No joke. That, plus her coming out and being like “Vol’jin is dead. Who among you will help me avenge him?” And the crowd going nuts and screaming For the Horde over and over gave me chills.
And then yeah, everything went to hell and her character just became wonky.
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I like Vol’jin, but in the end he was responsible for all of the suffering.
That a loa tells him to appoint their warchief means nothing, he can decide for himself what he thinks is right and no loa …
Honestly, she had always been an alright character to me. Not my bag, but I could respect her for what she was. I know there’s an audience for it, even if it wasn’t me.
In that moment, she became a character that I was actively interested in. There was so much potential.
Utterly squandered for the sake of “subverting expectations.”
Yeh, I agree. There’s two moments in Sylvanas’ history where I got legitimate chills from her behavior. That was one. The other was the first time Shadina here brought her the necklace from the Ghostlands, and she sang. And all the people from all over UC came over and sat in front of her just to listen to it.
Different game back then.
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She’s an opportunist. The forsaken technically already existed, she just took the opportunity to organize those freed from arthas’ control.
No, she has been consistent.
Since Vanilla, she’s been doing clearly villain-level things (you can get on Classic right now and go see the Tauren she is testing the new plague on).
She has also been tortured by the feeble shreds of conscience that are as much as remains of the late Ranger General - most plainly shown in the BC-era Ghostlands quest that brings her a locket from her former home.
The villain has always been the dominant force and, without a righteous goal to drive it - that is to say, once she had achieved Arthas’ destruction - there was little for it to push against.
She’s been on this power-mad downhill slide since Cataclysm.
Anduin is the most gifted Light-worker that humanity has seen, due in large part to his mentorship by a millenia-old Draenei prophet. Even cut off from his overt ability, he still sees that remaining conscience, and is able to empower it enough to make Sylvanas doubt.
For Sylvanas’ damnation to be meaningful, she needs to receive a valid opportunity to repent, and to intentionally refuse it. Arthas didn’t allow her a choice. Anduin is the foil to Arthas. He is that choice.
Likewise, Anduin’s virtue is not genuine until he stands in a peril as grave as that which Arthas faced, and chooses differently. He won’t fall, confirming him as the champion of the Light that Arthas failed to be.
This is all entirely consistent with the development of the story arising from WC3.
The characters are complex and conflicted, not inconsistent.
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