In this vein, rereading my previous post; I didn’t convey how little has to be changed in Sylvanas’ memories.
So for those that remember Babylon 5, I’d remind you of the scene with Bester when he’s telling another telepath to program Garibaldi. The other telepath is surprised Bester doesn’t want him simply reprogrammed. Bester tells him…“unnecessary”, and goes on to explain his personality and how simply enhancing that gets the result.
That’s where Sylvanas is. To fundamentally change her decision process when events occur doesn’t take a massive removal of memory.
Just very specific memories which are key underpinnings, or connections, in the “synthetical” thought process of using old experiences to respond to new experiences.
The right memory, let’s say of a discomfort, or a hurt; can be removed to impair her compassion. Suddenly, something she would never do while alive, she will do as Banshee Queen because the foundation for “that’s not right” is no longer connected and simply isn’t even considered.
You don’t want to go too far, delete everything and the undead wouldn’t even react to each other being attacked. She needed her desire to protect her people. Her still being, in the main, Sylvanas, was a weapon itself when Arthas raised her.
But with a broader power behind (Zovaal), and with a much longer vision (now being alleged to be basically behind everything). The depth of that twisting of the soul, how far out they can start to pre-program events, despite tiny changes, is actually fairly breathtaking.
A just system would have to figure out the depth of those other hands’ malice before much could be fairly known or decided.