Turalyon is facing Zul’jan an enemy solider after a series of battles.
Zul’jan refuses to surrender then taunts Turalyon and literally spits on his values.
Turalyon charges to attack him.
Arator jumps in front of someone’s sword mid swing
Arator and the writers: How could the light have done this?
(Arator could’ve blocked it with his own sword).
Whether Zul’jan’s words were right or wrong, this isn’t a “Turalyon bad parent” moment or “Turalyon Light zealot” moment some fans and writers think it is.
Thad, I’m really not sure how you can watch anything in that cinematic and come away with “Turalyon did nothing wrong.” You need to figure out how to separate what the story is portraying from what you wish the story weren’t portraying.
I mean, Turalyon accidentally hitting Arator? Yeah, that was an acident
Him going in for the kill on Jan? Ehh… Jan was down, unarmed, and clearly defeated. He was throwing some shade, and not entirely incorrect shade, but there was no threat. Hell, look at Jan when Turalyon goes or the hit. Eyes closed, arms spread, just accepting the blow. It is also true that Turalyon and Lor’themar REALLY jumped the gun on what the Amani were doing there; operating off of very little but “They’re Amani”. Tur and Lor were the aggressors.
So, no, Turalyon DEFINITELY did something wrong there. Just not the hit on Arator.
He shouldn’t be trying to kill an unarmed, defeated enemy when there is a world ending threat. He should be trying to make efforts to either subdue the enemy or make peace. He allowed himself to be goaded (possibly because the Light was impacting his thinking in a negative way).
I mean, maybe Turalyon would have killed an unarmed prisoner regardless of the Light. But the way it flares in his eyes, along with all the other Light context, is what makes me think that that was part of the issue.
Being “unarmed” alone does not automatically render an enemy protected under IHL. Lawful combatants (members of organized armed forces) remain legitimate military targets during an armed conflict as long as they are not hors de combat, even if they are temporarily unarmed — for instance, if they have lost or discarded their weapon but are still attempting to evade capture, rejoin their unit, or pose a potential threat in ongoing hostilities. In such cases, using lethal force can be justified.
Jan may have been defeated and unarmed, but he made it very clear that his will was unshaken. That is ultimately what is in conflict here. Leaving him alive leave behind a person who will pursue violence against your loved ones.
This is the kind of story written by people who have never experienced conflict. Who are unwilling to sacrifice any part of themselves for the security of the things that are important to them. Jan should have been executed. Whatever evils he will carry forth will be a holocaust on the Alter of Arator’s own moral hubris.
Context. His eyes are not glowing golden for no reason here. Zul’jan is not talking about the Light blinding people for no reason here. Blizzard is not subtle.
I’m not making a legal argument, maybe he was within the bounds of international and warcraft law. But the right play was to try to subdue or make peace with this foe. Because the Amani aren’t the real enemy here, that’s why we spend the entire zone trying to help them. Killing their leader’s brother would have probably made that way harder, if not impossible.
They’re cutting down Lightbloom infested trees to make weapons to fight the Void. Like, I know Arator is obnoxious, but they kinda bash your skull in with framing this scenario. Turalyon has been stupid-batted to make him the inarguable bad guy here.
I was agreeing the Light probably overwhelmed his better judgment on the situation. Turalyon shouldn’t have been swinging the sword in the first place, Zul’jan was defeated. He shouldn’t have gone to kill him.
Zul’jan was literally T-posing to let Turalyon’s strike fall.
Yes. That is what the cinematic is demonstrating, very plainly.
“The Light sucks, losers!” is not a justification for executing someone, especially not for someone who purports to be a Paladin. Especially especially not a Paladin with Turalyon’s former characterization.
He didn’t offer surrender or suggest peace talks. It’s like when Thrall was about to execute Garrosh after Siege of Orgimmar… or do you think that was out of character and wrong of Thrall?
There was more than just that insult and we both know it.
The context of Zul’jan and Garrosh after Siege aren’t the same to make this comparison. Garrosh was just trying to destroy the world. Zul’jan was trying to gain weapons to defend against the Void.
Again, we spend the entire zone diplomacying/helping the Amani. The right call is to try to work it out there.
It is nothing like that at all, even remotely. Zul’jan trying to harvest wood so his people can survive The Void invasion is not even in the same multiverse as Garrosh trying to juice up on Old God Heart and conquer the world.
That insult is what spurred Turalyon to action. Take off your Ought blinders and put on your Is glasses.
I get that diplomacy is the best approach, and both sides had the same enemy. How does Zul’jan being equally uninterested in diplomacy and eager for violence work with that, though?