TLDR: BRING MY BOY BACK AND DO IT RIGHT! DON’T GO BACK BURNERING HIM, WE NEED HIM TO HELP BALANCE THE FACTION LEADER POWER SCALES THIS WILL BE OUR FINAL OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT.
As some of you know Malfurion has returned, (We should all be able to rejoice about this, for the most part).
This begs the question, when will we be seeing Vol’Jin again? As some of you may recall Vol’Jin was killed off in Legion through a very poor narrative decision. Blizzard has since laid the ground work for his return with some very lore heavy quest chains ( I still have his ashes in my bank vault). Vol’Jin consumed what was left of Rezan (Loa of Kings) Essence in Ardenweald and entered a Dream Seed pending rebirth, through a process very similar if not identical to that of a Loa or Wild God. We never learned who touched Vol’Jin with “The Hand of Valor” could it have been the Arbiter? Azeroth? How will this effect his new form?
From a narrative perspective, the return of Vol’Jin with as much build up as it has had has the potential to be a far more powerful moment than the return of Malfurion which was a little lack luster, but touching and relieving nonetheless. (Please flag Malfurion for PvP.) A concern that I have with the announcement of The War Within, is that they may be overlooking Vol’Jins rebirth.
This could go one of 3 ways
- Vol’Jin is forgotten and will not be returning, or the quest chain they gave us was meant to be a conclusion to his story.
- Vol’Jin will return as Flesh and Blood as we knew him but more powerful, or possibly as a new Loa of Kings or some other kind of Loa and play a somewhat important role narratively in The World Soul Saga.
- Vol’Jin will return as Flesh and Blood as we knew him but more powerful, or possibly as a new Loa of Kings or some other kind of Loa and be essentially back burnered as a character outside of his revival quest chain.
Personally I wan to see Vol’Jin brought back right away, his death was uncalled for, poorly executed, the quest chain investigating his death and setting up his rebirth was one of the best quest chains in Shadowlands and I’m eager for it’s conclusion and to have him return, I do not want to see him left behind and with everything that is to come and saved as a “Break Glass Incase of Emergency” character.
Personally I don’t want to see Vol’Jin come back as some far away under used Spirit/Loa of Kings. I’d like to see Vol’Jin return as a more powerful version of himself Loa of Kings is fine but like some other Loa I’d like to see him living on Azeroth among his people, as a leader.
Furthermore I don’t want Vol’Jin to be some Faction Neutral plot device, Vol’Jin was the Warchief of The Horde and should remain if not Warchief at the very least a servant to the Horde. The balance of power between Horde and Alliance factions leaders is tilted very heavily towards the Alliance, The Horde lost and now requires a powerful leader on par with characters like Malfurion and Jaina.
I think unless they’re planning to bring Vol’Jin back in a huge way in The War Within then the time is now during the Troll Heritage Armor quest chain to bring him back, not on the back burner but where he deserved to be all along.
What are your thoughts.? I don’t want to see Blizz backburner this character after all the build up and foolery, I want to keep this discussion at the forefront, if they decide to bring him back he would need to be important to the plot for the coming Saga and since they’re writing that saga now this needs to be on their radar.
