Does any Horde player like him? Is he completely unsalvageable? I only ever see him referenced by the WoW community in the context of jokes or insults.
They tried roughing him up a bit in Dragonflight, but that rang hollow for a lot of people considering all the times he DIDN’T get mad in the past when he probably should have.
We can’t really kill Baine because there are so few Horde characters left, and the Tauren get so little focus as it is.
So wtf can be done with him? How did Blizzard write itself into this corner, and how can they write themselves out of it?
I’m not really a, “Horde Player,” but I honestly want to see more of Jevan Grimtotem. It’d be great if Baine took a back seat and Jevan got to do more in his place, representing the Tauren on Baine’s behalf.
He can be salvaged. To a degree. Perhaps have him spend time with Magatha, and than have Baine realize he’s been prioritizing the wrong faction and he starts to putting his own people first
I’ve seen people call what he did on the Dragon Isles racist because he just started slaughtering a bunch of natives over a character that hadn’t been relevant to anything since the epilogue of WC 3
Which is a shame. He seems like a pretty strong Shaman (the Horde really needs more power houses), he’s loyal to the Tauren and the Horde, and he’s proven he’s honorable. If I were to change anything about him it’d be his age. Rather than close to Cairne in age, have him close to Baine in age. Less worry about him dying off-screen that way.
Magatha Grimtotem has always provided a lot of nuance for the Taurens whenever she appeared; I think it’s time for her to do that again. She helped the Shamans a lot in Legion.
It’s a shame, because as Legion was wrapping up, I thought it would be fine to have Baine as Warchief. I figured he could marry Mayla, have a few kids, and lead the Horde for a new era - because I figured Sylvanas would be removed from the position or leave it of her own accord, eventually.
Then came Before the Storm - where Baine was lopping off a piece of his body to send to Anduin. And Sylvanas was acting like a mean step mom that wouldn’t let him play with his best friend… it was all disgusting.
And then came BfA.
Shadowlands did him no favors. Instead of just loathed, he was made a joke. The Jailer tossed him aside like worthless garbage - and most people could understand. Baine then spent the greater part of Shadowlands sitting on the floor.
I think the best thing we can do with Baine is marry him off to Mayla, and get one of his kids to take his place in the narrative.
If we need a Tauren, Lasan can be that token Tauren, until some Bloodhoof kids are of age.
I think Baine is beyond salvaging, but his name is not. Just keep Baine in a tent and let his kids go on the adventures, with a somewhat clean slate.
People don’t mind that Lor’themar turned on the horde twice. Vol’jin basically quits the horde for all of Mists and people loved Vol’jin. Because they both got things to do besides looking sad.
Plus I’d rather not introduce Golden’s vision more than it has to be acknowledged, because I want them to keep ignoring the piece of horn nonsense.
Thing is, I don’t think Lor’themar ever completely turned his back on the Horde. He put his people as his first priority, but found others in the same situation within the Horde and worked together for what was best for the Horde.
Baine may never have betrayed the Horde, but by contrast his actions don’t even have the redeeming quality of having been for his people. Players see him as an Alliance apologist and Anduin fanboy.
I think the character is well and truly ruined. You can’t build anything on a rotten foundation.
As for Baine I think ignoring a lot of the book stuff (especially the way Golden wrote him) would be a good start.
If I were to compare to another character that Golden might have well and truly ruined if people included all the nonsense she writes: virtually nothing of Golden’s Tyrande exists in WoW, thankfully.
The only Horde leader I be ok get kill off honestly… he is the damsel in distress of the Horde being rescue all the time and Thrall is getting close to that to, being rescue all the time and having his “issues” with the Elements…
It would take quite the effort, to write this character Baine to be seen as anything more than a hindrance to the Horde. Specially if a new Leader is assigned in a far future expansion where there is some Faction Conflict and a new Warchief has to be selected to give focus to the war efforts and its “Council of Voices”.
Much like writers have all this cool ideas but only a few are selected to go live… by whoever is Lead and approve such things.
TL;DR:Right him off the story if he going to keep being written the way he is now. Or higher writers who have the natural ability to write non-human races. I’m not saying Blizz writers are not talented mind you… but just like in art design of characters where you have artist specifically for different types of character designs or themes, it takes a certain talent to truly write fictional culture and non-human/alien characters interacting and clashing with Tolkeism human species. (IMO)
Yeah, he betrayed the Horde. Even setting aside his “Alliance first” diplomacy and obvious crush on Anduin, he straight up murders Forsaken to rescue Jaina Proudmoore’s zombie bro. He didn’t even blink at Sylvanas blighting and raising Horde/Tauren into undeath. Granted, “Horde honor” went /AFK during that entire storyline, but it happened and we’re left with that blot on the page.
I think Baine needs to marry Mayla, go on a spirit journey to find his center for a few expansions, and then Mayla can be High Chieftain.
I’m glad you ask… Let’s start with the Undead or even the Worgen!
This are like Tauren even thoughts they come from human it seems Blizz has difficulty to expand on them beyond their Human decaying Zombie Loderderan appearances… Forsaken by this time and age should be filled with Undead of all races, (CC should let you pick all types of undead body Types, they could be just skins like Darkfallen, hello Red eye pale humans anyone? but I know blizz could do much more even finish give skeletons the rest of the PC animations they seem to be missing, I hope that when Dracthyr become DKs they give at least a “Frost Wyrm” skin with all the fosty decays details!) by know and their Undercity with all that has happened, Ebon Blade and Shadow Lands should be a proper Necropolis Nation…
Especially now that they are little by little driving in this new story plot “Type of Light fuse/forge Undead”. I suspect they might tie in Sire D experimentations with the Light, Keal and Lothraxion relationship in all of this with the Arathi Empire… Makes me wonder if Blizz will explore the “Twilight Magic School” in all this… I just hope that if the Light Undead become part of the Forsaken and Playable they go with the Light and Shadow shared “Duality”… maybe expanding a bit of lore on how both Fel and Twilight Magic created by combining Light and Shadow differ from one another besides the obvious voltaic primal chaotic nature of Fel and Twilight being the most Bening of the all the Shadow School magics in comparison.
Worgen curse is not limited by Human they could at least since legion added the Night Elves afflicted and who knows what other races… their city is soo cool but it needs also to show that “Darker” side too, maybe expand the city underground to show its duality? (IMO)
Orc I say they are an in the middle ground, because they seem to work like D&D Half-Orcs and yet retain some of its primal and monster characteristics of the Pure Breed seen in Tolkien version and D&D. I think they are inspired by Warhammer more than anything, but WoW Orcs seem less tech savvy and inventive, lol just look at its city… you barely see any progress from either their shamanistic nature or/and its tech or architecture, without the other races pitching in here and there.
But this is my opinion, I sincerely hope they keep updating the races like the did with the Goblin Patch… I really like what they did. It’s better than I played in other game and RPGs (IMO) and it din’t lose their querquiness, or funny aspects with its serious plots.
