This is an uphill battle, but dammit it’s one I’m gonna fight.
I think it’s awesome seeing the Forsaken get some much-needed attention via in-game lore lately, and as a HUGE fan of Warcraft III, it’s nice to feel like not ALL of the cornerstones of that story have been tarnished.
Now the Undead have always looked like zombies in WoW. It has become a pretty major part of their identity. And Warcraft has always placed an importance on visual cues.
The problem is that Death Knights fall outside the bounds that constitute the “Undead” as a playable race.
There is quite literally ZERO difference between a Human Death Knight, and an Undead Death Knight. Because they are ALL “undead humans”.
So the distinction becomes solely visual (and mechanically, racial bonuses). There is little reason to believe the Forsaken should shun an Undead Death Knight simply because he LOOKS a little less decayed (the reverse may not necessarily be true for the citizens of Stormwind).
And if your Death Knight hails from Lordaeron – which, in all likelihood, makes the most sense they would make up the bulk of the Scourge’s elite Death Knight forces – then why would they choose to go and fight for Stormwind?
Now, the obvious question is “but if they’re from Lordaeron, shouldn’t they look EXACTLY the same as other Undead?”
Well… No.
See, the Forsaken look like decrepit zombies because they were buried and rotting, perhaps for years. You “awaken” as a member of the Forsaken, several years after the Scourge killed everyone in Lordaeron.
Death Knights are different, however. These are forces hand-picked by Arthas himself, and where the Forsaken were all left to rot in the wake of Arthas’ campaign, those he chose to become Death Knights would’ve been resurrected right away. Just as every other race’s Death Knights are more-or-less fully intact, so too would those who originally hail from Lordaeron.
Of course, what I’m proposing would merely be an OPTION.
But consider this:
In every form of media, Blizzard has almost always depicted Death Knights as large, powerful-looking humans. In fact, one of the only exceptions to this rule is Koltira. Just as Thassaurian was designed to be the “envoy to the Alliance”, Blizzard saw fit to create a similar character to serve as “envoy to the Horde”.
Now; wouldn’t it have made the most sense to have chosen a member of the Undead?
So why, then, was the envoy to the Horde, the character to literally represent “Death Knights on the Horde”, made to be a Blood Elf?
There is only one reason:
Because the Undead character-model doesn’t fit “the look” of a Death Knight.
That may sound wild, but it is almost certainly true. Hell, the Undercity literally has Scourge buildings in it. Are they not THE “most fitting” race for a Death Knight? But again, visuals matter. And when Blizzard’s artists are designing cool new armor sets, it is clear that the Forsaken – while very cool in their own right – don’t suit the image they had for Death Knights.
And let’s face it; while every OTHER race got these cool new cosmetic options to choose from for their Death Knight (“undead” skin colors and new hair colors), the Undead were left in the cold.
So while I’m sure there are players who love their Undead DK just the way they are, one could argue that given them a new, unique option for their Death Knights is not only fair, but long overdue.
But more than that; it allows Undead Death Knights to APPEAR as Blizzard’s artists clearly designed them to be, while at the same time, representing the literal faction that most heavily identifies with them. Where other races see Death Knights as outsiders, amongst the Forsaken they are but kindred spirits.
So, I really hope Blizzard will consider adding this option.
Obviously, they would need to be restricted SOLELY to using those “undead” skin-tones. And I would personally add the purple “Cultist” skin color, as well. After all; when coupled with the Horde-only Warfront armor from BFA, can you honestly tell me this DOESN’T look like the poster-child for what a Death Knight should look like?
