Personally I find Anduin to be the weakest of the ‘Josh Keaton voiced royalty trio’. Which includes Valerian from Starcraft 2 and Avad from the Horizon games. All three share the same belief that dialogue and negotiation should come before violence and conflict but the latter two know when to put their foot down and realize that some people cannot be reasoned with. Valerian went behind his fathers back to launch a suicide mission to free Kerrigan from the zerg. Then in Nova Covert Ops he knew that Alarak is someone who cannot be reasoned with so when the Death Fleet attacks after the arrest of General Davis, he isn’t there trying to talk the Tal’adrim down (this ain’t steven universe) but instead match a show of force with a stronger show of force. Avad launched a full on coup against his father and was even willing to fight Helis when HADES and his cult attacked. I saw him reaching for that sword when Helis showed himself.
Let’s just say I don’t see either Valerian nor Avad trying to talk Garrosh down before ultimately nullifying the divine bell. And even after the fact try and talk Garrosh into repenting (see War Crimes novel). Not after he willingly resurrected an Old God, unleashed the Sha of Pride and destroyed most of the Vale in the process.
The best Anduin will ever be is early MoP when he mind controlled Sully.
I think you are conflating all the people who don’t like Anduin into a single group.
Is it true that some of those that hate Anduin do so just because he is Alliance and they don’t like any Alliance character getting development? Sure. You see those same people when any Alliance character gets attention.
But, it is also true that there are people who just don’t like him or his story because they just don’t. Everything from not caring for the story in general to disliking the themes, etc. Different people have different tastes. And that is entirely fine. People will have different tastes and be drawn to different stories. Disliking Anduin and/or his general story for those reasons is entirely fine. (And I say that as someone who does like him.)
It is important to not lump those who legitimately just don’t like the character in with those who are disingenuous and hate him for things like ‘taking time away from the characters they want highlighted’ and want the ‘other side’ to suffer.
Dude, that is just dumb. We could apply the ‘nepo baby’ to a LOT of the characters in WoW, even very popular ones, like Vol’jin. Also all of the Windrunners, including Sylvanas. Baine would also fall into that category. Even Thrall got a lot of his authority because of his parentage. And on the Alliance side dwarves also use hereditary systems, so include people like Moira. Jaina is also the daughter of the leader of Kul’Tiras. Etc, etc.
Point is, a LOT of characters in wow have rich/influential/powerful family. It is not even uncommon in fantasy in general. It doesn’t mean we can’t connect with those characters.
If you or someone else is not connecting with Anduin it is NOT because he is a “nepo baby.”
I think you missed a lot of his narrative if you actually believe that. His story is a lot more complicated than that is.
But that is not the point I was making.
If it entirely okay to not find his story interesting and/or compelling. That is fair. There are a lot of stories. Everyone will have some that don’t speak to them. We all have our own preferences.
But, I don’t think it is fair to blame it on him being a ‘nepo baby.’ Because that would then also have to apply to a LOT of characters in WoW and even in the larger world of fiction. Calling him a ‘nepo baby’ is either just an excuse you made and/or shows a lack of knowledge of his actual story while also being a goose/gander issue.
The thing that sets Anduin apart as a nepo baby from other characters is that he was made High King of the Alliance with no explanation or qualifications and he remained in that position even after proving himself to be inept at leadership. It was expected that he’d be king of Stormwind and leader of the humans. It made no sense for him to be king of every other race in the Alliance too.
Varian never should have been given the title to begin with, but at least Blizzard kind of, sort of, made a story for why he got the title. It was a bad story and it was never finished but at least there was something to it.
But with Anduin? He just got the position for literally no reason other than who his daddy was.
I think its people’s fundamental flaw in how they view Jaina/Anduin. Yes, both are interested in peace but both are ALLIANCE first and foremost. In Jaina’s case the reason she was ok with what was happen was because the Horde was threatening her allies, the night elves.
Or people have already made up their mind about Anduin, those who will hate him, will hate him regardless, those who like him(myself included) will continue to like him. And Blizzard has proven time and again they will do whatever they want with the story, and as of right now, that means making Anduin a key part of it.
This thread was hilarious. I can’t believe some guys genuinely claimed that Anduin’s a bad character because he’s a “nepo baby”.
Literally 99% of the leaders in this game and 100% of the leaders irl are “nepo babies”.
Thrall: Nepo baby. His dad was the Chieftain of the Frostwolves and Warchief Doomhammer’s boy.
Sylvanas: Nepo baby. Her mother was the Ranger-General of Silvermoon which is the highest-ranking military position in the kingdom.
Baine: Nepo baby. His father was High Chieftain of Mulgore.
Vol’jin: Nepo baby. His father was Chieftain of the Darkspears.
Lor’themar: Not a nepo baby!! What a surprise!!
Gallywix/Gazlowe: Probably nepo babies since they are billionaires.
Mayla: Nepo baby, her father was High Chieftain of Highmountain.
Talanji: Nepo baby. Her father was King of Zandalar.
Geya’rah: Nepo baby. Her father was the Chieftain of the Frostwolves, who led the freedom fighters against the Iron Horde and sacrificed himself in battle against the Lightbound.
Imagine saying that Anduin is a bad character because he’s a nepo baby… lol… like Sylvanas isn’t a nepo too when her mom was literally in charge of the kingdom’s military.
You people only have an argument if you like “rags to riches” stories, but they are almost non-existant in Warcraft, unless Lor’themar is your favourite character, in which case… yikes. Yikes, yikes, yikes.
Wrong. It’s stated that Durotan died in battle against the Lightbound. Geya’rah said so herself and added that Draka commands a garrison hold-out in Nagrand.
So the only reason why the mag’har turn to Geya’rah for leadership is because her dad was a legendary freedom fighter, first against the Iron Horde and then against the Lightbound. Nepo baby.
Geya’rah: Nepo baby. Her father was the Chieftain of the Frostwolves, who led the freedom fighters against the Iron Horde and sacrificed himself in battle against the Lightbound.
Her father was Durotan, Chieftain of the Frostwolves, who led one of the only free clans against the Iron Horde and then died in battle against the Lightbound. That is literally what happened.
When did I even say “She died”?? Can you read???
The sun will rise from the west before you correct Me on anything.
By the way, I am so happy, SO HAPPY, SO HAPPY!!! that Vol’jin, Garrosh, Cairne, and Saurfang are dead and Sylvanas is gone. So happy I genuinely can’t contain My excitement!!!
at the wall that just won’t stick - so they keep picking up the same piece of 
