Prediction: <Spoiler> is gonna become the Legion's Bolvar

[Aucald]

there's absolutely no way for him to still be alive, gul'dan literally disenchanted him.

Apparently Strange Dust is going to make a triumphant return in Legion.

[purebalance]

Spoiler warning: Broken shore knowledge required.

I hereby predict that by the end of Legion, we'll get a deformed fel infused person either thrown at us to fight, or revealed to be in their captivity. That someone is Varian.
Why do I think that? Well I'm glad you asked, you see, when I did the broken shores event back in alpha the curiosity ate at me for ages how Varian actually died, since no one knew, unlike vol'jin. So I started wondering "what if he's just assumed dead?" since those seem to be frequent in WoW. I had a few theories but after the cinematic finally being revealed this is the one i'm... at least 30, maybe even 35% sure about.
There's a chance that explosion was around him instead of him actually exploding, caused by the fel energies transforming him to any variation of Fel-Varian you can think of, and Gul'dan got whispers in his ears from Kil'Jaeden to keep him, he could still provide useful because fan service plot twists are great.
It's a long shot but after seeing Bolvar and saurfang jr get their asses fried by dragons and still make a return I think it's possible

It's my prediction and I'm gonna stick to it till the day I... get disproven i suppose by the last patch rolling around and next expansion being announced.

We already sort of know this. It's in the sound files

Illidan's body is taken to the Nightwell to become a new body for Sargeras to inhabit

[Combatbutler]

Guldan could still use his soul, he is a warlock after all.

[Maleific]

Fear not Varian, the fel gift empowers you.

Kappa

[Aquamonkey]

Body obliterated? That didn't stop Xavius or Ner'zhul or Sargeras.

[Highwhale]

Plus Varian was champion of Wild God. And as we know Wild Gods truly die in Emerald Dream/Nightmare. There Emerald Nightmare raid btw. Nothing is confirmed - if blizzard want they can continue his story. My bets is what Gul'dan keep Varian's soul and will trade it for his (Gul'dans) life at the end of Nighthold raid.

[Leodok]

Spoiler warning: Broken shore knowledge required.

I hereby predict that by the end of Legion, we'll get a deformed fel infused person either thrown at us to fight, or revealed to be in their captivity. That someone is Varian.
Why do I think that? Well I'm glad you asked, you see, when I did the broken shores event back in alpha the curiosity ate at me for ages how Varian actually died, since no one knew, unlike vol'jin. So I started wondering "what if he's just assumed dead?" since those seem to be frequent in WoW. I had a few theories but after the cinematic finally being revealed this is the one i'm... at least 30, maybe even 35% sure about.
There's a chance that explosion was around him instead of him actually exploding, caused by the fel energies transforming him to any variation of Fel-Varian you can think of, and Gul'dan got whispers in his ears from Kil'Jaeden to keep him, he could still provide useful because fan service plot twists are great.
It's a long shot but after seeing Bolvar and saurfang jr get their asses fried by dragons and still make a return I think it's possible

It's my prediction and I'm gonna stick to it till the day I... get disproven i suppose by the last patch rolling around and next expansion being announced.

"The king who sacrificed his LIFE for nothing"
There's an explosion!
Even the fire in his sword dies out.
He's dead.

[Grumpy Old Man]

It's true that if Blizzard *really* wants to bring Varian back it will do so. However, that seems to contradict what was shown in Anduin's story last week.
Not that stuff like that can't be retconned, of course. Just saying.

[Aucald]

Dead isn't the end of the story in the Warcraft universe - it's a setting replete with ghosts, spirits, and incorporeal beings of all types. Varian could still play a part in the story going forward, same as Vol'jin. Not saying that they *will*, per se; only that they *could*.

[Gib Lover]

Only the WoW community would come up with hundreds of stupid theories about how a character we saw blow up on screen is either alive or going to come back.

[rowaasr13]

Kinda hard for frail Gul'Dan to decapitate someone.

Err... frail? Did you see the movie where he does throw away his cloak and stands straight? It was one of the really awesome moments.

- - - Updated - - -

Pfff... "exploded". Like Bolvar wasn't blown up and then scorched to dust as well?

[Archmage Khadgar]

Pfff... "exploded". Like Bolvar wasn't blown up and then scorched to dust as well?

Not really. His body was still intact.

[Faldric]

Dont worry. The hole in the sky that summons the felreaver counts as an expansion of the nether and the fel energy guldan used to kill him temporarily made him a demon which means he is getting reborn at the nether. And since the nether transcends all timelines he will pop up whenever its convenient.

And now tell me thats not something Blizz would do.

[Aucald]

Dont worry. The hole in the sky that summons the felreaver counts as an expansion of the nether and the fel energy guldan used to kill him temporarily made him a demon which means he is getting reborn at the nether. And since the nether transcends all timelines he will pop up whenever its convenient.

And now tell me thats not something Blizz would do.

I think it's entirely possible we'll return to the Broken Shore and face down either a Fel-maddened shade or echo of Varian or Vol'jin (and possibly both). Would be a good encounter for the start of the Tomb of Sargeras raid instance.

[Grumpy Old Man]

Only the WoW community would come up with hundreds of stupid theories about how a character we saw blow up on screen is either alive or going to come back.

TBH, Marvel and DC have been perfecting that art for decades before Blizzard and its fans.

[Raetary]

Pfff... "exploded". Like Bolvar wasn't blown up and then scorched to dust as well?

his body didnt blow up from the inside.
maybe rewatch the cinematic again, a plagued body scorched by red dragons of life.

[dirk123]

Nah, Varian is gonna be this expanions King Terenes Menethil II, And resurrect us in the final raid.
Then he will say:"There must always be...... a Sargeras."

[Faldric]

Only the WoW community would come up with hundreds of stupid theories about how a character we saw blow up on screen is either alive or going to come back.

You talk about a game with time travel, undeath, constant retcons and revivals (setbacks...) of people the players killed themselves. You can hardly blame them. Even DBZ had stricter rules for death.

[Gib Lover]

You talk about a game with time travel, undeath, constant retcons and revivals (setbacks...) of people the players killed themselves. You can hardly blame them.

Yeah, I suppose. I guess I just hold cutscene death to a higher standard than in-game death.

[Xisa]

They went painstakingly out of their way to show that Varian is, indeed, dead.

They want Anduin to be the next chapter forward. We'll have to see where it goes.