Why Does the Lich King Exist?

[Zaz]

This is not a noob question, please read.

So I'm rewatching the old Warcraft 3 in-game cutscenes again and something really kind of caught my attention this time. Following the fall of Dalaran, and after Kel'Thuzad summons Archimonde, Archimonde immediately designates the dreadlords the new rulers of the undead.

So my question is, what was the Lich King doing up to that point that the dreadlords would not have been capable of doing. And if the dreadlords were incapable of managing the scourge before Archimonde arrived, why not just let the Lich King remain in control of the undead thereafter, considering how good he'd been at it up to that point.

What's the point of sending the Lich King to Azeroth in the first place if the dreadlords could have run the scourge and spread the plague the entire time anyway?

[Darktbs]

Most probably a punishment from Kil'jaeden upon Ner'zhul.Maybe there is another reason but idk.

Also,does anybody notice that on WC3 TFT Illidan doest not become that demon form by consuming the skull of Gul'dan but from another source?

[xChurch]

I think it comes down to a range issue. The LK can control all undead and whisper everyone across the planet and I don't think Dreadlords have the capability. During WC3 there were 3 Dreadlords and they only really need to manage Lordaeron.

[WintersLegion]

Most probably a punishment from Kil'jaeden upon Ner'zhul.Maybe there is another reason but idk.

Also,does anybody notice that on WC3 TFT Illidan doest not become that demon form by consuming the skull of Gul'dan but from another source?

Yeah Ner'zhul was actively working against the Legion as he hated them. He never willingly joined them was tricked into it by Gul'dan and when they made him the Lich King he was literally frozen into a block of ice that became the Frozen Throne. And part of being the Lich King the more that are raised the more powerful the Lich King personally becomes eventually he would of been a threat to the Legion. Arthas as the Lich King was well on his way to becoming a Demi-God.

[Justpassing]

To piss Nerz'hul off. It was his punishment.

[Hey There Guys its Metro]

He controls the Scourge.

[fumper]

Because Kil'Jaden doesn't take break ups well.

[FelPlague]

he tortured nerzhul hoping to COMPLETELY break his mind, and sent him as the lich king to weaken azeroth, however nerzhul was still stubborn and wished to betray them

funny thing is kiljaden is a salty bitch, and wanted the lich king killed, even though the lich king was still doing his job, weakening azeroth, just he wasent doing it the way the legion wanted

[Soeroah]

Ner'zhul was also there to act as general of the undead while the demons were still finding their way to Azeroth, I believe.

[Aucald]

The Dreadlords were meant to control or dictate the movement of the Scourge, I believe it was more a statement to inform Ner'zhul that the Scourge was definitively subordinate to the will of the Legion. They still needed the Lich King to create more Scourge, though; it was just to put him in his place once and for all. Fortunately (or unfortunately for them) he already had Arthas in position and a plan to free himself from their designs. After the Legion's defeat no one remained to contain or eliminate the Lich King, and so he was free to enact his own plans and set up his future, which Arthas in turn upended when he essentially took control of their combined form.

[The Professional]

The Lich King has to exist cause without the Jailor of the Damned. The restless lords of the damned a.k.a Liches/Necromancers would run rampage and cause decay, misery, and death upon the universe and beyond.

[TheCount]

They needed someone to get the ball rolling on the Scourge. The Lich King was the one who called out to Kel'thuzad, he tempted him with great power and thus the Cult of the Damned was formed.

[mrlowrider]

zero reason. So the scourge runs rampart without a lich king. Who cares? Without their leader they are disorganized. Just wreck them.

[Tenjen]

The one problem is that the scourge probably cant be completely eliminated. Especially wild. Some infection will be around, something will reform. Corpses will rise. It will constantly distract heroes.

Sure the heroes and armies could handle it but at the cost of how many lives while we deal with our version of pandarias swarming? A new lich king was a far better choice

Especially with the number of jerks and lich king wannabe's and lich king could be's who'd take advantage of the power vacuum.

[Rathbourne]

.......the Lich King personally becomes eventually he would of been a threat to the Legion.

......LOL no........

[TheWindWalker]

......LOL no........

Considering he killed a room full of people by simply commanding them to die: Yes. He may very well have eventually been able to slaughter Kil'jaeden in a direct confrontation.

[My User Name]

Considering he killed a room full of people by simply commanding them to die: Yes. He may very well have eventually been able to slaughter Kil'jaeden in a direct confrontation.

How does one creation be more powerful than the creator?

[Typhoria]

Most probably a punishment from Kil'jaeden upon Ner'zhul.Maybe there is another reason but idk.

Also,does anybody notice that on WC3 TFT Illidan doest not become that demon form by consuming the skull of Gul'dan but from another source?

TFT was well after Illidan consumed the skull.

[Shelly]

How does one creation be more powerful than the creator?

I dunno, ask an atomic bomb maybe?

Anyway, the answer as I see it gets complicated.

Kil'Jaeden plays a long ass game, you can see it in the class hall quest line when you go to the Exodar (not going to mention it right now) and it's pretty apparent in the story of Arthas. KJ needs Arthas to become a fallen paladin so he sets in motion a plan involving Kel'Thuzad and one of his Dreadlords and Nerzhul. He sticks Nerzhul in a magic chunk of ice in a set of nether-forged armor that only lets him get a sword out, meanwhile Malganis goes into Lordaeron and stirs up a heap of plague flavored trouble and pretty much drives Arthas insane.

Meanwhile since his friends aren't seeing this Dreadlord Jaina and Uther while believing Arthas tend to think he's gone a bit wobbly, which cuts him off from his support network and sets him on the path of vengeance post-Stratholme. Which brings him up to Northrend where he goes to find Frostmourne but prior to that shows just how crazy he's getting by burning his boats and having his men kill the mercenaries he hired to burn said boats.

Shortly after Arthas gets ahold of Frostmourne and things just go to shit and it's shown that the Dreadlords are holding the leash of the LK. So after the Dreadlords get their corrupted Sunwell they cut Arthas loose, who goes out to find Illidan and get him to give in to his demonic appetite for power - remember this is back before they retconned Illidan to make him more tragic hero rather than power-seeking anti-hero.

So the LK has a plan to get Illidan to kill the dreadlords or at least weaken them so that Arthas can strike them down which will then let the LK escape from their control. The plan works out pretty well excepting for Illidan then getting bullied by KJ and told to destroy the LK.

Illidan fails and Arthas assumes the mantle of the LK by taking on the helm of command.

So I think the real question is was the LK always under the control of the dreadlords or was he simply under their supervision as he plotted his revenge and independence?

Anyway the dreadlords can't really control the undead but they did have some leverage on the LK which let them control the scourge until such a time as the LK was able to break free of their control. Then when the LK's frozen throne of ice from the twisting nether got cracked and his powers were weakened (which let Sylvanas break free as well as all the other forsaken) the dreadlords still were unable to gain direct control over the masses of the scourge and instead you end up with them controlling humans like Garithos or attempting to be the power behind the throne like with Varimithras and Sylvanas.

Mostly it comes down to Dreadlords need a bit more mind than an undead scourge has in order to manipulate them. They are best off when able to play from the shadows which we see over and over again with the scarlet crusade, the story of Arthas, Varimithras and even Black Rook Hold in Legion.

[Qualia]

Considering he killed a room full of people by simply commanding them to die: Yes. He may very well have eventually been able to slaughter Kil'jaeden in a direct confrontation.

Unlikely, seeing that even in his peak, he still officially wouldn't win against Lei Shen (also in his peak) and a Lich King more terrible than him who succeeded in taking over Azeroth couldn't make the Legion take it serious. Unless by "eventually" you meant some highly unlikely Bulldog-esque scenario in which LK manages to open portals to every other planets by himself and starts consuming all those aliens' souls or something.