Arator is the child of Light and Shadow [Theory]

[Ielenia]

Wait a second....pandaren fur is black and white...and that is very symbolic to struggle betwen light and shadow...

Mudmug confirmed child of light and shadow ?

No, not Mudmug: Nomi!!

Think about it: the guy deals with fire and flames and burning! Fire creates both light and shadows!

[Anjerith]

Illidan was the child. Sorry.

[Aucald]

Why him though and not someone,from a race that actually gets development through them, if there is one thing we most certainly don't need right now is more human and elf character screentime and Arator covers both. It is bad enough Turalyon will most likely be in our face, like Khadgar used to be in the last xpacks, combined with Alleria and to be honest I am fed up with both of them already.

That is one way to look at it - another would be that he explores a race that, so far in-game, hasn't really been touched on: half-elves (and Kalec's humanoid form doesn't really count as he is actually a dragon). I know that is not really a lot of people's cup of tea, as it were, but it would be interesting to see at least how half-elves are handled in the various societies within the Warcraft universe.

I am also all for major characters from the aforementioned races, as well. Specifically a new and dynamic Troll character.

[Combatbutler]

That is one way to look at it - another would be that he explores a race that, so far in-game, hasn't really been touched on: half-elves (and Kalec's humanoid form doesn't really count as he is actually a dragon). I know that is not really a lot of people's cup of tea, as it were, but it would be interesting to see at least how half-elves are handled in the various societies within the Warcraft universe.

It would be waste to be honest, they are lorewise so rare that it isn't even clear how old they can get.

[Eazy]

Illidan shown already what does the think about this stupid prophecy.

[Stormdash]

It's actually a pretty decent theory, because the best fantasy prophecy storylines involved prophecies that are fulfilled in ways almost entirely unexpected or misunderstood by those brokering in the importance of the prophecy. Remember, we're currently in a situation where the state of Xe'ra's prophecy is that it is dead in the water; it's currently only possible to consider that the prophecy itself was a red herring plotwise and is completely false, OR that Xe'ra was wrong about its interpretation and that it never referred to Illidan in the first place. Xe'ra was a biased narrator, basically, because she had already decided at some past point that this must be about Illidan.

I like the theory because it applies a lot of genre savvy -- Arator could, at the right place and time that the prophecy is meant to be fulfilled, satisfy all of its components, so it could be him. But the problem is that I don't think there are a lot of curveballs Blizzard still has to throw us beyond what has been datamined about the end of the Legion. Isn't the prophecy about the threat of the Legion in particular, not the Void beyond them?

[Deleted]

Not to be a cynic, but isn't this whole thing basically a ripoff of the Azor Ahai prophecy from GOT?

[Maxilian]

Except X'era SAW Illidan in the future doing stuff as a Light Empowered being, and she SHARED that vision with Illidan, she didn't make it up. She did also mention the golden eyes who are apparently something important.

Imo she wasn't the one supposed to fulfill the prophecy and transform Illidan, it'll come to pass much much later.

Arathor doesn't have golden eyes of prophecy.

X'era did not see him in a vision of the future either.

Theory ruined.

Have another Naaru comes, and tell us that we NEED a chosen one, and that now that Illidan is the jailor of Sargeras, he is not an option, but Arathor could do the trick, then Windrunner comes up says she hates the idea, and she get her ass kicked, get her son "empowered" by the light and he become a "servant" of the Naaru with the help of his father (That would make Windrunner hate her husband, and now we got a new bad guy -depending how you put it, could be her or Turalion)

[Combatbutler]

Yeah, because a prophecy totally can't prophesize something in the future. Which is kind of its exact meaning, y'know, to predict future events that haven't occurred yet. No, by all means, that can't be it.

How would he be the child of light and shadow, if he was born before his parents actually became imbued with their respective power? He is just a half elf there was nothing special about his birth or his birthright in general. His parents being infused with those cosmic powers is all that gives him credibility in that regard and that happened 1000 years after his birth from their perspective.

[flan1337]

Am sorry I had too

[ro9ue]

Alleria represents the Void.
Turalyon represents the Light.
Arator must be the child of Light and Shadow that Xe'ra prophecised about. I theorize he will rise within the Alliance and be the potential advisor and/or partner to Anduin and after Turalyon's death prophecy comes to pass, he will be the one whom defeats the Void.

That's a good theory.

[Jorah]

Not to be a cynic, but isn't this whole thing basically a ripoff of the Azor Ahai prophecy from GOT?

Off topic. Do you know what Azor Ahai is also ripoff of classic chosen one concept? Besides Azor Ahai and Prince That Was Promised (Ice & Fire dude) is different persons.

[MechaCThun]

I don't see how Arator could represent both polarities, as he was born before Alleria even began delving in to the Void.

EDIT: I mean in the way that, Turalyon was already a paladin who could wield the Light. In terms of lineage, Arator would have a natural affinity to the Light from his father, however Alleria had no affinity to the Void at the time of Arator's conception and subsequent birth. Perhaps if he learns to wield the Void as his mother is doing now, the story could be set for that.

Med'an has a better candidacy of being this "Child of Light & Shadow" given his heritage, if we are looking at it in terms of somebody who is able to wield both aspects of essence while being neutral between.

Hell, even Illidan being the original "Child of Light & Shadow" always seemed off since he never had any inherent potential to be a follower of the Light.

I may be looking too much into this...

[Stormdash]

I don't see how Illidan is literally a child of light and shadow as of and by virtue of his birth. It's an attribution made to him because he had the golden eyes and started off with druidic promise and became a hybrid demonic edgelord warrior of vengeful darkness things stuff. So on its face it's not a condition of the prophecy that the child of light and shadow had to be born under both influences.

But, to that end, exactly what is the prophecy we're talking about here? I mean, verbatim. I don't remember Xe'ra ever spelling it out as such, reciting it, just speaking of it in round terms. That's not a party foul, even the above-compared Azor Ahai prophecy isn't written out in a format that can be categorically picked apart. I prefer my fictional prophecies to be a bit like Joruus C'baoth in Timothy Zahn's "Heir to the Empire" prophesying that Mara Jade would kneel before him. Kind of like a good riddle is something that makes sense after you know the answer.

[Jorah]

I don't see how Arator could represent both polarities, as he was born before Alleria even began delving in to the Void.

EDIT: I mean in the way that, Turalyon was already a paladin who could wield the Light. In terms of lineage, Arator would have a natural affinity to the Light from his father, however Alleria had no affinity to the Void at the time of Arator's conception and subsequent birth. Perhaps if he learns to wield the Void as his mother is doing now, the story could be set for that.

Med'an has a better candidacy of being this "Child of Light & Shadow" given his heritage, if we are looking at it in terms of somebody who is able to wield both aspects of essence while being neutral between.

Hell, even Illidan being the original "Child of Light & Shadow" always seemed off since he never had any inherent potential to be a follower of the Light.

I may be looking too much into this...

TBH the only one who perfectly fits this role is Arthas.

[Deleted]

A prophecy doesn't require something to be at the point of the prophecy's creation.

That's a nonsense sentence. If it was to be taken literally, then that would mean that he would have to have those powers inside of him. The whole idea behind his parents representing Light and Shadow is that they would've given him those powers by birth. That's not possible because when he was born Alleria had no Shadow powers. So the right answer here is that it's probably not to be taken literally.

But this could really refer to any Priest then, like Anduin, who as a Priest has to have power over Light and Shadow.

[Stormdash]

TBH the only one who perfectly fits this role is Arthas.

Nobody perfectly fits it because the criterion themselves are up to interpretation. OP and first bunch of replies demonstrated that, i.e. the false premise that it must mean someone who was "of Light and Shadow" when they were born. That doesn't apply to Arator; doesn't apply to Illidan either. Doesn't apply to Arthas.

- - - Updated - - -

That's a nonsense sentence. If it was to be taken literally, then that would mean that he would have to have those powers inside of him. The whole idea behind his parents representing Light and Shadow is that they would've given him those powers by birth. That's not possible because when he was born Alleria had no Shadow powers. So the right answer here is that it's probably not to be taken literally.

But this could really refer to any Priest then, like Anduin, who as a Priest has to have power over Light and Shadow.

Would also make the extra attention paid to him in 7.2.5 about more than just his feelings about his father. And fun speculation that he was going Paladin (which would, fairly or not, make him a more popular character. Lore loves melee).

[KrakHed]

It's actually a pretty decent theory, because the best fantasy prophecy storylines involved prophecies that are fulfilled in ways almost entirely unexpected or misunderstood by those brokering in the importance of the prophecy. Remember, we're currently in a situation where the state of Xe'ra's prophecy is that it is dead in the water; it's currently only possible to consider that the prophecy itself was a red herring plotwise and is completely false, OR that Xe'ra was wrong about its interpretation and that it never referred to Illidan in the first place. Xe'ra was a biased narrator, basically, because she had already decided at some past point that this must be about Illidan.

I like the theory because it applies a lot of genre savvy -- Arator could, at the right place and time that the prophecy is meant to be fulfilled, satisfy all of its components, so it could be him. But the problem is that I don't think there are a lot of curveballs Blizzard still has to throw us beyond what has been datamined about the end of the Legion. Isn't the prophecy about the threat of the Legion in particular, not the Void beyond them?

Xe'ra was actually more focused on the fight against the Void in the Illidan novel, and that's the vision she showed him. However, I'm wondering if the vision Xe'ra showed him was just her interpretation of the prophecy, and not a literal event directly taken from the future.

[Deleted]

Or the couple has one more child !

[TyrannicalPuppy]

I have a better theory: let stupid prophecies die.