Why don't people like Varian?

[Deleted]

These kinds of threads seem to be popular right now, so I'll take the opportunity to make the most obvious one.

Varian is a strong leader and he has his heart in the right place. He was possessed by the wolf ancient Lo'gosh, but he learned to control his rage. A weaker person would've succumbed to the bloodlust of the ancient. Varian has suffered a lot in his life and most of what he had to endure was because of the orcs. When he was young his father was killed cowardly by Garona, an orc that served as an ambassador between Stormwind and the orcish Horde, but turned on the king, who trusted her. Anduin Lothar, the lion of Azeroth and a friend to his murdered father, was killed on the battlefield by Doomhammer. His friend Arthas, son of King Terenas, who had taken care of him after his father's death, turned on his own people and became the Lich King. Years of battling between the orcs and the humans have brought forth misery and death among his own people, yet he doesn't strafe from his goal. His wife was killed during riots by the Defias, leaving him with his son, the only thing he has left in his life. He was captured by Onyxia and split into two. One half was eventually enslaved by an orc, who forced him to fight as a gladiator. One of the places where he had to fight was Orgrimmar, right under the nose of Thrall. In his absence his son ruled over his people, and Bolvar Fordragon, who was "killed" later by the partnership of the Horde, watched over little Anduin in Varian's absence.

Varian has lost a lot. He has lost a lot of people, who were close to him and he had to fight all his life - against the orcs, for his own freedom and even against his own temper. Still he fights on, to drive those, who threaten the peace of his people, from this world.

[Deleted]

The vast majority seems to like the character.

What annoys me is his stupid ponytail and the lack of manly beard.

Edit:

[McNeil]

I've found him pretty cool in his comic, but didn't care for him in WoW.

Still waiting for a ''Why don't people like Arthas?'' thread

[Deleted]

Because when an evil dragon wrecked a part of his beloved city the first thing he did was order them build a new statue!

[Deleted]

In his absence his son ruled over his people, and Bolvar Fordragon, who was "killed" later by the partnership of the Horde, watched over little Anduin in Varian's absence.

I was under the impression that it was bolvar who ruled until Varian returned or Anduin became of age.

[McNeil]

Because when an evil dragon wrecked a part of his beloved city the first thing he did was order them build a new statue!

His chin is strong enough to impale Deathwing the next time he would attack, its just a very good defense system.

[MatadorMedia]

I don't like him because he's arrogant & hasn't earned my respect as an Ally.

He was captured by Van Cleef for like ever and Andiun / Bolvar / Onyxia were leading Stormwind. Then he comes back and is like "oh I'm a badass and I'm in charge" but he hasn't done ANYTHING whatsoever to make me like or respect him. The most he's done is get angry at Thrall & Garrosh and be hot-headed about politics. He needs to just be a war general and not our king; Jaina would be a much better leader until Anduin is ready (hopefully he survives the next patch).

[Justignoreme]

His character is fine, he does good things, makes humans look like they are lead by a rational leader, I just loathe the idea of non-humans bowing before him and calling him "my king".

[yetgdhfgh]

It was his trash talking to thrall in the battle of the undercity that really made me hate him and the way he lets his people starve in westfall while he builds ego statues of himself in SW

but i see with the upcoming questlines that they really have mellowed his character out to almost where the old varian doesnt exist

now hes all pragmatic, sympathetic and thoughtful which is a shame cause i wanted him to be the douche he was in wrath i love it when you genuinely dont like your rival factions leader it makes for a more intense rivalry and killing him in FTH more satisfying

[Trassk]

Why keep making these threads?


I don't dislike Varian now but I don't love him either. I use to hate his guts, but since the info leading to all current events, and whats happened previously, he's coming along better in my eyes.

He shows how much he loves his son and how his concern for his safety matters the most. But he also shows to be maturing as a character, that by the end of mists he will be a character that will not hold all the horde respobnsible for all the shits thats gone on, just Garrosh, showing him a far better focused leader.

[Deleted]

Because when an evil dragon wrecked a part of his beloved city the first thing he did was order them build a new statue!

Who says he ordered it? Why couldn't it have been his people who did it out of love for their king?
Besides, the sole reason was probably just because Blizzard decided Stormwind could use a statue of their king.

I was under the impression that it was bolvar who ruled until Varian returned or Anduin became of age.

I remember the old intro for the humans used to say something about Anduin being a child king or something like that. OF course in reality it was probably Bolvar, who advised Anduin in a lot of things. A kid can't really be king.

[Grocalis]

Varian is a lot better then he used to be. Much of the hate was due to his shoddy presentation during the start of WOTLK. The fact his comic was a rather convoluted mess, trying to recreate some of what made Thrall interesting but that ended with soul splits and merging into a superman didn't help any.

Realize, that at the time of WOTLK, Thrall was the most popular character on both sides. Suddenly Varian goes all crazy on Thrall because of the Wrathgate (an event that hurt the Horde more then the Alliance), basically calls him a green skinned abberation, and attempts to trap and kill him. Those that didn't read the comic, the first thing they really got to see him do was basically be racist and attempt to kill the most popular character in the franchise.

Blizzard went to great lengths to fix his image for awhile now, and they only really succeeded by making the Horde have a bigger douche in comparison.

[Kevyne-Shandris]

The problem is they made him too much like Horde. Much too war like, while the true fighter lords around him are wiser, like Tirion Fordring.

A leader is political. Someone that's eager for revenge will not be good in the political department, even among his allies.

There's a PR problem. We know of his strength, but we don't know how wise he is to lead his people.

[zoefschildpad]

Wait, there's more to the guy than standing in the throne room looking angry?

[Deleted]

Aren't turtles supposed to be slow?

[Shivala]

It was his trash talking to thrall in the battle of the undercity that really made me hate him and the way he lets his people starve in westfall while he builds ego statues of himself in SW

During the Wrath Gate event, he was still new to the throne post slavery. He was still full of rage towards the Horde.

This changed in ICC, when you play as Alliance you get to see it.

and "his people" in Westfall aren't actually his people, they're defias in disguise planning an uprising in Sentinel Hill (which they succeed at).

[Deleted]

It was his trash talking to thrall in the battle of the undercity that really made me hate him and the way he lets his people starve in westfall while he builds ego statues of himself in SW

but i see with the upcoming questlines that they really have mellowed his character out to almost where the old varian doesnt exist

now hes all pragmatic, sympathetic and thoughtful which is a shame cause i wanted him to be the douche he was in wrath i love it when you genuinely dont like your rival factions leader it makes for a more intense rivalry and killing him in FTH more satisfying

He doesn't let his people starve in Westfall, there are Alliance troops in Westfall helping the people and there even is a quest where you're bringing the poor food. He wasn't "trashtalking" Thrall in the Undercity. He just heard how the Forsaken were attacking and killing Alliance soldiers, when there was an unspoken agreement, that they wouid both focus on Arthas and the Scourge. He has every reason to distrust Thrall and the Horde. Even Thrall started to distrust the Forsaken.

[Gandrake]

when i played a death knight he told me he would have killed me if the letter i brought him wasn't from tirion, and the way it was written sounded terrible, like "if it werent for this letter from one of the greatest paladins of all time you would be nothing but a splatter upon my floor" or some crap

also, hes fugly

but that's about it

[Alwek]

For most people it would be that Varian is someone that just randomly shows up and leads the entire Alliance. Sadly only a low amount of people reads the books and comics, or bother reading wowpedia for his biography.

[Deleted]

and "his people" in Westfall aren't actually his people, they're defias in disguise planning an uprising in Sentinel Hill (which they succeed at).

Ha, I didn't even know that, have to play through it again.