[Better Villain] Illidan vs Arthas

[ro9ue]

I want this thread to exist. I want to know if more people like Illidan more or Arthas overall.

It's totally up to you how you weigh things. Their story, boss fight, archetype, appearance in WC3/WoW/HotS or even who looks cooler. At a high level Warcraft IP discussion, which is your favorite of these two villains. Forget others for now. If you like Azshara or whatever I get that, but we know far more about these two and we've had considerable amounts of time with them.


I love the story of Arthas. Wrath was my favorite expansion. H LK was one of the best fights ever.

Illidan's story I think I like better. I think I like his archetype better. I really enjoy him in Heroes of the Storm. The voice actor who does him is a badass. He looks cooler.


It's so close for me. Even as I'm about to type one I stop and go but no... that other guy.



Who do you guys like better?

[Wrathonia]

They aren't on the same level. One got duped and the other is more of a victim of circumstance. But after that, Arthas changed and went full hog evil. Illidan always had someone else's agenda pushing him into a corner.

[Daetur]

I always liked Illidan better, and found his story and character in the RTS games more interesting.

However, the handling of him in Warcraft was worlds worse than the treatment given to Arthas. BC's lore and writing was a travesty.

[TheWorkingTitle]

Who do you guys like better?

Tough choice. As a Warcraft 3 player/fan I felt more of a sense of accomplishment defeating Arthas in WoTLK than I did defeating Illidan in TBC.

Arthas ultimately got the correct ending (dying on the Frozen Throne where he became the Lich King) but I think the way they went about ICC left more to be desired. His 25m Heroic fight itself was incredible though, I agree. One of the best fights this game has ever produced.

Illidan on the other hand was used as boss-fodder and I do believe he's still primed for a redemption story. There's more to be told about Illidan with an impending Legion expansion inevitably coming down the line as he could be resurrected (being part Demon and all).

All things considered, I'm going to go with Illidan only because I think there's more to his story left to tell. It's neck and neck to me, but I think if Illidan had a redemption story then his story arc could be viewed as greater or better than Arthas'.

Just my .02.

[Deathgoose]

Illidan was more of an anti-hero that only made minor detours into villain-hood.

Arthas was a fallen hero that fully embraced being a villain.

So, by definition, Arthas.

[McNeil]

Arthas is the ultimate villain and the best written Warcraft character. Illidan was great in WC3 but for the rest he just kinda sat in the Black Temple, awaiting his death.

[dope_danny]

Arthas for me. Never understand the love for Illidan. A little too generic deviantart edgelord -and considering this compares him to the lich king thats something!

But WC3's story of arthas, how you start playing as him as a brand new paladin and watching him try and fail to save people from the plague of undeath and in his increasing desperation and lack of success become more callous and ruthless till he eventually finds frostmourne and all of a sudden im playing the undead themselves in the rts and not orcs or humans, and crazier than that my former human hero is now leading them as a death knight. It was a fantastic if cliche story that made the scourge stuff my favourite elements of world of warcraft, and whenever you go to the ruins of lordearon and hear the ghostly echoes of Arthas' returning home a 'hero' and slaying terenas i still get a little nostalgic chill thinking about it.

[Mirishka]

I think Illidan would be the better character, but Arthas' treatment in Wrath was 100x better, and the fact that he just one shots the entire raid on a whim was awesome. I love how Wrath kept Arthas at the forefront... some people didn't, but I did. You felt his presence/influence practically everywhere in Northrend.

As for Illy... BC barely acknowledged his presence until BT.

[Friendlyimmolation]

Illidan was never a villain until BC and then he was slapped with Crazy. Arthas was a much darker, more powerful, and much more threatening evil.

[sam86]

Illidan was villain?
Blizzard literally answered we kill him because he drop epics, not for any other reason, that is official answer on forum which (no surprise) was deleted later and blizz made a ban storm to anyone who mentioned it (it was posted shortly after Nihilum killed illidan on blizzard forums)

Arthas is no question one of best villains who had no remorse or pity and nothing stopped him... until a group of mercenaries went to kill him for epics again

[AeneasBK]

Arthas received better music.

[goblingirl]

Definitely Arthas.

Illidan was misguided. Misunderstood. Taken advantage of. Very emotionally insecure. And somewhat weak-willed.

Arthas on the other hand... killed his father. Killed thousands (hundreds of thousands? basically wiped out the northern 1/4 of the Eastern Kingdoms) of his own people and that was BEFORE he fled to Northrend and got 1000x worse.

[Nyteyes]

Arthas, hands down. When Wrath of the Lich King was announced I was as giddy as a school girl. So excited! Burning Crusade was announced, I was like.. cool, I'll give it a shot. But yeah Arthas was my favorite and Wrath will always be my favorite expansion.