Harbingers: The Story of Gul’dan

[Devonitar]

It's not hard to imagine that in MU Gul'dan reached Throne of the Elements and received a blessing from the elements, later killed his old clan and finally joined the Shadowmoon Clan, where he was taken as a student of Ner'zhul. In case of AU Gul'dan, he received a blessing from some demon that somehow happened to appear in Throne of the Elements.

[dwarfkicker]

Yes. KJ definitely knew what had happened to Gul'dan in our Azeroth when he chose to give him the powers in the the alternate universe Draenor since as we know there is only one KJ.

Plus the "Tomb of Sargeras" audio drama will involve Gul'dan being sent to open the portal. MU Gul'dan went there seeking power and was slaughtered by crazed demons. No doubt he will be given knowledge of this and maybe a way to combat this. We'll know soon enough.

It's not hard to imagine that in MU Gul'dan reached Throne of the Elements and received a blessing from the elements, later killed his old clan and finally joined the Shadowmoon Clan, where he was taken as a student of Ner'zhul. In case of AU Gul'dan, he received a blessing from some demon that somehow happened to appear in Throne of the Elements.

Even the movie plays with the idea that no one knew which clan Gul'dan hailed from.

[Netherspark]

Plus the "Tomb of Sargeras" audio drama will involve Gul'dan being sent to open the portal. MU Gul'dan went there seeking power and was slaughtered by crazed demons. No doubt he will be given knowledge of this and maybe a way to combat this. We'll know soon enough.

Alex Afrasiabi at the Gamescom announcement actually hinted that has been totally retconned. While talking about the story for Legion he said that Gul'dan (the original Gul'dan) went to the Broken Isles specifically to summon the Burning Legion, and was killed by the Blackrock clan before he could do it.

When volume 2 of Chronicles comes out in March I think it's going to state this outright.

[Jokubas]

Star Trek did this a lot in the various series, with their Alternate Universe. The characters had completely different origins and many of them acted completely different than they did normally, but they were still clearly the alternate versions because they were played by the same actors (and thus looked more or less the same) and had the same names.

Even Star Trek's mirror universe is called that because it mirrored them. It took the important elements of them and reflected them from good to evil. As it progressed, more changes happened, but those were the result of earlier changes. If you mean the newer movies, then things are sometimes very different, but that was very explicit and plot relevant to the existence of that timeline. If alternate Gul'dan has a different history, a different power level, and a different fate, due to no intervention and with no plot reason for that change, I would also have to wonder why they didn't make it a new character or twist someone else (do the mirror thing on Ner'zhul, for instance, and make him be the traitor).

Which is part of the reason I don't think that's what's going on here. I really think this is supposed to be the backstory for all Gul'dans. The funny thing is, I think it works best for the movie Gul'dan, whose lack of a clan or home was defining (at least in the prequel novel). This feels weird even for AU Gul'dan thanks to the Gul'dan and the Stranger comic. There's nothing that's explicitly contradictory, but it really felt implied in the comic that Gul'dan learned about the Legion recently and was gaining his powers then, not some time in the past, after a journey of self-discovery and destroying his home.

It's a retcon, sure, but sometimes a retcon changes things, sometimes it just adds, and I think this is more on the add side. We never knew Gul'dan's youth. It's always possible that, in our universe, he ended up joining the Shadowmoon Clan at some point, and had always planned to subvert them. This video also makes me wonder if the fel power has allowed Gul'dan to be far older than he looks, in which case he could have infiltrated the Shadowmoon on the pretense of begging for hospitality, since no one could possibly know who he actually was.

It's not the most original route to go with him, but I'm glad that a character they're using so much finally has an early life that explains why he suddenly chose to be evil in his old age.

[Zemuron]

Ive always thought the MU vs AU stuff was kind of silly, but I recognized it as a way of blizzard saving face in bringing cool characters back into the game/ lore.

This story...... Why? what's the point? Even if its AU gul'dan, why is his backstory different? Why recreate all the lore that we know?

How about this as legion expansion lore: The burning legion is coming back for all of the reasons we would expect them to. We are sitting on a nascient titan. We have defeated them here before. etc etc......

Why recreate a gul'dan story? Really, what was the point of this story recreation and WoD lore? It seems redundant and overly confusing for the Lore fanatics, and especially for players who don't get into the lore.

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Interesting look into AU Gul'dan's origin. But I do wish this was part of the Lords of War instead, would have made him a much more convincing villain for WoD.

It also casts a lot of WoD in a new light. Gul'dan was slinging fel magic around for a while considering in this short he has black hair still, hard to believe the Orc Clans trusted him in the first place, let alone the second time he shows up offering them green soda.

And someone on my server brought up an interesting question. Did the Elements abandon Gul'dan? Or did the Legion push them away so Gul'dan would become their puppet instead?

I'm a big fan of what ifs so the idea that there's a timeline out there where AU-Gul'dan becomes a shaman intrigues me.

[Raetary]

If he's not Gul'dan then why call him Gul'dan?

because it is his name?

[Lahis]

I'm a big fan of what ifs so the idea that there's a timeline out there where AU-Gul'dan becomes a shaman intrigues me.

Knowing Gul'Dan's personality, he would still be power hungry, BUT if he could show the proper respect to the elements, with the primal elemental furies of Draenor he would be one of the mightiest shamans ever anywhere. Thrall wouldn't even come close.

Just imagine it. World Shaman Gul'Dan spearheading the defence of Draenor against the Legion.

[Beloren]

The amount of people who don't understand that he isn't the main universe Gul'dan is too damn high.

but isn't the story of MU Gul'dan exactly the same as AU Gul'dan until Garrosh does what he does?

or is that not correct? in which case, all that pre-history of Gul'dan is both Gul'dans as all this happens before whatever happens happens. In the original version, isn't Gul'dan a shaman in his own right and apprentice to Ner'zhul? then takes an opportunity for more power when it comes, and progressively becomes more power hungry like all the shaman turned warlocks became? Btw.. is AU Draenor created when Garrosh does his thing? i.e. It was MU, but the way he did it created a splinter reality - as in a different fork where everything after changes.. just not sure what the theory was.

[Draykin]

I read this theory and I found it pretty solid:

"There's something pretty easy to work with here. Gul'dan in the MU was part of a clan, was a cripple and was exiled. He went to the Throne of the Elements...

Here, I think, is the diversion.

In the MU the elements responded and pointed him to Ner'zhul. After that he joins the Shadowmoon and serves as an apprentice until a greater chance for power's shown.

In the AU (conjecture on my part) the Legion silenced the Elements and took this exact moment to recruit him."

[Arrashi]

Honestly its meh. He is just generic bad guy who has standard issue "tragic" past, and still no motivation other than being evil just for a sake of it.

[Deleted]

After the 4 comics I've expected something better. I don't like the art here and the story is meh.

[kencloudli]

I read this theory and I found it pretty solid:

"There's something pretty easy to work with here. Gul'dan in the MU was part of a clan, was a cripple and was exiled. He went to the Throne of the Elements...

Here, I think, is the diversion.

In the MU the elements responded and pointed him to Ner'zhul. After that he joins the Shadowmoon and serves as an apprentice until a greater chance for power's shown.

In the AU (conjecture on my part) the Legion silenced the Elements and took this exact moment to recruit him."

I can see that happening.

[Deleted]

It's like what happened with death knights. We have a 2nd generation Gul'dan now.

Why the hell doesnt Sargeras or Kil'jaeden try conquering other universe Azeroth? The one that my toon doesnt exist on.

[Al Gorefiend]

AU Gul'dans story is so much better in my eyes. Can't you guys just realize Blizzard is trying to ease us into a retcon? Just stop fighting them over retconning material and let them do as they please to nail the perfect story down. Gul'dan's original story was written in the 90's? Early 2000's? Just forgive them for what they're trying to accomplish to better suit their new direction in lore.

And that goes for more than just Gul'dan. I wouldn't be shocked if they canonize the movie's plot direction too. So they want to change Lothar's story, Dalaran's story... Just let them already. The end product would be worth it.

[Deleted]

If AU Gul'dan and MU Gul'dan are completely different characters that don't even share the same origin why are they both called Gul'dan?

Because that's the name his parents gave to him in both universes?

[Al Gorefiend]

Honestly its meh. He is just generic bad guy who has standard issue "tragic" past, and still no motivation other than being evil just for a sake of it.

Coming from Sylvanas' choir boy is so hilarious.

[Deleted]

Because MU Gul'dan was a member of the Shadowmoon Clan.

AU Gul'dan is a member of some clan that he later wiped out.

He's a completely different character.

He is a completely different character because the elements rejected him and he embraced the fel very soon. It is possible that the elements didn't rejected the MU Gul'dan and he became a shaman, then apprentice of Ner'zhul.

[Lady Atia]

I read this theory and I found it pretty solid:

"There's something pretty easy to work with here. Gul'dan in the MU was part of a clan, was a cripple and was exiled. He went to the Throne of the Elements...

Here, I think, is the diversion.

In the MU the elements responded and pointed him to Ner'zhul. After that he joins the Shadowmoon and serves as an apprentice until a greater chance for power's shown.

In the AU (conjecture on my part) the Legion silenced the Elements and took this exact moment to recruit him."

I think this is true. The only thing that also must be happened (in some way) is that he killed his Clan - after all, we would know the ring-sigil from the main universe if that clan still existed.

The Legion probably just used a short cut this time (instead of outcast > throne > nerzhul > guldan they went outcast > throne > guldan)

[Deleted]

I just thought of something

If demons are the same across universes, then its the same kiljaedin that turns gul'dan Mu/Au, so for the main timeline, he went to ner'zhul first, then ner'zhul was usurped by the shadow council and gul'dan became the real threat, so potentially the right choice the second time around would be to go straight for Gul'dan, which actually makes sense that he ignored Ner'zhul

Only issue there then is whether that was kiljaedin in the past or if it was post warIII demons. If it was current time KJ that new what happened, then its obvious that he would make better choices this time around rather than fucking around with training ner'zhul who would betray him.

This makes a lot of sense,
I feel the lore-defs should state it tho