Varian or Garrosh, whose Storyline Ended Better?

[Matthias]

That Anduin cutscene where Varian's spirit shows up just gave me the feels, and literally made me smile. So I decided to ask which of the poster children of strength and manliness, as well as former heads of state, of the Alliance and Horde respectively do you think ended better?

I know this is going to seem very obvious to most people. I know a lot of people hate how Thrall kind of steals our kill on Garrosh, but the Nagrand cutscene is by far one of my favorites.

Meanwhile Varian is my favorite character hands down, and I think the best original WoW character period, having no links to WC3. I mean besides him taking credit for killing Onyxia despite being MIA from Vanilla until the start of Wrath, nothing poor was done to his character and we see great development. Whenever I see him split his swords in two to take on the Legion alone in his final fight, makes me proud that I main a warrior.

"For the Alliance!"

Garrosh on the other hand was hands down my least favorite character until his showdown with Thrall. I mean the guy never made any damn sense to me. He starts off as a whiny pansy in Outland until he meets Thrall. After which he's just an unreasonable brute that wants to fight anything that isn't the Horde. His disdain for the Alliance has no credence, he hates the Alliance just because they are a rival faction. Now when you encounter Varian early on he is also a cause for tension between the Horde and Alliance at the Wrathgate, but unlike Garrosh, he has every damn reason to hate the Horde. The original Horde killed his father, razed his city to the ground, killed his surrogate Father Lothar, all before reaching adulthood. Then he's forced to fight in orc arenas, and the Forsaken are responsible for the death of his best friend Bolvar. Yet despite all of this we see Varian develop into a reasonable ruler, in large part due to his son. And we see all of Varian's development in game.

You need to do some serious lore digging to understand WTF is Garrosh's problem. The Heart of War, short story, gives me the most context as to the kind of person Garrosh was when he first joined the Horde. https://worldofwarcraft.com/en-us/st...osh-hellscream

But all I can really grab from this though is that Garrosh is just an old school orc with daddy issues. There is no diplomacy in Draenor/Outland, Orcs or Ogre's do something you don't like? Bash them over the head until they cry uncle, now this is fine. What's not fine is Thrall decided it would be a brilliant idea to let that knucklehead lead the Horde, over the more experienced Cairne or Saurfang (I mean what could possibly go wrong with giving Garrosh an entire Horde?).

Cata tries to give Garry some redeeming qualities, ones that were displayed in the Heart of War short story, such as his Honor. But in MoP the guy goes off the deep end. His showdown with Thrall just seem to display that the pressures of leadership were too much for him.
"You made me Warchief!"
"You left me, to pick up your pieces!"
"You FAILED MEEEEEE!"
I mean Thrall was like a brother to Garrosh, who yanked him out of his apathy, only to leave him to become Green Jesus, but instead of returning after saving the world, he runs off to go make babies with Aggra.

I mean the fact that it's in Garrosh's final moments I kind of finally make me like him and miss him, says something about his ending.

[Deleted]

Varian's storyline is not yet over, so it is hard to make a decision now.

[Zyky]

I'm voting for Varian because even though his story isn't over, any kind of writing can beat the shit writing Garrosh got.

[Gib Lover]

Garrosh's death cinematic is the only post-Arthas death one I have given a shit about. The voice acting was top notch, Garrosh sounded like he was in pain after everything that has happened. The implications from that cut-scene as far as their relationship, Thrall's lack of honor even though that's all he ever talks about, saying goodbye to a major lore figure that was pretty decisive in the community as to if he even actually did anything wrong.

Varian I don't particularly give a shit about because I don't play Alliance. It's not a Horde bias thing I don't give a crap about faction loyalty, I just don't think WoW has good writing so I never bothered to experience the Alliance side of the story so I never got attached to Varian/Anduin.

[Friendlyimmolation]

both ended well. But I prefer Varian's because it was his choice.

[TheFirstOnes]

Varian...

Garrosh died after getting blown off by some Green pickle at nagrand....

Varian 420 No Scope SOLOED the Broken shore, only for him to realize that his Artifact was ilvl 720, while getting 1 shot by Gul'dan, RIGHT After losing his CDs, Making him killable....

- - - Updated - - -

Seriously though, Garrosh became a War criminal, Blamed everyone for his Bullshit, and died a dumbass.

Varian was raised HATING The horde, Killed Dragons, brought races into the alliance, fought ENDLESSLY to find his son on Pandaria, and learned from his Mistakes.

Anduin/Varian's Relationship was amazing.

[Zandalarian Paladin]

Garrosh was a horrible orc being who deserved the fall he got. He wasn't honorable -- he accused someone else for the choices he did himself. When Thrall sacrificed his bond with the elements to (excuse the pun) put Garrosh in the earth, that was the real tragedy.

Varian, on the other hand, had a glorious death. I couldn't have dreamed of something more heroic, more incredible for a WoW figure to die for.

[Raetary]

Varian's storyline is not yet over, so it is hard to make a decision now.

it is.
you are delusional if you think it isnt.

[Evangeliste]

I agree on the census in here. Varian is much more apt and enjoyable because it was for a reason without much fodder-dribble to make it gloriously awarded. Garrosh was a prick and the theme was burnt out by the point of his death I think a different way and it would be more agreeable. Say actually highlighting for once that Garrosh didn't want to become his father, loving purity and the Sha fed on it filled with Pride... Sadly they didn't make it 100% apparent.

[Aucald]

Though I was glad to see Garrosh get his long-awaited comeuppance, I would probably say Varian's storyline was ultimately ended better.

[Arrashi]

Given how shitty garrosh story was - gotta go with varian.

[Matthias]

Garrosh's death cinematic is the only post-Arthas death one I have given a shit about. The voice acting was top notch, Garrosh sounded like he was in pain after everything that has happened. The implications from that cut-scene as far as their relationship.

I feel the same way. The voice acting was amazing, you here the guys voice cracking, as if he's trying not to cry. And Thrall is an absolute moron for putting him in charge. There is no excuse for it, you have primed Veterans like Cairne, Saurfang and Vol'jin, and you decide to give the mantle to the hot head who hasn't even been in the Horde for half a decade, hasn't even been on Azeroth for long, what little time he did spend, was in Northrend away from Kalimdor.

[Nero Stormchester]

I'm a horde main, and I have to say Varian. Garrosh was yet another character full of potential getting the corrupted treatment , whilst Varian had great character development. Also he fathered Anduin , who I think is an amazing character and a king capable,of uniting the whole Azeroth behind him in the future .

[Darkguyver2020]

Garrosh was a complete c*nt. I don't care about his stupid sob story. Nothing justifies him becoming the Orc version of Hitler.
I've had an unhealthy dispassionate loathing for him since Wrath. I disliked him when he acted like a complete dick in the patch 3.1 trailer. But don't get me started about my searing hatred I developed for him from the perspective of an Alliance progression raider in Trial of the Crusader. Hearing his arrogant bullshit every time a player died during faction champions really made me want to leap up onto the stands and shove Gorehowl up where the sun doesn't shine.
I'm glad the fucker is dead. I just wish it was the players who got to slay him instead of Green Jesus.

[Deleted]

Varian's storyline is not yet over, so it is hard to make a decision now.

Yes, the bag with Varian's fel dust is still missing. /s

[Matthias]

Garrosh was a complete c*nt. I don't care about his stupid sob story. Nothing justifies him becoming the Orc version of Hitler.
I've had an unhealthy dispassionate loathing for him since Wrath. I disliked him when he acted like a complete dick in the patch 3.1 trailer. But don't get me started about my searing hatred I developed for him from the perspective of an Alliance progression raider in Trial of the Crusader. Hearing his arrogant bullshit every time a player died during faction champions really made me want to leap up onto the stands and shove Gorehowl up where the sun doesn't shine.
I'm glad the fucker is dead. I just wish it was the players who got to slay him instead of Green Jesus.

I'm talking about their ENDINGs here though. I went into detail as to why I and the rest of us hate Garrosh, but his ending was indeed poetic, "Lets finish this where it all began, at the stones of prophecy" Here he duels his mentor figure to the death where he first met him in the original timeline (and where Thrall should have left him tbh, we wouldn't have the Legion right now). And the fact that you kind of feel bad for him, his voice cracking is the only display of weakness that he had ever showed. I really find Thrall more copable in this whole mess, because this was obviously a disastrous choice.

[TheFirstOnes]

I'm talking about their ENDINGs here though. I went into detail as to why I and the rest of us hate Garrosh, but his ending was indeed poetic, "Lets finish this where it all began, at the stones of prophecy" Here he duels his mentor figure to the death where he first met him in the original timeline (and where Thrall should have left him tbh, we wouldn't have the Legion right now). And the fact that you kind of feel bad for him, his voice cracking is the only display of weakness that he had ever showed. I really find Thrall more copable in this whole mess, because this was obviously a disastrous choice.

Yeah, His ending didn't bring him justice either...

Garrosh just cried to Daddy thrall, in which thrall chaired him, making garrosh guilty, as well as dead....

Varian died a War Hero...and dissed Gul'dan in his face...

[TickTickTick]

If Garrosh's story would have ended with Thrall executing him in SoO, his story would be S+ for me. His development (although many people didnt like it) was excellent, a definite proof of what happens when you give a warmonger the power. But then Warcrimes happen... Trial in Pandaria. Literally the first trial we've ever heard about, and hopefully the last. And for what... Did Illidan get the chance for a trial? Kael'thas? Arthas?

As for Varian... I hated him during Wotlk, then he started to grow on me after Cata, but come MoP Anduin absorbed all the likeliness that could have gone to Varian.

So... no vote from me.

[Matthias]

Yeah, His ending didn't bring him justice either...

Garrosh just cried to Daddy thrall, in which thrall chaired him, making garrosh guilty, as well as dead....

Varian died a War Hero...and dissed Gul'dan in his face...

Garrosh's ending doesn't fix him, but I feel like in those few minutes it slightly redeems him as a character, where you can kind of fee all the inner turmoil he was dealing with.

[Rend Blackhand]

Blizzard shat on Garrosh to give us Warlords of Draenor. Varian wins by default.