Has the word edgy made some characters harder to take seriously?

[Deleted]

So here's something I've been thinking about lately, do you think the popularity of calling people and characters edgy has made characters like Illidan, Genn and Jaina harder to take seriously? I've got friends who refer to Demon Hunters, Warlock and Death Knights, and Shadow Priests as edge classes, and I feel like this dumbs them down somewhat, as if all they do is stand around and talk about how much they've suffered or sacrificed, which Demon Hunters do a lot but wouldn't most people be kind of broody when there's literally a Demon inside them they have to control.

I saw a guy in a thread on here say that Genn has become more edgy in Legion, and I'm assuming he thinks so because Genn has grown increasingly vengeful towards Sylvanas which I think is understandable seeing as she destroyed his kingdom and killed his son ( Although unintentionally ) and I can't help but think it kind of lessens his motivations and his character somewhat, like wanting revenge for that isn't reasonable and that he's just being edgy and angsty.

What do you think?

Edit: I suppose I should clarify: Its not that my opinion of the character changes because others judge them a certain way, it's that I feel it does not do the character justice or give them enough credit to simply call them edgelords if that makes any sense.

[chazus]

Its the character that makes them edgy, not the class.

In role playing circles, a lot of people with the 'dark' archetype go way out of their way to become edgy in an attempt to be unique and different.

[Charge me Doctor]

it's not about the word "edgy", but about characters writing. They act like angsty teenagers - they get called edgy. The word "edgy" because a thing because it became hard to take characters like Illidan, Genn, Jaina, Sylvanas seriously

[Kaleredar]

I don't think Genn is really all that edgy. He hates Sylvannas, for good reason. She desecrated his kingdom, killed his son, and he thinks she betrayed the Alliance. You can call the reason for THINKING that deception is flimsy, but that's more on Blizzard.

Plus he's a fucking werewolf. That's awesome. But he isn't all high-and-mighty or grandiose.



Sylvannas, on the other hand? She's the edgiest teen-fic edgelord in the damn game. "Oh gee life as an undead is so hard, better go angst myself off of ICC!" You could put that next to "edgy" in the damn dictionary.

Illidan is... edgy-ish, but at least he's a pragmatist. He's more about getting shit done, at least at this point. Unlike his demon hunter ilk. "I'VE SACRIFICED EVERYTHING, WHAT HAVE YOU SACRIFICED?!?!?!?!" "Remember, NOTHING IS MORE IMPORTANT than the LEGION'S DESTRUCTION!"


Why can't they be chillaxed like the DKs? "Tomorrow is another day."



I give characters a bit of a pass in the "edgy" category if they're at least competent and do more than they yammer on about. Like Arthas. He wasn't "brooding." He fucked shit up. The player DKs are similarly in that vein... they use their dark powers for good, but aren't total tools about doing it. They get shit done. And don't bitch and moan the whole way about all the stuff they have to put up with.

Demonhunters and Sylvanas could take a lesson.

[Wildmoon]

It's all about the you handles characters. Corrupted Medivh in the Last Guardian novel was dark and brooding but he was prefectly fine to me and I like him. Illidan certainly crossed that line shouting quite often over-the-top edgy speeches. Illidan screamed how everyone was so useless and stupid then proceeded to fail everything he set out to do up until Legion.

The line is that when Medivh spoke edgy speeches in the novel, it was to get his worldview across. When Illidan talked, it seemed mostly about him trying to be an asshole.

[Devonitar]

If I had to describe Illidan and use some adjective that is popular in the interwebs, I wouldn't use edgy. I would use cringy.

[Polybius]

it's not about the word "edgy", but about characters writing. They act like angsty teenagers - they get called edgy. The word "edgy" because a thing because it became hard to take characters like Illidan, Genn, Jaina, Sylvanas seriously

Can't really blame him... They were pushed out of a beautiful city, by a bunch of edgelords.

[derpkitteh]

no. i recognize what edgy behavior is and separate it from what a dark character may behave like.

also, being violent and blood thirsty isn't edgy. it's faking that you're violent and blood thirsty that's edgy. a teen that talks about liking blood and all that shit, that's edgy. but the teen that tortures small animals and shit, that's not edgy, that's psychopathic and should be taken very seriously.

so, you have to realize the context of the situation before you can describe something as edgy.

[Arrashi]

The only truly edgy things in wow are DHs and DKs, and its because they are so overdramatic that they give clear aura of self-awareness.

I mean i can't imagine anyone keeping straight face when DH introduces themselves as "Hatefury the painbearer".

[Enter Name Here]

the attitude of all those NPC demon hunters towards the player (what have you given?) is the sole reason i did not yet try that class

don't ever want to be associated with those childish pricks

[Charge me Doctor]

Can't really blame him... They were pushed out of a beautiful city, by a bunch of edgelords.

They pushed themselves into this shit when they flipped off lordaeron and walled themselves off. I don't have any sympathy towards them

[My User Name]

They pushed themselves into this shit when they flipped off lordaeron and walled themselves off. I don't have any sympathy towards them

But well... that does not give any reason to call Genn edgy.

[omeomorfismo]

you are on internet.
"edgy" is only a new hyperbole like the others. simply stop to care.

[Cheze]

there has never been a time when illidan wasn't difficult to take seriously; being taken back through his character arc in this expansion has just brought that into starker relief for people (like seriously the dude's been fawned over his entire damn life, what cause does he have to be such an asshole except sociopathy?)

none of genn, jaina or sylvanas strike me as particular 'edgy'; they all have clear motivations and usually behave in ways that make sense

[Charge me Doctor]

But well... that does not give any reason to call Genn edgy.

No, but his acting like "rrr forsaken! we must kill them all" and throwing whole race of worgen into perpetual war with forsaken because his son fucked up and because he (as a governor) fucked up is kinda edgy. The whole drive of him against Sylvanas is because of his personal feelings towards her, he doesn't care about worgen as a race or the alliance - he just wants revenge - is for sure edgy.

[Aeula]

Meh, I don't take Illidan seriously because he's going through a cheesy redemption arc and he hasn't done anything since coming back other than opening a portal.

The word edgy is meaningless now.

[My User Name]

No, but his acting like "rrr forsaken! we must kill them all" and throwing whole race of worgen into perpetual war with forsaken because his son fucked up and because he (as a governor) fucked up is kinda edgy. The whole drive of him against Sylvanas is because of his personal feelings towards her, he doesn't care about worgen as a race or the alliance - he just wants revenge - is for sure edgy.

Let me start by saying this: It's not edgy, it's his character. He's been trying to be pacifist with Horde throughout the pre-expansion patch. He felt betrayed when the Horde left the Alliance on the Broken Shore.

And let me remind you, Genn didn't know what happened on the Horde side. He just can't search the Broken Shore Horde cinematic on YouTube like we do. So it is perfectly normal that he felt betrayed because:

a) This person is question -- Sylvanas -- is known to be distrustful before
b) Being cool around your former enemy, who literally destroyed your kingdom into pieces, is EXTREMELY forced.

Stop with the fucking "Genn is a shitty/edgy character" BS. That mindset is perfectly normal for a grieving father and an uncrowned (partially) King.

[munkeyinorbit]

So here's something I've been thinking about lately, do you think the popularity of calling people and characters edgy has made characters like Illidan, Genn and Jaina harder to take seriously? I've got friends who refer to Demon Hunters, Warlock and Death Knights, and Shadow Priests as edge classes, and I feel like this dumbs them down somewhat, as if all they do is stand around and talk about how much they've suffered or sacrificed, which Demon Hunters do a lot but wouldn't most people be kind of broody when there's literally a Demon inside them they have to control.

I saw a guy in a thread on here say that Genn has become more edgy in Legion, and I'm assuming he thinks so because Genn has grown increasingly vengeful towards Sylvanas which I think is understandable seeing as she destroyed his kingdom and killed his son ( Although unintentionally ) and I can't help but think it kind of lessens his motivations and his character somewhat, like wanting revenge for that isn't reasonable and that he's just being edgy and angsty.

What do you think?

I think you probably need to learn to think for yourself. Maybe you also need to get new friends. Who cares if people call shit edgy. Think for yourself and you decide the merits of each character. While yo are at it, have a look at the mirror and ask yourself "Did this topic really merit a thread? Did I really need to bring my inability to think for myself to the fore and declare it to the world?" If you are honest I think you will find that the answer is probably no. You did not need to create a thread about this shit.

[Deleted]

The only edgy thing in Warcraft was WoD's marketing, #SAVAGE. Warcraft is pretty soft due to it's art style compared with Warhammer or even D&D.

[Aucald]

Terms like "edgy" swiftly lose all meaning when they become bludgeons to be employed against characters one simply doesn't like for personal reasons, rather than as a defined term that quantifies a set of characteristics. You can see the same basic arc of descent for terms like "Mary Sue" or "waifu" when employed as insults. The stigma the term is meant to convey is the only sense left to it - all other cohesive meaning is absent.