How exactly is Arthas considered Undead?

[Tuvok]

because...hes...dead?

describing why arthas is dead is like trying to define the word 'the'

It seems there was an explanation for it in the end, not as much of a conundrum as you seem to have thought

The story thoukaia posted answers it I suppose. They really should've made it a little less grey-shaded.

[gunner_recall]

That's quite a bit of speculation that while it may be supported by realism, doesn't seem to be actually confirmed anywhere, unless someone knows of an excerpt that tells of that death having took place.

Think about it like this: If you go to a house and everyone in there has the flu and you sit around with everyone coughing and sneezing on you for 5 hours...what's going to happen?

Odds are good you'll get the flu. That's what happened to Arthas. He sat up in Northrend, dicking around for 5 years and what do ya know? He caught the undeath because he was surrounded by the plague for 5 years.

And like other people said, he kind of cut out his heart. That usually kills you.

[Tuvok]

Now ask yourselves this question.

If Arthas had not removed his own heart do you think he would of reclaimed his soul and survived once frostmourne had been shattered ?

Bah, can only speculate, deep down I wanted to see a bit of retribution, and I bet half the people who didn't really did in a little part of them. Cheesy, cliché, I eat that shit up. Of course after eating it, I would realise that it was a really, really bad ending.

I don't know if his soul would've been salvageable, but the light holds mysterious powers!

[alt-ithist]

Actually Arthas was classified as undead the moment he became a deathknight. Go to wowwiki and read up on deathknights and runeblades and you will get it explained.

[Tuvok]

Think about it like this: If you go to a house and everyone in there has the flu and you sit around with everyone coughing and sneezing on you for 5 hours...what's going to happen?

Odds are good you'll get the flu. That's what happened to Arthas. He sat up in Northrend, dicking around for 5 years and what do ya know? He caught the undeath because he was surrounded by the plague for 5 years.

Turns out though that's not how it happened. I'l agree for the second time it would be the logical course of events, but as expected the game doesn't follow the same rules as real life does when it comes to things like contagious disease. Some people get a plot-related magical invisible vaccine.

[Lyeranth]

Hes not undead in the classic definition. He was sort of like the Nazgul from the Lord of the Rings. Human kings who had never died, but were no longer alive. He skipped the "dieing" part and became for all intents and purposes, undead.

I see this as the most plausible explanation.

[Kitomi]

Turns out though that's not how it happened. I'l agree for the second time it would be the logical course of events, but as expected the game doesn't follow the same rules as real life does when it comes to things like contagious disease. Some people get a plot-related magical invisible vaccine.

This is correct, and his Illidan vs. arthas > heart removal event took place prior to the 5 year wait

[Katanasteel]

The last living part of him (his heart) was destroyed. Therefore he became, for all intents and purposes, undead.

[ghtybv]

because...hes...dead?

describing why arthas is dead is like trying to define the word 'the'

Definition of THE
1
a —used as a function word to indicate that a following noun or noun equivalent is definite or has been previously specified by context or by circumstance <put the cat out> b —used as a function word to indicate that a following noun or noun equivalent is a unique or a particular member of its class <the President> <the Lord> c —used as a function word before nouns that designate natural phenomena or points of the compass <the night is cold> d —used as a function word before a noun denoting time to indicate reference to what is present or immediate or is under consideration <in the future> e —used as a function word before names of some parts of the body or of the clothing as an equivalent of a possessive adjective <how's the arm today> f —used as a function word before the name of a branch of human endeavor or proficiency <the law> g —used as a function word in prepositional phrases to indicate that the noun in the phrase serves as a basis for computation <sold by the dozen> h —used as a function word before a proper name (as of a ship or a well-known building) <the Mayflower> i —used as a function word before a proper name to indicate the distinctive characteristics of a person or thing <the John Doe that we know wouldn't lie> j —used as a function word before the plural form of a surname to indicate all the members of a family <the Johnsons> k —used as a function word before the plural form of a numeral that is a multiple of ten to denote a particular decade of a century or of a person's life <life in the twenties> l —used as a function word before the name of a commodity or any familiar appurtenance of daily life to indicate reference to the individual thing, part, or supply thought of as at hand <talked on the telephone> m —used as a function word to designate one of a class as the best, most typical, best known, or most worth singling out <this is the life> <the pill> ; sometimes used before a personal name to denote the most prominent bearer of that name
2
a (1) —used as a function word with a noun modified by an adjective or by an attributive noun to limit the application of the modified noun to that specified by the adjective or by the attributive noun <the right answer> <Peter the Great> (2) —used as a function word before an absolute adjective or an ordinal number <nothing but the best> <due on the first> b (1) —used as a function word before a noun to limit its application to that specified by a succeeding element in the sentence <the poet Wordsworth> <the days of our youth> <didn't have the time to write> (2) —used as a function word after a person's name to indicate a characteristic trait or notorious activity specified by the succeeding noun <Jack the Ripper>
3
a —used as a function word before a singular noun to indicate that the noun is to be understood generically <the dog is a domestic animal> b —used as a function word before a singular substantivized adjective to indicate an abstract idea <an essay on the sublime>
4
—used as a function word before a noun or a substantivized adjective to indicate reference to a group as a whole <the elite>

that good enough for you?

[Tuvok]

Definition of THE
1
a —used as a function word to indicate that a following noun or noun equivalent is definite or has been previously specified by context or by circumstance <put the cat out> b —used as a function word to indicate that a following noun or noun equivalent is a unique or a particular member of its class <the President> <the Lord> c —used as a function word before nouns that designate natural phenomena or points of the compass <the night is cold> d —used as a function word before a noun denoting time to indicate reference to what is present or immediate or is under consideration <in the future> e —used as a function word before names of some parts of the body or of the clothing as an equivalent of a possessive adjective <how's the arm today> f —used as a function word before the name of a branch of human endeavor or proficiency <the law> g —used as a function word in prepositional phrases to indicate that the noun in the phrase serves as a basis for computation <sold by the dozen> h —used as a function word before a proper name (as of a ship or a well-known building) <the Mayflower> i —used as a function word before a proper name to indicate the distinctive characteristics of a person or thing <the John Doe that we know wouldn't lie> j —used as a function word before the plural form of a surname to indicate all the members of a family <the Johnsons> k —used as a function word before the plural form of a numeral that is a multiple of ten to denote a particular decade of a century or of a person's life <life in the twenties> l —used as a function word before the name of a commodity or any familiar appurtenance of daily life to indicate reference to the individual thing, part, or supply thought of as at hand <talked on the telephone> m —used as a function word to designate one of a class as the best, most typical, best known, or most worth singling out <this is the life> <the pill> ; sometimes used before a personal name to denote the most prominent bearer of that name
2
a (1) —used as a function word with a noun modified by an adjective or by an attributive noun to limit the application of the modified noun to that specified by the adjective or by the attributive noun <the right answer> <Peter the Great> (2) —used as a function word before an absolute adjective or an ordinal number <nothing but the best> <due on the first> b (1) —used as a function word before a noun to limit its application to that specified by a succeeding element in the sentence <the poet Wordsworth> <the days of our youth> <didn't have the time to write> (2) —used as a function word after a person's name to indicate a characteristic trait or notorious activity specified by the succeeding noun <Jack the Ripper>
3
a —used as a function word before a singular noun to indicate that the noun is to be understood generically <the dog is a domestic animal> b —used as a function word before a singular substantivized adjective to indicate an abstract idea <an essay on the sublime>
4
—used as a function word before a noun or a substantivized adjective to indicate reference to a group as a whole <the elite>

that good enough for you?

Some of those definitions use the word itself to describe the meaning of it, and I've just done it myself!

[Sy]

as far as i know, he slowly turned undead without really "dying" in the sense of beeing injured and falling to the ground^^
but his body slowly stopped living.

[Dryade]

when did this happen? I've done WC3 reign of chaos and frozen throne havn't seen the part where he dies to the plague...

Funny thing about tearing your beating heart out of your chest kind of turns you into the "un"dead. Than the merging with Ner'zul would've probably sealed the deal.

[Sorissa]

well, he died yet he's still moving around. thats un - dead, pretty much.

[Oneirophobia]

Ugh theres lots of problems like this in WoW. For example, why undead players are immune to a ton of anti-undead things, and why they are succeptible to things that are traditionally ineffective on undead. This is of course because they're players, but still, whaaa? Makes it awkward.
Also, Death Knights. Undead Death knights. What?

Souless = Classifed as undead
but,
Souless death knights = NOPE WE'RE ALIVE STILL. Lable as humanoid!

[placeholdername]

NO. FREAKING. HEART.

Like, you know the kind that pumps your goddamn blood. Basic logic here, I mean come on.

And the gray skin in wc3? Yeah, that doesn't normally happen. Little thing called "necrosis."

[manageri]

"The Helm of Domination was crafted by demons, both to hold the spirit of Ner'zhul and grant him his Lich King powers. The helm, which helps command undead and others, plus the Plate of the Damned, which makes the wearer nearly invulnerable, were bonded to Ner'zhul's spirit and locked within the Frozen Throne. The runeblade Frostmourne was also locked inside the Frozen Throne, but Ner'zhul cast it from the throne so it would eventually find its way to Arthas. Upon shattering the Frozen Throne, he donned the helm and inherited the Lich King's powers. As long as the Lich King survives, however, any creature donning the helm is slain immediately by a surging overflow of power."

http://www.wowwiki.com/Helm_of_Domin...28Lich_King%29

End of this.

[zlygork]

I think he slipped and fell down the stairs of the Frozen Throne.

this. it has been officially confirmed by a blue and they announced taht cataclysm's cinematic is gonna show us some "hiden cutscenes" from wotlk that they didn't had the time to show to us.

[RaiGadi]

i think he specced Lichborne on the frost tree :P

[Cowt]

I've been wondering lately, last time I was at the Frozen Throne, about Arthas being classed as Undead. When did he die?

No matter if he died or not, the Nerubian are classed as 'Undead' in terms of game-mechanics, while they're in fact no more undead than the scarab Qiraji - I'd say it's just to simplify game-mechanics if anything.

On top of that, the 'Arthas' you see sitting on the Frozen Throne is technically the Lich King and no longer Arthas.

[Morlandros]

Correct me if I'm wrong but Arthas didn't die before we killed him right?
<snip>
Edit: I suppose Frostmourne could be responsible, but I don't remember witnessing Arthas dying because of a direct influence of the weapon, as I never saw Arthas go through the process of death period.

That's exactly it. At no point do we ever witness his death as an event. For him, at least, it appears to have been a steady transition. From the moment he took up Frostmourne he began to die. At some point he could officially be termed dead, but at no point did he cease to be animate. That's what throws most people. They expect some grand moment where he falls over and his passing is dramatically announced. No, in truth Arthas went out with a whisper, figuratively. Look as you might you'll never find his off-screen death. If you did, I dare say that the power and sinister nature of the thing would be ruined. If anything his transition has more style as it is.