Genn Greymane (Possible spoilers? Maybe? Enter at own risk!)

[Oakshana]

With the reveal of several samples from the new novel, especially the epilogue... can we finally put to rest the idea that Genn is a Warmonger?

Having played both sides, I saw the whole story. I never saw him as a warmonger. I saw him as a angry father and king who was motivated by vengeance for his son and his people for what Sylvanas & and her forsaken had done.

But now? With the way that novel looks to be ending, he appears as more the person I always thought him to be all along. I just don't really think we can call him a warmonger any longer, nor do I see him trying to veer Anduin towards it.

Thoughts?

[therealbowser]

I never saw him as a warmonger to begin with, evidence was very contrary to him being one. People ignored that evidence and made him out to be one previously, and will continue to do so regardless. Because they hate Genn (and probably love Sylvanas and think she can do no wrong).

It's not like this is going to suddenly change people's minds, whatever it is, especially if it's revealed in a novel that a very small amount of the playerbase will end up reading. Blizzard could probably outright state that Genn is a great guy and not a Warmonger or whatever and people would still call him one. Logical reasoning was never really relevant to people hating Genn.

In before "Sylvanas didn't murder Genn's son" "Sylvanas was forced to invade Gilneas" "Sylvanas attacking Gilneas was nothing personal" "Genn started the war by attacking Sylvanas in Stormheim", etc. I'm sure I missed a few, please bear with me.

[Oakshana]

I never saw him as a warmonger to begin with, evidence was very contrary to him being one. People ignored that evidence and made him out to be one previously, and will continue to do so regardless. Because they hate Genn (and probably love Sylvanas and think she can do no wrong).

It's not like this is going to suddenly change people's minds, whatever it is, especially if it's revealed in a novel that a very small amount of the playerbase will end up reading. Blizzard could probably outright state that Genn is a great guy and not a Warmonger or whatever and people would still call him one. Logical reasoning was never really relevant to people hating Genn.

In before "Sylvanas didn't murder Genn's son" "Sylvanas was forced to invade Gilneas" "Sylvanas attacking Gilneas was nothing personal" "Genn started the war by attacking Sylvanas in Stormheim", etc. I'm sure I missed a few, please bear with me.

No... I agree with you. And I can understand hating a character. I can even get behind faction pride. It's just the lengths I have seen some people go to validate this ridiculous notion. And all your "in before..." points are so spot on from the various arguments it's not even funny.

[Darkeon]

Without having seen these new pages - shit gets retconned all the time. So it wouldn't surprise me.

[FelPlague]

Without having seen these new pages - shit gets retconned all the time. So it wouldn't surprise me.

nothing gets retconned.
also why not read them then join a discussion on them...?

[Darkeon]

nothing gets retconned.
also why not read them then join a discussion on them...?

Was saving it all for when it actually gets released. Or are these the very first pages?

And sorry, if he stops being driven by revenge and Legion's Genn is all but gone - then yes, shit got retconned.

[Oakshana]

Was saving it all for when it actually gets released. Or are these the very first pages?

No... it has more to do with the epilogue pages presented on the sneak preview. And no... this is not retconning. This is the natural growth of the character. Anyone that has played alliance can get the semblance that this is who he is supposed to be.

Another good example is how he was portrayed on the Broken Front with Velen and Anduin. He genuinely cares about Anduin and wants him to be a good king. I have never gotten any sense that he's TRYING to start a war.

[Deleted]

''Warmonger'' because Genn actually know how a ruthless evil bitch Sylvanas actually is and her being in Broken Isles personally means she is up to something shady which she actually was...

I really like Sylvanas as a character she is natural evil but a necessary evil the Horde needs due to her control over northern eastern kingdoms and military forces.

The Forsaken was never invited into the Horde due to traditions and values, they were purely invited for survival in need of eachothers protection against the Alliance.

[terasatan]

He was always to my mind a highly complex figure.

[FelPlague]

Was saving it all for when it actually gets released. Or are these the very first pages?

And sorry, if he stops being driven by revenge and Legion's Genn is all but gone - then yes, shit got retconned.

people changing their mind is a retcon? wow holy shit.

[Darkeon]

people changing their mind is a retcon? wow holy shit.

You do realize these are not "people changing their mind" right? These are characters that had drives and ambitions and, if these change, it's because someone write them that way :P

[zaino]

i hope genn dies like the dog he is

[Linkedblade]

Can you blame him? Literally everything was taken from him because of the Horde.

[Thimagryn]

TBH the characters have become tools of some epic fantasy soap opera. Once BFA is done with, we will look back at all that has happened, take a good long look at the characterizations and go 'WTF happened?!'. Just like we do every expansion.

[Reubane]

Was saving it all for when it actually gets released. Or are these the very first pages?

And sorry, if he stops being driven by revenge and Legion's Genn is all but gone - then yes, shit got retconned.

It's not a retcon if someone get's their revenge and then stops being driven by revenge.

[FelPlague]

You do realize these are not "people changing their mind" right? These are characters that had drives and ambitions and, if these change, it's because someone write them that way :P

and how is writing a charecter to EVOLVE AND GROW just a "retcon"

[Deleted]

Well, he is still very much his old barking self and seems completely against the peace-plan of Anduin.
There are some things to point out about this, however.



Trying to keep it as spoiler-free as possible, but still... a little spoiler warning!



He does not actively sabotage Anduin's endeavors, but speaks harshly enough to those Anduin is trying to convince that Anduin leaves Genn behind for later talks (within the Alliance)^^
Genn and Rogers seem to have gotten quite an earful from Anduin for their stunt they pulled in Stormheim and Genn, even in the face of what he may see as an act of aggression at first from Sylvanas later in the book does not act but waits for Anduin's orders first. So he seems to actually have listened to the earful he got, as well as react to what he was witnessing at that moment a lot more level headed than at the Broken Shore for example.
In the end he still hates Sylvanas, but does not view the Forsaken as 'monsters, all of them!' anymore and admits as much.

His personality hasn't changed, but his perspective has. And this seemed to be one of the purposes of this book and at least from what we know up to now the book tells this story quite well.

[mario710]

and how is writing a charecter to EVOLVE AND GROW just a "retcon"

It isn't a retcon. He's a moron who dislikes character development.

/thread

[Deleted]

He still tried to kill the warcheif of the Horde during the height of a demonic invasion completely unprovoked (at the time). Thats more or less an act of war even if the Horde didnt brother to pursue it. Unless they recon the start of stormheim he still willingly took steps that could obviously led to war.

[therealbowser]

nothing gets retconned.
also why not read them then join a discussion on them...?

Actually retcons do happen. The most infamous one was the draenei. You can still find lore books ingame referencing the Eredar corrupting Sargeras.

This isn't one, though.

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i hope genn dies like the dog he is

At least you're not trying to vindicate or justify it, you just dislike the character. Nothing wrong with that.