Anduin's knowledge of Bolvar retconned? (Spoilers)

[Skirdus]

So in The Shattering novel, it's revealed that Varian never told Anduin about Bolvar's fate (which Varian had presumably learned of from Tirion himself, since he was present at Icecrown Citadel during the Fall of the Lich King), and he and Jaina seemingly agreed to keep that information a secret from him. Here's the exact line from the book (page 81):

"I realized how close they had become while I was gone. Bolvar was like a father to Anduin."
"Does...he know?" Jaina asked quietly.
Varian shook his head. "And I hope he never does."

Yet now, in 8.3, it appears as though Anduin somehow learned the information from Tirion himself? Despite never formally meeting Tirion in person to my knowledge?

Anduin: Tirion Fordring himself made us swear that we would keep the secret of Bolvar's fate. You made that vow just as I did.

So, what's going on here? Did they straight-up retcon this information, or did Tirion somehow tell Anduin about this off-screen, and we just never learned about it, and Anduin never questioned Varian or Jaina lying to him about it?

I know this is a pretty minute detail to scrutinize given the rest of the mess that is BfA's storytelling, but this particular inconsistency feels pretty glaring to me, considering they're making a big deal out of Taelia not knowing Bolvar's fate when, unless I missed something important, Anduin shouldn't know either. Also feels pretty strange considering Christie Golden is currently playing a significant part - in terms of dialogue at least - in the story, and she's the one who wrote the Shattering in the first place.

[Florena]

Maybe he was told by Jaina after the fact or something. It would make sense that those in the know would tell the king of Stormwind because, as a leader, he should probably be aware of that.

It's possible he met Tirion at some point after his father's death. Or Jaina told him and he's speaking to Tirion making them vow it as him accepting that vow even if he learned it before hand.

There's enough of a gap between the Shattering and BFA that this isn't necessarily a retcon.

[huth]

So, what's going on here? Did they straight-up retcon this information, or did Tirion somehow tell Anduin about this off-screen, and we just never learned about it, and Anduin never questioned Varian or Jaina lying to him about it?

Well, what reason would he have had to tell us about it? And even if he questioned it, he apparently came to the conclusion that it was justified.

[valky94]

maybe jaina told him during legion when he became king

[Mackeith]

Maybe he was told by Jaina after the fact or something. It would make sense that those in the know would tell the king of Stormwind because, as a leader, he should probably be aware of that.

It's possible he met Tirion at some point after his father's death. Or Jaina told him and he's speaking to Tirion making them vow it as him accepting that vow even if he learned it before hand.

There's enough of a gap between the Shattering and BFA that this isn't necessarily a retcon.

Doesn't Tirion and Varian die during the same assault though? But yeah, Jaina telling after Varian's death makes somewhat sense.

[Jalham]

So in The Shattering novel, it's revealed that Varian never told Anduin about Bolvar's fate (which Varian had presumably learned of from Tirion himself, since he was present at Icecrown Citadel during the Fall of the Lich King), and he and Jaina seemingly agreed to keep that information a secret from him. Here's the exact line from the book (page 81):

Yet now, in 8.3, it appears as though Anduin somehow learned the information from Tirion himself? Despite never formally meeting Tirion in person to my knowledge?

So, what's going on here? Did they straight-up retcon this information, or did Tirion somehow tell Anduin about this off-screen, and we just never learned about it, and Anduin never questioned Varian or Jaina lying to him about it?

I know this is a pretty minute detail to scrutinize given the rest of the mess that is BfA's storytelling, but this particular inconsistency feels pretty glaring to me, considering they're making a big deal out of Taelia not knowing Bolvar's fate when, unless I missed something important, Anduin shouldn't know either. Also feels pretty strange considering Christie Golden is currently playing a significant part - in terms of dialogue at least - in the story, and she's the one who wrote the Shattering in the first place.

So being King of stormwind and High King Of the Alliance, you think he wont have access to that information ?

[Skulltaker]

So in The Shattering novel, it's revealed that Varian never told Anduin about Bolvar's fate (which Varian had presumably learned of from Tirion himself, since he was present at Icecrown Citadel during the Fall of the Lich King), and he and Jaina seemingly agreed to keep that information a secret from him. Here's the exact line from the book (page 81):

Yet now, in 8.3, it appears as though Anduin somehow learned the information from Tirion himself? Despite never formally meeting Tirion in person to my knowledge?

So, what's going on here? Did they straight-up retcon this information, or did Tirion somehow tell Anduin about this off-screen, and we just never learned about it, and Anduin never questioned Varian or Jaina lying to him about it?

I know this is a pretty minute detail to scrutinize given the rest of the mess that is BfA's storytelling, but this particular inconsistency feels pretty glaring to me, considering they're making a big deal out of Taelia not knowing Bolvar's fate when, unless I missed something important, Anduin shouldn't know either. Also feels pretty strange considering Christie Golden is currently playing a significant part - in terms of dialogue at least - in the story, and she's the one who wrote the Shattering in the first place.

Well, he goes from a Teenager back in the Shattering to being the King of the Alliance. It stands to reason someone had to biref him on there still being a Lich King, even if it is a benevolent one, for the time being.

[Skirdus]

Maybe he was told by Jaina after the fact or something. It would make sense that those in the know would tell the king of Stormwind because, as a leader, he should probably be aware of that.

But Jaina peaced out immediately after Varian's death because Anduin didn't want to go after the Horde, and essentially went MIA until the events of BfA; meaning that if he did learn about the truth from her after Varian's death, it should still be fresh in his mind, and he should be reacting appropriately to the fact.

Here's, he's acting as if he's known this for years, when that couldn't possibly be the case unless Varian or Jaina broke their promise to eachother and Anduin was just... okay with the fact?

[Florena]

But Jaina peaced out immediately after Varian's death because Anduin didn't want to go after the Horde, and essentially went MIA until the events of BfA; meaning that if he did learn about the truth from her after Varian's death, it should still be fresh in his mind, and he should be reacting appropriately to the fact.

Here's, he's acting as if he's known this for years, when that couldn't possibly be the case unless Varian or Jaina broke their promise to eachother and Anduin was just... okay with the fact?

It could have potentially happened after the Shattering but before Legion. With Anduin growing up maybe Varian at some point decided 'okay son here's an unpleasant truth you need to know as the next king of Stormwind.'

It's unfortunate that he learned this off screen, but there is plenty of room for this to have happened after the Shattering for it to not be retconning the novel.

[TheFirstOnes]

He said "us" in third person. I'm pretty sure he himself didn't know up until WoD-Legion.

[Littleraven]

I'm willing to bet he learned it when he became king. Sorta like how the president knows a bunch of shit just because they are president. I buy it that this happened off screen at some point. It gets a LITTLE messy when you think of when it could have been because Tirion dies shortly after Varian does so it had to have come from someone second hand.

[Life-Binder]

maybe some galaxy brain realized that the High King needs to know this sort of thing ?

[zlygork]

By "Us", he might mean a more general "Us" such as Tirion made the alliance swear, or Tirion made the kings of stormwind swear. As son of Varian and king of Stormwind, it would only be logical to expect Anduin to uphold such vow, even if he didn't quite litterally make it himself.

Varian was pretty aware of how likely he was to die at the broken shore, so I would expect him to have given Anduin whatever information he thought vital to the future of the alliance.

[Skirdus]

It could have potentially happened after the Shattering but before Legion. With Anduin growing up maybe Varian at some point decided 'okay son here's an unpleasant truth you need to know as the next king of Stormwind.'

It's unfortunate that he learned this off screen, but there is plenty of room for this to have happened after the Shattering for it to not be retconning the novel.

Well, if Varian established in one moment that he wasn't going to do something, and then we learn through subtext that he apparently changed his mind and in fact did do that thing off-screen after all... is that not a retcon? Like no, it's not saying Varian never made that promise to Jaina in the first place, but it is contradicting previously established information with little more than an assumption that a character went back on something they said they were going to do off-screen, which looks bad when there's no actual explanation for it given and fans are forced to assume the circumstances because they contradict eachother.

[Adramalech]

Like people above mentioned, this is pretty sensitive information that the High King of the Alliance should be aware of. I'm willing to believe that he was told "off-screen" about this considering his position as the leader of one of the world's two superpowers.

[salate]

Remember the National treasure? Maybe there is a book of president aka libram of secrets, maybe current kings learn secrets from somewhere! It looks really logical because The LK could be a threat any time in the future, and kings must know about common stuff. By “we must not tell” Bolvar meant about the Alliance and world i guess? Not the closest person, and well Jainas part about right time to break the promise quite answers that partly aswell

[Foolicious]

He doesn't mean he literally got this information from tirion in person. "us" are the ones that defeated the lich king and the alliance leaders i assume.

[Ragedaug]

Overuse of "retcon" is one of my triggers. Someone adding something to a story that you weren't aware of doesn't make it a "retcon".

"Retroactive continuity, or retcon for short, is a literary device in which established facts in a fictional work are adjusted, ignored, or contradicted by a subsequently published work which breaks continuity with the former"

It was never established that it would be impossible for Anduin to ever find out about Bolvar. So literally anyone he talked to, who had knowledge of Bolvar (including Tirion), could have told him and that would not break or contradict any of the established facts or break the continuity.


If you want to argue that you think it should not have happened, you can do that. But again, things happening, that you don't think should have happened or didn't know happened, doesn't make it a retcon.

[Aucald]

I think it's pretty much a given that Anduin has probably been briefed at some point by every organization working or allied with the Alliance, including Tirion Fordring. While Anduin wasn't yet the High King at the time of Arthas' defeat he was still a politically active figure as of the time of the Cataclysm - so he probably has knowledge of Tirion and the events of Icecrown just by virtue of being in Varian's confidence.

[Kyphael]

I've had this question for a while now, and to this day it hasn't been clarified by Blizzard. It's fun to speculate if Jaina or someone else told him, but we really don't know until Blizzard even addresses it, and they won't until Bolvar's Lich King becomes a power player again, which is speculated might be 9.0. When it is addressed, rest assured Taelia, Anduin's likely love interest will be involved.