There must always be a Lich King

[Slowpoke is a Gamer]

Icecrown citadel was on top of a titan death facility I would assume.

Shadowlands predates the Titans so I doubt it.

[Goldielocks]

By demons who were experimenting with death magic.

I don't know. I was always pretty interested in the Nathrezim and their history with ancient cosmic powers. They also used to worship the Old Gods.

Yes, but it doesn’t really make sense that the Nathrezim would have submitted to Sargeras if they created the Lich King with such a primordial power enough to create a massive hole into the afterlife.

It’s all really sloppy if you ask me.

[Radeghost]

so if lich king's purpose is to hold the pillars between two worlds, how did the world look like before LK was thrown into azeroth? blizzard just retconned 99% of wow lore lmao

[Unholyground]

Shadowlands predates the Titans so I doubt it.

Yes that is true, but so did the emerald dream and the shadowlands is a dark reflection of the dream.

[iamthedevil]

so if lich king's purpose is to hold the pillars between two worlds, how did the world look like before LK was thrown into azeroth? blizzard just retconned 99% of wow lore lmao

Maybe it wasn't his job. Maybe Sylvanas has been doing something to make it happen, and the closest thing on Azeroth between life and death was LK and ICC. So Bolvar was just a tool for her to open the gate.

[DemonHunter18]

so if lich king's purpose is to hold the pillars between two worlds, how did the world look like before LK was thrown into azeroth? blizzard just retconned 99% of wow lore lmao

shhhh it doesn't matter... at all.

[Unholyground]

so if lich king's purpose is to hold the pillars between two worlds, how did the world look like before LK was thrown into azeroth? blizzard just retconned 99% of wow lore lmao

The Citadel was built on a titan facility I am guessing.

[Tabrotar]

This expansion actually fixes a plot hole for me. I always wondered how the Burning Legion was able to create a Death entity as powerful as the Lich King, when they have no control over Death magic themselves. Turns out all they had to do was create the Frozen Throne as a conduit for the powerful magic of the Shadowlands and focus it through the Helm of Domination.

Break the Helm, break the focus. Now nothing controls the Shadowlands' power through the Frozen Throne and the result is an explosion between realms.

The yhad the nathrezim which were powerfull necromancer and they teached kil´jaden?

see plothole which wasn´t one.

The new plothole on the othe rhand with that stupid shit of a sorry excuse for a villain on the othe rhand...

[Golden Yak]

Yes, but it doesn’t really make sense that the Nathrezim would have submitted to Sargeras if they created the Lich King with such a primordial power enough to create a massive hole into the afterlife.

It’s all really sloppy if you ask me.

I don't think that it was original always that powerful, not from the start. The Lich King grew in power by devouring countless souls over the years. Something I doubt Bolvar did - instead it seems that Sylvanas may have been causing the wars to feed that power of death and souls into her new master, making him stronger.

Also, it's more that the helm had power over death, and for a while now has been holding death back. All that 'jailer of the damned stuff'.

Shattering the helmet caused the rift not because the helmet always had that power, but because the control over the power of death that it did have is now gone. So Death is fully unleashed, with no Lich King holding it back from the mortal realm, and stronger than ever from all the wars Syl caused.

[Nemah]

How can Bolvar raise new DKs if the Helmet is broken and the powers leave him? How does that work?

Was sort of my thought too. Also - curious the significance of him being, then turning blue. Just the use of the (dormant?) power, or was something else going on?

Presumably then, there should be scourge rampaging everywhere now then, too.

[Spiffums]

LoL one dead elf walked up to Frozen Throne alone and fodderized the Lich King.

they are weak shi***.

We've been doing it for years!

[Tarx]

Blizzard destroys her own game . Sylvanas one shot the Bolvar and then destroys the helmet

[Goldielocks]

I don't think that it was original always that powerful, not from the start. The Lich King grew in power by devouring countless souls over the years. Something I doubt Bolvar did - instead it seems that Sylvanas may have been causing the wars to feed that power of death and souls into her new master, making him stronger.

Also, it's more that the helm had power over death, and for a while now has been holding death back. All that 'jailer of the damned stuff'.

Shattering the helmet caused the rift not because the helmet always had that power, but because the control over the power of death that it did have is now gone. So Death is fully unleashed, with no Lich King holding it back from the mortal realm, and stronger than ever from all the wars Syl caused.

I still don't see it:

1) If Bolvar was weaker, this would make it even less likely for him to have enough power to open a hole into the afterlife.

2) The Nathrezim would not want to mess with this balance because they themselves would have had their crusade weakened. Demons don't go where mortals go. They go to the Twisting Nether. To bind such a power to a helm and then give it to mortals on the possibility that it would cause a disruption in the balance would make absolutely no sense at all. I highly doubt the Nathrezim are that stupid.

3) Being the jailer of the damned was always about undeath, not actual death.

[Whitedragon]

How can Bolvar raise new DKs if the Helmet is broken and the powers leave him? How does that work?

He still has his hammer of ultimate face smashing! I imagine with enough test subjects he can figure out a way to bring a panda back after a good uhh... preparing...

[Constellation]

I don't think they've forgotten about that (I hope lol). The tear of Helm of Domination could spark the pre expansion patch and will have undeads walking freely around Azeroth and we will clean them up easily and then go to ICC to see what the fudge Bolvar is doing, only to see that he is no longer LK and the rift is open to the Shadowlands, leading us into the expansion.

Looks like I was right LUL

[Golden Yak]

I still don't see it:

1) If Bolvar was weaker, this would make it even less likely for him to have enough power to open a hole into the afterlife.

2) The Nathrezim would not want to mess with this balance because they themselves would have had their crusade weakened. Demons don't go where mortals go. They go to the Twisting Nether. To bind such a power to a helm and then give it to mortals on the possibility that it would cause a disruption in the balance would make absolutely no sense at all. I highly doubt the Nathrezim are that stupid.

3) Being the jailer of the damned was always about undeath, not actual death.

1 - Bolvar's power didn't open the hole. Bolvar's power was the last thing keeping the hole from opening.

2 - The Nathrezim didn't fully know what they were dealing with, is what I'm saying. Their work with necromancy started in the mortal realm long after they'd joined the Burning Crusade, they were just searching for more power and ways to make more weapons for the Legion. They would not be the first beings in the cosmos to fool around with powers they didn't fully understand, or appreciate the true scope of. The fact that demons are sort've immortal might've made them even less capable of really appreciating the balance of life and true death.

3 - I'd say undeath and necromancy are all tied into the greater scope of the cosmic power of Death, as described in that WoW cosmology powers chart thing. I think the helm had a bit of the power of Death in it, and Bolvar was using it to hold back Death from overwhelming the world. With the helmet destroyed, now nothing is holding Death back.

Anyway, not meaning to harp on all this or anything, I'm just speculating and trying to find the most reasonable answer to what I'm seeing from all this.

[UnluckyAmateur]

A) We help Bolvar reforge the helm with some shadowlands magic.
B) Before Sylvanas broke the helmp part of the LK transfered to Bolvar (Explains how he is not dead)

The Crown wasn't keeping him alive, nor was it keeping arthas alive... lol

[enigma77]

Guess not lol!

[Goldielocks]

1 - Bolvar's power didn't open the hole. Bolvar's power was the last thing keeping the hole from opening.

An entity that existed for maybe 40 years was the last thing keeping the Shadowlands at bay? How does that make sense?

2 - The Nathrezim didn't fully know what they were dealing with, is what I'm saying. Their work with necromancy started in the mortal realm long after they'd joined the Burning Crusade, they were just searching for more power and ways to make more weapons for the Legion. They would not be the first beings in the cosmos to fool around with powers they didn't fully understand, or appreciate the true scope of. The fact that demons are sort've immortal might've made them even less capable of really appreciating the balance of life and true death.

The Nathrezim race has been on this crusade for such a long time, that within the last 50 years they create an artifact that they didn't completely understand? Sure it's an explanation. It's still stupid.

3 - I'd say undeath and necromancy are all tied into the greater scope of the cosmic power of Death, as described in that WoW cosmology powers chart thing. I think the helm had a bit of the power of Death in it, and Bolvar was using it to hold back Death from overwhelming the world. With the helmet destroyed, now nothing is holding Death back.

Same answer as to 1. The Lich King as an entitity only existed for at most 50 years. Doesn't really make sense. And then, even if you argue that because Death had gained all this power from Sylvanas' help, Bolvar shouldn't be able to keep up because he's weaker than Arthas ever was.

[Golden Yak]

I'm more confused why THAT's a thing.

The Lich King isn't even native to Azeroth. The Helm of Dominion was created by the Legion to lock Ner'zhul's soul away as a punishment for failure and guaranteed continued servitude. Realistically, it has absolutely NO power over undeath without Ner'zhul's soul.

Which begs the question: Why in the hell does the Helm of Dominion hold any sway over the barrier between life and death?

Well, the Nathrezim were experimenting with necromancy before that. Ner'zhul was basically used as a focus for the culmination of their efforts. They bound Ner'zhul and then juiced him up with death magic in order to turn him into a weapon and sent him to Azeroth, and Ner'zhul became a soul-devouring lich that increased in power as he caused more death.

When Arthas took over, all that power remained tied to the helm. The helm had become a focus for the power of Death, a means to command vast necromantic energy and hold sway over the undead. But we learned that even Arthas was holding back the full power of Scourge, not unleashing the full measure of Death's power, for some reason.

Then Bolvar took over, and became the Jailer of the Damned. Even more so, Bolvar was a being that was holding back the power of Death, maintaining a balance between life and death.

Then Sylvanas starts a war that causes mass death, feeding untold souls into the hungry dark. Bolvar did not become stronger from the increase in death. Something else did.

The power of the helm that Bolvar controlled was the last thing holding back Death's full might. With it destroyed, no one can stop Death from bursting into the world.

The power of the helmet didn't tear open the barrier. The power of the helmet was the last thing keeping the barrier from being torn.