Which Horde Leader Will Become a Genocidal Tyrant Next?

[Manariel]

None of them, I'll wager. The Fourth War just ended and I highly, highly doubt anyone on the Horde is going to want to taunt fate and rustle Alliance jimmies the third time in a row. As the others have said, chances are better that Tyrande is going to tell Anduin to shove all that talk of peace up his ass and take the hunt for Sylvanas (probably with Alleria and Vereesa) in the Shadowlands. Maybe Genn, too, but I think at this point no one, other than Tyrande, Alliance-side is feeling particularly "genocidal". I'd stick with "murderous".

But I guess if anyone on the Horde has a chance to be "genocidal" (flavor of the expac term, just like "savage" was in WoD and "sacrifice" in Legion), it'll probably be Geya'rah. And I don't expect her to do anything more substantial until Yrel and the Lightbound are brought into play again in the future, but Geya'rah is about as justified with her hatred of the draenei and the Light as Tyrande is of Sylvanas and (maybe) the Forsaken. Wanting justice/vengeance shouldn't automatically mark someone as villainous unless they steadily go off the deep end and it's not about that anymore.

I don't understand why Yrel is painted in such a bad light by players. The sole PoV we've got about her and her forces is from Orcs who :
-slaughtered Saberons and Botani almost to the last, at least in Gorgron
-have been led for decades by the warmonger who created the Iron Horde
-enslaved Ogres and Gronns for decades - and yes, the former did the same to orcs and the latter are mostly brutes, but they all are intelligent beings
-use a variant of Goblin technology, which isn't known for its environement-friendly nature

We also know that the Lightbound resorted to violence when they had no other choice and still preached peacefully even at the eve of their final battle with the Mag'har orcs.

Is converting all cultures into your own, using force if need be, a good thing ? Of course not. But unlike the Old Horde, which attempted to kill all Draenei, the Iron Horde which extended this goal to all inahbitants of Draenor and Azeroth, and obviously the New Horde under Garrosh and Sylvanas, whose most atrocious actions are well known, the Lightbound are not out there to kill everyone.

They even allow converts to achieve positions of power, as with Exarch Hellscream, implying that they do see everyone as their equals once they have chosen to join them.

Even if they end as enemies, they shouldn't be irredeemable monsters just there to prove that Geya'rah is justified in her blind hatred of draenei.

[The Butt Witch]

Whoever leads the orcs or the undead. The two troublemaker races on Horde.

[TheImperios]

There will not be a repeat of such a storyline.

The problem with Garrosh and Sylvanas lies in the title of Warchief. You are sworn to the Warchief by an oath and so you have to follow whatever he or she tells you to do. If you must kill 10 children "for the Horde", you either do that or are branded a traitor. That's the very root of the issue. Such problem doesn't present itself now that the title is abolished and the Horde is ruled by a council in which all Horde leaders have equal rights.

See, this is bullshit. Unquestionable loyalty is how feudal monarchies work in general, there is no reason an Alliance king or a Horde chieftain can't go similarily insane and cause trouble. If Anduin told a human to kill 10 children, they similarily would have to obey.

The only difference is that the Warchief of the Horde rules over a larger territory, but history of our world has shown that centralisation often helps to destroy tyranny, rather than create it. Take the United States - only through greater centralisation they were able to abolish slavery in their southern regions.

If the story made sense, rather than operating on dei ex machinae, then Vol'jin would have used his absolute power as Warchief to replace Sylvanas, and choose his successor in advance before Broken Shore. He knew this was a dangerous mission, after all.

Hell, the Warchief of the Horde has more accountability than the kings of the Alliance. There is no mechanism to depose Tyrande or Anduin, but the Horde has a sanctioned right of rebellion with the mak'gora ritual, and the Warchief can render themselves illegitimate by acting dishonourable. The only reason the title of Warchief is dangerous is because Blizzard wants it to be.

[matrix123mko]

Lor'themar suddenly tries to reclaim the Elven empire and genocides even more Night Elves to prove his superiority

I would love to see that.

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Sylvanas was genocidal but not tyrant. Garrosh was tyrant.

[Reinhart11]

There are Horde leaders still left in this game? Didn't know that.

[Hazmavore]

Thalyssra 'Something's not quite right...'

[Varodoc]

See, this is bullshit. Unquestionable loyalty is how feudal monarchies work in general, there is no reason an Alliance king or a Horde chieftain can't go similarily insane and cause trouble. If Anduin told a human to kill 10 children, they similarily would have to obey.

The only difference is that the Warchief of the Horde rules over a larger territory, but history of our world has shown that centralisation often helps to destroy tyranny, rather than create it. Take the United States - only through greater centralisation they were able to abolish slavery in their southern regions.

If the story made sense, rather than operating on dei ex machinae, then Vol'jin would have used his absolute power as Warchief to replace Sylvanas, and choose his successor in advance before Broken Shore. He knew this was a dangerous mission, after all.

Hell, the Warchief of the Horde has more accountability than the kings of the Alliance. There is no mechanism to depose Tyrande or Anduin, but the Horde has a sanctioned right of rebellion with the mak'gora ritual, and the Warchief can render themselves illegitimate by acting dishonourable. The only reason the title of Warchief is dangerous is because Blizzard wants it to be.

We're not talking about the Alliance. Yes, potentially the Alliance still has that problem because Anduin is an absolute monarch, but let's be real... Anduin is not going to ask you to burn Teldrassil.

And the Horde warchief was dangerous because... you know... he demands utter loyalty as per the blood oath... And please, who gives a shit about the mak'gora. You're not going to depose Sylvanas if you're a Saurfang (well it ultimately worked in the end, but that's because Sylvanas is a stupid piece of shit who can't keep her mouth shut).

[DemonHunter18]

Thrall.

it's gonna be revealed he planned this since TBC where he had a pact with unknown entity that we never heard of before.

[TheImperios]

We're not talking about the Alliance. Yes, potentially the Alliance still has that problem because Anduin is an absolute monarch, but let's be real... Anduin is not going to ask you to burn Teldrassil.

And the Horde warchief was dangerous because... you know... he demands utter loyalty as per the blood oath... And please, who gives a shit about the mak'gora. You're not going to depose Sylvanas if you're a Saurfang (well it ultimately worked in the end, but that's because Sylvanas is a stupid piece of shit who can't keep her mouth shut).

Anduin isn't, but there's nothing stopping him from being killed by a random mob and then nominating a completely unexpected successor, and that successor from becoming crazy and asking you to burn down Thunder Bluff. You're still bound to serve him. It's a monarchy, you swear fealty to the king.

The first tyrannical Warchief became that way because of conflicting writer visions and was originally planned to become a hero. The second one came to power as a result of convoluted, contradictory deus ex machina twists. The problem is not with the position of Warchief, it's with Blizzard's writing for the Horde.

[MrLachyG]

Title. It's bound to happen.

I think the only way that will happen is if someone is corrupted. Honestly can't see anyone just snapping and going all genocidal. Thrall, Baine, Lor'themar, Ji Firepaw, Thalyssra, Mayla Highmountain are all pretty pacifist. Gallywix is just in it for the gold, although he has been replaced by Gazlowe I think, who is not bloodthirsty at all. Geya'rah of the Mag'har Orcs, maybe? Kiro of the Vulpera is a maybe too I guess but I doubt it. The one dark horse is Talanji; she could go either way, maybe with Bwonsamdi nudging her a bit.

[Kathranis]

I can't see any of the current Horde leaders going down that path, so someone would have to be killed or deposed first.

[CaptainV]

Well, they have two choices left, Lor'themar and Baine. And we know it isn't going to be Baine. Though I suppose they might reach all the way down the Etrigg.

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Never happen. Blizzard has made it clear what role the factions will serve.

Blizzard have set the canvas for Tyrande going barmy crazy, aswell as having chars like Alleria, Turalyon and Genn in the Alliance along side Admiral Rogers you've enough there for at least 1 faction of extremely die hard psycho anti-Hordies.

But while I do think they will do it for the next expansion, its unlikley they will do it again after that, and yes I mean the expansion after shadowlands, or even during ShL itself, because Tyrande is crazy at this point, vengance is all she cares about, even Shandris begs her to let go.

Most of the sentiment is that if theres another faction war, it'll be because of the unsated revenge of those who lost families to the Horde (Via) the Alliance, rather than from the Horde's side.

Based on the fact they demolished teldrassil/undercity its very likley 10.0 prepatch will be Thunderbluff and Ironforge biting the dust next on account stormwind/orgrimmar wear so much plot armor (especially the latter) that it seems unlikley that they will ever be permanently destroyed.

[Varodoc]

Blizzard have set the canvas for Tyrande going barmy crazy, aswell as having chars like Alleria, Turalyon and Genn in the Alliance along side Admiral Rogers you've enough there for at least 1 faction of extremely die hard psycho anti-Hordies.

Alleria is not a "psycho anti-Horde", so much so that she wanted to make a truce with Sylvanas to focus on N'Zoth. With Sylvanas, The bitch who destroyed Teldrassil.

[Aeula]

Hopefully our current Warchief, Baine, will be corrupted and become evil.

[Hyral]

None. They'll probably have Tyrande want righteous retribution but pretend that's wrong for some reason and then focus the story entirely on the horde and Anduin. Then have us kill her as a fodder boss in a raid or something.

Oh and somehow Anduin will find a way to lose that war.

[MrLachyG]

Blizzard have set the canvas for Tyrande going barmy crazy, aswell as having chars like Alleria, Turalyon and Genn in the Alliance along side Admiral Rogers you've enough there for at least 1 faction of extremely die hard psycho anti-Hordies.

But while I do think they will do it for the next expansion, its unlikley they will do it again after that, and yes I mean the expansion after shadowlands, or even during ShL itself, because Tyrande is crazy at this point, vengance is all she cares about, even Shandris begs her to let go.

Most of the sentiment is that if theres another faction war, it'll be because of the unsated revenge of those who lost families to the Horde (Via) the Alliance, rather than from the Horde's side.

Based on the fact they demolished teldrassil/undercity its very likley 10.0 prepatch will be Thunderbluff and Ironforge biting the dust next on account stormwind/orgrimmar wear so much plot armor (especially the latter) that it seems unlikley that they will ever be permanently destroyed.

they don't need to destroy any more cities, I think removing them isn't necessarily the best thing for the game. As for Stormwind and Orgrimmar, well Jaina was ready and willing (and possibly capable) to attempt to destroy Orgrimmar after the mana bomb was dropped on Theramore. Stormwind on the other hand has a massive cannon pointed at it. Cannon fires at Stormwind (maybe Twilight Hammer is involved), destroys part of it and Orgrimmar is attacked in revenge (surprise attack since they don't know about what happened to Stormwind)

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Hopefully our current Warchief, Baine, will be corrupted and become evil.

except he isn't the Warchief

[Kumorii]

Horde Leader? All of them are under High King Supreme Commander of Azeroth Master of Human Potential HIGH KING ANDUIN WRYNN!

So Anduin will become a tyrant.
Always knew his good nature was a veil.

[Artelia]

Golden finds the way to destroy some old character only to create another light souless husk. Don't worry....

Tyrande is targeted. Another maybe Jaina? Genn?

Because Horde has noting left.

[Eucep]

Though possible in the future, I think they might actually finally give us big bad alliance boss. I hope.

[derpkitteh]

lor'themar's been a stable, levelheaded leader for a good while now. i'm sure the writers are itching for a chance to fuck him up in some way.