Xe'ra, why did Illidan kill her?

[Varitok]

Because he's a hypocrite. He's all for forcing his "destiny" on others but refuses to have a destiny forced on him.

They also just wanted to make the light 'evil' so they can then have the Orcs play victim again in the Mag'har race intro. What Blizz has done to the Light as a force for good in the Warcraft universe is terrible, turned it into some GoT knockoff where everyone has to be a secret Hitler.

[Michael Jackson]

Because there's nothing to talk about. His eyes were glowing due to Xe'ra's reflection.

Is that why Illidan's scars were shining yellow when he was being "healed"? Lol. Your faith has blinded you, just like Turalyon.

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Because he's a hypocrite. He's all for forcing his "destiny" on others but refuses to have a destiny forced on him.

They also just wanted to make the light 'evil' so they can then have the Orcs play victim again in the Mag'har race intro. What Blizz has done to the Light as a force for good in the Warcraft universe is terrible, turned it into some GoT knockoff where everyone has to be a secret Hitler.

Illidan doesn't force his destiny on anyone, what the fuck are you talking about?

[RangerDaz]

For the rule of cool... its the only tool that Blizzard seems to be guided lately when creating lore conflicts

[Varodoc]

Is that why Illidan's scars were shining yellow when he was being "healed"? Lol. Your faith has blinded you, just like Turalyon.

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Illidan doesn't force his destiny on anyone, what the fuck are you talking about?

You can literally see Turalyon's eyes turning gold as Xe'ra's form is restored in front of him, but okay.

[Powerogue]

Illidan doesn't force his destiny on anyone, what the fuck are you talking about?

I mean he did enslave Outland that one time. That wasn't very nice.

[Gaidax]

Those floating light bulbs are same shit as void or demons only in different presentation.

This whole Mag'har thing shows that plainly. Instead of tentacles and purple shit, you have shiny crystals and yellow shit. Both brainwash everything to serve their needs.

You can bet that eventually we will have expansion where we will go kick some crystal butts.

[Archibalde]

Illidan doesn't force his destiny on anyone, what the fuck are you talking about?

Almost every single on of Illidan's plans involves not telling anyone about the details, and acting as if everyone is a weakling for not blindly following him. He always makes rash decisions without considering other people's input. In fact he never asks anyone for counsel. He has decided he always knows best, and it doesn't matter if his plan puts thousands at risk or even causes collateral damage. He killed several Moon Guard magi at Black Rook Hold to empower himself and defeat the Legion, but all of them were blindsided by it. They didn't sacrifice themselves, he sacrificed them.

He only cares about achieving his goal no matter what, and several may suffer or die as a result. He has no remorse over it, he believes that's just the cost of success. He has to be protected, everyone else must sacrifice everything to make sure he can play the misunderstood hero. If that's not forcing his destiny on people, I don't know what is.

[Michael Jackson]

Almost every single on of Illidan's plans involves not telling anyone about the details, and acting as if everyone is a weakling for not blindly following him. He always makes rash decisions without considering other people's input. In fact he never asks anyone for counsel. He has decided he always knows best, and it doesn't matter if his plan puts thousands at risk or even causes collateral damage. He killed several Moon Guard magi at Black Rook Hold to empower himself and defeat the Legion, but all of them were blindsided by it. They didn't sacrifice themselves, he sacrificed them.

He only cares about achieving his goal no matter what, and several may suffer or die as a result. He has no remorse over it, he believes that's just the cost of success. He has to be protected, everyone else must sacrifice everything to make sure he can play the misunderstood hero. If that's not forcing his destiny on people, I don't know what is.

He's like Arthas, which is ironic because they ended up being at odds with each other, except that one time in Ashenvale where they actually helped each other.

He gets. shit. done.

Is it the nice, thoughtful way? No.
Is it the straightforward nuke-the-site-from-orbit approach? Yes.

I would take Illidan and Arthas over Thrall, Jaina, Baine and Anduin any day when it comes to larger than life threats (Old Gods, Legion, etc).

Illidan vs Deathwing? Kill him with a massive spell.
Illidan vs Garrosh? Cut his head off.
Illidan vs Gul'Dan? Consume his skull - again.
Illidan vs N'Zoth? The only problematic one, since the Naga love the Old Gods, and he would've been all over Azshara cause he's pussywhipped, but then again, I think he would know better, and just cut her head off.

[kasuke06]

Almost every single on of Illidan's plans involves not telling anyone about the details, and acting as if everyone is a weakling for not blindly following him. He always makes rash decisions without considering other people's input. In fact he never asks anyone for counsel. He has decided he always knows best, and it doesn't matter if his plan puts thousands at risk or even causes collateral damage. He killed several Moon Guard magi at Black Rook Hold to empower himself and defeat the Legion, but all of them were blindsided by it. They didn't sacrifice themselves, he sacrificed them.

He only cares about achieving his goal no matter what, and several may suffer or die as a result. He has no remorse over it, he believes that's just the cost of success. He has to be protected, everyone else must sacrifice everything to make sure he can play the misunderstood hero. If that's not forcing his destiny on people, I don't know what is.

Nobody fucking listens to me, so I have to do everything I can, alone now. I want to save these stupid fuckers from a threat that will literally kill the all the worlds if I do nothing, but they try to stop me every step of the way!

Classic anti-hero schtick. he wants to do the good thing, but in order ot actually get it done, sacrifices must be made and he will be vilified for doing them. I assume you say that every character in a leadership position in warcraft where a single soldier is lost "forces their destiny" on others, right? you're not just some hypocritical asshole, yeah?

[Shaetha]

Basically, this. Also, because "EYE YAM MUH SKARZ" and discount high-school nihilism. Every time Illidan blathers on about sacrifice, I feel the urge to point out throwing other people to the wolves so you can amass unimaginable power for yourself doesn't count, even if you feel really bad about it once the corpses are done smoldering.

Or he just didn't want to be someone's minion again. Tried it. Wasn't his bag. He saw Xe'ra's offer for what it was. Being a minion of light is not better than being a minion of darkness... void... whatever.

All things must work in balance or all will be lost. Generic RPG story stuff. Play FFXIV's newest expansion if you want a different take on the exact same concept.

[Nathreim]

Because she is a cult leader forcibly brainwashing people against their will. She was not like Adal who believes in the Duality of Light and Shadow shes a zealot.

[Beefhammer]

Because the Light being forced upon people, as demonstrated in the Mag'har recruitment quests, is not a good thing.

The path of the exalted can be paved with blood and fire as much as the path of darkness can. And the Naaru border on malevolent at times, I feel... What if Velen had stood and fought for Argus instead of listening to the magic wind chimes and fleeing? Illidan realized what Velen, for all his wisdom, was too blinded to see- that his destiny was his own and that he didn't need X'era's gift to fight the Legion, especially with the manner in which it was granted to him.

Pretty sure Velen and his Draenei would have been slaughtered by his empowered brethren and Sargeras if he chose to stay and fight. Velen may be powerful but he and a few hundred unempowered Draenei didnhave a chance against millions of demonized Eradar plus empowered Arch and KJ.

They would have perished and never crash landed on Azeroth and no space goat memes would have ever been created.

[Dundebuns]

I mean he did enslave Outland that one time. That wasn't very nice.

Don't forget the time he 'ate' all those Nightborne

[theundad]

Some of the posts here worryingly miss the core issue at the heart of 'The rejection of the Gift' cinematic.

Consent lads.

Or more to the point the complete lack of it.

The elephant in the room aside....It says a great deal about a person that's peachy with enforcing a set of beliefs..
Just as long as they're the 'right' ones eh.

It's a great cinematic. I may be biased, Legion has been my fave expansion by a long stretch.

Speaking of great cinematics.. I just watched 'Journey to Gilneas'

It's fan made, but man, I wish Blizz cared as much about that zone. It's so well made.

[Darknessvamp]

Because Illidan is perfectly fine with absorbing the life force of his fellow mages and forcing his allies to go through painful transformations for the sake of power but won't go for broke when you change his favourite colour Fel Green to golden yellow.

[breadisfunny]

because lite brites and their draenei worshippers are evil.

[Okacz]

Nobody fucking listens to me, so I have to do everything I can, alone now. I want to save these stupid fuckers from a threat that will literally kill the all the worlds if I do nothing, but they try to stop me every step of the way!

Classic anti-hero schtick. he wants to do the good thing, but in order ot actually get it done, sacrifices must be made and he will be vilified for doing them. I assume you say that every character in a leadership position in warcraft where a single soldier is lost "forces their destiny" on others, right? you're not just some hypocritical asshole, yeah?

With the same kind of thinking Sargeras is an antihero. All he was doing was for the greater good. Void Lords (whoever the fuck they are) were going to destroy everything everywhere, create Void Titans that no one could ever hope to defeat. Sargeras did what he had to do, which is kill all the gods and all the planets in hope that, well, there won't be anything more to corrupt, right?

Illidan retcon is laughable after BC. He seemingly cooperated with the Naaru, had a bigger picture plan - yet for some reason he enslaved the native populace, the Broken (who would be a perfect natural ally for a alleged enemy of the Legion), drained all mana and water from the planet, attacked Azeroths factions on the first sight. Fuck, the whole Kael'Thas thing is on him in my book, he gave him the resources and a hint of fel power that drove him to try and summon Kil'Jaeden. Great attempts at protecting Azeroth, he almost doomed it. Even the Naaru he seemingly cooperated with wanted him dead.

[Thage]

Or he just didn't want to be someone's minion again. Tried it. Wasn't his bag. He saw Xe'ra's offer for what it was. Being a minion of light is not better than being a minion of darkness... void... whatever.

All things must work in balance or all will be lost. Generic RPG story stuff. Play FFXIV's newest expansion if you want a different take on the exact same concept.

Right now FFXIV is my main go-to MMO. However, it doesn't change that Ilildan's behavior is inherently hypocritical. There's no difference between what Xe'ra tried to do to him and what he did to countless others except that he made sure to bully people who couldn't fight back. Did the Broken consent to being made into slave labor for his naga allies, or Akama to having his literal soul held hostage?

This is the main issue when you try presenting a nihilistic antihero as your main protagonist. Emet-Selch worked for this point of view because ultimately, he was your antagonist. Your goals and his were inherently incompatible. Imagine how disappointing Shadowbringers would have been if Emet spent all the MSQ telling you about why presuppositions about Light and Dark need to be re-examined, only to refuse to even reflect on his own shortcomings, and for the plot to treat him as unambiguously in the right when he decides to double down on his schemes. I would have been let down in a way I haven't felt let down since Warlords of Snoremore.

That's what Blizzard did with Illidan: the countless acts of rank cowardice where he threw everyone around him to the wolves, the enslavement of a shattered planet (again, out of cowardice as the whole reason he went to Outland was to hide from Kil'Jaeden), the way he took the easy way out every time a fast path to power presented itself, all that was swept under the rug in a single moment of glorious lack of self-awareness from the writing team because 'Aye yam muh skaerz!!!!!1'

[Nurvus]

She'd been a useful ally against the legion.

To me the answer to that question is pretty straightforward.

Xe'ra was never an ally. It is we who are their tools.

Naaru are absolute beings - like computers with hardcoded directives.
You simply cannot reason with them.
They don't sidetrack either - as soon as she was restored she immediately tried to Lightforge Illidan.

If Illidan just broke free, Xe'ra would simply try again at all costs, specially because there was no time to imprison him until he changes his mind.

Once Xe'ra tried bound him and tried to Lightforge him by force, Illidan saw her as no different from the Legion or the Void.
It was no soft binding either - she went full aggression and he had to use all his power as well.

She was his enemy from the beginning.

Also what Razion said:

You mean Xe'ra, the Light Mother?

Illidan spent tens of thousands of years in confinement and was promised power for another form of confinement. He's been offered this deal other times before, and he knows the pattern of the kinds of masters who promise great things in exchange for obedience. Maybe they could have proven Illidan wrong ultimately, but considering how he was literally being ensnared by the light in bindings Illidan had all the proof he needed to know exactly what kind of being Xe'ra was and the kinds of things they would ultimately make him do later if not immediately.

Illidan's dilemma was obvious: slay her, or be forced into bondage to yet another master - and Illidan would not be jailed again.

[Nerovar]

This guy got cucked by his brother for more than 10 thousand years. Give him a break.