Why is it called the War of Thorns?

[Accendor]

Never got that, please enlighten me

[Varodoc]

Because it was fought in a place with many thorns (a huge forest).

[Eazy]

Because Blizzard wanted it to have "cool name".

[chubbybunny]

Because it was a war fought by a bunch of pricks.

[Sanguinerd]

They couldn't really call it "The Unprovoked War of Just Incase the Alliance MIGHT attack the Horde some day", that doesn't really roll of the tongue.

[Devonitar]

Because it was fought in a place with many thorns (a huge forest).

So why not War of Leafs? Or Groundcover? Or Branches? Or even Flowers like some badass Aztecs?

[Varodoc]

So why not War of Leafs? Or Groundcover? Or Branches? Or even Flowers like some badass Aztecs?

They're probably saving those names for when the Horde marches on the night elves once again. That seems to happen every 2 or so expansions.

[Accendor]

Ok, so as I thought, there was no meaning behind it and they randomly through out something

[THEORACLE64]

Ok, so as I thought, there was no meaning behind it and they randomly through out something

It’s just a play off the Druid spell ‘Thorns’, seeing as how it was majorly Druid/Nature led. It’s pretty obvious imo.

[KOUNTERPARTS]

Because the long lasting effects of that 'war' would be felt as the pain of being pricked by a thorn is.


???


Or I'm sure that somebody tried to rationalize like that at some point.

[Syegfryed]

rule of cool

[Mayia]

Never got that, please enlighten me

based on the english war of roses.
which was a much different event but blizzard do like to play off previous wars and events.

[Thage]

It sounded cool and sad. Don't overthink it, that's the general thought process behind most of their story decisions anymore: "Is this cool?" or "Can we use this for a cheap emotional gut punch?"

[Hellobolis]

sounds like the kind of name a night elf would come up with.

kinda like war of the shifting sands, doesn't really relate to cthun or silithids, and doesn't even relate to fighting in a desert that much either, but probably refers to some specific event in the war.

guessing it's called war of thorns because iirc early on sylvanas breaks through some nature magic war that i guess had thorns in it, and that was one of the pivotal moments in the war.

[Gaebryel Quintyne]

War of Thorns reminds me of GoT for some reason. Was there something like that in there?

[Verdugo]

War of Thorns reminds me of GoT for some reason. Was there something like that in there?

Blizzard "writers" love season 8 so it wouldnt surprise me.

[Varodoc]

War of Thorns reminds me of GoT for some reason. Was there something like that in there?

The War of the Five Kings was based on the War of the Roses (roses have thorns). Blizzard also said that the Burning of Teldrassil was inspired by the Red Wedding, since it's meant to be a huge "WTF moment" for fans. That's about it.

[Darknessvamp]

Because trees. Okay so most of the "War" took place in Night Elf Territory which is primarily located in forests which has trees and bushes and Teldrassil is a giant tree and some trees have thorns, so even though there was nothing thorny about the war, the war wasn't about "thorns" and it wasn't fought with thorns it's called the War of Thorns because some trees might have thorns and Nightelves live among them and the war took place among them.

Better question is who coined that name when "The Burning of Teldrassil" better sums up the conflict.

[Mace]

Because Blizzard wanted it to have "cool name".

Yep, pretty much this. It was a cool name.

War of the stars is what will happen if kaldorei and Shal'dorei become enemies and fight each other

[Kyphael]

Because any story featuring Tyrande in a significant role is like a thorn in my ass.