Zovaal was the original... [Spoilers]

[Aucald]

This thread is way off-topic, it's about the reveal of Zovaal's prior role and not which NPC's or monsters present as a given gender. Let's get back on topic.

[Romanthony]

I mean *Surprised pickachu face* I thought it was kinda obvious given all the hints, The hole in the chest being the same size as the Arbiters ball, The only thing that really surprised me was how the Arbiter, was made from Zovaals Anima,

And reading the line about how they need a Key to replace the Arbiter Hmm I wonder who we can put there who can we Redeem that has recently, been abandoned by Zovall hmmmmmmmmm

[Varolyn]

Did Blizzard really rip off the Doom Eternal DLC storylines? Cause it really looks like they just did.

[guisadop]

And reading the line about how they need a Key to replace the Arbiter Hmm I wonder who we can put there who can we Redeem that has recently, been abandoned by Zovall hmmmmmmmmm

Who, I wonder? Got to wait until 9.2 to find out! Don't forget to pay for your yearly subscription!

[TheramoreIsTheBomb]

why is there a typo in this "quote"

Someone must've been typing fast to get this cinematic out.

[PsychoSe7eN]

I never said it was, i just pointed out what Blizzard likes to do design wise.
If anything, i'd prefer if Abberations, elementals and other supposed genderless creatures be actually devoid of any gender assignable physical traits.

They did exactly that for the Naaru, and some other elemental models come close to (like the water/storm elementals)
And i want more of that.

That would make model designs extremely boring. While naaru are cool, it's not a valid substitute or justifiable reason to appease the genderless pro crowd to make all non humanoids genderless emotionless looking characters. And honestly, I'm sick of that stupid gender talk bs just because it sounds politicaly correct in this divisive world. Keep that bs out of games I play. I play games to have fun not to be politically correct.

[Soon-TM]

Did Blizzard really rip off the Doom Eternal DLC storylines? Cause it really looks like they just did.

Yes, it does. They are also shamelessly self-plagiarising the SC2 plot, with Kerrigan 2.0 and Amon 2.0

[FarmerEd]

I feel like if this was a TV show where we'd get the next episode in a week, these reveals would feel a lot better. But as soon as the Jailer and Arbiter's models were shown a year ago, I made this connection (as did many others).

This has been how I felt about the story since pre-bfa, all of this would be ok intrigue, if it was on a weekly basis. When you write it in chunks of info every 6 months and it may take a whole 5 years to understand what's going on, the "intrigue" only becomes frustration. The writers need to be sat down and explained that, I guess.

[Jastall]

Did Blizzard really rip off the Doom Eternal DLC storylines? Cause it really looks like they just did.

At this point the Slayer emerging from a portal and slaughtering everybody would be a marked improvement to the story as well.

[Hellobolis]

"Yet he defied the will of the First Ones and sought to unmake the balance of the cosmos." I wish I knew more details on that. He must have done something terrible. Actually to get Arbiter's sigil Primus will need something Void equivalent as the Void on Shadowlands pretty much represents Death.

doubt he did something more terrible than what's happening now: using souls for power instead of sending them to their natural afterlives.

guess soon enough we get some reveal that after denatrius traveled the universe a bit he saw demons/mortals/the light/the void /etc all use souls as fuel for their own ends, which made him regret locking up his bro and thats why he helped him.

and the arbiter sigil replacement is going to be one of the story npcs, no void crap needed. it's either sylvanas ticket to becoming kerrigan, or it's going to be bolvar/anduins trip to becoming "there must always be a jailer/arbiter.". probably arbiter instead of jailer though, as every covenant clearly thinks the current version of the maw is way overkill.

[Progenitor Aquarius]

doubt he did something more terrible than what's happening now: using souls for power instead of sending them to their natural afterlives.

guess soon enough we get some reveal that after denatrius traveled the universe a bit he saw demons/mortals/the light/the void /etc all use souls as fuel for their own ends, which made him regret locking up his bro and thats why he helped him.

and the arbiter sigil replacement is going to be one of the story npcs, no void crap needed. it's either sylvanas ticket to becoming kerrigan, or it's going to be bolvar/anduins trip to becoming "there must always be a jailer/arbiter.". probably arbiter instead of jailer though, as every covenant clearly thinks the current version of the maw is way overkill.

This is just a theory but I think he used Dreadlords to manipulate Sargeras. Sargeras killed Harbaron and the Titans by wiping out nearly whole universe and the Jailer got imprisoned for disrupting the balance in the Cosmos. At this point Harbaron existed as a spirit commanding the Shadolands. This is when the Arbiter got created. However somehow the Jailer freed himself from prison then finished his job by corrupting Harbaron’s spirit with the course of flesh and left for us to kill. I saw these chained shadow chambers in Torghast where we found Ulther’s soul. This is where he probably kept him.

I agree though. Sylvanas could serve for a new sigil. I’m not sure if she’s not an Eternal because why her? Why the Jailer would want her in the first place?

[Donald Hellscream]

It wasn't a super shock that the orb was actually Zovaal's sigil, I assume its his sigil anyway, given that he had a massive hole in his chest from the get go, but I was surprised that The Arbiter we knew was actually just a construct created from his anima to continue his job the way he was supposed to have done it.

[hecpercu]

Enjoy your cosmic chart nonsense that leaves azeroth, {the planet and unborn titan that gave life to wow and our npcs and the reason we were fighting for 15yrs with evil} like a 4rth chart character that nobody suddently remembers inside a book at a lost shelf, thanks Steve for letting me go.

[Dellis0991]

SO no cycle of life and death.....why would he break the cycle? Was it to stop the light vs void from interfering with reality and the fates of mortal life?

[arandomuser]

i know this is a story about ppl hating redemption arcs, sylvanas, tyrande, soon anduin.
but i would like to see zovaal redeemed
i mean when you think about it zovaal hasnt really killed anyone

[Hellobolis]

This is just a theory but I think he used Dreadlords to manipulate Sargeras.

didnt all the dreadlord stuff happen after he was already in prison?

Why the Jailer would want her in the first place?

sylvanas was pretty much the first important person that died and went to the maw after zovaals Plan A: the lich king, failed. honestly don't think theres anything more to it than that. he noticed bolvar would be even harder to control than arthas, so sylvanas became plan B.

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i know this is a story about ppl hating redemption arcs, sylvanas, tyrande, soon anduin.
but i would like to see zovaal redeemed
i mean when you think about it zovaal hasnt really killed anyone

pretty sure many many many people died their true death in his care.

[Darththeo]

didnt all the dreadlord stuff happen after he was already in prison?

Even if did, so did a lot of stuff. It isn't out of the question.

[Niwes]

Did Blizzard really rip off the Doom Eternal DLC storylines? Cause it really looks like they just did.

naah, way too complex for actual Blizz. they simply copy pasted the Sargeras story and give it other names and paints. does no one see this horrible cheap recycling here? its factually EXACT the same dumb fukin thing.

[Kathranis]

If Blizzard wants to sell another expansion then they better burry this First Ones in the next patch and never dig it up again. Increased stakes does not make for a better story and it definitely doesn't make for a more compelling setting.

What they need to do is have Zovaal survive this expansion. If he's just a one-and-done antagonist it will be a tremendous waste of time.

Even if ultimately he only becomes one of part of a new pantheon of villains, he needs to survive this expansion if they ever hope for him to have even a fraction of the gravitas that Sargeras enjoyed for two decades of WoW lore.

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naah, way too complex for actual Blizz. they simply copy pasted the Sargeras story and give it other names and paints. does no one see this horrible cheap recycling here? its factually EXACT the same dumb fukin thing.

I really don't see many similarities other than them both being traitors to their pantheons. Sargeras had a totally different origin, motivation, and goal.

And the outcast / traitor deity is one of the most universal mythological tropes.

[Pebrocks The Warlock]

naah, way too complex for actual Blizz. they simply copy pasted the Sargeras story and give it other names and paints. does no one see this horrible cheap recycling here? its factually EXACT the same dumb fukin thing.

How are they anything alike? Seriously, I'm coming up with nothing besides being traitors.