[Spoilers]: Rastakhan Cinematic

[Synros]

Father of the Year right there.

Sells his soul and his whole bloodline to a death loa, and only reveals it to his daughter once he's about to peace out. XD

[Kwento]

Wait! I just realized something... Not only did the Alliance kill Rastakhan, but these bastards also stole his pretty crown! You mugging assholes! Zandalari hats are off limits!

[Aucald]

Father of the Year right there.

Sells his soul and his whole bloodline to a death loa, and only reveals it to his daughter once he's about to peace out. XD

He doesn't actually reveal it to his daughter at all, he just apologizes for it. Bwonsamdi is actually the one to clue Talanji in about the deal that was made, which really hammers home the impact of this scene. Bwonsamdi upbraiding Rastakhan for that was a golden moment, IMO.

[cherni]

Wait! I just realized something... Not only did the Alliance kill Rastakhan, but these bastards also stole his pretty crown! You mugging assholes! Zandalari hats are off limits!

he does look linda ... naked ... without it, yeah :O

[Kwento]

he does look linda ... naked ... without it, yeah :O

I know! And it’s no where to be seen! Some jackass probably took it from him. Hopefully not while Talanji was watching... Although that would have been hilarious.

[Aucald]

he does look linda ... naked ... without it, yeah :O

The damage to Rastakhan's teeth is what bothers me the most. Unlike most cutscenes that show a defeated boss or hero it looks like Rastakhan was put through the wringer - blood-splattered, tusk apparently burnt off, and his teeth broken in his mouth. It's a gruesome tableau altogether.

[Kwento]

The damage to Rastakhan's teeth is what bothers me the most. Unlike most cutscenes that show a defeated boss or hero it looks like Rastakhan was put through the wringer - blood-splattered, tusk apparently burnt off, and his teeth broken in his mouth. It's a gruesome tableau altogether.

While some paladin was bashing his teeth in with a steel gauntlet, others were making sure that everyone knows that this was an accident! XD

[Zulkhan]

As many others have said, Rastakhan's natural age just caught up to him. It was Rezan who granted him such a long lifespan, when the devilsaur was gone Rastakhan weakened dramatically and tried to compensate by getting Bwonsamdi as new patron. With the blessing/curse of Bwonsamdi visibly passing from father to daughter, he was finally deprived of all boons and showed his true biological age.

I mean, Rokhan is ultimately a Darkspear. Why risk him slipping on a banana peel and breaking his neck, ruining the gravitas of the scene in the process, when someone not tainted by Voljin's incompetence may replace him?

Considered how the replacement is a character slowly turned by the writers into a borderline toyboy and self-insert, I'm not sure which is the worst of the two evils.

It's visible from the back.

Yeah, the purple hair were always visible, even though I didn't expect that haircut.

[Lorca]

im surprised that nathanos is able to be at darkshore and in the raid at the same time.

He learned to teleport watching GoT's Littlefinger.

[Jastall]

The damage to Rastakhan's teeth is what bothers me the most. Unlike most cutscenes that show a defeated boss or hero it looks like Rastakhan was put through the wringer - blood-splattered, tusk apparently burnt off, and his teeth broken in his mouth. It's a gruesome tableau altogether.

To be absolutely fair, I'd expect a lot worse than that after he was beaten up by 20+ loot-crazed maniacs whose methods of killing include smashing people with swords bigger than themselves and throwing fireballs the size of a car. And that's without going into the guys who sic armies of ghouls on you, blast you with eye beams, or eat your very soul.

I'm still kind of sad we didn't get his crown as a transmog. Horde gets Gelbin's mace and Dealin's saber as a trophy, having a nice hat for the Alliance's collection sounds only fair.

[Aucald]

To be absolutely fair, I'd expect a lot worse than that after he was beaten up by 20+ loot-crazed maniacs whose methods of killing include smashing people with swords bigger than themselves and throwing fireballs the size of a car. And that's without going into the guys who sic armies of ghouls on you, blast you with eye beams, or eat your very soul.

I'm still kind of sad we didn't get his crown as a transmog. Horde gets Gelbin's mace and Dealin's saber as a trophy, having a nice hat for the Alliance's collection sounds only fair.

True, I mostly mean it's just not something we typically see from a defeated boss in a cutscene. Garrosh was beaten up by a crowd of 20+ and he just lost his shoulders and looks a bit scuffed. Varian is skewered by Felguard and there's no blood issuing from his wounds (though getting atomized by Gul'dan is a bit much). Perhaps it's just the gravity of the scene that makes the damage stand out all the more.

I don't think anyone but Rastakhan could really pull that headpiece off, unfortunately. Without Troll regeneration at play you'd probably lose all feeling in your neck followed by advancing paralysis after just an hour or so with that monstrosity on your head.

[Grazrug]

To be absolutely fair, I'd expect a lot worse than that after he was beaten up by 20+ loot-crazed maniacs whose methods of killing include smashing people with swords bigger than themselves and throwing fireballs the size of a car. And that's without going into the guys who sic armies of ghouls on you, blast you with eye beams, or eat your very soul.

I'm still kind of sad we didn't get his crown as a transmog. Horde gets Gelbin's mace and Dealin's saber as a trophy, having a nice hat for the Alliance's collection sounds only fair.

I want jainas staff instead. The perfect trophy to mock her with.

[Kwento]

True, I mostly mean it's just not something we typically see from a defeated boss in a cutscene. Garrosh was beaten up by a crowd of 20+ and he just lost his shoulders and looks a bit scuffed. Varian is skewered by Felguard and there's no blood issuing from his wounds (though getting atomized by Gul'dan is a bit much). Perhaps it's just the gravity of the scene that makes the damage stand out all the more.

I don't think anyone but Rastakhan could really pull that headpiece off, unfortunately. Without Troll regeneration at play you'd probably lose all feeling in your neck followed by advancing paralysis after just an hour or so with that monstrosity on your head.

The reason why damage is ao prominent is to make a moment of his death as horrible as possible. It’s an attempt at making both factions realize that this isn’t your Kil’jaeden 2.1, it’s a living being who has a family that he loves and who stood against them not for selfish reasons but for his people.
That is why you hear pain in his voice even while the fight continues and why you see him in this terrible state as he tries to ask for his daughter’s forgiveness.
It’s a little cheap, but I get why they did it. Alliance should see it as a painful but unavoidable duty, Horde should see this as an atrocity.

[Jastall]

True, I mostly mean it's just not something we typically see from a defeated boss in a cutscene. Garrosh was beaten up by a crowd of 20+ and he just lost his shoulders and looks a bit scuffed. Varian is skewered by Felguard and there's no blood issuing from his wounds (though getting atomized by Gul'dan is a bit much). Perhaps it's just the gravity of the scene that makes the damage stand out all the more.

I don't think anyone but Rastakhan could really pull that headpiece off, unfortunately. Without Troll regeneration at play you'd probably lose all feeling in your neck followed by advancing paralysis after just an hour or so with that monstrosity on your head.

A fair point, and Talanji herself is not lacking the neck-destroying headgear department as well. I'm not even sure why it's there, I think it looks silly and clashes with her otherwise relatively subdued outfit.

I suppose it's par for the course in a setting where everyone wears massive pauldrons that would do nothing but make you barely able to lift your arms in real life.

[Aucald]

The reason why damage is ao prominent is to make a moment of his death as horrible as possible. It’s an attempt at making both factions realize that this isn’t your Kil’jaeden 2.1, it’s a living being who has a family that he loves and who stood against them not for selfish reasons but for his people.
That is why you hear pain in his voice even while the fight continues and why you see him in this terrible state as he tries to ask for his daughter’s forgiveness.
It’s a little cheap, but I get why they did it. Alliance should see it as a painful but unavoidable duty, Horde should see this as an atrocity.

I don't think I would call it "cheap" really. The composition and manner of the death are meant to hearken back to Jaina and Daelin - the way Talanji cradles Daelin is pretty much a 1:1 of the way Jaina cradles the echo of Daelin when you encounter the memory in Thros. To be cheap it would need to be a lie or a fabrication intended to manipulate - but regardless of one's partisan position what you've said is true: a daughter has just lost the father that they loved, and a people have just their treasured leader. There's no cheapness in that particular equation, be you Alliance or Horde - only the hardest of hearts would have no sympathy for Talanji in that particular moment.

[TickTickTick]

Bwonsamdi is the coolest character they've made in so many, many years, really. I just love everything about him. Will be interesting to see what will happen with him after BfA. It would be a crime to forver forget about this goldmine.

[Kwento]

A fair point, and Talanji herself is not lacking the neck-destroying headgear department as well. I'm not even sure why it's there, I think it looks silly and clashes with her otherwise relatively subdued outfit.

I suppose it's par for the course in a setting where everyone wears massive pauldrons that would do nothing but make you barely able to lift your arms in real life.

It’s a giant golden block. Zandalari fashion is a mystery, but you cannot argue that it does draw attention!

[Minikin]

Benefits of mastering "Teleports behind you"

With the same exact audio file
"Behold!"

[Kwento]

I don't think I would call it "cheap" really. The composition and manner of the death are meant to hearken back to Jaina and Daelin - the way Talanji cradles Daelin is pretty much a 1:1 of the way Jaina cradles the echo of Daelin when you encounter the memory in Thros. To be cheap it would need to be a lie or a fabrication intended to manipulate - but regardless of one's partisan position what you've said is true: a daughter has just lost the father that they loved, and a people have just their treasured leader. There's no cheapness in that particular equation, be you Alliance or Horde - only the hardest of hearts would have no sympathy for Talanji in that particular moment.

True, perhaps I didn’t use that words correctly.
Btw, when Rastakhan’s hand falls on the ground, doesn’t it remind you of Arthas’s?

[Aucald]

A fair point, and Talanji herself is not lacking the neck-destroying headgear department as well. I'm not even sure why it's there, I think it looks silly and clashes with her otherwise relatively subdued outfit.

I suppose it's par for the course in a setting where everyone wears massive pauldrons that would do nothing but make you barely able to lift your arms in real life.

The Zandalari have a lot of what's called "Mayincatec" inspiration - the garbled combination of Mayan, Incan, and Aztec affectations and tropes. The headwear of Talanji and Rastakhan especially evoke the feathered crowns of Aztec leaders and priests:



Rastakhan's outfit is more that of a king, whereas Talanji's garb is that of a high priestess, which befits their roles in many ways.