Notable Absence of Hakkar

[Kalmakk]

Forgive me if this is a topic that's been done to death. I did a keyword search and came up with nothing. This was something I so strongly noticed throughout the plotline of Zandalar that I just don't see anybody talking about. Tell me if I have any of this wrong.


In Dazar'alor, there are visible and present shrines to the loa all over the city, to every major loa. The loa themselves are manifest on this Island as well. However, it seems to me that for a city as old as Dazar'alor it is striking that there isn't a single depiction of Hakkar. Not even a defaced one. Zandalari don't hold favouritism over which of their loa are venerated and which aren't. They understand that fundamentally, as in keeping with their beliefs, they ALL have their place in the world and their important role to play, for good or ill.
So why is it that a loa as influencial and infamous as Hakkar gets not even a single name drop in the entire expansion so far? An expansion at least in part, entirely centered around troll society!

Is it because, as seen in Zul'drak, loa are more of a localised spiritual entity? That wouldn't make sense, as He has had multiple different tribes try with mixed success to summon him to the world in multiple distant parts of Azeroth. He clearly isn't tied to geography.

With all the blood trolls and blood magic of Nazmir and Uldir it should have been a safe bet to see Hakkar involved but yet again, no.

So, theories. Where the hell is The Flayer God? And why are the Zandalari so hell bent on pretending he doesn't exist in their pantheon?

[wanax]

I think it was noticed by the players especiallly in Nazmir. They could have worshiped him instead of the bat loa. I’m not sure if there was an actual reason or he was just forgotten. I’m like you though even defaced statues or small cults somewhere but nothing

[Arrashi]

Since life/death cycle of loa seems to be kinda a messy, i think its safe to assume that hakkar is in "currently regenerating" state.

[derpkitteh]

they don't pretend he doesn't exist, but he isn't a part of their pantheon.

they do not revere him, in fact they despise him and the blood magic he used. they look down on the gurubashi for worshiping him, said that he caused a sickness in the minds of the gurubashi.

[Foolicious]

I don't know if this was added in bfa or just confirmed, but hakkar was summoned once by the zandalari which nearly caused their extinction.
Then after the gurubashi started worshipping him and summoned him again the zandalari started a war to banish him.

I think the zandalari just don't want anything to do with hakkar despite him being a loa. They're probably happy hes gone for now.

[Theoris]

I agree that it's strange he isn't anywhere to be seen considering all the talk about blood and plague in the first major Horde storyline and raid tier. You'd think he'd be around fighting his own war against G'huun (who he probably views as some kind of usurper). If he doesn't show up in BfA, there's possible he could show up later. There are still a lot of blood trolls around who currently find themselves unemployed, after all.

As for Hakkar not having a shrine or anything dedicated to him by the Zandalari, he nearly wiped them out at some point with a blood plague. Probably not too fond of him for that.

[Kalmakk]

All pretty valid points for why he isn't represented in Dazar'alor. Having said that, with the encroaching threat from Nazmir initially being a mystery as to why Blood magic was suddenly pouring out of the place... It still struck me as odd that not a single one of the Zandalari leadership was concerned that it could have been Hakkar doing it. Especially, as Foolicious mentioned, since the last time Hakkar was on their minds he almost wiped them out.

Would have thought that might have warrented more of a reaction from the leadership than "Hey those red dudes are weird, go check it out".

[Azerox]

https://wow.gamepedia.com/Hakkar_the_Soulflayer

[Romanthony]

Actually there is a building in the city which holds plates for all the "Loas who have fallen" it has Rezan there alot of the Zuldrak loas and yes even hakkar

[Kalmakk]

Actually there is a building in the city which holds plates for all the "Loas who have fallen" it has Rezan there alot of the Zuldrak loas and yes even hakkar

Where abouts? That's actually new to me. Also makes me sad that Blizz seem to have decided Hakkar is "Fallen", since after the encounter with Jin'do he specifically says he will deal with the players "another time".

[Aucald]

Where abouts? That's actually new to me. Also makes me sad that Blizz seem to have decided Hakkar is "Fallen", since after the encounter with Jin'do he specifically says he will deal with the players "another time".

He's "fallen" insofar as the Zandalari are concerned - I don't think knowledge of Hakkar's return has become commonplace quite yet, as only the adventurers who defeated Jin'do in ZG 2.0 would know this. Apparently they opted not to tell anyone else, and Hakkar is also still a spirit being when you find him so may still be counted as functionally dead.

[Newname1234567890]

Seems odd they never related G'huun to Hakkar.

The Zandalari have tried to smash Hakkar worship where ever it comes up. It would be like Satan having a shrine in achurch since his part of the Christian faith

Edit: Certainly Rastakhans Zandalari. Technically Zul didn't try to worship him but enslave Hakkar

[Houle]

He is certainly not forgotten by Blizz, he was mentioned multiple times in the BfA lore, his blood plague is part of the history of one of the bosses in Uldir, and they specifically mentioned that he is not related to G'huun in any way. The trolls who worshipped him and started using blood magic because of him eventually turned to G'huun after he was defeated the first time. Blizz also made it clear quite recently (https://wow.gamepedia.com/Soulflayer%27s_Corruption), that his origins are intentionally still a mystery and that there is no mention of him him in any of the titan records.
My guess, they're saving him for the next big troll raid we'll get someday.

[Super Dickmann]

For a guy without physical presence in the expansion, Hakkar actually has a lot of associated lore. From ties to G'huun, to the origin of Zandalar, his own tablet in the Dazar'alor and basically the origin point of the blood trolls as well.

[Aeluron Lightsong]

I'm assuming Hakkar isn't involved in the BFA plot at all/notrelevant or saving him for something else, although I'd think he'd be perfect for Zandalari related stuff /shrug

[Kalmakk]

Makes me happy to see other people have been more observant than I and found some proper ties to Hakkar in BFA and theories for why he may be still in the wings for future content. I've always had a soft spot for the Soulflayer. ZG was the first ever raid I did in Vanilla and I've been hoping to see him return ever since. Considering that Blizzard specifically mention that the Titans have no record of him, that in itself is an interesting talking point with a number of potential implications.

[ls-]

Where abouts? That's actually new to me. Also makes me sad that Blizz seem to have decided Hakkar is "Fallen", since after the encounter with Jin'do he specifically says he will deal with the players "another time".

That's all Zandalari have to say about him.

[Foolicious]

Where abouts? That's actually new to me. Also makes me sad that Blizz seem to have decided Hakkar is "Fallen", since after the encounter with Jin'do he specifically says he will deal with the players "another time".

He died in classic and was already dead in cataclysm. Jin'do enslaved his soul within the shadowlands. Thats where he was and where he stayed after this encounter.
We don't know how loa lifecycles exactly work, but i would assume he is dead until someone does a ritual to revive him. Very much like in the past or like we did to some wild gods.

But i am pretty sure we haven't seen the last of him. Blizzard already teased his return at some point if i remember right.

[Nalorakk]

All pretty valid points for why he isn't represented in Dazar'alor. Having said that, with the encroaching threat from Nazmir initially being a mystery as to why Blood magic was suddenly pouring out of the place... It still struck me as odd that not a single one of the Zandalari leadership was concerned that it could have been Hakkar doing it. Especially, as Foolicious mentioned, since the last time Hakkar was on their minds he almost wiped them out.

Would have thought that might have warrented more of a reaction from the leadership than "Hey those red dudes are weird, go check it out".

I'd chalk that up to Zul's manipulation. Not a great excuse, but I'm sure that's what Blizz is flying with.

[Jekyll]

If 8.3 takes us to Shadowlands, we might encounter Hakkar.