Shadows Rising: Sylvanas Motivation Revealed? *HUGE SPOILERS*

[Nagawithlegs]

https://i.imgur.com/sGRrI5E.png

Basically what a lot of people expected: she's sick of her lot in life and wants to destroy everything because she's butthurt.

Is anyone actually surprised or thought she would have a heroic reason?

[DemonHunter18]

this is probably the biggest twist in history of twists.

she is doing the right thing and is completely justified

[Aucald]

Doesn't really strike me as a surprise or a revelation on the heels of what she's already done. Sylvanas hasn't had heroic reasons since she was raised into undeath as a banshee.

[Super Dickmann]

The people were astonished at her doctrine.

[Verdugo]

Surprise, its nothing.

Any fanboy wants to come here and tell us that Blizzard has a grand plan with huge twists?

[Varodoc]

This doesn't put her under a positive light at all. Just because life was rough to her (literally every other undead in existence can say the same thing) doesn't make her entitled to ruining the lives of millions of innocent people.

[Nero Duskwind]

https://i.imgur.com/sGRrI5E.png

Basically what a lot of people expected: she's sick of her lot in life and wants to destroy everything because she's butthurt.

Is anyone actually surprised or thought she would have a heroic reason?

Honestly not surprised. Omnicidal nihilism tends to look like a favorable and benevolent alternative to the endlessly tormented.

[Nagawithlegs]

Honestly not surprised. Omnicidal nihilism tends to look like a favorable and benevolent alternative to the endlessly tormented.

Just like real life!

[Nero Duskwind]

This doesn't put her under a positive light at all. Just because life was rough to her (literally every other undead in existence can say the same thing) doesn't make her entitled to ruining the lives of millions of innocent people.

Not just life. Death and undeath as well. Where once she saw Arthas's torturing of her soul and breaking of her body as an unforgivable crime worthy of the worst vengeance, she now sees at as merely an extension of what she perceives as the infinite cruelty of existence. Feels like a paint-by-numbers edgelord trope.

[Varodoc]

Not just life. Death and undeath as well. Where once she saw Arthas's torturing of her soul and breaking of her body as an unforgivable crime worthy of the worst vengeance, she now sees at as merely an extension of what she perceives as the infinite cruelty of existence. Feels like a paint-by-numbers edgelord trope.

Actually if I'm not mistaken she saw undeath as a higher state of existence in Before the Storm, and even mentioned how she wanted to bestow that "gift" upon the people of Stormwind (i.e. exterminate them down to the last child) to "free them from the shackles of mortality".

Oml, this villain is such a mess. Not even the writers know what's inside her head.

[Coconut]

Sounds about as boring as I imagined such a scenario would be. Still, that paragraph manages to leave open a ton of likely irrelevant questions: So what did? What did she continue? Whose lives are unjust and must be dismantled? Why are they unjust? All of what? How has she been the plaything of a self-righteous cosmos? For how long? What must be done? Why does the Jailer understand it? Why is she happy to merge with the darkness when it terrorized her in Edge of Night? Is there any depth to these questions, or are they just there to set the edgy and nihilistic mood? Hmm... probably just there to set the edgy and nihilistic mood. But we'll have to wait and see.

[Nagawithlegs]

Actually if I'm not mistaken she saw undeath as a higher state of existence in Before the Storm, and even mentioned how she wanted to bestow that "gift" upon the people of Stormwind (i.e. exterminate them down to the last child) to "free them from the shackles of mortality".

Oml, this villain is such a mess. Not even the writers know what's inside her head.

How does that bit about the "gift" go against the blurb in the OP? She thinks life is torture and even being slaughtered is better than that. I don't agree with who you quoted, and BTS definitely is spotty because they had to lie a few times to keep Sylvanas from looking evil, but that part does not go against her characterization here.

[Varodoc]

How does that bit about the "gift" go against the blurb in the OP? She thinks life is torture and even being slaughtered is better than that. I don't agree with who you quoted, and BTS definitely is spotty because they had to lie a few times to keep Sylvanas from looking evil, but that part does not go against her characterization here.

I was referring to the idea that Sylvanas sees undeath as a horrifying extension of the pain and cruelty of life.

[Aucald]

Actually if I'm not mistaken she saw undeath as a higher state of existence in Before the Storm, and even mentioned how she wanted to bestow that "gift" upon the people of Stormwind (i.e. exterminate them down to the last child) to "free them from the shackles of mortality".

Oml, this villain is such a mess. Not even the writers know what's inside her head.

An easier way to cut that particular Gordian knot is just to acknowledge that Sylvanas is probably insane, and has been insane for a long, long time. Her behavior and even our isolated windows into her thoughts maps well onto the landscape of insanity.

[Super Dickmann]

How does that bit about the "gift" go against the blurb in the OP? She thinks life is torture and even being slaughtered is better than that. I don't agree with who you quoted, and BTS definitely is spotty because they had to lie a few times to keep Sylvanas from looking evil, but that part does not go against her characterization here.

It doesn't. BTS was not meant to lionize Sylvanas, it retconned the entire relationship between her and the Forsaken to set up Calia as leader. But the means of its demonization centered on traits she did have before - namely her Edge of Night shift from viewing undeath as a curse to being preferable to the hell that awaited her and, since she's self-centered as fuck, everyone else. Ergo, her plan was to bring it to other humans. That, while also not alluded anywhere before then since she purposefully avoided conflict to not be attacked by everyone, i.e what's currently happening, had a logical follow through. Her wanting to kill everyone and ergo end up in hell herself, less so.

@Aucald

I'm a prophet and told you you'd pivot to this several BTS topics ago. It's impossible to reconcile the two. No amount of insanity would have Sylvanas simultaneously push a complex plot of world war and manipulation and not acknowledge in her head that she's doing this, since she at least needs to be aware enough of the plan to institute it. BTS Sylvanas is irreconcilable with pre-BTS Sylvanas and BFA-SL Sylvanas is irreconcilable with BTS Sylvanas.

[Cien]

ooo can't wait to see the fangurlz defend this one

OT: did we really expect anything different?

[Tripzzz]

LMAO. Slyvanus' brain is larger than the self-righteous cosmos!! This is going to be an absolute trainwreck.

[Coconut]

I'm a prophet and told you you'd pivot to this several BTS topics ago. It's impossible to reconcile the two. No amount of insanity would have Sylvanas simultaneously push a complex plot of world war and manipulation and not acknowledge in her head that she's doing this, since she at least needs to be aware enough of the plan to institute it. BTS Sylvanas is irreconcilable with pre-BTS Sylvanas and BFA-SL Sylvanas is irreconcilable with BTS Sylvanas.

Nonsense! @Aucald can reconcile anything.

P.S. Sorry for not responding to the previous thread, Aucald, I still have little time, but this reveal was just too tempting. xD

[Aucald]

I'm a prophet and told you'd you pivot to this several BTS topics ago. It's impossible to reconcile the two. No amount of insanity would have Sylvanas simultaneously push a complex plot of world war and manipulation and not acknowledge in her head that she's doing this.

Me thinking Sylvanas is insane and evil? That's not a pivot, and if that makes you a prophet then the bar for prophetdom is perhaps the lowest of any profession. Sylvanas is and has always been a serial fabulist - she cannot accept what she's become, and has moved both heaven and earth in the attempt to avoid facing it. The closest she came was in Edge of Night, and we all saw were that took her.

Your mistake is that there's a need for reconciliation. Rational people reconcile things, but Sylvanas is not rational and never has been.

[Rustedsaint]

Honestly with this writing I’m expecting the fanfic of her having a secret child with dans.. Nathan turns out to be cannon and she currently looking for it in the shadowlands