What are player characters as far as lore goes?

[StationaryHawk]

Imo....we're the pawns and useful tools to make the story characters look better, we put in the work so they can take the glory, in terms of lore we're just the throw away units that die in an rts.

Raids are not overcome by grunts and foot soldiers. Chronicle distinguishes the player characters as champions, who are exceptional individuals that may not necessarily operate within the Alliance or Horde (e.g. the Hydraxian Waterlords enlisted us to defeat Ragnaros independent of either faction). We've met some NPCs that represent these champions, including the Council of the Black Harvest who are described as Azeroth's most powerful warlocks.

Of course, your player character has been present for all (or at least most) of them, and is regarded as such. "Throw away units" don't generally get invited to war councils.

[Vasti]

We are definitely special.

Shadowlands confirms this.

We are the only ones respawning after dieing. In vanilla us dieing wasn't canon, but in shadowlands they explicitly mention that something is making sure we don't really die. Because everything dieing in sl is gone forever, but we can resurrect. Someone or something is using us or helping us. That's what makes us special. Nothing inherent, but this external force. Just like Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow. Except we still need to figure out who or what this external power source is.... I'm thinking it's either Azeroth or a force even higher

[shoc]

We are definitely special.

Shadowlands confirms this.

We are the only ones respawning after dieing. In vanilla us dieing wasn't canon, but in shadowlands they explicitly mention that something is making sure we don't really die. Because everything dieing in sl is gone forever, but we can resurrect. Someone or something is using us or helping us. That's what makes us special. Nothing inherent, but this external force. Just like Tom Cruise in Edge of Tomorrow. Except we still need to figure out who or what this external power source is.... I'm thinking it's either Azeroth or a force even higher

That isn't true, we're special 'Maw Walkers' in the sense that there are none in the Shadowlands that can do that, but so are Baine, Anduin, Jaina, Tyrande, Shadnris, as well as a whole squadron of Ebon Blade Death Knights who accompany us through the Maw.

[huth]

That isn't true, we're special 'Maw Walkers' in the sense that there are none in the Shadowlands that can do that, but so are Baine, Anduin, Jaina, Tyrande, Shadnris, as well as a whole squadron of Ebon Blade Death Knights who accompany us through the Maw.

You've got that backwards. We're the only ones not affiliated with the Jailer that can leave the Maw under our own power. Everybody else you mention can only leave through us.

[Vasti]

That isn't true, we're special 'Maw Walkers' in the sense that there are none in the Shadowlands that can do that, but so are Baine, Anduin, Jaina, Tyrande, Shadnris, as well as a whole squadron of Ebon Blade Death Knights who accompany us through the Maw.

As huth mentioned before me, that is not true.

But the special force that applies to player characters that I am referring to is the one mentioned here:

[Houle]

They're like the other Greeks in the legend of 300.
The legend speaks only about 300 Spartans holding off the Syrians. It doesn't even mention the other 15,000 Greeks from other kingdoms.

Lorewise, the story is that Jaina, Thalyssra and Lor'themar singlehandedly defeated Azshara. The players are like...some guys that brought Jaina lunch.

simply wrong
the player became the actual main character who does all the shit in WoD as Commander, then became the fckn Order Leader in Legion, and then the single champion of Azeroth on BfA
we are the ones who are doing all the shit now, its not thrall blasting deathwing with the dragonsoul anymore, it the player blasting n'zoth with the HoA
wether thats a good or bad thing is open for debate

[Zigrifid]

Wanna know what we are? the idiots that defeat the bosses so that faction leaders can come and take the spotlight on every damn cinematic! thats what we are! also we are useful to whoever designs the shit gathering quests on every expansion........we are just a fetish

[TigTone]

As huth mentioned before me, that is not true.

But the special force that applies to player characters that I am referring to is the one mentioned here:

That force is Azeroth imo, she has chosen her champions from the start in vanilla wow(us the player) That’s my thoughts on it.

[Icaras]

I'd liken MMO player characters to Rock Stars:

Ultimately we know that a famous rock star needs heaps of support staff, like managers and roadies and backing bands and the like.
But the Rock Star is the one that's front and center , the one whose famous.

An MMO player character is the same, story wise the character you play is the rock star, while other players characters are the behind the scenes support. They exist, they are needed...but they're not famous and they're not up front and center (In this case because...well if you want somebody else to be featured, you're not playing a game anymore, you're watching somebody else stream, or something that's non interactive like a movie.)

[Kumorii]

Special agents of sorts with some agency while commanding armies in raids. At least that's what my cannon is... not sure how accurate it is in the scope of things but eh... *shrug*.

[naeblis495]

litteral gods .

[Devilyaki]

Seen the anime Log Horizon, love how the npc in that see the player characters. Summoned heros that are immortal due to just repawning after dieing. Maybe wow heroes are the same.

[VinceVega]

For me i am a new character every expansion despite playing technically the same char.

Doesn't make sense otherwise... why would they call me champion when i am the archdruid of ALL the druids... horde or alliance.
I helped to kill gods.
I should rule fucking azeroth considering what i have done for this planet.

So... i die everytime the expansion ends^^

On the other hand: Why bother thinking about it. It is not like there was any immersion in wow ever^^

[Daronokk]

You killed ragnaros, an old god and kel'thezad in vanilla

Ragnaros wasn't at full power, hence the quote "you summoned me too soon", and explains why he's significantly weaker and thus possible for 40 people to defeat.

C'thun almost the same story, he's severely weakened and just awakened.

Kel'thuzad is a powerful mage/lich, but not on the same level of power as the above two. Difference is that he wasn't weakened already.

None of these are the god tier of villains that we see later.

[MatPandaZ]

Who am I? I am MatPandaz, slayer of Ragnaros, destroyer of Nefarion, Hakkar flayer, Cthun killer.....zzzz.....Lich king shatterer, Deathwing remover.......zzz.....nzoth squasher. Please to meet you. Would you like to see my medals?

[Fabled]

The player character is an AFGNCAAP stand-in for the numerous adventurers who form strike teams to handle most problems. I wouldn't expect a twist like FFXIV's where we're a particularly strong soul-shard of a particularly strong Ascian. Our character just happens to have cultivated a habit of being in the right place, at the right time, to have grabbed the attention of many faction leaders, making us their go-to fixer/enforcer/sympathetic ear.

Wasn't it said around Legion time that all player characters are a part of Azeroth and that's the lore given reason why we can't canonically die? The Demon Hunter PC can't die either because of that whole demon soul thing too.

[shise]

There are only about 25 actual players who raid, those are what you´d consider high rank captains or colonels, etc. Heroes, in Azeroth words. The rest are citizens and adventurers.

[Nuciek]

According to lore we don't exist. In books, stories, movies or whatever that would show events that we took part in we would not be present or we would be replaced by random soldiers and adventurers.

[Dancaris]

When did the shift happen?

Going from a normal adventurer exploring the world to being the omgsaviouroftheplanet, mega-super-duper-allmighty-champion, supreme leader and embodiement of god.

It's really off-putting now.

because game is like 15years old? I think there is no way to show lorewise all of your doings. Like falling from elevator for 500th time? Or afking in cave full of yeti? Or killing garrosh for 600th time to pick that Tusks (shit, its right there - I pick a loot from them, but sorry little warr, try again)
Your character are not supposed to do everything in world - inc. pet battles and dancing in mailbox. Some character have to win over Deathwing, some to fight Jaina, some other pick Thunderfury, and other - Illidan blades. And for gameplay piont of view - yes, its my main, i collect everything for myself. But from lore point - there could not be a creature that do all raid/arena/bg(100 times, yes?)/dailies/quests/achievements.

[Hekazi]

We are mere adventurers, and we have never died yet, except against the Lich King and Argus. The spirit healer is only for gameplay.
Also, most of us don't even exist.