Did The Light forsake Arthas? If so, when?

[whynotchris]

At some point Arthas stops using the spells and attacks of a Paladin and begins using Death Knight abilities.

Is this a conscious decision on Arthas's part or at some point did The Light forsake him?

I ask because The Light certainly doesn't seem opposed to killing in general. Paladins can fight one another and use the Light to do so. The Light heals, but so do several Death Knight skills Arthas has so healing is not exclusively pure and good.

[Pebrocks The Warlock]

When he picked up Frostmourne would be a good time to lose the light.

[Lochton]

When he picked up Frostmourne would be a good time to lose the light.

Yup, seems about right.

[McNeil]

When he picked up Frostmourne would be a good time to lose the light.

But he was still using paladin abilities in that WC3 mission. I'd say its after he ''killed'' Mal'Ganis, and slaughtered his own men before he went back to Lordaeron.

[killwithpwr]

But he was still using paladin abilities in that WC3 mission. I'd say its after he ''killed'' Mal'Ganis, and slaughtered his own men before he went back to Lordaeron.

Im pretty sure that the act of taking up Frostmourn was actually Arthas forsaking the light...

Taken from www.Wowpedia.com

When the weapon broke free, Muradin was struck by a rogue shard of ice, rendering him unconscious. Arthas moved to help Muradin, but was dissuaded by the call of Frostmourne in his mind. Arthas discarded his holy warhammer, [Light's Vengeance], then picked Frostmourne up and returned to his base, leaving Muradin for dead.

[Deleted]

The light never forsakes. That probably means he still got light based abilities when the WC 3 human campagn stopped. My take on this is, that he lost it when he wondered around in northend, loosing the rest of his sanity and hence his faith. Light requires faith and devotion which he had at the end of the campagn. He still thought he was doing the right thing for his people. That changed later on when the grip of the lich king tightened on his mind.

[Biff]

I really didn't like the way they characterized his fall. All the stuff that came before with him growing more desperate and resorting to more terrible measures seems sort of mooted by "then he picked up an evil sword that made him evil".

[Fritters154]

When he went insane wandering the frozen wastes or when he killed his father. Taking up frostmourne and killing Mal'ganis was still him trying to do the right thing by destroying Mal'ganis who had brought about the deaths of so many. Killing his dad his really the first event we know of in which he is outright acting against the light.

[Therougetitan]

But he was still using paladin abilities in that WC3 mission. I'd say its after he ''killed'' Mal'Ganis, and slaughtered his own men before he went back to Lordaeron.

Even back then, in the book it says his hammer started to glow less which was in time with his doubts with his actions. He didn't even believe what he was doing was right.

[whynotchris]

I really didn't like the way they characterized his fall. All the stuff that came before with him growing more desperate and resorting to more terrible measures seems sort of mooted by "then he picked up an evil sword that made him evil".

I actually thought that made it a bit interesting. Arthas had negative traits before he actually became what he did and Frostmourne used those traits. Does picking up the sword make one evil? Is that all that's needed? If Jaina or Tirion or Thrall had wielded Frostmourne, would the results have been the same or was it something Dark inside Arthas that was always there?

[Beaverfeaver12]

Actually, the Light leaves Arthas after he massacres everyone in Stratholme. Mal Ganis sees it and taunts Arthas over it before heading to Northernrend, knowing fully that Arthas will follow him there. Considering what he does on Northernrend there is no way the Light would be with him up until he picked up Frostmourne.

[Selastan]

The Light 'abandoning' anyone is a purely human concept from their religion which believed the Light to be a righteous holy force. Since we now know it's a morally neutral cosmic force similar to arcane, fel, and shadow, it's safe to say it never 'abandoned' Arthas and he left it like he left his hammer. I would wager that he could still call on the Light all the way until his death, he just chooses not to. Out of pride, vanity, pain as an undead, and his own assumption that the Light is able to choose to leave him.

- - - Updated - - -

Now that secret mythic phases are a thing, I would bet that a secret final phase for Arthas would have even been fighting back with Paladin abilities after Frostmourne was shattered.

[KOUNTERPARTS]

Necroooooooooooooooo

[sizzle01]

Actually, the Light leaves Arthas after he massacres everyone in Stratholme. Mal Ganis sees it and taunts Arthas over it before heading to Northernrend, knowing fully that Arthas will follow him there. Considering what he does on Northernrend there is no way the Light would be with him up until he picked up Frostmourne.

The light did not care that arthas purged stratholme the light left arthas because he was conflicted if he was doing the right thing. The light does not care about good or evil just look at the scarlet crusade.
If arthas really believed in what he was doing he would still have the light.

[GreenJesus]

Wow... this was an insane necro. Nearly 5.5 years...

[huth]

Wow... this was an insane necro. Nearly 5.5 years...

Guess the rift above ICC empowered necromancy everywhere.

[Hastis]

Lol guys why you are talking about light as a cosmic force, arthas storyline was long time ago, light then wasnt "evil as much" as void etc.

[valky94]

But he was still using paladin abilities in that WC3 mission. I'd say its after he ''killed'' Mal'Ganis, and slaughtered his own men before he went back to Lordaeron.

gameplay > lore

[Nerovar]

The Light 'abandoning' anyone is a purely human concept from their religion which believed the Light to be a righteous holy force. Since we now know it's a morally neutral cosmic force similar to arcane, fel, and shadow, it's safe to say it never 'abandoned' Arthas and he left it like he left his hammer. I would wager that he could still call on the Light all the way until his death, he just chooses not to. Out of pride, vanity, pain as an undead, and his own assumption that the Light is able to choose to leave him.

The light did not care that arthas purged stratholme the light left arthas because he was conflicted if he was doing the right thing. The light does not care about good or evil just look at the scarlet crusade.
If arthas really believed in what he was doing he would still have the light.

You are both wrong. The Light leaves Arthas during Stratholme but it comes back to him at his lowest point as he unknowingly sacrificed Muradin's life in Frostmourne's cave. There at his lowest point where he pretty much was the most conflicted about whether he was doing the right thing the Light reached out to him for a last time only to be drowned out by Ner'zhul's voice.

You are both retroactively applying Blizzard's modern retarded lore to older stories but it makes no sense and it never will. The Arthas novel also implies that there are two ways to wield the Light:
1) By using it in a mechanical way, making it do your bidding through force of will (which is what Arthas did) only believing in it because you can see it reflected in the world.
2) By calling upon the Light in a way that is more akin to traditional concepts of faith i.e. trusting in it and letting it work through you.

I really don't get why Blizzard and their sycophants try so desparately to reduce the Light to this deeply nihilistic version where the Light is just another mechanical force in the universe when the older stories are simply incompatible with that concept.

[Houle]

You are both wrong. The Light leaves Arthas during Stratholme but it comes back to him at his lowest point as he unknowingly sacrificed Muradin's life in Frostmourne's cave. There at his lowest point where he pretty much was the most conflicted about whether he was doing the right thing the Light reached out to him for a last time only to be drowned out by Ner'zhul's voice.

You are both retroactively applying Blizzard's modern retarded lore to older stories but it makes no sense and it never will. The Arthas novel also implies that there are two ways to wield the Light:
1) By using it in a mechanical way, making it do your bidding through force of will (which is what Arthas did) only believing in it because you can see it reflected in the world.
2) By calling upon the Light in a way that is more akin to traditional concepts of faith i.e. trusting in it and letting it work through you.

I really don't get why Blizzard and their sycophants try so desparately to reduce the Light to this deeply nihilistic version where the Light is just another mechanical force in the universe when the older stories are simply incompatible with that concept.

because current blizz writers think they are better than the old ones, and desperately try to prove that by turning everythong from the old lore into a "copy" of what they say is the original thing.