Why does Sylvanas not look dead?

[Deathknightish]

Every forsaken has some characteristic that he/she's dead. Rotten, maybe a broken jaw, missing eye, bones showing etc.

But not Sylvanas. She just looks like a purple elf.

Is it just coomer bait, or is there some lore reason I've missed?

[Mic_128]

It's never explicitly explained, but as Arthas had taken her body away after killing her, and had it locked away in a coffin, it could have been something he did. Preserve the body to torment her with later.

[shoc]

The male gaze

[Seasz]

Her Valkyr's magic has preserved and enhanced her appearance

It's explicitly stated in the Dark Mirror book

[Aresk]

It could be that elves decompose differently than humans, but then we have some instances like Nathanos as counterexamples. I believe there was a mention in lore of some necromantic energy being used to better preserve them, so it's possible that Sylvanas and the other elves are just vain, going to greater lengths to preserve their appearances.

[shoc]

It could be that elves decompose differently than humans, but then we have some instances like Nathanos as counterexamples. I believe there was a mention in lore of some necromantic energy being used to better preserve them, so it's possible that Sylvanas and the other elves are just vain, going to greater lengths to preserve their appearances.

Nathanos got a new body, Sylvanas kidnapped his nephew or something and used the Val'kyr to brain-swap him into a younger and undecayed body.

[Aucald]

Sylvanas' vanity is remarked on in Edge of Night as a personality trait when she was alive, and the recovery of her corpse was detailed in Dark Mirror. Sylvanas has used a good deal of Necromantic effort to both restore and strengthen her vessel, giving it at least the semblance of life (although it's easy to tell she's dead up close) and making it much more durable than the standard issue undead corpse.

[LemonDemonGirl]

Some kind of death magic thing I guess. Advanced Necromancy maybe?

Also, look at Bwonsamdi. He looks rather good for a "dead" troll

And because of fan service I guess

[Not Againnn]

shes supposed to appease the emo male fan base

[Super Dickmann]

The same reason Argonians have tits and Death Knights all look like living people with bad eyesight. Fanservice. If you're asking in lore, Arthas kept her body around to torture her with it, keeping it in an iron coffin to preserve it. Given he kept a vial of her blood around to take into his Jeffrey Dahmer trophy cabinet it necessitated it be kept in good enough shape to allow this. When Arthas was distracted by Illidan attacking the Frozen Throne, she nabbed the body back and then maintained it to sell figurines look good because she's vain and if you were a zombie you'd prefer to look like a (morally) grey model instead of a shambling corpse.

[Sunderella]

Basicallly the same Sylv did to Nathanos in that short story. She found a new body for his soul et voilá. In the case of Sylv, I think Arthas kept her body around so once she got free from the LK I suppose she just returned to her body or possesed her old body since I think Banshees can posses other people.

[Thage]

Fun fact, this is one of numerous retcons surrounding Sylvanas. When Sarah Pine's In the Shadow of the Sun was made canon as Lor'themar's leader story, the narrative mentions the cracked, decaying skin around her lips as she speaks. Her fanservice upgrade was just that, fanservice, and over time they've smoothed out her rougher edges (physically speaking) until she just looks like a grey elf with glowy eyes and now a cool glowy scar over one eye like an early 2000s teen's original character, Donut Steele.

In-lore, Dark Mirror mentions she went to no small lengths to keep her body well-preserved, long after her earlier depictions were discarded in favor of her current look.

[TickTickTick]

Sylvanas looking like a general forsaken female would not appeal to... a certain group of people.

[Aucald]

Fun fact, this is one of numerous retcons surrounding Sylvanas. When Sarah Pine's In the Shadow of the Sun was made canon as Lor'themar's leader story, the narrative mentions the cracked, decaying skin around her lips as she speaks. Her fanservice upgrade was just that, fanservice, and over time they've smoothed out her rougher edges (physically speaking) until she just looks like a grey elf with glowy eyes and now a cool glowy scar over one eye like an early 2000s teen's original character, Donut Steele.

In-lore, Dark Mirror mentions she went to no small lengths to keep her body well-preserved, long after her earlier depictions were discarded in favor of her current look.

I've always been of the mind that the differences in depiction between Shadow of the Sun and Dark Mirror were as a matter of context, in this case of the observer(s). Lor'themar, as a fellow High/Blood Elf, looks at Sylvanas and sees all that she has lost, especially from his own memories of her as the living, breathing Ranger-General of Silvermoon. When Lor'themar looks at Sylvanas as she is now he sees all that she's lost, all that separates her from what she was - emphasis on her undead nature, the uncanny valley essence of her body, etc. etc.

That being said, both contexts demonstrate she's not a decaying wreck - but also very obviously not alive, either.

[oldgeezer]

Sure, but she smells like a week-old tuna sandwich.

[Lord Pebbleton]

(Viciously points at male WoW players)

[Maljinwo]

Marketing

/thread

[Ezyah]

People dont want to bang a corpse as much as a hot purple elf

[Dazlartist]

Not lore or anything but real life history- the Victorians used iron coffins in brothels to simulate necrophillia with very still and quiet prostitutes ( sorry if tmi but sexy dead people with iron coffins are not a new idea is my point)!

- - - Updated - - -

People dont want to bang a corpse as much as a hot purple elf

best reply ever!

[Eapoe]

I love how on the 1st page there are people literally typing out how it’s explained in the book, in decent detail, and others are just straight up ignoring them.
Yes, there’s fan service going on, but that’s not what was asked. It was asked “why doesn’t she look dead,” not “why is she dressed in skimpy clothing for most of her written existence?”