Is the Arbiter destroyed now?

[TickTickTick]

Nothing of value was lost. If someone like Bwonsamdi or Odyn is able to figure out a way to intercept souls and put them in a specific realm, so are the Eternal Ones. They can assign someone or do it themselves, they can project themselves in the Arbiter's chamber and you don't even have to be an Eternal One to do that, so they can just set up a council or something. Or maybe the First Ones will get involved and will realize what a messy and unfinished design they've left.

[david0925]

Pay attention to the first 2 seconds of the cinematic

You actually see the arbiter dissolve.. What I can see that thing is gone. But since we had no interaction with the Arbiter at all... I dont think we miss anything.

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Whatbdo you mean... this forum has been saying exactly that since the start of the expansion and frankly its one of the better stories so far.. and that says alot.

I'm not really saying it's better or worse than current, but there just has been no good hints from Zovaal's behavior that he was the original arbiter.

Like, is he Sargeras v2.0 that he rebelled because he was tired of judging souls and feel unfair or whatever? His dialogue right now just seems like a generic villain trying to dominate/rule everything with minor shots of "set everyone freeeeeeeeeeeee" every now and then.

[LordVargK]

Well, the most plausible theory I've read so far is that the jailer once was on par with the firstborn and had the position the arbiter has now. Then he betrayed them (possibly by not doing his job correctly, sending too many souls to the maw to create an army for himself), got overthrown by the other 4 and exiled into the maw himself, which then got sealed, while the seal got fueled by the heart of the forest in Ardenweald.
But someone needed to judge souls, so the firstborn took Zoovals sigil (glowy ball) and made the arbiter to serve as a neutral soul router, using Zovaals sigil to create and power it.
So the arbiter and the sigil are one and the same, and now that the sigil is back in Zoovals body, the arbiter can no longer sustain a material form.

[david0925]

Well, the most plausible theory I've read so far is that the jailer once was on par with the firstborn and had the position the arbiter has now. Then he betrayed them (possibly by not doing his job correctly, sending too many souls to the maw to create an army for himself), got overthrown by the other 4 and exiled into the maw himself, which then got sealed, while the seal got fueled by the heart of the forest in Ardenweald.
But someone needed to judge souls, so the firstborn took Zoovals sigil (glowy ball) and made the arbiter to serve as a neutral soul router, using Zovaals sigil to create and power it.
So the arbiter and the sigil are one and the same, and now that the sigil is back in Zoovals body, the arbiter can no longer sustain a material form.

Yeah, i think this is simple and to the point. And I am ok with just Zovaal just getting bored/evil/ambitious without another "compelling" reason.

[Kauko]

Arbiter is a machine like ultron or vision. That is all.

[Soon-TM]

I hope they don't do something stupid like Zovaal was actually the original Arbiter but something happened so he got replaced by this construct-like Arbiter

That's what has been implied on several occasions though, that the Blue Man was the original Arbiter, and was later removed from office by his fellow Eternal Ones for reasons unknown so far.

[username993720]

It seems so. She disappears slowly, in the beginning of the cinematic, as Zovaal takes her chest Orb.

She disappears when the orb is taken away.


Looking at the way it plays out, the Arbiter probably IS the orb and manifests when not under the Jailers control.

If the Arbiter exits purely from that Orb, how did she exist before Zovaal was imprisoned? Is she a new addition?

[Raetary]

If the Arbiter exits purely from that Orb, how did she exist before Zovaal was imprisoned? Is she a new addition?

She didn't.
The theory goes: Zovaal was there first, he got imprisoned and his powers taken, his sigil was made manifest or manifested itself as the Arbiter.

[username993720]

She didn't.
The theory goes: Zovaal was there first, he got imprisoned and his powers taken, his sigil was made manifest or manifested itself as the Arbiter.

So, they made an automaton be the leader of the Shadowlands? how come no one from the other covenants stepped up? And who spawned the attendants? they were there before or after her? because they're in Korthia as well.

[Plehnard]

Cinematic: we can see a sprout from Teldrassil! The elves are happy because her new Goddess is repairing all the damage. Then, the camera sets on Anduin and he claims: Azeroth is Free!

The sad thing is that with their current record it is likely that the writers will find something even more stupid to further the story

[tehdef]

So, they made an automaton be the leader of the Shadowlands? how come no one from the other covenants stepped up? And who spawned the attendants? they were there before or after her? because they're in Korthia as well.

They didn't MAKE anything. They removed the power he had over the maw, manifested as the orb that powers the Arbiter. The arbiter poofs when the orb is yanked, which would mean that the hole was a piece stolen from Zovaal, which explains his intent to bring retribution.

[username993720]

They didn't MAKE anything. They removed the power he had over the maw, manifested as the orb that powers the Arbiter. The arbiter poofs when the orb is yanked, which would mean that the hole was a piece stolen from Zovaal, which explains his intent to bring retribution.

You didn't understand the context of my comment.

[shadowmatrix]

I hope they don't do something stupid like Zovaal was actually the original Arbiter but something happened so he got replaced by this construct-like Arbiter

Considering the way things have gone it seems pretty obvious that the Arbiter replaced Zovaal when he turned against everyone and got banished. He was the original sorter and the Maw was the original sorting place. That would explain why souls naturally go there.

[Radeghost]

SPOILER: Recent leak (2 days ago?) from Blizzard regarding Arbiter and her place in the Story,
Arbiter was a very important character in Shadowlands, she had a full, complete storyline already written. She played a key role regarding Eternal Ones and the First Ones and "jailing" Zovaal. In the beginning of Shadowlands, the souls were supposed to go straight to the Maw, skipping Arbiter all together. The character was complicated, but had very strong connection to the Sepulcher and was very intelligent so she had suspicions about Zovaal and Denathrius from the beginning. In fact, Arbiter was so intelligent, she fucking died after reading Shadowlands script not to be involved with this shit fucking writing.

[Pendragon]

The arbiter was/is a construct used to house Zovaal's key. It was never alive.

[mingarrubia]

So, they made an automaton be the leader of the Shadowlands?

It seems so. I'd guess they did that in order to ensure a fair distribution of mortal souls (aka anima) between the different realms of the Shadowlands. Otherwise the eternal ones would constantly be at each other's throats vying for anima.

[Crillam]

She clearly disolves in the cinematic. So yeah she's gone.

[username993720]

It seems so. I'd guess they did that in order to ensure a fair distribution of mortal souls (aka anima) between the different realms of the Shadowlands. Otherwise the eternal ones would constantly be at each other's throats vying for anima.

Makes sense.
Though, i really imagined her as being very ancient.
Now, she's the new kid on the block

[Kumorii]

Arbiter is clearly a tool.. Sorting machine.

[Kokolums]

When you free the Primus and meet him to get flying, the Primus mentions something something about defeating Zovaal and forging NEW sigils. So I assume they could make a new sigil for the Arbiter and reactivate her.