Do you think it's a good idea that Malfurion is going away to "slumber" for a while?

[OwenBurton]

Okay, some spoilers ahead.

As some people might know, Malfurion is (apparently) going to sacrifice himself and leave Tyrande to stay in Ardenweald next expansion, in order to revive Ysera in the next expansion, which has understandably angered a lot of night elf and Alliance player fans.

However, there is SOME good news also for everyone. So Malfurion is indeed going to "die" in the near future, most likely, leaving Tyrande and the night elves, but the developers have already basically confirmed he is also going to return eventually, with considerably enhanced new powers also!

Steve: Certainly since the battle of the Darkshore, you got to see Malfurion get some anger in that, during Battle for Azeroth, and that was cool to see. But, you're right in that a lot of the events that followed it were really focused on Tyrande and what she was doing, and some of that is just part of the economy of story telling, you only have so much time with so many characters and you've got so many storylines you can follow, while it would be nice from being fans of these characters, that we would like to see everyone involved in everything, you know what is Maiev doing, what are all these characters doing? There's only so much time that we have to really focus on things, and because of the nature of their relationship, Tyrande and Malfurion occupy the same kind of space, they're both leaders, they both have the love and respect of their people, and so when we do use them together it's usually because one is in a slightly situation than the other, and that just didn't work that way in terms of the pacing of the story that we've dealt with to this point.

I want to make clear that this is not us saying "Malfurion doesn't matter, we just want to get him out of the way" it's not that at all, if anything its a set-up for his eventual return, because the way to think of this is that if you look back on mythology there is this story of Persephone and she was this nature Goddess who got tricked into eating some berries that caused her to have to spend part of her time in the underworld and that's why there was winter and why there was spring, and that kind of metaphor really fit the story we were telling with Ardenweald and the cycle of life and death, and how the night elves are intertwined with that.

We kind of used a version of that for in order for Ysera to come out of the Shadowlands and do some things that she needs to do someone has to take her place, someone has to take that end of the bargain. So that's what Malfurion is doing, but there can be some benefit from that time that he spends in Ardenweald, Ardenweald is a place of restoration, of recovery and now that the anima drought was dealt with, Ardenweald is getting back to what it was supposed to be in the first place, and it has ties to the Emerald Dream, so there's every possibility that Malfurion can come out of this with not only a new perspective on some things, but perhaps some new energies that he can tap into. We look forward to continuing that storyline when it makes sense to do so.

https://www.wowhead.com/news/dragonf...ight-elf-story
https://www.mmorpg.com/interviews/wo...ton-2000126686

So Malfurion is going to go back to what he did best for 10,000 years...sleeping in another ethereal realm and wandering alongside immortals and mythical creatures, until being awakened by a new urgent crisis to save his people.

[Aucald]

My immediate curiosity is just what kind of physical enhancement Malfurion is going to emerge with when he eventually returns to Azeroth. The last time he was slumbering for years in the Emerald Dream he came out with giant antlers, bear feet, and wings. Hard telling how a few years in Ardenweald will alter his appearance.

[liyroot]

Yeah I'm done.

Since WC3 my favorite race were the Night Elves. I loved how they were zenophobic assholes, thinking there were superior to all races. And they kind of were considering that they were immortal and the main drivers behind the entire history of Azeroth.
The only real exception was Malfurion. He came off to me as almost Godlike. Someone who's power and wisdom was extremely vast and unmatched on Azeroth. The only thing really constraining his potential was that he was asleep in the Emerald Dream.

Then Activision took over the story and woke him up and basically turned him into another peon of the humans. The fact that the night elves even joined the alliance is strange enough but it's nothing compared to how they neutered Malfurion. He should be the strongest mortal on Azeroth and easily the leader of the Alliance. He's over 10,000 years old (including all the other elves), has saved the world countless times, and yet now he simply quietly listen to a little blonde hair twink, 2000 times younger than him, tell them what to do. Even after the horde invaded NE land time and time again, the Night Elves did nothing but wait for orders. Malfurion is so impotent and ineffectual, every little shred of story he is given is always about how he's trapped, confused, and unable. It's as if these writers never played the old games.

[Syegfryed]

He should be dead by now to focus on new other night elf characters, another slumber is pointless and re-using an old narrative once again is boring

[Biomega]

It's as if these writers never played the old games.

Actually, I think the problem lies more in the opposite direction.

They're still obsessed with "WarCraft is Orcs vs. Humans", like it was in the original. The fact that the world has grown massively and that neither orcs NOR humans have served us with particularly good characters of late seems to have passed them by. So in their minds the idea that Alliance=humans, really and Horde=orcs, really has been far too cemented and colors all of their lore and developments.

In that sense, Sylvanas of all things was actually a good change, giving us a new perspective. Then of course they royally messed that up, and we're back to not just humans but a friggin' character from the OG games in Turalyon. The Horde at least has diversified a little (cynical me says it's because the main guy behind Thrall quit the company), but at its core, the Orcs vs. Humans idea still presses on the franchise like a dropped weight.

Malfurion is one example among many where they simply sidelined a main character for no real reason. He SHOULD be a major leader - instead he's effectively a quest giver, barely ever showing up in anything that doesn't DIRECTLY involve the NElfs or the Emerald Dream. Heck, Genn Greymane and Matthias Shaw have magnitudes more power and influence politically, and more story presence - because of course they're human (or close enough). Even Tyrande was reduced to a caricature in her recent appearances, first playing the insufferable whiny twat in Legion and then a mindless rage monster in SL. Meanwhile Golden Boy acts like he's the second coming, and everyone around him treats him that way, too. Cool writing.

[Skirdus]

We don't need Ysera back. We need Merithra to be treated as an actual character and not shoved aside for the sake of favoritism

[Tyris Flare]

TYRANDE!!

Malfurion is basically cyclops from the 90s X-men cartoon. JEAAAN!

Barely even a character really.

[Mysterymask]

Weren't you done like 10 years ago? Aren't you the guy that talks about how he quit so long ago and you've moved past the game but never stop posting about it?

Shhhh

This is MMO Champion

[Darknessvamp]

There's nothing interesting about arbitrarily dropping a character due to a random newly invented restriction as a result of another character suddenly being brought back who had their own newly random invented restriction imposed upon them to limit their use despite the fact everyone having already come to terms with the idea they'd seen the last of them two expansions ago due to the outcome of story and this all being used as the basis to suggest "yeah the next time we might use him if we ever give a thought to it he could totally be powered up of nowhere which we (the writers) think is really cool to just have happen with no observable development".

Malf should be less concerned with abandoning his people to revive deceased dragons who the 'Emerald dream' or what the fuck has decided has hit their expiry date in the 'mortal' world rebirth cycle that got turned mobius strip style with Ardenweald's introduction created due to it being the natural state of affairs and should instead working to actually help his people this time. You know show he actually learned from the stuff with Fandral and Xavius perverting his people's destiny and new home in the past whilst he decided to slumber and instead of him messing with the forces that governed everything natural instead of having him do something that isn't far off from the OG Lich King whose actions he was supposedly appalled by.

[liyroot]

Weren't you done like 10 years ago? Aren't you the guy that talks about how he quit so long ago and you've moved past the game but never stop posting about it?

You're right. Been using this website as a procrastination device. Your comment woke me up. Growth mindset. Never put off hard work. Thanks for this.

[Le Conceptuel]

You're right. Been using this website as a procrastination device. Your comment woke me up. Growth mindset. Never put off hard work. Thanks for this.

See you tomorrow.

[Le Conceptuel]

Yeah I'm done.

Since WC3 my favorite race were the Night Elves. I loved how they were zenophobic assholes, thinking there were superior to all races. And they kind of were considering that they were immortal and the main drivers behind the entire history of Azeroth.
The only real exception was Malfurion. He came off to me as almost Godlike. Someone who's power and wisdom was extremely vast and unmatched on Azeroth. The only thing really constraining his potential was that he was asleep in the Emerald Dream.

Then Activision took over the story and woke him up and basically turned him into another peon of the humans. The fact that the night elves even joined the alliance is strange enough but it's nothing compared to how they neutered Malfurion. He should be the strongest mortal on Azeroth and easily the leader of the Alliance. He's over 10,000 years old (including all the other elves), has saved the world countless times, and yet now he simply quietly listen to a little blonde hair twink, 2000 times younger than him, tell them what to do. Even after the horde invaded NE land time and time again, the Night Elves did nothing but wait for orders. Malfurion is so impotent and ineffectual, every little shred of story he is given is always about how he's trapped, confused, and unable. It's as if these writers never played the old games.

Hate to tell you, but the Night Elves have effectively been harmless misandrist smurfs since they inexplicably joined the Alliance in vanilla WoW.

[Mysterymask]

Tomorrow? That's generous lol. More like see you in 15 minutes

Now now he's not like other posters he has his totally real job in Japan and is absolutely definitely developing an MMO with none of the greedy things other mmos have

[Dancaris]

Probably Alliance counterpart for Vol'Jin. Cant Horde have any upperhand on anything.

[geco]

Another issue is that this is another promise that Blizzard now has with the Players especially the Kaldorei.

Malfurion has to come back and not just come back he has to have some new powers and use it in a way that he matters in the story.

And so he keeps adding Blizzard promises that he has to keep until he basically has to make an entire expansion just for the Kaldorei.

As much as I love it, it would be crap for those who don't like the Kaldorei.

Probably Alliance counterpart for Vol'Jin. Cant Horde have any upperhand on anything.

It already was without this Power-Up.

You're going to have Voljin on one side and basically the entire Kaldorei Cast on the other... But hey, they're only going to use one Kaldorei to level up.
But you're going to have to play the whole expansion thinking "Only aunt Voljin because Maiev and Tyrande are having tea. Otherwise the Horde was not necessary in this story."

[OwenBurton]

Yeah I'm done.

Since WC3 my favorite race were the Night Elves. I loved how they were zenophobic assholes, thinking there were superior to all races. And they kind of were considering that they were immortal and the main drivers behind the entire history of Azeroth.
The only real exception was Malfurion. He came off to me as almost Godlike. Someone who's power and wisdom was extremely vast and unmatched on Azeroth. The only thing really constraining his potential was that he was asleep in the Emerald Dream.

Then Activision took over the story and woke him up and basically turned him into another peon of the humans. The fact that the night elves even joined the alliance is strange enough but it's nothing compared to how they neutered Malfurion. He should be the strongest mortal on Azeroth and easily the leader of the Alliance. He's over 10,000 years old (including all the other elves), has saved the world countless times, and yet now he simply quietly listen to a little blonde hair twink, 2000 times younger than him, tell them what to do. Even after the horde invaded NE land time and time again, the Night Elves did nothing but wait for orders. Malfurion is so impotent and ineffectual, every little shred of story he is given is always about how he's trapped, confused, and unable. It's as if these writers never played the old games.

I actually thought some night elf players hated Malfurion because he was so "passive" and "neutral" during most Alliance-Horde conflicts. For example, he literally does nothing but watch when people assault his wife in Darnassus during raids, he didn't do really a thing against the Horde during the Cataclysm and Pandaria.

It was actually Tyrande who showed up in both Ashenvale and Orgrimmar, while Malfurion seemed to be doing whatever he does in Darnassus or Hyjal. Some Alliance players were even cheering his supposed leaked "death" before Battle for Azeroth because they felt he was too incompetent or docile for an ancient leader. Even in his improved appearance in War of the Thorns, Sylvanas was still seemingly at least his equal, and Saurfang later defeated him with an axe.

This night elf even left the Alliance and joined Ragnaros because of Malfurion's actions (or rather inaction thereof) the expansion he finally "returned" to his people, and she didn't seem to be the only one to do so:
https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Leyara

The point is, perhaps now he will improve himself in his long Ardenweald slumber?

[Nymrohd]

We don't need Ysera back. We need Merithra to be treated as an actual character and not shoved aside for the sake of favoritism

This. WHile I am annoyed about throwing Malfurion into the narrative fridge (so he can hang out with Sylvanas, Nathanos and Vol'jin) that is the Shadowlands, my main issue is that I actually like Merithra. She showed character in her BfA quests and her discussions with Alex and she seems like a grounded character I enjoyed interacting with in the later parts of the Plains questline. Why are we taking the spotlight from her becoming an Aspect and giving it to Ysera who has had ample more time (and failed to show any kind of character).

[voidox]

a lot of people on various forums/reddit/here/twitter/YT have gone over how absolutely dumb this all is, why bring back Ysera when Blizzard themselves were moving to use and develop Merithra? especially when there must be a stupid "sacrifice" the night elves have to suffer, as if a genocide wasn't enough -_-

also bringing back Ysera like this, even temporarily, just cheapens her death and sacrifice. It cheapens and shits on the WQ story in SL where she had to make the hard decision of using anima to revive Ysera or save it for others, and how that choice worked into the WQ and Elune sisters storyline of SL.

Daunser literally shitting on his own work, that's how much they care about the lore and story of warcraft.
__________________________________________________

why not have Tyrande be the one to sacrifice herself after we went through an entire expansion wasting her dumb night warrior arc? it would make more sense for Tyrande to do this as she's been to Arden and interacted with Ysera/WQ/so on, while Malfurion should be focused on the night elves and keeping their race alive (you know, stuff that makes sense).

Also this would give Malfurion some time in the spotlight and some agency for the night elves before bringing back Tyrande. The greatest druid on Azeroth and Blizzard keeps wasting the character.

This whole "sacrifice" thing is a problem Blizzard invented and are now solving just to eff over the night elves. THEY were the ones that had Ysera be bound to the SL for no apparent reason, so if they wanted to bring her back they could have skipped all that Night Fae nonsense and just had Ysera's pod be one of the first that's empowered and reborn (which is what Ardenweald is for anyway).

But no, the whole "this can't be undone" "maybe one day, with great sacrifice I can return" nonsense was clearly only so they can do a U-turn the very next expansion and go "one day is literally now" and "this can totally be undone" and "a random druid that means nothing to the WQ/SL can take my place".

Also, to the argument some people are putting forward that "Ysera needs to return to do some things that she needs to do", even that doesn't work to make this dumb story work. You can have Merithra be in the spotlight and you can easily have her talking to Ysera, for advice or w.e, as she develops as the new Green Flight leader.
___________________________________________________________

on the interview itself, of course Danuser would reference a story and have no idea what he's talking about.

"The myth of Persephone is about grief between a mother and daughter over abduction and r***.

Demeter became the goddess responsible for the seasons because she created the harvest, and when her daughter was abducted and assaulted she lost the will to maintain the crops in her mourning-- winter. When Persephone returned to her, her happiness rejuvenated her to her springtime duties. The seasons continue forevermore because the relationship with Hades was not consensual and never became as such. Persephone is associated with the changing of seasons, but she does not personally cause them.

It was not about strange powers brought back from the underworld, or trading places, taking a rest in the afterlife, or anything else."

literally nothing at all to do with the story here. As someone on wowhead put it, Danuser using this is like saying: "oh I have this story about aliens living in a feudal society who are green and that means my story is walking in the footsteps of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight"

but then this is what's to be expected from Danuser and co :/

[baskev]

Yes and no.

I think him going away does not hurt or benifit the story. He is the most AFK dude in the whole of WoW. Adds little to the story. but they need to do it with correct story telling. Not just because they can.

[OwenBurton]

especially when there must be a stupid "sacrifice" the night elves have to suffer, as if a genocide wasn't enough -_-

also bringing back Ysera like this, even temporarily, just cheapens her death and sacrifice. It cheapens and shits on the WQ story in SL where she had to make the hard decision of using anima to revive Ysera or save it for others, and how that choice worked into the WQ and Elune sisters storyline of SL.

Daunser literally shitting on his own work, that's how much they care about the lore and story of warcraft.
__________________________________________________

why not have Tyrande be the one to sacrifice herself after we went through an entire expansion wasting her dumb night warrior arc? it would make more sense for Tyrande to do this as she's been to Arden and interacted with Ysera/WQ/so on, while Malfurion should be focused on the night elves and keeping their race alive (you know, stuff that makes sense).

Also this would give Malfurion some time in the spotlight and some agency for the night elves before bringing back Tyrande. The greatest druid on Azeroth and Blizzard keeps wasting the character.

This whole "sacrifice" thing is a problem Blizzard invented and are now solving just to eff over the night elves. THEY were the ones that had Ysera be bound to the SL for no apparent reason, so if they wanted to bring her back they could have skipped all that Night Fae nonsense and just had Ysera's pod be one of the first that's empowered and reborn (which is what Ardenweald is for anyway).

But no, the whole "this can't be undone" "maybe one day, with great sacrifice I can return" nonsense was clearly only so they can do a U-turn the very next expansion and go "one day is literally now" and "this can totally be undone" and "a random druid that means nothing to the WQ/SL can take my place".

but then this is what's to be expected from Danuser and co :/

Malfurion's feats seem considerable when OUTSIDE the faction war, in relatively neutral areas such as holding Darkshore together or protecting Hyjal from its enemies such as Ragnaros. Against the Horde (for whatever reason), his record is in fact much more non-existent or dubious.