Abandoned plotholes: a list.

[Overlordd]

Let us create a list of all the abandoned plotholes Blizzard has dropped. I'll start with what I can think of so far:

-Humans choosing to become Worgens in order to not be risen as undead. This went in well with the dislike towards Worgen and viewing them as evil creatures (sadly this got dropped beyond Cataclysm for some reason)

-the red pox, Orcs and Broken Draenei got mutated and can not hold power from the light anymore

-undead grain, a plothole that the Legion could've used again, but was never ever brought up

-the Fel creating necromancy; basically the Fel was a way into getting necromancy, however this has probably been retconned with Shadowlands

Multiple versions of Velen but only one version of Archimonde, Kil'jaeden (one Legion across multiple realities)

Basically all of Shadowlands

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If you have any other forgotten plotholes, please let me know.

[Zendhal The Black]

Multiple versions of Velen but only one version of Archimonde, Kil'jaeden (one Legion across multiple realities)

Basically all of Shadowlands

[GR8GODZILLAGOD]

I don't think you know what a plot hole is.

"In fiction, a plot hole, plothole or plot error is a gap or inconsistency in a storyline that goes against the flow of logic established by the story's plot. Such inconsistencies include things as illogical, unlikely or impossible events, and statements or events that contradict earlier events in the storyline."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plot_hole

How is the Worgen and grain a plot hole?

[Overlordd]

I don't think you know what a plot hole is.

"In fiction, a plot hole, plothole or plot error is a gap or inconsistency in a storyline that goes against the flow of logic established by the story's plot. Such inconsistencies include things as illogical, unlikely or impossible events, and statements or events that contradict earlier events in the storyline."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plot_hole

How is the Worgen and grain a plot hole?

We just had BfA where the people of Stormwind fought against Banshee as she raised their soldiers without one going "hmmm maybe I do want to be worgen so I don't want to get raised"
So yeah, it is a plothole.
As for the grain one, it was quite effective and it worked, why was it never reused?

[Skirdus]

They've systematically introduced and immediately abandoned promising minor characters for several expansions for a while now, and many of these characters would have fit perfectly into future content patches or expansions but were never actually utilized for whatever reason.

A couple of them just off the top of my head:

• Tyrus Blackhorn was a satyr who betrayed the night elves to the Burning Legion during the Third War, and was imprisoned on Mount Hyjal as a result. During the Cataclysm, he tricked players into freeing him, and it was believed for a time that he might return during Legion due to its inclusion of satyrs and their connection to the Emerald Nightmare. However, nothing ever came of it, and Tyrus is still technically alive and in hiding to this day.
• Grand Magister Reglakk is an ogre from AU Draenor who helped developed the ogre felbreakers, such as Ko'ragh. He was encountered briefly in Nagrand and stated he would return to Highmaul, but was never actually encountered there during the raid. Given the current state of AU Draenor, it's likely that Reglakk is either dead or irrelevant nonetheless.

[Varodoc]

Alleria Windrunner in 8.3: The only leader in Azeroth who suggested an armistice with the Horde Loyalists to focus on fighting N'Zoth, is NOWHERE TO BE SEEN during the patch revolving around N'Zoth, she is not even mentioned once by Anduin, who was looking for advisors to fight the Old God. Despite the fact that in the previous patch Alleria was the only one focused on the threat posed by N'Zoth.

Alleria Windrunner in Shadowlands:

We spent months searching every inch of Azeroth for any sign of Sylvanas, only to learn that my sister has crossed into the realm of the dead.

<Alleria's eyes narrow.>

How fitting.

Though I long to join the hunt for her, right now my place is here. The Alliance must rebuild its strength, and I will aid Turalyon in that effort.

But when the time comes, I will see Sylvanas answer for what she had done.

Fast-forward to 9.1 and she is nowhere to be seen, is there a character that Blizzard hates more than Alleria? Nope. No character ever had their own storyline ended so abruptly and unceremoniously.

[Saltysquidoon]

I think you largely mean abandoned plotlines, not plot holes.
A couple of specifics though;
Turning into a worgen risks sending you mad.
The plague in grain largely worked due to the element of surprise, people know what the plague is now. Further with the lich king and death knights on azeroth the dreadlords would have to fight for control of these new undead, the lich king agreed to keep the scourge away from the legion for the same reason.
What about the red pox? It existed largely on another world and was modified by the shadow council.
Necromancy has been retcon'd ages ago.

[deenman]

alleria windrunner in 8.3: The only leader in azeroth who suggested an armistice with the horde loyalists to focus on fighting n'zoth, is nowhere to be seen during the patch revolving around n'zoth, she is not even mentioned once by anduin, who was looking for advisors to fight the old god. Despite the fact that in the previous patch alleria was the only one focused on the threat posed by n'zoth.

Alleria windrunner in shadowlands:




Fast-forward to 9.1 and she is nowhere to be seen, is there a character that blizzard hates more than alleria? Nope. No character ever had their own storyline ended so abruptly and unceremoniously.

mythic only phase confirmed

[Varodoc]

mythic only phase confirmed

Nope, because Blizzard specifically stated that Sylvanas raid fight won't have a Mythic-only phase despite every important final boss in the last 4 or so expansions having one.

It's like the stars aligned.

[deenman]

Nope, because Blizzard specifically stated that Sylvanas raid fight won't have a Mythic-only phase despite every important final boss in the last 4 or so expansions having one.

It's like the stars aligned.

4d chess move

[rayvio]

dropped storylines can be kind of plotholeish in that it doesn't make a lot of sense that they're just abandoned, but anyway here's a few of both

in Cataclysm Nefarian resurrects Onyxia after reading Frankenstein... but who resurrected Nefarian? Deathwing has never been shown to have that ability

the whole mess of the timeline that is Blackrock Depths

the sheer number of characters who just drop out of the story never to be heard from again

why there can be Outland materials growing in Quel'Danas but not BFA materials growing in Uldum and Vale of Eternal Blossoms in the BFA phases

the mysterious Darkmoon Isle deal with an unknown force strongly hinted to be an Old God

the Highmountain and Nightborne deciding to join the Horde despite both factions saving their arses in Legion... in fact pretty much every aspect of the arbitrary faction divide is something of a plot hole

what IS the Reliquary of Souls from Black Temple?

why did we need to go to the Battle of Mount Hyjal? there was no apparent attempt to change the timeline, no sign of any Infinite Dragons or anyone else... so who was interfering and how?

so if Illidan was really just misunderstood in Burning Crusade and we were wrong to kill him... why did he send an army of Blood Elves to attack Shatt'rath City? how does his while "I should have slaughtered your malformed brethren when I had the chance" speech tie into that? and while we're at it, why would he, when threatened by Kil'jaeden, flee from a world where Kil'jaeden cannot go and hide on a world he was conquered and has free access to?

Medivh was a recluse who had as little to do with other people as he could help but his tower has brothels and banquets

in Pandaria Wrathion mentions how the Burning Legion are the big threat he's preparing for and... he's absent the entirety of WoD and Legion and doesn't show up until we're against N'Zoth in BFA

the rest of the Bronze Dragonflight paying no notice to WoD at all

[huth]

We just had BfA where the people of Stormwind fought against Banshee as she raised their soldiers without one going "hmmm maybe I do want to be worgen so I don't want to get raised"
So yeah, it is a plothole.
As for the grain one, it was quite effective and it worked, why was it never reused?

Maybe they did but were simply counted as Worgen? Not everybody took that path.

As for the grain, it worked because it wasn't expected. It's burnt now.

Neither of those are plotholes.

They aren't dropped plots, either. At best, they're forgotten phlebotinum, though there's no really important reason too mention them.

[Shaetha]

Let us create a list of all the abandoned plotholes Blizzard has dropped. I'll start with what I can think of so far:

-Humans choosing to become Worgens in order to not be risen as undead. This went in well with the dislike towards Worgen and viewing them as evil creatures (sadly this got dropped beyond Cataclysm for some reason)

-the red pox, Orcs and Broken Draenei got mutated and can not hold power from the light anymore

-undead grain, a plothole that the Legion could've used again, but was never ever brought up

-the Fel creating necromancy; basically the Fel was a way into getting necromancy, however this has probably been retconned with Shadowlands


-
If you have any other forgotten plotholes, please let me know.

Not abandoned plot holes, abandoned plot threads. There is no such thing as a plot hole in a story that isn't completed.

[Volardelis]

Nope, because Blizzard specifically stated that Sylvanas raid fight won't have a Mythic-only phase despite every important final boss in the last 4 or so expansions having one.

It's like the stars aligned.

Azshara didn't have an old heroic / mythic only phase. Neither did Kil'jaeden (ToS) or even Deathwing (Dragon Soul). I would say those are important final bosses of raids. Given that one of them was also the primary antagonist of an expansion, Yet it was Ragnaros that got the bonus phase in Cata.

Even some less important ones like Mar'gok got the bonus phase treatment. Unless you are saying that Mar'gok was more important than say Blackhand in WoD. You know, the de facto second in command of the Iron Horde who's clan creates their weapons of war. I mean Beastlord got a bonus mythic phase (Faultline) and he was one of the intro bosses of Blackrock Foundry

- - - Updated - - -

why did we need to go to the Battle of Mount Hyjal? there was no apparent attempt to change the timeline, no sign of any Infinite Dragons or anyone else... so who was interfering and how?

This one was answered a long time ago. It was basically just a "wouldn't it be cool if we experienced this key part of warcraft lore in WoW" according to Metzen. My guess whoever wrote the part that the infinite dragonflight was messing around in there didn't get that message. Wouldn't be the first time that someone didn't get a memo when it comes to something (see Stonetalon Garrosh in Cata).

[Calfredd]

We just had BfA where the people of Stormwind fought against Banshee as she raised their soldiers without one going "hmmm maybe I do want to be worgen so I don't want to get raised"
So yeah, it is a plothole.
As for the grain one, it was quite effective and it worked, why was it never reused?

No a real plothole would be how Neptulon freed himself from Azshara's kraken between Cataclysm and Legion where he participated in the Shaman class order hall campaign.

[Le Conceptuel]

We just had BfA where the people of Stormwind fought against Banshee as she raised their soldiers without one going "hmmm maybe I do want to be worgen so I don't want to get raised"
So yeah, it is a plothole.
As for the grain one, it was quite effective and it worked, why was it never reused?

That’s bad writing and stupidity on the part of the characters, not a plot hole.

[Volardelis]

in Pandaria Wrathion mentions how the Burning Legion are the big threat he's preparing for and... he's absent the entirety of WoD and Legion and doesn't show up until we're against N'Zoth in BFA

Wrathion does make a cameo in WoD but that got removed when blizzard removed the legendary ring chain. He shows up and flies off after you defeat Cordana Felsong. Plus he did show up at Taylor's Garrison in Spires of Arak but that was before we arrived.

- - - Updated - - -

No a real plothole would be how Neptulon freed himself from Azshara's kraken between Cataclysm and Legion where he participated in the Shaman class order hall campaign.

This one was done in a tweet since the Abyssal Maw raid was cancelled. Basically Neptulon fought Ozumat and broke free. There was some cut content in Legion where Ozumat attacks you when you summon Neptulon however the Tidehunter arrives and subdues Ozumat. Claiming that he had tamed the beast. Keep in mind that Ozumat was most likely subjugated by the Naga to fight against Neptulon given that Ozumat shows up in Nazjatar on the other side of the water wall that was created by the Tidestone and his "neutral".

[cparle87]

Let us create a list of all the abandoned plotholes Blizzard has dropped. I'll start with what I can think of so far:

-Humans choosing to become Worgens in order to not be risen as undead. This went in well with the dislike towards Worgen and viewing them as evil creatures (sadly this got dropped beyond Cataclysm for some reason)

-the red pox, Orcs and Broken Draenei got mutated and can not hold power from the light anymore

-undead grain, a plothole that the Legion could've used again, but was never ever brought up

-the Fel creating necromancy; basically the Fel was a way into getting necromancy, however this has probably been retconned with Shadowlands


-
If you have any other forgotten plotholes, please let me know.

I think you might need to look up what a plot hole is, because none of these are that. They're plot points that have not been revisited since the last time they were relevant.

[ONCHEhap]

4d chess move

Danuser is playing 4d chess against himself and losing

[Baroclinic]

I feel like BfA and the whole sword killing the planet thing counts.

Also the whole Ebon Blade/Death Knight starting crusade. Come'on, does noone ever thing back on the absurdity of it since it was "cool". We were best buds with our lord and controller Arthas, only to have him lose all control over us because we find that we were overall, chess pieces to be sacrificed for a bigger chess piece?

But still wonder if this is talking plot holes or abandoned plot lines.