author: Bart Swiatek
WoW Shadowlands Reveals Sylvanas' Plan
An animated scene depicting a conversation between Sylvanas Windrunner and King Anduin Wrynn sheds some light on the motivation of the former in the Shadowlands expansion for the MMORPG World of Warcraft.
IN A NUTSHELL:
- Sylvanas Windrunner's conversation with King Anduin on a cut-scene from WoW: Shadowlands reveals the motivation behind Banshee Queen's actions;
- The undead elf wants to destroy the existing afterlife and replace it with a solution that would be "just".
One of the mysteries that have been puzzling World of Warcraft fans since the announcement of Shadowlands was what Sylvanas Windrunner really wants to achieve. The former leader of the so-called Forsake (an undead faction belonging to the Horde) allied with the mysterious Jailer and defeated the Lich King, but so far we could only guess for what purpose. The cut-scene presenting Sylvanas' conversation with the captured King Anduin Wrynn sheds a lot of light on this issue.
It seems that the Banshee Queen just wants to turn the existing world order upside down. She believes that the afterlife of Azeroth is unjust, and that mortals have no true free will and are led from birth to death, often followed by a rather unpleasant eternity. What would Sylvanas like to replace the current model? For now we can only guess.
Interestingly, Sylvanas' argumentation is not entirely pointless. For example, in the world of Warcraft , loved ones are often separated after death, and one faction in the afterlife literally erases the memories of souls, giving them a new existence and responsibilities - it is difficult to consider it a pleasant fate. The undead elf definitely knows what she's talking about, because she happened to die twice already. The first time she was murdered by Arthas Menethil - during the events told in Warcraft 3 - and the second time she committed suicide and ended up in the Warcraft equivalent of hell, from which she managed to get out (and thus come back to life) thanks to a pact with the Val'kyrs.
On the other hand... on her way to her goal, the undead ruler committed numerous betrayals and crimes, murdering and provoking wars to send the souls of the dead to the Jailer. A case of the ends justify the means? Apparently, yes, but it is worth remembering road to what place, according to the saying, is paved with good intentions. After all, Prince Arthas, hated with passion by Sylvanas, initially also "meant well". That's why he accepted help from a dark power that was supposed to give him a chance to defend the Lord of the Plague... I wonder if the Banshee Queen realizes how similar she became to her hated enemy.
