Posted by pixiestixy on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 - 48 Comments
Tags: arthas, arthas menethil, climax, culling of stratholme, icecrown, icecrown citadel, jaina proudmoore, kel'thuzad, lich king, mal'ganis, patch 3.3, redemption, second chance, star wars, stratholme, tragic fall, wrath of the lich king
This post may contain spoilers for anyone who hasn’t played through the Wrath of the Lich King expansion.
With the beginnings of Icecrown Citadel now on the PTR, it seems that the death of Arthas is on a lot of peoples’ minds. If you’ve been playing Wrath of the Lich King, you’re certainly at least vaguely familiar with the, well, wrath that the Lich King has brought to Azeroth. You’ve seen the destruction of waves of scourge under his command and the legions of indigenous peoples of Northrend enslaved under his control. But what of Arthas Menethil, the fallen paladin prince who ultimately unleashed the full power of the Lich King by merging with him?
Arthas’ story is, indeed, a tragic one. The only son of King Terenas Menethil II, Prince Arthas was a promising swordsman as a youth and a member of the purest paladin group, the Knights of the Silver Hand. He may have been perhaps a bit too quick to action, but the prince became a well-known, renowned warrior who, among other exploits, defended Quel’Thalas from an attack by a group of forest trolls.
Perhaps the turning point in Arthas’ life came with the rise of the plague of undeath. While investigating the plague, Arthas and his group, including Jaina Proudmoore, fight an undead army and encounter Kel’Thuzad, the plague-bringing necromancer. During this attack, Kel’Thuzad mentions Mal’Ganis. On their way to Stratholme and Mal’Ganis, Arthas learns that the plague is not just killing innocent people; but turning them into an undead army. Every soldier who had fallen while defending Lordaeron would become an undead puppet. Arthas, who wanted to be the one in control of the situation, was perhaps driven a little crazy knowing that even in his death, Kel’Thuzad had triumphed. As it turns out, this was the Lich King’s intention all along.
Although the prophet Medivh and Jaina both suggest that Arthas should head to Kalimdor and not to Stratholme, Athas’ headstrong manner guides him against that advice. He drives onward to another spot of his unraveling. Arthas pledged to do anything to protect his people - even if it meant the extreme step of killing those who were on the brink of becoming undead in the Culling of Stratholme. Some viewed it as murder; But I see it as the tragic fall of a hero - Arthas sacrificed his own humanity in the hopes that it would prevent the spread of the plague.
Perhaps haunted by what he had done, Arthas grows ever-obsessed with the intention of eradicating the plague. He tracks the source to Northrend and, once again in the hopes that it will help protect his people, takes up the cursed runeblade Frostmourne. As we know, it has quite the opposite effect. From there, the downfall becomes rapid. Arthas begins losing his soul and his sanity. He finally destroys Mal’Ganis, but only to help free the Lich King and take control of the Scourge. Eventually, the Lich King and Arthas become one… or do they? Perhaps with the approaching climactic battles of Icecrown Citadel in Patch 3.3, we shall see.
Could Arthas’ true consciousness still be buried deep within the Lich King? Or has he been so completely tainted that he never could be found again? I would draw a comparison to Star Wars’ Anakin Skywalker, so consumed by the Dark Side that he lost his true self until just before his death.
Take that a step further - what if, by chance, Arthas knew that taking up the Frostmourne would eventually kill the Lich King by giving him a human form, and he was willing to lose himself in the process? Would the end justify the means?
Personally, I’d like to see the former Arthas come out once again (and it seems some of you would, too), somehow, in Icecrown Citadel. But even if he did somehow live and separate himself from the Lich King, could he redeem himself after all the horror he inflicted upon his people? If given the choice, would you allow Arthas to have a second chance?
Related Posts: Arthas And The Lich King’s Enemies, How Do You Want Arthas To Die?, Rogue Does It From Behind; I Die, Don’t Rule Out Garrosh Hellscream Just Yet, E3 and Me,
By Rayze on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
I want to see him die. period. They make you hate him so much through out the expansion that i just want to see him die. no redemption…no “finally i’m free” speech…just his head chopped off or something equally dramatic. thats my two cents….
By Ryan on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 4:55 pm
First
By Helgrym on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
I like the idea of Arthas planning the whole thing, as for what will actually happen, I wouldn’t put anything past Blizzard. I do know it will be awesome though.
By Azurienatei on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 5:09 pm
As stated in my previous posts on the ‘How do you want Arthas to die’ article, I think its possible, but ONLY after death, or by means of self sacrifice somehow. He truly did have the potential to be a good king. Its just as WoWwiki says, though, he couldn’t differentiate his equals from his people, as in his mind, he was equal with them. In a way, this is a good thing since it meant he loved all his subjects. On the other hand it made him go crazy, wanting to keep them all safe by himself. It could all have been avoided, if he’d listened to those who were actually his equals (Jaina) and in some cases his betters (Uther).
By Puestarion on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
IF he lives, they’ll probably exile hgim tirion fordring style. A few expansions later he’ll pick up the ashbringer and kill Sargeras or something
By Michael on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 5:28 pm
This is what I and i’m sure many other people have been waiting for since they started playing WoW. After all Arthas and the lich kings story goes all the way back to Warcraft 3, and his change into the Lich King made the foundations of the World of Warcraft. So it would be suitable for his death or whatever to change the world yet again. But no matter what happens, Blizzard has to make it EPIC!
By fuzzy1023 on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
@Ryan u were 2nd. roflpwned.
i think he should live on and help in the fight against deathwing
By Edward Soto on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
I stopped playing WoW just becouse i knew too much, and i wanted to play aion but couldtn afford both, neays, now Arthas makes me miss the game. . .but i wanna see his ass dead, like dead, like the most epic battle ever and then a in-game cinimatic, im not talking Wrathgate cinimatic, but like the Wrath of the Lich King trailer cinimatic, just epic. either that or they jsut make him unbeatable, but thats not ganna happen. Altho on the other hand of leaving the game, i feel a bit better knowing that im not ganna kill him. . .i just cant imagine killing Arthas.
By Carlos aka Kershocker on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 6:00 pm
My guess is that if Arthas survives, he will be /gkicked from Knights of the Silver Hand.
Arthas is, for me at least, THE most important character in the World… of Warcraft.
Sargeras? Yeah, he’s important as well, but most of us had Arthas as the main character when we started our Warcraft Career (Warcraft III in my case).
He deserves to live, period.
By whitesuperman26 on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 6:02 pm
really good job on the lore review… its all right..but i think the true turning point for Arthas was the death of his horse Invincible that he indirectly caused. and when that happened he swore to himself that he wouldn’t let anything happen to his people, no matter what. other than that you are spot on.
By whitesuperman26 on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 7:21 pm
One more thing, He actually is the Lich King. In his 4 year dream ( the time he spent Idle on the frozen throne) Was when he Killed what was left of the lich king and his arthas’ old self and he actually became the Lich King. (btw i got all of this Information from Arthas: Rise of The Lich King by Christie Golden)
By Staffan on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 7:23 pm
As I commented on the former blog post: Arthas was evil long before he even heard of Frostmourne. Stratholme could be seen as a “tough call”, akin to amputating a gangrenous limb before it poisons the rest of the body (not that it helped much), but his vengeance-driven decisions after that doomed him. Especially the whole betrayal of his own troops by burning their ships in Northrend.
And to suggest that there might be a sliver of goodness left in Arthas worthy of redemption is an insult, when there are other bosses in the game that get killed without a second thought, all the way down to poor Edwin van Cleef, who only wanted to get paid for the work he and his men did rebuilding Stormwind.
By whitesuperman26 on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
also @ Carlos, All the knights are dead….he killed them in Warcraft 3. But one was killed during the second war.
By Dr.Awesome on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
ok i think i know whats goin to happen since deathwing is coming. ur team will fight him to lets say 20%and arthas kneels and plunges Frostmoure into the groud For allies: Miss Proudmoure teleports tirion fordring and varian to his throne :horde Sylvanis will come out of stealth next to him. MIss Proudmoure will come up to him and pull off his helm and weep forcing the love of her heart onto him making the undead in him abolished and Arthas comes back. Sylvanis will come out and force arthas to tell her if he wants redemtion he says no she pulls off his mask and shoots him. The Lich King dies inside of him and is forced to retreat into the mask arthas is good good knock knock. then he might kill deathwing who knows
By cocopuff on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
i didnt realize how far lich king goes and we wont be kil sargeras for a really long while i do not believe that the lich king isnt controllling arthas like sources say they are one if jaina or anyone elllse wanto save him they are going to have slap the lich king out of him to free arthas something ellse epic is sylvannar and jaina fighting each other jaina looked really good in the tales of the past series and all those characters going to be involved in battle should some upgraded gear
By Decado on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
I have a new theory. (sort of)
Arthas and The Lich King will engage in some sort of mental battle at 1% health. Arthas will beg Jaina to kill him. Jaina will, of course, refuse then sylvanas will put an arrow in-between his eyes.
By Conchuir on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Arthas… an Anakin by any other name…
By xxdeathangel on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 7:37 pm
no1 has thought of this what if frostmourne breaks and all the souls come out including frostmournes first victim arthas and kill the lich king? then they are all at peace even arthas? that seem like a good ending?
By Cryos on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
How could he be redeemed? If you did the quest in Icecrown with his heart, you learn that there isn’t anything left of arthas to redeem. He’s evil to the bone.
By cocopuff on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
dr no offence but i think that would be the cornyest ending ever dude we should fight him till his last point now if we are talking bringing good all arthas back then like i said we need to slap the lich king out of him what i allways thought cool is the lich king splits in 2 and one half turns into ner’zhull ner’zhul rejoince with arthas and he becomes half shaman half pally and BTW the silver hand doesnt exist anymore the argent dawn and silver hand joined togather to form the argent crusade
By Cryos on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 7:45 pm
RE to DR. Awesome: You have terrible foresight. No offense.
By Michael on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 8:11 pm
omg to this is too painful, I may have to stop playing Aion and come back to WoW just to see what happens to arthas and the the Lich King.
By Puestarion on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 8:32 pm
@whitesuperman26 False~! Tirion Fordring, the guy who leads the scarlet crusade, and Turalyon( who Disappeared, not died, ,during the second war) are all knights. Knights of the Silver hand is more of a general term for alliance, non-draenie paladins. Plus the few that are left merge with the argent dawn under the guidance of Tirion to form the argent crusade.
By Urziel on Thursday, October 8th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
@Cryos
Yep, afraid so. Even Tirion himself said when examining the heart of Arthas. “There is no more Arthas Menethil. There is only The Lich King.”
By ofigennoe.ru on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 12:06 am
How much money would an average college philosopher make?
By AluKarD on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 12:21 am
i would like him to die somehow like the southpark episode recarding WoW, with his head smashed by his own old hammer XD
By Daemonbane on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 2:47 am
OK, i kind of agree with Staffan, he was evil at first, but he didn’t know it. Now, he fell the same way that Kel’Thuzad fell. The Lich King ( soul trapped in his big frozen iceberg) expanded his conscience over Azeroth to find week minded mortal souls that had enough evil i them for Mr. LK to use against them. Kel fell first and then Mr. LK found Arthas’s mind. That’s what I believe.
By Daemonbane on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 2:49 am
OH and Finally, even though it’d be awsome for Arthas to return all good and Bad ass, I agree with Urziel, he’s gone.
By iTZKooPA on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 6:08 am
In my eyes, there is absolutely no way he can be redeemed. Even if he took up Frostmourne in an altruistic way, he effectively dropped a nuke on the planet, killing everyone Solidsamm holds dear (wait a minute…), because one of those people may have done it themselves.
I’d also like to point out that The Lich King was entirely helpless and under duress when he began twisting Arthas. There’s a good chance that TLK would have simply been destroyed if Arthas hadn’t intervened.
By Mr.Vincent on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 6:22 am
Supposedly, Arthas IS The Lich King now…Ner’Zhul is no more…which blows. Either way, it doesn’t matter who the Lich King is this month, Arthas must die with no questions asked. There is no redemption, don’t ever take sides with anyone against the family again, ever. HE MURDERED HIS FATHER!!!! Have Saurfang cleave his brains out.
If Arthas is redeemed, I demand Ner’Zhul be redeemed.
By Krisnan on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 6:27 am
dead, plain and simple i want his ass dead, ive got a forsaken who hates arthas, a be dk who hates arthas and a be paly who also hates arthas…so i want his ass dead in the most epic way possible no redemption no exile i wan sylvannas to shoot his corpse full of arrows i want him dead. yah.
By cozmus on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 7:05 am
Arthas will die, and he should. But I believe he will play a concious role in his own defeat, much like Darth Vader.
By chimpski on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 8:07 am
Awesome post!
Arthas will be saved. That is what WoW is leading to not his destruction, but his salvation. I think a lot of the comments are spot on.
@whitesuperman26
Christie Golden may have written about his killing off the lich king inside him, but that doesn’t mean it worked, and there is no reason to say the lore could be that Arthas failed in ridding himself of the lich king.
By rin on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 8:49 am
I think that arthas should be released from the lich king’s control, however queen sylvanas is unaware of this and so one shots his face, he then makes a ‘decently’ long speech about why he did all that evil stuff ^^
By Keahi on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 8:55 am
I think the Arthas book answers this question pretty clearly.
By Grushnarok on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 10:00 am
As a lot of people said already I want Arthas the Lich King dead because again he was evil before he took up Frostmourne and killed Mal’ganis. My opinion is kill lich king and redeem Ner’zhul like have Thrall absorb his soul or something like that and grant Thrall all of his wisdom and powers and because of that Thrall as we all know becomes the next guardian of Tirisfal that would make sense. Ner’zhul’s redemption also makes sense because his soul was ripped out of his body after he understood that something was wrong when the elements stopped speaking to him and he found out that Kil’Jaeden made them slaughter the peaceful Draenei and make them into blood thirsty savages
By Ponyboyy on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 12:07 pm
I think Arthas can and will be redeemed, but the redmeption will be a tragic one.
As you stated Arthas fell to the power of the Scourge, like Anakin died. Well What happened to Anakin? He died saving the galaxy. The same might happen to Arthas, you fight the LK, he suddenly gets all his power back, and gets ready to one shot everyone. Then Arthas comes into small control and stabs himself in his chest. You Hear some dialogue between the 2 and bang, you can kill the Lich King.
In a quest line in Icecrown, you find Arthas’s Heart, at the end of the quest line, Tirion destroys the heart of Arthas. With the destruction of his heart, what is he going to do spend the rest of his days in solitude being hated by everyone with a magical heart, I don’t think so. I think Arthas will do one great act of his rebellious attitude, and sacrifice himself, so the Lich King can die.
By Kazzoo on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 12:38 pm
actually if i remember the thing that introduce the cata expansion it doesnt seem that he actually does die cause it says “as the war on the lich king continues” so im not sure but im guessing it will b revealed in the later expansion but it would b cool if he dies but ppl will b able 2 see his soul and stuff.
By Kyle on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 2:17 pm
read the book about arthas, in the begining, it says that a little boy (arthas), an orc (nerzuhl), and arthas the death knight were seen in a dream. arthas killed the little boy (implying that the old arthas was to never return) and he killed nerzuhl, making the death knight arthas all powerful and only he controls his destiny, not the lich king OR his old self
By cocopuff on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
ner’zhul soul was whisped into the LK so in simple terms it wass ner’zhuls whisped sould AKA the lich king causing all the mayham arthas was just an outlet for all of this. the arthas we knew is gone the price of lordearon is no more all taht remains of him is his body i am not in the least bit expecting arthas fighting the LK since HE IS THE LK he is souless he is heartless not a shread of human being remains in him i stand by my theory that we should slap the LK out of him somehow turn him back to ner’zhul and ner’zhul joince with athases body a way of redeeming both the former arthas and ner’zhul but make no mistake about it is ner’zhul using arthases body as his vassel just as arthas did i think thats a fair solution
By Syleth on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 7:35 pm
Arthas was a spoiled little bitch-ass princess and deserves to die and hopefully gets destroyed by Sylvannas. Besides if u read Christie Goldens, he’s this big bitchy guy who dooms his own people and all that starts because of the loss of his stupid horse, Death to the punk, arthas
By Syleth on Friday, October 9th, 2009 at 7:38 pm
Arthas was a spoiled little bitch-ass princess and deserves to die and hopefully gets destroyed by Sylvannas. Besides if u read Christie Goldens book Rise of the lich King he’s this big cry babyand dont forget he was warned and this guy still dooms his own people. Hopefully this is the end of that punk
By Derxor on Saturday, October 10th, 2009 at 12:22 am
I’m not sure if this has been posted or not but theres a quest in icecrown where the lich king gets the heart off arthas. Tiorn hopes to see this as a way to reedem him but now knows that his heart is dark and plunges the ashbringer into this. I’m not sure but this probbably severly weakens the lich king becuase nearly every encounter where he fless he seems to get weakend
But now his heart is gone there is no orignal Arthas left.
Forustmournes fate questions me though is it something good for us or bad for us. Oh well we will just have to w8 and see
By Azazel on Saturday, October 10th, 2009 at 10:38 pm
I’d like when your realm kills arthas on 25 heroic or something that his odd self split as a ghost and stand out side of ICC and maybe give us a buff?
By Azurienatei on Sunday, October 11th, 2009 at 7:50 pm
To finish Conchuir’s statement:
Arthas…. An Anakin by any other name would still be a whiny brat
By Togarox on Tuesday, October 13th, 2009 at 9:00 am
I would definately like to see arthas dead. There is no possible way that he will split with the lich king once the fight is over. After all, they destroyed his heart. So once the Lich King is dead, so is Arthas.
Even if Arthas were to live, it wouldn’t be for long. Arthas betrayed his people looong before he became the lich king (as we see in CoS). He has caused his people (and the horde) many casualties. He destroyed his own home and let it be taken by the undead. He caused the scar going up Ghostlands and Eversong Forest. He made the Kirin Tor go into hiding for many years inside their city and the Gilneas to trap themselves behind the Greymane wall.
He is the whole reason we are in Northrend. If he doesn’t die in the last fight in the Lich King then he will be hunted for the rest of his life by everyone on the horde and alliance who has had to suffer.
By Wyrdfayth on Sunday, October 25th, 2009 at 10:23 pm
“Eventually, the Lich King and Arthas become one… or do they?”
No, they don’t.
Remember the game is not the only source of canon. In the novel Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, it is revealed that Arthas is NOT ‘lost within the LK’ as is popularly believed, but quite the opposite. Only moments after banishing his humanity (via slaying his surreal childhood form in his dreamworld), Arthas also slays the dreamworld-Ner’zhul. The orc had been going on about what ‘we’ could accomplish now that he’d finally abandoned his humanity, to which Arthas replies after stabbing Ner’zhul as well: “No. No we. Now there is only I. I am the Lich King. And I am ready.”
Now, as to whether this confirms he’s evil.. Well, as just stated, the Lich King is fully Arthas. However, Chris Metzen has been quoted as calling the LK the “perfect fusion” of the two, “Arthas’s body and personality, and Ner’zhul’s wisdom, experience, power, and evil”. (;3 We won’t go too far into this implying Arthas himself isn’t evil..) I admit I have not found this quote on any site more official than WoWWiki, but I also have and can screenshot an e-mail from Blizzard very much endorsing WoWWiki as a resource for thorough and accurate lore info. Given it has not been corrected in all this time, it remains safe to assume it is correct. ^^ So how can both bits be true? Well, personally I’ve found only one potential explanation: Arthas has rid himself of Ner’zhul’s influence, but retained what benefits it gave him. This seems plausible, yes? I’ve even had GMs agree to the likelyhood of this. ^^ But then…. mustn’t the same be true of his humanity? That is to say: doesn’t it seem very likely then that Arthas has rid himself of involuntary emotion, guilt, etc; but retains the ABILITY to feel?
“But his heart!” Yeah.. And you’re going to try to cling to the argument that a single small physical organ means his surreal mental-emotional ‘heart’ was also destroyed, especially after canon showed us Lady Sylvanas with no soul and NO body in any amount and still extremely capable of a wide variety of emotions?
“But Muradin-” This is an issue indeed. =/ I honestly 100% believe that the portrayal of this event in-game is intended by Blizzard as propoganda… Because it contradicts both the Warcraft III version in which it was sort of just “hey, looks like Muradin was killed” AND the more in-depth novel version in which Arthas TRIED TO HEAL Muradin, albeit granted he was seduced away before finishing by Frostmourne. Given the three versions all being extremely different however, it becomes difficult to use this factor either way in the argument, although if any account should be used, the novel should technically be most accurate given the more in-depth nature of books over games and the fact it came first-hand rather than second.
“But Tirion said-” Screw Tirion Fordring. T.T If Undead can be Priests, there’s at least one DK who can still wield the Light, and not one single mortal (or immortal for that matter) deserves the Light’s grace in the first place, who is Tirion as no more than another imperfect mortal, however devoted, to say that anyone is beyond its grace? Way to speak for an almighty omniscient force, you jerk.
“What about the Cul-” Ha. First, let’s discuss how horrendously the instance is portrayed in-game. (Other than CoS-Arthas looking like John Travolta.. xD I am SO serious. Look up pics and compare. ROFLMAO.) The game didn’t show you Arthas’s previous encounters with the plague. It didn’t show you he’d witnessed people- as prince, HIS people- actually going through the turning process, seeing with his own eyes right in front of him the pain and agony they went through. It didn’t show you he knew very well just how quickly the plague could take hold. It didn’t show you how much he hated it, how much he kept second-guessing. It didn’t show you how much Uther’s lack of support hurt him, or how devastating Jaina’s decision was after she had promised him she’d NEVER deny him, especially given Arthas had been all this time making plans for his proposal and their wedding and future once the plague had been taken care of. It didn’t show you that he kept his helm ON (xD I joke his interface must’ve had the Display Helm option turned off! LOL~) to hide his fear and doubt and grief. And it didn’t show you how he bowed in the gateway and prayed “Father, forgive me for what I’m about to do.” Does it still seem so ruthless?
Now, as to “well he didn’t look for another option”. There was no time. Seriously. There wasn’t. Arthas knew how fast the plague could take hold, and DIDN’T know how long it had been since they’d been infected. They MIGHT have had as long as an hour with the best of luck, or they could have been swimming in zombies had they waited another five minutes. None of the judgemental anti-Arthas players can say what they would have done different, because every one of us have had all the time in the world to think about it as much as we’d like; Arthas didn’t. But regardless, let’s look at what other options there could have been, shall we? Wait, and… Well, that’s as far into any other plan we need to go, isn’t it? The fact of the matter is no, not EVERY citizen would have been turned. But the VAST majority would have, and those not turned undead would be killed BY the undead. So try weighing the options from that perspective. (A) They can all die, either by the worst agony one can experience followed by being enslaved by demons and their comrades and forced to kill those you once called friend, or by being killed painfully by said slaves who also happen to be terrifying for a lasting fear effect before your death. (B) They can all die the swiftest, cleanest death that can be spared given the circumstances by the hand of their prince, creating a shocked-fear factor prior to death, but being spared the slavery of undeath and finding peace in their rest afterward. ……. Yeah. Given plan B, history takes its current course. Given plan A, not only is Strat doomed to death, but now Arthas, his lover, his mentor, and his men are all in far graver danger as well, any or all also risking death, and had they failed, the then-turned population of Stratholme would have been free to ravage Lordaeron, killing even MORE innocent people. One city’s lives.. Countless lives… =/ It isn’t a very difficult choice, is it? Arthas knew how horrific the choice was, but there simply was NOT time for a cleaner alternative, and the Culling as it occured WAS the least of evils available.
Let us not forget the biggest factor in all this however: Lady Jaina Proudmoore! ;D
Also in the novel, we discover via Jaina’s thoughts that anything accomplished with magic can be undone with magic if one can figure out how. ^^ The plague is magical. Frostmourne’s hold on Arthas’s soul is magical. Arthas’s bond with Ner’zhul, or whatever may be left of it, is magical. Jaina Proudmoore is the single most powerful mortal user of the arcane- and all three major branches- that we are currently aware of. Jaina is the reason we know about the magic beats magic thing. Jaina is the person who above all others on Azeroth wants to see Arthas redeemed. ^^ Coincidences? I hope not!
(So if the plague is magical couldn’t they have used magic to stop the plague instead of the Culling? That’s the event where we find out that rule, and Jaina also admits there isn’t nearly the time to figure out how. Jaina very clearly admits, though not allowed, that she knows Arthas was right about the Culling being the only choice even. ^^ Note she never said “You’re wrong”, just “I can’t watch you do this.” ^^)
;3 It isn’t as though he’s half as much an ass as people seem to think, either. Who’s seen the cinematic where he kills his dad? Now, how many of you noticed the brief moment where he stops and catches a rose petal, stares at it thoughtfully, then casts it away as it wilts from his touch? ^^ Did many of you know he was being haunted, thinking of how he’d longed to see Jaina showered in rose petals like this at their wedding someday? || Also as a Death Knight, shortly after that, many are familiar with the WC3 quote “Yes, I’ve damned everyone and everything I’ve ever loved in his name, and I still feel no remorse. No shame. No pity.” Not so many are familiar with the next line- a tiny voice in his mind, NOT the now-familiar voice of Frostmourne, but ‘from his own heart of hearts’: “Liar.” ^^ Most powerful single word line in Warcraft imo~ || Even after fusing with the Lich King, after five long years of slumber becoming colder and colder, after six years or more of telling himself he’d “loved” Jaina Proudmoore, past tense; in the moments just before stabbing his dream-child-self (banishing his humanity), Arthas said “You are my love for Jaina, my love for my father.” ^^
Now, as to the rest of the world’s reactions… Only time could tell, really… But to be honest given their past relationship I could see Varian Wrynn trusting Arthas again long before trusting Thrall.. ‘xD; After all, Arthas had a rough spot, but prior to that he and Varian grew up almost like brothers, whereas Varian has ALWAYS had problems with Orcs. I do have to say, though, if Arthas were redeemed, he has the power to call off the vast majority of the Scourge forces.. ‘^^; So it isn’t as though he’s without a method to prove his change. Again though, only time, really. It wouldn’t be nearly the first or last time major lore chars held a lasting grudge, nor the first or last they were able to look beyond past transgressions.
And could he live after if he were redeemed? Well, given he’s in complete control right now and surviving from necromantic magic, I don’t see how a change of attitude is going to suddenly strip that power given it’s now fully his. Skeletons walk around on Azeroth, so I’m sure Arthas can keep functioning with just one organ missing. ;P
But all in all, if he weren’t evil, why would all of this have happened in the first place? Why would fans like me who have done more research than average NEED to defend his name? What else would drive him to such actions?
You see, Arthas has a SEVERE perfection complex. No, not in the sense that he believes he IS perfect. Rather, he believes he SHOULD be, and it drives him absolutely insane when he can’t live up to that. To be perfectly honest, the entire course of Azeroth’s major history over the past decade or so has been shaped exponentially by the death of one horse. (xD Yes for real.) Arthas had failed at endeavors before, but nothing he couldn’t come back and succeed at later with practice. Arthas’s first steps toward his path didn’t come from the plague, the Culling, etc, no; when Invincible died by Arthas’s own foolhardiness, THAT started him down his path. He couldn’t fail again. He was crown prince- someday he’d be king! It was his blood-given duty to protect his kingdom. He could not fail again, could not fail anyone else as he’d failed Invincible. When the plague surfaced, there was never a time when it was solely about winning or revenge. Those became factors, and bigger than they should have been perhaps. But overall, he could NOT lose, because to do so would be to fail as a prince, to fail as a paladin and protector. After receiving Frostmourne, he became convinced being Scourge was better for his kingdom. This isn’t really surprising given the original Lich King was made by the power of the Legion; the Legion is led by Sargeras; and Sargeras only leads the Legion on its path of destruction as a means of purging the universe, seeking out and destroying corruption.
And now still, it is this complex, this sheer TERROR of failure that keeps Arthas down his path. He cannot turn from it. If it wasn’t the right path, he would have turned from it… right? This is his train of thought. To change his mind it to admit his first decision was wrong, and to have been wrong means he has failed.
Arthas isn’t evil. Arthas is just an extremely powerful, somewhat rash, and immeasurably strong-willed victim of his own childish fear. ^^
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TL;DR: Will Arthas be redeemed? Only Metzen knows for certain until the last patch of WotLK is actually here and active, neh? But CAN he be redeemed? ^^ Yes; yes he can. Canon evidence supports this over and over and over.
By Wyrdfayth on Sunday, October 25th, 2009 at 10:56 pm
Regarding the Jaina paragraph: “though not ALOUD”.. << Stupid type-o’s..
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Anyone doubt the bit about Invincible? :3 Seems to me Arthas STILL loves at least that horse if nothing else. For evidence, just LOOK at ICC~ ^^ The thing is COVERED in skeletal horse heads, from engravings on the doors to the giant prongs on the central tower, which are upon closer inspection the horns of two skeletal horse heads. ;3 Arthas only has one skeletal horse as far as we know~ Hehe. Gigantic tributes ftw.
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…. xD Arthas = luff. *SHOT* … << I’m NOT an obsessed fangirl.. … The desire to name my firstborn son Arthas proves nothing.. xD *shotagain*
Seriously though, we’ve killed or tried our best to kill every boss so far. The players who only want to kill stuff have gotten their way every single time. Isn’t it about time the lore fans got something just once? I’ve long said what a lot here have been saying: Arthas is a lot like Vader. He’s corrupted immensely, but still in control, still able to feel, and not beyond redemption however unlikely it may seem. What better boss could there be for it?
If they can find a way to do it well, I wouldn’t protest Ner’zhul’s redemption as well, assuming there’s anything left of him. But Arthas is more redeemable. After all, under Ner’zhul’s rule, the Scourge’s goal was to kill everything. Arthas could care less what lives or dies, though he has no problem killing what gets in his way. All in all though, he just wants what he’s always been told was his birthright: to rule. If people will submit to that rule in life, that’s fine by him. ;P