According to wowhead’s Interview with Shadows Rising Author:
Nathanos’ relationship with Sylvanas is strained. The dynamic is clearly unhealthy where she gives him orders and he obeys. Nathanos may not even know about Sylvanas’ larger goal.
It’s sad how while Nathanos is loyal to her, she’s clearly loyal to something else. They’re not devoted to each other to the same degree.
Even if you’re not a fan of Nathanos, his complete rejection by Sylvanas at the end of the novel should have an emotional impact–we’ve just spent the whole book following him around, showing how loyal he is.
His fate is not surprised at all. Everyone knows this is the inevitable for a Sylvanas loyalist. A proper ending of a banshee simp.
That’s not really a surprise, and honestly I always had problems thinking that Sylvanas and Nathanos were both in a healthy relationship like a real couple even when they were both alive. Basically, even back then, she just wanted a human … pet…for herself (fitting methaphor because she’s a Ranger ) and she probably bossed him around a lot even back then in the Farstriders. It’s likely that Prince Kael’thas had forbidden to bring a Human in Quel’thalas and she just wanted to prove a point to him that he could train him as a Farstrider and make him the first Human Ranger Lord.
But that’s it, there was never a true love from her part, she just wanted a pet to boss around and to prove a point to Kael and Lor’themar that she could train him despite they didn’t agree. So from Sylvanas’ point of view it was a love-hate relationship toward Nathanos since the beginning.
But this is likely a common point for all the Windrunner sisters, actually…Vereesa did love Rhonin, but she also took advantage of him to safely live in Dalaran with plenty of magical artifacts for herself, the High Elves and her own children while the majority of the Blood Elves were suffering in the destruction of Quel’thalas without any magic at all until Rommath returned.
And even Alleria…maybe she actually loves Turalyon more and doesn’t consider him just a human pet but after their first meeting and when they went to Outland she did treat him in a cold way like he was a member of a lesser race at least until she calmed down later and Arator was born. Also in the recent Windrunner comic she still likes to boss him around and treat him badly despite Turalyon was kind and only wanted to help her, for example. And the fact that one is a Light-user and the other a Void-user certainly doesn’t help a lot in their relationship, but I guess she can still touch him when she’s not in Void form after all.
Ofc Nathanos is not as powerful or important as Sylvanus.
But it is always possible for Blizzard to develop story to make Nathanos realize finally what a miserable simp he is and help us to kill Sylvanus.
It is not ideal though. This aweful couple shall just both be finished and never be mentioned again.
No I am not moved by a no backbone simp who is where he is out of affection not by any merit and let himsef deluded and used by a psycho mass murderer.
Thumb down ! You reap why you sow good riddance mr simp !
Be quiet for once barkcaller for you bark more than your dogs and than you bite or can chew, close your eyes and think of the freak banshee and cry and scream(Sakébé !), you won’t feel the pain coming and you are familiar with it then die ! (Soshté Shiné !) ,it will sing like an angel !
It is an act of mercy to kill a soul empty animal and out of usefullness !
I have conflicting feelings about this.
It certainly cannot be called a healthy relationship, however, when we compare the way she treated him in this with snippets from Before the Storm where their relationship is described directly from her point of view:
Although Sylvanas had left behind most warmer emotions the moment she had risen from the dead as a banshee, anger somehowhad retained its heat. But she felt it subside to embers now. She seldom stayed angry for long at Nathanos Marris, known now as Blightcaller.
… She wanted to reach for his hand but contented herself with smiling benevolently at him. “You are forgiven,”
No doubt she does not have as much devotion to him as he does to her, but at the same time she still has some sort of feelings for him. Her reaction seems somewhat out of place to me and I have guess it was probably exaggerated just for the shock value.
Gonna intercede a second in this thread to point out that stuff like this:
Might be some indicators about Blizzard aiming at making Nathanos sympathetic, and may already be preparing his character in a way that saves it from going down with Sylvanas.
I doubt that anyone in the Horde now would throw him a welcome party, even if he was willing to fully cooperate in capturing her. The most he would get would be an exile, or something along the lines.
Nathanos is set to die in this expansion, I’m almost certain. If it’s by player’s hand or something else that remains to be seen. I think his character is meant to have a tragic arc, everything points to that.
I feel sorry for him, as this kind of love and devotion is in itself a noble trait, even if you serve the wrong cause (and we aren’t even certain about that yet).
We need to note that even Tyrande showed mercy to Sira when she didn’t have much reasons to do so. If she has it in her to do so to her enemy (even with the Night warrior thing going on), then maybe he has a chance at being redeemed too, just maybe…
Uff that tree again. I know you’re a night elf fan and you’re upset. I’m not saying he should be forgiven. I doubt Teldrassil will ever be forgotten or forgiven by anyone. Showing mercy to your enemy doesn’t make you weak.
Tyrande gained a whole new level of respect for me when she showed Sira mercy. The way she controlled her anger, her pain and walked away, I was proud of her. Revenge won’t bring Teldrassil back, or the people that died in the war. But sometimes the best lesson you can give to an enemy is compassion, especially when they don’t deserve it.
Well, not when you put it like that, no.
I don’t think it has to be all black and white there, but I’m biased and the currrent Horde crew is so underdeveloped and well…I find them really boring characters, currently;
I like a good anti hero story(That’s also why Sylvanas Windrunner was my favorite character and I hate what Blizzard is doing to her).
I’m willing to actually give Calia a chance, but she is not Forsaken, she did not go through their trials, she did not free them as Sylvanas had, she did not form them into what they are in WoW today.
I still think, if not Sylvanas Windrunner herself, then Nathanos is the next best thing to exemplify a leader/ champion for that faction.
I like Nathanos, despite bring a Danuser “self insert”, because his haughty, obnoxious attitude is actually a nice contrast from all the other Horde leaders we have today, which are almost clones in attitude and direction.
It might actually make a good story to help him redeem himself in the eyes of the Horde, being mistrusted and scorned, learning some humility and even respect for the other peoples of the Horde.
Not holding my hopes though, but atm I’m really fed up with killing even more Horde characters off, and not even getting anything decent in return.
And I reaaaaally don’t want any of the other Horde races to suffer their versions of Tauren “leadership”.
I prefered him when he was just a hateful nihilist. He was a great man, of impressive skill. A human that could surpass and lead people who had centuries on him in aim, stealth and woodcraft. I’m okay with him being all “just let the world burn” after being raised into undeath, and thus there was never a need for me to explain why he is sticking to Sylvanas now.
But making it all about his love of Sylvanas is robbing him of any drive and conviction he has of his own. He doesn’t care about Sylvanas’ plans, he didn’t choose the methods, he doesn’t even really know what’s going on, he just wants a pat on the head for being a good dog.
And no, I don’t see him being set up for redemption at all. If you want to redeem a character you don’t write him as coldly planning the murder of children, like Roux did, when he tried to lure out Bwonsamdi, where his thoughts were clear, the sacrifices would die, no matter what happened.
He just went from being a simple, flat villain to being a pathetic one. Heck, there was a scene where Bwonsamdi impersonated his nephew, and Nathanos was all apologetic and “well, it was Sylvanas’ decision, I didn’t really want her to sacrifice you per se…”.
Really, I feel the evil cynic was someone I could better understand as a human than that. Eww.
But I guess the “evil temptress” trope is okay now?
I actually don’t want to justify any of their actions and if death is the right punishment for them, I accept it.
Yes, I root for redemption but that’s my personal bias, objectively death is the right punishment for war criminals.
I was just saying it takes a lot more strength to forgive than to punish. Their inner demons and guilt are a much worse punishment than a quick death. And I’m not even sure night elf fans now would be that satisfied with Sylvanas and Nathanos dying, maybe I’m mistaken though.
They don’t have any feelings of guilt. Just like Garrosh openly said, they regret NOTHING, so the most satisfying outcome would probably be killing them and sending their souls right into the maw where nobody is going to rescue them.
Combine this with punishing the war criminals, rescuing the Night Elf souls and giving Night Elves a new home
) and she probably bossed him around a lot even back then in the Farstriders. It’s likely that Prince Kael’thas had forbidden to bring a Human in Quel’thalas and she just wanted to prove a point to him that he could train him as a Farstrider and make him the first Human Ranger Lord.