Illidan was always a bit of an incel. He was always morally grey. He was always the guy who thought “The end justifies the means”, but also used that excuse to his own benefit.
That’s ok. Makes him a great character. He is flawed and consistent.
Up until Blizzard does a 180 and says “actually everything he did was based and he was the good guy all along and we were idiots to ever doubt or oppose him”.
As people said Legion is the expansion when Blizzard became saturated with arrogant devs that liked smelling eachothers farts.
I was just about to write this before you did. He works or worked well because he is flawed. His characteristics as an egoistical d-bag who claims everything was for the greater good(when in actuality it was often for extremely petty personal reasons) was interesting as a sort of villain but not really.
I really disliked the approach of “Oh we should have listened, we’re so sorry Illidan, you were right all along!” Legion took.
He does, but it also reads very much as there is still alot of grumbling and begrudgingly so. It felt to me less like it was a goodbye of sincerity and more as a way to guilt-trip her not choosing him.
A giant titan-construct immediately steps out of their pod and shouts “For the Panthe-!” before getting obliterated in five seconds by the loot goblins.
He created the second Well of Eternity out of pure selfishness, forcing the night elves to reorient their entire culture towards guarding it (and Nordrassil) from the inevitable return of the Burning Legion.
He tried to destroy the Lich King by shattering Northrend, which might have ended or at least diminished the Scourge threat, but would have done terrible damage to the world in process.
Pre-retcons, he subjugated Outland with an iron fist. Post-retcons, he subjugated Outland with an iron fist as a secret plan to tear Argus apart, which he didn’t share with any of the people who could have helped him instead of besieging his citadel and interrupting the plan at a critical juncture.