Filmmaker Reacts: World of Warcraft - Battle for Azeroth Cinematic
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- Опубликовано: 3 дек 2023
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unfortunately Sylvana´s smirk at the end is less an acknowledgment of Anduin, and more a "yes, lead your men to their deaths, fool" kinda thing. At the end of the day she doesn´t care about the living.
As a loyal Warcraft fan who’s been playing since the beginning - I have been dumbfounded by the depth you can analyze these cinematics without any background or history. Unbelievable! You MUST watch the other BFA cinematics including “Safe Haven” and “Reckoning”, I can’t wait to see your reaction - make sure to note the parallels to War Within. Thanks for this great work
Jaina was my favorite hero in the spotlight in BFA. This cinematic is moments after Old Soldier.
I am my favorite champion, also theirs, because they call me champion all the time 😂
@PhilipHarts Anduin is not truly a paladin, but he did train with the priests for control of the light and his father forced him into warrior training, so he has a duel class (not available to players... yet). A lot of OG characters that are leaders have duel classes. His power over the light is largely because of the purity of his heart (he IS a child after all). Sylvanas DOES recognize his prowess here, but for more sinister reasons. Those who strongly wield the Light are capable of being twisted to strong death magic for her purposes later... this is the plot of Shadowlands, and this is foreshadowing to the setup of her kidnapping him.
After Shadowlands... where Sylvanas breaks him down slowly, and he feels a moment of excitement when his hand is forced killing his allies and friends, you will understand the deep emotions of The War Within cinematic.
Sylvanas banshee scream followed by that immobilising "FOR THE HORDE!" shout always gets me shivering down to the bone. The whole sequence is epic but the last bits are just too much to handle
Same. To each their own but FOR THE HORDE always hits harder then FOR THE ALLIANCE. Especially this one from Sylvanas.
@@Tommy57G wrong
I play Alliance and I agree with this. BUT what I do not like per say about this cinematic is that it really fails to set the tone for why there was the siege by the Alliance. It paints the Horde in need of rallying against an oppressive army when in reality it was retaliation for burning of Teldrassil. And a lot of people do not get it from any context unless they play the game. Which is shame because I think as a retaliation fight it should have been more of an Alliance moment.
Sylvi looks cool here though, so not going to complain about that 😊
@@Tommy57Gbased
@@Tommy57Gjk lol For the Horde definitely hits harder in this. It'd be hard for Anduin to top Varian's For the Alliance in broken shore
That last freeze frame paid homage to Warcraft: Orcs vs Humans which is where it all started. It's a magnificent epic shot that captures the essence and the foundation of this game.
I am SO glad someone knew this besides me.
@@stephaniec3759 everyone know this lol
Anduin is a well trained priest. He studied under the Prophet Velen. He knew what he was doing when he cast mass heal. The euphoria in him during the cast is due to his love and faith in the light he's wielding.
I love your reactions and analysis. You bring a unique and wonderful perspective to these cinematics.
priest wearing plate wielding a sword is the definition of a paladin. I still believe Arthas is his real father. too many parallels
@@DethilionThe first paladins were priests before Arcbishop Alonsus Faol had a plan to make them paladins so it makes sense for priests to become paladins. But then there is Arthas losing his light after all he has done just like Anduin so it hard to say
@@DethilionWhile you are not wrong, it has been expressly stated that Anduin is NOT a Paladin.
Even tho every healer in wow can res, in warcraft canon lore res magic is rare, and anduin cast mass res, which just shows how powerful he is with the light.
Much of Anduin's character development in game over the years was around this idea of him trying to fill his father's shoes as a warrior and not having the constitution for it. He instead followed the Light and became a priest, so he's always had some amount of healing powers. The shot where he discards his father's sword is also the point he finally discards his pursuit of his father's role/style of leadership and fully embraces the Light to become his own style of king.
This is, by far, the most hype expansion cinematic. The storytelling of the xpac itself faltered, despite having the skeleton of a solid Lovecraftian story to build on. But this cinematic always gets me.
Edit: Also, always kill or CC train the healer first.
In retail wow this doesn't work. Healers are almost impossible to kill.
As a healer, please dont do that please :( it fell awfull have the whole team against me ccing as there is no tomorrow 😢
Just look at the warrior attaking you while youbare killing me
Is Anduin a priest or a paladin? Killing light paladin would be pain in the ass.
@@9zetsu He's a priest who's learned to wear armor and use a sword to cosplay warrior because that's what his dad was. Paladin is probably his ultimate form, especially post-possession by the Jailer using the last remnant of Arthas's soul. NPC classes can be complicated lol.
Saurfang knew to focus the healer but Genn knows how to peel.
Such an amazing cinematic. The sylvanas part still gives me chills. I just wish the expansion had lived up to it.
Man I wish we got the Sylvanas from this cinematic
I always thought the expansion started off great then became unfocused. It was such wasted potential. Still better then what came next.
Preach @@ecrulis6954
I was so hyped up, this was the expansion I didn't play through. Only got to 114.
@@enixyn I loved *PARTS* of this expansion
Sylvanas's banshee scream with her "FOR THE HORDE!" tickles my spine every time I watch this.
Anduin was alway a priest forced into his warrior father's role after losing him in legion.
This war takes a lot out of him, you will see more in the coming cinematics. But I love that mass rez, more in tune with the what Anduin actually is
Holy Word: Salvation
I was waiting for you to get here. This cinematic is easily the high water mark of all the effort poured into Warcraft by the developers and the fans to date across all platforms and genres. It is the quintessential distillation of everything WC rendered beautifully enough to bring a tear to the eye of this fan who played obsessively and daily for 18 years. It is as perfect as any piece of media can be, a masterpiece so above par it redefined the par. Even now after all these years I get chills during both their ultimate moves.
Too bad the expansion itself was horrible... especially coming after Legion (which for me, together with WoLk and TBC were the best expacs ever), it really felt bad.
@@marcusbattaglia5400 sadly more or less true. It had a handful of moments but was underwhelming. The one thing the expansion did do very well was narrative storytelling via cut scenes and on that credit where credit is due.
Indeed, BFA was an absolute high point for the cinematics. The Saurfang saga was amazing and well-told, despite a lot of the narratives around it making no gosh-darn sense based on character histories.
I absolutely love the way as she rises from the mists of her banshee form, the mists cloak and add weight to Sylvanas. Meanwhile, there's this expression of grim joy on her face as though she's glorying in the fight. It's the sharp contrast between the thrill of battle she feels and the sad, reluctance of Anduin that elevates this trailer to an even higher level.
29:44 part of Anduin's unhinged outburst here is from Greymane getting hurt. After losing Varian on the broken shore, he looks up to Greymane as a father figure, one that he doesn't want to lose to war a second time.
10:23 the power Anduin is tapping into is the Light. It's a power afforded to people with profound faith in a cause, good or bad. I don't think a feat like this has been done before in the lore, of one person healing/resurrecting so many people at once. It's a beautiful character moment that shows despite Anduin's doubts of filling his father's shoes and the horrors of war he's experienced, his faith in the Alliance and his people is unshakable, and he'll always be there for them. The sweeping shot of just how BIG his spell is cements that, and his theme playing along with it makes me tear up every time.
ive watched this about a million times now, and everytime sylvanas turns into her banshee with the scream and then afterwards the "For the Horde" gives me chills everytime :D love it, and anduins spell he uses there would be a Mass resurection.
I couldn’t wait for you to react to this. It’s absolutely the pinnacle of a cinematic for WoW. Your reaction is exactly what I expected. It’s glorious! FOR THE ALLIANCE!!!
Something subtle I liked was at 2:38 you have that quick shot of a couple soldiers looking up at Sylvanas. In such a quick one second shot it actually does a lot. It helps break up the visuals a little, it provides context as to where everyone is, and it also shows that her soldiers are paying attention; they're watching her. And they noticed what she's done. Not just as a point of strategy, to notice a change in the battlefield, but also as soldiers looking up to their leader for her example and direction. And it's a good camera angle. It's pointed down at them because she's up in the air, so they have to look up, but it also gives a feeling of them literally 'looking up' to her. So much in just such a quick shot.
Anduin is a priest in cannon. Although when he's fighting like this he definitely looks more like a paladin. He can harness the power of the "holy light" to heal and even resurrect people.
He's like... an Arms Priest.
Priests can't use swords nor wear plate armor
@@nosferat5395 Anduin WAS a priest to start with. In the same way that Lady Liadrin was a priest who picked up a new weapon and became a paladin, Anduin took on a different class role after his father’s death.
@@nosferat5395 basically all the hero characters in WoW have abilities from multiple classes. Zul-Jin was a shadow hunter with abilities from the Shaman, Rogue, and Hunter classes.
@@nosferat5395 Which is why he looks down on the sword he holds, his fathers sword, and drops it to embrace the light.
He looks so awkward swinging his sword in his shining armour. Just look at how much of an amateur he looks like when beating on poor zappy boi.
He's been chasing after his father for so long and finally, he drops his ambitions of filling his shoes, instead becoming his own person.
Something that helps with the blocking for this is, despite being a masssive and chaotic battle, they stick HARD to the 180 degree rule. Horde characters are always on the left, Alliance is always on the right.
Something I just realized now is this also mirrors the actual in game geography. Horde and Alliance are focused in the West and East, respectively. Fantastic cinematics all around.
Now I have watched a lot of reacting for this particular cinematic, and your reaction for Sylvanas' acting is the most genuine and undoutbtly the best there is.
Additionally, your way of analyzing every cinematic has managed to be the most on-point. This comes from someone who rarely (never) comments on videos on RUclips, but I just had to in this situation. Cadeau to you, you are doing wonderfully!"
shot of anduin "abandoning" the sword, is a metaphor of Anduin giving up on following in his Father's footsteps, which his Father was a powerful warrior. Which turns to him going back to what he knows, being a priest.
One of the things I think is interesting about this cinematic is the shift in protagonist that it makes halfway through it's runtime. The beginning is centered on Sylvanas and the beating that the horde soldiers are taking at the hands of the alliance. I think that the decision to put Anduin in the lion mask is meant to dehumanize him by giving him a beastly visage and hiding his eyes from the audience entirely. Once Sylvanas has her hero moment and turns the tide, this changes. Saurfang knocks off Anduin's mask, and we are no longer following our recognizable horde characters. Now that we can see his face, eyes, and full range of sympathetic emotions, Anduin becomes the protagonist. The alliance becomes the underdog, and we once again get a visually stunning hero moment that turns the tide of battle. I think this was a great way to emphasize that neither side is some monolithic evil, and that this conflict is between 2 groups of people with relatable perspectives and motivations.
FOR THE HOOOORDEEE 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
For the Alliance!
The way Sylvanas shouted For the Horde! was far better than Anduin's For the Alliance! That scene, love her or hate her, is goosebumps!
@@corbin_4738true, but I think anduin healing if not resurrecting his people was a way better beacon for his people than sylvanas destroying the tower!
@@hulmhochberg8129 Anduin was beyond awesome.
@@hulmhochberg8129 true, tho they both have ultis on CD now :)
altho that rallying shout was inspiring! And Her ulti was the banshee lethal form...
and .. always .. always For the Horde!
My favorite WoW cinematic. I still get chills when Sylvanas goes full Banshee Queen.
Loved your analysis! I've watched so many breakdowns of this and no one else (that I've seen) has mentioned that Anduin is surprised at his own power in that moment. Now that I think about it, it does seem like a sort of euphoria.
It's more that this is not his power, but the cosmic force Light answering his call. He himself doesn't have that power, but Light can do a lot.
It was in the end mainly Light that defeated the Lich King for example by shattering Frostmourne.
Before that, the Lich King would just have enslaved the whole invading army and make them his undead puppets.
With Frostmourne shattered and all the souls inside set free (likely going to the Maw, though, corrupted as they were...), Arthas lost a major part of his power and could be defeated.
I don't think it's a look of disbelief or surprise at his own power, but the almost-tears is simply a indication that he is summoning all of his heart, mind, soul and strength to call out to the Holy Light. Notice how the Light does not come out of him, but comes Down to him. The Light is more like the Force, and not like a Super-Saiyan-Ki energy. I also think it's cool how the instant the sword goes down, you hear the Thunder and see the golden lightning, flashing in the clouds that gather above him. It is a really cool moment.
So epic! Anduin actually uses two ingame priest abilities: shilding the whole party and ressurection (every healer can do that). I played healer priest main for years (switched to monk since MoP) and i LOVED this representation in a cinematic. The first time i saw this cinematic my initial reaction to Anduin fighting was: " he is a priest not a warrior, what is he doing???" and then he relied on his powers
Anduin is really a priest. He is trying to lead his people like his father did, like a warrior. Realizing that he cant, and it is not who he actually is, calls on the light to mass resurrection/heal his people.
We really see so much development from Anduin right here in this cutscene. The sword he's wielding is none other than his father's sword, Shalamayne that he recovers from where his father fell. I recommend watching that in-game cutscene, "A found memento" to understand how much Anduin put pressure on himself to be the same king as Varian. His "primal" combat is him trying his best to be like his father, only to realize that his best contribution to leading his men might be in a new and different way. Him glancing at his father's sword is almost for reassurance and acknowledgement that his father is still with him no matter how he leads, hence Anduin's theme beginning to surge. Throwing the sword beside him, he finally allows himself to help in a way like none other. I love the tears in his eyes because he is learning to accept his own gifts, while also honoring his father's legacy. It's such a "becoming one's own" moment, and it's just so, so special. Hopefully it all starts coming together for you leading up to The War Within! The next few cinematics are some of my favorite moments between these characters. Can't wait to see your reactions!
Also Sylvanas is absolutely epic in this trailer. Too bad she's just the worst for what she did. I remember how many people were conflicted by all the emotions leading up to this expansion release!
Sylvanas banshee scream followed by that immobilising "FOR THR HORDE!" shout always gets me shivering down to the bone.
I think you shouting "FOR THE HORDE" is a reaction we have all been waiting for ever since you started doing these live streams and deep dive reactions
For the Alliance! For the Horde! For Azeroth!
YES!!! Look at those member emotes!!
For Azeroth ! ✊
FINALLY you got to this! I've been waiting way too freaking long for it 😂
As a Horde player THIS is the cinematic that gives me shivers down my spine.
Its also worth pointing out that the light that emits from the sword is a reflection on anduins holy light, when his father wielded the sword (in legion cinematic) it was distinctly more red, showing his anger/warrior's spirit(cause the father was a warrior first, like his son is a priest first). And then in the world within there is no light at all, showing traumatized anduins lack of faith and light. I assume/predict that as the new xpacs story unfolds the swords 'glowy-ness' will be an external reflection of anduins path of self healing.
I think you're the first one I've heard really acknowledge Sylvanas subtle little smirk of approval in the end. There's just that subtle hint of respect on her face, despite her usual stone-faced self. *Just* before the scene cuts, her left side of her mouth is clearly raised a bit in a smirk. You might need to use frame-by-frame to really catch it though.
Love it.
Man, I’m almost 30. My entire childhood was the Warcraft universe and I get so excited seeing other people discover this game that I love so much
This was definitely the most hype and best in my opinion so far amongst the cinematics. FYI Anduin was a fledgling priest class hero. I see the shockwave (warrior class ability) he used as an echo of Varian (a warrior class hero) through his sword, but when Anduin saw his men dying, he dropped his father's sword and summoned the power of the Light to aid them instead. I suspect that he was weeping at the epic moment because of the overwhelming literal definition of being in a state of holy ecstasy .
The Troll from Old Soldier can be seen after Saurfang rallies and picks up the Horde flag. He's the next character shown. He has his mask pulled down but he's casting lightning and lava spells because he's a shaman.
Anduin got a very strong connection to the cosmic force Light (opposite force is void and beside these there is Chaos/Fel and Order and Life and Death).
While some forces seemt to be more friendly regarding mortals and more intertwined with them, none of them is per se "good" or "evil", they are ALL needed and in balance for reality to sustain and a victory of Light or Life or Order would be just as bad for mortals as a victory of Fel, Void or Death.
A big problem is, that all cosmics forces are quite radical in their PoV, seeing themselves as the norm and the right way and the others - especially their opposite force - as a threat.
While it seems to be clear, that for example Fel loves to corrupt and the Void loves to manipulate, Light and Order aren't much different in the end and are very quick with brainwashing you, too, to serve the higher goal.
Life and Death are likely the most "chill" when it comes to this, likely because their seperation is more clear, Life focussing on living mortals and death on those who died, both connected with each other in this cycle, while Order/Chaos and Light/Void are more about canceling each others extreme out.
One small tidbit of really old lore that's interesting about this cinematic, is that the first time there was a war over Lordaeron (the place the Horde are defending), the roles were reversed. It was the Horde attacking the citadel and the Alliance defending it, and the Horde lost for the first time ever, they failed to take it and were forced south where they were ultimately defeated.
Easily my favorite Warcraft trailer. Forget whatever the quality of the expac was, this trailer was insane and fantastic. I loved BOTH warcries. Sylvanas was goosebump and chill inducing, while Anduin's was potent and emotional. Both great and suited to the mood of each character.
Just love it
There's so much lore here. Something people tend to miss between this and War Within is the light on Shalamayne. I won't spoil anything, but Anduin meant it literally and figuratively when he said he "has no light anymore" in War Within.
For (most) humans and other Alliance races in Warcraft the Light is their religion, and Anduin has been training as a priest of the Light since he was young. When he called upon the Light to resurrect his troops and the Light answered that would be like asking your God for a miracle when you needed it the most, and having Them answer you directly in a show of absolute power.
The Light answers those who have faith in it, Anduin throwing down his most prized possesion, his fathers sword, and reaching towards the sky showed that. He was awestruck by the Glory.
Anduin was trained as a Priest of the Light. When his father died he took up his sword, but he's still a priest at heart in this moment.
When Thrall mentions Anduin's 'light' in the War Within cinematic, this is what he's referring to.
It's one of the best cinematics they've ever made. It makes BOTH factions LOVE their characters.
Great reacts to the WoW cinematics. I sincerely appreciate your in depth explanations/feedback to the look, style and lore. You said certain things that had me change my whole perspective on how I viewed this and previous cinematics. Job well done! And you have an awesome war cry my friend, "FOR THE HORDE"! Keep up the good work.
Awesome reaction bro. Can't wait for the next ones...omg the hype haha...
I know you remember Anduin in The War Within saying he has no more light, this is what he was referring to!
lol got so excited, i see it was even mentioned in the video a bit
anduin healing everyone around him gets me every time, such an amazing scene
Man, I can’t believe how jaded I had become because of how this expansion played out gameplay wise, that I forgot how good these cinematics were.
Watching you react to them reminded me of how hype they were and seeing you so excited and pumped up for them actually made the hair on the back of my neck stand up.
Yes the cinematics are amazing, but your joy and enthusiasm are on another level. Without even mentioning your breakdown of them. I can’t wait until you get to the Saurfang Mak’gora cinematic.
Much love from Costa Rica.
When you felt the connection and yelled FOR THE HORDE, it sure did but a smile on my face brother- but FOR THE ALLIANCE❤️🔥
Horde all the way you alliance scum. More seriously though I have tried alliance many times but it always feels too cutesy for me. Players would have "in town" outfits and try to be "pretty", meanwhile in org you got bonfires and spikey armor. Clearly one appeals to me more than the other. :)
Canonically, Anduin has been raised to be a strong King, Varian instilled in him courage and strength when it comes to ruling, but Anduin always had a more peaceful side, where his father Varian saw war or conflict as the solution, Anduin saw a diplomatic solution through peace, so he was trained as a priest of the Light and Varian finally realized that Anduin’s perspective and experiences throughout his young years, even after being broken(literally, physically broken by Carrosh Hellscream)… Anduin always opted for peace… tragically Varian came to that realization very shortly before his honorable sacrifice and death. So since legion, Anduin has begun to delve deeper into the martial aspects of ruling, having to lead armies, develop tactics and make strategies, as well as proper martial training, though he’s not as adept in martial training as his father ever was, by a long shot… so, because of this sudden clash of worlds, Anduin has become some sort of a hybrid class between a Paladin and a Priest, wearing heavy armor, wielding Shalamayne and casting priest light spells and mass-healing his troops on the battlefield. I, as someone who mains a Paladin… I’m waiting for the day Anduin fully transitions into a fully fledged Paladin!! Lol
Thrall has a similar class hybridization between a Shaman and a Warrior.
What is his power? Anduin's a priest, despite him walking around in plate. They've really coded him almost a paladin in the last few expansions, but he's well versed in wielding both the Light and the Void. The spell you saw him use was Mass Resurrection (tho he's special, he can use it in combat, apparently, XD)
Your reactions to these cinematics have been wild, great to see and listen to :D
It is just ABSOLUTE pleasure to watch you experience these cutscenes for the first time, and analyze them the way you do. It's so amazing. The Sylvanas Banshee Horde rally never fails to give me goosebumps and the whole trailer is one of my favourites. The Warbringers and the cinematics for BFA were amazing. Blizzard's director and art team behind their cinematics have really done so much to improve their work.
I like how if you watch them in order (not how they were released, because this was first, but how the story flows) you see that Saurfang's troll friend is a kid but he has gumption, and in this scene you see that he's a full blown fighting mage zapping the enemy at 3:05, he continues to be built as a character. This was the expansion I started playing in and although it had its problems the storytelling was, as you said, unbelievable.
She was smiling because she wanted to drag the war on for specific reasons. Seeing his determination to fight made her glad because it furthered her purposes. You should see the in game cinematics for battle for Azeroth
Before Anduin became the warrior king, he was a priest of the light. He often argued his father for peace.
I have seen these Warcraft cinematics so many times already, but your analyses are letting me see them in a new light. It's an absolute joy watching your reactions. Can't wait for more!
One thing to add when Anduin goes nuts then drops the sword is before this cinematic he was having a HUGE crisis. Trying to be like his father, trying to be the King that Varian was. Thats what was happening at first. Then he looks around and sees that being his dad isnt doing anything. He puts down his fathers legacy, the sword, and then Anduin is himself and does priest things and rezzes. He is finding himself.
I always loved that pause right before the armies meet. Reminds me of the original Warcraft: Orcs Vs Humans.
Anduin is a trained priest and is very skilled at healing/holy magic, and this cinematic does a great job of having a little character arc for him all in 2 minutes - he looks uncomfortable and strange wearing the lion helmet (and to be honest I'm not sure if we've seen him in full armour before this cinematic in the game before either), because he's trying to act like his father and be the same sort of warrior king he was, but that's shown quickly to not work well when he's knocked down quite quickly, loses the helmet revealing his face, and puts Genn at risk all at the same time.
Then him throwing the sword to the ground and instead looking upward is him realising he ISN'T a warrior king like his father, but he IS a healer and an inspiring leader, and uses the skills he KNOWS he has to help the battle. His arc in the rest of the expansion mirrors this really well; him approaching things in his own way rather than how Varian would've done, and them using his magic powers to have a little microcosm of this in the cinematic is freakin genius.
THIS is the beginning of the Battle of Lordaeron, with the Alliance armies landing on the northern shore of Tirisfal and cutting straight through the Forsaken township of Brill to assemble at the very gates to the Undercity, the ruins of Lordaeron's capitol.
Sylvanas' title of Banshee Queen is not an honorific; she is still a banshee, who has been performing a long-term possession of her own corpse, so she IS able to discorporate at times and draw upon her spirit powers. That shaman you see zapping the ground into a molten earthquake is none other than our zappyboi Zekhan :D
As I'd mentioned previously, Anduin is not a warrior like his father, but a Priest of the Light, but now that he is High King of the Alliance, his ideals of peace are being challenged by the realities of the world, and of warmongers who want anything but. The spell he casts after dropping Shalamayne is one available only to Priests: Mass Resurrection. He literally calls upon the Holy Light to revive his entire army and get a do-over. That shows the dichotomy between the leaders, too: Sylvanas is about destruction, while Anduin is about preservation.
This expansion held such promise, but then the higher-ups neutered a lot of the actual "war" in "Warcraft", and made a lot of it grindy and boring gameplay. The story is great, but the actual gameplay was stale.
These videos are pure gold. Coming from someone who been playing since vanille. It's pure joy to watch someone enjoy the lore to the game I abso feel in love with. Wow, I started playing in my 20's, I am turning 46 in 5 days!! Zug Zug
You definitely need to watch the in game cinematics for this fight, especially when Jaina shows up with her father's ship. It is so epic. Also watch the realistic cinematic for Anduin and Saurfang.
As stated below, Anduin was a very strong priest. He transitioned from a priest to a paladin, and thought he had lost his priestly abilities. This emphasizes that he did not, and still has the power of the light in all of it's power. His story is very deep and painful. Great reaction as all I've seen so far are. Keep doing what you do.
Wanna share some fun little lore tidbits that relate to Anduin's powers, the holy light.
In the world that isn't necessarily a morally good power, but instead is dependent on the user. To use it you just need conviction in your faith in it, which means that as long as you have that you can use it for good or for great evils. The result is that the world has both factions that focus on doing good as a way to revere the light and fanatics who want to purge anyone different.
That cry is "The warmth of the light" it calms your mind, warm you inside. That is what light should do in moments like
this
The young Troll Shaman from "Old soldier" and who uses lightning/magma became SO popular that Blizzard had to make him a larger roll than they intially had planned. The fans called him "Zappy Boi" and then they named him Zekhan, and he gets called "Zappy Boi" by one of the coolest characters in the WoW universe, Bwomsamdi the Loa of Death. (He gets called that in the book and not in game sadly."
Kinda want to address the Anduin power because it is quite meaningful. Anduin has always been a Priest, he heals rather than fight, that's why him using the sword felt rather clunky, because he isn't a warrior like his father (and that's his father's sword), so in that moment when he saw all his allies injured he remembered his true nature as a Priest, releasing the sword to summon the light and heal his companions, a showcase of his true power.
In conclusion it isn't about a new power awakening, rather it's realising the power he always had. And Sylvanas' grin might be her recognizing Anduin stops emulating his father and maturing into his own kind of king, the one he can only be.
Saurfang falling to the arrows is a throwback to the Burning Crusade cinematic :)
Also Anduin is a Priest-turned-Paladin, the light bubble was the cinematic version of the in-game Priest spell "Mass Resurrection."
Sylvanas' powers come from being a Banshee undead; having been turned by Frostmourne itself rather than other forms of necromancy, her power *should* be blue themed, but since she was not completely dominated it doesn't change to blue. Purple-clored magic in WoW's cosmology is shared by both Necromancy (falls under primordial Death, opposite of Nature magic under primordial Life) and primordial Void (opposite of primordial Light). Later, she gains power from a key figure in the Shadowlands.
I remember watching this at Blizzcon...we were so hyped after Legion and we wanted the next expac to be epic....that scene where Sylvanas turns into a banshee and does her death spells (total callout to her Warcraft3 RTS skill) the screams "FOR THE HORDE!!"... we were in total awe
How I interpreted the moment Anduin drops the sword and casts Holy Barrier is as that cathartic moment he stopped trying to fill his late father's shoes-or sword-wielding, remembered who HE is and what HIS faith in the Light provides him. I saw that he found himself, and as himself he likewise found the power to rally his army using his own strengths, not his father's. Not an everyday bar-mitzfah.
A interview with the director about these cinematics i would love to see! :D
People classify Anduin as a Priest. And while this is technicaly correct, you can't realy fully classify heroe-level characters as just the same as player characters. For example, priests in-game can't weild swords, nor wear plate armor. Anduin is a king and hero level character, so he bends the rules a bit.
That spells is a massive aoe, healing and protection spell. So in short, he is using the light to restore all injured soldiers, may even be resurrection some, but can't realy tell.
Probably already been said, but I LOVE Genn's smile as he gets healed/resurrected. Just a showing of the trust and belief he has for his king. It's almost like a surrogate father being proud of his son for realising his potential.
Anduin casting Holy Word: Salvation and then screaming for the alliance is one of the most epic moments in wow cinematic history atleast for me, but Sylvanas screaming for the hord is really epic aswell.
Still my favorite WoW expansion cinematic to this day.
This was, lore wise, at a time where Sylvanas was considered an Usurper to the war chief title. So for her to risk her life and scream "for the horde" was huge for her soldiers.
I was so waiting for this one! Such an amazing trailer and so so so powerful!
My absolute favorite WoW Trailer. I love your perspective and comments. Keep up the amazing content!
I was waiting for the two jaw drop moments 😅😅😅 I wasn’t disappointed 😂😂😂 everybodys jaw does.
I really hope you can also expand Jaina’s story in BFA.
I so love seeing the Banshee Queen showing off a little bit. :)
the music in this one is such a step up. really brings the epic. still my favourite!
This cinematic will give me chills every single time.
The Worgen (Werewolf) is King Greymane formerly of the Kingdom of Gilneas. He is not just a trusted ally with a lot of experience and former ruler that has made his share of tragic mistakes, but also (I think) a friend. And seeing him fall hurt Anduin on an emotional level.
Instant Subscribe for watching it twice in a row. I've never watched a reactor watch something twice out of pure joy and awesomeness, but you sir. Well.... thank you. :)
Very good analysis man! As a man that have played the game for over a decade and a video editor, I really enjoyed the whole video. Keep them coming! Also, you do know Old Soldier and this cinematic are a part of a 20 min. series of cinematics focusing on Saurfang's story, right? Please, watch and react to the rest of them too!
Cheers!
Been waiting for you to watch this one! Great videos and content. Liked commented and subscribed for the algorithm :)
That look Sylvannas gives him at the end...."bring it, bitch" I LOVE it!
Sylvannas' "For the Horde" was my alert on my phone for 2 years
6:02 HAHAH oh man i was thinking the same thing about that time!!!!! hahahha perfectly timed "we're gonna watch it again" lmaooooo
My favourite cinematic by far. Chills, and happy tears.
This is the one I was waiting for. I was at BlizzCon during this cinematic unveiling and we all went INSANE when Sylvanas did her thing.
Some of these abilities demonstrated turned out to be new player-available combat spells.
That moment where Anduin is healing everyone you can tell the look on Genn Greymane's face just screams "I'm so proud of you son." He's full on adopted Anduin in all but official status just like Varok has done with Zehkan
*Being there to see all the things Sylvanas does during BfA and Shadowlands*
“Damn Sylvanas is MESSED UP, man”
*rewatches this cinematic and hears her scream FOR THE HORDE*
“MY LIFE FOR THE BANSHEE QUEEN!!!”
*burns Teldrassil…again*
Sylvanas always respected Varian as a leader... and she smiles at the end cuz she sees Varian in Anduin fianlly. After all, she calls Anduin "little lion" for a long time, cuz she think he has a big shoes to fill as a new king.
Anduin is king now, but he was a priest first, and he drops the sword to do what he knows best. It also shows the importance of a competent healer in a raid battle. At the beginning of the video, Sylvanas talks about what makes each side strong, and this battle illustrates that as well. The Horde is typically more offense/damage, and she destroys a siege tower Legolas style. Anduin is for the Alliance, and they were always more about defense and healing, and that is what he does.
Part of the tragedy of Sylvanas is that she was originally a mighty warrior archer for the Alliance in Warcraft 2 and 3 but then Arthas got a hold of her and corrupted her, turning her and making her switch sides and make the best of her condition, but there is intense bitterness within her.
This is what hurt so much with how this xpac went. They built up a horde vs alliance expansion. Anduin brought I new way of think for the alliance and Saurfang had his inner issues with the "new" horde. It was very pvp focused. then, BAM! Old gods...
"Now it's the Battle FOR Azeroth! Get it???" - Blizz
I've played WoW since vanilla, and loved watching the new expansion trailers and cinematics as they've come out and although Battle for Azeroth wasn't my favorite expansion, watching Old Soldier and then this cinematic together gives me chills every single time. They are my favorite cinematics easily. This to me is one of the greatest cinematic moments in gaming. The ONLY things that could have made this better was if there was an Old Soldier equivalent previous cinematic for the alliance side, something to get you even more invested in the alliance side as well. Maybe something with Genn Greymane, as he's probably the closest equivalent to Saurfang for the alliance. They did such a fantastic job conveying the fact that the there isn't a black and white to the conflict, these two factions, and war in general is filled with gray areas; people fighting for different ideals, sacrificing for different causes even from troop to troop on the same side. This is what makes the horde vs alliance dichotomy so intriguing and this cinematic really gives you a taste of it, by the end you just appreciate the presentation and don't really know which side to root for, but you know the stakes are high and so are the emotions and sheer powers of will. I love it.
Told you this was one of the absolute best cinematics :D
and it doesn't just stop here :)
Sylvanas smiles at the end because we don't know it yet, but she's working for the big bad down in the shadow lands. So the more deaths there are the more power her allies down there gain.
When Anduin yells for the alliance, hes in the same stance as war within