We’ll show you 5 characters who have undergone a really strong transformation in World of Warcraft. Did you know these drastic changes?
The World of Warcraft is constantly changing. New continents continually appear out of nowhere and larger-than-life threats seek to destroy Azeroth, the timeline, existence itself, or the cycle of life and death. It’s hardly surprising, then, that this doesn’t leave the characters of this world unscathed.
We’ve created a list of the 5 characters that have changed the most over the course of World of Warcraft. There isn’t much left of her former personality.
For this list, we’re only referring to characters that have changed significantly during the World of Warcraft era. So we compare their status to “Vanilla” at the earliest and their status to Dragonflight at the latest (if they are still alive).
Lady Jaina Proudmoore
Most people probably already got to know Jaina Proudmoore back in the days of Warcraft III – and at the start of World of Warcraft she is still exactly the Jaina we got to know. She led the city-state of Theramore and was considered a diplomat and successful mediator between the Horde and the Alliance. She is even appointed to the Council of Six – making her one of the most powerful magicians in Azeroth and part of the leadership elite of the Kirin Tor of Dalaran.
However, that changed significantly after Garrosh Hellscream became the Horde Warchief. In order to thin out the Alliance’s presence on Kalimdor, he orders an attack on Jaina’s city – almost all of the residents, including Jaina’s student, die.
For a while, Jaina is much more belligerent. She threatens to destroy Orgrimmar with a flood and, after it turns out that some blood elves in Dalaran have helped Garrosh, orders the city to be purged.
Her hatred of the Horde only grows as Sylvanas rises to power. Jaina is at the forefront of the attack on the lower city and even retrieves her father’s battleship from the depths of the sea.
In Kul Tiras (Battle for Azeroth) Jaina’s role changes again. She becomes calmer and has to convince the entire Cult Iranian nation that she didn’t kill her father back then. Even though we see a more emotional Jaina here, she remains relevant in the war. She fights against the Troll King Rasthakan and stands in the way of the Horde heroes to buy time for the rest of the Alliance to escape.
We have presented Jaina’s entire, much more extensive story to you here.
Anduin Wrynn
Many people still know Anduin Wrynn from Vanilla, even if he didn’t play a big role there. Although he was already the child king of Stormwind, his advisors held the real power – such as Onyxia in the form of Lady Prestor.
Anduin was only freed from passivity when he went to Pandaria with “Mists of Pandaria”. There he used the powers of light and shadow to come into contact with the residents of Pandaria. He falls into the hands of the horde, but is able to escape.
Later he meets the very young Wrathion and, after some philosophical discussions, the two become good friends – even if the two don’t always agree.
Anduin is completely torn away from his childhood when his father Varian heroically sacrifices himself during the Legion’s attack. Anduin is forced into the role of King of Stormwind and has to leave much of his youth behind in order to fulfill this role. Initially hesitant and unconvincing, he first has to overcome his father’s death.
This transformation will be complete with Battle for Azeroth at the latest. Not much is left of the peace-loving Anduin, who always looks for a path without conflict. Although he tries to keep the losses in the war low, he sees the war itself as necessary and fights bravely against the Horde. He is at the forefront of the conquest of the Lower City, but in the background he directs affairs to support prisoners of war like Saurfang in the resistance against Sylvanas.
In Shadowlands, Anduin’s role changes again. He is kidnapped, along with many leaders, into the Shadowlands and interrogated by Sylvanas. After Sylvanas fails to win Anduin to her side, the Jailer and Sylvanas use rulership runes and appropriate armor to override Anduin’s will and turn him into a loyal servant of the Jailer.
After Anduin is freed by heroes of the Alliance and Horde, as well as Jaina, Uther and the regained senses Sylvanas, Anduin has changed. He cannot say with certainty that he did not enjoy the atrocities under the Jailer’s control. To repent and find out who he really is, Anduin goes on a journey. Some suspect that he is in the Maw alongside Sylvanas.
We don’t know his exact whereabouts – but Stormwind has been without the rightful king for several years and can only hope that the caring Anduin hasn’t changed too much.
There are 3 more characters with drastic changes on the next page.