The Horde and the Alliance Have Never Looked So Good!
With the release of the seventh expansion pack for the MMORPG juggernaut that is World of Warcraft, gamers everywhere are more eager than ever to leap back under their chosen banner and cause some carnage. Of course, with the release of new content comes new cinematics, with Battle for Azeroth bolstering some impressive cutscenes. However, it’s going to take something truly impressive to top these iconic animations!
#5: “Warlords of Draenor†Intro
“World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor†(2014)
Time is a funny thing, and in Warcraft’s case, it can be re-written. Where the Horde is now is because of the major event decades ago when Grommash drank the blood of the Demon Mannoroth, sealing him and his race’s fate forever. However, Garrosh has traveled back, and with his help, Grommash has not only rejected the demon, but killed him. The epic, but short-lived battle against Mannoroth is jaw-dropping, but the excitement is quickly changed to fear as now the new Iron Horde has found a new conquest in Azeroth.
#4: Illidan’s Story
“World of Warcraft: Legion†(2016)
This is cheating a bit, but we couldn’t ignore how fantastic Illidan’s cinematics were in Legion. Following a series of quests, the origins of Illidan are revealed to us, giving players a better idea of what the demon hunter is truly like, before we follow him into battle. From there, we see more cinematics of him – from his striking down of Gul’Dan with a poetic death, to the rejection of the Naaru’s gift of light, and the finale of Sargeras, it’s clear Illidan had chosen his path long ago. While we may never see him again, the world of Azeroth owes him a debt of gratitude.
#3: “The Burning Crusade†Intro
“World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade†(2007)
Three years after the MMO giant debuted, we were treated to our first expansion, so of course it’d need an awesome cinematic with it too. The Burning Crusade intro showed off all the features the expansion would bring – from the alien Dranei, to the mana-hungry Blood Elves, along with the new areas and enemies -all while keeping in mind the balance between charming lightheartedness and dark, foreboding atmosphere leading up to the reveal of the demon hunter himself, Illidan Stormrage. Needless to say, fans’ reactions were… well, we’ll let Illidan explain.
#2: “Wrath of the Lich King†Intro
“World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King†(2008)
It had been a long time since we last heard of Prince Arthas, who took the scourge for his own before disappearing into Northrend. Now he has reawakened, and with him this killer cinematic to show off what he has in store for the denizens of Azeroth. This was the first cinematic to toss aside the charming nature and focus solely on the darker aspects of the series, with massive armies of icy undead at the Lich’s command, we knew we had to stop him once and for all, and it wouldn’t be easy. Plus, the thought of our characters going up against the legendary Arthas got us all too hyped up.
#1: Arthas’ Betrayal
“Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos†(2003)
Who else but Arthas? By now, we all know the tragic story of Prince Arthas, and how his sense of justice became corrupted over time, before eventually becoming the Lich King. But before jumping ahead too far, it was this cinematic that truly cemented his inner dark side. Hailed as a hero by the citizens of Lordaeron after his campaign of war, he returns to his father -who he held so dear- kneeling before him one last time before striking the final blow. It was this act that shook not only Lordaeron, but Azeroth itself, as soon the Scourge would rise and spread.
Be sure to check out the video below to see our picks for the Top 10 Best Warcraft Characters.