Anduin Wryn is a character in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos. He was the son of Llane Wrynn, ruler of Stormwind and High King on Azeroth. Anduin’s mother, Jaina Proudmoore, never revealed exactly how she gave birth to him despite claims by some fans that he may have been fathered by Ner’zhul or Arthas Menethil through an unknown means.
Anduin was born in the year 5, and became king at the age of just 16. He is a direct descendant of King Llane Wrynn, who ruled Azeroth from its founding until his death during the First War. Anduin’s reign has been marked by peace and prosperity for the people of Stormwind.,
The first eight bosses of the Sepulcher of the First Ones raid’s Normal and Heroic editions debuted this week, culminating in the fight against Anduin Wrynn. Our aim in this encounter is to rescue the boss rather than kill him.
Anduin is being compelled to help the Jailer’s attempt to reshape reality using Domination magic. As time runs short to stop him, Azeroth’s warriors must choose between defeating the young king and saving the universe or risking all to restore his soul.
But who is Anduin, and why is his rescue so essential to us?
The Little King
Anduin is the sole child of Stormwind’s King Varian Wrynn. By the age of ten, he had already been given the title of King; his mother, Tiffin, had died in a horrible accident during civil unrest, and his father, Varian, had vanished.
The Little King ruled with the help of a Regent, Highlord Bolvar Fordragon, who in turn was often advised by the noblewoman Lady Katrana Prestor. A dutiful child, Anduin took a keen interest in his responsibilities, and was much loved by the people of Stormwind, who widely agreed that he would grow to be a shrewd leader one day.
The King’s Return
Varian’s disappearance was linked to a conspiracy plotted by the Black Dragon Onyxia, which Anduin was unaware of. Lady Katrana Prestor was, in reality, Onyxia in disguise. She orchestrated Varian’s abduction and then used magic to divide him into two halves: a strong-willed version that she tried to murder and a weak-willed counterpart that she planned to manage.
Anduin was thrilled when the weak-willed Varian returned to Stormwind, but he quickly knew something was wrong. Varian seemed vain and self-centered, indifferent about Stormwind’s woes. Even as a kid, Anduin was instrumental in exposing Onyxia’s scheme, notifying King Magni Bronzebeard of the Dwarves, urging that Varian’s abduction be probed further, and continuously pressuring his father to take his responsibilities seriously. A embrace from Anduin eventually helped the weak-willed Varian recover enough of his wits to understand Lady Prestor was involved, sparking a chain of events that culminated in the destruction of Onyxia and the reunification of the two Varians.
Prince of Peace
Anduin gained a reputation for his love of peace in a world ripped apart by violence. He went to many peace summits and spent a lot of time in Theramore with Lady Jaina Proudmoore, who he treated as an aunt. He had a lot of friends, both in the Alliance and the Horde, and he had a particularly strong bond with the Tauren Baine Bloodhoof.
Anduin was afterwards entrusted with serving as a Stormwind ambassador in Ironforge. Ironforge was conquered by the Dark Iron Dwarves, led in this assault by Moira Thaurissan, when he was in this Dwarven city. Anduin was kept captive, but he was able to free himself with the assistance of a hearthstone provided to him by Jaina. He returned to stop his father from killing Moria when he learned of his father’s plans. Moira had a legitimate claim to the Ironforge throne, and Anduin maintained that diplomacy and compassion were vastly preferable than vengeance. The Council of Three Hammers was founded as a consequence of Anduin’s intervention, and further bloodshed between contending Dwarven tribes was prevented.
Priest
Anduin’s passion of peace attracted him to the path of a Priest, while Varian was a Warrior who was frequently governed by his rage. For a while, the differences between father and son caused a certain degree of isolation between them, and Anduin even departed Stormwind to study the Light under the Prophet Velen among the Draenei of the Exodar.
Many underestimated Anduin because of his peace-loving choices, but he showed himself on a visit to Stormwind, when a gang of Twilight’s Hammer assassins broke into the city and severely killed his father. Varian’s death is something he refuses to accept. Anduin was one of the few canonical resurrects, a remarkable achievement for any adult Priest, much alone a youngster.
Despite the fact that Varian did not always understand Anduin, he grew to admire and eventually learn from him. Varian, who had always struggled with his inner wolf, began to recognize the benefit of calm and patience rather than premature action.
Anduin had a compass built for his father as a birthday present a few years before the events of Pandaria, with his own image within. Varian cherished this compass as one of his most prized things for the remainder of his life.
Pandaria
Anduin went lost on the newly discovered continent of Pandaria when his ship was assaulted by Garrosh Hellscream’s Horde, during rising tensions between the Alliance and Garrosh Hellscream’s Horde. Despite the fact that a distressed Varian sent Alliance special operatives to locate and retrieve his son, Anduin once again shown his own willpower. He’d heard of the Vale of Eternal Blossoms and desired to remain to research the healing properties of the Vale’s holy waters. When SI:7 agents attempted to take him home nevertheless, he escaped by using mind control on them.
Anduin’s experience in Pandaria has been eventful from the start. He studied with the August Celestial Chi-Ji and earned the August Celestial Xuen’s trust. Hozen and Horde both tried to catch him, but he managed to flee each time. He assisted in the fights against Sha and Mogu. Anduin served as both an adviser and a diplomat to Varian when he came to continue the battle against the Horde.
Divine Bell & Near Death
Anduin took on the challenge of seeking a solution to neutralize the Divine Bell’s power when the Horde gained it, ultimately learning about and creating an artifact known as the Harmonic Mallet. Later, Anduin attempted to persuade Garrosh not to use the Bell, which resulted in a conflict between the Alliance Prince and the Horde Warchief. Garrosh, viewing the artifact as a means of wiping out the Horde’s weaknesses, utilized it nevertheless, unleashing chaotic forces that infected his own Orcs with Sha. Anduin stunned Garrosh and cracked the Bell with the Harmonic Mallet. Garrosh was enraged, so he broke the Bell, which landed on Anduin and crushed him. Garrosh gloated about how feeble the Alliance must be to deploy “children” against him before departing, believing the Prince was dead.
Anduin lived, but his bones were fractured and would never recover completely. Anduin would later discover that the agony serves as a warning, erupting when he is cruel or in danger, which he ascribed to the Light’s guiding.
Wrathion’s friendship
Anduin formed a friendship with the Black Dragon Wrathion while he was recovering. In the Tavern of the Mist, the two were often seen arguing politics and morals, with Anduin consistently supporting the more ethical and peaceful perspective, fiercely opposing Wrathion even when it appeared to enrage him.
Though they firmly differed on many of their key topics of debate, and Anduin plainly never trusted Wrathion (a position that Wrathion felt was sensible), they did seem to acquire some fondness for one another.
Garrosh’s rescue
Garrosh was finally deposed as Horde commander and charged with war crimes. Anduin was summoned as a witness, and throughout his testimony, he expressed his desire for vengeance. Garrosh afterwards approached him and requested to speak with him. Anduin consented, despite the anguish Garrosh had caused him, and he paid Garrosh frequent visits during the trial, addressing his questions about destiny and the Light and attempting to comprehend Garrosh’s point of view.
During this time, Sylvanas Windrunner and her still-living sister Vereesa reconnected for the first time since Sylvanas’ undeath, bonding over their mutual hatred for Garrosh, who had killed Vereesa’s husband in his assault on Theramore. Because they didn’t trust the trial, the two devised a plan to poison Garrosh, and they succeeded in poisoning his final meal. On his route to see Garrosh, Anduin encountered Vereesa, who briefed him about the plot on the spur of the moment. Anduin found Garrosh much more aggressive than normal, and his ethics were put to the test by Garrosh’s harsh comments and threats to the people of Stormwind, but his moral code won out in the end, and he prevented Garrosh from eating the poisoned lunch by knocking it from his hands. Anduin’s arm was broken by Garrosh before it became evident that the meal would have killed him.
Following that, Anduin requested that Garrosh’s legs be unchained so that he might stand proudly as a warrior at the final decision.
Garrosh ultimately eluded justice at the trial. Wrathion had plotted with the Bronze Dragon Kairozdormu to send Garrosh back in time to an alternative universe version of Draenor, fearing the Legion’s rising menace and viewing Garrosh’s warmongering as required strength. Garrosh’s Iron Horde was destroyed, and Garrosh himself was slain in a Mak’gora against Thrall, putting an end to Wrathion’s schemes. Ironically, it was the Gul’dan of alternate Draenor who started the Legion invasion on Azeroth, which would not have occurred if Wrathion hadn’t interfered – in other words, Wrathion’s efforts to halt the Legion unwittingly started the invasion.
King
The Legion did invade, and Varian died in the Battle for Broken Shore, leaving Anduin distraught and abruptly forced into the role of Alliance leader in a battle against one of the Alliance’s most deadly foes. Anduin felt the weight of leadership firmly on his shoulders; Varian had been an extremely powerful warrior to the very end, and Anduin doubted he could ever match up. Varian’s compass was discovered and returned to Anduin by an Alliance adventurer, which appeared to crush his heart. Anduin became more dejected as a result of his sadness and feelings of inadequacy until he decided to journey to the Broken Shore himself.
Anduin discovered one of the fractured parts of Shalamayne, Varian’s blade, which had been inactive since Varian’s death. Anduin got a vision of his father as he picked it up, and he asked him directly what he should do. “What a ruler must do,” Varian said simply. Anduin fully embraced his duty at that point, and the blade started to shine. When Varian handled this blade, it blazed red, indicating his Warrior might, while in Anduin’s hands, it gleamed with the golden light of a Priest. Anduin went on to retrieve the second half of the blade and wield Shalamayne in its entirety.
Prior to the Storm
Anduin was astonished by the willingness of Priests of various allegiances to set aside their differences and work together during a visit to the Priest order hall, Netherlight Temple. Anduin was particularly struck by the now Forsaken Alonsus Faol, who had been an Alliance hero in his previous life and from whom Anduin could perceive no threat of evil or danger. Anduin was inspired by his experiences to attempt to organize a Gathering between some live humans and their Forsaken kin.
This was a revolutionary concept, and many people dismissed it as too utopian. Anduin kept pushing through with the initiative, reaching out to Sylvanas Windrunner, who accepted, but only on the terms that Anduin agreed to.
The Gathering seemed to be going well at first, but it ended tragically. Some hesitated when Sylvanas commanded the Forsaken to return. Calia Menethil made a rash decision to give the Alliance shelter to the Forsaken. Sylvanas retaliated quickly and ruthlessly, ordering her dark rangers to murder all of the participants. All of the Forsaken who took part in the Gathering, including Calia, were slaugthered.
Anduin, along with Alonsus Faol and the Naaru Saa’ra, took part in a Light ceremony never seen before on Azeroth, assisting in the transformation of Calia Menethil into the first, and currently only, Lightforged Undead.
Tensions between the Alliance and the Horde were rising again at this time, ostensibly over the discovery of Azerite. Anduin started to feel she was genuinely irredeemable after learning that Sylvanas had purposely manipulated events at the Gathering to her own benefit.
Idealism’s Demise
Anduin’s character grew significantly as a result of the Gathering’s defeat. Anduin has been persistently ethical to the point of idealistic from the beginning. He’s held on to it even when it meant standing up for and defending people who had wronged him, from intervening to rescue Moira, his captor, to rescuing Garrosh, the Orc who had crushed his bones. This has always made him a skilled counselor and diplomat, but this episode seems to have caused him to reconsider his attitude as king.
Anduin had tried something idealistic with the Gathering. It was a groundbreaking concept with the potential to have a huge, far-reaching good influence if it had worked, but it was also a risk, and Anduin didn’t only wind up with a broken arm when it went wrong. The Forsaken who had placed their faith in his scheme had been massacred.
The Fourth War is the culmination of the previous three wars
Anduin continued to learn and mature as a monarch throughout the fight against Sylvanas, although obviously straining under the weight of his obligations. He was surprised by Teldrassil in particular, and he chastised himself for not stopping Sylvanas sooner. He no longer restricted himself to the duty of healer on the battlefield, opting to fight alongside Shalymayne. He began to depend largely on Genn Greymane’s advise, which he had previously dismissed as being too hot-headed and confrontational. He also used diplomacy for more aggressive purposes, such as forming alliances particularly to aid in the battle and promoting Horde attempts to overthrow their Warchief.
The Horde was finally abandoned by Sylvanas, but a new foe had emerged: the ancient God N’Zoth. Anduin attacked his old buddy Wrathion, blaming him for Varian’s death, when he came with advise to assist the Alliance combat this menace. But, in the end, Anduin listened, and N’Zoth was crushed thanks to efforts that included Alliance and Horde cooperation.
The Rise of the Shadows
Anduin decided to agree to an armistice between the Alliance and Horde after Sylvanas died and to avoid more bloodshed. Not everyone in the Alliance, however, was on board. Tyrande Wisperwind and the Night Elves, in particular, flatly refused to accept an end to the battle. Genn Greymane was similarly of the opinion that the truce would only be ephemeral. Anduin’s obligations continued to cause him stress, especially when he felt he had failed his people and the Alliance.
Turalyon was chosen Lord Commander of the Alliance troops at this time, and Anduin tasked him and Alleria with locating Sylvanas and bringing her to justice. When Jaina learned that Turalyon and Alleria were torturing people, she informed Anduin, expecting him to be as appalled as she was and put an end to it. Instead, Anduin used instances like Teldrassil as examples of how he was ready to go to any length to bring the murderers to justice, even torturing them. This revealed yet another big shift in Anduin’s personality. This was previously unimaginable to him.
Anduin sent Mathias Shaw of the SI:7 to investigate claims that Dark Rangers had been sighted in Zandalar. Shaw was caught by the Zandalari, who presented him to the Alliance as a gift, along with Sira Moonwarden, a former Warden reared in Sylvanas Windrunner’s service. Anduin ordered Sira to be transported to Tyrande to be dealt with, but not before questioning her about Sylvanas. Anduin felt enraged as she taunted him, and for the first time, he displayed symptoms of Shadow magic. This appeared to astound him as much as it did anyone who saw it.
Sylvanas and Torture
Anduin, along with numerous other commanders, was abducted by Mawsworn in the first chapter of Shadowlands. Turalyon assumed the role of Regent of Stormwind while he was away.
The majority of the leaders were freed rather quickly, but they still carried the scars of the torment they had endured, and they detailed how time seemed to stretch out in the Maw, making even a brief period seem like an eternity.
Anduin, on the other hand, got specific attention from Sylvanas. She visited him often in between his torment, attempting to persuade him to join the Jailer’s cause. Anduin shown his strength of character once again, courageously confronting Sylvanas while being under extreme duress and anguish – and his comments appeared to have an impact on her. Finally, the Jailer ordered Anduin to be Dominated, and Sylvanas sent Shalamayne, now transformed into the mournblade Kingsmourne, to carry it out.
When the Dominated Anduin was deployed to attack the Archon and take her insignia, we received a glimpse of his anguish at his own acts. We also began to see Sylvanas displaying unmistakable symptoms of distress and remorse, particularly in regards to Anduin’s treatment.
Later on, we discovered that Anduin had moments of self-awareness and control. He infused Varian’s compass with a memory of a dialogue between Sylvanas and himself at one of these times, and he dropped it shortly before following the Jailer through his portal into Zereth Mortis. Anduin spoke about the affects of Domination, how he felt hollow and empty, and how everything he used to be was being eaten by darkness. When Sylvanas attempts to persuade Anduin that the sacrifice would be worth it in order to halt the cycle of life and death, Anduin questions her again, telling her that it would still be too late for them, that they are already gone.
Aftermath
We know Anduin was able to communicate with Sylvanas. She ultimately shut off the Jailer, and she’s since assisted us in the Sanctum of Domination raid, with the goal of rescuing Anduin from Domination before it’s too late.
We also know the conclusion of the battle (spoiler warning). With a little aid from the ghosts of Varian and Saurfang, we manage to save Anduin.
Learn more about it in our Anduin Raid Finale Cinematic Analysis. What we don’t know is how Anduin will be affected by this encounter in the future.
Long before Sylvanas’ Mawsworn caught Anduin, he was already struggling and changing. He morphed from a good-hearted idealist to a ruler who was prepared to sanction torture. While Sylvanas was unable to persuade him of the Jailer’s purpose, this does not imply that we have regained our pure-hearted idealist. It also doesn’t imply he’ll be completely unscathed by his stay in the Maw.
Shadowlands will come to an end at some time, and Anduin will be forced to return to Azeroth, where he will be expected to claim the throne that Turalyon has been keeping warm for him. Even assuming that goes off without a hitch, Anduin was already grappling with his obligations as king before undergoing the kind of agony reserved for only the most irredeemable souls in the hereafter.
One thing is certain: even if Anduin is free, we are unlikely to discover him in his original state.
Anduin Lothar was a young prince who would grow up to become the boy king of Stormwind. The following is a brief history of his life from an early age until he became king. Reference: anduin lothar.
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