Sylvanas Windrunner’s character evolution is quite the spectacle. Fifteen years of tragic character development and deep motivations in the mind of a sinister general capable of planning some of the most heinous acts of indecency in war. Then tossed out for three years’ worth of female empowerment. The Banshee Queen has been uplifted from a background plotter who worked her way around the eyes of those who held her back to maneuver herself into a position favorable to her people, in to the Warchief of the Horde she has historically cared little for. Kind of. She still puts her people, the undead citizens of Lordaeron, above the other races. Except when she doesn’t.

Look, Sylvanas’ character development could go either way. It wouldn’t be crazy to say she’s a maniac who wants nothing more than to blight the world, and ensure her people’s survival. At the same time, it’s not impossible that she could have a change of heart and learn what the Horde symbolizes in Warcraft. But Blizzard just doesn’t seem to fucking know what they want to do with her, and give off some of the most whack mixed messages I’ve ever seen. And unfortunately, being a hot, undead, Elven dominatrix means she can get away with just about anything because of the inevitable legion of fanboys she’s got. Thankfully, even the fanbase seems to be waking up to her, and when your playerbase is autistic enough to actually protest her in-game so much that you’ve got to give them the opportunity to betray her, it should be a sign that maybe you’ve gone just a bit off the deep-end with this character.