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Shattered Legacies - A Cinematic Analysis of the Sylvanas Cutscene in Patch 9.2
PTR
Pubblicato
12/12/2021 alle 05:13
da
DiscordianKitty
Shattered Legacies is the
new 9.2 cinematic featuring Sylvanas
. In this analysis, we explore Sylvanas's fragmented soul, and the only way she could move forward and become whole again.
SPOILERS!!! Possible Major Story Spoilers Ahead.
The Story So Far
Until recently, Sylvanas has been aligned with the Jailer, Zovaal, believing in his promises to reshape the cycle of life and death into one that is less unjust. This changed moments after Zovaal achieved his goal of opening a portal to Zereth Mortis, as Sylvanas finally seemed to realize he had no intention of holding to his promises, and would only be another tyrant, forcing her to submit to his rule. In a moment of defiance, Sylvanas shot an arrow at Zovaal, and as a punishment, he returned the fracture of her soul, torn from her by Frostmourne, that the Jailer has held in his possession presumably since her death.
Read More in our Analysis of the Sanctum of Domination Cinematic Finale
As the fragment of soul re-entered Sylvanas's body, she fell to her knees, clutching at her chest, before finally falling to the floor unconscious.
Shattered Legacies - Introduction
The scene opens with a reclining Sylvanas, still unconscious after the events of the Sanctum of Domination raid. We can immediately see the re-entering of the soul left a wound, similar to the one borne by Uther's own soul. Uther's voice is heard, explaining that her soul has been fractured - much like his own.
Uther: Sylvanas's soul has been fractured, from the moment of her death... until now.
In
Shadowlands Afterlives: Bastion
, touching Uther's wound allowed Devos to see a glimpse of the memories and conflicts that Uther was facing. Perhaps this is why he reaches for Sylvanas's wound. Coils of darkness reach up to his hand as the vision begins, as if the torment she is going through is so strong, it's overflowing.
Her Worst Memory
The scene changes, and while Uther's most painful memory and source of his conflict was his death at the hands of Arthas, for Sylvanas, it seems to be the Burning of Teldrassil.
Sylvanas: Burn it!
However, it's quickly apparent this is not just a simple memory.
In
Warbringers: Sylvanas
, the Night Elf captain, Delaryn Summermoon, tried to ask Sylvanas why she would do this - why murder innocents.
Delaryn: Why? You've already won. Only innocents remain in the tree.
Sylvanas: This is war.
Delaryn: No. This... is hatred... rage. Windrunner, you were... defender of your people. Do you not remember?
Sylvanas: I remember... a fool.
In Shattered Legacies, the person challenging Sylvanas - kneeling in the same position Delaryn did - is Sylvanas herself. A mortal, blue-eyed Sylvanas, clearly the fragment of soul violently returned to her by Zovaal.
A Soul in Conflict
As the argument rages, we can see just how strong this internal conflict is between Sylvanas and herself. First, the fragment of Sylvanas's clear horror and devastation, her chest shaking as if she is sobbing, the pain and accusation clear on her face as she asks
how
. How could she do something like this?
Sylvanas: This was their home... and you slaughtered all of them!
Sylvanas: How could you take all those innocent lives!
Next, banshee Sylvanas's anger and exasperation as she tries to argue her own case, throwing her hands up while attempting to describe the bigger picture, the clear frustration on her face as she asks
how
. How could she not see why this was necessary?
Sylvanas: This was beyond life and death!
Sylvanas: There was no other path to true freedom.
Sylvanas: How can you not see that!?
It's clear that these two aspects of Sylvanas cannot be at peace with each other, the divide between them is too great, and so the war wages on as the fragment of Sylvanas's soul screams the same names at her that others have labeled her with - names Sylvanas has often brushed off. The only difference now is, this time, Sylvanas is being called this by herself.
Sylvanas: I see what you are.
Sylvanas: Murderer!
Sylvanas: Monster!
Sylvanas: Butcher!
A Wound That Cannot Heal, A Fragment - Not Half
And this is important. Sylvanas has remained defiant in the face of these arguments before, always insisting that there is a bigger picture, a more important liberation that makes any sacrifice both necessary and worthwhile. We've seen her anger and frustration when it seemed the Horde could not understand this. We've seen her attempts to convince Anduin, her conviction that, given time, she could have made him understand her point of view with reason. From Sylvanas's perspective, no one seems to understand - but if they could just listen and see the bigger picture, then they would.
But now that this fragment of her soul is back, it's Sylvanas herself that is insisting no "bigger picture" is worth some of the atrocities she's committed. For Sylvanas, there can no longer be a comforting refuge in a greater plan. She can hide from the accusations leveled at her by rest of the world, but she cannot hide from herself, not now that the part of her that would never have accepted any of this has been returned.
It is vital to remember that the fragment of soul is just that - a fragment.
When she died, Sylvanas's soul was not split into two halves. Rather, a fragment of her soul was torn away by Frostmourne - specifically the part of her that could never have accepted committing an atrocity like Teldrassil for any reason. Uther explained this in the
Aftermath of Chains of Domination
, patch 9.1.5's main story questline.
<Uther reaches toward the wound beneath his chestplate.>
When Arthas struck me down, Frostmourne shattered my soul. But it was not divided into one part that was noble and another that was cruel.
Rather, it was as if a portion of my consciousness remained frozen in time while the rest of my soul carried on.
To feel that missing fragment restored... well, it has caused me to reflect upon many of the choices I have made.
When this fragment of Sylvanas's soul asks why she cannot escape her torment: this is why. Because for as long as this part of her, this wounded fragment, cannot find a way to live with what she's done, the part of her that burned Teldrassil, then Sylvanas cannot find peace from her internal conflict.
Sylvanas: Why can I not escape this torment!
She Cannot Wake
And so the scene changes again to Uther, explaining that it is this conflict keeping Sylvanas trapped and tormented. The only possible way for her to wake from her unconscious state is to somehow find a way to be at peace with herself. Baine, quite fairly, wonders if she should wake up, considering her crimes, but Bolvar points out that, in the fight against Zovaal, Sylvanas's knowledge is needed. Even so, Jaina and Thrall argue that she still cannot be trusted.
Uther: The Jailer has severed their bond, and condemned her to endlessly relive her atrocities.
Uther: So long as her soul remains divided, she cannot wake.
Baine: Maybe she shouldn't.
Bolvar: She's the only one who knows the Jailer's plan, and how we might save Anduin.
Jaina: She's the one that turned Anduin.
Thrall: Jaina is right. How can we possibly trust her?
Uther, however, is more empathetic, and he makes a decision, lifting Sylvanas's hand to press it against the wound on his chest.
Uther: Her wound runs so much deeper... than mine.
The fragment of Sylvanas's soul finds herself in Andorhal - Uther's memory. Uther, in his mortal form, welcomes her, and explains how he, too, was killed by Arthas.
Uther: Well met, Ranger-General
Sylvanas: W-What is this?
Sylvanas: Who are you?
Uther: Someone who shared your fate, felled by the blade of the very same prince.
Sylvanas: Arthas.
Straight away, this part of Sylvanas launches into the horror she's found herself in, a fragment returned to a soul that is, to her, unrecognizable, that she is sure cannot be her. Uther knows this fragment needs to accept that it is part of Sylvanas's soul, but she insists she cannot.
Sylvanas: I died trying to stop that monster, only to wake up haunted by one with my face.
Uther: That banshee... is you.
Sylvanas: No. I cannot accept that.
Uther: Her path began where yours ended, and you've seen the decisions she made.
Sylvanas: Never in a thousand lifetimes would I betrayed everything I stood for!
Sylvanas: You can't possibly understand.
Uther sighs.
As she turns on him to argue, waving her hands in explanation, the scene is strangely similar to the one we saw before, during the argument with herself. Her gestures show that, inherently, she is the same person, though this part of her is softer, less aggressive, than her soul without her. The similarity in these scenes is also subtly hinting that, as before, she is wrong.
But Uther does understand. The fragment of Sylanas is halted as he shows her his own fragmented soul, and reminds her that the Jailer's expectation is exactly this - that the wound in Sylvanas's soul can never heal, because this fragment will refuse to accept that it can be part of her - not just the mortal Elf she was before death, but the Banshee that she is now.
Uther: The Jailer is deceptively cunning. When I realized I had become his pawn, it nearly destroyed me. He had no doubts it would destroy you as well. Was he right?
The scene changes as Uther challenges her, to prove the Jailer wrong, accept herself as she is, her own legacy, and once again be whole.
Uther: Or will you accept her shattered legacy and tell us how to stop him?
And so this fragment of Sylvanas's soul, the part of her that could never have accepted something like Teldrassil, grapples with the knowledge that this is something she, Sylvanas, has done. She cannot comfort herself with justifications or forgiveness - some things are unforgivable. She cannot comfort herself by saying it wasn't her, because then her soul will remain fragmented.
The only way forward is to accept the legacy of the soul that this fragment is part of, and acknowledge it as her own - which will mean accepting the consequences - the pain of knowing what she has done, and the punishment that she may face at the hands of those she has harmed.
Sylvanas: Her crimes... are unforgivable.
Uther: Yes.
Sylvanas: And she...
Sylvanas: Burn it!
Sylvanas: ...I must face the consequences.
As Uther challenges the fragment of Sylvanas's soul to make her choice, this conversation ends on almost the same note as one Sylvanas has had before - with Anduin.
Uther: We cannot change the past, and we may never find forgiveness in the future... but inaction damns us all. Time is short, Ranger-General. Make your choice.
In the cinematic
Sylvanas's Choice
, Sylvanas was preparing to use the Jailer's domination magic on Anduin. to force him to submit to Zovaal's will. She found herself hesitating, and Anduin challenged her to make a choice. That scene ended before the choice was made, and we only learned later that she had chosen to go through with corrupting Anduin.
Read More in Our Analysis of Sylvanas's Choice
In this cinematic, the scene simply changes, as Uther tells the others that he's done what he can. For now, Sylvanas remains unconscious.
Uther: I've done all I can.
Time moves on, and the others leave, until only Uther remains at Sylvanas's bedside. Eventually, her eyes open. They're blue. The fragment has accepted the soul it comes from. Sylvanas's soul is whole again.
A Final Note
Over time, as Sylvanas has become closer and closer to the Jailer, her armor has changed. If we look at her three most recent models, we can see how she's gone from Dark Ranger armor with her stomach exposed, to more protective gear as she became more paranoid and aggressive, until finally the hard, spiked Maw-inspired armor that she has worn since the beginning of Shadowlands.
On the PTR, Sylvanas has a new model, and we can immediately see how it reflects changes in her character. Her eyes are blue, and she is wearing gear that, once again, more suits the gear she wore as a Ranger-General. It's also softer, more relaxed, and a little less closed off than the harsh spikes of the Mawsworn gear.
By incorporating elements of both her mortal and her banshee forms, this new model reinforces the fact that Sylvanas's soul is whole again. She is not just the mortal Elf who died at Arthas's hands, nor is she the Banshee that burned Teldrassil. She is both, and ready to face whatever that means for her future.
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