Character Spotlight: Arthas Menathil - The Book is Closed on an Iconic Villain (spoilers)

wowhead.com:

Love him or hate him, Arthas Menathil, the Lich King, was a great character, a great villain, and a favorite of many. His end in the post-fight cinematic for the Anduin fight in Sepulcher of the First ones sees his legacy finally put to rest.

Who was Arthas? Arthas Menathil was the son of a king, expected to take the throne and rule in his own right when the day came. His life was planned. He would be a smart, educated king. He would be a great fighter for his people. He would be a servant of the Light. He would be a role-model in every way, a golden prince. This isn't a future he got to choose, this is how it was. Any way you look at it, this was a huge burden for a small boy. Arthas was a clumsy fighter, a so-so student who felt sidelined by his father, and a reluctant paladin who was uninspired by the Light. He was impulsive, headstrong, and reckless. As a child he saw first-hand what the death of a king meant for a crown prince when Prince Varian sought refuge with Arthas' family after the fall of Stormwind. It must have been terrifying. As a young man, although he had managed to overcome most of his challenges, they still took a toll. What he lacked in self-confidence he compensated for with ego. And he had a lot of ego.

The final blow to who Arthas was as a person came with the devastating death of his horse, Invincible. Arthas had witnessed the birth of Invincible and the boy and colt grew and learned together. Invincible died suffering due to Arthas' poor judgement, riding recklessly in icy conditions. The sorrow and the guilt broke Arthas. One of Arthas' first acts, as soon as he was able, was to resurrect Invincible; they could not be together in life, but in death they could