World of Warcraft: How the Jailer Could Have Been a Much Stronger Villain

gamerant.com:

Since he was introduced in Shadowlands, Zovaal the Jailer has been the main antagonist of World of Warcraft. After struggling against him throughout the expansion, players defeated him within the Sepulcher of the First Ones raid during Eternity’s End. However, his defeat rang hollow for most World of Warcraft players — rather than feeling triumphant or bittersweet, they were just relieved to see him go.

At face value, the Jailer has a lot in common with other World of Warcraft villains, but those similarities crack under pressure. The Jailer’s motivations and modus operandi lacked the clarity and consistency of his predecessors, which led to annoyance or confusion among many players. However, with a little more development, Zovaal could have become as popular as the Lich King, the Old Gods, or Sargeras.

World of Warcraft Developers Speak on Character Motivations, Consequences in Eternity's End

The Jailer’s motivations are the core of his poor reception. From when players first learned Sylvanas Windrunner was in league with the Jailer in Shadowlands, many asked why this decision was made. At various points throughout Shadowlands, The Jailer claimed he sought to destroy the world, dominate the multiverse, and reshape reality. Meanwhile, Sylvanas said they intended to fix the broken system of the afterlife; a goal that did not seem to match. It was not until Zovaal’s dying words that he mentioned a greater threat he was trying to protect against the whole time. At no point during Shadowlands were players told the reasoning behind his goals, nor why Sylvanas chose to betray her people and ally with Zovaal when their motivations were seemingly at odds.

When compared to the motivations of other villains, Zovaal’s seem flimsy. The