Introduction (non-spoilery)

You know, I didn't expect it to be too long after the patch for someone to datamine the final cinematic to Wrath of the Lich King, but I really didn't expect it to happen before the patch dropped for most of us. Yes, the final moments of this expansion's plot arc have been leaked across the internet already, and I would be remiss if I mentioned nothing about it.

If you wish to see it, I have no doubt you can find it linked on various sites. However, due to the "end of the story" nature of this one, I've chosen to not place a link here. Worry not, it's not difficult to find. That said, I do wish to express a few thoughts about it , so I'm clearly marking everything below as spoiler material.

Fall of the Lich King (pretty dang spoilery)

The first thing I noticed about the cinematic is that we don't see anything about the actual battle that leads up to it. This ensures that there is still plenty of room for potential surprises during the encounter, which is nice, because the second thing I noticed about the cinematic was everything else that was missing.

Granted, there were a lot of plot threads that needed tying up, so any expecation of seeing a full round of conclusions in a four minute cinematic is a bit unrealistic. However, there are a few questions I'm still left with after viewing this. First and foremost: what about Mal'ganis? I'm aware of Blizzard's claim that he would have no role in 3.3, but a part of me was holding out in hopes that they were just attempting to teasingly deflect the question. It just seems to be ... glaringly incomplete if he does not appear. So I'm still retaining the hope that he'll have some part to play in the final encounter, but it's not a deep hope.

In fact, there is a distinct lack of actors in the cinematic. We see two expected characters, one predicted character, and one unsurprising character. But that's it, there are only four people in this. It was a foregone conclusion to see Arthas and Tirion there, and having the spirit of Terenas Menethil II, Arthas's father, preside over his son's death was fitting. And the prediction? Yeah, having Bolvar Fordragon don the Lich King's helm to control the Scourge was something that many in the lore community had assumed since Uther dropped that little bombshell. I'll admit to being a little disappointed in that, and not because it was done badly, but because ... it was rather predictable.

To quote from a previous article:

Conversely, I'm a little disappointed at what the Lich King revelations hint towards, as I feel that the potential story arc is a little ... rehashed. Perhaps we'll get a big surprise and the obvious assumed conclusion won't be what we actually see. But as it stands, it's leaning heavily towards the possibility that our immolated friend may have a story yet to come...

No surprises, unfortunately. The cinematic ends it as it was expected to end. As it stands, Bolvar Fordragon still burns with the fire of the red dragonflight, the flight of life. A man still infused with the fires of life donning the helm of undeath means that Fordragon could quite feasibly keep the Lich King entity occupied for an eternity. This makes him the only real choice for the sacrifice—for he can no longer live the normal life of a mortal.

The ending, too, seemed to jive with Blizzard's standard modus operandi regarding the fall of "big bads." We're meant to forget about them after they're gone, at least for a bit. And we're meant to not want to return to the lands affected by their defeat, at least until a suitable time has passed. Blizzard wants to push us into new content, not have us linger about old content, so as Fordragon orders Tirion:

"Now go! Leave this place and never return!"

...it feels like a command from Blizzard to its players as well. We are to leave Northrend and not worry about what happens to the frozen continent. We are to go and experience Catacylsm... at least until Blizzard chooses to revisit the Lich King once again. Having Bolvar seal the helm once again into the Frozen Throne (with it upon his head, no less) was a very fitting way to close that circle and leave things in a neutral state.

Despite my reservations, I enjoyed the cinematic immensely, and I must hand it to Blizzard's in-game cinematic team for pushing themselves further than before. This was an epic piece to watch, and no part of what was there did I dislike. Indeed, I've lost count of the number of times I've rewatched it.

Return of the Lich King?

So what about the future? Sure, we'll be dealing with Deathwing soon. And we may even pop into the Emerald Dream, or perhaps dive down to Nazjatar sometime after that. But what about the future of the Lich King?

As mentioned above, Fordragon may actually be capable of keeping the Lich King entity occupied "forevermore," but will Blizzard allow that? There's still a lot of unfinished business floating around our former orc, Ner'zhul, not the least of which is the Burning Legion's vengeance. We also question what happens to the Scourge. Will they retreat to Northrend and become a non-issue? What about those Scourge who retain their will?

All these questions become overwhelming until you realize a very simple fact: the Lich King is not dead, only Arthas is dead. So what's left in the helm? Is that Ner'zhul once more? Or is the entity irrevocably changed? Regardless, while Bolvar may succeed in keeping himself sealed away in the Frozen Throne, can he succeed in fending off the greater enemies that may seek him out in the future?

Only time will tell.