World of Warcraft players are divided over Vyranoth, one of the new main antagonists introduced in Dragonflight. While many players love what they’ve seen of the character so far, some World of Warcraft fans have criticized her design–especially compared to her other original incarnations.
Vyranoth the Frozenheart is one of the Primal Avatars – the leader of the anti-Titan faction known as the Primalists. Players first meet her and her siblings, Iridikron and Fyrakk, after her sister Raszageth gave her life to save them at the end of Dragonflight’s Vault of the Incarnates Raid. Even though they’ve only seen the characters in a couple of cutscenes, players have so far liked what they’ve seen of the original incarnations.
However, some players weren’t sold in Vyranoth’s image. The humanoid forms of Fyrakk and Iridikron are unique in a way that many World of Warcraft fans love. Veranos, on the other hand, has a more traditionally attractive look than her brother’s elemental monster. New concept art for the original avatar that WoW recently shared further underscores this, showing a rougher, more ferocious, and more alien version of Vyranoth compared to the more refined, stately visage depicted in her movie model .
Many fans also can’t help but compare Vyranoth to the Queen of Winter. As the leader of the Ardenweald (one of the four Covenant factions in the Shadowlands), the Winter Queen played a major role in the final expansion of World of Warcraft. There are plenty of similarities between the two in color schemes, silhouettes and even sound modes. Compared to the unique looks of Iridikron and Fyrakk, some fans feel that her design is not original.
Unfortunately, this difference isn’t unique to the original incarnation or even World of Warcraft. Exaggerated dimorphism between male and female characters—especially if they are large or monstrous—is a common stylistic choice, especially in older video games. Just looking at player races like orcs, werewolves, or trolls is a good illustration of how widespread it is in World of Warcraft. Fortunately, this archaic design pattern has become less prominent in more modern games, as demonstrated by the barbarian in Diablo IV.
However, that’s not to say people don’t like Vyranoth. She and her siblings are one of the most beloved villains in WoW’s recent history, and each of their appearances further cements that. Many players liked the design of the new villain, and many can’t wait to see what role she will play in Neltharion’s Embers and the future of WoW.
World of Warcraft is now available for PC.