Since he was introduced inShadowlands, Zovaal the Jailer has been the main antagonist ofWorld of Warcraft. After struggling against him throughout the expansion, players defeated him within the Sepulcher of the First Ones raid duringEternity’s End. However, his defeat rang hollow for mostWorld of Warcraftplayers - rather than feeling triumphant or bittersweet, they were just relieved to see him go.
At face value, the Jailer has a lot in common withotherWorld of Warcraftvillains, 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.
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The Jailer’s Unclear Motivations in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
The Jailer’s motivations are the core of his poor reception. From when players first learnedSylvanas Windrunner was in league with the Jailer inShadowlands, many asked why this decision was made. At various points throughoutShadowlands, 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 duringShadowlandswere 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 Lich King sought to kill everyone and unite the world in death, whileSargeras sought to wipe out existence with the Burning Legionto prevent the Old Gods from corrupting it. These motivations are straightforward, but have details beneath the surface that support their overarching goals. The Jailer’s motivations lack clarity and depth, leading him to feel like a poor imitation of others.
This confusion could have been avoided ifWorld of Warcraftplayed the Jailer’s hand more clearly. It seemedWoWwas trying hard to keep an air of mystery behind Zovaal’s motivations, but that made it hard to become invested in stopping him. Trading that mystery for a more palpable, perceivable threat would have helped immensely. Alternatively, ifWorld of Warcraftwanted to go withSylvanas' stance that the system of the Shadowlands was crueland wrong, it should have highlighted the flaws of the “Machine of Death,” a plot point present in the Bastion story that was dropped before fully explored.
The Jailer’s Inconsistent Atmosphere in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
When players first met the Jailer, he was portrayed as an untouchable force of death. However, later in the story, players encountered many characters whovoluntarily joined the Jailer’s side inShadowlands, including Sire Denathrius, Helya, and Devos. With a legion of spies and followers in every corner of the Shadowlands, it seemed like he was a charismatic puppet-master, able to convince anyone to join him.World of Warcraftwas caught between portraying two different versions of the Jailer.
Villains like Sargeras or the Old Gods do not suffer from this discordant characterization.Sargeras plays the role of an inexorable god-like being within the Burning Legion, while servants like Kil’jaeden and Gul’dan plotted deeper schemes. Likewise, the Old Gods often acted as unfathomable, distant entities while acting through proxies and corrupt beings. Zovaal attempted to do this inShadowlandswith schemers such as Denathrius and Kel’Thuzad, but never showed how his network of villainy operated.
World of Warcraft should have picked a method and stuck with it. If it wanted Zovaal to be an unstoppable force, it should have focused on keeping him a looming threat as characters like Denathrius carry the antagonistic weight. Alternatively, ifWoWwanted him to be a master schemer, it should have portrayed him as the charismatic underdog, just barely able to slip beneath the notice of theShadowlandsPantheon of Death to undermine their authority.
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The Jailer’s Unmerited Esteem in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands
All throughoutShadowlands, characters speak of the Jailer with terror and awe. Meanwhile, players are given few reasons to fear or respect the Jailer’s power. A newcomer toWarcraft, theJailer was virtually unheard of beforeShadowlands, outside a few mentions of a powerful death entity.World of Warcraftplayers were told how impressive the Jailer was, rather than shown, a problem further cemented by his swift downfall.
Comparing the Jailer’s reputation with those of otherWarcraftvillains illustrates this deficit. Sargeras, the Lich King, and the Old Gods each existed as farback asWarcraft 3, and each had concrete examples of threatening behavior presented over two decades. On the other hand, the Jailer’s merit came mostly from vague references, such as inEdge of Nightor with Odyn’s eye, or from tying in the accomplishments of pre-existing villains.
In order for the Jailer to have earned the esteem he was given,World of Warcraftshould have shown his personal worth. Simply telling players he is powerful doesn’t convince anyone he actually is, and tying other villains in to make him sound more impressive does nothing but diminish the accomplishments of those other characters. The introduction sequence forShadowlandswas an effective display of his power by capturing and re-capturing Jaina, Anduin, Thrall, and Baine. After that, the Jailer did little but brood and make cryptic threats. Players needed to see more substance from Zovaal if he was going to earn their respect.
Unfortunately, the chance to make the Jailer a better villain died with the Sepulcher of the First Ones. Even ifWorld of Warcraftwere to improve his characterization posthumously, either by explaining his motives or via Denathrius’ machinations, he is unlikely to go be remembered as a belovedWarcraftvillain. One can hope Blizzard learned its lesson with Zovaal, and will ensurefutureWorld of Warcraftantagonistsdo not fall into the same storytelling pitfalls.
