When Did Khadgar Become Young Again

The concluding time I talked near Khadgar, it wasn't actually so much of a history and more a questioning Tinfoil Chapeau Edition, because frankly, Khadgar's identify in Warlords has been just a fiddling odd. His familiarity with Garona isn't at all out of place, but his unmarried-minded obsession with Gul'dan's downfall certainly is — the about interaction the man has had with Gul'dan prior to Warlords has been with the orc's skull.

Which means there's something inherently fishy about Khadgar, something just off enough about his presence in the expansion that it bears closer examination. And while I've examined it earlier, it's e'er been from a space where Khadgar must be upwardly to something, must not exist what he appears to be, must be something sinister or malevolent — and that'due south not necessarily the case. And with a hero similar Khadgar, and his upcoming appearance in Legion, nosotros should probably be looking at the other side of the coin, besides … and possibly throwing in merely a little speculation while we're at it.

Apprentice

Khadgar began his rise to notoriety through a elementary enough assignment: he was sent at age 17 to travel to Karazhan, to report nether the magician Medivh equally his amateur. And that in and of itself was a rarity — Medivh didn't take apprentices, and the few that the Kirin Tor had dared send never actually lasted very long one time they'd gotten a skillful await at some of the bizarre quirks of Medivh's domicile. Khadgar was not exempt from these quirks, visions of places and events that had all the same to come to laissez passer. He witnessed an elderly man fighting dark-green-skinned creatures in one of these visions, and the elderly homo had Khadgar's optics.

But over time and truthful to his proper name, Khadgar managed to proceeds Medivh's trust. He learned of the Orc invasion, he traveled to the Black Morass and back again, and Medivh finally acknowledged him equally an amateur. And and so it all started to get incorrect. Khadgar discovered that Medivh was a Guardian, tasked and empowered by the Council of Tirisfal to fight the Burning Legion, a task Khadgar barely understood. And he realized something wasn't quite right with Medivh, though he couldn't pinpoint information technology.

Eventually, this led to the confrontation in Medivh's tower, with Garona and Anduin Lothar at his side. And it led to the almost pivotal moment of Khadgar's young life. In that final confrontation, Medivh placed a spell on the boy, aging him in an instant from that 17 yr old apprentice to the elderly, white-haired man of his vision. And it was up to him to help fight the Orcs — the greenish-skinned creatures in that same vision. He saw it all, and he knew what needed to be done.

2d War

During the 2d War, he did just that. While he was now elderly in appearance, his listen was still young — and although Medivh had stripped him of his powers in the tower, they gradually returned to him over time. The Alliance of Lordaeron was formed, and Khadgar returned to Dalaran, told them of his apprenticeship nether Medivh, and then asked to return to Lothar, determined to fight the Orcish threat. The Council of 6 allow him leave, appointing him as their official liaison, and Khadgar proceeded to do what he'd seen in his visions — fight the Orcs at Lothar'south side.

Unfortunately, Anduin Lothar met his end at the hands of the Horde's leader. Only rather than shatter the Alliance, it only strengthened their resolve, and they soundly defeated the Horde, pushing them all the way back to the Night Portal. At that place, Khadgar called on his powers and tore downwards the link between Azeroth and Draenor. And afterwards that task was accomplished, he stayed there, overseeing the construction of Nethergarde Proceed but in case a second attack ever occurred.

Information technology was a proficient plan because sure enough, a year afterwards Nethergarde's structure the portal opened again, and this fourth dimension, the Orcs were later powerful artifacts. After a consultation with Archmage Antonidas, Khadgar put together an expedition to Draenor, adamant to put a stop to whatever it was the orcs were planning to do with all these artifacts. One of these artifacts? The Skull of Gul'dan. Khadgar had information technology, briefly, just it was lost when the Nighttime Portal was destroyed a second fourth dimension…leaving Khadgar and the rest of the Brotherhood Expedition stranded, thought lost for good.

Draenor

They weren't, though. Oh, some of them had disappeared, only others survived, and Khadgar was one of the survivors. He traveled to Shattrath and became an counselor to the Naaru A'dal. We found him when we traveled back to Draenor in Called-for Cause, and it was pretty clear that Khadgar had spent at least some of that time learning virtually the Legion from A'dal — who doubtless had all kinds of history to share. Some time after that, he met Med'an, the son of Garona and Medivh. And some time subsequently that, he returned to Azeroth as a fellow member of the Council of Six, suggesting that Jaina Proudmoore become leader of the Kirin Tor after Rhonin'south death.

So hither's what we know: Khadgar spent a lot of time on Draenor, or what was left of information technology. At that place's no doubtfulness that he learned plenty well-nigh Draenor'southward history while interim as advisor to A'dal. It may be that A'dal taught him about the Burning Legion, and what the Legion had done to the Orcs — of Kil'jaeden's corruption, and of the eventual destruction of Shattrath. After all, Khadgar was stranded on Draenor for eighteen years — the Dark Portal was destroyed in yr eight, and Burning Crusade began in year 26. Whether A'dal knew anything of Gul'dan is unknown, simply non across the scope of possibility.

Alternatively, Khadgar had the Skull of Gul'dan in his possession for at least some curt period of time…and that skull contained at least some small role of Gul'dan's soul. It was known to whisper to those that held it, and it's possible that Khadgar heard enough while in possession of the skull to realize just what had happened, and how dangerous that orc must take been while he was alive.

Warlords and Legion

Khadgar's appearance in Warlords is yet a trivial odd, simply it might only be that Medivh's crumbling spell has finally worn off — enough so that Khadgar now looks far closer to his actual age. He's 47 now, give or take a year or two, and he's lived through some of the well-nigh tumultuous events on Azeroth, the events that started it all. It's not unreasonable to think that Khadgar would exist concerned with the Iron Horde or the reopening of the Dark Portal and sudden appearance of Orcs — afterwards all, he destroyed that Dark Portal not once, but twice. Seeing it open to a rampaging horde of orcs must have been very much like watching the nightmares of his by come back to life.

It'south not odd that he'due south obsessed with Gul'dan, if he did indeed learn things about the Orc from contact with his skull or consultation with A'dal while he was stranded on Draenor. Information technology's odd that he's so familiar with Gul'dan — and that Gul'dan is familiar with him as well. The two never met contiguous, and at the time that Gul'dan was notwithstanding very much alive, Khadgar was simply an amateur to Medivh, not actually noteworthy. Simply it all comes back to ane moment, 1 that I keep looking at and trying to sort out: the moment of Medivh's demise.

At that place were four people physically present in that tower: Medivh, Garona, Anduin Lothar, and Khadgar. And there were two people who weren't at that place physically, but were there in spirit — Sargeras, who had at that point possessed Medivh and was controlling his actions, and Gul'dan, who was trying to pry the whereabouts of the Tomb of Sargeras from Medivh's listen before the Guardian was killed. The backlash from Medivh's beheading was plenty to send Sargeras back to the Twisting Under and Gul'dan into a coma.

Spell

Just simply prior to that moment, something transpired that I remember we even so don't fully understand. There was a moment in which Medivh cast that spell on Khadgar — and Khadgar's powers were sapped, and he was aged into an onetime homo instantaneously. Here's the matter: Khadgar wasn't a particularly big threat. He was a 17 yr old boy. He was trying to throw a curse on Medivh, and Medivh retaliated and tuckered him of his powers and his youth simultaneously. I've pointed out before that perhaps it was Sargeras, trying to empty a vessel before his inevitable demise, but the more I look at that passage from The Last Guardian, the more I wonder if it wasn't the other manner around.

Medivh managed a pocket-size sigh, and his features softened. "I never meant to really impairment anyone," he said. "I but wanted to accept my ain life." As he spoke, he jerked his paw upward, his palm glowing with mystic energy, seeking to scramble Khadgar's mind as he had Garona'southward.

What if, in that instant, Medivh wasn't draining Khadgar's ability? What if, instead, Medivh was giving Khadgar all the years that Medivh would never get? Soon after, Medivh dies and the story flashes dorsum to present day, where Khadgar confronts a figure who nearly certainly should be dead.

Khadgar craned his caput upward. The sun was now touching the pinnacle half of the tower. "Perhaps there should not be Guardians then, if this has been the price."

"Agreed," said the trespasser, and as the potent light of day began to grow, he began to fade. "But for the moment, for your moment, nosotros must all play our part. We all must pay this price. And so, when we take the chance, we will start anew."

Medivh might agree that there should be no more Guardians, but for Khadgar'due south moment, all must play their parts. Did Medivh really drain Khadgar of his powers in that moment on the tower — or did he intentionally pass on the powers of a Guardian to Khadgar? Here's what we know:

• Co-ordinate to the comics, the powers of a Guardian are usually given by siphoning the powers of several mages into i individual, someone chosen, prepared, and trained for the task. Aegwynn, still, bankrupt that bike when she essentially gave the Council the finger and had a son, passing her powers downwards to him.
• Khadgar remained aged, but his powers came back later on a catamenia of time — and they were strong plenty that they were able to shut down the Dark Portal that Medivh opened. Twice.
• When approached by Vindicator Maraad and Medivh'southward own son to join the new Quango of Tirisfal and brand Med'an a new Guardian, Khadgar declined, sending another mage in his place.
• Khadgar'southward wielding Atiesh. He's as well pulling off the same shapeshifting magic that Medivh used.

A lot of people have theorized that Khadgar is actually Medivh, but I remember in that location may exist another step in between. Khadgar isn't Medivh. Merely he may very well be a Guardian. And somewhere in his journeys he realized what had happened, which is why he didn't join the new Council of Tirisfal: they would have immediately known. It also explains why Khadgar has that odd familiarity with Gul'dan — he gathered it from Medivh. And it explains why he'due south and so focused on getting rid of the Burning Legion, above and beyond taking care of the Iron Horde … considering that's what Guardians are for. It's the purpose for which they were created, and he knows it.

Although this is just a theory at this indicate, it's entirely possible we'll see more about this in Legion, especially since Khadgar features on the expansion's cast page. We'll have to await and run across to find out, but it may very well be that Khadgar isn't really bad: he'south 1 of the best lines of defense we have, and nosotros simply haven't realized information technology…yet.

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Source: https://blizzardwatch.com/2015/09/11/know-lore-khadgar/