Warcraft Reflects our Zeitgeist

It's not often that in our lil' slice of the sci-fi-fantasy pie you find art echoing life so eloquently, but here we are on the pseudo-eve of a long-awaited Warcraft movie and the plot is feeling... REALLY familiar.

Let me breakdown it: the humans of the kingdom of Azeroth are finding their lands being invaded by orcs from a dying world called Draenor. The reason is that a minority of evil orcs have corrupted and ruined the orcs' homeland through the use of dark magics and partnerships with demonic forces. In fact, the portal connecting Draenor to Azeroth is partially the result of these factors. But most of the orcs are just trying to flee the devastation of their homeworld, seeking refuge and succor from a demonic corruption that is actually destroying their very racial identity from a noble, yet brutal community, to a cruel and bloodthirsty horde.

Meanwhile, the humans of Azeroth are naturally horrified by these "invaders" to their lands. They are afraid of the orcs' fighting prowess, their numbers, and most of all the evil magic that follows them. Yet the humans posses magic themselves, a strong army, allies, guardians, and are not destitute from the destruction of their home. They see in the orcs an enemy they don't want in a land that has been generally peaceful for years. Some advocate for their banishment back to Draenor. Some for their enslavement. And others for their total destruction.

Still, conflict ensues. The orcs and humans clash. They fight over misunderstandings, over competing needs for resources, over simple prejudice and fear. Indeed, the humans call the orcs "savages" and the orcs call the humans "weaklings." Both sides seem destined for all out war.

Into this conflict emerges wise, strong-willed leaders desperate to defend their people, their families, and their way of life. There's the human knight Anduin Lothar of Azeroth and the orc Frostwolves clan chief Durotan. These two are the protagonists who will give their all trying to forge a peace between their communities. Lothar stands up for the nobility and goodness of the orcs. Durotan stands up for the peace and friendship the orcs can have with the humans.

Now, the stage is set. Can you see the similarities to current events? Think... The Syrian refugee crisis, or Central/South American immigration. Indeed, you could compare this to the experience of any displaced peoples in our world today, but those are the ones that have most recently touched our consciousness.

We've seen the hatred and fear that burns within the hearts of our fellow Americans over the immigrants and refugees of lands near or far. We've seen the forces pushing these people towards us -- not because they wish to invade us, but because they are running for their very lives. Just like the orcs in Warcraft! Meanwhile, we sit back condemning them for the sin of being different, denying them our help even as we call ourselves a free country. Much the same as many of the ruling classes of Azeroth who see in the orcs nothing but savages that should be destroyed.

One cannot help but connect the dots here. There is a zeitgeist that Warcraft has tapped into: The Other, our fear, our hatred, our prejudice, and most of all, questions surrounding the value of life and our obligation as living beings to cherish it, to protect it.

But let's go a step further down this road. In the world of Azeroth, most of the human population believes in something called "The Light" which is generally analogous to Christianity. Yet, so many of these followers of The Light are the same ones condemning the orcs to death, enslavement, and even genocide! In much the same way, we see this exact same sentiment among so many Christians in our own world. We see immigrants and refugees labeled as "illegals," or "terrorists." We see Americans advocating shooting them, sending the back to the same dangerous areas they were fleeing from, and even using them as cheap labor in the interim! It's scary how deep the coincidences run.

And this is why Warcraft has had not only such longevity as a fantasy world, but also such popularity. It speaks to our own lives, to our own struggles, and to our own evils. The fantastical elements make for a subversive and powerful vehicle to illuminate understanding in our world that so many fail to grasp. Indeed, many gamers and fans of Warcraft themselves are guilty of the exact kind of prejudice that the Warcraft movie, games, and fandom is actually dead-set against.

For me, I play Warcraft games to escape, to leave behind the gray doldrums of life and become something else, someone else for an hour, a day. But that's what makes Warcraft so good... because I'm actually still here, still living in the real world after all. I haven't escaped anything; rather, I've discovered a new way to learn how to live.

Anyhoo, to the point at hand however: when it comes to Warcraft, whether we play orcs or humans, we're all in this together, as we've seen over the 10+ years of the game. In the movie, I have no doubt we'll see the same ethos. In real life, we need to emulate that same mentality, that same camaraderie. Let's not be a bunch of foolish bigots. Let's be the heroes we play every day.

Cheers