World of Warcraft has released a beautifully animated lore video depicting the rise of the Lich King, narrated by voice actress Jaina Proudmoore.

World of Warcraft has just unveiled a stunning new lore video detailing the backstory of the Lich King ahead of the Wrath of the Lich King Classic. The short video is narrated by Laura Bailey herself, voice actress Jaina Proudmoore.

Wrath of the Lich King was one of the most popular additions to the long history of World of Warcraft.

The expansion concludes several plot threads that began during the Warcraft 3 and Frozen Throne expansions. The return of World of Warcraft Classic with the highly acclaimed expansion is just around the corner, allowing players to relive the epic era of WoW lore.

While the video doesn’t showcase anything that Warcraft lore hunters didn’t already know, its execution is still admirable. In addition to being an essential character in her own right, Jaina Proudmoore has an intimate history with Arthas, making her the perfect narrator for the video. The Lich King lore video was made in the same art style as the pre-expansion Warbringers, Harbingers and Afterlives shorts, so it’s an excellent way for new fans to get acquainted with the iconic villain’s story and for old fans to refresh their memories.

Laura Bailey when she’s not voice acting (Photo: Isaac Sterling/The Verge)

Laura Bailey herself is an incredibly talented actress who has been the voice of Jaina since the launch of World of Warcraft.

Known for her roles in hundreds of games and series, she’s also known to fans as Abby in The Last of Us Part II, Black Widow in the Marvel games and an essential character in Critical Role. Bailey is also an accomplished singer, as she proved in the short film Jaina Warbringers during Battle for Azeroth.

Although the recent World of Warcraft expansions has been met with mixed reviews, Wrath of the Lich King was the highlight of the series for many. This video reminded them of those days and of WoW’s favourite villain, the Lich King. Many hope that World of Warcraft will release more videos like this about their other favourite heroes and villains.

World of Warcraft is currently working on Dragonflight, the next expansion pack. Some are hopeful that the developers will release another series of Warbringers-style animated shorts for Dragonflight, as they have done with every expansion since Warlords of Draenor. While no information has been released about these videos, Dragonflight is scheduled for release before the end of the year.

Source: The Verge, YouTube