One of the major plot beats in World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is the fight to become the next black Dragon Aspect. The title of black Dragon Aspect has remained dormant since the fall of Deathwing, and the black Dragonflight has been trying to rid itself of that corruption ever since. World of Warcraft players have come to know one of the heirs over the years, Wrathion the Black Prince, and many believed he was a shoo-in for the job. However, the Waking Shores campaign featured the return of another black Dragonflight who may give Wrathion a run for his money: Sabellian, the son of Deathwing.
Sabellian and Wrathion both want what is best for the recovering black Dragonflight, but fight to be the one who helps guide the battered flight. The fight over who will become the next black Dragon Aspect will be a major part of the endgame grind in Dragonflight, as players are able to pledge their allegiance to one of them every week. Players will have to decide who they really want as the successor to Deathwing, and whoever it becomes will likely shape the trajectory of World of Warcraft.
Wrathion's Claim to the Dragonflight Throne
Wrathion is one of the few black dragons on Azeroth who are free from the Old Gods' corruption, and overall one of the last black dragons alive. He was born during the events of Cataclysm, and is the grandson of Deathwing. As a whelping, he saw the corruption within the black Dragonflight and believed the only way to purify them was to kill them all. So, he went out to assassinate all of Azeroth's remaining black dragons to save his flight before vanishing into the shadows.
Wrathion returned in Mists of Pandaria after a terrible vision showed him the end of Azeroth. He wanted to bring world peace, and to do that he devised a plot to have the Alliance wipe out the Horde. He had hoped this would protect Azeroth from greater threats, but the leaders of the Alliance would end up making peace with the Horde instead. So, Wrathion broke Garrosh out of prison, which would kick off the Warlords of Draenor expansion. He would return once more in Battle for Azeroth to help the players combat N'zoth and his corruption.
Wrathion took up the titans' mandate to protect Azeroth after he destroyed his flight, and all of his actions seem to be a result of that. While many believe his actions are misguided, they seem to be for what he believes is the betterment of the planet. In Dragonflight, his mission to protect Azeroth continues as an old enemy rises once more.
Sabellian's Claim to the Dragonflight Throne
While Wrathion may be one of the last surviving black dragons on Azeroth, Sabellian leads his own flight in Outland. He is the son of Deathwing, and therefore has a much stronger claim to the title of black Dragon Aspect than Wrathion. Not much else is known about Sabellian yet, as players only saw him in a brief appearance during The Burning Crusade, but he will no doubt be a major part of Dragonflight.
Sabellian led his own black Dragonflight within Blade's Edge Mountains, and decided to return to the spotlight once the Dragon Isles were uncovered. He apparently helped free some black dragons from their corruption, and now hopes to build an even stronger black Dragonflight within their ancestral homeland. He has already shown his fortitude during the Waking Shore questline to reclaim the Obsidian Citadel, and also successfully brought new black dragon eggs to safety. Time will tell if he is truly as good as he claims, or if there is some corruption waiting to come out.
Both Wrathion and Sabellian have strong claims to being the next black Dragon Aspect, but only one of them will be able to gain that title. It will most likely not be decided for a while given this is a major part of Dragonflight's narrative, but it will be very interesting to see just how it all plays out in the end.
World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is available now on PC.