What is your favorite World of Warcraft expansion cinematic?

Tomorrow brings something that we’ve only had eleven times previously — a World of Warcraft expansion trailer. With the Midnight trailer reveal at Gamescom, we’ll get our first cinematic look at the next void-tinged chapter of Azeroth’s story. At times like these, I like to revisit some of my favorite trailers from expansions past.

I have to say that the original World of Warcraft trailer blew me away. I had already been playing fantasy-based RPGs since before I could read, so even though I had never played the Warcraft real-time strategy games, I knew I had to try out this one as soon as I had a computer that wouldn’t light on fire just from the install process. There was something about the juxtaposition of intense combat scenes with the more tranquil moments that makes me want to create yet another Dwarf Hunter on a Classic realm every time I watch it.

Something I’m a big fan of is letting the stars of an expansion shine in its trailer. Battle for Azeroth’s reveal felt very epic to me, with familiar faces and a well-known setting. To me, it really felt like a very important in-game quest was given a full cinematic rendering, and it was one of my sleeper favorites.

Other times, having a completely unknown character makes for a great five-minute teaser for an expansion. Our first look at Dragonflight was told through the eyes of Koranos, a Titan Watcher who had a harrowing journey on his way to relight the Beacon of Tyrhold. I really loved how the trailer conveyed a sense of the incredible amount of time that has passed since the Dragon Isles were hidden away. My favorite part is when Koranos seems to lose hope when the primary console fails, only to dramatically re-open his eyes and begin climbing the beacon.

At the top of my list, unlikely to ever be knocked off of its pedestal, is the amazing cinematic for Mists of Pandaria. The story of the ever-warring shipwrecked Horde and Alliance soldiers meeting a strange foe is the perfect way to introduce the expansion, the fluid combat style of Chen Stormstout is mesmerizing, and it’s all pulled together by the epic voice work of Keone Young.

So which of World of Warcraft’s cinematic trailers tops your list? Is there any chance that the Midnight reveal could become your new number one?