As a young orc hunter playing World of Warcraft for the first time, one of my greatest joys was taming Humar the Pridelord. This rare lion on a long respawn timer was the only black maned lion in the game and having him by my side was a point of personal pride. Expansions and patches have delivered new hunter pets and animal appearances, but Lions have been left with their original, outdated models. It is time to correct this oversight and give these wonderful cats their due.
Humar is no longer the only black lion. Pitch and The Dark Prowler were added to the game, sharing Humar’s appearance and providing more taming options for hunters.
For the hunter seeking a different look, Echeyakee is a glorious white lion, summoned through a Horde quest. This appearance is also found on Sian-Rotam, in Winterspring.
The more traditional golden coat Savannah Highmane is found stalking the tall grasses of the Northern Barrens. The Rake is a named lion in Mulgore, though it shares the same model.
Cataclysm introduced the Grand Lion, primarily as named beasts in Uldum, and Sambas, in the Twilight Highlands. They were an improved appearance, which was not extended to the other lions.
World of Warcraft’s graphic complexity has increased over time, while maintaining the WoW ascetic. Data mining of Patch 9.2, Eternity’s End, has revealed a new druid cat travel form. These images show the improvements WoW had made in its cat design, and the potential result of a maned lion upgrade.
We can only speculate on what the next expansion will include, but if development resources can be applied to a druid ground travel form, to offer increased choice and customization to the class, then the lions of Azeroth, loyal pets of hunters since the beginning, deserve equal respect.