Sylduin

Sylduin is the het ship between Sylvanas Windrunner and Anduin Wrynn from the Warcraft fandom.

While aware of each other's existence for years, Sylvanas and Anduin only started interacting directly after becoming the leaders of the and, respectively, following the. In the aftermath of said invasion, a new mineral called began appearing in what was the region of. The Horde found out about it first and Sylvanas, seeing it's potential in defeating Anduin and the Alliance, ordered mining operations in Silithus to get more Azerite. Anduin learned of this activity and - fearing what Sylvanas could do with Azerite - had his spies learn more about it.

After learning a bit about the through a tour of Alliance cities he was doing, Anduin becomes convinced that he can get Sylvanas to agree to peace through her love for her people. The passing of his servant is what ultimately convinces Anduin to send a letter to Sylvanas with his plan for peace between them: a meeting to allow some of Sylvanas' Forsaken to reunite with their still-living loved ones. Several of the other Alliance leaders were firmly against the idea, but Anduin defended himself both by appealing towards what he was doing and by pointing out why peace with Sylvanas would be a good thing. When Sylvanas learned of what Anduin was planning, Sylvanas scoffed as her at reconnecting with her sisters Alleria and Vereesa made her believe it to be impossible. However, she saw it as an opportunity to prove her devotion to her people and to set them further against Anduin and the Alliance.

With that, Sylvanas accepts the proposal and the two begin sending letters to hammer out the details of the event. Sylvanas, however, secretly began sabotaging the event by sewing doubt about its success among those that she chooses to participate. How "smoothly" he and Sylvanas were communicating didn't sit right with Anduin's advisor Genn Greymane, who reminded his king that Sylvanas had betrayed his father at the start of the Legion's invasion. Anduin points out to Genn that it was in the past, and insists that this event - the, as he's taken to calling it - will secure peace between them.

On the day before the Gathering, Anduin and Sylvanas meet face-to-face at the setting of the. Along with ensuring each other that both sides would act on good faith, the two talk about the pressures of leading their respective factions, and how the Gathering would affect their relations. Sylvanas also reveals to Anduin that his father Varian was going to die at the no matter what she did - convincing him that she didn't betray anyone then and she wouldn't betray now. On the day of the Gathering, however, Anduin was forced to watch Sylvanas make her move: attempt to call back her Forsaken participants - who she saw were beginning to defect - before ordering her guards to kill them and the. Anduin is furious at what Sylvanas has just done, as it's ruined the chance for the Forsaken to be more accepted by the Alliance, but manages to talk her down from attacking him and starting another war right then and there. As what had transpired settles on Anduin, how the fight over Azerite will intensify and what Sylvanas was willing to do to maintain control, he proclaims Sylvanas incapable of being changed.

With what happened at the Gathering, Anduin was no longer willing to seek peace with Sylvanas. However, he wasn't going to strike at her without provocation, instead sending Alliance spies to Orgrimmar so he can be briefed on what she was doing. Sylvanas knew about these spies and had her forces deal with them. Talking with Varok Saurfang, Sylvanas tells him that Anduin is growing enough that he could decide to start a war with the Horde. Under that pretext, Sylvanas and Varok form a plan to make it seem like the Horde is moving on Silithus - but are actually trying to take the night elf capital of. To make the deception work, Varok and Sylvanas' champion Nathanos act out a fist fight which seemed to show Varok going against Sylvanas and choosing to attack Silithus. The sight of Varok and Nathanos fighting was seen by an Alliance spy and relayed to Anduin, which made him start thinking that Sylvanas might not be wanting war due to Nathanos' devotion to her. Regardless, Anduin orders Alliance forces to Silithus so that Varok's "campaign" could be dealt with.

Anduin is later shocked to learn that Saurfang's army was instead moving to attack Darnassus. Angrily realizing that Sylvanas had played him again, but pushing that down to deal with the situation, Anduin sends Alliance forces to assist the night elf forces in Ashenvale and help the evacuations from Darnassus. Sylvanas' forces, however, would eventually break through and - rather than capture it - burn to the ground. Experiencing the burning through the evacuation portals, Anduin was devastated by the act - but moreso shocked at how far Sylvanas was willing to go to destroy the Alliance. With no other recourse, and with anger at himself for squandering his previous chances at doing so, Anduin vows to end Sylvanas for the countless night elves that she made to suffer.

The Battle of Lordaeron
In retaliation for the burning of Teldrassil, and hoping to finally bring Sylvanas to justice, Anudin leads an Alliance army in assaulting the Forsaken's home in the. The battle goes well for the Alliance until Anduin sees Sylvanas destroy one of their siege towers, motivating the Horde to push them back. Sylvanas, in turn witnesses Anduin conjuring a dome of light to heal and reinvigorate his forces. This allows the Alliance to push past the Horde defenses, giving Anduin the opportunity to demand that Sylvanas surrender lest the walls of Lordaeron fall. In response, Sylvanas unleashes a new war machine powered by Azerite on the Alliance forces - and then a infection when it falls. The infection forces the Alliance to retreat, which starts to make Anduin lose hope in victory - only for to appear and neutralize the Blight. With the Blight cleared out, Anduin decides to press the attack, not wanting to give Sylvanas time to do anything. With that, Anduin leads a force into Lordaeron to find and capture Sylvanas. The Banshee attempts to block Anduin by unleashing more Blight within the city and ordering Varok to fight his forces, but they manage to get around these obstacles and eventually allow him to enter Lordaeron Keep.

Accompanied by Jaina, Genn, and Alleria, Anduin tells Sylvanas - sitting on Loraderon's throne - that she's lost the battle and demands her surrender. Sylvanas tries to deflect by noting there was blood on Anduin's sword, making her think that he's quick to kill despite his desire for peace. Anduin doesn't buy the distraction, telling her that she's the one that burned Teldrassil and that he's going to atone for failing to stop her before reiterating his demand for surrender. Unfortunately, Sylvanas escapes and springs the trap she had laid for him: detonating barrels of Blight in the throne room in the hope of killing Anduin. Jaina manages to teleport the group to safety, but this forces Anduin to see Sylvanas escaping via airship - and that Sylvanas' Blight attack made Lordaeron completely uninhabitable. Without other recourse, Anduin and the Alliance retreats to plan their next moves in the newly started.

Throughout the war, Sylvanas orders various operations to strike at the Alliance which Anduin reacts to. These operations result in both the Alliance and Horde getting new allies, but what Sylvanas is doing begins to make some of the Horde rebel against her. These rebels - under Varok Saurfang - eventually ally with Anduin for one last push to try and end Sylvanas' threat. As Anduin's and Varok's forces approach Orgrimmar's main gate ready to siege it, Varok instead challenges Sylvanas to a in the hope of minimizing the loss of Horde lives. Anduin, realizing what Saurfang is doing, lends him Shalamayne but is forced to watch as Sylvanas kills him before denouncing the Horde and fleeing. With the Fourth War over, Anduin leads the Alliance into trying to find Sylvanas in the hope of finally bringing her to justice.

Sylvanas abandoning the Horde let her more freely work with the entity known as, and they soon made their move. During the of the Jailer's forces,  forces under Sylvanas captured several notable figures - including Anduin - and brought them into  within the. Now a captive, Anduin was approached by Sylvanas, who wanted information out of him. Anduin refused to give her anything, prompting Sylvanas to show her disappointment in him for having a narrow vision before leaving. A rescue party comes almost immediately after Sylvanas leaves to free Anduin, but this freedom was temporary as he's recaptured and sent to the Jailer's tower. The Alliance and Horde are ultimately able to save most of the captives from Torghast - but find Anduin is too deep for them to rescue.

Deep within Torghast, Sylvanas explains to Anduin that he's going to be a weapon that she and the Jailer will use in their ultimate plan: tearing down the cycle of life and death. Anduin flatly refuses that notion, saying that suffering will always exist and removing life and death won't make it go away. When Sylvanas tries to explain that they're merely fixing a flawed system, Anduin is even less convinced as she's making herself sound good despite all of the atrocities she's committed. Sylvanas changes tactics by explaining how everything about them, from how they live to how they die to their afterlife, is out of their control in the current system - which only prompts Anduin to point out the possibility that the Jailer is using HER as a weapon. Tired of Anduin's resistance, Sylvanas gives him her ultimatum: willingly serve the Jailer or be made to serve. As Sylvanas leaves the chamber, Anduin notes the hypocrisy of the command when she fought FOR free will - at which Sylvanas remarks no one had free will, but that will soon change.

Sometime afterwards - after the forces of Azeroth manage to defeat his pawn - the Jailer orders Sylvanas to bring Anduin to their side one way or another. Arriving in Anduin's room, Sylvanas reiterates her threat to him. Having thought about it, Anduin questions why Sylvanas even gave him an ultimatum - before realizing she was giving him something she never had: a choice. Despite Sylvanas' objections, Anduin presses on by telling her that if he chose to give up hope, then she could as well. Having had enough of Anduin's words, Sylvanas points Kingsmourne - the runeblade forged from Shalamayne and made to make him submit - and warns that he's making it harder on himself. Anduin, however, points out that she's hesitating to act yet is the one in full control at the moment. With Kingsmourne at his throat, but Sylvanas' hesitation now obvious, Anduin tells her to make her choice.

Chains of Domination
Despite Anduin's attempt to make her see what she was doing, Sylvanas ultimately did use Kingsmourne and turned Anduin into a pawn of the Jailer. Sylvanas is there to watch as Anduin - having infiltrated and severely wounded  - presents the Jailer with the Archon's. The two of them later participate in the Mawsworn's attack on. While Sylvanas' forces battle against the combined Azerothian/Covenant forces, Anduin uses the distraction to sneak behind enemy lines and takes the sigil.

After Anduin later gets the sigil - and with Denathrius having already given his sigil to him - the Jailer is ready to confront  and claim the final one. As Sylvanas briefs Anduin on what they are to do while the Jailer confronts the Arbiter, he laments how he loses a part of himself every time the Jailer exerts his domination over him. He asks Sylvanas if it's the same feeling she had when Arthas was controlling her. Sylvanas admits that it is, but asserts that their end goal will make the sacrifice worth it. Anduin, however, asserts that - by that point - they'll both be gone and he reveals his hope that his loved ones remember how he was and not what he was now.

The battle soon begins and the Jailer confronts the Arbiter at. When a team of adventurers - having battled up his - arrive to stop him, Sylvanas confronts them while the dominated Anduin fights Jaina, Thrall, and  - the group's leaders. Despite the efforts of the Azerothians, Sylvanas and Anduin manage to buy the Jailer enough time for him to absorb the Arbiter's power and claim her sigil. As the Jailer gloats over how all shall serve him, Sylvanas, reminded of being made to "serve" Arthas, attacks him. In response, Anduin - in a reversal of when she turned him back in Torghast - stops Sylvanas by putting Kingsmourne over her neck, allowing the Jailer to incapacitate her. Anduin soon goes with the Jailer through the portal to, leaving Sylvanas at the mercy of the Azerothians. It's later discovered that Anduin had recorded his and Sylvanas' conversation before the battle via an enchantment placed upon, which he dropped as he was going through the portal.

Eternity's End
After waking up, Sylvanas - now helping to stop the Jailer - reveals that freeing Anduin might be the key to finding a way in resisting the Jailer's domination magic. agrees with the assessement, saying that - since Sylvanas used Kingsmourne to dominate Anduin - her presence could help him break free. Sylvanas joins a team of adventurers in infiltrating the, where they eventually find Anduin guarding the way to the Jailer. As the adventurers battle Anduin, Sylvanas tries to convince him to regain control - which he ultimately does as he breaks Kingsmourne, returning it to Shalamayne and freeing him from his domination. Sylvanas tries to get Anduin to rest while she and the rest make their way to the Jailer, but he reveals that the controls to head deeper in are also infused with domination magic. Without anyway to deal with it, Sylvanas, Anduin, and the team leave the Sepulcher to plan their next move.

As a part of the plan to resist the Jailer's domination, those that had successfully resisted their domination will have their memories of how the resisted drawn out and infused into shards of the shattered. After seeing Bolvar and conquer their memories, Anduin wants to go next - but quickly finds himself overwhelmed by his memories of the Maw. Seeing what Anduin is going through, Sylvanas reveals to him that she was able to break free of Arthas' control by focusing on the vengeance she wanted to wrought upon him on her own. Motivated by Sylvanas' words, Anduin - now with something to focus on and the realization that he had people to help him - tries channeling his memories again and finally succeeds. Afterwards, Sylvanas remarks that Anduin's suffering isn't over, but he's taken a step towards that outcome. Thanks to Anduin's efforts - and Sylvanas adding her own memories to the shards - the shattered Helm of Domination is able to be forged into the, with a team of adventuers using it to go further into the Sepulcher of the First Ones and finally defeat the Jailer.

Following the Jailer's defeat, Anduin witnesses Sylvanas being judged for her crimes and ultimately sentenced to the Maw so that she can find every soul her actions sent there and give them proper judgment. Anduin, still haunted by what he did under the Jailer's control, also decides to stay in the Shadowlands until he can fully accept what he was forced to do. Sometime afterwards, Anduin enters the Maw and helps Sylvanas in her task. Sylvanas is confused why he's there since there are so many that need him, to which Anduin notes how unclean he feels when everyone thinks he was blameless in his actions while dominated. Anduin continues by revealing to her that he doesn't trust himself anymore, and that a king has to if they can really lead his people. Sylvanas, for her part, tells Anduin that she's come to accept what she's done and chose to atone for them - and he has the ability to do so, too. With Anduin motivated, the two bid each other farewell as he leaves her to her arduous task.

Fanon
Sylduin is a fairy popular ship in the Warcraft fandom. Despite having been in the series together for a long time, Sylvanas and Anduin only started getting shipped together when they became the leaders of their factions, and the ship was only seen as a novelty back then. It's only when the Shadowlands expansion began that this ship started being more seriously accepted. The major contributor to this was the events of the expansion giving Anduin and Sylvanas an actual chance to see each other's struggles - even if it was because of coercion. The scene from the end of the expansion featuring the two in the Maw truly showed the two understanding each other, which led to an increase in support for the ship. This ship is rivaled by several ships on both sides: on Anduin's side by ships like Wranduin and Taeduin, and on Sylvanas' side by ships like Sylvaina and Blightrunner.

On AO3, this ship has a fair amount of written works, with tagged entries in the 60's range. It's Sylvanas' third-most written ship behind Sylvaina and Blightrunner. It's also Anduin's fourth-most written behind Wranduin, Varianduin, and Varokduin.

Fandom

 * FAN FICTION
 * Sylvanas Windrunner/Anduin Wrynn tag on FanFiction.Net
 * Sylvanas Windrunner/Anduin Wrynn tag on FanFiction.Net


 * TUMBLR

Trivia

 * According to some propaganda pamphlets, the Scarlet Brotherhood began painting Anduin and Sylvanas as lovers following the Gathering.