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Arthas merged with the entity known as the Lich King and then murdered the guy — now living rent-free as a ghost in his mind — so he never had to give up his turn on the Nintendo. However, achieving his full power requires having two separate cursed artefacts — the Helm of Domination and the runeblade, Frostmourne. Without these, his powers are far more limited.
His physical abilities exceed that of an average human. As a Death Knight, he can passively perceive souls, animate and control the dead, perceive and interact with ghosts, and corrupt living things. He has ice magic and a passive frost "aura" that grants him resistance to temperature extremes.
He will suffer the Endless Hunger, an affliction common to Death Knights that compels them to inflict pain and suffering or suffer excruciating pain and potentially madness. The trade-off is that inflicting suffering on others empowers or heals him.
Arthas is more defined by his fears than he realises. His greatest fear is failure, but many things fit under that umbrella. He is afraid of making mistakes, especially if those mistakes make him a bad king who lets his people down or gets innocents killed. When he is most afraid, Arthas thinks about his horse, Invincible, as the accident that led to the stallion's death is what he considers his greatest mistake. The fear that he will repeat this mistake haunts him throughout his life.What is your character's greatest desire? How are they defined by this desire? (100-300 words)
He fears rejection so much that he makes Jaina Proudmoore promise never to deny him because he can't stand the thought. At the same time, when Jaina mentions the likelihood that their future children will be fair-haired, he instantly panics and breaks up with her on the spot because he is too afraid that he might ruin everything.
Arthas immediately fucking things up in the present because he's trying so hard to avert the possibility of ruining them in the future is a common theme for him.
Under duress, these fears heavily clouded his judgement and drove him to the extremes that would lead to his corruption.
To protect and save his people. This is underscored by a desire for love and acceptance because it's all wrapped up in what Arthas felt was his responsibility as the Crown Prince of Lordaeron. He grew up believing that people would only love him if he was a ruler who could protect them. It probably did not help that he was far more sheltered than other royal children, as his often childish view of the world was abruptly shattered on more than one occasion by the horrors of a world often gripped by war and demonic magic.How will not having memories change your character? What core personality traits, if any, will change? How? (200-300 words)
Arthas' empathy was one of his greatest strengths, especially for a paladin, and Uther spoke fondly of Arthas' genuine compassion for his people. At the same time, he also recognised the danger this would pose if Arthas did not learn how to curb his obsessions. Uther remarked how his single-minded determination could border on zealotry when coupled with this devotion.
Watching his people suffer and die to the Scourge was more than Arthas could bear, and he grew desperate. There were many instances along the way where he could've stopped and sought an alternative, but Arthas rejected them all. He thought about Invincible, and reminded himself he could not risk failing to have the power to save an innocent life ever again.
He felt what love and acceptance he had in the world slipping away each time he failed. No one expected him to single-handedly solve the Scourge problem, but Arthas convinced himself that it was fully his responsibility. It all became too much to bear at Stratholme when Uther and Jaina refused to purge the city.
Without love and acceptance, Arthas ruthlessly and single-mindedly fixated on vengeance — a tendency that had most often drawn criticism from others.
In canon, we see Arthas before the fall. He wasn't a bad person but rather deeply empathetic and flawed, ultimately manipulated by malevolent external forces beyond his comprehension.
Even so, this manipulation does not mean he is innocent. Nothing could deter him from that goal once he decided he was willing to pay any price in pursuit of vengeance. He never stopped to wonder if acquiring Frostmourne would truly solve all his problems until the sword was in his hand, and by then, it was far too late — when he picked up that cursed blade, Arthas paid for it with his soul.
After becoming a Death Knight, he claimed to no longer feel remorse, shame, or pity. He became ruthless and cynical with a cruel sense of humour. When he became the Lich King, he destroyed the last remnants of his humanity and became truly monstrous, hellbent on "scourging" the world to cleanse it of the living.
Without memories of the countless atrocities he's committed, Arthas will again resemble his younger self. He will remain the man of action that he's always been — brave, impulsive, and straightforward — but he will also be free of the pressures and responsibilities of his station. It is no longer a source of many of his insecurities.
At the same time, he may find fewer reasons to suppress his less favourable traits without a royal standard to hold himself to. He can still be vindictive, quick to anger, and exceptionally arrogant by nature.
Also, while Arthas' memories inform him that he is a paladin, he still possesses the body and soul of an undead Death Knight. He will not have context for the urges he has with and without the compulsion of the Endless Hunger and will likely struggle with that morality.
Relationship core: 3 points.
Arthas remembers the emotions associated with his horse, Invincible. He will know a vague association with horses but not that his feelings are directly attached to one. He is haunted by the knowledge that his failure directly led to a horrible outcome.
Relationship core: 2 points.
The feelings associated with the people of Lordaeron. Arthas knows that there was something that he loved and treasured because it was his responsibility, but he did something terrible to it.
Paladin training: 3 points.
Arthas started later than most but underwent harsh training, first under the dwarven warrior, Muradin Bronzebeard, and then with Uther the Lightbringer. He developed skills with one- and two-handed swords, maces, and shields. He also learned meditation and about the Holy Light.
Noble upbringing: 2 points.
He does not remember that he was the Crown Prince but knows vaguely that he lived a very privileged lifestyle. He has a tendency to see himself as superior because, as far as he knows, he's of a higher class than most people.