Taiwan gets a giant bronze statue of Arthas, the Lich King

As part of their 25th-anniversary celebrations, Blizzard Entertainment has unveiled a giant bronze statue of Arthas Menethil in Taichung, Taiwan, acknowledging the key role the Asian market has played in the company’s rise to success.

Standing 3.2 meters tall, 2.1 meters wide, and 4.6 meters long, the massive installation took Hollywood-based designer Steve Wang over a year to plan and create — actual production required 30 people working over nine months.

Located at the Calligraphy Greenway, Taichung’s cultural and artistic hub, the statue serves as a unique fantasy landmark in a city known for its natural environments and cultural history.

Arthas Menethil first appeared in the 2002 real-time strategy game Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and his tragic tale has enraptured gamers worldwide. We saw a promising crown prince sailing off to save his kingdom, only to be deceived into bringing about its downfall as a death knight. Together with his cursed sword, Frostmourne, the two have grown into global icons, spawning a World of Warcraft expansion as well as a legion of figures, replicas, and cosplay outfits.

Taichung is over two hours away from the capital city Taipei, so if you’re ever in the country do try to pay the bronze Lich King a visit. Let’s hope they start an Argent Crusade chapter nearby too, in case anybody starts hearing voices.