Merely a setback



Merely a setback is a catchphrase originated by Kael'thas Sunstrider in Magisters' Terrace. It has become a common utterance and a sort of running gag whenever there is the perception that a boss who was previously defeated is merely being recycled, and has appeared multiple times in World of Warcraft as a result.

List of NPCs using the quote

 * Kael'thas Sunstrider in Magisters' Terrace yells Yell
 * When players defeat Kael'thas in Tempest Keep in the Memories of Azeroth raid, Chromie remarks say
 * Prince Valanar in Icecrown Citadel yells Yell
 * Sylvanas Windrunner in The Hunt For Sylvanas says Say
 * Hogger in the Stockades yells Yell
 * Crusader Lord Valdelmar in Tyr's Hand yells Yell
 * Before shattering Thrall into the four elemental essences, Fandral Staghelm says Say
 * Analynn in Ashenvale when defeated says Say
 * The announcer of the Brawler's Guild introduces Millhouse Manastorm by saying yell
 * Upon freeing Izal Whitemoon during Set Them Free, she says say
 * Raimond Mildenhall at the Mildenhall Meadery during Back to the Lab says say
 * Taelia upon completion of the world quest Treasure in the Tides (Alliance) says say
 * Commander Mallamort, one of the potential quest bosses of the Necrolord Assault in Here's an Axe, Get to Work! on Perdition Hold says say

The Burning Crusade

 * three times. Once in the Sunwell Trilogy, once again in Blood of the Highborne, and once more in Deatholme.

Wrath of the Lich King

 * in Shadowfang Keep and Bloodmoon Isle
 * in Stratholme and Naxxramas
 * in the original and new Naxxramas
 * in Azjol-Nerub and Trial of the Crusader
 * in Utgarde Keep and Icecrown Citadel
 * in Naxxanar and Icecrown Citadel
 * in Ahn'kahet: The Old Kingdom and Icecrown Citadel
 * in the Pit of Saron and Icecrown Citadel
 * in Gnomeregan and during Operation: Gnomeregan
 * in Maraudon and during the Elemental Unrest

Cataclysm

 * in Elwynn Forest and Stormwind Stockade
 * (as well as fellow nobles Ashbury and Walden) in Gilneas and in Shadowfang Keep
 * in Tyr's Hand
 * in Eastern Plaguelands
 * in the original and new Stratholme as Commander Malor
 * in the original and new Stratholme as the Risen Hammersmith
 * in the original and new Stratholme as Willey Hopebreaker
 * in the original and new Stratholme as Instructor Galford
 * in the original and new Stratholme
 * in Molten Core and the Circle of Cinders
 * in Molten Core and near Sulfuron Spire
 * in Molten Core, the Inner Spire and the Firelands
 * in Blackwing Lair and Blackwing Descent where he yells Yell
 * in her original, her new lair and Blackwing Descent
 * in Grim Batol and Bastion of Twilight
 * in Night of the Dragon and the Bastion of Twilight
 * in the original and new Zul'Gurub
 * in the original and new Zul'Gurub
 * in Stranglethorn Vale and Zul'Gurub
 * in the original and new Zul'Gurub
 * in the original and new Zul'Aman
 * in the original and new Zul'Aman
 * in the original and new Zul'Aman
 * in the original and new Zul'Aman
 * in the original and new Zul'Aman

Mists of Pandaria

 * in the original and new Scarlet Monastery
 * in the original and new Scarlet Monastery
 * in the original and new Scholomance
 * in the original and new Scholomance
 * in the original and new Scholomance
 * in the original Scarlet Monastery and the Brawler's Guild
 * in the Stonecore and the Brawler's Guild
 * in the Mogu'shan Vaults and the Throne of Thunder
 * in the original Zul'Gurub and the Throne of Thunder

Warlords of Draenor

 * in the Siege of Orgrimmar and at the Stones of Prophecy
 * in and in  as Gorefiend
 * in Spires of Arak and in as Shadow-Lord Iskar
 * in Talador and in as Socrethar the Eternal
 * During the Patch 6.2 PTR, Mannoroth's placeholder Adventure Guide entry read: "[PH] Don't look so smug - I know what you're thinking, but the cinematic was merely a setback."
 * in Hyjal Summit and in

Legion

 * in and the Nighthold
 * in the Black Temple and the Nighthold
 * five times: he was killed as a night elf in The Well of Eternity, returned as a satyr but got transformed into a tree in the The Demon Soul, killed again in Stormrage, returned in Legion and defeated as a shade in Darkheart Thicket, and finally killed once more in the Emerald Nightmare.
 * in Talador and the Vault of the Wardens
 * in Utgarde Pinnacle and the Maw of Souls as Ymiron, the Fallen King
 * in Maw of Souls and Trial of Valor
 * in Sunwell Plateau and Tomb of Sargeras
 * in Shadowmoon Valley and Nath'raxas Hold
 * during the Battle for the Undercity and in Antorus, the Burning Throne
 * Taerar has been defeated three times, at the dream portals in Classic, in Feralas and in the Emerald Nightmare.

Battle for Azeroth

 * in the Echo Isles, during Zalazane's Fall and The Shadow Hunter questline
 * in Zuldazar and Uldir
 * Grong, the Jungle Lord in the Battle of Dazar'alor and Grong, the Revenant later in the same raid
 * in the Siege of Boralus and the Eternal Palace
 * in the Twilight Highlands and Ny'alotha, the Waking City
 * in the Emerald Nightmare and Ny'alotha, the Waking City

Shadowlands

 * Nathanos Blightcaller in Eastern Plaguelands during Classic and in the Shadowlands pre-patch.
 * The Black Knight five times: He was killed as a human at the Argent Tournament, as an undead, as a skeleton and as a ghost during the Trial of the Champion dungeon and once more in Icecrown when he was reanimated by the Mawsworn.
 * in Tempest Keep, Magisters' Terrace, and Revendreth

In other games
The phrase has carried over into other Blizzard games:
 * In StarCraft II, a mission in the campaign features a Protoss/Zerg Hybrid that repeatedly spawns and attacks the player. One of the quotes he utters upon killing one of his incarnations is "merely a temporary setback".
 * In Heroes of the Storm, when your character is killed for the first time as part of the tutorial, Uther will tell them that "death is merely a setback." In addition to this, Kael'thas makes a variety of references to the phrase, including simply stating "Merely a setback" upon being resurrected after death.
 * When is summoned by 's  in Hearthstone: Knights of the Frozen Throne, he will proclaim that "Death was merely a setback!"
 * HS Kael'thas Sunstrider's flavor text in Hearthstone: Ashes of Outland is "Descent of Dragons was merely a set back!", referencing how Descent of Dragons was the card set preceding Ashes of Outland. Additionally, his death quote is "Merely a setback."