Had this all typed out, but my internet failed and I'm only able to post it now:
To expound upon what I wrote in the Shoutbox, Garrosh had a slow-burn character arc from TBC to the end of Cataclysm -- he came from being a self-doubting outsider to having his first giddy tastes of war and eventually having the mantle of Warchief thrust upon him before he was ready. It's made clear that while Garrosh may not have all the answers himself, and is absolutely not a
good character, he also genuinely has the interests of the Horde at his heart. He's learning on the job, and while he may not do the right thing every time, he's doing it for the right reasons.
This is the Garrosh that reprimands the use of fel-magic in Ashenvale, or is revolted by Sylvanas' behaviour in Silverpine, or inspires Zaela to his side in Twilight Highlands, or who most memorably executes General Krom'gar in Stonetalon for acting dishonorably.
Overlord Krom'gar says: Warchief! I… I was carrying out your command!
Garrosh Hellscream says: My command?
Garrosh Hellscream says: Was my command to murder innocents, Krom'gar?
Overlord Krom'gar says: Warchief… Sir… I…
Garrosh Hellscream says: Am I a murderer, Krom'gar?
Overlord Krom'gar says: No, Warchief!
Garrosh Hellscream says: Then I ask you again: WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!
Garrosh Hellscream says: I sent you into Stonetalon Mountains with an army. Your orders were to secure this land for the Horde.
Garrosh Hellscream says: Instead, you laid waste to the land. Murdered innocents. Children even…
Garrosh Hellscream says: I spent a very long time in Northrend, Krom'gar. I learned much about the Horde in that time.
Garrosh Hellscream says: While there, a wise old war hero told me something that I would carry with me forever…
Garrosh Hellscream says: "Honor", Krom'gar, "No matter how dire the battle… never forsake it."
Garrosh Hellscream says: Overlord Krom'gar, you have disgraced the Horde.
Garrosh Hellscream says: You have brought shame to us as a people.
Garrosh Hellscream says: By my right as Warchief, I hereby relieve you of duty.
*Garrosh Hellscream picks Overlord Krom'gar up by the neck and walks to the edge*
Garrosh Hellscream says: YOU ARE DISMISSED.
*Garrosh Hellscream lets go and Overlord Krom'gar falls to his death*
Garrosh Hellscream says: And you, <Race>!
*Garrosh Hellscream turns to the player*
High Chieftain Cliffwalker says: Wait, Warchief! Please! <Player> was the hero responsible for uncovering this corruption. He tried to stop Krom'gar!
High Chieftain Cliffwalker says: Have mercy, Warchief.
Garrosh Hellscream says: Mercy… Your wife and child were murdered. Your kin wiped out. Your home burned to the ground.
Garrosh Hellscream says: Mercy… Chieftain, on this day I learn from you.
Garrosh Hellscream says: <Player>, Krom'gar's army is no more. Your rank no longer has meaning. If you wish to truly help the Horde, your considerable power could be used in Desolace or in the Southern Barrens.
Garrosh Hellscream says: The choice is yours to make.
Garrosh Hellscream says: Let honour guide you, <Name>. Do not forget that Hellscream's eyes are always upon you.
Then MoP rolls around, and at first, Blizzard's PR line is that it's a return to the Vanilla model of having no big boss for the ex-pac (unlike Illidan, Arthas or Deathwing). Reaction is negative, and they eventually reveal prematurely that the end boss is Garrosh. From that point, it seems like all of Garrosh's character-development is thrown out of the window and his character yoked hard in the direction of chaotic-evil to justify him as a loot piñata.
It would have been one thing to have a well-meaning but stubborn Garrosh be corrupted by Y'Shaarj's heart, causing him to spiral out of control and need to be put down -- just like his father in Warcraft 3. But Garrosh is suddenly inexplicably evil before and after he's under Y'Shaarj's influence, going as far to do completely irrational evil things just for the hell of it -- from attempted genocide against the trolls for no good reason to fucking up Pandaria with the Heart of Y'Shaarj purely for the evulz.
At this point, any pretence or possibility of salvaging a three-dimensional character goes out of the window, until the Hellscream short-story, at which point he's all of a sudden back to his pre-MoP ways and acting with his people's needs in mind. Then the short-story ends, and it's as if it never happened, for everything that occurs in Nagrand up until his death cinematic.
Garrosh's death contains the final line to Thrall: "You made me this way." But really, Blizzard made him that way. Garrosh's inexplicable shifts in character direction don't occur in relation to anything that actually occurs on-screen, be it a character, an event or anything else. He's just one sort of character at one point, then another sort of character at another arbitrary point.
The golden rule of most mediums of narration is "show, don't tell". Seeing something happen is way more exciting than a character talking about it second-hand. But Blizzard do neither, with us having to put our own head-canons and theories together to excuse bizarre shifts in the canon.
Such as this, which has now fucked the WoD lore up beyond all recognition:
https://twitter.com/Abrosiabi/status/607225634301952000That's right, Archimonde from alternate Draenor
is Archimonde from the normal universe, there's only one version of a demon across all realities. How does that even work? Is he our Archimonde from thirty-five years ago? How does this effect the Battle for Mount Hyjal? WHAT IS GOING ON, BLIZZARD?