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 
**When players defeat Kael'thas in Tempest Keep in the Memories of Azeroth raid, Chromie remarks 
*Prince Valanar in Icecrown Citadel yells 
*Hogger in the Stockades yells 
*Crusader Lord Valdelmar in Tyr's Hand yells 
*Analynn in Ashenvale when defeated says 
*The announcer of the Brawler's Guild introduces Millhouse Manastorm by saying 
*Raimond Mildenhall at the Mildenhall Meadery during Back to the Lab says 
*Taelia upon completion of the world quest Treasure in the Tides (Alliance) says 
==List of setbacks==
===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 
* 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 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
* in the Battle of Dazar'alor and 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 the original Zul'Gurub and De Other Side.
* in the Stonecore, the Brawler's Guild, and De Other Side.
* in Culling of Stratholme and Sepulcher of the First Ones.
* in the Assault on Violet Hold and De Other Side.
* in Tempest Keep, Magisters' Terrace, and Castle Nathria.
* in Sanguine Depths and Castle Nathria.
* in Castle Nathria and Sepulcher of the First Ones.
==Notes==
*Despite popular belief, Kael'thas was not the first character to use the catchphrase. It was actually Illidan Stormrage during the Alliance Campaign finale - Kil'jaeden's Command in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne. Illidan explained his failed attempt to destroy the Lich King with these words:
::"Kil'jaeden! I was merely set back. I was attempting to bolster my forces. The Lich King will be destroyed, I promise you!"
*One of the possible quotes from the removed Confession (priest ability) glyph (as well as its replacement, the Scarlet Confessional Book) is: "This is just a setback."
*The Merely a Set achievement is a reference to the meme.
*The phrase is referenced in Smokywood Pastures Presents: A Winter Veil Carol.
*The phrase is referenced in An Ode to Returning Heroes.
*Mike Morhaime used the phrase for Onyxia, after announcing the revamp of the classic raid Onyxia's Lair at BlizzCon 2009.
===In other games===
The phrase has carried over into other Blizzard games:
*In the StarCraft II campaign mission A Sinister Turn, the player fights 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, Kael'thas makes a variety of references to the phrase:
**Upon reviving after being killed, he may say: "Merely a setback."
**If his entire team is killed, he may say: "This is not a defeat. It is merely a setback."
**One of his click quotes is: "I don't suffer setbacks. I revel in them."
**Upon killing Kael'thas, Jaina may say: "That ought to set you back a bit."
**In one of Medivh's interactions with Kael'thas at the start of a game, he says: "My death wasn't quite the... setback that yours was."
*In , 's summoning quote has him proclaim that "Death was merely a setback!"
*'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."
==References==
==External links==
*Know Your Meme: X was merely a setback