Red Flags

When I logged into Battle.net today, I saw this graphic:

From Battle.net, although a slightly different color tone
than found on the front page.

I typically don't see this particular version of Xal'atath --I think this is from a cutscene or a trailer for the expansion-- because this is more photo realistic than the "usual" version:

It's that "I'm the smartest person in the room"
look that gets you. From Wowhead.

The look she has in the first graphic reminds me a bit of Minthara from Baldur's Gate 3:

Well, except for the white hair and the non-glowing
eyes. And the carvings. And that Minthara is obviously
pissed off. From IGN and Larian Studios.

That middle graphic looks more obviously diabolical to me, while the other two being more understated actually scare me a helluva lot more. 

I've never heard Xal's voice, but Minthara's throaty voice, like she's got a breath mint in her mouth that she needs to work around to speak properly, is properly noble yet demanding. She also carries the baggage of expectations, because the Drow in D&D and The Forgotten Realms have a long history that can't easily be ignored. 

On the flip side, Xal's photo realistic look is scarier due to the red flags I see in them. Like, oh, the carvings in her cheeks. While I've seen my share of facial tatoos over the years, I very rarely see facial carvings; the only people I've ever seen who actually put carvings on their face are those who really don't give a damn about anything.

And let's not forget those eyes. Sure, WoW has tons of races with glowing eyes, but Xal's have a certain... something about them. Maybe it's the shapes in the center that appear to be small mouths. Or that the glowing portion is mainly the irises, unlike entire eyes that glow (looking at you, Sin'dorei, Kaldorei, and Draenei). Or that it makes the eyes look like moons, and not in a "ooo, how beautiful" way either.

Speaking of which, here's another graphic of a Big Bad with similar red flags:

Oh yeah, Ahmanet works. Better than the movie
itself, to be honest.
From 2017's The Mummy (and Reddit).

Ahmanet gives a whole new meaning to the term "four eyes", and those raised tattoos don't endear her to people, either. 

I guess the biggest red flag among them is the malice that to a greater or lesser extent they all inhabit. It doesn't exactly give me warm fuzzies if one of them were to strike up a conversation with me at a bar. Since they all wear their intentions on their collective sleeves, it's kind of hard to look beyond that. Unlike some baddies...

Yes, I pulled this gif from Bedazzled. So sue me.