It's interesting how player perceptions have shifted since early WoW. I recall many complaints before anyone got to Black Temple about "why do these great lore figures like Illidan die to 25 random nameless people?" And in Wrath "you mean we're going to kill an Aspect? Some random no-names with swords? What?"

Now more often I see "why does this [lore figure] take all the credit for our kill?" We WoW players are so funny. :)

It is also interesting that the last KSers were a night elf and a human, but now that it's an orc, OMG HORDE FAVORITISM!!11ONEONE >:O

I think the difference is that in BC and Wrath, while Tirion and Maeve were pivotal in the encounter, Maeve with the Traps, and Tirion with breaking Frostmourne, it was still the players who got to actually finish the boss off in the encounter. Even if it was just euthanizing a helpless Lich King, it was the raid who stuck the final blow. In the Madness of Deathwing, it's the other way around, you spend the whole fight trying holding Deathwing off so that Thrall can deliver the killing blow.

There's also the matter of these secondary characters having history with the antagonists, where Thrall's link to Deathwing has been entirely concocted during the events of this expansion alone. Tirion at least was a paladin and a former member of the Silver Hand, and the Argent Dawn had always stood against the Scourge. Maiev and Illidan go way back. Way back.

The one character who would have best as this expansion's Tirion or Maiev is Alexstrasza, but they opted for our "heroes" to help Thrall instead.

Hell, Rhonin seemed more of the obvious pick going into Cata. He'd even used the Soul before.