As is the case with certain demons, Illidan does not consider himself a servant of the Burning Legion. Indeed, Illidan has alternately been the Legion’s ally and its enemy at various points in the past. A rarity among demons, he has retained vast tracts of his original personality despite his demonic transformation. As a demon, he is fundamentally evil and often cruel, but he has thus far been able to preserve a few tattered remnants of nobility. Their inevitable conflict with his ambition and his hunger for power makes him a dangerously unpredictable adversary. The dominance that Illidan lusts for has been speculated to be a selfish need for power, however it can be argued that Illidan’s general motive from the beginning has been to protect his kindred, as can be noticed in the Warcraft Trilogy “War of the Ancients”. There is no surprise as to why Illidan eventually delved into insanity, from his love Tyrande Whisperwind choosing his twin brother Malfurion Stormrage over himself, to his pact with the demons on numerous occasions.

Because Illidan’s case is unique, there is no point in speculating upon how long his divergence from standard demonic behavior will last.