Cop-out Answer: Tyrael is Mortal, not Human.

I am so giddy getting to talk about this. I love lore questions. =D

11/08/2013 11:42 PMPosted by Symplectic

If Tyrael is not human, then why does he look like a human?

When Tyrael became mortal, his body began to form in his fall. He had a measure of control over this process, and as his goals were to ultimately benefit humanity, taking the form of a human was most ideal. After all, he would need to walk among humans and nephalem and fit in. It made sense to blend in.

It's important to note, however, that Tyrael is not a shape-shifter. This is how he looks now.

11/11/2013 01:13 AMPosted by Providence

t's 100% fine that he doesn't identify with heaven, but I don't understand what good he thinks he could do for sanctuary as a mortal. He very well could just be an angel/immortal who doesn't follow the other angels

The issue with this is that the Angiris Council (and indeed, all angels) adhere to their laws so vehemently that there was no room for Tyrael to act outside of them without cutting his ties. The Book of Tyrael touches on this a bit, particularly on how while they have great power in this devotion, it also consistently limits their ability to act.

Also remember that there was once a truce struck between the High Heavens and Hells that neither side would interfere with the matters of mortals. While the Prime Evils have had no qualms about breaking this agreement (as you might expect), the Angiris Council has continued to uphold their end. Heaven's complete and utter devotion to order is both a strength and a flaw. Tyrael realized this, and decided it was best he would no longer be governed by this nature.

11/12/2013 01:16 AMPosted by Providence

They have been battling the TOUGHEST demons for thousands (or more, I don't keep up with the time) of years. He has several millenia of knowledge and is, if nothing else, a formidable foe. Him stripping himself of immortality drastically reduces the overall power of heaven and sanctuary in defense of hell.

Tyrael's strength was, indeed, formidable. But as has been proven in the past, even at his most powerful, he could not take on Diablo himself. There are plenty of powerful beings in Sanctuary (the nephalem heroes being some of them), and the power Tyrael had wasn't serving his purpose. By losing it, he instead gained the ability to help the nephalem directly as an adviser and guide - something he simply couldn't have done by staying in the heavens as an angel.

Think of it a bit like the relationship between Obi-Wan and Luke Skywalker. On the surface, Obi-Wan's death might have seemed meaningless. However, it allowed him to guide Luke in a way he wouldn't have been able to otherwise. There's a parallel there (even if it's not exactly the same).

11/14/2013 03:01 PMPosted by FirePenguin

I'm calling shenanigans. Tyrael acted outside the truce before taking on mortal form, which was actually why he and Imperius had it out in the second cinematic of Diablo III.

Tyrael's disobedience is certainly why he and Imperius butted heads. And if Tyrael continued that path up in the High Heavens, it's unlikely that Imperius would have continued to allow Tyrael to continue his shenanigans.

Tyrael avoided one conflict so he could fully focus on another. The rest of the Angiris Council wasn't willing to intervene, but Tyrael was and is. Not only does he not need to be an angel to do so, but staying an angel would have continued to inhibit his goals. It was certainly a risk, but one he felt was worth taking.

11/14/2013 02:45 PMPosted by CheehC

Only Nephalem have the power of choice and Angels/Demons are guided by Fate/their aspect/good or evil etc?

This gets into a very philosophical discussion that leaps outside the realm of Diablo lore, really. Angels and demons both have the ability to make choice, and we've seen plenty of examples in the past of those that have (most notably Inarius and Lilith). Tyrael's observation is on the sheer amount of devotion his brethren have and how much it blinds them to what may seem, at least to him, the obvious "right" thing to do.

We can actually draw a reasonable comparison here to Kormac. He was following blind faith that had been drilled into him by a corrupt order, and he knew nothing else. To really grow as an individual and pursue his own goals, he had to break away from that order. Staying a Templar and following the beliefs and tenets he was taught simply stopped fitting into his life. One could say the same happened to Tyrael, albeit on a much grander scale.