The Unshackled are a group of aquatic creatures that have rebelled against the naga and sided with the Horde in the war between the Horde and the Alliance. As the Horde arrives in Nazjatar, sea giants, gilgoblins, makrura, and murlocs forming a group of rebels join forces with the Horde to battle back Queen Azshara and her naga army. Given that the Horde come to their aid first, they pledge their allegiance to the Horde.

With the Rise of Azshara patch comes three new reputations: the Rustbolt Resistance (neutral), Unshackled (Horde), and the Ankoan (Alliance). What each of these three reputations have in common is oppression. The Rustbolt Resistance are being oppressed by King Mechagon whereas the Unshackled and the Ankoan are both being oppressed by the naga, led by Queen Azshara. The Horde and the Alliance factions then come in to liberate these factions, pulling them from one war to another.

Given that the Unshackled side with the Horde and the Ankoan side with the Alliance, it’ll be interesting to see whether the Unshackled are natural enemies of the Ankoan. These two factions, much like the Huojin and Tushui Pandaren, have a lot in common. But while each faction throws in with a different side of the war, I don’t believe that these two factions would naturally be enemies of one another. While they may eventually become enemies due to the nature of the war between the Horde and the Alliance, it feels disingenuous for two groups of enemies oppressed by the same overlord to hate one another.