diff --git a/include/pipeline/asset_manifest.hpp b/include/pipeline/asset_manifest.hpp
index 4f658646..bb5267d8 100644
--- a/include/pipeline/asset_manifest.hpp
+++ b/include/pipeline/asset_manifest.hpp
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ public:
      * @param manifestPath Full path to manifest.json
      * @return true if loaded successfully
      */
-    bool load(const std::string& manifestPath);
+    [[nodiscard]] bool load(const std::string& manifestPath);
 
     /**
      * Lookup an entry by normalized WoW path (lowercase, backslash)
diff --git a/include/pipeline/dbc_loader.hpp b/include/pipeline/dbc_loader.hpp
index 1651e5d2..1e4d9d5c 100644
--- a/include/pipeline/dbc_loader.hpp
+++ b/include/pipeline/dbc_loader.hpp
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ public:
      * @param dbcData Raw DBC file data
      * @return true if loaded successfully
      */
-    bool load(const std::vector<uint8_t>& dbcData);
+    [[nodiscard]] bool load(const std::vector<uint8_t>& dbcData);
 
     /**
      * Check if DBC is loaded
diff --git a/include/rendering/shader.hpp b/include/rendering/shader.hpp
index 29f0dc38..27b79729 100644
--- a/include/rendering/shader.hpp
+++ b/include/rendering/shader.hpp
@@ -13,8 +13,8 @@ public:
     Shader() = default;
     ~Shader();
 
-    bool loadFromFile(const std::string& vertexPath, const std::string& fragmentPath);
-    bool loadFromSource(const std::string& vertexSource, const std::string& fragmentSource);
+    [[nodiscard]] bool loadFromFile(const std::string& vertexPath, const std::string& fragmentPath);
+    [[nodiscard]] bool loadFromSource(const std::string& vertexSource, const std::string& fragmentSource);
 
     void use() const;
     void unuse() const;
diff --git a/include/rendering/vk_shader.hpp b/include/rendering/vk_shader.hpp
index cd8fc839..8ed2c241 100644
--- a/include/rendering/vk_shader.hpp
+++ b/include/rendering/vk_shader.hpp
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ public:
     VkShaderModule& operator=(VkShaderModule&& other) noexcept;
 
     // Load a SPIR-V file from disk
-    bool loadFromFile(VkDevice device, const std::string& path);
+    [[nodiscard]] bool loadFromFile(VkDevice device, const std::string& path);
 
     // Load from raw SPIR-V bytes
     bool loadFromMemory(VkDevice device, const uint32_t* code, size_t sizeBytes);
diff --git a/src/rendering/m2_renderer.cpp b/src/rendering/m2_renderer.cpp
index d33f0ed7..31f66a1c 100644
--- a/src/rendering/m2_renderer.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/m2_renderer.cpp
@@ -463,12 +463,12 @@ bool M2Renderer::initialize(VkContext* ctx, VkDescriptorSetLayout perFrameLayout
     rendering::VkShaderModule particleVert, particleFrag;
     rendering::VkShaderModule smokeVert, smokeFrag;
 
-    m2Vert.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2.vert.spv");
-    m2Frag.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2.frag.spv");
-    particleVert.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_particle.vert.spv");
-    particleFrag.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_particle.frag.spv");
-    smokeVert.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_smoke.vert.spv");
-    smokeFrag.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_smoke.frag.spv");
+    (void)m2Vert.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2.vert.spv");
+    (void)m2Frag.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2.frag.spv");
+    (void)particleVert.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_particle.vert.spv");
+    (void)particleFrag.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_particle.frag.spv");
+    (void)smokeVert.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_smoke.vert.spv");
+    (void)smokeFrag.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_smoke.frag.spv");
 
     if (!m2Vert.isValid() || !m2Frag.isValid()) {
         LOG_ERROR("M2: Missing required shaders, cannot initialize");
@@ -583,8 +583,8 @@ bool M2Renderer::initialize(VkContext* ctx, VkDescriptorSetLayout perFrameLayout
     // Vertex format: pos(3) + color(3) + alpha(1) + uv(2) = 9 floats = 36 bytes
     {
         rendering::VkShaderModule ribVert, ribFrag;
-        ribVert.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_ribbon.vert.spv");
-        ribFrag.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_ribbon.frag.spv");
+        (void)ribVert.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_ribbon.vert.spv");
+        (void)ribFrag.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_ribbon.frag.spv");
         if (ribVert.isValid() && ribFrag.isValid()) {
             // Reuse particleTexLayout_ for set 1 (single texture sampler)
             VkDescriptorSetLayout ribLayouts[] = {perFrameLayout, particleTexLayout_};
@@ -4766,12 +4766,12 @@ void M2Renderer::recreatePipelines() {
     rendering::VkShaderModule particleVert, particleFrag;
     rendering::VkShaderModule smokeVert, smokeFrag;
 
-    m2Vert.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2.vert.spv");
-    m2Frag.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2.frag.spv");
-    particleVert.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_particle.vert.spv");
-    particleFrag.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_particle.frag.spv");
-    smokeVert.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_smoke.vert.spv");
-    smokeFrag.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_smoke.frag.spv");
+    (void)m2Vert.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2.vert.spv");
+    (void)m2Frag.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2.frag.spv");
+    (void)particleVert.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_particle.vert.spv");
+    (void)particleFrag.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_particle.frag.spv");
+    (void)smokeVert.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_smoke.vert.spv");
+    (void)smokeFrag.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_smoke.frag.spv");
 
     if (!m2Vert.isValid() || !m2Frag.isValid()) {
         LOG_ERROR("M2Renderer::recreatePipelines: missing required shaders");
@@ -4882,8 +4882,8 @@ void M2Renderer::recreatePipelines() {
     // --- Ribbon pipelines ---
     {
         rendering::VkShaderModule ribVert, ribFrag;
-        ribVert.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_ribbon.vert.spv");
-        ribFrag.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_ribbon.frag.spv");
+        (void)ribVert.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_ribbon.vert.spv");
+        (void)ribFrag.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/m2_ribbon.frag.spv");
         if (ribVert.isValid() && ribFrag.isValid()) {
             VkVertexInputBindingDescription rBind{};
             rBind.binding = 0;
diff --git a/src/rendering/swim_effects.cpp b/src/rendering/swim_effects.cpp
index 9bc4885a..e439c2dd 100644
--- a/src/rendering/swim_effects.cpp
+++ b/src/rendering/swim_effects.cpp
@@ -348,9 +348,9 @@ void SwimEffects::recreatePipelines() {
     // ---- Rebuild ripple pipeline ----
     {
         VkShaderModule vertModule;
-        vertModule.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/swim_ripple.vert.spv");
+        (void)vertModule.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/swim_ripple.vert.spv");
         VkShaderModule fragModule;
-        fragModule.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/swim_ripple.frag.spv");
+        (void)fragModule.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/swim_ripple.frag.spv");
 
         VkPipelineShaderStageCreateInfo vertStage = vertModule.stageInfo(VK_SHADER_STAGE_VERTEX_BIT);
         VkPipelineShaderStageCreateInfo fragStage = fragModule.stageInfo(VK_SHADER_STAGE_FRAGMENT_BIT);
@@ -375,9 +375,9 @@ void SwimEffects::recreatePipelines() {
     // ---- Rebuild bubble pipeline ----
     {
         VkShaderModule vertModule;
-        vertModule.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/swim_bubble.vert.spv");
+        (void)vertModule.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/swim_bubble.vert.spv");
         VkShaderModule fragModule;
-        fragModule.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/swim_bubble.frag.spv");
+        (void)fragModule.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/swim_bubble.frag.spv");
 
         VkPipelineShaderStageCreateInfo vertStage = vertModule.stageInfo(VK_SHADER_STAGE_VERTEX_BIT);
         VkPipelineShaderStageCreateInfo fragStage = fragModule.stageInfo(VK_SHADER_STAGE_FRAGMENT_BIT);
@@ -402,9 +402,9 @@ void SwimEffects::recreatePipelines() {
     // ---- Rebuild insect pipeline ----
     {
         VkShaderModule vertModule;
-        vertModule.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/swim_ripple.vert.spv");
+        (void)vertModule.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/swim_ripple.vert.spv");
         VkShaderModule fragModule;
-        fragModule.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/swim_insect.frag.spv");
+        (void)fragModule.loadFromFile(device, "assets/shaders/swim_insect.frag.spv");
 
         VkPipelineShaderStageCreateInfo vertStage = vertModule.stageInfo(VK_SHADER_STAGE_VERTEX_BIT);
         VkPipelineShaderStageCreateInfo fragStage = fragModule.stageInfo(VK_SHADER_STAGE_FRAGMENT_BIT);