Illidan Stormrage, the Betrayer
No sacrifice is too great if it brings about the end of the Burning Legion.
Title: The Betrayer | Lord of the Outland | Master of the Illidari | The Chosen One
In first place among the Night Elves, ahead of Malfurion, Tyrande, and Azshara, is probably Illidan Stormrage.
Illidan, like most Night Elves, was already in action during the War of the Ancients over 10,000 years ago. He deceived Sargeras and received the “Demon’s Gift”, which burned his eyes and gave him enhanced perception against demons.
Because he created another well from some vials after the explosion of the Well of Eternity, he was condemned by the Night Elves and imprisoned for many millennia.
It was only with the start of Warcraft III that he was freed from his prison by Tyrande to support the Night Elves. He consumed the magic from the skull of Gul’dan, which further advanced his transformation into a demon, although it allowed him to achieve great success in battle.
Although Illidan has been drastically changed by fel magic and is more demon than Kaldorei – his strength is undeniable. For some, he is the archetypal demon hunter, whose dialogue often comes off as a bit “edgy” and arrogant, but his actions speak for themselves.
Illidan has fed on several sources of power over time. Be it the “blessing” from Sargeras, the skull of Gul’dan, or countless other sources of fel energy, which have increasingly made his body more of a demon and less Kaldorei.
Illidan allied with the Naga, conquered territories in the Outland, and began training more demon hunters to combat Sargeras and the Burning Legion. He was eventually defeated by the heroes of Azeroth and the Warden Maiev in the Black Temple and imprisoned again.
With “Legion”, Illidan became a main character again. His body was to serve as a vessel for Sargeras, to grant the Lord of the Legion an avatar on Azeroth. However, it was successfully prevented, and Illidan’s soul was returned to his body.
Illidan then led the forces of Azeroth’s army to Argus – one of the home worlds of the Legion. Here he opposed a Naaru, killed countless demons, and ensured that the fight against Argus and ultimately Sargeras was successful.
Currently, Illidan is “imprisoned” alongside Sargeras and keeps the Titan in an eternal duel – at least until something changes in this situation. And that will likely happen in upcoming expansions when the Titans will play a larger role.
The Night Elves are one of the most well-known races in World of Warcraft and have produced many legendary heroines and heroes. Which Kaldorei have particularly stuck in your memory?
In World of Warcraft, Blizzard is currently taking new paths – as “being nice” will soon be rewarded!
