There are as many Orcs in World of Warcraft as … well, as Orcs in Durotar. We take a look at the most powerful Orcs that have ever lived in World of Warcraft.
In World of Warcraft, there are countless characters and over 30 years of history to look back on. Today, we want to take a special look at the Orcs. These inhabitants of Azeroth, originally from Draenor, have significantly influenced World of Warcraft – and the preceding Warcraft titles. Therefore, we take a look at the 5 most powerful Orcs that have ever existed in World of Warcraft.
A WoW expansion was entirely focused on the Orcs: Warlord of Draenor…
Ner’zhul, the Lich King
I have dreamed of you. I had visions of death and now you are here …
Ner’zhul may have been forgotten by many – or younger Warcraft fans might not know him at all, or at most as a boss in a dungeon in Warlords of Draenor.
But Ner’zhul was already significant for the history of Warcraft before that. He was the leader of the Shadowmoon Clan and survived the First War (the story of Warcraft I). He remained on Draenor and opened several portals to other worlds to escape the Legion.
However, he was soon captured by Kil’Jaeden, and his body was painfully destroyed. He was then encased in eternal ice and was to fulfill the task of subjugating Azeroth: As the Lich King.
You heard right: The first Lich King was the soul of an old Orc.
Under Ner’zhul, the Scourge grew in Azeroth. He recruited antagonists like Kel’thuzad and ensured that Lordaeron was doomed by establishing the Cult of the Damned.
Later, he made Arthas his champion as a Death Knight before Arthas ultimately merged with Ner’zhul at the end of “The Frozen Throne” and became the Lich King himself. From then on, Ner’zhul fell a bit into the background, but was basically a “half” of the Lich King.
After the fall of the Lich King, the soul of Ner’zhul is drawn into the Maw of the Shadowlands and tortured by the Jailer. He ends up as a boss in the Sanctum of Domination – but not much of his old strength is recognizable there.
