Gul’dan, Incarnation of Darkness
I am Gul’dan. I am the incarnation of darkness. No one can stand against me.
Not surprisingly, there is one Orc who stands at the very top – Gul’dan, who is often referred to as the “Incarnation of Darkness.” He is considered the most powerful warlock to have ever lived, with several spells even named after him, such as “Hand of Gul’dan.”
However, Gul’dan’s life did not start out so powerful. As a member of a now-unknown clan of Orcs, he was early on ostracized. His body was frail, failing to meet the ideal image of an Orc. He was cast out and tried to find his way. But when he asked the elements for help as a shaman, they feared him and did not assist – leading Gul’dan into desperation.
This very desperation was perceived by another power – the Burning Legion. As the first Orc ever, Gul’dan received the gift of demonic magic and promptly used it to annihilate his old clan.
Following that, the demon Kil’jaeden ordered Gul’dan to unite the Orc clans of Draenor. Because Gul’dan himself lacked the charisma to do so, he had to pull other Orc leaders to his side. He first succeeded with Grommash Hellscream, the father of Garrosh.
Gradually, the other Orc clans joined, leading to a great war against the Draenei, who were almost completely annihilated or enslaved. Their souls were used to fuel the Dark Portal, ultimately triggering the invasion of Azeroth.
Listing Gul’dan’s actions would exceed the scope of this article. He spun many intrigues, founded the Shadow Council, trained new warlocks, and was consistently a loyal servant of the Legion.
The Gul’dan from the “alternate” Draenor even triggers the events of World of Warcraft Legion by opening a direct portal to Azeroth for the Legion and killing the human king Varian Wrynn by completely annihilating his soul with demonic magic.
While the first Gul’dan died near the tomb of Sargeras, betrayed by the Legion and destroyed by demons, the “alternate” Gul’dan was destroyed by Illidan in the city of Suramar, high up at the Nightwell, where he attempted to summon Sargeras into the body of Illidan.
Even today, Gul’dan is considered one of the best and most infamous adversaries in World of Warcraft history. He is perhaps the Orc who has shaped Warcraft the most – for without him, there would be no Orcs in the story of Azeroth.
Do you know any other Orcs who have shaped Azeroth or the World of Warcraft in a special way? Which Orc heroes do you think also deserve a mention? Let us know in the comments!
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