Large, green, and brave: The Orcs from Warcraft
In stark contrast to the Orcs from The Lord of the Rings, Warcraft Orcs have a culture built on honorable behavior and warrior traditions. They are not inherently evil as in Tolkien, but have something akin to a moral compass.
You probably know Orcs, especially from the early strategy games, with green skin. Especially their strong fighters, the Grunters, are often depicted as muscular but not particularly bright – even if the Warcraft Orcs indeed produce educated members and even powerful mages.
However, Orcs once had a different appearance when you go back in their history. Their predecessors, the Mag’har, are brown and have strong ties to ancestor worship and shamanism.
Only a pact with a demon and the promise of power led the Orcs to consume demonic blood and dye their skin green. Hence, they are considered “corrupted” by many of their ancestors.
By now, many years and wars have passed between the corruption and the present time, during which the Orcs suffered numerous losses and had to rebuild their culture. Accordingly, they are no longer as bloodthirsty as under demonic influence and adhere more strongly to a code of honor.
The fact that Warcraft Orcs were initially portrayed as brutal thugs is partly due to the fact that Warcraft was originally meant to be a game in the Warhammer universe. The Orks (yes, with “k”) in this world look very similar but behave completely differently.
