Who is the ultimate villain in World of Warcraft? We asked you this question and you voted! Here are your top 5 of the most treacherous characters and super villains in WoW – and what makes them so vile.
Since the beginning of World of Warcraft, we have taken down dozens of villains. Each of them wanted to plunge Azeroth into chaos, dominate it, or harm it in other ways. But only one can be the worst of them all.
We asked you who you think should sit on the throne of wickedness, and you voted. Here are your top 5 super villains from World of Warcraft!
5th Place Garrosh Hellscream (5%)
With 5% of the votes, Garrosh Hellscream, the son of the warrior hero Grommash Hellscream, takes the fifth place on your list. Thus, the former warchief stands just ahead of the current leader of the Horde, Sylvanas Windrunner, who also received 5% but four votes less.
Who was Garrosh Hellscream?
Garrosh Hellscream was the son of the orc hero Grom Hellscream, who once killed the pit lord Mannoroth, freeing the orcs from the influence of demonic blood.
He grew up in Garadar, the settlement of the Mag’har in Draenor, where he was infected with the Red Pox during the orc invasion of Azeroth. Although he survived it, Chief Kargath Bladefist rejected him when he wanted to participate in the invasion, as the untainted Mag’har, who had not drunk demon blood, were deemed not strong enough.
Garrosh later became the chieftain of the Warsong clan and was supposed to be the successor to his grandmother Geyah in leading the Mag’har. However, when Thrall set off on his journey to Draenor to find his roots, he took the young orc to Azeroth with him.
How did Garrosh become a villain?
Garrosh was haunted since childhood by the legacy of his father, who was the first to drink Mannoroth’s blood and led the orcs to ruin. He saw this as a hereditary guilt that weighed upon him. Only through Thrall did he see a way to free the orcs again.
In this moment, the warrior spirit within him awakened and nourished the thought of leading the orcs back to greatness. With the hero Grom as his role model, this thought would eventually be put into action.
The actual means to wreak so much havoc came from Thrall and Magatha Grimtotem. Thrall appointed him as his successor as Warchief. Magatha Grimtotem helped him to victory against Cairne Bloodhoof, who challenged him to a duel to the death, a Mak’gora.
Cairne saw Garrosh as unfit to lead the Horde and would have won the duel. But Garrosh’s weapon was poisoned by Magatha during the shamanic blessing, so that a single wound was enough to kill Cairne. This treachery enabled Garrosh’s rise as Warchief and villain.
What are his greatest crimes?
Garrosh’s entire career as Warchief is a string of war crimes. However, three points stand out where he acted first against the peoples of the Horde, then against the Alliance, and finally against all of Azeroth.
At the beginning of his time as Warchief, he declared the orcs to be the leading race. He quickly herded goblins and trolls into ghettos in Orgrimmar, which was supposed to be renovated for orcs in iron instead of traditional wood. Here, he already sowed discord between the peoples of the Horde.
His likely greatest atrocity and greatest war crime is the destruction of Theramore. He stole the focusing iris from the blue dragonflight to create a mana bomb.
He dropped this bomb over Theramore, annihilating the city and hundreds of civilians – including the former leader of the Kirin Tor, Rhonin. He is also directly responsible for the transformation of Jaina Proudmoore from the warm-hearted diplomat into the ruthless war mage she is today.
During his campaign, he did not hesitate to use the powers of the Old Gods. In Mists of Pandaria, he unleashed the Sha of Pride to draw from its power and enforce his fanatical views. We can relive his fall in the Siege of Orgrimmar.
Finally, he vanished during his trial for his war crimes using a corrupt bronze dragon into another timeline. Here he helped the Iron Horde rise in an alternative Draenor and is largely responsible for the events of Warlords of Draenor.
