World of Warcraft: Shadowlands could have the largest amount of major characters from the Warcraft lore of any World of Warcraft expansion released so far. The main reason for this is simple: it’s the first expansion which can also heavily feature any major character who has died in the story.
Some of the biggest players in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands‘ story have already been made clear by Blizzard through the Shadowlands Afterlives shorts. Others are featuring in major questlines, while the return of other characters has only been hinted at. With the expansion coming out later this month, here’s every important WoW character to know before starting Shadowlands.
Sylvanas Windrunner is arguably the most important character in World of Warcraft: Shadowlands, and its main continuing villain if not it’s main threat. Sylvanas has a long history that extends back to Warcraft 3’s story, but here it is in short: Sylvanas Windrunner was a ranger for the city of Silvermoon who was killed and raised as a banshee by Arthas Menethil when he attacked the elves to reach the Sunwell in order the resurrect the Lich Kel’Thuzad on behalf of the Lich King. However, Sylvanas freed herself and many other undead from Arthas’ control when his power weakened, creating the Forsaken, a faction of free-willed undead that would join Warchief Thrall’s Horde.
Sylvanas would become Warchief of the Horde herself, but her leadership caused huge divisions in the faction. She was challenged to a one-on-one fight with Horde veteran Varok Saurfang, but after she kills Saurfang Sylvanas flees and abandons the Horde and the Forsaken. She travels to Icecrown Citadel, once home of the Lich King that enslaved her and now the throne of the new Lich King, Bolvar Fordragon. Sylvanas destroys the Lich King’s Helm of Domination, opening a rift to the Shadowlands.
The Lich King returns in Shadowlands in a few forms. The title of Lich King has referred to multiple beings over the course of WoW lore. Originally, it referred to the orc warlock Ner’Zhul, whose spirit is trapped in the Lich King’s Helm of Domination. When Lordaeron’s Prince Arthur Menethil put on the helmet, he merged with Ner’Zhul to create a new single being known as the Lich King that was defeated in the expansion Wrath of the Lick King. When Arthur was defeated, Bolvar Fordragon took up the helmet to become the “jailer of the damned,” though it was never made clear whether or not Ner’Zhul survived or merged with him in the same way.
In Shadowlands Afterlives: Bation, Arthas’ old mentor Uther the Lightbringer personally drops Arthas’ soul into the Maw after his defeat at Icecrown. By the time of the expansion, every soul that leaves Azeroth is directly entering the Maw, making it very likely that players will try to free those souls and will encounter Arthas again along the way.
The new Lich King, Bolvar Fordragon, also makes an appearance. He is defeated by Sylvanas, but survives the encounter, and without the Helm of Domination is likely no longer in control of the scourge. Bolvar will likely consider himself responsible for allowing the Helm to be destroyed, and will feature heavily in Shadowlands’ story.
The Jailer is the being that controls the Maw, the place where irredeemable souls are sent in the Shadowlands to be imprisoned forever. Not much is known about the Jailer other than that he appears to have made some sort of bargain with Sylvanas Windrunner, and is benefitting from the fact that souls are pouring directly into the Maw instead of being distributed among the realms of the Shadowlands. The Jailer is a new character in Shadowlands, and much about him or his final goals have yet to be revealed.
The Arbiter is another new being introduced in the expansion. The Arbiter resides in the city of Oribos at the center of the Shadowlands, and judges all the souls that enter. By the time of Shadowlands, the Arbiter is become dormant for some unknown reason, allowing the souls which enter the Shadowlands to pass straight though to the Maw instead of being properly judged.
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The Winter Queen is the leader of the Night Fae, as seen in Shadowlands Afterlives: Ardenweald. There, the souls of druids, loa, and nature spirits are tended in pods until they are ready to be reborn into the world. While she initially appears benevolent, the drought of anima – the essence of souls – caused by the Maw is causing Ardenweald itself to die. As such, she has formed something called the Wild Hunt, which is destroying the souls of nature spirits in order to reclaim their anima and save the groves. Whether she will succeed, and whether players will help her, remains to be seen.
Sire Denathrius is another major leader in the Shadowlands. The aristocratic head of the vampiric Venthyr, Denathrius oversees his kingdom as its citizens drain anima from the souls of Azeroth’s prideful. Like the Winter Queen, Denathrius is struggling to deal with the anima drought, imposing harsh restrictions on his own people to ration the remaining supplies. There is also some evidence that hints towards Denathrius being a far older being than his elven appearance implies, with the book “Enemy Infiltration – Preface” implying that Denathrius may have created the Nathrezim – the dread lords.
There are many other deceased characters who will be returning in WoW: Shadowlands. Uther and Thrall’s mother Draka have already been confirmed by Afterlives shorts. An orc who seems to be being tortured for his anima in a Revendreth dungeon appears to be none other than the Horde’s former Warchief, Garrosh Hellscream. The Lich Kel’Thuzad and the Blood Elf prince Kael’Thas Sunstrider also both appear in Revendreth.
WoW: Shadowlands could see fans interact with fan favorite characters in a whole new way, exploring their lingering legacies long after their stories in life have concluded. It’s a fitting theme for an expansion which releases over 16 years since WoW originally hit the shelves and over 18 years after many of these characters were first introduced in Warcraft 3.
World of Warcraft is available now for PC. World of Warcraft: Shadowlands launches globally on November 23 for PC.
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