History Characters / WarcraftPlayerCharcters

* TheBeastmaster: Does not apply to Marksmanship talent hunters in ''Legion'', in which they no longer possess the ability to tame pets.

* DualWield: Subverted to an extent. They used to be able to dual wield single handed weapons until MoP made ranged weapons occupy the main slot. It is possible for them still to dual wield, but given their ranged DPS nature it would be ineffectual. As of ''Legion'', Survival hunters have been re-tuned into a melee class, and could viably dual-wield before acquiring their artifact.

** LastSecondHitPoint: Clever mages use Cauterize as a warning to encase themselves in their Ice Block, which negates all incoming (and outgoing) damage, including from Cauterize itself.

* LastSecondHitPoint: As of ''Legion'', Retributions have one in Divine Intervention: attacks that would kill them instead automatically trigger their Divine Shield.

* LastSecondHitPoint: Their Cheat Death talent is a notoriously popular choice, to the point where other classes' LastSecondHitPoint mechanics are often grouped under its name. Upon taking fatal damage, Cheat Death restores the Rogue to low health and grants high damage mitigation for a brief period.

* LastSecondHitPoint: The Purgatory talent allows them to absorb fatal damage (and [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill any damage after]]) as well as incoming healing for 3 seconds. If the absorbed healing outweighs the absorbed damage by the end of 3 seconds, they live; if not, they die. Of course, there's nothing to stop them from being killed immediately ''after'' Purgatory saves them in the case of a narrow margin.

* LastSecondHitPoint: Vengeance Demon Hunters can take a talent to restore some health and enter SuperMode when they take fatal damage.

* HealItWithFire: One of the mages' spells: "Cauterize" involves the mage burning their wound together, damaging them for a small amount but healing them afterwards.

* CombatParkour: Havoc Demon Hunters employ their [[DashAttack Fel Rush]], [[UnnecessaryCombatRoll Vengeful Retreat]], and [[InASingleBound Metamorphosis]] effects as part of their regular attack rotation. They also boast having the highest mobility in the game, with their DoubleJump and [[NotQuiteFlight Glide]] abilities; Havoc Demon Hunters even increase their base movement speed as they gear up. This can be {{Combo}}ed to rapidly cross ''massive'' distances in the open world, and perform SequenceBreaking in some older dungeons.

* DifficultButAwesome: Demon Hunter attacks have some of the most acute areas-of-effectiveness in the game, requiring enemy hitboxes to line up perfectly in order to get mileage from attacks like Fel Rush and Eye Beam. Otherwise, most of their [=AoE=] is limited to instant bursts from cooldowns.
* DodgeTheBullet: Havoc Demon Hunters' primary defense comes from avoiding attacks entirely, be it from [[DashAttack dashing]] out of area attacks or boosting their Dodge chance. They can also create fields of shadow that allow their allies to sometimes avoid attacks entirely.

* CombatParkour: Havoc Demon Hunters employ their [[DashAttack Fel Rush]], Vengeful Retreat[[labelnote:*]]A backward vault that damages nearby enemies and renders the user airborne[[/labelnote]], and Metamorphosis[[labelnote:*]]A leap toward the target location that {{GoombaStomp}}s enemies at the impact site and enables SuperMode[[/labelnote]] effects as part of their regular attack rotation. They also boast having the highest mobility in the game, with their DoubleJump and [[NotQuiteFlight Glide]] abilities; Havoc Demon Hunters even increase their base movement speed as they gear up. This can be {{Combo}}ed to rapidly cross ''massive'' distances in the open world, and perform SequenceBreaking in some older dungeons.

* MageKiller: Mages have always had difficulties when dealing with Death Knights due to their AntiMagic capabilities. They also have access to a Dark Simulacrum which can copy enemy spells to turn them against their casters. In the past, Death Knights could even convert regeneration effects placed on their foes into diseases to kill them faster.

* CombatParkour: Demon Hunters employ their [[DashAttack Fel Rush]] and Vengeful Retreat effects as part of their regular attack rotation. They also boast having the highest mobility in the game, with their DoubleJump and [[NotQuiteFlight glide]] abilities; Havoc Demon Hunters even increase their base movement speed as they gear up. This can be {{Combo}}ed to rapidly cross ''massive'' distances in the open world, and perform SequenceBreaking in some older dungeons.

* DifficultButAwesome: Demon Hunter attacks have some of the most acute areas-of-effectiveness in the game, requiring enemies to line up perfectly in order to get mileage from attacks like Fel Rush and Eye Beam.
* DodgeTheBullet: Havoc Demon Hunters' primary defense comes from avoiding attacks entirely, be it from [[DashAttack dashing]] out of area attacks or boosting their Dodge chance.

* LightningBruiser: Demon Hunters are Agility-based attackers with, at the time of their inclusion, the highest burst mobility in the game. However, they have very limited access to self-healing, and no resistance to crowd control; if a Havoc Demon Hunter slows down, [[FragileSpeedster they'll go down easily]].

* {{Mana}}: All spellcasters in game use this as a main resource.

* BodyHorror: No, elves aren't supposed to grow horns. Metamorphosis turns it [[UpToEleven Up to Eleven]].

Heralds of Death, Harbingers of Destruction, Ebon Riders of Darkness...Words cannot describe how powerful and how terrible these undead warriors are. Clad in [[ColorCodedForYourConvenience heavy armor as dark as the dead of the night]] and wielding wickedly fashioned weapons glowing with runes, they represent the pinnacle of the might of the [[TheDarkSide Scourge]] and were often powerful paladins and knights felled under the onslaught during the [[ZombieApocalypse Scourge Invasion]]. Risen through dark {{Necromancy}}, these warriors are imbued with the mightiest powers of the Scourge and often serve as [[TinTyrant leaders]] and [[FourStarBadass lieutenants]] for the Lich King, [[WalkingWasteland sewing death and destruction in their wake]].[[AnIcePerson Frost sharpens their strikes]]; [[OurVampiresAreDifferent blood fortifies their bodies]]; and [[TheUndead undeath]] allows them to erupt in unholy rage in the heat of battle. A thousand atrocities are etched in the eyes of every death knight, and foes who gaze into them too long [[TheDreaded will feel the warmth pulled from their bodies]], replaced with cold steel.

* AndThenJohnWasaZombie: They died fighting the Lich King's forces, only to join them.

* AnimateDead: Unholy Death Knights can [[ArmyOfTheDead summon various undead minions]] to do their bidding.

* ArmyOfTheDead: One of the Death Knight skills.

* {{Necromancer}}: Death Knights, being the Lich King's champions, are some of the best necromancers in his ranks. While all Death Knights can learn to resurrect their allies, the Unholy specialization has the best use of this, being able to summon and transform ghouls, raise skeletons, animate gargoyles and even [[ArmyOfTheDead raise a whole undead army]] on his/her own.

* BloodKnight: While Death Knights in game have a handful of ranged abilities, they rely heavily on rune-empowered melee onslaughts.

* DarkIsNotEvil: They prove to ultimately be heroic [[HeelFaceTurn after their intro experience]].

* EverythingsBetterWithSpinning: Bone Shield ability of Blood Death Knight.

* FallenHero: Due to being raised as the Lich King's servants. "A hero...that's what you once were."
* FlyingWeapon: Blood Death Knights can create a Dancing Rune Weapon that will fight on its own, copying their creator's attacks. Come ''Legion'', Frost Death Knights can use a weaker version of this with their Artifact.

* AnIcePerson: Compared to those mages who study the properties of ice to manipulate them as methods of offense, death knights are the incarnate of winter itself. Their [[TheDreaded mere presence brings a chill upon a normal man's heart]] and when they strike, their frost-encrusted blades howl with the might of winter. Frost Death Knights are particularly adept in this field.
* ImplacableMan: Some of their abilities make them hard to slow down: Death's Advance, Pillars of Ice, Path of Frost, On A Pale Horse etc.

** Unholy death knights are particularly noteworthy in this regard come ''Legion'', with the ability to weave [[PlagueMaster diseases]], [[{{Necromancer}} necromancy]] and [[CastingAShadow shadow magic]] at long range, albeit not dealing damage as efficiently as they could in melee. The Clawing Shadows spell can replace their main attack, complementing their Death Coil.

* SpellBlade: The Death Knight's calling card is his magically empowered Runeblade.

* TheUnfettered: In ''Legion'', the Knights of the Ebon Blade elect to "do what the living cannot". This includes everything up to [[spoiler:storming Light's Hope Chapel to raise Tirion Fordring into undeath, although it doesn't work]].

* YouWillNotEvadeMe: Death Knights have many, many ways to keep a target pinned so they can unleash hell upon them. A Death Knight's most notorious ability is Death Grip, which grabs an enemy and forces them beside you. Other abilities like Chains of Ice and Asphyxiate also work to keep enemies in place so you can slice them to bits.

* LightIsGood: Primarily played straight. Most Paladins worship the Holy Light, a omnipresent and conscious "force" that functions as the source of their powers. Paladins with strong faith in the Light have been granted many [[DeusExMachina inexplicable blessings]], particularly protection from the powers of the [[DarkIsEvil Scourge and Burning Legion]], and increased strength when fighting against them. Many of the most heroic NPCs in the game are also Paladins, such as Tirion Fordring and Bolvar Fordragon.

** Draenei Paladins draw their holy powers from the teachings of [[OurAngelsAreDifferent the Naaru]], who are the most unambiguously benevolent force in the Warcraft mythos.

%%* NoArcInArchery

%%* LightIsGood

Demon hunters, disciples of Illidan Stormrage, uphold a dark legacy, one that frightens their allies and enemies alike. The Illidari embrace fel and chaotic magics—energies that have long threatened the world of Azeroth—believing them necessary to challenge the Burning Legion. Wielding the powers of demons they’ve slain, they develop demonic features that incite revulsion and dread in fellow elves.

* CombatParkour: Demon Hunters employ their [[DashAttack Fel Rush]] and Vengeful Retreat effects as part of their regular attack rotation. They also boast having the highest mobility in the game, with their DoubleJump and [[NotQuiteFlight glide]] abilities. This can be comboed to rapidly cross ''massive'' distances in the open world, and perform SequenceBreaking in some older dungeons.

* LightningBruiser: Demon Hunters are agility-based attackers with the highest burst mobility in the game. However, they have very limited access to self-healing, and no resistance to crowd-control.

* VictorGainsLosersPowers: Defeating major demons grants them more powers.

* XRayVision: Their true sight functions as this when focused on it, allowing the demon hunter to see any living creature through walls and making stealth completely useless. However, to keep this ability balanced in PvP, using it slows the demon hunter to a crawl.

* CombatParkour: Demon Hunters employ their [[DashAttack Fel Rush]] and Vengeful Retreat effects as part of their regular attack rotation. They also boast having the highest mobility in the game, with their DoubleJump and [[NotQuiteFlight glide]] abilities.

* LightningBruiser: Demon Hunters are agility-based attackers with the highest burst mobility in the game. However, they have very limited access to self-healing and no resistance to crowd-control.

* BladeBelowTheShoulder: They have exclusive access to glaive-type weapons.

%%* DemonSlaying
%%* DualWielding

* InstantRunes: Vengeance's ''Sigil'' spells, which carve large runes into the ground.

* ChillOfUndeath: The Frost specialization is built to reflect this, while the Icebound Fortitude spell allows Death Knights to freeze their blood to become more resilient towards damage.
** Many undead creatures associated with the Scourge, such as Deathchargers, Frostbrood drakes and player Death Knights, have a blue glow from "cold flames" used to animate them.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: First generation of death knights that appear in ''Warcraft II'' are undead human knights whose corpses are possessed by spirits of deceased orc warlocks.

* MageKiller: Mages have always had difficulties when dealing with death knights in PVP due to their anti-magic capabilities (Ex. Anti-magic Shell)

* {{Necromancer}}: Death Knights, being the Lich King's champions, are some of the best necromancers in his ranks. The Unholy specialization has the best use of this, being able to summon and transform ghouls, raise skeletons, animate gargoyles and even [[ArmyOfTheDead raise a whole undead army]] on his/her own.

* BadWithTheBone: The ''Legion'' spells Bonestorm and Marrowrend.

* BloodMagic: Blood death knights are [[OurVampiresAreDifferent vampiric warriors]] who takes the blood of enemies and uses it to [[BlackMagic keep themselves battleworthy]].
* BloodKnight: Death Knights in game have very few ranged abilities and rely heavily on rune-empowered melee onslaughts.

* {{Necromancer}}: Death Knights, being the Lich King's champions, are some of the best necromancers in his ranks, being able to summon and transform ghouls, raise skeletons, animate gargoyles and even [[ArmyOfTheDead raise a whole undead army]] on his/her own.

* ResurrectiveImmortality: While this is true of all player characters, only the Demon Hunter has it as GameplayAndStoryIntegration. During the introductory zone for the Demon Hunters, you have to sacrifice people at different points during the story to power portals for armies to march through. At the last portal, you can choose to sacrifice yourself rather than the intended victim. If you do, you go to the graveyard per norm for the game, but a surprised Illidan contacts you mentally, informing you that your soul is now demonic, so like any demon, your "death" only sends your soul to the Twisting Nether until you can find a suitable host to inhabit. And, if it hasn't been too long, you can reclaim your old body, which is still a viable container, as it only died recently. [[spoiler:Also foreshadows Illidan's resurrection.]]

* WingedHumanoid[=/=]NotQuiteFlight: All Demon Hunters grow demonic wings, but they can only use them to glide, not to fly (by pressing the "Jump" button when flying).

* NotQuiteFlight: Demon Hunter have bat / dragon-like wings, and they can use them to glide (by pressing the "jump" button while falling).

* WingedHumanoid: All Demon Hunters grow demonic wings, but they can only use them to glide, not to fly.