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Five Dragon Aspects were created by the Titans to stand guard over Azeroth and prevent the Old Gods from breaking free of their prisons and continuing the corruption of the planet. They created their own broods of lesser dragons and were content to sleep for thousands of years as their offspring kept watch over Azeroth and its many inhabitants. However, the seeping influence of the Old Gods eventually drove them into conflict with each other and with the Alliance and Horde. They are now weakened and must rely on mortals to assist them.

Most full dragons have the ability to shapeshift and often assume the guises of humans, elves, and other races when dealing with mortals. There are several draconic subraces, including Dragonspawn and Drakonids. These generally display less intelligence than their stronger brethren and act as servants and guardians of their places of power.


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    General Tropes 
  • Brought Down to Normal: Using the Dragon Soul to defeat Deathwing for good stripped the aspects of their incredible power and infinite lifespan, and went even farther by rendering all of them, not just the aspects, sterile. This trope is reversed by Dragonflight with all of the Aspects resume their duty and regained their power, as well as birthing new eggs again.
  • Breath Weapon: Naturally, being based on classic western dragons, each flight has a breath weapon that does something different.
    • Red Dragons breathe fire that can be made to act as a Friendly Fireproof Healing Shiv, not only not hurting someone if the dragon doesn't want them hurt, but even healing them. A red dragon can heal a fatally wounded ally back to health while turning the enemy to ash in the same attack.
    • Black Dragons can breathe normal fire, they've also been known to breathe magma.
    • Green Dragons breathe poison mist, though Ysera's been known to instead breath a mist that forces someone to fall asleep (and given the power she has in the Emerald Dream, that's not preferable to being poisoned).
    • Blue Dragons breathe an icy mist, though some dragons have been known to breathe pure arcane energies.
    • Bronze Dragons breathe superheated sand. Infinite Dragons also breathe sand.
    • Finally, Twilight Dragons breath shadowflame.
  • Draconic Humanoid: Several of them have shown up over the game's lifespan. Several of them were mortal once, while others were "created".
    • In the now-defunct and no longer canon Tabletop, the centaur-like Dragonspawn and humanoid Drakonid were once mortals who willingly entered into the service of dragons. Over the years/generations, they either changed over time or were directly "ascended" by being given dragon essence for their service until they change, and you can see this process several times during Cataclysm (most notably in Blackrock Caverns), but every situation where the transformation is forced rapidly the dragon is already dead. Dragonflight seems to retcon away from "mortals" in general and imply that they were specifically Refti, Sethrak-like stone beings who were exposed to draconic magic while the curse of flesh was making them mortal, but either way both subtypes seem to be a stable subspecies that can reproduce normally, before War of the Scaleborn would further clarify that they were Tarasek, violent lizard people similar to Saurok, who were Ordered by the Titans, changing similarly to how the proto-drakes turned into dragons.
    • There's also Dragonmen, which are made by directly injecting dragon DNA into a human, the end result is a limber but large Draconic Humanoid who's usually deranged because of what's implied to be a horrific, Body Horror filled transformation. These only exist because of Nefarian's Mad Science and don't seem to be naturally occurring lesser dragons like Drakonid or Dragonspawn.
    • The playable Dracthyr introduced in Dragonflight were made by Neltharion before his descent into madness as personal supersoldiers for the Dragonflights. Unlike the other types of humanoid dragon they were never "normal" people who were changed, instead having been created by mixing dragon essence with the essence of the mortal races available at the time (tauren, trolls, night elves, ect.) into newborn life to create an entirely new race that was somewhere in the middle, but still tellingly draconic. Dracthyr are unique in not being limited in power by what flight their scales reflect the colors of, and can use all five Flight's magic, and as such they're not restricted to just the five chromatic colors either and can dip into shades of purple, pink, and white as well. Also, leaning into the trope even more Dracthyr have a unique mortal form that isn't even attempting to hide themselves, appearing as a male elf or female human covered in scales and horns.
  • Dying Race: Initially, after the events of Cataclysm, all dragons on Azeroth lost the ability to lay eggs for reasons still unknown. Black Dragons in particular are down to just Wrathion, Ebyssian, and Sabellian, as all egg-laying black dragon females (even if their species-wide sterility would make it moot now) were killed back in Cataclysm. Dragonflight seems to ignore this however, although many of the flights are few in number and recovering, newly laid eggs can be seen at the Ruby Life Pools to help them be nurtured and grow and any mention of the sterility subplot is completely absent, suggesting it was either quietly retconned or fixed offscreen. The Black Dragons' plight still remains as Sabellion's brood only has a handful of females left in it, but they still have enough genetic diversity to safely reproduce and rebuild, and the hatching of the first clutch of Black Dragon whelps is a major cause for celebration in the flight.
  • Elemental Dragon:
    • The Red Dragonflight is broadly associated with the preservation of Azeroth's living beings, but breathe fire.
    • The Blue Dragonflight are the protectors of its arcane magic. They breathe ice.
    • The Green Dragonflight are the guardians of nature and the Spirit World. They breathe noxious gas.
    • The Bronze dragonflight are the guardians of time and history. They breathe superheated sand.
    • The Black dragonflight looked after the physical earth, before their corruption. They breathe magma.
  • Elemental Embodiment: Proto-Drakes and dragons by extension descend from elementals who avoided being imprisoned in the Elemental Plane and, like Titanforged under the Curse of Flesh, gradually became creatures of flesh and blood. The Primalist schism comes from those that chose the elements over order.
  • A Form You Are Comfortable With:
    • Most, if not all, dragons use humanoid "visage" forms as their primary disguises, such as humans, elves, or even gnomes like Chronormu. Some others don't seem to mind disguising themselves as human or elven children either, like the siblings Andormu or Nozari (well, bronze dragons are wardens of the timestream, after all).
    • The Primalist Incarnates also possess visage forms, however they only use these forms for their own convenience. They have no interest in making mortals feel comfortable around them, so they look more like an elemental ascendant rather than any mortal race.
  • Gameplay and Story Segregation: Dragons from every flight are supposed to have a different physiology very similar to their aspect (Reds should have giant horns like Alexstrasza, Blues should have wings that stay connected all the way down to their tails like Kalecgos, ect. ect.), but because of the limitations of gameplay and developer time, all dragons of all flights share exactly the same model for each phase of their life, with only the aspects having unique models that represent how all members of their flight should look (and even then, that took until Cataclysm). It is only with the advent of Dragonflight that the differences have become more pronounced.
  • I Have Many Names: All the (former) Aspects have this. Deathwing's in particular are more often than not also an example of Names to Run Away from Really Fast. In particular:
    • Neltharion/Deathwing: Aspect of Death, The Betrayer, The Black, The Black Scourge, Blackwing Greatfather, Blood's Shadow, The Cataclysm, The Dark One, Daval Prestor, Death Incarnate, The Destroyer, The Earth-Warder, The Great One, Shuul'wa, The Unmaker of Worlds, The Warder of the land, The Worldbreaker, Xaxas.
    • Alexstrasza: Dragon Queen, Life-Binder, Life-Giver, Former Aspect of Life, Former Queen of Life, She Who Is Life, Life of the Flame, Former Red Aspect.
    • Malygos: Spellweaver, Lord of Magic, Steward of Magic, Guardian of Magic, Hand of Magic, Magic Incarnate, Blue Aspect.
    • Kalecgos: Former Aspect of Magic, Steward of Magic, Former Spellweaver.
    • Ysera: The Awakened, Former Aspect of Dreams, She of the Dreaming, Former Dreamer, Mistress of Dreams, Lady of Dreams, Queen of Dreams, Former Green Aspect.
    • Nozdormu: The Timeless One, Former Aspect of Time, Lord of Time, Lord of the Centuries, Master of Time, Dragon of the Ages, Guardian of Time, Former Bronze Aspect, The Lord of the Infinite (as Murozond, his insane future self).
  • Our Dragons Are Different:
    • Physically, each type is based on quadrupedal western dragons from medieval folklore with various biological differences depending on type. Also, each type of dragon champions a different part of reality and the Aspects are (or rather, were) close to being Physical Gods before they sacrificed the power to kill Deathwing. They're also much more friendly than most dragons in sword and sorcery type games, with only Black dragons being outright evil (and even then, that was due to outside corruption).
    • Proto-Dragons are the ancestors to modern dragons, they look like a traditional fantasy Wyvern with more dinosaur-like aspects such as tiny T-rex-like arms and broader, sharper heads, and use their more flexible wings to walk and fight. While they're said to be equally as intelligent as full dragons, they never became truly "civilized" and thus for the most part remain hostile, hunting anything smaller as prey and protecting their territories.
    • Dragonflight would introduce several more types of Dragon available to the player as dragonriding mounts. In inclusion to the protodrakes and normal drakes, there's also velocidrakes, which are a mix of dragons and pterodaxxes, wylderdrakes which have slim feline-like proportions similar to a wyvern (keep in mind WoW's wyverns are more like manticores) and slitherdrakes, which are thin, long drakes that call to mind serpents or eastern dragons.
  • Red Is Heroic: Alexstrasza stands out among the original Dragon Aspects as the only one who is consistently good throughout the story, unlike the other Aspects who become antagonists at some point in time (Neltharion becomes Deathwing pretty much from the start, Malygos eventually decides to eradicate all mortals capable of magic, Nozdormu becomes Murozond in the future and Ysera succumbs to the Emerald Nightmare). This extends to their Dragonflights as well; the Red Dragonflight are good guys, while a good part of the Black, Green and Bronze dragons are eventually corrupted directly or indirectly by the actions of the Old Gods, and the Blue Dragonflight is almost completely exterminated. However an illusion in the Tyr questline suggests that Alexstrsza could fall as well, with Tyr being tormented with the future corruption of the other four Aspects indeed coming to pass.
  • Touched by Vorlons: The five original Dragon Aspects were at first five proto-drakes, that after defeating their evil progenitor, the massive dragon Galakrond, were uplifted and vastly empowered by the Titans, and charged with protecting Azeroth from the Old Gods, before the Titans departed to seed other worlds with life.
  • Voluntary Shapeshifting: All dragons as soon as days from hatching learn magics that allow them to take on a "Visage" form to disguise themselves as other creatures. Historically, this has been used for manipulation, whether for good (as many benevolent questgivers have been dragons in disguise) or for ill (as Onyxia's time as Katrina Prestor shows) as mortals are often wary of dragons and their plans and machinations. It's also very common for a dragon's visage to not hide their nature by having some Morphic Resonance like slit-pupiled eyes or horns - in this case their visage forms are likely just less intimidating than talking to massive carnivorous reptiles or so they can fit inside manmade structures since adult dragons can be rather massive. Folk and Fairy Tales of Azeroth also briefly discusses "Visage Day", a ceremonial holiday where young dragons are taught to control this magic and often end up finding the mortal disguise they'll be content to stick with for the rest of their life, unless duty requires them to imitate a specific race. Even the Incarnates - powerful, elemental Proto Dragons that oppose the Aspects and the Titans - have humanoid Visages of their own, though they look far more inhuman and monstrous in appearance than their Aspect counterparts.

Main Dragonflights

The Red Dragonflight

The fire-breathing red dragons, led by Alexstrasza the Life-Binder, were tasked by the Titans to serve as protectors of all life on Azeroth, holding the power both to heal the land or purge the darkness with their flames.

     General Tropes 
  • Fire Purifies: It's a general rule of thumb that Red Dragon Fire Keeps It Dead, as it purifies whatever unnatural parts was within the thing being breathed.
  • Friendly Fireproof: Red Dragon flames only harms targets the dragon intends it to harm, and this goes to even microscopic degrees, allowing it to function as Healing Shiv.
  • Good Is Not Soft: Make no mistake, they are guardians and protectors of life, and they will absolutely end yours should you prove a threat to that. And if you're a species that's Always Chaotic Evil? They might not like it, but they will commit genocide to protect everyone else from you.
  • Green Thumb: Though with less direct control than the greens are known for. Their life-charged fire breath is known to grow grass and flowers after the flames pass.
  • Playing with Fire: Red dragons typically use fire magic and breath when on the offensive, but their flames can just as easily heal as hurt.
  • Spotlight-Stealing Squad: The Red Dragonflight and especially Alexstrasza tends to have a bigger role in various storylines than the others. Probably Justified given the fact that they're the only group that give a damn about mortals and actively trying to help them while the Black Dragonflight is filled with corrupted homicidal maniacs, the Blue Dragonflight is dwindling in numbers and the other two are too busy with their specific duty (Green with protecting the Emerald Dream and Bronze with keeping Azeroth's timeline stable).
  • To Be Lawful or Good: Red dragons tend to lean more towards the 'good' than the 'lawful', but if push comes to shove they are not beyond committing genocides to uphold their charge of protecting life.

Noteable Dragons

    Alexstrasza 

Alexstrasza, the Life-Binder

Voiced by: Wendee Lee (English), Olga Kuznetsova (Russian)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/alexstrasza_dragon_border_2176.png
Click here to see her humanoid form
"The champions who fought at our side assured the survival of our world. But now, we must see it...with mortal eyes. We Dragon Aspects have fulfilled our great purpose, and our ancient power is expended. But though our day draws to an end life endures, and new generations will be born. Today's victory belongs to all who stood against the Shadow. You are Azeroth's true guardians, and the future of this world is in your hands. For the dawning of the Age of Mortals... has begun."

Red Dragon Aspect of Life. Alexstrasza has been the leader of the resistance to Azeroth's corruption throughout her existence. Her Dragonflight was held in thrall to the Horde by their possession of the Dragon Soul, but once the artifact was destroyed, she aided in the destruction of Neltharion/Deathwing. She has remained friendly to mortals ever since and has come to lead the Wyrmrest Accord in Northrend in opposition to the onslaught of Malygos.

Notable offspring include: Vaelaestrasz, who fought against and was ultimately corrupted by Nefarian in Blackwing Lair, and Caelestrasz, who, until recently, was held prisoner by the Old God C'thun in Ahn'qiraj since the War of the Shifting Sands and later sacrificed himself during the battle against Sinestra in the Bastion of Twilight.
  • All-Loving Hero: She is the aspect of Life and even forgives the orcs for imprisoning her and enslaving her Dragonflight (as they were all Brainwashed and Crazy at the time), and also feels bad about having to help kill Deathwing despite his horrific evil.
  • Beware the Nice Ones: She is sure the nicest of the 5 dragon aspects, but also the second strongest one. Woe to anyone who tries pushing her too far, just as Nekros Skullcrusher and Malygos learned... the hard way.
  • Big Damn Hero: Her flight, presumably from her order, are the ones that came into the rescue during the Mists of Pandaria in order to stop the Forsaken from killing and raising everyone from the Plague. This is especially notable because this is the first time the Red Flight took action against someone from the main cast.
  • Big Good: The primary leader of resistance against Deathwing and his minions during Cataclysm and against the Primalists in Dragonflight.
  • Brought Down to Normal: All of the Aspects lose their powers after Deathwing's death and having prevented the Hour of Twilight. This was reversed with Dragonflight.
  • Characterization Marches On: Warcraft II had her offspring as green and without much in the way of intellect. The Horde's Dragons didn't become Red until Day of the Dragon.
  • Chainmail Bikini: Her outfit is one of the most striking example in the entire franchise, being essentially ornate metal versions of a sports bra, panties, and thigh-high stockings. Her redesign in Dragonflight does away with the exposed belly and bra-like chestplates for a more modest outfit that still exposes cleavage and upper thighs.
  • The Dog Bites Back: She made a number of attempts on Nekros during her captivity, which were enough to keep him on his toes but still met no success. When he lost the Demon Soul, however...
  • Fanservice Pack: By Dragonflight, 14 years of advancement in graphics (since her first WoW appearance in Wrath of the Lich King) did wonders for her humanoid form, with a prettier and less generic face and an added cleavage.
  • Friend to All Living Things:
    • Even back when she was a proto-dragon, in Dawn of the Aspects, Malygos notes that she seems to regret hunting living prey. She was even willing to pardon the orcs as a whole for their treatment of her flight during the Second War, loving them just as much as she loves everything else. Except for Nekros. She ate him.
    • Though as of Legion, "Living" ends up being a word of note; much like the rest of the Red Dragonflight, she's particularly seething at the Deathlord for raiding the Ruby Sanctum as part of the Death Knight Class Order campaign, killing anywhere from a few guards to the entire sanctum, whelps included, to raise a member of their Flight who died a hero as a dracolich note . While she's warm and comforting to others, she's curt and cold to the Deathlord, looking ready to kill them and accusing them of coming to take more from her Dragonflight and telling them to leave once they have what they need. Safe to say she won't be forgiving them for that any time soon.
  • Glowing Eyes of Doom: Flaming even. The flames went away at the end of Cataclysm.
  • The Heart: She served this role as the leader of her flight, as well as to the other Dragon Aspects, being the one they confine their feelings to and try to keep her more eccentric members like Ysera and Nozdormu grounded and focus on their duty to help mortals. She also served as the main ambassador between Dragons and mortals. It is no wonder that the newly awakened Dracthyrs followed her immediately.
  • Heartbroken Badass: After her BSOD she pulls herself together and helps the other Aspects and Thrall defeat Chromatus, after she learns that Koiralstrasz's sacrifice prevented a catastrophe.
  • Heroic BSoD: During Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects
  • Hope Springs Eternal: Despite Nozdormu's corruption to Nozdormu is all but inevitable, Alexstrasza refuses to give up on him.
  • Little Bit Beastly: In elven form, she still has her horns and the same coloured eyes as her dragon form.
  • I Did What I Had to Do: After she deals the fatal blow to Malygos, she tells him "I did what I had to, brother."
  • Made a Slave: Thanks to the Demon Soul, the Dragonmaw Clan of orcs were able to enslave Alexstrasza and use her young as their war beasts in the Second War.
  • Mama Bear: Or rather, a big momma dragon. "Nekrossss...you had them ssslay my children! MY CHILDREN!!"
  • Mind Rape: Or something similar. An attack she used on Deathwing that caused him to feel all the pain she endured in her captivity.
  • Polyamory: Not at the moment, but she did have several husband-equivalents at once in the past. As the Aspect of Life, she loves everyone. Even her romantic feelings extended to all of her consorts equally.
  • Roaring Rampage of Revenge: When Deathwing accidentally leads to her escaping her captivity, she instantly eats Nekros alive and goes berserk on Deathwing.
  • Stripperiffic: What better way to promote the creation of Life? Defied in the War Crimes novel, where she wore a much more conservative outfit out of respect for the Pandaren's sense of modesty when she was called to take the stand in Garrosh's trial.
  • The Unfought: As of Legion, she's the only one of the original Dragon aspects to never be fought by the player, as the others have either turned evil, become Brainwashed and Crazy, or will become evil in the case of Nozdormu becoming Murozond.

    Korialstrasz (Krasus) 

Korialstrasz

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/krasus_border_1641.png
"I am your servant. Now and forever, my love."

Alexstrasza's prime consort after the death of Tyranastraz. Known as Krasus in his mortal disguise (Which switches between a high elf or a muscular human depending on what he's appearing in), Korialstrasz is Alexstrasza's prime mate. As Krasus, he was a member of the ruling council of Dalaran, but it's unclear if that's still the case during World of Warcraft.
  • Brainwashed and Crazy: In Warcraft: The Sunwell Trilogy.
  • Big Damn Heroes: In the War of the Ancients, Krasus and Korialstraz come across the Burning Legion attacking Night Elves trying to flee the capital. Despite being weakened by both of them existing in the same timeline, Korialstraz furiously attacks the demons, and manages to temporarily halt the advance of the Burning Legion, only turning away when Krasus points out the refugees have escaped.
  • The Chessmaster: In Day of the Dragon. He gets better about it, though.
  • Due to the Dead: To ensure Broxigar was honored for his sacrifice in the War of the Ancients, Korialstrasz disguised himself as an orc shaman to deliver Brox's Axe of Cenarius and the tale of Brox's honorable deeds and death to Thrall and the Horde.
  • Handicapped Badass: Spends most of his time during the War of the Ancients and Night of the Dragon severely weakened, yet is still able to cast powerful spells
  • Heroic Sacrifice: During Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects. Unfortunately, most of the dragons, even Alexstrasza to an extent, think he betrayed them, not knowing that the eggs he destroyed were corrupted.
  • Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Rhonin as of the War of the Ancients trilogy.
  • Killed Off for Real: He met his end during Twilight of the Aspects, sacrificing himself to save the Ruby Sanctum from the Twilight's Hammer.
  • Manipulative Bastard: Has resorted to using somewhat... questionable methods in the past that sometimes resulted in the people he manipulated dying. Despite having somewhat of an "ends justify the means" philosophy, he's not terribly happy about some of the things he's done, and when Rhonin essentially calls him a bad guy in Day of the Dragon he admits that Rhonin isn't entirely wrong.
  • Only One Me Allowed Right Now: In War of the Ancients, being in the same time period as his past self caused both of them to get weaker the farther apart they were from each other.
  • What the Hell, Hero?: Receives one from Kalec for constantly butting in, and for giving Anveena the illusion of life despite knowing exactly how things would end (considering that Kalec got his heart broken in the process this isn't that hard to believe).

    Caelestrasz (Calen) 

Caelestrasz

Voiced by: Sam Riegel (English)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/caeldragon.jpg

An ancient red dragon, who takes the form of a Night Elf, of Alexstraza's sons. Was imprisoned during the War of the Shifting Sands alongside Arygos and Merithra, but gets freed by the Adventurers. He later starts the quest line for the Vermillion Redoubt, and helps Alexstraza fight Deathwing. He is killed by Sintharia later in the Bastion of Twilight while helping the adventurers defeat her.


  • Beam-O-War: He fights one with Sintharia in the heroic Twilight Bastion raid.
  • Big Damn Heroes: Arrives to help the adventurers fighting Sintharia.
  • Heroic Sacrifice: Was willing to do this to by time for the Night Elves to seal of Ahn'Qiraj, and also stated he would do this if necessary to destroy C'thun. He ends up doing it when Sintharia kills him while he helps the adventurers try and defeat her.
  • Killed Off for Real: He is killed by Sintharia in the Twilight Bastion raid.
  • Sealed Good in a Can: Trapped in Ahn'Qiraj as C'thun's prisoner after the War of the Shifting Sands.
  • Take Up My Sword: Gifts the adventurers fighting Sintharia with the last of his power, boosting their speed in-game.
  • You Shall Not Pass!: Pulls this off against Deathwing.

     Majordomo Selistra 
Alexstrasza the Lifebinder's second in command, Silestra oversees the day-to-day operations of the Red Dragonflight
  • Captain Smooth and Sergeant Rough: The smooth to Lethanak's rough; comes with Selistra overseeing the day-to-day while Lethanak is more concerned with the external threats to the dragonflight - Selistra is also Lethanak's direct superior.
  • Good Counterpart: Every majordomo we've seen in game have come from Ragnaros - and they weren't exactly good people. Selistra is the first majordomo that hasn't tried to kill us on the spot, and who's giving an insight as to what "Majordomo" is beyond a title.
  • Number Two : Selistra is Alexstrasza's majordomo - someone who makes sure the flight is capable of undertaking whatever she decrees or needs it to do.

Notable Drakonid

     Commander Lethanak 
A red drakonid and the commander of the drakonid forces in the Dragon Isles, Lethanak is responsible for the protection of the Red Dragonflight's holdings in the Waking Shores.
  • A Father to His Men: Lethanak is shown to care deeply for the people under his command, to the point where he refuses to rest or put down his sword until they are all safe - he's a fixed point that all others look up to.
  • Captain Smooth and Sergeant Rough: The rough to Selistra's smooth. Make no mistake though; his orders and commands may be blunt and direct, but he cares deeply for those he charges with them.

The Blue Dragonflight

The frost-breathing blue dragons, led by Malygos the Spellweaver, would be tasked by the Titans to serve as guardians of all magic and ensure that the races of Azeroth would not abuse them to their own benefit. Malygos would eventually instigate the Nexus War against the rest of the world, leading to his death and to Kalecgos to succeed him as Aspect of Magic.

     General Tropes 
  • An Ice Person: Blue dragon's frequently employ ice magic, and use a frost breath as their Breath Weapon.
  • The Archmage: A blue dragon's power comes from their unrivaled control over arcane magic - if arcane magic can do it, a blue dragon will learn to do it as they grow up.
  • Dying Race: The blues have been on the verge of extinction ever since Deathwing slaughtered them during the Sundering. they are on the mend, but one of the reasons Kalecgos reaches out to Khadgar at the start of Dragonflight is that he's well aware they just need one bad day before their viability as a race of dragons is rendered null - they need all the help they can get.
  • The Fellowship Has Ended: Following the Cataclysm, it's decided that the blues should scatter around the world to prevent their extinction - the Nexus, their home in Northrend, is abandoned, and families thus form their own 'flights'. When the Dragon Isles reawakens, Kalecgos realizes, with a bit of aid from Sindragosa, that this just leaves them vulnerable to being picked off - and he thus sends out a signal using the Azure Oathstone to call all survivors to the Dragon Isles - they'll make their stand and recover there, or die trying.
  • Gameplay and Story Segregation: Adult blue dragons are practically immune to all kinds of arcane magic, owing to them being a species-wide case of The Archmage; something that even Malygos notes in the Hannibal Lecture before his fight - for the sake of gameplay however, this isn't a factor.

Noteable dragons

    Malygos 

Malygos, the Spellweaver

Voiced by: Cam Clarke (English), Andrey Barkhudarov (Russian)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hs_malygos2c_aspect_of_magic.png
"What could you hope to accomplish? To storm brazenly into my domain... to employ magic... against ME?"

Blue Dragon Aspect of Magic. Malygos was driven insane and his brood nearly wiped out after the disaster of the Dragon Soul. Many years later, he emerged from hiding only to become disillusioned by the rampant use of magic among the inhabitants of Azeroth, and embarked on a plan to gather all of its energies into the Nexus for Blue Dragonflight use only; however, doing so would leave Azeroth in a terrible state due to the Arcane emanating cracks in the earth causing mass deaths and Arcane madness (as seen by what happened in Winterfin Village, Lothalor Woodlands and Indu'le Village) not to mention the Nexus being blown up by a rift into the Twisting Nether unleashing thousands of Mana Serpents upon the Blue Dragonflight killing every single last one of them. Alexstrasza led the fight against him in his sanctum in the Eye of Eternity, where he was killed. Despite Malygos's insanity and later sanity, many members of the Blue Dragonflight have assisted mortals throughout Azeroth's history.

Notable offspring of Malygos include: Arygos, who until recently was held prisoner by the Old God C'thun in Ahn'Qiraj since the War of the Shifting Sands and may have had his mind corrupted by C'thun as well; and Kirygosa, a friend of Kalecgos who was taken prisoner by the Twilight's Hammer and whose eggs were used to create Chromatic dragons.

    Kalecgos (Kalec) 

Kalecgos

Voiced by: Carlos Larkin (English), Sergey Chikhachev (Russian)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kalecgos_border_7720.png
Click here to see his half-elf form
"Brothers, sisters. Arygos speaks of our troubled past. Indeed, we have suffered greatly... But I would contend that we're at least partly to blame for the scars we bear... Let us turn from our old ways... Let us not seek to extinguish magic from the world... But to use responsibly for the benefit of Azeroth and all its inhabitants... It is true that our choice here today will affect the destiny of our flight, and likely, the destiny of the world... May the Titans guide us. May we be inspired to choose with wisdom."

One of the few surviving blue dragons, Kalecgos is a servant of the great Aspect Malygos. He disguises himself as a half-elf, calling himself Kalec. Due to the blues being most in tune with magic of all the aspects, Kalec has the powers of a sorcerer and the strength of a warrior. In Cataclysm, after Malygos's death, he becomes Aspect of Magic.

However, that doesn't last long. After the defeat of Deathwing, the blue dragonflight begins spreading apart and growing fewer in number until Kalecgos officially disbands their organization. Free to choose his own path in life, Kalecgos has joined Dalaran as a member of the Kirin Tor.
  • Arranged Marriage: With Tyrygosa.
  • The Atoner: In a sense. He did nothing wrong during the Nexus War, but becomes Aspect of Magic by believing that the Blue Dragonflight should take responsibility for its actions.
  • Awesome Moment of Crowning: Becoming the Blue Aspect in the Dragonwrath questline and Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects.
  • Big "NO!": After Tarecgosa sacrifices herself to protect him. She lives on inside the legendary Dragonwrath Staff.
  • Brainwashed and Crazy: In Sunwell Plateau, leading to a Battle in the Center of the Mind to save him.
  • Brought Down to Normal: All of the Aspects lose their powers after Deathwing's death and having prevented the Hour of Twilight. This was reversed during Dragonflight.
  • Canon Immigrant: He is originally from Dragon Hunt comic.
  • The Chains of Commanding: Uneasy about becoming the Aspect of Magic.
  • Emergency Transformation: Performed by him and the player on Tarecgosa, binding her soul within the Dragonwrath staff.
  • Glowing Eyes of Doom: Unlike most blue dragons, his eyes have purple glow.
  • Half-Human Hybrid: Kind of. He's 100% dragon, but the humanoid form he takes is a half-elf.
  • Heartbroken Badass: After the conclusion of Sunwell event with the loss of Anveena and his master gone crazy.
  • Interspecies Romance: With Anveena and later with Jaina Proudmoore in Mists of Pandaria.
  • Neutral No Longer: The Ultimate Visual Guide confirms that Kalec has joined the Alliance now that he is a member of the Kirin Tor.
  • Only Sane Man: One of the only few blue dragons not to agree with Malygos's plans. Further proved when he personally showed up in Wyrmrest Temple during Quel'Delar events.
  • You Are in Command Now: After Malygos's defeat, he became the new Aspect of Magic because Azuregos refused and his only competition, Arygos, was outed as a traitor. However, in Jaina Proudmoore: Tides of War Kalec disbands the blue dragonflight. What few blue dragons remain have scattered across the world and he no longer leads them. This was reversed in Dragonflight with him reforming the Blue Dragonflight and took charge.

    Azuregos 

Azuregos

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/azuregos_border_4857.png

One of the oldest living blue dragons, he was tasked with guarding part of the Scepter of the Shifting Sands, but grew bored and tired of the constant attacks on him.


  • Cerebus Retcon: That whole "Fell in love with a spirit healer as a really goofy joke about how Death Is Cheap" thing gets a darker spin on it in Dragonflight, where it's revealed that Azuregos' love for Anara was very genuine and he is very bitter and grumpy that he can't find a way to get to her without dying, potentially for good (assuming he even gets to see her again given how the Shadowlands function). Part of why he's become such a caustic isolationist even to his own Flight is because he's using the Nexus to run risky experiments trying to make a stable portal to the realms of Death to be with her again, the existing portals having canonically sealed off in the Time Skip between the two expansions.
  • Cloudcuckoolander: Read the conversation here. In Cataclysm, you talk to him again and learn about his love life.
  • Hot Skitty-on-Wailord Action: In Cataclysm, he's dating a Spirit Healer. He lampshades this.
    Azuregos: I know. I KNOW. We could never be, right? Dragon and Spirit Healer... two different worlds! Not to mention the physiological problems.
  • Interspecies Romance: He fell in love with a Spirit Healer named Anara, though their union would be temporary as Azuregos was brought back to the world of the living.
  • Keeper of Forbidden Knowledge: His job, as given to him by Malygos. He really hates the job and the fact that the player races are constantly trying to attack him for the knowledge and artifacts he's supposed to be guarding, which is why he usually just hides it somewhere and, as of Cataclysm, has quit entirely.
  • Medium Awareness: He seems to realize that he functions as a boss and is not at all pleased about it.

    Haleh 
The only still-living consort of Malygos, Haleh takes after the former aspect by trying to uphold his values of regulating magic.

  • Workaholic: Haleh, ever since her departure from Malygos' side following his descent into madness, has been at work ensuring no dangerous magical artifacts can be found in Winterspring. She won't stop in this work until she goes a hundred consecutive days without a cursed artifact causing trouble: She's only managed 41.

    Sindragosa 

Sindragosa

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sindragosa.png
Sindragosa's simulacrum encountered on the Dragon Isles
The former consort of Malygos, she was flung to Northrend after Neltharion's genocide of the blue dragons, and died of her wounds and exhaustion trying to get to the Dragonblight to die in peace. After years had passed, the Lich King resurrected her as the guardian of Icecrown Citadel, as a frost wyrm, her final thoughts of hatred towards the world turning into uncontrollable rage. For tropes regarding her death, undeath, and boss battle, see The Scourge character page.

Sindragosa plays another role during the events of Dragonflight: While her physical body is long dead, undead, and gone by the time of Dragonflight, she left behind a magical simulacrum of her personality in the Azure Span on the Dragon Isles before she left to fight in the War of the Ancients, a true copy of herself offering a glimpse into her personality before she was slain. These are the tropes that will be covered here.


  • Androids Are People, Too: Though the simulacrum she left behind on the Dragon Isles is a duplicate Made of Magic, no one treats the simulacrum as anything less than a valued mentor once they get over the fact that it isn't the Frost Wyrm they knew was slain somehow Back from the Dead, actively calling her by name and avoiding "It" Is Dehumanizing. The simulacrum also feels emotions, including motherly love, despite not being the 'true' mother of anything, and considers the blue Dragonflight "her" flight still.
  • But Now I Must Go: After finishing guiding Kalecgos to reunite their flight and brought the spirit of Malygos and Sindragosa to rest, the simulacrum disappeared.
  • Closed Circle: Sindragosa's simulacrum is powered by the ley-line that also powers the Azure Archives, and couldn't leave it, even with aid - since the blue oathstone's restoration, however, she's been shown able to journey to other places likewise ley-line empowered, like the Nexus in the Borean Tundra.
  • Dead Man Writing: In a display of just what blue dragons are capable of, Sindragosa left behind a simulacrum of herself on the Dragon Isles - this simulacrum is — aside from the fact that it's made of magic — a true copy of her personality and appearance from before she went to war during the sundering, capable of moving about, and interacting with people around her.
  • Dying as Yourself: A bit of an unusual example since she's already dead, but after her essence is laid to rest, her simulacrum transfers the memories of the events of Dragonflight to the real Sindragosa, who regains her original personality displayed by her simulacrum in the process.
  • Fish out of Temporal Water: It's not clear what happened during the 10,000 Years the dragon isles slumbered, but evidently Sindragosa's simulacrum was inactive during the time it did. Now that the isles are awakening, so is she, and she is quick to realize "A great deal of time" has passed since her real self left with the other dragons, and is quite eager to catch up with the world and provide the aid necessary to help Kalecgos restore the Blue Flight from the losses they have suffered since they left.
  • Made of Magic: Sindragosa's simulacrum is entirely magical; this does not make her incorporeal, nor does it limit her ability to use magic of her own.
  • Significant White Hair, Dark Skin: Her human disguise has dark skin and white hair, similar to the rest of the Blue Dragonflight.
  • Together in Death: She and Malygos was finally laid to rest by the player character during Dragonflight.
  • Virtual Ghost: Her simulacrum is functionally this trope, even though it's magical in nature.
  • Winter Royal Lady: Zig-Zagged and Subverted: For all intents and purposes, Sindragosa was the Queen of the blue dragonflight, being the consort of Malygos himself. She carries herself with regality much like Alexstrasza, wears a crown, is an Ice Person, the Azure Span is quite cold in the upper altitudes where the blue dragons made their home, and she even incorporates crystals and finery into her garb which looks like a more martial version of the Winter Queen's outfit- though these crystals are made of crystallized magic, not ice.

    Sapphiron 

    Senegos 

Senegos

An elder member of the Blue Flight, reportedly the oldest non-Aspect dragon living, Senegos leads and looks after the Azurewing brood in Azsuna. Though advanced in years, even for one of his kind, he is still magically powerful, and not to be underestimated.

  • Astral Projection: Since he's too weak to move from his ley pool, he projects an image of himself wherever you're currently questing.
    Senegos: It doesn't take much energy to throw a projection of myself here and there. I may be old and dying, but I AM still a blue dragon.
  • Big Damn Heroes: Senegos has a habit of showing up in the nick of time to save others, and despite his old age and lethargy he is not someone you want to mess with.
    • During the Dragonflight campaign, his intervention saves Kalecgos and makes Razageth decide that this is a fight she's better off not worth taking.
    • As Kalecgos is gathering the scattered remains of the blue dragonflight, Senegos travels to booty bay to bail out Zeros, a blue dragon that has landed himself in debt with Baron Revilgaz, but decides to take a nap on the grounds that you probably have it handled. When it turns out the Baron is not amicable to getting anything less than Zeros' hide, Senegos shows up in his full draconic size just as Revilgaz is about to have Zeros skinned. Revilgaz wisely decides to pull a Villain: Exit, Stage Left.
  • Cool Old Guy: A millennia-old dragon, still willing to get his claws dirty when he needs to and has some biting wit to match.
  • The Cavalry: When Kalecgos calls for aid during Dragonflight, Senegos is the one who gathers what blue dragons remains, showing up just in the nick of time.
  • Elderly Immortal: It's kind of hard to make a dragon look old but they somehow manage it with Senegos' white mane. Even his visage is that of an old troll, and from his dialogue he has been alive for more than ten thousand years.
  • Former Teen Rebel: Some of his dialogue implies as such. He tells Stellagosa he had a tendency to experiment with spells when he was "younger than you are". Upon arriving in Booty Bay to look for Zeros, he comments he would have liked this place in his youth.
  • Fantastic Racism: Distrusts Nightfallen on principle, which Runas admits is entirely justified; they've proven to be a dire threat to the Azurewing hatchlings. An enchanted gravestone in Dragonflight reveals that he had family that was slain by them before the events of Legion.
  • Miles to Go Before I Sleep: Senegos is Ancient with a capital A, and as he reveals just before passing on after the Blue Dragonflight is reunited, he is far older than would be natural for a dragon - he promised his daughter, Stellagosa's mother, that he would protect both Stellagosa and the Azurewing until the blue dragonflight was reunited following Neltharion's betrayal, and to do that he sought out every manner of arcane magic and lost artifact to prolong his life unnaturally, because he would not give up on that promise. He should have died milennia ago, but he kept going in spite of that - and as the Blue Dragonflight is reunited during the events of Dragonflight, he is content to be the first blue dragon to pass peacefully in milennia, surrounded by friends and family, reaffirming that he does not need to be saved from anything: He went to those miles, and now, he can sleep.
  • Obi-Wan Moment: After the Blue Dragonflight are restored, both Malygos and Sindragosa's spirits are laid to rest in Dragonflight and with his vows fulfilled, he decides it's finally time to go to his rest, having artifically prolonged his life up until this point.
  • O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Senegos keeps a magical diary that you can find during a quest in dragonflight. Most of them are relatively benign, but there's one that stands out because of Senegos' Fantastic Racism.
    For you, Runas. The journal entry for today is just for you.
    Thank you.
  • The Patriarch: Appears to take this role with the Azurewing, especially given that one of the last clutches of hatchlings is located there.
  • Stronger with Age: Senegos is just about to hit the point where this doesn't hold true any longer for dragonkind - and while that means physical exertion is taxing him, he's still an ancient magic-using dragon; it's very likely that his magic is second only to the Aspect of his flight.

    Stellagosa 

Stellagosa

Voiced by: Misty Lee (English)

Senegos' granddaughter, Stellagosa lives to aid her ailing grandfather, whether looking after Azurewing hatchlings or defending their home from invaders.


  • Badass in Distress: At least to hear Kor'vas tell it; she's capable of decimating Legion forces, but our first task is freeing her from her demonic captors.
  • Affectionate Nickname: Senegos calls her "Starlight". Stella is Latin for "star".
  • Hot-Blooded: Dedicated to protecting her grandfather and home, up to being willing to charge headlong into a fight into a fight, which tends to get her into trouble.
  • Ignored Expert: Valtrois might want to consider listening to her about ley lines since she is a Blue Dragon and can literally see them.
  • Snark-to-Snark Combat: Her dialogue with Valtrois while redirecting the ley lines.
  • Take Our Word for It: We are introduced to Stella through the Demon Hunter Kor'vas Bloodthorn, who witnessed her attack the Legion, killing a score of them before being subdued. We never actually see her in action, the first time we see her she's chained up in demonic chains, later we see her recovering from a fight she had with the Nightfallen Runas, and during the attack on Azurewing Repose, she stays back in case Senegos needs help.

The Green Dragonflight

The emerald-scaled green dragons, led by Ysera the Dreamer, were tasked by the Titans with the protection of nature and, most important, safekeeping the Emerald Dream. Because of this, many of their kind spends their time in slumber, in order to watch over the Dream.

     General Tropes 
  • Acid Attack: The most common Breath Weapon used by green dragons, though poisonous gas is not unheard.
  • The Corruptible: The Green Dragons have great power over life through the Emerald Dream, but the Emerald Dream likewise holds great power over them; if it's corrupted, they have a really hard time not suffering the same effects.
  • Fisher Kingdom: If the Emerald Dream is in trouble, mortals tend to notice it when it starts affecting the Green Dragons.
  • Heavy Sleeper: One of the easiest ways to enter the Emerald Dream spiritually is to be unconscious in the waking world - it's called the Emerald Dream for a reason. It's not uncommon to see Green Dragons looking like they are sleeping, when in actuality their spirits are busy in the Emerald Dream.
  • Nature Spirit: If the Red Flight is charged with the physical life, the Greens are charged with everything metaphysical about life; through their connection to the Emerald Dream, they are in charge of all things nature spirit-y, to the point where they are practically nature spirits themselves. To look at it in another way: A red dragon is charged with ensuring seeds and the like grow. A Green dragon is charged with ensuring a seed can grow at all. It's also why Ysera can no longer serve as the Aspect come the events of Dragonflight; though she has returned to life, she did so by the Winter Queen's personal intervention, making her no longer a purely-alive being; for someone charged with ensuring the metaphysical continuation of life, that sort of Yin-Yang Bomb just won't do.
  • Mordor: If a place looks like this, it's safe to say the Green Dragons, for one reason or another, are no longer upholding their duties here.
  • Out of Focus: Has the least amount of plot focus, characterization and character development compared to the rest of the Dragonflights, with the only time they ever get focused on is whenever the Night Elf or the Druid class is involved.
  • Resurrective Immortality: Those Green Dragons who are most closely attuned to the Emerald Dream end up with the same kind of Resurrective Immortality that other nature spirits have: If slain outside it, they return to the Emerald Dream where their spirits reconstitute. If slain within the Emerald Dream or if their spirits are somehow corrupted enough to be unable to return, they pass into the Shadowlands where the Arbiter, disregarding everything else, sends them to Ardenweald with the intent that they will return to life once their souls have recovered from their ordeal.

Notable dragons

    Ysera 

Ysera, the Dreamer

Voiced by: Tara Platt (English), Elena Solovyova (Russian)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/ysera_dragon_border_3168.png
Click here to see her humanoid form
"To the night elves, who have lost their hopes, I give forth the ability to Dream again. To Dream, to Imagine, for in that is the best hope of rebuilding, of recovering, of growing... And to those who follow the path of one held special by me — and mine — I grant him and the other druids to come the path into the Emerald Dream, where, even in their deepest sleep, they may cross the world, learn from it, and draw upon its own strength... the better to guide Kalimdor's health and safety throughout the future."

Green Dragon Aspect of Dreams. Ysera is the guardian of the Emerald Dream, a coexistent dimension to Azeroth where all things remain in their pristine, untouched state, and where the Druids are required to slumber for many centuries at a time in exchange for their powers. All beings touch on the Dream in their sleep. Recently, the Dream has been invaded by a corruption called the Emerald Nightmare, the source of which is the Old God N'zoth, which has corrupted many members of the Green Dragonflight and for some time held Ysera captive. In Cataclysm, she's finally freed and leaves the Emerald Dream, becoming Ysera the Awakened. She guides the player on Mount Hyjal to push back Ragnaros' forces and free/revive several guardians including Cenarius.

Her current consort is Eranikus. Notable offspring of Ysera include: Ysondre, Lethon, Emeriss, and Taerar, guardians of the four portals into the Emerald Dream, and Merithra, who until recently was a prisoner of the Old God C'thun since the War of the Shifting Sands.


  • Always with You: Despite her death, her spirit returns to help in the battle with Xavius to make sure he's defeated for good before she arrives in Ardenweald as a wildseed.
  • Ascended to a Higher Plane of Existence: After her death, Elune calls Ysera's body up to her, where it is made into a constellation. Applies to her spirit as well, which is reborn in Ardenweald under the player's care in Shadowlands.
  • Back from the Dead: Played with. She returns to the mortal world in Dragonflight, to help rally the Green Dragonflight against the Primalists and officially pass on the mantle of Dreamer to her daughter Merithra and instruct her on what the position entails. However, the touch of the Shadowlands has permanently colored Ysera's soul to Death such that her time spent in the mortal world is limited, and to even get back she had to take what was best described as a "Persephonic" bargain with Malfurion having to take her place in the Shadowlands, and for him to come back, she'll have to return to the realms of death.
  • Badass Boast: Normally pretty laid back, but has an awesome one when summoned in Hearthstone.
    Ysera: I dream... And the world trembles.
  • Big Damn Heroes: Even while dead she pulls this off against Xavius and saves the player character from his corruption.
  • Cloudcuckoolander: Becomes this after her awakening. Mostly from trying to make sense of the countless prophetic visions she's experiencing.
  • The Corruption: In Legion, she's ultimately corrupted by the Emerald Nightmare due to the first satyr, Xavius, and must ultimately be killed by Tyrande and the player.
  • Dream Land: Defender of one, the Emerald Dream.
  • Dream Weaver: Her primary epithet.
  • Dying as Yourself: After being corrupted by the Nightmare, Xavius sets her loose upon the Temple of Elune. After being defeated by Tyrande and the other forces present (including the player), Elune herself reaches down and restores Ysera's soul to its former self, placing a new constellation in the sky to mark the event.
  • Eyes Always Shut: The entire green dragonflight. Ysera only opens hers during significant events. In Cataclysm she has her eyes open full-time.
  • Forced Sleep: Her Breath Weapon is capable of putting enemies to sleep, which appropriate for her pacifistic nature.
  • Glowing Eyes of Doom: After the Winter Queen uses her personal anima to save Ysera's life, the bond formed between the two of them gave Ysera the same glowing blue eyes as the Winter Queen.
  • Littlest Cancer Patient: In Dawn of the Aspects the young proto-dragon Ysera is described as small and obviously in need of food. Alexstrasza takes care of her, offering some of her prey, though Ysera rejects the sympathy.
  • Meaningful Rename: Her title changes from "The Dreamer" to "The Awakened".
  • The Not-Love Interest: Serves as this towards Thrall, moreso in Charge of the Aspects, but some in Twilight of the Aspects. Her feelings for him border on romantic, but never actually cross that line.
  • Parental Substitute: As the master of the Emerald Dream, druids and Wild Gods defer to her in greater matters. Among them, she came to love Cenarius as a son.
  • Put on a Bus: Dies in Legion and is reborn in Ardenweald during the events of Shadowlands.
  • Stellification: Upon her Death in Legion, Elune herself reaches down and makes a constellation of Ysera. this constellation is seen in Ardenweald just as the Winter Queen resurrects her.
  • Stripperiffic: She doesn't have the excuse of being the Lifebinder like Alexstrasza — nonetheless she shares this trope in common with her.
  • You Can't Go Home Again: Having been personally resurrected by the Winter Queen sacrificing some of her own anima, Ysera is, according to both herself and the Winter Queen, permanently bound to Ardenweald and unable to be resurrected as she should have been able to (her connection to the dream giving her a similar reincarnation cycle to Wild Gods). However, in the 9.2.5 epilogue, Ysera mentions it might not be impossible for her to return to Azeroth one day, but implies it would be "at great cost" and refuses to speak on it any further when Tyrande expresses immediate interest in doing such. She eventually is resurrected by trading places with Malfurion, but the touch of Death means she can never resume her role as the Dreamer.

    Eranikus 

Eranikus

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/eranikus_3436.png
"Will the nightmare ever end?! I cannot force myself awake!"

Eranikus was a green wyrm of the green dragonflight, consort to Ysera and was among the greatest of the green dragons. Ysera gave him the task of guarding the Temple of Atal'Hakkar in the Swamp of Sorrows. However, Eranikus went insane not long after he entered the temple. Some time ago, a small statue called the Idol of Remulos was crafted in Eranikus's image and entrusted to the night elf druid Broll Bearmantle to use in battle. But when Eranikus became corrupted by the Emerald Nightmare, the Idol was as well. The Nightmare-corrupted Eranikus would be battled but not freed by players later on.

Some time later, Eranikus was purified of the Nightmare's corruption by Tyrande Whisperwind and gave players the green shard of the Scepter of the Shifting Sands. However, the Nightmare still called out to him and he hid from the Emerald Dream and everything else in Ashenvale for many years. When Broll and Tyrande found him by complete accident looking for a way into the Emerald Dream, Eranikus aided them in order to find and save his beloved Ysera from the Nightmare. Eranikus died battling Lethon, a fellow corrupted green dragon.
  • Badass Boast: While corrupted:
    Eranikus: Pitiful predictable mortals... You know not what you have done! The master's will fulfilled. The Moonglade shall be destroyed and Malfurion along with it!
  • My Greatest Failure: His time as a corrupted agent of the Nightmare weighs heavily on him. He's in a constant state of self loathing and frequently bemoans his failure and treason to Ysera because of it.
  • Sealed Evil in a Can / Sealed Good in a Can: The Chained Essence of Eranikus which drops from his boss fight in the Sunken Temple. However, the questline related to it ended abruptly before it was ultimately removed and no further appearances from Eranikus have made mention of it.
  • Taking You with Me: Eranikus drags the corrupted Lethon to a focal point where the Emerald Nightmare tried to merge with Azeroth, the chaotic energies tearing Lethon apart, releasing enough power to obliterate Eranikus in turn.

    Alysra 

Alysra (Alysrazor)

The green dragon in charge of transporting Fandral Staghelm, due to the possibility of the Twilight's Hammer cult trying to free him. She turned out to be the one freeing him for Ragnaros, who the Twilight's Hammer was aligned with. As a reward she gets turned into the firehawk Alysrazor, who is later killed in the Firelands by adventurers.
  • Forced Transformation: Gets turned into a firehawk. As green dragons are built like European dragons (with four legs and wings), drastic changes to her body would have had to happen to make it avian.
  • Large Ham: Most of her dialogue is laced with Purple Prose and she thinks very highly of herself, which becomes Evil Is Hammy after she is encountered again as Alysrazor.
  • Wham Line: "Ahahaha! I serve a new master now, mortals!"

    Merithra of the Dream 

Merithra

Ysera's last/only known surviving daughter, Merithra was made leader of the Green Dragonflight after her mother's passing in Legion. The player character seeks her out to aid the Green Dragonflight and get the Green Essence for their Heart of Azeroth.
  • Ascended Extra: Has only very minor role in previous expansions before gaining a lot of importance for Dragonflight.
  • The Bus Came Back: The last time players met Merithra was when they freed her from C'Thun's imprisonment in Ahn'Qiraj. Battle for Azeroth sees her seek out the players' aid when the Emerald Dream, now under her care, comes under assault again.
  • Horned Humanoid: Her Night Elf form is otherwise unremarkable except for the pair of horns sprouting from her head.
  • You Are Better Than You Think You Are: Ysera assures Merithra that despite her fears she is more than capable of taking on the role of the Dreamer.
  • You Are in Command Now: As Ysera's only known daughter command of the flight and the title of Aspect were both passed down to her. Similar to Kalecgos, Merithra is rather lost on what it means to lead her kind, and is often uncertain and wary of her decisions and actions.

The Bronze Dragonflight

The sand-breathing bronze dragons, led by Nozdormu the Timeless One, were tasked by the Titans to watch over the timelines and ensure no one would interfere with either the past or the future for their own gain.

     General Tropes 
  • It Is Not Your Time: Inverted, Bronze dragons know when it is their time to die; if you try to slay them before then, they'll realize something is wrong and freeze time to get the heck out of dodge.
  • Laser-Guided Amnesia: Owing to their ability to control time and acting as Warcraft's Time Police, bronze dragons have shown to be capable of rewriting accounts of temporal anomalies - this is the reason Thrall never realized he had help fleeing from the internment camps; that help came from the future.
  • Sand Blaster: Owing to the visual of sand in an hourglass, bronze dragons frequently employ sand in their magic. Even their Breath Weapon is a sand breath.
  • Set Right What Once Went Wrong: If they can't prevent changes to the timeline, they must ensure those changes don't stick.
  • Shock and Awe: Bronze dragons encountered in Warcraft III attack by shooting bolts of lightning from their mouths.
  • Time Police: The Bronze dragonflight is charged with ensuring time stays consistent; what has happened must always come to happen, no matter how nice it would be to make sure that, for instance, Arthas never purged Stratholme.
  • You Can't Fight Fate: When a bronze dragon is born, it instinctively knows when it is its time to die. Bronze dragons trying to avert this is what caused the Infinite Dragonflight

Notable Dragons

    Nozdormu 

Nozdormu, the Timeless One

Voiced by: Harry Myers (English, Dragonflight)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nozdormu_dragon_border_5087.png
Click here to see his humanoid form
"I know what you hide from her, from usss. It is my fate and curssse to know such things and be unable myssself to prevent them. Know that I now asssk for forgiveness for the wrongs I will caussse you in the future, but I mussst be what I am destined to be... as Malygos is."

Bronze Dragon Aspect of Time. Nozdormu is charged with maintaining the proper flow of Azeroth's history. His Dragonflight was also the chief opponent of the Old God C'thun and its invasion of Silithus. Recently, the Timeways have been invaded by a hostile force known as the Infinite Dragonflight that seeks to alter key moments of Azeroth's history. Worse, Nozdormu has gone missing, forcing his Brood to recruit mortals to help stop the Infinite Dragonflight's mischief. It has been recently confirmed that an alternate future version of him is the leader of the Infinite Dragonflight, created through Old God corruption.

Notable offspring of Nozdormu include: Anachronos, who led the struggle against C'thun and the Silithids.
  • Auto-Revive: Late in the Ultraxion battle, he gives players a buff that can enable them to survive fatal attacks.
  • Brought Down to Normal: All of the Aspects lose their powers after Deathwing's death and having prevented the Hour of Twilight. This was reversed during Dragonflight.
  • Foreseeing My Death: He knows exactly when and how he will meet his demise.
  • Future Me Scares Me:
    • Averted. He is relatively stoic about the prospect of eventually turning evil and being killed, and considers Azeroth's survival more important.
    • Then played straight in Charge of the Aspects when his future self, Murozond kills a member of the bronze dragonflight.
  • Glowing Eyes: The Cyan glow is the color of the sun according to the books which judging from Duskwood, Tirisfal Glades, Teldrassil, Ashenvale and Moonglade isn't off the mark.
  • Rightful King Returns: Thrall finally locates and liberates him during the events of the novel Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects.
  • Save Scumming: Since he controls time, he can practically do this. And it's been about outright stated in the lorebooks that he does it, a lot.
  • Set Right What Once Went Wrong: Many, many quests given by the Bronze Dragonflight are based on this concept. Others are more 'Stop What Went Right From Going Wrong'.
  • Significant Anagram: Murozond, leader of the Infinite Dragonflight.
  • Sssssnake Talk: Talks like this in the books.
  • Stable Time Loop: Nozdormu hires adventurers to help him kill Murozond, the version of himself in the Bad Future. After the fight he acknowledges that eventually he will fall to madness and the loop will begin again. But he's okay with that.
  • Time Master: As master of the bronze dragonflight, he has power over time, which he uses to safeguard it.
  • Timey-Wimey Ball: Azeroth's more-or-less literal version of this is in his care. When he abandons his post (for whatever reason), all sorts of screwed up stuff happens.
    Nozdormu: Time is a tangled web. Try not to dwell on all the loose ends.
  • Walking Shirtless Scene: In his humanoid form.
  • You Can't Fight Fate: Since he knows his own future, he's locked into a Stable Time Loop wherein he orders the PC to kill the future version of himself driven mad by knowledge of his own death and turned into a tool of the Old Gods. It's implied that the reason he becomes Murozond is because it would break the timeline otherwise. He seems to be okay with it, though.

    Anachronos 

Anachronos

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/anachronos_border_1397.png

The heir of Nozdormu and future leader of the Bronze Flight. One thousand years before '"World of Warcraft'', he lead the defense of Kalimdor against the forces of the Qiraji in the War of the Shifting Sands and guided adventurers during the opening of Ahn'Qiraj. Today he resides in the Caverns of Time.


  • Bug War: Led the defence against the insectoid Qiraji.
  • Hold the Line: He and other dragons helped hold the Qiraji back until the druids could erect a barrier.
  • It Is Not Your Time: Would say this to attacking players who managed to get him down to a certain level before despawning.
  • MacGuffin: Entrusted the pieces of the Scepter of the Shifting Sands to a member of each Dragonflight after it was broken. One thousand years later, he sends heroes to seek them out and reassemble the scepter.
  • Meaningful Name: His name is a reference to something that is not in its proper time. Since he's part of the Bronze Flight, there's no telling if when his proper time actually is, if he has one.
  • My New Gift Is Lame: The reaction he got from Fandral Staghelm when Anachronos presented the Scepter of the Shifting Sands, saying that he no longer cares what happens now that his son is dead.
  • Put on a Bus: Hasn't done much since Ahn'Qiraj was opened, but plays a role as a questgiver in the Dragonwrath questline.
  • Summoning Artifact: Created the Scepter of the Shifting Sands to bring down the barrier when it was time to deal with the Qiraji once and for all.
  • This Means War!: Initially refused to get involved in the War of the Shifting Sands until the Qiraji attacked the Caverns of Time.
  • You Are in Command Now: As Nozdormu's heir, he will eventually take command of the Bronze Flight and become the Aspect of Time when Nozdormr meets his inevitable demise.

    Chronormu (Chromie) 

Chronormu

Voiced by: Karen Strassman (English), Yevgenia Igumnova (Russian)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chromie_border_9152.png
"Hello there, [name]. I am known as Chronormu, but you may call me Chromie. I am comfortable with such familiarity. Now - how did I know your name, you ask? I am one of the bronze dragonflight, forever attuned to the ebb and flow of time. You could say that we have met before. To that end, we shall also meet again."

A member of the bronze flight, Chromie seems to be charged with maintaining the timelines in Nozdormu's absence. She gives players a number of tasks that deal with preventing the disruption of the current timeline.

Her preferred guise is of a female gnome.
  • Alternate Self: Sends players to defend the Bronze Dragonshrine where they are assisted by...themselves, either past or future.
  • Badass Adorable: She's a dragon who maintains the timelines and is also cheerful, amiable, polite and takes the form of a cute female gnome.
  • Big Good: Size jokes aside, Chromie is good-natured, entirely dedicated to Nozdormu's original Titan-given mission of time preservation, and is the most visible member of the Bronze Flight to players outside of ol' Noz himself — moreso, in fact!
  • Casual Time Travel: As the bronze dragon who most often interacts with players, she is also the one who sends them to other periods of time the most, which she does very casually.
  • Gender-Blender Name: Chromie's real name has the male -ormu ending as opposed to the female -ormi. The official magazine stated she's female in both forms, she just has a weird name (it was probably because her name was conceived back when World of Warcraft first released in 2004, prior to the Bronze dragonflight naming scheme being solidified in Burning Crusade). In 2021 the book Folk and Fairy Tales of Azeroth was published, revealing that Chromie was born a male dragon, but is in fact trans as she purposefully adopts a female form as she feels it more closely fits who she really is. The author confirmed that prior to the Visage Day ceremony, Chromie was male in dragon form, but now is female in both gnome and dragon form.
  • Have We Met Yet?: "I'm in so many places and times right now, I sometimes have a hard time keeping track of all of it."
  • Healing Hands: When partnered with Chromie, she is able to heal the Player Character, though she describes it as "undoing" our wounds.
  • Magic Staff: While in gnome form, Chromie carries a Priest's staff.
  • Never Heard That One Before: It's possible to fish a coin out of the Dalaran Fountain that she had thrown into it, which indicates that she's a little sick of jokes about gnomes and time travel.
  • Our Time Travel Is Different: Of the portal variety, though there seems to be some instantaneous thrown in as well.
  • Retcon: She was originally introduced as a cis-female character with a normal name. However, later material established that in the Bronze dragonflight -"ormu" is a male ending and "-ormi" is a female ending, retroactively making her a female dragon with a male name. Folk and Fairy Tales of Azeroth took this fact and ran with it further, retconning her to be male-to-female transgender.
  • Screw Destiny: Chromie hopes to change fate. While Nozdormu is resigned to his future of corruption and death as Murozond, Chromie has vowed to find a way to alter history and save her Aspect.
  • Supernaturally-Validated Trans Person: Folk and Fairy Tales of Azeroth and the official Warcraft magazine together state that after Chromie, born male, chose a female form as her visage form of choice, even her true, dragon-self biologically transitioned to female. Whether this is possible for all dragons, something specific to the Bronze dragonflight in particular (maybe she merged with an alternate timeline version of herself that was born female?), or specific to Chromie herself, isn't clear.
  • Time Police: After the Aspects lost much of their power in Cataclysm, Chromie and other Bronze dragons recruited mortals into their new Time Police, the Timewalkers.
  • Wayback Trip: Many of the quests she gives you involve this.

    Kairozdormu (Kairoz) 

Kairozdormu

Voiced by: Michael Bell (English), Dmitry Polyanovsky (Russian)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/kairoz_border_2_3944.png
"What if it were possible to shape and mold time as you would a ball of clay? What possibilities await? What new worlds could we create?"

Kairozdormu, also called Kairoz, is found on the Timeless Isle helping the Timewalkers investigate its strange placement in history. However, he is also investigating something darker: a supposed traitor in the Bronze Dragonflight. With the help of the player, Kairoz investigates visions of the future to discover the traitor's identity. The final vision received is of Nozdormu's mate Soridormi dying and Kairoz walking away from her corpse.

In Warlords of Draenor, it is Kairoz who allows Garrosh to travel back in time thirty-five years to the planet Draenor so he can form the Iron Horde. Upon arriving in Draenor, Garrosh stabs Kairoz in the back and creates the Iron Horde on his own.

His preferred guise is a high elf, but he also appears as an orc on Draenor.
  • Brought Down to Normal: Like all dragons, Kairoz's powers were greatly lessened after the defeat of Deathwing. However, a special hourglass called the Vision of Time that players helped him create on the Timeless Isle boosts his power. It is the Vision of Time which allows Kairoz to create the Alternate Timeline for Warlords of Draenor.
  • Early-Bird Cameo: According to author Christie Golden, Kairoz was actually created by her for the novel War Crimes. He was put onto the Timeless Isle later in development.
  • Face–Heel Turn: He works with Wrathion to free Garrosh and send him back in time.
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: Broke Garrosh out of jail and brought him to an alternate timeline, intended to use Garrosh and the Vision of Time Shard, to create an infinite number of Orcish Hordes under his command to conquer infinite worlds (with a particular emphasis on the word "Infinite"). Killed by the very orc he intended to use as his pawn, with the very shard he intended to use as his tool.
  • In the Back: Stabbed with a shard of the Vision of Time by Garrosh in the short story "Hellscream". His corpse can be found in the Time-Lost Glade in Nagrand in-game.
  • Killed Mid-Sentence: Was right in the middle of his evil monologue when Garrosh stabbed him in the back with the Shard of the Vision of Time. It's clear Garrosh DOES NOT believe that Talking Is a Free Action.
  • Meaningful Name: Kairos is a god of time in Greek mythology. He is the incarnation of opportune moment, a moment where an event can take a different direction.
  • Set Right What Once Went Wrong / Make Wrong What Once Went Right: A growing faction of discontent, of which Kairoz is a member, in the Bronze Dragonflight wants to alter history for a better future now that their powers have been lessened. Kairoz sees it as the former, while Chromie sees it as the latter, saying that they don't know what a better future even is with their power to see timelines gone.
  • Start of Darkness: When he discusses the possibilities of the Timeless Isle with Wrathion.
  • Too Dumb to Live: His death is almost criminally stupid. Sure thing Kairoz: let's give the deranged megalomaniac who is infamous for his outbursts, and whom you just busted out of jail, a very sharp jagged shard that can easily be used as a shiv, just after you insulted him, and called him "your pawn", THEN turn your back to him while you engage in Evil Gloating and monologue about enslaving his people across multiple worlds to make your army. What Could Possibly Go Wrong? Made even more stupid because after being Brought Down to Normal after Cataclysm, that shard was one out of very few artifacts that still allowed him to control time in some form.
  • We Hardly Knew Ye: Killed by Garrosh before Warlords of Draenor can really even begin in the short story Hellscream.

The Black Dragonflight

The black dragons, led by Neltharion the Earthwarder, were tasked by the Titans to serve as protectors of the earth. However, by doing so, they became susceptible to the corruption of the Old Gods imprisoned deep underground. This led to Neltharion being corrupted into Deathwing the Destroyer, and to the black dragonflight forsaking their ancient duty in favor of enacting the Old Gods' will.

     General Tropes 
  • Always Chaotic Evil: Initially, every single black dragon. Exceptions would come later with Sabellian (a black dragon Quest Giver), Wrathion (the uncorrupted dragon egg in Cataclysm/young black dragon in Mists of Pandaria), and Ebyssian (a mentor to the Highmountain tribe disguised as a Tauren). As of Dragonflight, this is no longer the case with the remaining survivors finding a way to cleanse their corruption.
  • The Corruptible: Because of their connection to the ground, they wield great power over it and are attuned to it.. Sadly, the deep below the ground is also where the Old Gods are imprisoned, so they are far more susceptible to their whispers.
  • Dying Race: Intended to be so by the Red Dragonflight, who decided to subject them to a Final Solution by targeting every female black dragon and every egg on Azeroth. Keywords there being: "on Azeroth"; their Final Solution never reached Outland, allowing Sabellian and his family to escape the genocide; like the blues, they are now on the mend, though they have only a few females and so far only one clutch of purified eggs.
  • Fast Tunneling: Somewhat paradoxically given their winged nature, the black dragonflight's dominion over the ground allows them to tunnel with incredible speed - and many of them make their lairs underground as a result.
  • Final Solution: Suffered one during the Cataclysm, with the Red Dragonflight specifically targeting every female to ensure the Always Chaotic Evil Black Dragons were dealt with. So far, the survivors have revealed to be:
    • Wrathion, who was spared because his egg was purified by a splinter faction within the Red Dragonflight hoping to preserve the species.
    • Ebyssian, escaped because he was purified by Huln Highmountain long before the present day and had no connection to his flight beyond his species; he remained in his Highmountain Tauren visage at all times, leaving it dubious if the reds even knew of his existence.
    • Sabellian, charged with Deathwing to ensure the flight's continuation in Outland. The Red Dragonflight had no knowledge of him, and while there, away from the Old Gods, he figured out a way to rid himself and his family of their corruption between The Burning Crusade and Dragonflight.
  • Heel–Race Turn: In Dragonflight, Ebyssian is chosen to be the new Black Aspect and the Obsidian Brood under Sabellian form a new uncorrupted Black Dragonflight.
  • Magma Man: Black dragons' power over earth manifests as magma magic and breath.
  • The Man Behind the Man: Black Dragons are known for infiltrating mortal kingdoms to guide them. Some with benign intentions; most... less so.
  • Theme Naming: They often get named after sinister qualities - Sinestra, Nefarian, Wrathion - or the color black - Onyxia, Sabellian, Katrana (katran is Turkish for tar). Males get suffixes -ion or -ian.

Notable dragons

    Deathwing (Daval Prestor) 

Deathwing, the Destroyer (Neltharion, the Earth-Warder)

Voiced by: Michael McConnohie (English), George Martirosyan (Russian)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/deathwing_dragon_border_3_1546.png
Click here to see his human form
"Pain... agony... my hatred burns through the cavernous deeps... The world heaves with my torment! Its wretched kingdoms quake beneath my rage! But at last, the whole of Azeroth will break. And all will burn beneath the shadow of my wings!"

Black Dragon Aspect of the Earth. Neltharion was tempted by the whispers of the Old Gods as he slept beneath the surface of Azeroth. He tricked the other Aspects into donating their powers to create the Dragon Soul, which was really intended to place them all under his control. The resulting wars devastated the Dragonflights. It was not until the Demon Soul (as it was later called) was destroyed that he was finally defeated. Now known as Deathwing the Destroyer, his shattered body rested in Deepholm for years until he reemerged, changing the face of Azeroth forever.

Notable offspring of Neltharion include: Nefarian, master of Blackwing Lair, who launched a plan to steal blood from the Dragonflights to create a race of hybrid draconic warriors; Onyxia, Nefarian's sister, who attempted to corrupt the King of Stormwind; Sabellian, Deathwing's younger son and lieutenant who remained in Outland after the Dark Portal closed, Neltharaku, broodfather of the abandoned Netherwing Dragonflight, and Wrathion, purified by a Titan device and thus the first non-Always Chaotic Evil black dragon in over ten thousand years.
  • 11th-Hour Ranger: In the orc campaign of Beyond the Dark Portal, Deathwing is only usable in the final mission but has higher stats than any other unit in the whole game.
  • Ascended Extra: Originally just a hero unit in Warcraft II, the books starting expanding his role to make one of the big villains in the setting.
  • Ax-Crazy: To the point of being an Omnicidal Maniac.
  • Badass Boast: See above for an example. It's something he did often.
  • Bad Boss:
    • If any mortals end up working for him he does not treat them well even if he needs them. The goblins that forged his first set of armor plates he frequently threatened to kill when they displeased him and in Day of the Dragon when he used goblins to get Rhonin to Grim Batol, he was quick to kill them when they did their job.
    • Even before he took the final leap to the Old Gods, Neltharion didn't treat the Dracthyr well, using a Titan artifact to bind their will to his own like expendable slaves and never giving them the chance to live or act like normal people. Candidates who would be Scalecommanders among the Dracthyr were forced into training drills in a cave that, judging by the amount of bones, killed hundreds of candidates and traumatized the survivors (Emberthal almost has a breakdown going through the cave and listening to Neltharion's memoirs about them), and once his direct control over them was broken he betrayed them and tricked Malygos into sealing them away under the guise of being failed experiments that could threaten dragonkind, because he knew when he openly embraced the title of Deathwing they would no longer be mindless dragon-killing attack dogs for him.
  • Big Bad: Of Cataclysm. His escape from Deepholm leads to the titular event happening in the first place, and much of the expansion is spent stopping him from causing The End of the World as We Know It.
  • Blessed with Suck: Khaz'goroth's gift gives him great strength, some control over the earth, and an awareness of every nook and cranny on Azeroth — and also feels like carrying a planet on your back. On top of that, many Old Gods were imprisoned in the deepest parts of Azeroth...
  • Blood Knight: In Dawn of the Aspects, it's an understatement to say Neltharion enjoys combat.
  • Book Ends: The opening cinematic for Cataclysm shows Deathwing's Elementium plates being welded to his body. The semi-final boss encounter with him involves tearing these same plates off of his body.
  • Boss Battle: In a game without any other bosses, Deathwing was this in Warcraft II: Beyond the Dark Portal. His stats are incredibly absurd in all areas such as having 7 times the normal HP and far surpass all other heroes in the game. In mission 7 of the human campaign of Beyond the Dark Portal, Khadgar, Alleria, Kurdan and an entire army of Alliance soldiers have to work together to take him down. Suffice to say, it is no easy task. Notably Khadgar lacks his polymorph spell (a One-Hit Kill in Warcraft II) during this mission.
  • Body Horror: As the armor that served as his Power Limiter is torn away and he’s further damaged, his physical form slowly begins to come apart. By the end of the fight, the combination of his unchecked power and sustained injuries result in him degenerating into a semi-amorphous, tentacled monstrosity barely held together by sheer hatred and fury alone.
  • Cain and Abel: The evil one of the Aspects, and Alexstrasza's primary enemy. Then again, he has stated that he no longer considers his fellow aspects siblings.
  • Can't Have Sex, Ever: One of the novels reveals that after the War of the Ancients, Deathwing tried mating with his consorts; his deformed, fiery body was so hot, he burned three of them to death and horrifically scarred the fourth. For reference, black dragons are immune to fire and regularly take baths in molten lava.
  • The Chessmaster: While Ax-Crazy, he's a clever schemer.
  • Colossus Climb: His true form is so huge that the first boss fight is fought on his back in mid-flight. Very unlike most bosses because you don't truly fight a boss. Rather, you fight mooks and hold on as he tries to shake you off until his vulnerable spot is exposed and you can strike and break his armor (do it three times and you win the fight, but it's easier said than done).
  • Combat Tentacles: In the Spine of Deathwing battle, and in the Madness of Deathwing battle. In the latter, they range from massive limb tentacles that are your primary targets in the first phase to smaller ones that attack your group as adds.
  • Cognizant Limbs: In both battles against him. Even his blood turns into adds.
  • Cutscene Boss: The first few times you likely see him, such as in the Badlands, are this, and all you can really do is watch.
  • Draconic Abomination: Deathwing already qualifies, being given immense power by the Old Gods, but special mention goes to his final form. Madness of Deathwing has a central core that still looks like him, but since you’ve ripped apart the armor that was literally holding him together, his limbs have degenerated into tendrils and his body is losing substance. It’s rather telling that Madness of Deathwing is no longer a Dragonkin; he’s an Elemental.
  • The Dreaded: Anybody who knows who he is is terrified of him. Even when he was allied with the orcs they were still afraid of him and feared the possibility of his betrayal.
  • Do a Barrel Roll: One of his attacks in the Spine of Deathwing Encounter is this, throwing off any adds or players who are not attached to his back (i.e., the Corruption tentacles or players with the Grasping Tendrils debuff).
  • The Dragon: No pun intended, but Deathwing takes this role to N'zoth in Cataclysm. Prior to that expansion pack, the Old Gods didn't really take an active role in controlling him.
  • Dragons Are Demonic: Currently serves as the page image for this trope, and it’s not hard to see why.
  • Evil Overlord: Of the black draognflight in their efforts to destroy the world in the name of the Old Gods.
  • Fantastic Racism: Neltharion wants to wipe out all non-dragon life.
  • Face–Heel Turn: Originally the most noble of all Dragon Aspects, he was corrupted into a world-destroying menace by the influence of the Old Hods.
  • Fallen Hero: From one of the noble Aspects that protected Azeroth, to an Omnicidal Maniac monster.
  • Faux Affably Evil: At least in Warcraft II. Later depictions have shown he can act nice when he takes a human form, but it's all an act.
  • Final Boss: Of Cataclysm, fought in two phases in the skies above Azeroth then at the heart of the Maelstrom.
  • Full-Potential Upgrade: He originally needed metal plates welded to his body so he could survive the strain the Demon Soul put on it. Later, it becomes a Power Limiter so that his body can handle his own power.
  • Giant Flyer: Dragons in Warcraft get to be pretty massive, though special mention goes to Deathwing, who's been described as "airliner-big." According to the artists for the Cataclysm cinematic, his wingspan is 1,200 feet from wingtip to wingtip.
  • Glowing Eyes of Doom: He has glowing red eyes like magma.
  • He's Back!: Neltharion had been missing ever since Day of the Dragon. In Cataclysm, he returns from his lair in Deepholm, and in the most dramatic way possible.
  • Heterosexual Life-Partners: With Malygos, back when he was Neltharion.
  • Hoist by His Own Petard: Killed Off for Real by the Dragon Soul, an Artifact of Doom he created. He is hit by this in the Bad Future too when the Twilight Dragonflight he created devours him after killing everything else.
  • Hot Wings: His wings turn ablaze in Cataclysm, burning everything beneath them.
  • I Have Many Names: Does he ever! His true name and first title (given by the Titans) is Neltharion the Earth-Warder. He's later called Neltharion the Betrayer, Deathwing the Black, Deathwing the Destroyer, Deathwing the Worldbreaker, the Dark One, the Aspect of Death, the Cataclysm, Death Incarnate, and the Unmaker of Worlds. Night Elves call him Xaxas (used by the night elves it means "chaos", "fury" or "elemental fury" in Darnassian) orcs call him Blood's Shadow, and other Dragon Aspects call him the Black Scourge.
  • Impaled with Extreme Prejudice: His final fate in the Bad Future, with the spire atop Wyrmrest Temple.
  • Implacable Man: On the rare occasions that Deathwing is physically set back, it's short-lived. As of Cataclysm, he literally cannot be killed by regular flesh wounds — Alexstrasza inflicted damage on him that should have been fatal, but a few moments later he just got back up.
  • The Juggernaut: Deathwing is a terrifying force of nature that is near impossible to stop. It takes another Aspect at full power to actually put up some resistance, and his own Fantastic Nuke with its power doubled to pose a serious threat.
  • Kick the Dog: See Would You Like to Hear How They Died?.
  • Killed Off for Real: At the end of Cataclysm. But he isn't just killed — in the process, Nozdormu converges all timelines onto the climax of the final battle and binds them forever, meaning averting his defeat with time travel is basically impossible. And what with there being No Body Left Behind... Neltharion ain't coming back.
  • Large and in Charge: Standard for the all the aspects, he's enormous even for a dragon and is one of the few bosses in WoW whose size in gameplay can be considered accurate.
  • Large Ham
    Deathwing: I am Deathwing. The Destroyer. The end of all things. Inevitable. Indomitable. I. AM. THE CATACLYSM.
    • Extends to his behavior in his human form when interacting with the orcs in the novelization of Beyond the Dark Portal where he oozed his barely contained pride in any meeting with them.
  • Living Lava: Neltharion's corruption resulted in his body slowly turning to magma from the inside out. As the corruption began ripping his body apart he had his minions bolt adamantium, and later elementium, plates to his body to literally hold him together. These plates are ripped off during the battle against him in Cataclysm, causing his body to degenerate into a mass of living lava.
  • Mad Scientist: He created all sorts of draconic creatures in a perversion of nature after going insane, from failed abominations all the way to what ended up perhaps his best creation, the Dracthyr.
  • Mighty Glacier: While by far the most powerful hero in WCII, Deathwing, like all dragon units at the time, reacts slowly to commands, however once he reacted, Deathwing moved fast playing with this trope.
  • Moment of Weakness: Razageth and her primalist faction had him and his Dracthyr armies on the run, and shattered the titan gauntlet that he used to control the Dracthyr; with his army no longer united and falling back, Neltharion finally gave in to the whispers of the Old Gods, giving him the power to seal Razageth away... but giving the old gods a foothold in his mind, which they would use to slowly drive him mad.
  • Names to Run Away from Really Fast: Most black dragons have it in various forms, but in his case, it's also a very good suggestion: Deathwing will sometimes show up in various zones, nuke everything beneath him, then leave. There's even an achievement for it called "Stood in the Fire." This nuking is so powerful that it instantly kills anyone in range. You won't even see damage being applied to you, the game will simply announce that you're dead.
  • Nice Job Fixing It, Villain:
    • His scheme to steal the Red Dragonflight's eggs resulted in Alexstrasza escaping, who would not only go berserk on him with her fellow Aspects, but directly lead to the Demon Soul being destroyed by Rhonin using the scale Deathwing had given him as part of his manipulations. This restored the other Aspects to full power, who promptly beat the crap out of Deathwing.
    • His Barrel Roll is a good way to get rid of unwanted Hideous Amalgamations, although you have to trick him into doing it by stacking on one side.
  • Nigh-Invulnerability: Very few things can actually hurt him. The other four dragon aspects, who still wielded immense power in their weakened states and were still beyond the rest of the dragons, couldn't even wound him before the rest of their strength was returned, and a punch from Gruul that shook the whole area didn't even phase him. Alexstrazsa outright states from personal experience that no physical assault will be enough to kill Deathwing — normally, he would have died in their duel, but he has been saturated so thoroughly with Old God energy that almost no flesh wounds can kill him save, as shown in the vision of the Bad Future with his burnt-out and impaled corpse, being consumed by the very power given to him by the Old Gods. The solution? Use the modified Dragon Soul's unfathomable power to blast his matter out of existence entirely.
  • No-Sell: As his essence is not within it, he can ignore the Demon Soul's power over dragons. Part of the Dragon Soul raid involves modifying it to work on him.
  • Obviously Evil: His design doesn't exactly scream "good guy".
  • Oh, Crap!: His eyes are wide open the moment he realizes that Thrall has the Dragon Soul and he's going to use its unfathomable power against him.
  • Omnicidal Maniac: He wants to kill all life except for his own dragon flight.
  • One-Winged Angel: In the Madness of Deathwing Encounter, after losing his armor, he rises out of the Maelstrom and attacks players with tentacles from where his limbs used to be.
    Deathing: You have done NOTHING. I will TEAR THIS WORLD APART!
  • Out with a Bang: He kills anyone he attempts to mate with. Notably part of his evil plan is (or was at one time) to force Alexstrasza and Ysera to become his consorts, knowing full well that this or horrible disfigurement was the likely result.
  • Person of Mass Destruction: Deathwing is capable of terrifying feats of destruction that have only been rivaled by Ragnaros the Firelord and titans. His famous World-Wrecking Wave that kicks off Cataclysm was indirectly caused by him breaking a Cosmic Keystone, but he's still done things like take out an entire district of Stormwind and decapitate mountains in the Badlands, leaving only molten remains in his wake. The Madness of Deathwing has the destructive power to render Azeroth's surface lifeless, at least.
  • Physical God: At his weakest he was still one of the most powerful beings on Azeroth. Towards the end, he was probably the most powerful non-cosmic being in the entire setting. Deathwing is the single strongest being to ever be fought by the players, at least until Legion.
  • Purposely Overpowered: In Beyond the Dark Portal, Deathwing is 7 times as powerful than any other unit in the game, however he is a Boss Battle in the human campaign and the 11th-Hour Ranger of the orc campaign.
  • Power Limiter: He has gigantic metal plates welded onto his body in order to prevent himself from being blown up by his own power. The first half of his boss fight involves having to break off the plates, to the point where he explosively hemorrhages during the Madness encounter.
  • Rage Against the Heavens: When he and Thrall meet in Charge of the Aspects, he reveals that he serves the Old Gods because he hates the task the Titans charged him with and the Old Gods promised to free him from his burden.
  • Sanity Has Advantages: Before Cataclysm Deathwing was Mad Scientist, and Chessmaster who was great at playing people like a fiddle, but once he was powered up by N'zoth he loses much of his intelligence, and is turned into an Unstoppable Brute with most of the evil scheming being done by his minions or N'zoth.
  • Sanity Slippage: Neltharion slowly lost his mind due to the influence of the Old Gods seeping into it, which eventually caused him to snap and become Deathwing.
  • Sequential Boss: Three phases, split between two encounters.
  • Superpower Meltdown: During the last phase of the final battle, his draconic form breaks down and he becomes a molten, shapeless entity of pure fire, rage and insanity. It's implied he would have expired on his own if given the time, but Deathwing is absolutely determined to take out everyone else on Azeroth before that happens and he will if he manages to cast his final spell.
    Kalecgos: Is he… coming apart?
  • Ton Tyrant: His humanoid form is heavily armored.
  • Unwitting Pawn: Deathwing was driven insane by the Old Gods as part of their plan to dismantle the Dragonflights, and if he had succeeded they would have disposed of him without hesitation since they need all the Aspects to die to be free. Due to his insanity, YMMV on how "unwitting" he is.
  • Unstoppable Rage: One of the things that drives him is pure, psychotic fury.
  • Villainous Legacy: Despite having been dead for years, Deathwing's legacy hangs over those affected by him in Dragonflight in multiple ways.
    • The Dracthyr were made by Neltharion to be his obedient super-soldiers, something the Dracthyr never questioned until they were reawakened to world and realized that he betrayed them the second he had concerns he couldn't control them to be total slaves to his will, something that's left many of them lost and disillusioned. Part of Sarkareth starting the Sundered Flame and becoming part of Dragonflight's Big Bad Ensemble is because he believes the Dracthyr are owed every part of Neltharion's legacy, including his powers as the Earth Warder, and will do anything to claim it.
    • The succession crisis in the uncorrupted Black Dragonflight is leaving them divided and at each other's throats, with Wrathion and Sabellion's attempts to one-up each other in the bid for Aspect tying up manpower and resources, instead of unifying quickly to bring themselves back to strength and provide much needed aid in the fight against the Primalists and Incarnates. Not to mention that the other flights, while acknowledging the flight is uncorrupted now, are still distrustful of their manipulative and power-hungry natures that were left over from their corruption, which the power struggle isn't doing this reputation any favors. This especially doesn't do Sabellian any favors; his merit to claim the title is backed by seniority and prior leadership skills over his flight, but his loyal service to Deathwing, the fact he was corrupted (unlike Wrathion) and lingering doubts that he's as purified as he says he is is why Alexstrasza didn't end the matter of who the Black Aspect should be then and there.
    • Lastly, a few minor quests in the Waking Shores touches on a cult of Dragonspawn, Draconids and younger Black Dragons called The Worldbreakers, who focus on Deathwing's legacy instead. They believe he's still alive and in hiding, and that the true Hour of Twilight has yet to come and they eagerly await it to aid their master in bringing the world to ruin. Thankfully, they don't have much real power, but their devotion to Deathwing's ideals can make them occasionally dangerous, such as them summoning Morchok, the elemental lord who tried to take down Wyrmrest Temple in the climax of Cataclysm.
  • With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: Courtesy of the Old Gods.
  • Would Hurt a Child: He appears at the end of the Badlands quest line, confronting Rhea, a red dragon who is trying to purify the eggs of a captured black one in an attempt to raise a generation of them free of his evil. Though she pleads for him to spare the egg she has, he refuses, killing her and destroying it (the player can't do anything to even try to stop this, and would likely be obliterated if they could try). Still, her final message shows she may have gotten the last laugh on him, as the destroyed egg wasn't the purified one — you receive that one — it was hers.
  • Would You Like to Hear How They Died?: Shortly before the Ultraxion encounter in Dragon Soul, he flies in and taunts Alexstrasza about how he turned many of her brood into mindless twilight drakes, and how painful a process it was. She, with forced stoicism, says that they are no longer of her clutch, and allows the raid to kill them.
  • You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Ysera has a vision of Deathwing dying alongside the rest of the Dragon Aspects at the hands of the Twilight Dragonflight, implying that his Old God master will discard him once his usefulness has come to an end. More specifically, the Old Gods cannot rule Azeroth until all the Aspects are dead. They proceed to impale him upon Wyrmrest Temple.
    • Pulls this himself on any mortal servants he no longer needs.
  • Your Size May Vary: While it may be justified in that dragons can control their size as well as their shape, it's very noticeable here. In the Twilight Highlands, he's roughly as big as Alexstrasza, enough so that when they bite down on each other's throats and go falling out of the sky they look comparable. Then in Dragon Soul, Deathwing is larger than he was in Twilight Highlands, but still only slightly bigger than the other aspects. But then for some reason, when you start the Spine of Deathwing fight, Deathwing is suddenly much larger to accommodate the fight taking place all up his back, and this size remains during the Madness encounter (though since he's barely a creature of flesh by that point this is somewhat understandable) and makes his siblings look absolutely dwarfed by comparison.

    Nefarian (Lord Victor Nefarius) 

Nefarian

Voiced by: Chris Metzen (English), Alexander Gruzdev (Russian)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/nefarian_border_2_2075.png
Click here to see Victor Nefarius

Eldest son of Deathwing, Nefarian is a powerful black dragon who leads the black dragonflight on Azeroth. In his human guise, he is known as Lord Victor Nefarius, Lord of Blackrock. Holding the Blackrock clan and various clans of ogres under his dominion, Nefarian rules from his lair at the top of Blackrock Spire.


  • Back from the Dead: Raised from the dead in Cataclysm after having died in classic.
  • Brother–Sister Incest: Is heavily implied to be Onyxia's mate.
  • Deadpan Snarker: Already showed hints of this in the original game, comes into his own in Cataclysm.
  • Draco Lich: In Cataclysm, though he behaves exactly as when he was still alive.
  • Dual Boss: With Onyxia in Blackwing Descent.
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Subverted; after Onyxia is defeated after being raised in Blackwing Descent, he is upset that players have destroyed one of his "possessions", and he also sees his ability to raise her as his finest work.
  • Evil Overlord: Like father like son.
  • Evil Versus Evil: Nefarian and his forces were constantly butting heads with Ragnaros the Firelord and his forces in Blackrock Mountain.
  • Flaw Exploitation: He does this in his encounter, using abilities specifically tailored for certain classes, such as inflicting Shapeshifter Mode Lock on shapeshifting Druids.
  • Have a Nice Death: "Worthless wretch! Your friends will join you soon enough!"
  • I Shall Taunt You: Should you take too long to engage him while reassembling the Scepter of the Shifting Sands, he'll instead drop a letter mocking you about taking too long and gloating about him crushing the Red Scepter Shard, and amongst other insults wishes that the raid enjoys the Nemesis and Stormrage armaments they may find in his treasure trovenote .
    "While you have slain me, you have done so in such a slow and disorderly fashion that I have had time enough to write this letter AFTER I destroyed your only hope of saving this world."
  • Killed Off for Real: Put to death for real in Cataclysm. His remains are destroyed in Battle for Azeroth for good measure.
  • Large Ham: He is voiced by Chris Metzen by the way.
  • Leaning on the Fourth Wall: Many of his comments seem to be directed at the players directly.
  • Mad Scientist: Nefarian seems to be a big believer in the power of science, using gene-splicing to create hybrid monsters like Chromaggus, Chimaeron, and the chromatic dragonflight. And in Blackwing Descent, Onyxia appears to have been resurrected Frankenstein-style rather than strictly through necromancy.
  • Manipulative Bastard: He falls short of becoming like his father. He said "THIS CANNOT BE!" twice to begin with.
  • Mind Control: In the Heroic Version of Blackwing Descent.
  • Necromancer: Has shown the ability to raise his fallen minions as skeletons. He later does the same with his sister Onyxia in Blackwing Descent.
  • Odd Name Out: Both his father and his sister have used the name "Prestor" when disguised as human nobles. Nefarian instead chooses to go by "Lord Victor Nefarius".
  • Psychic-Assisted Suicide: In Blackwing Descent, on Heroic mode, he uses an attack forcing players to walk toward a portal that will kill them if they reach it. They must regain control of themselves before they do.
  • Shock and Awe: Employs this in Cataclysm, severely damaging the raid every time his health passes a 10% milestone, and also uses Onyxia to electrocute the raid from her sides, eventually exploding if the players take too long to kill her and/or do too much damage to Nefarian in Phase 1.
  • Shout-Out / Ascended Meme: "Death Knights, GET OVER HERE!" added when Death Knights are available.
  • Troll: On a more meta level, with his trolling directed at players. See Leaning on the Fourth Wall above.
  • Villainous Breakdown: So many many times, "Inconceivable!" "THIS CANNOT BE!! Rend, deal with these insects!", "Impossible!" and of course "This cannot be! I am the Master here! You mortals are nothing to my kind! DO YOU HEAR? NOTHING!" He seems to have mellowed out a little when you beat him in Blackwing Descent: "Defeat has never tasted so bitter..."

    Onyxia (Lady Katrana Prestor) 

Onyxia

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/onyxia_border_5162.png
Click here to see Katrana Prestor

Daughter of Deathwing, she posed as Lady Katrana Prestor to keep Highlord Bolvar Fordragon and ultimately the human nation of Stormwind under her control. She even tried to duplicate King Varian to make one of his physical splits a personal puppet.


  • Arch-Enemy: To Varian and Anduin Wrynn as she was responsible for many of the problems of Stormwind such as the discontent with the Stonemasons' Guild that led to the riots that caused Tiffin Wrynn's death and the rise of the Defias Brotherhood, had manipulated Varian, separated him in two, tried to kill him and abducted Anduin to her lair after her cover was blowed up.
  • Aristocrats Are Evil: As Lady Katrana Prestor, she comes off as a snobby, classist and arrogant noble who downplays the severity of the internal threats to the kingdom as delusions from the common folk that are distracting them from Stormwind's "real enemies", allowing for the kingdom to be ran into the ground.
  • Brother–Sister Incest: With Nefarian. Yes, her own brother is responsible for the hundreds of eggs and whelps in and around Onyxia's Lair.
  • Draco Lich: In Cataclysm. It also stands out because it's not magical necromancy, but purely scientific necromancy Ala Frankenstein, which is practically unheard of in Warcraft (Thaddius was powered by forsaken souls, which was mostly magical even if he was powered by electricity).
  • Dual Boss: With Nefarian in Blackwing Descent.
  • Eerie Pale-Skinned Brunette: Her human form, the standard appearance of members of the Black Dragonflight when they assume humanoid forms.
  • Evil Chancellor: She served as a toxic advisor to Anduin and mind controlled Bolvar to keep him subservient, a lot of problems that the humans suffered from can be tracked back to her intentionally running the kingdom into the ground and creating problems so her brother's false horde could eventually walk right over the city in her father's name.
  • Hannibal Lecture: What she tried to do to Anduin when she kidnapped him.
  • Hidden in Plain Sight: The mastermind behind the troubles plaguing Stormwind is standing... right in the middle of Stormwind Keep next to King Anduin and Highlord Bolvar in plain sight.
  • Hidden Villain: In Classic. The player directly interacts with Lady Katrana Prestor a grand total of twice: once to receive a reward for putting a stop to Edwin VanCleef's plans and putting down the Stockade Riots, and the second time when Bolvar asks the player to seek her advice about the dragonkin threat to Lakeshire, which she downplays as the delusions of a "paranoid magistrate and an encampment of riff-raff that are probably suffering from heat stroke". A third, indirect interaction was added in The Burning Crusade upon the completion of the extension of the Missing Diplomat quest chain in which Jaina has the player inform Bolvar of the Defias' actions in Dustwallow and their involvement in Varian's kidnapping, upon which Bolvar decides to renew the offensive against the Defias only for Lady Prestor to insist that they are just a petty band of thugs and that Stormwind's military should be focusing on its "real enemies". Although it is well-known early on that something is not right in Stormwind and the House of Nobles, Onyxia's part in it was only finally revealed when Marshal Reginald Windsor marches into Stormwind Keep and reveals her true form.
  • I Have Your Wife: Kidnaps Anduin.
  • Interface Spoiler: As Lady Katrana Prestor in Stormwind Keep, she's still classified as a dragonkin. A hunter with the Track Dragonkin ability active can track her as such, revealing her true nature early.
  • Killed Off for Real: Varian kills her for good in the comic where he's formally introduced. Notable because it was the first time an NPC was given the canonical kill on a raid boss and had the story written around it. While she's later resurrected (in a sense) by Nefarian, she was put down by players again. And after the Old Gods' servants try to resurrect her a second time, the player and Wrathion destroy her remains to stop her from returning.
  • Manipulative Bastard: Infiltrated and manipulated the kingdom of Stormwind for years, using her political skills and magic to influence people and cause conflicts to weaken the kingdom from the inside such as the conflict between the House of Nobles and stonemasons which led to riots and the Defias Brotherhood, and managed to put Varian under her thrall for a time first by using his grief over Tiffin's death and then by splitting him in two with her only taking the weaker part of him back to Stormwind until Lo'Gosh's return.
  • Mole in Charge: With Varian having disappeared, Anduin crowned as a child king and his regent Bolvar under her thrall, she was effectively the true power in Stormwind.
  • Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: Her dividing Varian in two and her attempts to get rid of Lo'Gosh allow Varian to discover her true nature and to come back to Stormwind with the intent of eliminating her. Also during the final battle in her lair she uses a spell in order to destroy his two halves but which instead causes them to fuse back together and allow the new whole Varian to behead her.
  • Obstructive Bureaucrat: As Katrana Prestor she acted as one to obstruct any attempt to solve certain problems within the kingdom of Stormwind.
  • Off with Her Head!: Varian cuts off her head and brings it back to Stormwind as a trophy. Deathwing later retrieves it during his rampage and Nefarian raises her as an undead dragon though.
  • Post-Climax Confrontation: The grand climax of the Defias Brotherhood/Great Masquerade plotline takes place when "Lady Katrana Prestor" is unmasked as Onyxia in Stormwind Keep by Reginald Windsor, freeing the Highlord from her control and removing her influence from the kingdom. Bolvar then tasking adventurers with tracking her to her lair in Dustwallow Marsh and putting her down is simply taking care of loose ends.
  • Sequential Boss: Her boss fight has three phases.
  • Smug Snake: Onyxia is a very powerful dragon and has a good amount of magic and manipulation skills but she is also very arrogant and her increasingly visible role into Stormwind's politics and actions to keep the kingdom running into the ground allow people to suspect her true nature. Her arrogance backfires badly on her when she greatly underestimates Varian and Anduin who come to realize her great and nefast influence over the nobles and kingdom of Stormwind and eventually to discover her true nature as a Black Dragon, with the former eventually blowing her charade over and killing her.
  • The Vamp: Especially towards Highlord Bolvar Fordragon and King Varian Wrynn.
  • Villainous Legacy: Though she's been canonically dead for several years, the effects of her influence can still be felt to this very day. In the Human Heritage questline, the Drakefire Amulet—the artifact she used to subtly manipulate those around her, such as the House of Nobles and the Stonemasons Guild—plays a huge role in the events that take place, when it ends up being stolen and falling into the hands of a nobleman who bought Onyxia's promises of riches and power. It even contains a lingering shade of her being, which comes to life (after the amulet is destroyed) and attacks the human adventurer and their allies at the climax of the questline. The shade is eventually defeated, ending her influence and legacy for good.
  • Violation of Common Sense: Several of her decisions as Lady Prestor, such as outright ignoring the plights of the citizens of the realm, pulling the entire army out of the outlying regions of the kingdom and then downplaying the numerous threats to the kingdom that have resulted from that decision. Of course, as her goal is to run Stormwind into the ground, this is fully intended on her part.

    Sabellian (Baron Sablemane) 

Sabellian

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sabellian.png
Click here to see him back in The Burning Crusade

One of Deathwing's sons, as well as a quest giver in Blade's Edge Mountains under the guise of Baron Sablemane. Despite being a black dragon, he's actually a fairly decent guy: He doesn't possess his father's hatred of all mortals, and in fact actually forms genuine friendships with them. Despite this, he is still kind of evil, though only openly hostile to Gruul and the other Gronn.

Sabellian returns during Dragonflight after a long time spent in absence as a changed person - but make no mistake; though he claims to be cleansed of corruption, he is still a black dragon, with all that entails.


  • Affably Evil: Sabellian worked for Deathwing and helped him in his plans to conquer other worlds. Yet he maintains a genuine polite demeanor.
  • Ambiguously Evil: An undercurrent of his reappearance in Dragonflight is that it's not entirely clear whether he's actually truly uncorrupted as he claims. While he does seem to be acting with good intentions for his dragonflight, and others have vouched for him, it should be noted that he is still a black dragon, where the majority of their flight even when acting with good intentions (Wrathion) are skilled manipulators and willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want.
  • Aristocrats Are Evil: Downplayed, whilst ‘’Baron’’ Sablemane is still technically part of the villainous Black Dragonflight, he is cordial and friendly to the player, seemingly only wanting to avenge his children that were killed by Gruul.
  • Big Brother Instinct: Sabellian considers Wrathion the petulant little brother that constantly gets into trouble.. and regardless of how much it annoys him, Wration is still his kin, so he will pull his ass out of the fire as many times as he needs to.
  • The Bus Came Back: He was not mentioned again for a long time after The Burning Crusade, not even in Cataclysm where the Black Dragonflight was the big bad. He's not even mentioned during the rogue legendary dagger questline, where Wrathion has the player hunt down surviving black dragons and assassinate them, though it was later confirmed that Sabellian is alive and well in Outland, with Wrathion unaware of his existence. He was finally brought back in Dragonflight, where he jockeys with Wrathion over leadership of the Black Dragonflight.
  • Character Development:
    • When Sabellian is introduced, he's an unrepentent black dragon, a servant of deathwing charged with continuing his flight. He displays every trait of black dragons known up until that point, being a manipulative schemer who sees mortals as pawns.
    • By the time of Dragonflight, it is revealed that Sabellian did indeed ensure the continuation of the Black Dragonflight... by ridding him and his family of the corruption that plagued every child of Deathwing, but despite this corruption being gone, it didn't make him that much better as a person - still unrepentent in his actions, and still more than willing to use others as his tools if he saw them as beneath him (which was nearly everyone, Wrathion included).
    • After a delve into Aberrus, Neltharion's own research complex, he comes to realize the sheer amorality of Neltharion - and that he is treading the same path that led to Neltharion's corruption in the first place. He takes measures to begin empathizing with others despite his self-percieved superiority, and realizes that he is not fit to be the leader of a flight - a battlefield commander, yes, but not a leader.
  • Dark Is Not Evil: Despite being a black dragon and formerly one of Deathwing's lieutenants, he's revealed to have worked on a way to remove the corruption of his flight while stuck on Outland away from the influence of the Old Gods.
  • Dreadlock Warrior: He's a powerful and experienced fighter, and as of Dragonflight his human form sports long black dreadlocks tied back in a ponytail.
  • Enemy Mine: Don't let his demeanor fool you, he's a corrupted black dragon as just as evil and his father and brothers. However, his grudge against the Gronn trumps any hatred he may still be holding onto for mortals, which is why he works together with the players to take revenge, as he and his remaining children are rather powerless.
  • Foil: To Wrathion. Both are highly ambitious dragons who labor to undo the stigma against the Black Dragonflight for the sins of their father and his corrupted brood. Both end up butting heads with each other in their attempts to prove themselves worthy of being the leader of the fallen flight. However, that is where their differences become apparent:
    • Wrathion is one of the youngest dragons and a hodgepodge of black dragons combined in an experiment to purify dragon eggs, and despite his genuinely good intentions, his youthful rashness mixed with his tendency to rely on overly complex planning for much of his early years resulted in many unnecessary deaths and turmoil, resulting in Garrosh's Iron Horde to exist and leading to the deaths of Varian and Vol'Jin, which in turn allowed Sylvanas to rise to power despite the danger she posed. That being said, he has made the effort to rectify his past mistakes, and generally tries to be more frank and honest in order to prove himself.
    • Sabellian is a natural born dragon, one of the oldest Black Dragons (aside from Ebyssian) still in existence, and carries the wealth of experience and cunning that it implies. He is vouched for as having done his best to protect his brood in Outland, and seemingly managed to uncorrupt them on his own. However, his legacy is stated to be stained with willing atrocities he committed in the name of the former Earthwarder, such as revealing the location of The Dragon Soul to the Old Horde: which led to both the enslavement of Alexstrazsa and the subsequent death of Derek Proudmoore; the Crown Prince of Kul Tiras during The Second War. Sabellians' appearance is both sudden and unexpected, with uncertainty about whether he is really uncorrupted as he claims.
  • Friendly Enemy: Despite being a black dragon who once followed Deathwing, he is cordial to the player and makes no effort to antagonize them. At the same time, nothing indicates that he has turned good.
  • Hair-Trigger Temper: It doesn't take a lot to get to see Sabellian's anger. Following constant reminders that he is acting quite a bit like his father, he's trying to curtail it - even so, it takes him great effort to do so, muttering curses through gritted teeth.
  • Heel–Face Turn: By Embers of Neltharion, his attempts to atone for his past are shown to be genuine and fully reconciles with Wrathion, and his handing over the chance to become Black Aspect to Ebyssian truly solidifies him as being on the side of good.
  • Kansas City Shuffle: He devises one of these to deliver uncorrupted black dragon eggs to the Ruby Life Pools. His plan involves him and Wrathion delivering the eggs with a horse-drawn wagon while staying in their human forms. (The player character serves as their bodyguard.) Despite the efforts he takes to make the shipment inconspicuous, Primalists find them and destroy it anyway. But then he reveals the wagon was a decoy, allowing his fellow black dragons to slip past the Primalists and safely deliver the eggs by air.
  • Long Bus Trip: Sabellian was first seen in outland back in 2007, and was never mentioned against following his zone-specific quest chain. Only with the release of Dragonflight 15 years later, by the end of 2022, did he make his return. He even does a bit of Leaning on the Fourth Wall in one of his greetings, referencing this.
    Sabellian: I've been too long away.
  • My Species Doth Protest Too Much: Downplayed - he is one of the few black dragons who isn't pure evil, but he was for most of his life. As such, he has some very traditional views of what it means to be a black dragon, and these are not that far from his father's. It takes a delve into Neltharion's deepest laboratories for him to realize that the time of that kind of dragon has passed, and someone more heroic needs to take change than him.
  • Papa Wolf: Wants revenge against Gruul for all the black dragons he and his fellow Gronn killed.
  • Sibling Rivalry: He and Wration both argue and squabble over which of them will become the Black Dragonflight's aspect once the opportunity presents itself, and while Sabellian is ostensibly the older sibling, he notes that he isn't entirely without flaws either; his Hair-Trigger Temper and restraint being two such flaws.
  • Villainous Friend Ship: Despite being technically Villainous, Sablemane is considered to be a friend by the Hero, Rexxar, and this friendship is reciprocated by Sablemane.
  • Youth Is Wasted on the Dumb: His opinion of Wrathion - despite all that Wrathion that accomplished, he's still Just a Kid in the far older Sabellian's eyes.

    Sintharia (Lady Sinestra) 

Sinestra

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/sintharia_border_2195.png

Deathwing's prime consort, and the mother of Nefarian and Onyxia. She prefers to be known by Sinestra, as she despises Deathwing and her children. She created the Twilight Dragonflight, and while she was thought to have been killed when Dargonax was destroyed, she returned to life and provides Deathwing with eggs to make into twilight dragons.


  • Back from the Dead: Despite being killed by Dargonax in Day of the Dragon, she reappears as the final boss of the Bastion of Twilight raid, described as a "ravaged husk reanimated by insidious magic".
  • Beam-O-War: With Caelen, which ends with her winning and killing him.
  • Flunky Boss: In Phase 2, a horde of twilight whelps come to her aid.
  • Glowing Eyes of Doom: She sports glowing golden eyes.
  • Not Quite Dead: Even discounting her first death by Dargonax, she is seemingly Killed Off for Real in the Bastion of Twilight. However, during Legion, one of her twilight drake creations claims to hear her voice guiding her from beyond the grave, implying she may still be around in some capacity.
  • Pivotal Boss: Has the same animation set as Kil'Jaeden and is set in a pool of lava.
  • Scars Are Forever: Has scars from Deathwing mating with her.
  • Superboss: She can only be fought after defeating all the bosses in Heroic Bastion of Twilight.
  • Unwitting Pawn: She thought she was rebelling against Deathwing, but she was actually doing his bidding.
  • Worf Had the Flu: Begins the battle weakened from her past battles, and thus having less health and attack power, but in Phase 3, is no longer constrained this way, a case in which a boss Turns Red by having a handicap removed.

    Wrathion 

Wrathion

Voiced by: Aaron Philips (English), Alexandre Gillet (European French), Daniel Sheblanov (Russian)

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wration.png
I Am Not My Father incarnate.

The black dragon that was born from the egg that Rheastrasza purified and died to protect, he is free of the Old Gods' corruption, but does not trust the Red Dragonflight, seeing them as trying to control him, and thus takes charge of the Ravenholdt rogues. He is heavily involved in the quest for the legendary Rogue item, Fangs of the Father, which has adventurers hunt down the remaining black dragons, including Deathwing himself.

In Mists of Pandaria, he reappears in a tavern at the Veiled Stair, a small zone leading to Kun-lai Summit. Wrathion once again sends players off on quests to get their Legendary weapons, but this time he is urging everyone to unite, for he is certain the Burning Legion will return to Azeroth and they can't stand against it divided. After the Siege of Orgrimmar defeat, Wrathion is furious that the Alliance did not absorb the Horde and declares that he will leave nothing to chance "next time."

Wrathion is the mastermind behind the plot of Warlords of Draenor, working with the bronze dragon Kairozdormu to free Garrosh and send him back in time - though this plan would backfire and spiral out of his control, and his subsequent appearances show that he's been re-evalutating his scheming ways, as both Battle For Azeroth and Dragonflight has him — while still from a point of self-centeredness — work openly with mortals.


  • Annoying Younger Sibling: Toward Sabellian, who is frustrated with Wrathion's rash and often petulant behavior, though he still comes to care for him.
  • Body Horror: As mentioned above, he is the whelp that hatched from the purified black dragon egg produced during the Badlands storyline. However, said purified egg was made by using a titan device to purge a dead black dragon whelp and two eggs of the Old God's corruption, then compiling what's left into one viable subject. That's what Wrathion is.
  • Complexity Addiction: He has a number of plans to help prepare Azeroth against the Burning Legion. Most of them involve plotting from behind the scenes and expecting to win on Batman Gambits that usually end in the unwitting participant not playing their role as expected. While some of his plans have helped the Horde and Alliance, many (notably his summoning of the Iron Horde) ended in doing more harm than good.
  • Character Development: He's much more composed and mature when he finally reappears in Battle for Azeroth, having learned the hard way what trying to bear the weight of the world on his shoulders while also puppeteering events from the shadow could bring. He's nothing but straight with everyone he's working with, doesn't make any grand schemes behind the cast's backs, and when confronted by the Twilight's Hammer he makes it explicitly clear that he will never, through corruption or otherwise, let himself become the kind of monster his immediate family in particular and his dragonflight as a whole became.
  • Chuck Cunningham Syndrome: A mix of this and Dummied Out. Despite the prevention and defeat of the Burning Legion being one of his major goals, Wrathion himself doesn't appear at all in Legion. While he was intended to take part in Highmountain's quest chain he was eventually replaced with Ebyssian because Wrathion's presence there didn't make much sense, and his sub-story about using a time portal to bring uncorrupted black dragons to the present was replaced with the revelation that the Hammer of Khaz'Goroth can purify dragon eggs. That said, Blizzard has stated he may appear later. He finally appears in the Deaths of Chromie Scenario and has a major role in Visions of N'Zoth.
  • The Corruptible: Subverted and Inverted. Wrathion hails from the Black Dragonflight who hasn't had the greatest track record with corruption, but whether from his origins as a purified black dragon, or simply because of his constant vigilance and studies of how such forces of corruption operate, Wrathion has shown himself far more difficult to corrupt himself.
    • Also subverted in his Ny'alotha boss fight. Players have to face Wrathion, the Black Emperor, who is supposedly a version of Wrathion that had given in to the old gods' corruption... but after defeating him they discover that it was actually a faceless one in disguise rather than the Black Prince himself. Wrathion, while glad the player is willing to "do what they must" including killing him if it came to that, seems a little hurt that they had no hesitance to use lethal force on him when he seemed lost.
  • Dark Is Not Evil: Shaping up to be this. He's very shady, uses very sinister methods of acquiring new power (including blood magic, mogu magic, and EATING THE HEART OF THE THUNDER KING) has very brutal retaliation practices against those he feels have wronged him, but for now, seems his intentions are towards a noble goal, even if his methods are questionable.
  • Enfant Terrible: Despite being only a whelp in dragon terms, he is already extremely powerful, and proves to be very dangerous to his enemies, even going toe-to-toe against N'Zoth himself.
  • Face–Heel Turn: Played with. In War Crimes he is revealed to be behind the creation of the Iron Horde, but he is doing so to prepare Azeroth for much bigger problems down the road.
  • Fantastic Racism: Despite claiming to be above this, Wrathion has shown this at times. Notably in the Legendary questline, Wrathion goes out of his way to condemn the Orc, Warlord Bloodhilt to Alliance players, but uses neutral or positive terms to describe the Dwarf High Marshall Twinbraid to Horde players, despite Twinbraid’s actions being far more heinous.
  • Faux Affably Evil: He's a pretty benevolent patron and employer until things don't go his way. He goes completely nuts when the player reports that Varian decided to not assimilate the Horde (noting that there would be huge casualties and months of bloody battle), and angrily vows to make absolutely sure that things go his way "next time".
    • After some character development in the Battle For Azeroth and Dragonflight expansions he veers more into Affably Evil territory if not forsaking the "evil" altogether.
  • Fatal Flaw: Wrathion loves convoluted plans but doesn't have the wisdom to utilise them properly. His ideal that Azeroth must have one and only one ruling superpower to beat the Legion leads him to ignore otherwise sound advice and make dangerous decisions. When he is told how the Horde and Alliance are strong because of each other rather than in spite of it, he refuses to accept it, and commits to creating his own indomitable army in the form of the Iron Horde. These actions not only did more harm to the Horde and Alliance and weaken their overall power for when the Legion finally came, but said actions indirectly enabled the Legion to come to Azeroth in the first place.
  • Gameplay and Story Segregation: When trying to recruit you to support him in claiming the throne of Aspect in Dragonflight, he calls you an old friend that have fought together for 'many years'...even if you're a freshly made character who has never met Wrathion before, or a Dracthyr that only recently has been awakened.
  • Glowing Eyes: Has a distinctive pair of burning red eyes.
  • Hidden Depths: His short story The Vow Eternal and dialogues between him and Sabellian in Dragonflight reveal Wrathion to be a deeply insecure individual. He finds himself being jealous of Magni and his family and laments that he never got to have a proper childhood himself, born into war as he was, getting shaken up when they extend some of that familial love to him. He is furthermore upset when the circumstances around his birth are brought up by a disapproving party-goer and when Sabellian, in Dragonflight, calls the Red Flight's experiments disgusting he asks mournfully if Wrathion disgusts him as well.
  • Hypocrite: See that note in Jerk With A Heart Of Gold about mook killing? Yeah, you're heavily encouraged, to the point it's nigh impossible to complete, to kill mooks en masse in the quest that you completed right before Wrathion stated he didn't want any mooks dead.
  • I Am Not My Father: Makes it very clear he is his own dragon, and will not be held accountable for what Deathwing did. He explicitly refers to that as the "sins of my father".
  • Infinity +1 Sword: Of all the characters in Warcraft, it's often Wrathion who often deals in these — if you want the absolutely best gear at the time, and Wrathion is around, he's probably instrumental in acquiring them — and he has more than once exploited the Player's willingness to go to great lengths for great rewards to further his own goals.
    • During Cataclysm, he sent rogues to kill every single living black dragon of Deathwing's corrupt brood, up to and including Deathwing himself and leaving him the Last of His Kind, making the players do his bidding in return for some incredibly powerful daggers.
    • During Mists Of Pandaria, he sent people out to do his bidding in return for incredibly powerful cloaks, culminating in him tasking them with killing Garrosh, and secretly banking on the Alliance to annex the Horde afterwards. When that didn't work out as planned, he Rage Quit and decided to be less overt about his actions.
    • He returned in Battle For Azeroth, and, for once, seemed to be on the up-and-up; N'Zoth was free, and stopping him from Taking Over The World was enough of a goal for him — something everyone could agree on. Once again, he gifts players with a powerful cloak.
  • Jerk with a Heart of Gold: Wrathion is very willing to break a person's legs to get a point across, but when sending out players to hunt down the last Black Dragons, he doesn't want their minions killed as they are being manipulated. His methods on Pandaria also verge on Well-Intentioned Extremist, as while they may be unscrupulous, he's only doing them because he genuinely wants to protect Azeroth. Everything after that, however...
  • Last of His Kind: Believes himself to be the last black dragon at the end of the legendary daggers quest chain. However Word of God confirms there are still some in Outland that are still alive that he doesn't know about. In Legion, there is also Ebyssian, an uncorrupted black dragon that was purified at birth with the Hammer of Khaz'goroth. He has spent millennia hiding amongst the Highmountain tauren in the guise of a spirit walker, which is presumably how he was able to evade Wrathion's notice. Wrathion later did find out about him, and had him guarded by an agent, since Ebonhorn is his only brother.
  • Meaningful Name: His name continues the Black Dragonflight tradition of being formed from sinister English words merged with one of the dragonflight's name suffixes (e.g. nefarious —> Nefarian). Notably, though, wrath can be considered the deadly sin most likely to arise from good intentions; Dante Alighieri even described it as "love of justice perverted to revenge and spite". Thus, it can be seen as a reflection of Wrathion's Well-Intentioned Extremist nature.
  • My Species Doth Protest Too Much: He’s largely self-centered and can be cruel, but he isn’t corrupted by the Old Gods and wishes to help the mortal races.
  • Nice Job Breaking It, Hero: His helping Garrosh get to the alternate Draenor not only failed in creating and summoning the mighty army he hoped to use against the Legion, but the events on Draenor culminated in the perfect chain of events that allowed them to be summoned to Azeroth.
  • Not Me This Time: In the Deaths of Chromie, Chromie assumes he is responsible for killing her. He actually isn't, and points you to the one that is.
  • Odd Friendship:
    • He and Anduin were on amicable terms during Mists of Pandaria, bonding as two young people out to make a name for themselves in the world — and although their reunion in Battle For Azeroth starts out... rocky... it's clear that Wrathion doesn't hold it against Anduin; even admitting that he probably deserved to be smacked around for all the consequences his shortsighted plans have caused. In the horrific vision of Stormwind, he outright refuses to let the adventurers explore the keep, and subsequently Anduin's fate.
    Wrathion: "No, hero; not the Keep. That is one vision I would rather not see."
    • With the Player Character as well. They can be anything from a Fel-using Warlock to a Knight in Shining Armor Paladin to anything in-between, yet struggling through the various threats to Azeroth and to the universe has built up quite a rapport with him. He'll happily refer to the player character as both a friend and a trusted ally, and the latter especially shows his approval since he's so naturally cautious and distrusting.
  • Pet the Dog: In Visions of N'zoth, when he and Ebonhorn meet, he admits he had one of his spies keeping a watch over him to make sure he wasn't affected by N'zoth, since Ebonhorn is his only brother.
  • Progressively Prettier: In Cataclysm and Mists of Pandaria his humanoid form was that of a short human with a questionable wardrobe choice. Upon his return years later in Battle for Azeroth, he received a unique — and strikingly handsome — new model sporting a much more stylish outfit.
  • Put on a Bus: Has gone conspicuously missing in Legion despite being one of the few beings who was actively preparing for the invasion. note  Returns during Battle for Azeroth to help the players in their fight against N'Zoth.
  • Playing Both Sides: In Mists of Pandaria, he pledges his allegiance to the player's faction, be it Alliance or Horde, and in Landfall, gives players PvP objectives as part of the legendary quest line. He isn't trying to destroy both of them, but he believes a greater threat is coming, and needs the Alliance-Horde war to end, preferably with one defeating the other. He eventually sides with the Alliance when Garrosh Hellscream starts alienating the other Horde leaders, sparking a civil war, making the Horde easy prey for King Varian and the Alliance to assimilate or crush whatever is left.
  • Raised by Humans: He was raised by thieves and spent such a long time mingling with the mortal races that by Dragonflight he has come to consider himself stuck between two world, considering himself to be just as much human as he is a dragon.
  • Red Eyes, Take Warning: Averted; his eyes in both his draconic and visage forms are a bright glowing red, he doesn't ever attempt to hide that fact, but while he's very manipulative and amoral (at first), he's firmly on the side of good and seeks to protect the world from existential threats.
  • Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Tries desperately to stop the invasion of the Burning Legion... only for his cooperation with Kairozdormu to make it possible in the first place due to bringing the alternate version of Gul'dan to open the portal to Azeroth.
  • Ship Tease: He has a subverted one with Kalecgos in the A Vow Eternal short story that covered Lor'Themar and Thalyssra's wedding. Having been really feeling his "otherness" compared to the rest of the mortals and having who will turn out in the future to be a high-ranking Primalist almost goad him into a fight results in Wrathion getting himself drunk on Arcwine, when Kalecgos walks up to give Wrathion some company, Wrathion notes as they talk he has a very strange feeling in his heart and wonders to himself if the wedding has him longing for romance and is confused that it seems to be Kalec who it stirring his heart. And then it's subverted when Kalecgos invites Wrathion to Wyrmrest temple, where the others discuss that what Wrathion is feeling is an instinctive homesickness that every dragon is feeling and a sign that the Dragon Isles are awakening and calling to them to come home, after which Wrathion shows no sign of further attraction to anyone present.
  • Sibling Rivalry: While he and Ebyssian get along well together, the same cannot be said for his relationship with Sabellian - the two absolutely cannot stand the other's personality... but deep down he cares enough about Sabellian to worry about his health if nothing else.
  • Smug Snake: Not the most smug individual ever, but he's cocky, over-confident, and patronising. When his meddling between the factions in Mists of Pandaria is undone by Varian refusing to dismantle the Horde, he loses his cool and gets snarky when a local waiter gives him a dressing down on why his plan didn't work.
  • Suicide Mission: The battle against Deathwing is thought to be this. Whether it is depends on the rogue and the group.
  • Tall, Dark, and Handsome: As many players were quick to notice, his Battle for Azeroth model is definitely this.
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Gets this from a waiter, of all people, which Wrathion himself lampshades. Granted, this waiter is a Pandaren.
  • They Died Because of You: He finds himself on the receiving end of this when he arrives at Stormwind Keep and Anduin accuses him of causing the death of his father. Given that he indirectly caused the third invasion of the Legion, thus bringing about the tragic events of the Battle of the Broken Shore, he's not wrong.
  • Troubling Unchildlike Behavior: He's conniving, cunning, orchestrates the fall of the corrupt Black Dragonflight, and disguises himself as a goateed human male. And he's only a baby dragon...
  • Unscrupulous Hero: Committing an act of genocide against his own kind to save Azeroth along with releasing Garrosh into Draenor to prepare both sides to fight the Legion probably solidified him as this.
  • Vitriolic Best Buds: Seems to be on his way there with Prince Anduin in 5.2 and the War Crimes novel. By the time he shows up in Battle for Azeroth, Anduin's first reaction is to punch him square in the jaw - hard enough to take a chunk out of his face — he takes it in stride as the wound rapidly heals itself, saying that he probably deserved it.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: Especially in Warlords of Draenor.
  • Wise Beyond Their Years: Dragons are conscious even in the egg, so Wrathion was hatching his own plans once he hatched. In addition, dragons are mentioned to mature a lot faster than humans. However, according to Word of God, his level of maturity is unusual even for dragons and actually due to the experiments that were performed on his egg.
    • Though Yu'lon's dialogue with him implies that he has yet to learn true wisdom. This is confirmed post-Mists of Pandaria when his plans for the Horde and Alliance go awry and creates the Iron Horde to replace them both; certainly he's intelligent, but's not exactly wise.
  • You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: Fahrad suggests he do this to the player, but he decides against it. Ironically, he ultimately does this to Fahrad. He was using Fahrad to help eliminate the other dragons and, once he no longer needed his help with that, has the legendary rogue kill him off. It did help that Fahrad was trying to control him, and when he was found out he tried to kill Wrathion.
  • Younger Than They Look: His true form is only a whelp, as pointed out above. In Pandaria, an argument between Anduin and Wrathion reveals he's only two-years-old. But, as mentioned above, dragons mature faster than humans, so by Battle for Azeroth he is a drake (young adult in dragon years) and his humanoid form is a young man with curly black hair and a short beard.

    Ebyssian (Spiritwalker Ebonhorn) 

One of few uncorrupted Black Dragons still alive who aren't part of Sabellion's flight, Ebyssian was born when Huln Highmountain used the Hammer of Khaz'goroth, a massively powerful titan relic, to purge his egg of the Old God's corruption. Growing up pure and raised by the kind and honorable Huln has made Ebyssian a kind individual who looks after the Highmountain and serves as adviser to their chieftains.

Ebyssian considers himself a member of the Highmountain clan first and a dragon second so his tropes can be found on the Highmountain Tauren character page.

Other dragonflights

Minor dragonflights, which were not elevated by the Titans, have come to exist through the ages. They usually still retain some connection to one of the main five.

The Chromatic Dragonflight

The chromatic dragons are an an attempt by the black dragon Nefarian to create dragons able to harness the power of all five main dragonflights. These experiments would later evolve into the creation of the Twilight Dragonflight, as few chromatic dragons lasted long enough to evolve past the form of drakes, with most of them dying before they even hatched.

    Chromatus 

Chromatus

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/chromatus.jpg

Chromatus was the only successfully created adult chromatic dragon, an abomination meant to harness the combined powers of all of the dragonflights. Created by Nefarian and granted life by the Twilight's Hammer cult, the five-headed Chromatus was created for the purpose of slaying the other Aspects in Deathwing's name.


  • All Your Powers Combined: The goal of the chromatic dragons was to create a dragon capable of using all of the powers of other dragons. Chromatus was the only successful creation.
  • Awesome, but Impractical: The power of a perfected chromatic dragon was truly a force to be reckoned with. The problem was, Nefarian had no means powerful enough to actually make the damn thing go, and died twice never having seen his magnum opus brought to life.
  • Beat Them at Their Own Game: In one of Ysera's visions of the Hour of Twilight, the four Dragon Aspects were murdered by Chromatus with the power associated with that dragonflight. Alextrasza was burned to death, Ysera was strangled to death by vines, Kalecgos was frozen in ice, and Nozdormu was permanently stuck in time.
  • Body Horror: Even as a 'perfected' experiment, Chromatus was not physically perfect. The flesh of his body was caught in various stages of decay and each of his heads were malformed from normal dragon features.
  • Dracolich: As Thrall notes, Chromatus is caught in a perpetual state between life and death, not even truly undead as he would classify it. Chromatus' body is described as being rotted and decayed in odd patches along his flesh.
  • Expy: He's basically Warcraft's answer to Dungeons & Dragons's Tiamat.
  • Evil Counterpart: A retroactive one to the dracthyr. Both were created by a member of the Black Dragonflight by combining the powers of all five flights, but while the dracthyr were soldiers meant to protect the Aspects, Chromatus was a monster made to kill them.
  • Multiple Head Case: Chromatus has five heads, one for each of the five dragonflights.
  • Nigh-Invulnerable: Even in defeating him, the united Aspects were only able to render him lifeless. For all their power, they were unable to truly destroy his body, and settled for hiding his corpse away in an arcane prison until they had a way to do so.
  • Purple Is Powerful: The one unifying trait among Chromatus' heads is that they all have glowing purple eyes. Chromatus is powerful enough that he was meant to slay the Aspects, and when calling on his full power, breathes a purple energy that was on par with the unified power of the Aspects.
  • Rent-a-Zilla: Chromatus is nearly as large as the father of dragons, described as dwarfing the Aspects who are the largest among dragons.
  • Resurrection Sickness: Chromatus doesn't quite have the hang of moving and flying when first animated by the Twilight's Hammer. Not that that stops him from sending the blue dragonflight packing, mind.
  • Voice of the Legion: Each of Chromatus' heads had voice unique to it and would often take turns speaking. This effect is achieved whenever the heads speak in unison.

The Netherwing Dragonflight

When Deathwing fled to Outland in the Second War, he left behind various eggs which were exposed to the raw energies of the Twisting Nether. These eggs eventually hatched into a new breed of dragon altogether, known as nether dragons, who resemble draconic sharks during their infancy and translucent dragons in adulthood. Unconnected to the Black Dragonflight beyond their origins, they are content to finding their own way among the blasted ruins of Outland.

    Barthamus 

Barthamus

"I was the first, you know. The abandoned child of a monster..."

A nether dragon taking the form of a high elf who lives in Shattrath City. He's actually the first nether dragon ever born, and will reward those players who have aided his kin by allowing them to take one of his drakes as a loyal mount.


  • Minor Major Character: Despite being the first of all nether dragons, his only involvement in the Netherwing storyline is at the last quest, where he lets you pick one nether drake color as a free mount. We don't even get to see him in dragon form.

    Neltharaku 

Neltharaku

"Perhaps you truly are the hero of our flight."

The patriarch of the Netherwing and leader of the Netherwing Dragonflight. He flies over the Netherwing Fields of Shadowmoon Valley, wary of outsiders, though an act of kindness towards his children may move his heart into finding a valuable ally against the Dragonmaw Orcs.


  • Big Good: Of the initial Netherwing storyline, where he directs the player into saving his mate Karynaku from the Dragonmaw Clan.
  • Meaningful Name: His name is an obvious nod to Deathwing's birth name, Neltharion. Fits as the nether dragons are directly descendants of Deathwing.

    Yarzill 

Yarzill

"Didn't think we'd leave you to face the fel orc army by yourself, did you?"

A nether dragon taking the form of a goblin mercenary who has infiltrated the Dragonmaw Base Camp. He provides the player with quests to undermine the efforts of the Dragonmaw from within.


  • Big Damn Heroes: In the finale of the Netherwing plot, when the player is found out by Illidan and Mor'ghor, Yarzill comes to the rescue and takes them safely back to Barthamus.
  • Big Good: Takes the role after the player reaches the Netherwing Ledge part of the Netherwing storyline.
  • The Mole: A nether dragon infiltrating the Dragonmaw Clan, taking the guise of a goblin merc.

The Twilight Dragonflight

An artificial breed of dragon created by Sintharia and later perfected by Deathwing, the twilight dragons have the ability to vampirically drain sources of magic to gain power. They served as Deathwing's servants during the Cataclysm, and while they were believed to have been wiped out then, they would later re-emerge during the Fourth War, still serving the whims of the Old Gods.

    Dargonax 

Dargonax

"I obey no one but myself... I am Dargonax, the Devourer of all, including you..."

The third twilight dragon created by Sintharia, and the first to be stable enough to survive. After feeding on the energies of the nether dragon Zzeraku, he rapidly grew into a gargantuan beast nearly equaling the Dragon Aspects themselves in size. His ambition and cunning grew along with his body, and soon he harbored a desire to overthrow his "mother" and conquer the world for himself.


    Halion 

Halion

Voiced by: Matthew Mercer (English), Alexander Taragin (Russian)

"I am the light and the darkness! Cower, mortals, before the herald of Deathwing!"

Following the defeat of the Lich King, the Ruby Sanctum of the Red Dragonflight was assaulted by a black dragon war party who sought to shatter the Wyrmrest Accord in preparation for Deathwing's return. At their head was Halion, the first fully grown twilight dragon ever encountered.


  • Evil Laugh: One of his possible lines for killing a player is just him laughing at you.
  • Foreshadowing: He was a preview of what was to come, that being the Cataclysm expansion.
  • Post-Final Boss: He was the last raid boss to be introduced in Wrath of the Lich King, but is nowhere near the level of the titular Lich King that preceded him, instead serving as a preview of Cataclysm.
  • Red Baron: He has the title of Twilight Destroyer.
  • We Hardly Knew Ye: His boss fight is his sole appearance.

    Ultraxion 

Ultraxion

Voiced by: Unknown (English), Valery Storozhik (Russian)

"For this moment ALONE was I made. Look upon your death, mortals, and despair!"

The only twilight dragon ever praised by Deathwing, Ultraxion is more of an abomination of dark energy than a dragon. He serves as the fifth boss of the Dragon Soul raid, seeking to stop the Aspects from using the Dragon Soul against his master.


  • Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy: Noted for his extreme arrogance, due to being the only twilight dragon Deathwing ever praised.
  • Enfant Terrible: He's described as having "spent his short life absorbing the essence of captured nether dragons", implying he's very young despite his size.
  • Evil Laugh: One of his possible lines for killing a player is just him laughing at you.
  • Rent-a-Zilla: He's enormous, to the point he is too large to land on the top of Wyrmrest Temple.
  • We Hardly Knew Ye: His boss fight is his sole appearance.

The Infinite Dragonflight

A splinter of the Bronze Dragonflight, corrupted by the Old Gods. Easily told by their black color and white Volcanic Veins, they antagonize the timelines in an attempt to bring about the Hour of Twilight, where the Old Gods would be freed from their prisons and rule Azeroth once again.

    General Tropes 
  • Butterfly of Doom: Their MO: Alter one event in past, and it'll have knock-on effects for the rest of the timeline.
  • It's All About Me: Many infinites broke from the Bronze because they wanted to right a wrong that affected them personally, but were denied.
  • Make Wrong What Once Went Right: Of a sort: The infinites heavily disagree that the current timeline is 'right' in the first place.
    • Considering the amount of conflict that could be avoided if, say, Arthas never purged Stratholme, or Medivh never opened the Dark Portal. Unfortunately, they fail to consider the wider picture of the Greater Scope Villains: If Medivh never opens the Dark Portal, the Horde isn't around to help defend Azeroth at Mount Hyjal, leading to a Legion victory, and if Arthas doesn't purge Stratholme, then the regional capital of Lordaeron is suddenly Zombie Apocalypse central, fast-forwarding the invasion of the Third War before anyone is ready.
    • On a more personal level, the infinites are also motivated by events that seem inconsequential but the Bronze Dragonflight does not allow to be changed. Such as loved ones dying helplessly - they don't consider what might have happened if the person didn't die right then and there.
  • "Well Done, Son" Guy: Why so many of the infinites want to turn Nozdormu specifically to their cause: they want him to approve of their changes to the timeline.
  • With Us or Against Us: If you are not onboard with their changes, then it's time to die. So far there has been exactly one of their number willing to listen to reason.

    Murozond 

Murozond, the Infinite

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/murozond_the_infinite_full.png

"You crawl unwitting, like a blind, writhing worm, towards endless madness and despair. I have witnessed the true End Time. This? This is a blessing you simply cannot comprehend."

The leader of the Infinite Dragonflight, Murozond is nothing less than the corrupted, future counterpart of Nozdormu himself, having gone mad from his attempts at subverting his own mortality due to the manipulation from the Old Gods. Nozdormu himself is aware that he will eventually become Murozond, and that heroes will eventually vanquish him.
  • Ambiguous Situation:
    • Murozond's entire existence became this as the story progressed; he is described as having been corrupted by the Old Gods, though by the time of Battle for Azeroth, all the Old Gods in Azeroth are either destroyed or at least defeated, and the Hour of Twilight was firmly averted when Deathwing died, leaving nobody left to corrupt Nozdormu as of the end of that expansion (though he might as well come from an Alternate Timeline at this point).
    • The lore also zig-zags on whether Nozdormu becoming Murozond is an inevitability or something that could be possibly averted through outside interference. In Dragonflight, Nozdormu himself thinks it's an inevitability, though Chromie tries to convince him of otherwise.
    • By the end of the Dawn of the Infinite questline, Nozdormu still believes that Murozond is an inevitability, but when exactly it happens? That's uncertain, and he is no longer going to be passive in ensuring that it's not now.
  • Driven to Madness: When Nozdormu gained his powers from the Titans, they showed him a vision of his own death. Murozond was driven insane in his attempts to stop it from happening.
  • Face–Heel Turn: He is Nozdormu, turned mad and evil by the Old Gods.
  • Fate Worse than Death: He seems to consider the "true End Time" this, as he considers the Hour of Twilight to be preferable to whatever the former may be.
  • Glowing Eyes of Doom: He has vibrant glowing blue eyes.
  • Significant Anagram: "Murozond" is an anagram of "Nozdormu".
  • Time Master: Inherited from the fact he is Nozdormu. He is said to have shattered the timeways and to live outside of time.
  • Unseen No More: He was hinted at since The Burning Crusade, with the infinite dragons described as following the orders of a mysterious "Master". He finally made his appearance in Cataclysm.
  • You Can't Fight Fate: Murozond became what he is due to his attempts at subverting his own fate. Nozdormu describes Murozond's death as the closing of the loop, showing things happened as they were expected to.

    Eternus 
"Time is set in sand. Not stone."
An infinite dragon driven to their cause through grief after her sister's death and the subsequent denial to right the wrong of her sister's senseless death. After learning that it was a Heroic Sacrifice, she decides to work with Nozdormu to mend the bonds between the Bronze and Infinite flights.
  • Close-Enough Timeline: After her Heel–Face Turn, Eternus is helping Nozdormu to find and change events that, while holding great personal significance to the infinites, won't cause knock-on effects on the wider timeline.
  • Token Heroic Orc: Eternus is the first infinite dragon to show that not all of them are set on causing trouble. Most of them simply want to use their power to do what they feel is right - and when shown what disastrous consequences even changes to seemingly inconsequential events can have, she resolves to work with Nozdormu as he is to find places in time where the events are truly inconsequential for the wider timeline, but not for the people affected.
  • We Will Meet Again: Eternus is first encountered assaulting the Temporal Conflux. After that goes wrong and she and Chromie have to work together to avoid being lost in time, she's allowed to leave with her life - swearing that she will return and have Nozdormu become Murozond.

Other dragons

Proto-dragons

The primitive ancestors of modern dragons, who still exist in large numbers in Northrend and the Dragon Isles.

    Galakrond 

Galakrond

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/galakrond.png

Galakrond was once a normal proto-dragon who consumed water tainted by the blood of Yogg'Saron. He began devouring other proto-dragons, his body mutating and swelling to an impossibly large size. The titanic watcher Tyr attempted to help five proto-dragon to combat the threat; their first assault was a failure ending with Tyr’s hand being bitten off and forced the titan-forged to retreat. Luckily, the five proto-dragons managed to trick Galakrond into swallowing a big rock, causing him to choke to death. For their bravery, Tyr awarded them by convincing the Titans into turning the five into the Dragon Aspects. Even with Galakrond long dead, his name still strikes fear in the hearts of the dragons.

During the war with the Lich King, the Scourge attempted to raise him from the dead, though their efforts were thwarted. Meanwhile, the Primalists of the Dragon Isles still worship him as a god.


  • Big Bad: In Dawn of the Aspects, which details his battle with the future Aspects.
  • Generic Doomsday Villain: There is very little to no exclamation of what turned Galakrond into a humongous monster besides eating a lot. He lacks much personality despite being intelligent, seems to only exist to cause suffering, and to be the threat that gave birth to the Dragonflights.
  • Kaiju: As shown by his skeleton in Dragonblight, he was absolutely enormous.
  • Karmic Death: A gluttonous monster who eats anything or anyone in his way dies from choking caused by the creatures he terrorized.
  • Kick The Son Of A Bitch: One of his many victims was a group of proto-dragons who attempted to betray their kind to him.
  • I'm a Humanitarian: He devoured anything, including other proto-dragons.
  • Monster Progenitor: Subverted through in-universe lies; the Aspects propagate rumors that the Titans created dragonkind from Galakrond, to keep his true nature a secret in order to prevent others from following in his path.
  • Mysterious Past: How did Galakrond mutate into his gigantic form? Is he a minion of the Burning Legion? Did the Old Gods make him? Did something from the Shadowlands make him? Was it something the Titanforged created by accident which Tyr hints at in Dawn of the Aspects? It was more than a decade before it was revealed that the cause was Galakrond unknowingly consuming the blood of Yogg'Saron.
  • Necromancer: After devouring proto-dragons, he regurgitated them back out as mindless zombies under his control, known as the "not-living". The zombies relied on Galakrond's guidance, because without him they frilled out uncontrollably, mostly attacking each other and eventually dying. This was notably the first case of undeath ever recorded on Azeroth.
  • Posthumous Character: He died over 10,000 years before the events of World of Warcraft.
  • Seeks Another's Resurrection: In Wrath of the Lich King, the Scourge attempts to resurrect Galakrond. The player stops them before they get too far along with that plan.

The Primalists

A group of Proto-Dragons that rejected the Titans and their Order and condemned the rest of dragonkind as betrayers, leading to a civil war between the two factions. They are headed by the Primal Incarnates, a quartet of especially powerful proto-dragon siblings that took in the power of a primordial element.

In more recent times, some of the mortal races would align themselves with the Primalists, seeking to realize their ideal of a world free from the influence of the Titans.

They act as the major antagonistic force in the Dragonflight expansion.

    Primalists In General 
  • Adaptational Intelligence: Proto-dragons were originally described as animal in intelligence. Dawn of the Aspects established, and Dragonflight then cemented, that they actually are sapient, just primitive - more like cavemen rather than monkeys.
  • Elemental Powers: The faction's hat. While it goes without saying that the dragons themselves possess control of the elements, it wouldn't be an exaggeration that nearly every mortal aligned with the primalists is a Shaman of some kind.
  • Equal-Opportunity Evil: Though their concerns are with dragonkind first and foremost, they seem to not discriminate between the mortals who become their lackeys - as long as they serve their cause. Their faction contains damn near every single playable race in the game, from humans, all types of elves, orcs, vulpera, trolls, undead, tauren, etc.
  • Even Evil Has Loved Ones: For all their brutality, the Primal Incarnates do genuinely care for each other. Iridikron, Vyranoth, and Fyraak are pissed when Raszageth dies in the process of freeing them, and immediately swear vengance on the adventurers and dragons responsible. That's why it is a big deal that Fyrakk eventually turns on his family.
  • Evil Counterpart: The Primal Incarnates, to the Dragon Aspects. They would be Psycho Rangers, were it not for the fact that Raszageth does not correspond well to Nozdormu or Ysera.
  • Hypocrite:
    • They want to remove the Titans' lingering influence on the world and retake Azeroth for themselves and be wild and free of Order - despite the fact that Azeroth itself IS a Titan.
    • They believe that the Dragonflight whelplings are brainwashed from the egg by Order to serve the Titans. They respond by infusing eggs with elemental powers to brainwash them to support the Primalists.
    • The Incarnates criticize the Aspects for keeping secrets from the Primalists and each other, unaware that Iridikron has secretly been striking deals they would oppose.
    • Despite their beliefs that they're serving the better cause for Azeroth, many of the Primalists remain alongside Fyrakk even as he moves to infuse Amirdrassil with Flame, which would turn the entirety of Azeroth into a flaming hellscape. Though, the last one causes Vyranoth, the proto-dragons under her, and a great deal of Primalists to abandon the cause and defect.
  • Join or Die: the Primalists are willing to extend an invitation to other races across Azeroth to join them, receive the power of the elements, and help them tear down Titan influence from the world. Those who refuse their offer are either killed or turned into mindless monsters to be used as weapons against their enemies.
  • Knight Templar: They seem to genuinely think that the Titans meddling with Azeroth has only been negative, and removing their influence would make the world better.
  • Monstrous Humanoid: Whereas the visage forms of Order dragons (i.e. the broods of the Aspects) resemble the forms of mortal races (give or take a few draconic features), the Primal Incarnates take the form of vaguely draconic elemental humanoids, not really corresponding to anything seen on Azeroth. This is because, unlike their Order counterparts, they do not really need to hide, so their visages are mostly just for convenience (i.e. getting into small places).
  • Sealed Evil in a Can: The Primal Incarnates were sealed in vaults by the Dragonflights to prevent them from rampaging across the world. The Evoker starter zone shows Primalists freeing Raszageth, who later frees the rest in the ending cinematic of the Vault of the Incarnates raid.
  • Suspiciously Similar Substitute:
    • Minus the direct Void and Old God aspects, the Primalist faction of evil shamans that are led by evil dragon(s) are one for the Twilight's Hammer, albeit a remnant of the Twilight's Hammer does make an appearance.
    • The Primal Incarnates themselves, meanwhile, are akin to a new incarnation of the Elemental Lords, except as dragons. This is mitigated somewhat by the fact that one of the Elemental Lords later joins the Primalists as an ally.
  • Villain Team-Up: They're not adverse to teaming up with the other hostile factions of the Dragon Isles.
    • The Primalists end up allying with the Nokhud Centaur of the Ohn'ahran Plains, granting them elemental powers so they can conquer the other tribes and end the Green Dragonflight.
    • Fyrakk ends up agreeing to free the elders of the Djardin, both out of a mutual hatred for the dragonflights and in exchange for helping him acquire the power of Shadowflame. In Fury Incarnate he adds the Druids of the Flame during his quest to corrupt the World Tree in the Emerald Dream.
    • Iridikron teams up with the Infinite Dragonflight so he could siphon the Essence of Galakrond into a prototype of the Dragon Soul. It's implied that this ultimately in service to the Void Lords.
  • Well-Intentioned Extremist: Their methods are absolutely detestable, but they do have a point in that the Titans' meddling with Azeroth has done quite a lot of damage to the world as a whole and have a genuine desire to restore what they see as the rightful state of the world. When Fyraak completely jumps off the rails and attempts to turn Azeroth into a burning hellscape by destroying the new World Tree, it causes their ranks to completely schism.

    Raszageth 

The Stormeater

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wow_raszageth_titel_title_1280x720_1.jpg

Voiced by: Leslie Wadsworth (English)

The Primal Incarnate of Storms and the first to be freed by the Primalists. She seeks to free her three kindred from their prisons so they can scour the world of all the Titans' creations


  • Arc Villain: As the leader of the Primalists that is trying to awaken her kindred, Raszageth is the major threat of the initial launch of Dragonflight.
  • Blow You Away: In addition to her powers over storms and lightning, she can generate hurricane strength winds to blow her foes away. She uses this in her raid boss encounter.
  • Cruel Mercy: During the Waking Shore storyline she defeats Alextrasza in a fight and decides to spare her...so that she can see the Primalists tear down the world in front of the eyes, and THEN die.
  • Evil Is Hammy: There's hardly a line that she doesn't scream in pure, seething rage or contempt.
  • The Heavy: Raszageth is the driving force of the first part of Dragonflight being responsible for the Primalist threat and is a Disc-One Final Boss as the final boss of the first raid in the expansion, though despite dying she does succeed in releasing her siblings.
  • Principles Zealot: She absolutely abhors Titans, their Order, and the Arcane magic associated to them due to being 'unnatural'.
  • Shock and Awe: She's the Primal Incarnate of Lightning. On top of manipulating the element, a constant storm surrounds her when she appears.
  • Unwitting Instigator of Doom: Her assault on the Dracthyr and Neltharion, and her breaking the Titan artifact that kept the Dracthyr under his thumb, resulted in Neltharion accepting the help of the Old Gods to imprison her - starting Neltharion's fall into Deathwing.
  • Villain World: The Primalist Future briefly entered in the Dragonflight Campaign shows what would happen if she and the Primalists win: A Thaldraszus completely ravaged by the elements in which the proto-drakes and their Primalist cultists hunt down any resistance to their rule.
  • You Can't Thwart Stage One: Though she is killed as the final boss of the Vault of the Incarnates raid, she manages to weaken the prisons of her siblings enough for them to awaken on their own, advancing the plot of the Primalists at the cost of her life.

    Iridikron 

The Stonescaled

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wowirid.jpg

Voiced by: Chris Metzen (English)

The Primal Incarnate of Earth.


  • Big Bad: He serves as this for Dragonflight as it is Iridikron who is the most feared of the Incarnates and the one pulling the strings while Fyrakk serves as The Heavy, and he ultimately escapes for future expansions.
  • Dishing Out Dirt: Has mastery over the earth itself, and almost seems like he's composed of nothing but stone and earth.
  • The Dreaded: More so than any of the other Incarnates, the Aspects fear Iridikron the most, due his insatiable hunger, mastery over earth and stone, and him being the most devoted to the Primalist ideal.
  • Evil Sounds Deep: His booming voice is as ancient as the very earth he controls.
  • Expy: Seems to take character traits from the previous antagonist Deathwing, namely his power over earth and cunning and manipulative tendencies. He serves as a decomposite expy as Iridikron represents the more stable and intelligent Deathwing seen in Warcraft II, while Fyrakk is the brutal insane one from Cataclysm that seeks to burn everything.
  • Floating Limbs: In his protodragon form, his horns and tail are distinct chunks of floating rock held together by glowing energies. In his humanoid form, his horns aren't physically attached to his head, floating next to his hood.
  • Hypocrite: While his faction obsesses over draconic independence and hates foreign magics, he will seek out any force or faction that he feels will help his goals.
  • Karma Houdini: The player actually does stop him in Dawn of the Infinite... only to be forced to reverse their own victory by travelling back in time to ensure the Infinite Dragonflight can't corrupt Nozdormu. He winds up being able to pull a successful Villain: Exit, Stage Right for the rest of Dragonflight, with Fyrakk taking the role of Final Boss instead.
  • The Noseless: His humanoid form doesn't have a nose, with his face being a smooth slab of rock between his eyes and upper jaw.
  • Throat Light: In his humanoid form, Iridikron's mouth is constantly lit up with a yellowish glow.
  • Villain: Exit, Stage Left: After his plot with the Infinite Dragonflight is foiled, he flees the Dragon Isles to pursue his own agenda, leaving Fyrakk in charge of the Primalists still on the Isles. He briefly returns during Dragonflight's epilogue to warn Vyranoth to stay out of his way and not interfere with his plans for the Dark Heart.
  • Villain Team-Up: During the rebellion, Iridikron struck several secret deals with other forces for aid against the Aspects. One of these deals is the Magma Pact, an alliance of convenience between the Primalists and Djaradin.

    Vyranoth 

The Frozenheart | Aspect of Storms

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wowvyr.jpg

Voiced by: Rhona Mitra (English)

The Primal Incarnate of Ice.


  • Even Evil Has Standards: She is opposed to going into the Emerald Dream and burning down the world tree there, as she only wishes to rid the world of the Titan's influence, not competely destroy the future of those that do so.
  • Expy: Seems to be based heavily on the Scourge version of Sindragosa.
  • Foil:
    • She seems to serve as one to the version of Sindragosa before her death and resurrection - as represented by Sindragosa's simulacrum, taking the villainous role and ice power.
    • She comes with a Fire Ice Contrast with Fyrakk, and while Fyrakk becomes even darker and unhinged in his desire for power, Vyranoth sticks to her ideals but softens enough to reconcile with Alexstrasza.
  • An Ice Person: Has mastery over ice, and almost seems like she's composed of nothing but ice.
  • Heel–Face Turn: After seeing how unhinged Fyrakk has become in his quest for power and abandoning their ideals, Vyranoth opts to inform Alexstrasza about Fyrakk's quest to corrupt the World Tree in the Emerald Dream, and while she initially didn't intend to join the Aspect side, Alexstrasza convinces her to help her protect all of Dragonkind.
  • Pet the Dog: In the Fury Incarnate cinematic, she intervenes when Fyrakk is torturing Gerithus, and spares him when she walks away.
  • "The Reason You Suck" Speech: She gives a very vitriolic one to Odyn in 10.2, followed shortly by completely humiliating him in combat. Besides what he did to Helya and his shady dealings with his Eye, she takes offense to not even sticking to his guns as the Titan's prime designate, calling him unworthy even for her enemy. But what drives her to downright venom is his treatment of the Storm Drakes and his hypocrisy in ascending them to be servants after huffing off because he considered Dragons unworthy. All this is punctuated by her freezing him and convincing the entirety of the Thorognir to break their bonds to Odyn and follow her and Wrathion back to the Dragon Isles.
  • Rank Up: Azeroth ascends Vryranoth to have Aspectral powers in return for her aid in seeing to Amidrassil's bloom and stopping her brother. Though conflicted about it at first, she accepts the position by taking up the title of Aspect of Storms, as a reminder of her sister, of her nature as a being of the Elements, and to represent all the non-chromatic, non-Order created dragonflights like the proto-dragons, Netherwing and Thorognir, who all have elemental aspects to them.
  • Redemption Promotion: Already a force to be reckoned with as a Primal Incarnate, she is further empowered by Azeroth after Fyrakk's defeat as a full-fledged Dragon Aspect.
  • Token Good Teammate: Played with. While she wants to rid the world of the Titans' interference and meddling ways, she's the only one of the still-living Incarnates that holds onto their original ideals of freeing dragonkind from outside influences, unlike Iridikron (who simply wants revenge, and has aligned himself with the Void) and Fyrakk (who has gone even more power mad and sadistic after absorbing the shadowflame). So much so, she even forms an unlikely alliance with Alexstrasza when it becomes clear to her that Fyrakk has lost sight of their goals.
  • We Used to Be Friends: She and Alexstrasza were once best friends, but after being imprisoned for 20,000 years (as well as seeing the Aspects force/allow dragonkind to be "corrupted" by the titans' order magic), she is left (understandably) bitter towards the Dragon Queen. Raszageth's death at Alexstrasza's behest might have had something to do with it, too. In Fury Incarnate, they reconcile.

    Fyrakk 

The Blazing

https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wowfy.jpg

Voiced by: Matthew Mercer (English)

The Primal Incarnate of Fire.


  • Arc Villain: He's the Incarnate who's the main threat for the second season of Dragonflight, attempting to acquire the ancient power of Shadowflame from Neltharion's old laboratory. Unlike his sister, he manages to succeed in his goal and get away scot-free.
  • The Bad Guy Wins: The Embers of Neltharion storyline ends with him emerging victorious; he acquires the power of Shadowflame, frees most of the Djardin elders, and delivers multiple Curb Stomp Battles to Wrathion, Sabellion, Ebyssian, and the adventurer in the process. Even the storyline's raid involves going after Sarkareth instead of him.
  • Blood Knight: While none of the Incarnates shy away from a battle, Fyrakk in particular is the one who detests planning and scheming. He wants battle, and he's not particularily concerned against who. So far, only Iridikron has been shown as being capable of telling him to restrain himself.
  • Casting a Shadow: Acquires the same powers of Shadowflame used by Deathwing and his children at the climax of Embers of Neltharion.
  • Comes Great Insanity: While not the most stable before, the Fury Incarnate cinematic shows the Shadowflame already taking a toll on his sanity, making him unhinged enough to attack Vyranoth, though he backs down after awhile.
  • Contrasting Sequel Antagonist: A slightly meta one. Fyraak and the other Primal Incarnates start off as WellIntentionedExtremists, Fyraak throws away all the Primalist ideals in a sheer desire for power, gleefully admitting as such. In contrast to the tendency of previous villains - Sargeras, Zovaal for example to act evil the entire time but claim they had some noble goal at the end.
  • Creepy High-Pitched Voice: While his dragon form's voice is very deep, his visage comes with a rather screechy pitch that makes him sound appropriately unhinged for a dragon of fire.
  • Do Not Taunt Cthulhu: Similar to Queen Azshara in Battle for Azeroth, emoting /rude at him will cause him to respond with a gout of burning shadowflame.
  • Dragon with an Agenda: He didn't start out this way, but by Patch 10.2 he decides that his own power is more important than the Primalist cause and heads off on his own to pursue a different agenda. He cheerfully admits as much when called on it.
    Alexstrasza: You once fought for an ideal, Fyrakk. Now, you merely seek power.
    Fyrakk: [sinister chuckle] Yes.
  • Evil Gloating: Indulgence in this a much as Raszageth, taking every opportunity to taunt his enemies before flying away.
  • Expy: Seems to take after some character traits from Deathwing, namely the latter lava red color and wanton desire for destruction. He even grants the achievement "Still Standing In The Fire" for getting killed by him during his fly-bys, just like how Deathwing gave the achievement Stood In The Fire for being killed by him in Cataclysm. He serves as a decomposite expy even, as Iridikron represents the more stable and intelligent Deathwing seen in Warcraft II, while Fyrakk is the brutal insane one from Cataclysm that seeks to burn everything.
  • Final Boss: Of the Amirdrassil raid and Dragonflight as a whole.
  • The Heavy: He is not the leader of the Incarnates nor is he the mastermind behind their plans, but being the most proactive and aggressive of the four, he drives most of the plot in the expansion's later stages. While their actual leader, Iridikron, manipulates the events behind the scenes and eventually escapes, Fyrakk confronts the heroes of Azeroth head-on and eventually becomes the Final Boss.
  • Hot-Blooded: Appropiately enough for the Primal Incarnate of Fire, Fyrakk cares not for subtlety - but this also opens him up to attack, since unlike Iridikron, he lacks the focus necessary to harness his strength into a singular goal.
  • Karma Houdini Warranty: After escaping the Embers of Neltharion storyline scot-free while being empowered by shadowflame and spreading death and destruction without consequence, he finally meets his end at the climax of the Amirdrassil raid.
  • Kick the Dog:
    • He torches the town of Loamm on his way out of Zaralek Caverns, more or less For the Evulz considering he had no way of knowing they helped out the Black Dragonflight leadership. They were simply in the way.
    • In the Fury Incarnate cinematic, he prepares to torture the green dragon Gerithus, and only stops when Vyranoth intervenes.
    • During the Smolderon fight in the Amirdrassil raid, the firelord demands that Fyrakk aid him, but the Incarnate refuses; he'd rather just sit back and watch him die. After Smolderon is defeated, Fyrakk descends upon his body and absorbs his flaming essence for himself.
    • During the final battle with Fyrakk, he mocks Alexstrasza with the memory of how her children were enslave and slaughtered by the Dragonmaw.
  • Kill It with Fire: His primary modus operandi. His primary goal in the Amirdrassil raid is also to ignite the heart of the world tree in shadowflame before Amirdrassil is reborn on Azeroth, which would let him remake the world in flames. If he succeeds, all Adventurers die swiftly.
  • Lean and Mean: In contrast to Iridikron's bulky visage, Fyrakk's is creepily long with a hunched posture which makes him both creepy and malicious in a Starscream sort of way.
  • Named Weapons: In his humanoid Visage form, he wields the two-handed axe Fyr'alath, the Dreamrender. After defeating him at the climax of the Amirdrassil raid, Warriors, Paladins, and Death Knights have a chance to receive an item starting a quest line that allows them to wield Fyr'alath themselves.
  • No-Nonsense Nemesis: His reaction to players raiding his Shadowflame Crucibles? Immediately going on a warpath towards the location, killing anything that comes near him before dropping off one of his disciples to finish the job.
  • Playing with Fire: Has mastery over fire, and seems like he's composed of nothing but molten rock.
  • With Great Power Comes Great Insanity: After having absorbed so much Shadowflame, he goes mad with power, and forgets his siblings plan on getting revenge on the dragons, to simply wanting to burn the whole world because he can.

The Dracthyr

Originally creations of Neltharion before he became Deathwing, the Dracthyr are draconic humanoids with the unique ability to harness a modicum of power from all the flights, intended to be used as foot soldiers for the dragonflights before being sealed in stasis after he lost control over them.

     General Tropes 
https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/dracthyr_crest.png

  • A Form You Are Comfortable With: Specifically, their All Your Powers Combined allows them to Voluntarily Shapeshift into a visage form like all dragons, though it's noted that their initial visages are not attempts to blend in so much as it is a manifestation of their personality. Also unlike Dragons they seem unable to completely conceal their draconic features, as their eyes, oddly shaped pointed ears, and a few scales still give them away no matter what options are chosen in the character editor.
  • All Your Powers Combined: The Dracthyr can use all the powers of the five titan-keeper-blessed dragonflights. If a dragon can do it, a Dracthyr can do it, even if not to the same extent as the dragons themselves.
  • Badass Army: Neltharion intended them to be this, but when he lost control over them, he deemed their newfound individuality a liability and had them sealed away - awakened twenty thousand years later, they decide that with Neltharion having become Deathwing, it's better to find their own way in life rather than the one he had in mind.
  • Cryonics Failure: The Dracthyr were placed in a magical stasis within their vaults for 20,000 years. During that time, the vaults were compromised by various outside forces and many Dracthyr died when the magic was disrupted.
  • Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: Having been freed from stasis twenty thousand years after their imprisonment, they find the world they awake to vastly different than the one they lived in: Neltharion, their creator, was corrupted by the Old Gods, and the Black Dragonflight is near-extinct, leaving no one in the direct line of succession for them to answer to. Most of their leaders decide that if their intended purpose as an army can no longer be fulfilled, then it's best to disband their organisation and let everyone integrate into this new world however they see fit.
  • The Fellowship Has Ended: Dracthyr start out as part of a Badass Army, but during their introduction they learn twenty thousand years have passed since they were sealed away - with their original purpose voided and their general Neltharion corrupted and Deader than Dead, they decide that while they will stick together, chain of command is abolished; everyone is free to find their own purpose in this new world.
  • Fish out of Temporal Water: It's downplayed; the Dracthyr are more dismayed by the loss of their leader than they are with figuring out twenty thousand years have passed; realizing that the black dragonflight is all but extinct, they resolve to find their own places in the world instead with the aid of Wrathion and Ebonhorn.
  • Gender Is No Object: They seem to place exactly zero emphasis on gender among their race, even in terms of relationships. Considering both genders have comparatively little visual difference and nature as a Servant Race and utilitarian mindset, the gender difference probably never even registered.
  • Irony: Each of the Scalecommanders acts in a way that directly contrasts the flights their scale colors come from.
    • Emberthal has black scales, but is a reasonable and benevolent leader, unlike the corrupted and manipulative black dragonflight.
    • Cinderthresh has red scales, yet is a warrior who joins forces with the Horde, unlike the healing-focused Red Dragonflight who were enslaved by the Horde during the Second War.
    • Azurathel has blue scales and joins up with the Alliance, and by extension the Kirin Tor, the latter of whom were hunted down by the Blue Dragonflight after Malygos went mad.
    • Viridia has green scales, and is even a healer like many in the Green Dragonflight, but whereas they spent their time either defending or slumbering the Emerald Dream, Viridia is proactive goes out into the real world to heal the wounded.
    • Sarkareth has bronze scales. The Bronze Dragonflight are likely the most responsible of the flights, and, barring the Infinite Dragonflight (who don't keep their bronze scales anyway), are the flight with the least amount of hostile members in World of Warcraft. Sarkareth, meanwhile, leads the renegade Sundered Flame, the only truly hostile group of Dracthyr.
  • Jack of All Stats: The Dracthyr can use the powers of all five titan-blessed dragonflights, but they excel in none of them; they are not as capable of shaping the earth as the black, can only use time magic to go a few seconds forward or backward (handy for undoing wounds, but not much else), can heal using the red's flame, but not to the same extent, can only restore nature briefly, and their Breath Weapon, while impressive, doesn't come close to rivaling a dragon's. But with All Your Powers Combined, they are incredibly versatile.
  • Klingon Scientists Get No Respect: Subverted. A lot of Dracthyr seem to worry this will be the case if they are crippled or just poor fighters, but no real fuss is brought up as they branch out and discover themselves.
  • Mildly Military: They start out far more harsh in terms of rank and discipline, but after learning their general is dead and there are no successors, they effectively disband the army that survived stasis - even so, old habits die hard, and their training lingers.
  • My Master, Right or Wrong: Originally, they were trained to be an army utterly loyal to Neltharion, enforced through a titan artifact he wielded. When the artifact broke, he had them sealed away, afraid he would lose control over them. After being awakened from stasis, they are deeply saddened and initially refuse to believe Neltharion would ever do anything wrong, and upon being shown otherwise by Nozdormu.. not all of them take it well; some grow enraged and lash out against the world, dubbing themselves "The Sundered Flame", but most of them realize that Neltharion had crossed the Moral Event Horizon in their absence - mourning his fall and corruption, but accepting that the Deathwing was no longer the Neltharion they knew, and had he still been alive they would have stood against him.
  • No Nudity Taboo: In their true form they have little need for clothes, not having anything visible to cover up and having tough scales rather than soft skin. In fact most of their 'clothing' choices are just armor strapped onto them, as that at least has a function. Averted with their visage form, which very much does need to wear clothes.
  • Proud Warrior Race Guy: They are a species created to fight for Neltharion's causes, so it's hardly a surprise that they developed a highly martial society, focusing on either different battle roles or battle support roles as their life goal. Finding value in other skills and pursuits is something many of them have to learn, initially thinking that if they can't fight then they have failed in some way.
  • Servant Race: They were this to Neltharion, combing the essence of dragons with the adaptability of the mortal races to create a race of ideal soldiers. They are growing out of it after being awoken in the modern time.
  • Super Prototype: The Dracthyr are capable of harnessing all the different powers of the five main dragonflights - exactly what Nefarian tried to create through the Chromatic dragonflight. But his father either forgot they had ever existed, or never saw fit to tell his son about them. Considering his attitude towards them, both are possible, and since Deathwing is Deader than Dead, it's unlikely we will ever know if even either of these are the actual reason.
  • You Have Failed Me: Neltharion wanted them to be obedient to him no matter the order he gave. If he ordered them to kill their kin, he wanted them to obey without question. To this end he conditioned them and kept them in line through a titan artifact. When the titan artifact was destroyed and the Dracthyr showed signs of independence, he had them sealed away and their existence Unperson'd, because he knew they were no longer loyal enough to kill their own at his order. Note that all of them, even without the titan-artifact, were still loyal to their general - they just weren't loyal enough for his liking.

     Emberthal 
Scalecommander Emberthal is one of the five Scalecommanders of the dracthyr. She leads the Adamant Vigil and serves as the main neutral dracthyr that players interact with. She has black scales.
  • Last of Her Kind: Downplayed. She is by no means the last dracthyr, but she is the only surviving member of the Adamant Vigil.
  • Mascot: Is this in a meta sense to the dracthyr race, being the most prominent face of the race in promotional material and cutscenes.
  • The Spymaster: The Adamant Vigil was the dracthyr weyrn in charge of scouting and information gathering, so as it's leader Emberthal falls into this catagory.

     Azurathel 
Another Scalecommander, Azurathel leads the Obsidian Warder weyrn and serves as a faction leader for Alliance dracthyr. He has blue scales.

     Cindrethresh 
The Scalecommander of the Dark Talons, Cindrethresh leads the dracthyr who chose to ally with the Horde. She has red scales.
  • Ambiguous Gender Identity: Her dracthyr form is female and is referred to as "her" in the text of an early Waking Shores quest, but her visage form seen in Valdrakken is male and has a different voice to match, and is visibly shorter then a player dracthyr in visage. Possibly she would be considered genderfluid in human terms, but overall it doesn't seem to be something the dracthyr really worry about.

     Viridia 
Scalecommander of the Healing Wings, a neutral dracthyr weyrn devoted to healing. She has green scales.
  • Healing Hands: Leads the Healing Wings, the dracthyr weyrn envisioned as the frontline and backline supports in Neltharian's army. She is also by far the most compassionate and self-sacrificing of the dracthyr scalecommanders, to the point that others know that if she is worrying over minor things, things are going quite well.

     Sarkareth 
Previously the Scalecommander of the Ebon Scales weyrn, Sarkareth and his followers defected from the rest of the dracthyr to form the rebel group known as the Sundered Flame. He has bronze scales.
  • Desperately Looking for a Purpose in Life: Unlike the rest of the dracthyr, Sarkareth and his followers cannot reconcile being created by Neltharion and conditioned to obey his every command with his absence. They need someone, or something to give them purpose - seemingly unable to forge their own.
  • Darker and Edgier: In the expansion introducing the dracthyr, he and his Sundered Flame are the only ones to deflect and rebel against the Titans' order. Sarkareth himself embodies this fully with his embrace of the void.
  • Evil Is Bigger: His final phase transformation is a bulked up version of the dracthyr form, while also utilizing greater variants of the standard Evoker abilities to fight players.
  • Good Colors, Evil Colors: The light yellow and dark purple. Initially, he wears purple and silver armor and has bronze scales with light brown markings. By the time of his boss encounter, his markings have turned a shade of purple from the void's influence. At phase two, he loses most of his armor as the void overtakes him, leaving little of the contrasting bronze color. At his final phase, he has lost all armor and fully surges with the void's purple tint.
  • Killed Off for Real: He's killed by Adventurers deep inside Aberrus, the Shadowed Crucible.
  • Like Father, Like Son: Followed Naltharion's legacy so closely that he also got corrupted and transformed by the void, to then fall to adventurers.

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