Characters / Warcraft The Alliance Lordaeron

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A character subpage for the WarCraft universe, including World of Warcraft. For the main character page, see here. For the Alliance character page, see here.

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Icon of Courage

Covering most of the northern regions of the Eastern Kingdoms, Lordaeron was the largest of the human kingdoms. By the time of the orcs' arrival on Azeroth, it was ruled by King Terenas Menethil II. When refugees from Stormwind arrived in Lordaeron after the First War, Terenas called the other human kingdoms together and formed the Alliance of Lordaeron. Lordaeron was also the birthplace of the Order of the Silver Hand, founded in preparation for the coming war with the orcs.

Unfortunately, fourteen years after victory in the Second War, the plague of undeath would ravage the kingdom of Lordaeron. Despite efforts to combat the Undead Scourge, Terenas' heir Prince Arthas eventually fell to darkness and slew his own father, conquering Lordaeron for the Scourge.

While Arthas was eventually ousted from Lordaeron, a large majority of its people are now undead, some of which became the Forsaken. However, the living remnants of Lordaeron among the Alliance, the Scarlet Crusade and the Argent Crusade, still seek to restore the once great kingdom.

The forces of Lordaeron were the playable human/Alliance faction in Warcraft III (minus the Blood Elves' campaign from The Frozen Throne). Stormwind took over this role for the basic humans in World of Warcraft.

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General Tropes

• Animal Motifs:
  • Despite being primarily a Stormwind symbol, lions are also a popular motif in Lordaeron, with several characters and buildings featuring lion iconography.
  • Since Lordaeron's iconic "L" symbol does not work on tabards due to being asymmetrical, tabards used by Lordaeronian characters in World of Warcraft feature a two-headed imperial eagle instead.
• Brought to You by the Letter "S": Their coat of arms features a calligraphic "L" symbol. It is still used by numerous factions, like the Scarlet Crusade, the Alliance, and even the Forsaken.
• Chew Toy:
  • Lordaeron just doesn't catch a break during the events of Warcraft III. Pretty much all of the Undead Campaign in the base game revolves around massacring its kingdom, or factions based around it.
  • To make it worse, while the factions based around it (Dalaran and Quel'Thalas) more or less managed to get better since then, Lordaeron still is reduced to a wasteland mostly controlled by the Forsaken, with only small groups of humans desperately trying to take their land back.
  • Eventually, the Alliance tried to reconquer Lordaeron in a massive assault at the beginning of Battle for Azeroth... but Sylvanas and her Horde forces managed to escape and rendered what was left of the ruins of the Capital City uninhabitable with her plague, and the Alliance's war efforts soon shifted to Zandalar and Kul Tiras instead.
• Church Militant: The people of Lordaeron are deeply religious and the Knights of the Silver Hand were founded to combine the faith of the Light with martial prowess in the war against the orcs. This faith in the Light carried over to the Scarlet Crusade, but was turned into mad fanaticism and zeal.
• Cool Helmet: The Footman's helmet is by far the most iconic piece of human headgear, being a tall steel helmet with a blue plume hanging from the top of it with several variations between the different games and expansions. It carried on as the design of the Footmen of Stormwind.
• Failed a Spot Check: When Prince Arthas returned from Northrend to Lordaeron, somehow it seems that nobody realizes there are skull motifs, as if implying he's evil now, on his armors.
• The Good Kingdom: A once prosperous kingdom ruled by a good king, until its downfall.
• Light Is Good: Of the human kingdoms the people of Lordaeron were the most religious and firmly showcased this.
• Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Human footmen typically carry shields, and in Warcraft III they can use the Defend ability to protect themselves from enemy piercing attacks and reflect them back at their attackers.
• Knight in Shining Armor: Lordaeron is famed for its shining knights and humanity's knightly traditions originated there. Fitting that it became the birthplace of the Knights of the Silver Hand.
• Knightly Sword and Shield: Despite not actually being knights, the human footmen invoke the image of knights by being heroic sword-and-shield-wielding warriors clad in full plate, complete with plumed helmets.
• The Order: Lordaeron is the birthplace of the Order of the Silver Hand, with many of its members hailing from the kingdom.
• The Paladin: The Knights of the Silver Hand were founded in Lordaeron after the First War, becoming the first Paladins to go by that name. In Warcraft II, Paladins are an upgrade of the Knight with the ability to heal other units and smite undead. In Warcraft III Paladins are upgraded to a hero unit with primarily support abilities to heal and strengthen your troops.
• The Remnant: Several.
  • The Forsaken are probably the largest remnant by population, and (used to) own most of its former territory, including the capital city and the farmlands around it. While Sylvanas is trying to distance her people from their past in favour of her own Cult of Personality, many Forsaken still consider themselves Lordaeronians.
  • The Scarlet Crusade, a fanatical religious order formed by remnants of the Silver Hand after the kingdom's fall. It is eventually fully destroyed over the course of World of Warcraft, though.
  • The Argent Dawn (later Argent Crusade), another order formed by Silver Hand survivors, except far more open to outsiders. Come Cataclysm, it controls much of eastern Lordaeron, seeking to cure it after the Scourge's defeat.
  • Garithos' remnant forces from Frozen Throne, which are eventually betrayed and wiped out by their previous ally Sylvanas.
  • Finally, many refugees from Lordaeron found their way to Stormwind and remain part of the Alliance.
• Standard Royal Court: King Terenas kept a royal court with nobles and ambassadors all coming in attendance prior to his death.

Lordaeron's Royal Family

Terenas Menethil

King Terenas Menethil II

Voiced by: Ted Whitney (English/Warcraft III), Earl Boen (English/World of Warcraft), Sergey Frolov (Russian/Warcraft III), Andrey Yaroslavtsev (Russian/World of Warcraft)

A king that doesn't kick ass for once

"I will not institute quarantine without proof of your claims, ambassador! The people of Lordaeron have suffered enough without becoming prisoners in their own lands."

The king of Lordaeron and one of the primary founders of the Alliance. When Lothar brought the refugees of Stormwind with him north to Lordaeron, Terenas immediately called for all of the neighbouring kings to unite as the Alliance. After the Second War had been won, Terenas took over as its leader for years to follow. During the Third War, he ignored Medivh's prophecy of the Burning Legion's coming, dismissing him as "rambling prophet". As a plague had presumably struck the northern parts of Lordaeron, he sent his son, Prince Arthas, to investigate, who found out that an undead army, the Scourge, was behind it all. After Arthas returned from Northrend, he was killed immediately by the now corrupted Arthas, who promptly destroyed the lands he had ruled for over 50 years. Alas, he did not get to taste the swift release of death. His soul was bound within Frostmourne, alongside many others.

In Wrath of the Lich King, Terenas provides the ironic narration of the expansion's opening. He also plays a major part as a soul in the fall of the Lich King, where he taunts the Lich King that his end comes and in the final fight, he not only helps players get freed from Frostmourne, he also resurrects the entire raid after Tirion destroys Frostmourne.

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• Backup from Otherworld: Downplayed due to his status as a Non-Action Guy. However, he provides support in the Lich King fight when the players are brought into Frostmourne and help him defeat the Spirit Warden, using a moment of opportunity with the blade weakened enough to return the players to their bodies. Once Frostmourne is shattered, his soul is freed from the blade and he proceeds to mass resurrect the raid so they can finish off Arthas.
• Big Good: Became the leading figure of the Alliance following Lothar's death though he was already in practice its political leader while Lothar was leading its armies.
• Chekhov's Gunman: He died in Warcraft III and provided the ironic narration for Wrath of the Lich King, but beyond that, few expected him to play a role of particular importance in the present. Fast forward to the last patch of the expansion and he shows up as a ghost within Frostmourne.
• Cool Crown: Wore a magnificently horned and jeweled crown in life, though its current whereabouts are unknown to most. In the book Exploring Azeroth: The Eastern Kingdoms, Mathias Shaw and Flynn Fairwind find the crown then bury it again under the belief that it is what King Terenas would've wanted.
• Cool Old Guy: Old at the time of his death, and a decent man and ruler, devoted to securing the best future for his people.
• Dead Person Conversation: Has one with Arthas, then much later Tirion in the final patch of Wrath of the Lich King. It's also implied he regularly talks with Arthas at other times, like the narration in the Wrath of the Lich King opening cinematic.
• Dramatic Irony: His narration in the opening cinematic of Wrath of the Lich King talks of how proud he is of his son Arthas (Now the Lich King of Scourge) and what qualities will make a good king. This is juxtaposed with the Lich King raising a giant frost wyrm and rallying his undead army.
  • He was a founding father of the Alliance that both of his children would ultimately discard by either joining the Scourge or the Horde.
• The Good King: Terenas ruled wisely and is fondly remembered by all citizens of the broken kingdom, both living and dead.
• Killed Off for Real: Slain by his own son Arthas, and while his soul remained chained within Frostmourne he's released at the end of Wrath of the Lich King.
• Non-Action Guy: According to Tides of Darkness, Terenas is not a capable fighter, though this has been contradicted by the now uncanon RPG and World of Warcraft. During the siege of Capital City by the Horde he chose to personally lead the defense of his city despite his lack of fighting skills, and while he didn't actually fight he did a great job organizing and inspiring his men.
• The Paladin: According to the RPG and World of Warcraft Terenas is a paladin, contradicting his Non-Action Guy status in Tides of Darkness.
• Pimped-Out Cape: Wore a very large furred cape as befitting a king.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Listens to and believes in Lothar and Khadgar when they arrive telling news of how the Horde had destroyed Stormwind and calls the Seven Kingdoms together to form the Alliance. He is more unreasonable when Medivh comes to him, but he had plenty of reasons to dismiss him as the rambling prophet he thought he was. He also refused to exterminate the orcs, believing that there might be a possibility of redemption for them though his decision caused frictions with many in the Alliance.
• Writers Cannot Do Math: According to Uther in Warcraft III, Terenas ruled Lordaeron for over seven decades (which was later retconned to five in Arthas) — which is improbable considering that Arthas is only twenty five years old at the time. So, even if Terenas ascended to the throne shortly after his birth, it took him a really long time to father a heir.

Arthas Menethil

Prince Arthas Menethil

See his sheet on the Scourge page.

Calia Menethil

See her sheet on the The Forsaken page.

Order of the Silver Hand

Alonsus Faol

See his sheet on The Light's page.

Uther the Lightbringer

See his sheet on The Light's page.

Turalyon

See his sheet on the Stormwind page.

Alexandros "The Ashbringer" Mograine

See his sheet on The Light's page.

Arator the Redeemer

See his sheet on The Light's page.

Nobles of Lordaeron

Othmar Garithos

Othmar Garithos

Class: Dark Knight

Lord of the Mustache

"The only good non-human is a dead non-human."

Grand Marshal Othmar Garithos was a human supremacist and noted racist with a fierce hatred for all non-humans, and a special hatred reserved for elves in particular. When Lordaeron fell during the Third War, leadership of the broken remnants of Lordaeron's army fell upon his shoulders. He managed to successfully defend southern Lordaeron and take back Dalaran from the Scourge, but at the same time cost the Alliance the aid of the blood elves when he tried to execute Kael'thas and his men. He was killed by Varimathras on orders from Sylvanas, after having previously allied with each other to take back Lordaeron's capital city.

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• Asshole Victim: No one doubts Sylvanas' motives for wanting him dead weren't anything but malevolent, but it's hard feel sorry for him, especially after he threw Kael'thas and the blood elves under the bus.
• Blue Blood: His father was the baron of Blackwood, a town located in the modern day Eastern Plaguelands. After his father died when the town was sacked during the Second War, he inherited the title.
• Bullying a Dragon: He tells the leader of the Forsaken to piss off and leave his city. Said leader are an undead elf who used to be a ranger-general and a former member of the Burning Legion, who now commands the force that's much larger and stronger that can easily wipe Garithos' men out, and a Dreadlord at her side. It doesn't end well for him.
• Cool Helmet: Wears a rather fancy winged helmet.
• Cut Lex Luthor a Check: Reclaiming Lordaeron would've been accomplished much easier if Garithos didn't go out of his way to sabotage his Elven allies. Somewhat averted with Sylvanas, as when he realizes her forces outnumber his, he agrees to an Enemy Mine.
• Cutscene Incompetence: Dies very easily for a tank unit with an ability to turn invulnerable to magic.
• Dark Is Not Evil: Very heavily downplayed as he's still a racist jerkass, but Garithos, despite his Dark Knight hero class and his black-colored armor, is genuinely fighting to retake Lordaeron from the Undead Scourge.
• Death by Irony: Ultimately, he died because he trusted an elf.
• Didn't Think This Through: He wants to get rid of the elves so badly that he's willing to let them die to the Scourge, who are known for raising the dead into their ranks. He also attempted to execute a Blood Elven Prince, not even considering the possibility of retaliation by the remaining Elves at Quel'Thalas.
  • He also allies with the Forsaken, whose numbers includes a Dreadlord and thinks that he will get out of it alive.
• Enemy Mine: Realizing that they cannot take the Capital City on their own, Garithos reluctantly agrees to team up with Sylvanas. She ends up backstabbing and having him killed when they've won, despite her agreeing to leave Lordaeron to him.
• Establishing Character Moment: The very moment he is introduced in Frozen Throne, he proceeds to call out Kael'thas for being late, refuse to listen to his polite excuse, and orders him and his troops to stay behind to do a thankless job. All of this while delivering no less than three racist comments against elves.
• Fantastic Racism: Probably one of the most infamous examples in the franchise, Garithos holds an extreme hatred for any non-human races, particularly elves. While he's able to work with some non-humans in the Alliance, he doesn't hold them in high regard and thinks of them as nothing more than "only existing to make themselves useful for humans".
• Fatal Flaw: His Fantastic Racism. He leads a remnant force against a massive undead horde that raise anyone that dies into their ranks. You'd expect a leader like him to either try to put his racism on the shelf, or at the very least tone it down in order to focus on his actual enemy. Instead he sends the High Elves on suicide missions that will mean more zombies to fight later on. The elves instead survive and rebel, which results with him losing a large portion of his forces. He later tries to ally with a rebel undead faction that ultimately sees him as an expendable pawn. You can put together the pieces.
• Four-Star Badass: His competence as a general is debatable. It's heavily implied that he's risen to the rank of Grand Marshal not necessarily because of his own abilities, but his deceased father's reputation and title. That being said, his competence as a frontline fighter is not questionable, being an absolute monster in battle, and he and his forces did manage to win several battles, including retaking the ruins of Dalaran and pushing the undead back into the Plaguelands before being mind-controlled.
• Frontline General: Many things can be said about Garithos. Given that he leads his forces into battle himself, however, a coward is most certainly not one of them.
• Final Solution: His on-click quotes suggest it to be a goal of his to purge all non-humans from Lordaeron after reclaiming it. He certainly gives it a try when he orders Kael'thas and his soldiers to be executed.
• General Ripper: While in charge of the Lordaeronian remnants in the south, he's very focused on the non-humans in his own ranks and goes out of his way to persecute them, eventually leading to his attempted mass execution of Kael'thas and his elves.
• General Failure: Downplayed. Although he has the largest pocket resistance against the Scourge and his forces are able to make significant headway in pushing back the Scourge, even pushing them back from Dalaran all the way into the Plaguelands, his callous treatment of the blood elves leaves him without any form of magical support and thus suceptible to being mind controlled by the Dreadlords. In the end, the blood elves' defection after he attempted to have them executed weakened his forces to the point that he needed help from the more tactical sound but treacherous Sylvanas. And after capturing the Capital City, he foolishly demands Sylvanas and Varimathras to leave without the forces to back the demand up.
• Hate Sink: With his massive Jerkassery and attempts to execute the then-sympathetic Kael'thas and his people, his role in the game is basically to make the player hate him as much as possible and root for Sylvanas and the Forsaken to take over Lordaeron instead.
• Healing Hands: Used Holy Light to heal the soldiers under his command.
• Hidden Depths: One of Garithos' war cries is "In memory of Terenas!". Bigoted noble that he was, even he held respect for the last king of Lordaeron.
• Holy Hand Grenade: Capable of calling upon the Light to smite his undead foes. It's implied his version of Shockwave is also this.
• Horrible Judge of Character: For all his hatred of non humans, he still believed that Sylvanas would uphold her end of the deal and give him back Lordaeron's capital city. You know, the one that blackmailed a demon into serving her.
• Hypocrite:
  • One of his scenes has him make the classic criticism of calling the elves arrogant. This coming from the guy who won't shut up about how Humanity Is Superior and any intelligent non-human race doesn't deserve to live.
  • He doesn't trust elves and immediately sentences them to death for accepting needed aid (that Garithos himself denied them in the first place) from the Naga, whom he views to be inhuman enemies deserving to be crushed. However, he has no trouble of accepting offered aid from Sylvanas and her undead forces despite being warned repeatedly by his advisors that they are not to be trusted. Extra points for Sylvanas being an undead elf.
• Idiot Ball: One might wonder if he would have succeeded in reclaiming Lordaeron had he not turned the blood elves away by setting them up on a suicide mission, then condemning them to death in spite of their success at said suicide mission. Which resulted in turning Kael'thas and his men into a hostile force, and then his decision to pursue the escaping blood elves resulted in a loss of his men and resources while gaining nothing in return.
  • This is followed by his decision to form an alliance of convenience with Sylvanas, who was arguably less trustworthy than Vashj. Then, after they reclaim Lordaeron, he proceeded to tell her to leave his city, when he and his men couldn't retake it alone in the first place, and the Forsaken could easily wipe his men out without suffering any loss.
• Jerkass: Towards non-humans at least. He seems more amiable towards his fellow humans, but we don't really get to see it before he is killed.
• Karmic Death: He berates Kael'thas for allying with the nagas twice, telling that he should be careful in where to put his loyalties on, and then tries to execute the blood elves even though Garithos pretty much forced Kael to get help from them. Later, Garithos joins forces with a faction of undeads, the very race responsible for Lordaeron's destruction, out of convenience and not necessity like Kael's situation, and unlike Vashj, Sylvanas Windrunner is not a trustworthy ally and has Varimathras kill him. Additional karma comes from the fact that Sylvanas is an (undead) elf who was from the same kingdom as Kael'thas.
• Killed Off for Real: After being killed by Varimathras and then eaten by ghouls, he is certainly not coming back.
• The Kingslayer: As Anasterian Sunstrider is long dead at Arthas' hands, Kael'thas was the de jure High King of Quel'Thalas, albeit he had remained uncrowned. His status as a foreign monarch is no obstacle to Garithos' attempt to have him executed for consorting with Vashj's naga.
• Knight Templar: Views the non-human races as evil savages unworthy to live in Lordaeron and will jump at the chance to enforce his views.
• Lantern Jaw of Justice: Played with. While even Varian himself would be jealous of that magnificently chiseled chin, and he is fighting to save Lordaeron, he's a despicable Jerkass who tries to execute some of his own troops.
• Lightning Bruiser: Outside of the Founding Of Durotar campaign, Garithos is one of the strongest heroes the player can get access to. Wielding a large double-headed axe while going on a horse means he is fast and hits quite hard (while also packing Shockwave for Splash Damage, and Holy Light for when all the enemies are Undead), while also having Devotion Aura to make him fairly tanky. And all of this is amplified even further if he uses Avatar.
• Light 'em Up: Capable of wielding the Light to heal allies and strengthen their armor, as well as to smite undead. His version of Shockwave is also implied to be this.
• Light Is Not Good: Despite the name of his custom unit and the color of the armor he wears, he utilizes paladin spells in combat, but does not act in the manner expected of one.
• Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Wielded a large lion-faced shield into combat, though it ultimately failed to protect him from Varimathras.
• Magic Knight: As a Dark Knight, Garithos is a melee unit with access to Paladin spells.
• Mistreatment-Induced Betrayal: Garithos causes this to happen due to his continuous treatment of the Blood Elves that when he threw Kael'Thas' people in chains to await execution for working alongside the Naga to stop the Scourges' advance, this ended up deeply souring relations between them and the Alliance, ultimately leading to the near-entirety of elfkind to break away from the Alliance to later join forces with the Horde.
• Mounted Combat: Rides a horse into battle, which probably attributes to his Lightning Bruiser status.
• The Neidermeyer: Extremely dismissive of the non-human soldiers under his command, and tries to have Kael'thas and his men killed when he returns from battle to find them working with naga. He's presumably more amiable towards human soldiers, but we don't really get to see it before he is killed.
• Noble Bigot: He's bigoted yes, but he's also willing to overlook it and work with some non-humans, as with the Dwarves (though he still disparaged them), and no one can argue his goals (Saving Lordaeron, defeating the Scourge) aren't noble, nor does he go back on his side of his deal with Sylvanas or betray her. However, his attempts to execute Kael'thas and his men really brings down the Noble part.
• Nominal Hero: He's a despicable person, with little to no redeeming quality, but is fighting the Scourge to reclaim his homeland.
• Offscreen Moment of Awesome: Managed to get all the way to Lordaeron's capital city and (considering his position once he's controlled) through it before getting mind controlled.
• One-Handed Zweihänder: He wields a full-sized battleaxe in one hand.
• The Paladin: In Warcraft III he uses the custom class Dark Knight, half of whose skill set is based on the Paladin hero unit.
• Rank Scales with Asskicking: Leader of the Alliance remnants in Lordaeron and a nigh unstoppable fighter in his own right.
• Right for the Wrong Reasons: He was right in that the Naga couldn't be trusted, considering their slaughtering of Night Elves and Humans. But Garithos didn't know any of that, and his only reason for not trusting them was simply because they weren't human.
• Screw You, Elves!: Subverted; he seems to think he is doing this in-universe, but Kael never acted arrogant toward him while working under his orders, and he was so pointlessly an asshole about it that he really came out as the smug one.
• Self-Fulfilling Prophecy: Kael'thas eventually became an egotist mana addict who willingly dealt with a demon lord, instigating events that could have possibly lead to the destruction of all Azeroth. However it's generally agreed Garithos' decisions damned Kael and forced him into the desperate situations he was faced with. Also, Garithos had no way of knowing Kael's future actions and his abuse of Kael came purely from his bigotry against non-humans as he dissed Kael even when Kael was serving him loyally and effectively.
• Small Role, Big Impact: Ultimately, Garithos' role in the narrative of Warcraft III is a short one, starting with his poor treatment of Kael'thas and his forces, and ending with his death at Sylvanas' hands cementing the Forsaken's control over Capital City. Yet his actions have left a lasting legacy in World of Warcraft: Dalaran was able to be restored and resume a role in major world events due to his forces retaking the city from the undead, the Forsaken were able to turn the Undercity into their base of operations thanks to his forces aiding them to push out Balnazzar from Capital City, and the Blood Elves eventually joined the Horde due to a mistrust of the Alliace as a result of Garithos attempting to have their people executed.
• Sole Survivor: He's the known living member of Othmar's family, who hasn't perished during the Second War, and the only high-ranking survivor of Lordaeron's military after the Scourge's rampage across the land.
• Super Mode: Able to use the Mountain King ability Avatar which makes him much more powerful and immune to spells.
• Tempting Fate: "The only good non-human is a dead non-human." Oh, Sylvanas certainly fits that description to a tee.
• Token Evil Teammate: To the Alliance in general. Very few, if any, Alliance characters have displayed the wanton racism that Garithos embodies, let alone take it to the extreme that he does.
• Tragic Bigot: According to Creative Development, when asked about his past, it is explained he fought the Horde during the Second War in Quel'Thalas when it was razed, but while he was doing so, his village got destroyed by a detachment of orcs and his family killed. This led to Garithos deciding that the elves diverted forces away from the Alliance's true goal: the defense of humanity alone.
• Undignified Death: Not only is he killed with a single stroke of Rain of Fire, but his body is immediately desecrated by a pack of ghouls that start devouring him.
• Ungrateful Bastard:
  • Officials from neighboring non-human states such as Ironforge and the ruined Quel'Thalas recognize him as the last remnant of Lordaeron's government, and sent him aid. What did he do? Give Kael'thas and the blood elves a suicide mission in the hope they all would perish before the Scourge, and treat his dwarven allies like a dirt.
  • Played with concerning Sylvanas. Though he was distrustful of her offer for an alliance due to her being an elf and undead, he was grateful for him and his men being freed from the demons' control and generally treated her as an equal as a commander during the attack on Capital City, deferring to her strategy to retake the city. Although after the battle he resumes his usual behavior and calls her and Varimathras "wretched animals" when demanding that they leave the city, his initial decision to trust her is what leads to his death.
• Unwitting Pawn: Sylvanas had no intention of ever making good on her offer of getting Lordaeron back for the Alliance, planning on betraying him all along to deal a blow to the Scourge and claim Capital City for her own and for the newly-founded Forsaken.
• Uriah Gambit: Purposefully sent Kael'thas and the Blood Elves on a suicide mission, ultimately forcing them to enlist the aid of the Naga against the Scourge.
• The Worf Effect: Garithos' class, the Dark Knight, is a significantly powerful class that combines the Paladin's healing capabilities with the Mountain King's anti-magic Avatar form and the Tauren Chieftain's Shockwave ability, leading to a very powerful frontliner character that is showcased with his few combat appearances in the campaign. Nevertheless, he's killed through one use of Varimathras' Rain of Fire ability.
• You Are in Command Now: After most of Lordaeron's military command was killed and the Silver Hand was fighting on a seperate front in Lordaeron, he was left in charge of its military forces.

Aedelas Blackmoore

Aedelas Blackmoore

Class: Warrior

Master of Durnholde Keep and head of the orcish internment camp system. Found the orphaned Thrall after the murder of his parents and raised him, intending to make him into a general that would lead the orcs into taking over Lordaeron for Blackmoore. Having mistreated the orc as he raised him, Thrall ran away, eventually finding his way back to the clan he came from. When Thrall took control of the Horde and freed the orcs from the internment camps, he laid siege to Durnholde, eventually killing Blackmoore.

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• The Alcoholic: A very heavy drinker, to the point of going into battle while affected by alcohol. He also makes some of his worst decisions while drunk.
• Arch-Enemy: To Thrall. In both main and alternate timeline.
• Alcohol-Induced Idiocy: Blackmoore is drunk when Thrall shows up to Durnholde with an army, and gets the great idea of first taunting him, then throwing the decapitated head of Thrall's friend Taretha Foxton at his feet to break his spirit. This just ends up pissing him off.
• Ambition Is Evil: He had grand ambitions to make himself king of Lordaeron. In an alternate timeline he succeeds, though not the way he had planned in the main timeline.
• Beard of Evil: His neatly trimmed goatee makes him look all the more sinister.
• Cornered Rattlesnake: Blackmoore is a coward who is willing to abandon his stronghold and men to the orcs if it means saving his own skin. But when a vengeful Thrall corners him, Blackmoore surprises the Warchief by putting up a much longer fight than most human fighters could.
• Decapitation Presentation: In a fit of drunken madness, he has Taretha executed and tosses her head at Thrall's feet.
• Dirty Coward: He cares about his own life first and foremost, and runs from battle when the tide is turned against him. He even has a secret passage tunnel under Durnholde for such an occasion.
• Didn't Think This Through: Blackmoore's plan is masterfully planned but not flawless. He didn't count on the possibility that Thrall and Taretha would become close friends, form a strong bond that she would consider him a surrogate brother. Which would lead to her aid his escape from Durnholde. He also never realize Thrall would be intelligent enough to not be easily manipulated and used, and have a thought of his own, more importantly has wisdom and leadership to rally the Horde against him.
• Duel to the Death: Thrall grants him one last fight to the death between the two during the Battle of Durnholde.
• Freudian Excuse: We're never given the full details, but his father was apparently a traitor of some kind. The stigma of that is at least part of the reason why he's such a bitter cruel man, and a miserable drunkard.
• The Ghost: In "Escape From Durnholde Keep", he is referred to multiple times and adventurers fight through his men while trying to free Thrall, including killing Captain Skarloc, also known as "Blackmoore's Spear". Blackmoore himself never shows up, however.
• Good Scars, Evil Scars: He has a scar running down over his left eye, which adds to his sinister appearance.
• Go Out with a Smile: Dies with a smile on his face, remarking with pride how Thrall became what he raised him to be.
• Hate Sink:
  • Blackmoore is an abusive and cowardly man who represents the very worst of humanity to Thrall. Even when he's sober, he makes it clear to Thrall that he owns him, highlighting the orc's name to mean slave. When he's drunk, all bets are off. He's domestically abusive to Taretha, which culminates to her untimely death, and he intends to overthrow King Terenas with an army of orc slaves. It's not surprising that Orgrim Doomhammer compares him to Gul'dan of all people when Thrall describes his upbringing in Durnholde.
  • In an alternate timeline where Thrall died as an infant and thus never had a chance to lead the Orcish Horde, Blackmoore takes out his violent aggression on his own countrymen, ultimately bringing destruction upon Lordaeron and slaying both King Terenas and Uther the Lightbringer. Blackmoore doesn't even have the excuse of wielding the cursed sword Frostmourne to bring the same annihilation to Lordaeron that Arthas did in the original timeline.
• Hero Killer: In an alternate timeline, in addition to having killed Thrall long before he could become Warchief, he fulfills the role of the destroyer of Lordaeron in place of Arthas, killing King Terenas and Uther the Lightbringer among countless others.
• Hidden Agenda Villain: He intends to make Thrall a general of an army of orcs made up from the prisoners in the internment camps, and send them against splinting Alliance to conquer Lordaeron for him.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: Blackmoore raised Thrall to be the perfect warrior who could lead the orc armies against the rest of the human Alliance. Thrall did eventually become the Warchief of the Horde... and then led his army against Blackmoore.
• Irony: One of the greatest ironies of history, as his decision to raise Thrall would result in the outcome he never anticipated. See Nice Job Fixing It, Villain below.
• Kick the Dog: Very abusive of Thrall and Taretha, but the standout example has to be executing Taretha and throwing her head at Thrall's feet to try and break his spirit. This proves to be a horrible, horrible mistake.
• Killed Off for Real: Slain by Thrall before the Third War. In the alternate timeline he was slain by Thrall before he could accomplish a task given by the Infinite dragonflight.
• Laughing Mad: When Blackmoore realizes just how badly he pissed off Thrall, he snaps and laughs madly while staggering away.
• Liquid Courage: While a very capable warrior in his own right, he confesses to himself that his courage on the battlefield is boosted by alcohol.
• Nice Job Fixing It, Villain: His intention to raise the orcs as an army to dominate the Alliance for him, had paved the way for the restoration and revitalization of the Horde by raising Thrall. Who would restore its shamanistic roots and reform the Horde.
• Pet the Dog: Blackmoore is capable of occasional kindness and civility when sober or not temperamental and impatient, and being concerned of how his actions affected others.
  • Retroactively, but shortly before their final confrontation, Thrall realizes that he actually does have a few happy memories of Blackmoore. While Blackmoore himself is genuinely proud of Thrall who become what he always wanted.
  "You are... what I made you... I am so proud...."
  • Despite the very abusive relationship, and rough sex with Taretha. Blackmoore is deeply in love with her, alas any feeling he has for her shattered as soon as he learned Taretha help Thrall escape, and has been writing to him for years.
• Rank Up: Blackmoore goes from being a lieutenant (though one with a lordship) to becoming a Lieutenant General as master of the orcish internment camps.
• Screw This, I'm Outta Here: When he realizes that Durnholde is doomed, he tries to run away using his secret escape tunnel, but is intercepted by Thrall.
• Smug Snake: Ambitious, arrogant and way too sure in the success of his plans.
• Then Let Me Be Evil: Implied. His own father, General Aedelyn Blackmoore, was a traitor who sold state secrets when Aedelas was just a child, an action that left much stigma on the Blackmoore name and forced him to continuously prove to others that he was not like his father. Despite that, when he had the opportunity he decided to raise Thrall to lead an army to take over Lordaeron. Either treason truly did run In the Blood, or Aedelas hated it so much that people thought he'd be like his father that he eventually did became a traitor out of resentment.
• Undignified Death: Alternate timeline Blackmoore begs Thrall for mercy in his final moment. Ironically, Main timeline Blackmoore seems to have enough valor to stand against the raging Warchief, and more acceptance of his death.
• We Can Rule Together: Offers Thrall one last chance to work together with him during their Duel to the Death, but Thrall refuses.

Others

Falric

Captain Falric

Class: Warrior (Later Death Knight)

Also known as just the Captain, Falric was one of the officers serving under Prince Arthas' command during the Scourge. He loyally followed his prince into the frozen wastes of Northrend, but after Arthas turned he was slain and raised as a death knight. He since followed Arthas as he slew his own father and laid waste to Lordaeron.

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• Badass Cape: Reforged adds a long flowing cape to his new model, making him look even more blinged out.
• Black Knight: Arthas raises him as a death knight after killing him.
• Bling of War: As a sign of his rank, the Captain's armor features golden decorations. Even his sword is golden!
• Cool Helmet: Stands out from the Footmen by wearing a very impressive helmet with gold wings.
• Decomposite Character: In Warcraft III, there's only one Captain under Arthas, but lorewise he had at least three under his command. In the novel Arthas, most of the original Captain's role is given to Falric, who is also accompanied by his fellow captain Marwyn, while the captain in the mission where Arthas sinks his own ships is named Luc Valonforth in Wrath of the Lich King.
• Knightly Sword and Shield: Like the Footmen, the Captain also carries a sword and shield and is a heroic figure in full plate.
• Luckily, My Shield Will Protect Me: Like the footmen, he carries a shield to defend himself and can deflect ranged attacks back at the enemy. He even retains the shield as a death knight when you fight him in the Halls of Reflection.
• Mauve Shirt: In Warcraft III he's a minor character without a name who follows Arthas throughout the Human Campaign and helps lead his forces.
• No Name Given: He is only known as the Captain in Warcraft III, but was given a name in Arthas.
• Number Two: He's Arthas' second-in-command, leading the forces under him and offering strategic advice.

Jorad Mace

Jorad Mace

Class: Paladin

Once a paladin in service to Prince Arthas Menethil, Jorad Mace is haunted by his failure to stop his prince from destroying Lordaeron, which caused him to lose his connection to Light. Was on the verge of death following the destruction of Lordaeron, but was saved by the mysterious Borel, also known as the dragon Krasus. Waiting in Tarren Mill, he encounters the blue dragons Kalecgos and Tyrygosa and the mysterious young girl Anveena. He aids them in their search for Borel and the Sunwell, eventually culminating in the discovery that Anveena was the Sunwell in human form all along.

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• The Atoner: Haunted by his inability to stop Arthas and goes out of his way to atone for his failure.
• Big Damn Heroes: Shows up to aid the group against Dar'Khan Drathir near the end of the first volume of The Sunwell Trilogy, which turns the battle in their favor.
• Helmets Are Hardly Heroic: Never wears a helmet, even in the company of other paladins who do.
• Holy Hand Grenade: Able to set orcs ablaze with the Light after regaining his connection to it.
• Interspecies Romance: Falls in love with the blue dragon Tyrygosa, who takes the humanoid form of a high elf.
• Knight in Shining Armor: A bit on the sour side initially, favoring leaving behind Anveena's friends to help her see Borel. He quickly steps back up to the plate when he comes to the rescue and proves himself to be a true Knight of the Silver Hand.
• Light 'em Up: While he's unable to call upon the Light in The Sunwell Trilogy, he ends up calling upon the Light again in Shadow Wing.
• The Paladin: An ex-paladin for a good long while, but he regains the title when he regains use of the Light.
• Perma-Stubble: Has a constantly unshaven face that threatens to grow into a full beard.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: Unlike most of the characters from The Sunwell Trilogy, Jorad has not made any significant appearance in the game aside from minor cameos in Outland and the Sanctum of Light. Chronicles doesn't even mention him at all, leaving either him or his role in the story potentially retconned.
• You Don't Look Like You: His appearance in game doesn't even try to match how he looks in the manga, being grey-haired with a goatee and using different equipment.

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