Who is the Lich King in World of Warcraft?

Even years (and several expansions) after his defeat, the Lich King’s presence can still be felt through out the story of World of Warcraft, and to many players he is the defining antagonist. But in case you’re new to the franchise, or just haven’t been following the lore too closely, here’s a lore primer on who the Lich King is in World of Warcraft.

Origins of the Lich King in World of Warcraft

The Lich King was a title held by several characters within the story of Warcraft, and signified the leader of the undead Scourge faction. The first bearer was an Orc from the planet Draenor named Ner’zhul, who was sent to Azeroth to disrupt it’s defenses so that the demonic Burning Legion could invade. After betraying the Legion and finding his powers beginning to fade, he fused with his Human disciple Arthas Menethil to become the being most people associate with the role. After his defeat at the climax of the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, the role was assumed by another Human named Bolvar Fordragon in order to prevent a leaderless Scourge rampaging uncontrollably.

The Lich King’s traditional base of power is atop Icecrown Citadel in Northrend, where he controls the undead on Azeroth using an artifact called the Helm of Domination. He is also known to wield Frostmourne, an enchanted sword with the ability to absorb souls.

Who is Ner’zhul in World of Warcraft?

On the Orc homeworld of Draenor, Ner’zhul was a shaman who was manipulated by the Demons of the Burning Legion into leading the Orc invasion of Azeroth. When he failed he was captured by a leader of the Burning Legion called Kil’jaeden, who tore his soul from his body and imprisoned it within a block of ice alongside the Helm of Domination and the runeblade Frostmourne. Sent to Azeroth, Ner’zhul was instructed to ‘soften up’ the world’s defenses to make the Demon’s invasion easier.

Ner’zhul and his forces were based out of Northrend, a frozen continent on Azeroth’s north side, though he was able to direct the attacks of the Scourge using the Helm of Domination. Seeking to escape his imprisonment, however, he managed to eject Frostmourne from his icy prison and have it hidden in a cave to be found later. And the person who would find it was a Paladin called Arthas Menethil.

Who is Arthas Menethil in World of Warcraft?

Arthas is one of the chief protagonists of both Warcraft III and its expansion, The Frozen Throne, and would go on to be the second bearer of the title, sort of. Born the prince of the Human kingdom of Lordaeron and a capable Paladin in his own right, he worked to defend his homeland against the Scourge invasion. Though he fought alongside other powerful heroes like the Mage Jaina Proudmoore and his Paladin mentor Uther Lightbringer, the fruitless war against an innumerable enemy wore away at Arthas. Eventually he would begin to embrace more extreme methods, including culling the inhabitants of the city of Stratholme in order to stop the spread of the Undead plague.

Desperate and alienated from his friends, Arthas would chase the Lich King’s agents to Northrend where he would stumble upon the sword Frostmourne in a cave. Arthas took up the sword, believing he could use it to destroy the Scourge, but instead he fell under the Lich King’s sway and became the foremost of his Death Knights. Returning to his homeland, Arthas would slay his own father and sow destruction in Elven lands, eventually helping summon the Burning Legion to Azeroth.

With the Legion’s attention on the conquest of Azeroth, Ner’zhul and Arthas worked to undermine their Demonic masters and strengthen their own hand. Due to their interference, the invasion failed and the Lich King refused to aid the now weakened Legion. In retaliation, the Demon Hunter Illidan Stormrage was sent to strike at Ner’zhul himself, and Arthas was forced to return to Northrend in order to defend his master. Defeating Illidan, Arthas then ascended to the peak of Icecrown Citadel and used Frostmourne to shatter the Frozen Throne that imprisoned his master. Placing the Helm of Domination upon his head, Arthas’ and Ner’zhul’s souls were fused and together they became a new and empowered Lich King.

This Lich King would meet his end at the climax of the Icecrown Citadel Raid in WoW, where the Paladin Tirion Fordring would interrupt his plan to resurrect his would-be assassins as undead minions. Tirion would use the holy sword Ashbringer to shatter Frostmourne, releasing the souls of all those Arthas had reaped over the years. Weakened, the Lich King died in the arms of King Terenas Menethil, Arthas’ father.

Who is Bolvar Fordragon in World of Warcraft?

During the events of WoW’s Wrath of the Lich King expansion, both Horde and Alliance sent expeditions to Northrend to finally put an end to the Scourge menace. One of the Alliance leaders was Bolvar Fordragon, a venerated Paladin who had acted as regent of the Human capital of Stormwind. At the Battle of the Wrath Gate, however, he was slain by a treacherous faction of the Forsaken before being resurrected and taken to Icecrown Citadel. Tortured and suspended above the Frozen Throne, he was only freed after the Lich King was slain by a party of adventurers.

Before passing on, King Menethil warned that without a Lich King to corral them the remaining undead would run rampant and threaten the living still. In order to stop them Tirion intended to take up the Helm of Domination, but was stopped by Bolvar who determined he should bear the burden instead. Bolvar sat upon the Frozen Throne and became the third and final Lich King.

Bolvar would be significantly more passive than his predecessors, but he would aid in the defense of Azeroth during the Legion expansion by helping to arm Death Knight players with powerful Artifact Weapons, including a pair of blades reforged from the shards of Frostmourne. His reign would come to an end a few expansions later as Sylvanas Windrunner defeated him and shattered the Helm of Domination in order to open a path to the Shadowlands. Bolvar would survive and continue to work to defend Azeroth, but with the helm’s destruction the position of Lich King was gone forever.

If you enjoyed this article or found it helpful, be sure to check out some of Siliconera’s other pieces such as Who is Anduin Wrynn? or the Best Raids in World of Warcraft.

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