Gul'dan (alternate)

“

"We are chosen to be something greater, something darker, something glorious!" - Gul'dan

”

For info and lore on the character prior to the events of Warlords of Draenor, see Gul'dan.

Gul'dan
Title(s)	Leader of the Iron Horde Lord of the Shadow Council Betrayer of the Orcs
Gender	Male
Race(s)	Fel orc
Race	Unknown
Character class	Shaman (Formerly) Warlock
Affiliation	Unnamed clan (Formerly) Shadow Council[citation needed] Burning Legion Iron Horde (Formerly) Burning Legion
Position	Former Leader of the Iron Horde Lord of the Shadow Council
Location	Shadowmoon Valley Suramar Palace , Various Locations (WoW)
Status	Deceased
Mentor(s)	Ner'zhul, Kil'jaeden, Archimonde
Student(s)	Cho'gall

Gul'dan, from an alternate timeline, was a mag'har orc shaman who became the first warlock and Lord of the Shadow Council. Known to be the Betrayer of the Orcs like the one in the original timeline, Gul'dan wiped out his own clan, and planned to deliver Draenor to the alternate version of the Burning Legion in return of servitude.

Biography

Harbingers: Gul'dan

Born on Draenor, no one now living has heard of the village where Gul'dan was born. He was born crippled, weak and deformed, which made him a target for constant mockery and abuse ever since his childhood. He knew that he was meant for more than his clan would ever allow of him, and he hated them for it. One day, the other clan members grew so tired of the runt's refusal to accept his place in the clan that they beat him repeatedly in an attempt to rid themselves of him once and for all. As the chieftain was about to beat him again, the elderly shaman of the clan stopped him, saying that he had tried and failed to help Gul'dan find his place in the clan. Laying a hand on Gul'dan's shoulder, the elder said, not unkindly, that there was nothing more he could do for him, but that he had always believed there was greatness within him. He then adviced the runt to seek out the Throne of the Elements, for perhaps there he would find his destiny. In response, Gul'dan angrily beat his hand away. The chieftain then banished Gul'dan to the wastes outside the village, saying that there he would come to understand what it meant to have no people.

After months of starvation and wandering alone through the wastes, Gul'dan began to consider that the safety of a clan might be better than endless suffering. The bitterness that had sustained him all his life ate at him until nothing was left. After barely fighting off a group of giant carrion birds, he collapsed onto the ground. When he awoke, he heeded the old shaman's words and made his way to the Throne of the Elements, where he offered himself in the service of whatever would end his anguish. In response, the spirits of fire, earth, water and air erupted from the standing stones and began to swirl around him like rays of light. Just as he was about to touch them, the elements mysteriously recoiled from him, and the ray of light twisted into a tendril of shadow before vanishing. The elements had abandoned him, and Gul'dan was alone once again as rain began to pour. A single drop fell from his forehead into the pool of water in which he was kneeling, and in the absence of the furies, other voices began to whisper. They offered him a gift, and in return, he would become the harbinger of their fury.

When Gul'dan returned to his village, he was draped in tattered robes, the clan elder and the chieftain spotted him, the latter furiously approached him, saying that Gul'dan was never allowed to return to his people. In reply, Gul'dan roared that he has no people, before gripping the chieftain's face and causing him to erupt with fel energy, instantly killing him. Gul'dan then went on a rampage, burning down his village and killing all of his former brethren. When Gul'dan saw the shaman who had saved his life months earlier, he gripped his shoulder and thanked him, saying that he had found his destiny, before killing him as well. He then claimed the shaman's staff and left the burning ruins of his birthplace behind forever.

Triumphant in Draenor

This section concerns content exclusive to Warlords of Draenor.

Gul'Dan, as seen in World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor.

Utterly obsessed with obtaining more power, Gul'dan traveled across Draenor and gathered followers. He later agreed to a secret alliance with the Burning Legion, a destructive army from beyond the stars. Believing the Legion to be his path to godhood, Gul'dan voluntarily drank the blood of Mannoroth. The blood transformed his visage into something hideous, bent and twisted by demonic energies. With his lieutenants, he formed the nefarious Shadow Council.

Gul'dan intended to subjugate the orcs for the Burning Legion by convincing the legendary warlord Grommash Hellscream to drink demon blood as well. Three days prior to the intended ceremony Gul'dan underwent his own transformation after drinking Mannoroth's blood, only to be visited by a mysterious messenger representing Grommash Hellscream, having come to inquire about the warlock's intentions for the orcs. Gul'dan replied that he had been granted knowledge and second sight by the demons of the Burning Legion showing him the glory the orcs would gain in service to them. However the messenger rebuffed these claims, stating that though the orcs would have power, it would make them slaves and that though Gul'dan thinks he's a god, he is in reality a god in chains. Having heard enough, and his once brown skin now turned green, Gul'dan ordered his guards to remove the messenger. However, his guards were quickly dispatched and Gul'dan demanded to know what Hellscream's answer is. The messenger replied that he has no confusion regarding Gul'dan's intentions and that Grommash would be at the ceremony where the orcs would embrace their true destiny. 

Gul'dan summoned all the orcish clans of Draenor to the peak of Tanaan Jungle to offer them the blood of the pit lord Mannoroth. As Gul'dan hoped, the first one to take the cup was Grommash Hellscream, Warchief of the Warsong Clan. On the eve of his victory, he beckoned Hellscream to drink the blood and to claim his destiny, promising him that they would all be conquerors. However, since Garrosh Hellscream had come from the future to prevent his father and the orcish clans from drinking Mannoroth's blood and had informed the orcish clans of their fate should they accept, Grommash questioned Gul'dan on what they would have to give up in return for this power. Gul'dan told him, "Everything." As a response, Grommash rejected the offering, and refused to become a slave to the Burning Legion. Angered by Grommash's disrespect and his plan failing, Gul'dan then backed away as Mannoroth himself appeared, intending to wipe out the orcs.

However, Mannoroth was killed after Grommash managed to plunge his axe, Gorehowl, into the pit lord's skull. Gul'dan was then apprehended by Garrosh and subsequently imprisoned along with the rest of his Shadow Council when the Iron Horde was formed. He, along with Cho'gall and Teron Gorefiend, were used to power up the Dark Portal in order for the Iron Tide to invade Azeroth. Eventually, they were freed by Alliance or Horde adventurers that were tasked with destroying the portal to stop the Iron Horde's invasion.

Once the respective commanders of the Alliance or Horde have established a garrison (Frostwall in Frostfire Ridge or Lunarfall in Shadowmoon Valley) and strengthened themselves against Draenor's dangers, Archmage Khadgar returns to task the commanders with attempting to capture Gul'dan.

After the deaths of several of the Iron Horde's warlords, Gul'dan later approaches Grommash Hellscream, mocking him for the debacles the Iron Horde had endured. He also reveals that his son, Garrosh, is dead and throws Gorehowl to the ground to confirm it. He then offers him the option to drink the demon blood again. Grom refuses due to the emotions surrounding his son's fall, and also to preserve his honor, choosing to attack Gul'dan instead. Gul'dan stops him with magic and imprisons him, offering the remaining orcs the same choice to drink; Kilrogg accepts despite Grom's pleas.

In Shadowmoon Valley

Gul'dan established a camp in the village of Gul'var (located southwest of the garrison location) and used the village as a staging ground for future endeavors. It was here that he first experimented with fusing fel energy into his followers. Before leaving, Gul'dan was confronted by an adventurer sent by Khadgar to capture him. The adventurer tried to use a soul trap to subdue Gul'dan but he resisted the trap and quickly shielded himself. Draining the captive demon Krosnis, Gul'dan used the energy to transform his follower Razuun into an enhanced demon form. He then left Razuun to deal with the adventurer. After Razuun was slain, he mockingly dismissed his failure, claiming that the Legion would soon have thousands more to serve before teleporting away to safety.

Ruling from Hellfire Citadel

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In World of Warcraft

Warlords of Draenor

This section concerns content exclusive to Warlords of Draenor.

In World of Warcraft: Warlords of Draenor, Garrosh Hellscream, who came from the future, traveled to Draenor to prevent all the orcish clans from drinking the blood of Mannoroth. When the Legion learned of this, Gul'dan summoned Mannoroth to Draenor and made their attempt, but the plan failed when Grommash Hellscream refused to drink the blood, thanks to Garrosh, and managed to slay Mannoroth like he did in the original timeline.

Imprisoned by the Iron Horde, Gul'dan would later be freed by Alliance and Horde adventurers when they came from the world of Azeroth to stop the Iron Horde from invading. Now freed, Gul'dan decided to continue his plan in corrupting Draenor and focused on a cat-and-mouse game with Archmage Khadgar. Eventually, Gul'dan approached Grommash at Bladefury's Command in Talador, where he attempted to offer the demon's blood to Grommash once again. Grommash still refused and decided to slay Gul'dan for poisoning his kin, forcing Gul'dan to use his warlock magic to incapacitate him and take control of the Iron Horde.

During the Alliance and Horde's assault upon Hellfire Citadel, Gul'dan successfully resurrected Mannoroth, and was able to summon Archimonde the Defiler. However, when the combined forces managed to defeat the alternate-version of Archimonde, the dying eredar cast Gul'dan into a portal (apparently to the original timeline of Azeroth).

In Legion

This section concerns content exclusive to Legion.

Gul'dan owes allegiance to no one save his Burning Legion masters. In the alternate-timeline of Draenor, the power-hungry orc warlock nearly had his entire race enslaved to demons, but his plans failed. Under the Legion’s command, he was banished into Azeroth in the original prime universe.

After his defeat in Hellfire Citadel and subsequent banishment to Azeroth, Gul'dan stationed himself at the Broken Isles, freeing Illidan Stormrage from the Vault of the Wardens, who was thought to have been dead. He then opened a gateway to bring the original Burning Legion to invade Azeroth once again.

During the Battle on the Broken Shore, Gul'dan was either directly or indirectly responsible for the deaths of Tirion Fordring, Vol'jin, and Varian Wrynn.

Players reportedly face him for the final time at the Nighthold in Suramar on the Broken Isles, fighting him for the final Pillar of Creation.

Nighthold

This section concerns content that is not yet released.

Legion (Patch 7.1 PTR) spoilers →

When defeated at the Nighthold (actually betrayed by his master), Gul'dan falls down wounded, a pair of wings suddenly appear from behind him. Gul'dan turns around to his imminent executioner - Illidan, whose soul found its way back to his body. Illidan grabs Gul'dan by the neck and executes him in the same way Varian was killed, by disintegrating him with fel energy.

Quotes

• "You promised conquest, Grommash, yet brought these clans to ruin. Your men have died for nothing!"
• "Yes... I will build a new Horde. I will forge you into an unstoppable weapon. You will be the scourge of a hundred worlds, the might of a Legion."
• "Fight if you must, Hellscream. It is no matter. In the end, we all serve the Legion."
• "You will be remembered as the king who sacrificed his life, for nothing!"

Media

Images

Videos

Harbingers - Gul'dan

Nighthold In-game Cinematic Finale

Notes

• Gul'dan is voiced by Troy Baker.

Patch changes

• Patch 7.0.1 (Alpha): Appears in the Broken Isles.
  
• Patch 6.0.2 (14-October-2014): Added.
  

See also

• Gul'dan

External links

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Tanaan Jungle	Frostfire Ridge	Shadowmoon Valley
Wowhead Thottbot WoWDB	Wowhead Thottbot WoWDB	Wowhead Thottbot WoWDB