Does racism exist in wow.

[MikeBogina]

Of course racism exists in WoW. Look at Garithos and the blood elves. A good example would be Garrosh's Horde.

Orcs are especially racist most of the time, I mean, Garrosh...

most Elves do look down on other races too.

Ya'll are haters. Garrosh was very inclusive in his True Horde. He said numerous times that any race that showed they would be of use had a place in the Horde and it was even planned for his Horde to have a bunch of other races join... but blizzard got lazy and didn't add them.

[Deleted]

In a universe with several prominent races, racism is very prevalent.

However, Blizzard also does a fairly good job showing how these races can unite agains't a common foe (the legion) - which is very common in space exploration sci-fi (kind of like Mass Effect, racism within humanity doesn't really exist in that universe).

[Destinas]

Even in Legion racism is blatantly present, as well as a key lore point in some zones.

The Nightborne believe they are better than all outsiders, but they particularly look down upon all the other elves. Elisande berates every present elven race at the gates of Nighthold, calling Night Elves no better than Trolls and High Elves "pretend nobles." The kindest thing she says is that she thought Blood Elves would understand her situation the best, but she's disappointed that they threw their lot in with the other elves. In return, most other elves are fairly racist to one another for various reasons - a world quest in Suramar is from Tyrande telling us to rally the Nightborne against Elisande, which ends with her saying "The more Nightborne that rally against Elisande, the fewer of my people that will die in the rebellion." Tyrande also doesn't trust Thalyssra at all, while Vereesa and Liadrin cause trouble for one another. There's also a specific quest where Night Elves, High Elves, and Blood Elves are playing "pranks" on one another, but they're all just blatantly racist or hateful items - like a Troll mask with the note "You forgot this" and such.

Highmountain Tauren and Drogbar hate each other for no reason at all. They were once allies due to Huln after the War of the Ancients, but there's no stated reason why they grew to be hateful/distrustful of one another. Of course, Dargrul stole the Hammer of Khaz'goroth, but they were distant and hateful before that as well, with it stated in-game that they tried to keep to themselves. Even moments before Dargrul stole the Hammer, he and Torok are depicted being aggressive with one another in the comic about the Highmountain Tribes. While Navarogg and the Stonedark Drogbar have become allies of Highmountain, they were still scared and unwelcome at first, simply because they were Drogbar.

-Worgen hate Forsaken because Sylvanas took over Gilneas and killed Prince Liam.
-Forest Trolls hate High/Blood Elves because the elves took over a sacred Amani site and made Silvermoon and the Sunwell there.
-Goblins and Gnomes may not outright hate each other, but they dispute over technology, and they don't trust one another at all. Even on the Steambarge in Thousand Needles, they're willing to brawl in a bar pretty easily.
-Draenei were originally afraid of Broken, because they didn't want them bringing their "disease" to the healthy Draenei. Even now, Broken are mostly found in their own towns on Outland, or segregated in places like the Exodar, where they are either shown as shamans or laborers.
-Frenzyheart Wolvar and Gorloc Oracles hate each other quite a bit in Sholazar Basin. They're actively shown fighting often, and we had to choose a rep to champion, while being hated with the other.
-Wildhammer Dwarves and Dragonmaw Orcs are shown to dislike each other, despite both living in the same area because they were both driven out of Grim Batol in the past on separate occasions.

There are plenty of other racially motivated disputes in WoW. It's always going to be part of the lore, and it's not that hard to find.

[faithbane]

Does racism exist in world of warcraft?

Garithos sais hello

[Ejmis]

There is racism between the races obviously, but I'm yet to find an example where racism exists in races - such as discrimination based on skin colours. I.E A black human vs a white human.

[Irian]

Uhhhhh....yes?

Racism is basically the core of the Warcraft franchise. Orcs use the slur "pigskin" for humans. Humans downright consider orcs beasts, as well as most Horde racists. Even between allied races, a human general in Blasted Lands voices his distaste for the worgen, saying something along the lines of "As if the Draenei weren't bad enough..."

The entire faction war is basically a race-war. Aside from a few specific exceptions such as Valeera, you will never see for example an orc with the Alliance or a dwarf with the Horde.

If you mean skin color, though, no that doesn't seem to exist at all in the Warcraft universe. It actually kinda makes sense that it wouldn't; with the drastic difference between your allies and enemies' species, skin color is a pretty minor detail.

[Arrashi]

No, and legendary hero Garrosh "Jin'ocide" Hellscream proved that.

[FuxieDK]

most Elves do look down on other races too.

.....while every other race looks down on elves

[mittacc]

More like specism?

[Loveliest]

Brigitte Abbendis and the Scarlet Crusade come to mind. When she was part of the Paladins of the Silver Hand, she and other opposed having other races than human in it. Maxwell Tyrosus asked several times for it and eventually they splintered over the argument, Tyrosus joining the new Argent Dawn that allowed all races in.

Another example that comes to mind is Ravencrest and his follower (Desdel Stareye) refusing to let other races (tauren, dwarves) help in the war of the Ancients considering them crude and more trouble than they are worth. They were called to join only after Jarod took lead, even if he pushed for it from the beginning.

[caervek]

Most of the points here seem to be speciesism not racism.

[endersblade]

Was that a statement or a question?

I wonder whose...burner...account this is?

[Deleted]

I'm not sure racism is the right word here. Xenophobia? In either case it's well justified in my opinion; imagine being 10 000 years old, and watching a race whose elderly are mere 100. They're like children, who can never hope to even being to understand what life is. Or imagine being a human and one day a portal opens with hordes of primitive beasts coming through, killing your people and sacking your city. Just think about Forsaken in general: that shit ain't natural

Honestly if anything I'm surprised how well the races get along. Mostly for the mmorpg purpose I suppose

[lockybalboa]

Go youtube Lord Garithos.

[Soulwind]

Most of the points here seem to be speciesism not racism.

No need to be that technical about a fantasy universe where most species can breed with any other. The concept of genus is immediately thrown out of the window.

All humanoid creatures in Warcraft can be considered human for a topic such as racism. Even the the OP suggest a 'speciesist' answer in the first place.

If Earth had different humanoid races, then perhaps the distinction would be relevant.

[Ejmis]

Most of the points here seem to be speciesism not racism.

This pretty much.

[Deleted]

Most of the points here seem to be speciesism not racism.

Ok, how about the green orcs thinking brown orcs are inferior.
And most orcs thinking peons are a lower class and deserve beating based on their looks?

How about the races of elves among eachother?
Or the 3 dwarf clans among eachother?
Trolls, the Zandalari thinking the other trolls are inferior?

[caervek]

Ok, how about the green orcs thinking brown orcs are inferior.
And most orcs thinking peons are a lower class and deserve beating based on their looks?

How about the races of elves among eachother?
Or the 3 dwarf clans among eachother?
Trolls, the Zandalari thinking the other trolls are inferior?

I said most, not all.

[Aucald]

TLDR;
...Genus, Species, Race
...Genus, Species, Magic?<-->Race?

Same Intelligence, Different Species --> Xenophobia"Speciesism"
Same Intelligence, Same Species, Different Race --> Racism

Warcraft is more about Xenophobia

It's funny you bring up speciesism because it sounds like that was OP's real question. I think that "speciesism" is more Xenophobia and ignorance and actual racism exist only in members of the same species. Does magical corruption effect the specie's biology create hatred within said species or is simple Xenophobia? "I hate you because your different and I don't/won't understand why?" Most of that can be explained by how well most subraces of Orcs, Elves, Trolls etc work together.

Elves that despite the superior and haughty attitude still acknowledge a common ancestry with pride despite the mistakes that have been made. Orcs may come in Brown, Green and even Grey but they seemed to work well together in Draenor just as the Elves did in Suramar. Trolls came together repeatedly in Zul'Aman, Zul'Gurub and awakening the Thunder King. Pandaren get along just fine until choosing a faction. Most Titanborne like Dwarves, Mogu, Gnomes, Vrykul actually transcend their races between Metal and Flesh (If it can be cured is it a race?) Humans and Undead are tricky as one cannot reproduce and is still the same species with a condition that separates their appearance. In every instance of those races joining together they were doing so to wipe out everything that was not them, Xenocide.

Undead/Forsaken could be accepted into Human society but face immediate prejudice right off the bat. The fear or corruption, negative stereotypes or still being Scourge, the Religion of the Light will only classify them as damned, and personal appearance seem to frighten and instill hate for what they are. That is a clear example of targeting a member of your own original species that was separated and perceived as a threat before judgment can be made. In the end they are/were classified as human at birth no matter what they do in life/undeath. If you can call undeath a sub-race then I would say racism but if you call it a whole new type of being unclassifiable by science then it falls back to Xenophobia.

I'm sorry I get so long winded on this but this does seems like an interesting concept. Might even write my own short fiction about it...

The term "race" itself is kind of an abstraction even in real life - its usage is nebulous and depends largely on the context in which you're using it. Speciesism would be the true technical term that defines these behaviors in the Warcraft universe - but since we term the other species as "races" I used racism for clarity. Xenophobia is pretty much the prime underpinning of all racism and/or speciesism in any case - fear of that which is different from us, fear of different cultures or value-structures that are incompatible or outright opposed to our own (with the implication of superiority/inferiority depending on one's perspective).

The Warcraft universe offers a very interesting lens into what a world with multiple intelligent species would be like - it's not a quandary we find ourselves in on Earth, and we still find the time to create arbitrary distinctions and separations. The species within the Warcraft universe do the same as well, in Garrosh's short-story "Heart of War" he observes that many Orcs look askance at the Mag'har and find them implicitly smug or more superior because they don't bear the mark of corruption on their skin (e.g. they're not green but the regular Orcish brown). Some Forsaken, as well, implicitly judge the more rotted or anatomically compromised among them as lesser - leading to some Forsaken adopting makeshift prostheses to fit in a little better (a very "human" trait for a race defined by undeath).

[TheFirstOnes]

Of course it exists....

I mean, look at the Eredar, and the Draenei.

Look at the Nightborne/Nightfallen.

Look at the Blue dragons/Withered.

And, lastly, take a look at Kil'jaeden/Velen's rivalry. Sure, it's not ALL Bent on racism, but it's still there. It just doesn't get shed as much light, though.

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Yes, soooooo many people hate us gnomes

We don't hate Gnomes...

We just hate...well...everything having to do with them...

We also hate your representative, AKA Keemstar.

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My boy Go-el was treating like a negro by the humans.

That is, Until a badass Abe lincoln came down from the skies, while riding a Bald Eagle, saving ALL Of the Orc Slaves from their slave camps....

Oh wait, forgot...this is Warcraft...so...have to be more realistic!

*Clears throat*

Thrall killed everyone there, freed himself, and some slaves, only to make the new horde. From there on, he did some random shit with other races, while beating up a Blue big ass fel-smurf.

Now, he's some hippy on retirement...

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Ironically, some races in WoW seem more prone to racism than others.
But the most simple and obvious example if the Human/Orc dynamic. Humans think Orcs are a bunch of overly aggressive towering brutes hardly capable of coherent thought, Orcs think Humans are a bunch of pathetic weaklings, not only in body but in spirit as well.

But honestly, I couldn't even imagine fiction without a hearty dose of racism. In fantasy and certain kinds of science fiction I'm usually a fervent racist myself, usually against Elves and for Dwarves when given the choice
Others have this thing about Gnomes...

Humans: Orcs are brutes...

Orcs: Human's are weak....

*Years later*

Human Pally: Sup man. Ready to kick Kil'jaeden's ass?

Orc Warrior: Yep! Wanna duel, after?

Human pally: Fuck yeah....

Orc Warrior: I'll die, though. Why? Cause, fucking bubble.

Human Pally:

Orc Warrior:

Kil'jaeden: ...