Which race is the oldest?

[Gnome]

I'm not sure which races are the oldest or how old they are or where they come from. Just thought I ask you guys, what do you believe is the oldest race? Pandaren? Lorewise!

[Al Gorefiend]

Trolls. The first primordial race on Azeroth. they lived amongst dinosaurs back when they roamed the entirety of pre-sundered Azeroth.

Draenei are unknown, but they do live for a long, long time, near immortality. They could have lived before Azeroth as a planet even existed, but we don't know.

[Gnome]

Trolls. The first primordial race on Azeroth. they lived amongst dinosaurs back when they roamed the entirety of pre-sundered Azeroth.

But Dwarfs doesn't come from the Trolls, so when did Dwarfs come to life? Also the Pandaren seem pretty ancient?

[Lord Pebbleton]

What do you mean by oldest? The first to have set foot on the world, or the one that lives the longest?

[alduron]

What do you mean by oldest? The first to have set foot on the world, or the one that lives the longest?

I think I've read somewhere that trolls were around before/at the time the titans were here, which would make them older than any races descended from their creations. I could be completely wrong though.

[Huntermyth]

since we can not be sure about the Draenei, obviously Trolls.

for those who think night elves are the oldest, i kindly remind you that night elves are created / evolved from trolls. sad but true.

[Rixis]

What races were on Azeroth before the coming of the titans?
Besides the elementals, the only known sentient races on Azeroth when the titans' forces arrived to subdue the Old Gods were the trolls, the race known as "faceless ones," and the aqir. Due to the Old Gods' war against the titans, as well as the extensive terraforming that followed the war's conclusion, records of what races existed before even the Old Gods' arrival have likely been lost forever.

http://wowpedia.org/Ask_CDev

[Al Gorefiend]

But Dwarfs doesn't come from the Trolls, so when did Dwarfs come to life? Also the Pandaren seem pretty ancient?

When the titans arrived, Trolls were already here, like cavemen. Titans created the Earthen, the ancestors of Dwarves.

[Deleted]

probably Draenei ?

[Deleted]

The Draenei already existed when Azeroth was nothing more than some dust in the proto-planetary disc.

[Rixis]

About 16,000 years ago (long before the night elves summoned the wrath of the Burning Legion), trolls lorded over much of Kalimdor, which was then a single continent. The Zandalarians were the earliest known trolls - the first tribe from which all tribes originated.

http://wowpedia.org/Troll

Velen has been the leader of the draenei people since their flight from Argus 25,000 years before the first orcish invasion of Azeroth.

http://wowpedia.org/Velen

Whilst not conclusive in any way, it does provide a little insight into the timelines.

[Combatbutler]

I would guess the Draenei, Velen alone is over 25k years old, though we can't be 100% certain since we don't know when the Eredar came to be on Argus and when the first troll strolled over Azeroth.

[Chain Chungus]

"Jessera of Mac'Aree is a level 15 quest giver located at Blood Watch in the draenei territory of Bloodmyst Isle.

He was alive before the draenei and eredar became separated, putting him upwards of 25,000 years of age. He is likely from Mac'Aree."

http://www.wowwiki.com/Jessera_of_Mac%27Aree

If one citizen is upwards of 25,000 years old, that implies that their civilization must be much older.

[Wildberry]

Troll, Tauren, Orcs, Goblins or Draenei.

-Trolls are a pre-"ordering" race (>Atleast 10,000 years.)
-Tauren are speculated to be a pre-"ordering" race (>Atleast 10,000 years.)
-Draenei were approached by Sargeras 25,000 years ago
-Nothing, as of yet, rules out Orcs.
-Nothing currently rules out Goblins

Let's look at races that have definitely lost:
-Humans were the offshoot of Vrykul (Which were the offshoot of Iron Vrykul), which were an "ordering" Race
-Dwarves were the offshoot of Iron Dwarves, which were an "ordering" Race
-Gnomes were the offshoot of Mecha-gnomes, which were an "ordering" Race
-Worgen are cursed Humans who were the offshoot of Vrykul (Which were the offshoot of Iron Vrykul), which were an "ordering" Race
-Night Elves are the descendants of Trolls.
-Forsaken are dead Humans who were the offshoot of Vrykul (Which were the offshoot of Iron Vrykul), which were an "ordering" Race
-Blood Elves are offshoots of Night Elves who are the descendants of Trolls.

-Pandaren could go either way, suspected to be related to furbolgs (Whether the predecessor or descendant, we don't know.) If the current theory is true, that they are Furbolgs shaped by the waters of the vale, then they wouldn't be in the "running". However, should the old theory prove true, and Furbolgs are the feral looking descendants of Pandaren, than they may be contenders.

My best guess is that Draenei are the oldest.

[Deleted]

well Velen has reportedly been leading the Draenei exiles for 25000 years, and Draenei was already an advanced civilisation at the time, so i would guess they are far older than the trolls.

[hrugner]

http://wowpedia.org/Troll

http://wowpedia.org/Velen

Whilst not conclusive in any way, it does provide a little insight into the timelines.

That's pretty conclusive. I don't think the modern furbolg offshoot was even on the table for this question.

Orc are also potentially quite ancient, as they were on Draenor when the Draenei showed up. I have no idea what their origin is though.

[Deleted]

Velen was already old when he got off Argus.

[Deleted]

I would say dreanei

[Wildberry]

That's pretty conclusive. I don't think the modern furbolg offshoot was even on the table for this question.

Orc are also potentially quite ancient, as they were on Draenor when the Draenei showed up. I have no idea what their origin is though.

The Draenei showed up a little over 200 years before the Blood Curse. Nothing rules the Orcs out, of course, but 200 years is rather small, when numbers like 10,000 and 25,000 are being tossed around.

[Panquake]

I'd say Draenei are probably the oldest, Orcs could be a good call too since we don't really know much about Draenor Pre-Draenei arrival.