Lore Characters: Which ones are Perfect Fits for all Class/Race combinations?

[KOUNTERPARTS]

Was just wondering other people's opinions on this topic:


Between all of the playable races on both factions (Allied Races included) which lore characters are the perfect/best fit *in your opinion*?


BONUS: For each specialization of each class as well.


So for example, I will do Warriors:


Human: Varian Wrynn

Orc: Saurfang (pre-BFA lulz)

Night Elf: Jarod Shadowsong

Troll: Chief Ukorz Sandscalp (from Zul'Farrak)

Dwarf: Muradin Bronzebeard

Undead: I honestly can't think of one lore character that really exemplifies the Warrior who is a Forsaken. Perhaps somebody else will have a better choice?


What about you all?

[Aucald]

Undead: I honestly can't think of one lore character that really exemplifies the Warrior who is a Forsaken. Perhaps somebody else will have a better choice?

Darnell is really the only noteworthy Forsaken Warrior to jump to mind, as the NPC who assists a new Forsaken PC with the starting zone as of Cata. There's also the Forsaken Warrior Barnabas Grell from the WoW manga, but he dies in the comic and is also pretty obscure.

[Val the Moofia Boss]

I will cover one for each Tauren class combination.

Warrior: the most famous Tauren warriors in lore are probably Carine and Baine Bloodhoof (depending on when you joined WoW), though theu also have a lot of overlap with shamans given how they interact with the spirits.

Druid: most famous Tauren druid is Hamuul Runetotem. Known from the Cenarion Circle questlines.

Shaman: Muln Earthfury, mostly known from the Earthen Ring questlines in Cata and the comics.

Hunter: no real famous Tauren hunters. Huln Highmountain might be counted as a hunter since he wielded a spear (or a warrior), who you played as during the War of the Ancients flashback in the Highmountain questline.

Monk: there are no notable Tauren monk characters whatsoever, none with even a smidge of lore. I think there might have beenone random Tauren NPC who hanged out at the Peak of Serenity and that was it.

Death Knight: there are no notable Tauren death knight characters whatsoever, none with even a smidge of lore. There might have been a Tauren DK class order hall follower that you sent out on missions, and that was it.

Priest: Tahu Sagewind is pretty much the one and only Tauren priest in Warcraft with even a smidge of characterization or lore, and even then he was forgotten after Cata. Completely unknown to the playerbase outside of hardcore Tauren fans like me.

Paladin: Dezco is the only prominent Sunwalker NPC and probably the one that most players are familiar with due to his appearance throughout the MoP expansion, showing up at the inn in the Horde garrison, and showing up at the paladin class order hall, but he pretty much never talks about his faith. I'm not sure if most WoW players are even aware that Tauren don't worship the Light, as Dezco was lumped in with all of the other paladins into the Paladin's class order hall, Light's Hope Chapel, which explicitly worships the Light.*

*It saddens me that Sunwalkers were shafted so hard. Wrath set them up with an interesting theological discussion with Aponi Brightmane (who was a warrior at the time, later turned paladin trainer) and Tahu Sagewind (who was a druid at the time, later turned priest trainer) about the Tauren's worship of their gods. The Tauren have two gods: Mu'sha (the moon, aka Elune according to the Night Elves) and An'she (the sun). Druids draw their power from nature and the moon, so effectively Druids worship Mu'sha. Since there are a lot of Tauren druids, there is a lot of Mu'sha worship. However, there was relatively An'she worship. So Sunwalkers are a new sect that worships An'she (gameplay wise they can be priests of paladins but in lore they're all Sunwalkers, just some wear cloth and others wear plate). This was pretty interesting, but sadly the lore was never further explored.

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Orc: Saurfang (pre-BFA lulz)

Eh, the most famous Orc warrior characters were Grommash and Garrosh.

Saurfang was just a meme in Vanilla, and then became a background character in Wrath. Saurfang wasn't promoted to major character status at all until BFA, and even then, he has less narrative importance and screentime than either Grom or Garrosh. Grom was the star of WC3 and an expansion and appeared in several books. Garrosh was a major character for four expansions and appeared in several books. Saurfang was only a major character in one expansion and appeared only in one book.

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BONUS: For each specialization of each class as well.

For human warriors...

Overall: Varian. In the comics, Varian was able to split his sword into two and dual wield, but Varian never demonstrated this ability in WoW until the Broken Shore. Also, most people never read the comics. So for the longest time people thought he was an arms warrior.

Arms: Admiral Taylor
Protection: Bolvar, who used a sword and shield in Dragonblight.
Fury: None. Now that I think about it, there are no prominent human warriors who dual wield. There are a lot of human rogues, but no dual wielding warriors I can think of.

[Tanaria]

I will cover High/Blood Elves (I know it's two races, but they are one of the same race, just hold political differences.)

Warrior: Thalorian Dawnseeker - Legendary Warrior of Quel'Thalas and named wielder of Quel'Delar
Paladin: Lady Liadrin - Current Blood Knight Matriarch
Hunter: Hauldoran Brightwing - Current Ranger General of Quel'Thalas
Rogue: Valeera Sanguinar - Loyalist to House Wrynn, but serves her own agenda.
Death Knight: Koltira Deathweaver - Death Knight of the Ebon Blade. Once served Sylvanas, until freed during the war against the Legion
Demon Hunter: Kayn Sunfury - Loyalist to Illidan Stormrage and his ideals.
Priest: High Priest Vandellor - Last High Priest of Quel'Thalas
Mage: Grand Magister Rommath - Current Grand Magister of Quel'Thalas
Warlock: Elynara - Blood Elven Warlock and Archaeology trainer
Monk: No notable Thalassian Monks, but we do have a female high elf monk, where monk players can beat her in a dual for their daily buff.

[Susanoo]

Death Knight: there are no notable Tauren death knight characters whatsoever, none with even a smidge of lore. There might have been a Tauren DK class order hall follower that you sent out on missions, and that was it.

https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Trag_Highmountain

Dang out here disrespecting my guy Trag Highmountain who absorbed the Orb of Ner’Zhul, met Thrall, resisted the Lich King’s control, and attacked Arthas!!!

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I will cover Orc's MU/AU

Warrior: Grommash Hellscream/Orgrim Doomhammer are tied for me. Grommash the legendary chieftan of the Warsong clan who killed Cenarius and defeated Mannoroth which ended the blood curse. Orgrim Doomhammer the Warchief who killed Blackhand, took over the Horde, refused to drink the demon blood, mentor to Thrall, almost won the Second War, and defeated Anduin Lothar.
Hunter: Rexxar, the Mok'nathal who became Chieftan of the Stonemaul clan, a legendary beastmaster, and Champion of the Horde.
Rogue: Garona Halforcen, assassinated King Llane Wyrnn during the First War and one of the greatest assassins alive.
Shaman: Thrall, the Orc who became the first Shaman after the Orcs severed their ties with the elements on Draenor, led the Orcs during the third war, played the role of the Earth Warder during the defeat of Deathwing, and has influenced many of the events on Azeroth.
Warlock: Gul'dan MU/AU, both the MU/AU Gul'dan have some impressive feats that make them equal on my list. MU Gul'dan sold the Orcs to the burning legion, severed the elemental ties the Orcs had on Draenor, wiped out the Arrakoa with a single spell, created the first death knights, and raised the broken isles from the sea floor. AU Gul'dan managed to open the Tomb of Sargeras and started an invasion of the burning legion.
Monk: Drohn, an Orc Brewmaster, founder of Drohn distillery, and trained by Chen Stormstout in the ways of the brewmaster.
Mage: There are no notable Orc Mages in the lore.
Priest: AU Ner'zhul, his use of the void and the dark star made him more of a shadow priest than a shaman.
Death Knight: Dranosh Saurfang/Nazgrim. Dranosh Saurfang was the strongest Death Knight created by the Lich King Arthas and the son of Varok Saurfang. Nazgrim a legendary general of the Horde who eventually was raised to become one of the Four Horsemen.

[Soon-TM]

Well, one of my favourite classes has been Priest, so let me see what can I do.

• Humans: Alonsus Faol, who also double dips as Forsaken, since he has remained a powerful priest even in undeath.
• Dwarves: Glorin Steelbrow. The quests he gives you, where you get a "cursed" offhand first and then he purifies it for you, was one of my best moments with my Ally priest in Classic.
• Nelfs: it's tempting to say Tyrande, but she doesn't seem to be a priestess, not in WoW terms anyway (despite her title). I tend to sympathise with Belysra Starbreeze, the priestess who was the cause of the Worgen curse, even if partly involuntarily. She is a good representative of the basic duality of the Priest class.
• Draenei: Velen, nuff said. Shame that he never tried shadow spec, though.
• Pandas: I always thought that Emperor Shaohao was quite close to the playable priest concept. He had an in-depth knowledge of the Celestials' teachings, and he is described as him becoming a being of pure light in his last moments.
• Trolls: Talanji, even if she would be a quite atypical one. But Troll priests aren't supposed to be in the same wavelength as e.g. Human ones.
• Belfs: High Priest Vandellor, last to hold that office before the fall of Quel'thalas. He sent some of his subordinates to assist the failing kingdom of Lordaeron, and ironically enough, some of them may have well ended up serving Arthas.
• Orcs: while MU orcs aren't into the more structured system of beliefs that befits a priest, AU Ner'zhul looks an awful lot like a shadow priest. He even dwells in the Shadowmoon burial grounds.

Gnomes, goblins, Worgen and ARs in general don't seem to have any noteworthy priests, as far as I can recall. Which is especially weird in the case of LF goats (such a bunch of religious zealots and yet they don't have a single priest of note...?), and, in another way, void elves, who are pretty much "Shadow Priest: The Race", from a thematic PoV.

[Vaedan]

I will cover High/Blood Elves (I know it's two races, but they are one of the same race, just hold political differences.)

Warrior: Thalorian Dawnseeker - Legendary Warrior of Quel'Thalas and named wielder of Quel'Delar
Paladin: Lady Liadrin - Current Blood Knight Matriarch
Hunter: Hauldoran Brightwing - Current Ranger General of Quel'Thalas
Rogue: Valeera Sanguinar - Loyalist to House Wrynn, but serves her own agenda.
Death Knight: Koltira Deathweaver - Death Knight of the Ebon Blade. Once served Sylvanas, until freed during the war against the Legion
Demon Hunter: Kayn Sunfury - Loyalist to Illidan Stormrage and his ideals.
Priest: High Priest Vandellor - Last High Priest of Quel'Thalas
Mage: Grand Magister Rommath - Current Grand Magister of Quel'Thalas
Warlock: Elynara - Blood Elven Warlock and Archaeology trainer
Monk: No notable Thalassian Monks, but we do have a female high elf monk, where monk players can beat her in a dual for their daily buff.

Pretty accurate list. I'd only change it a little:

Hunter: Lor'themar Theron - former Ranger General of Quel'Thalas and current Regent Lord.
Mage: Kael'thas/Anasterian Sunstrider
Warlock: Shinfel Blightsworn - influential member of Council of Black Harvest

[Tanaria]

Pretty accurate list. I'd only change it a little:

Hunter: Lor'themar Theron - former Ranger General of Quel'Thalas and current Regent Lord.
Mage: Kael'thas/Anasterian Sunstrider
Warlock: Shinfel Blightsworn - influential member of Council of Black Harvest

I'll agree to those additions and changes.
I wasn't sure where to place Lor'themar. Is he a Hunter or is he a Warrior...or a bit of both. I wasn't sure, so I thought it best to use characters who are more clear-cut.

Kael'thas and Shinfel also work. I would use Anasterian, but Kael'thas is more well-known and if probably more deserving of the spot.
I suppose I was thinking more along the lines of those who were/are deeply connected to Quel'Thalas and it's protection.

[Triceron]

Warlock

Orc- Gul'dan
Gnome - Wilfred Fizzlebang
The Rest - ???

[Aresk]

Warlock

Orc- Gul'dan
Gnome - Wilfred Fizzlebang
The Rest - ???

Human - Kanrethad Ebonlocke
Forsaken - Jubeka Shadowbreaker, Tehd Shoemaker
Worgen - Zinnin Smythe
Ogre - Cho'gall

[Le Conceptuel]

I will cover one for each Tauren class combination.

Warrior: the most famous Tauren warriors in lore are probably Carine and Baine Bloodhoof (depending on when you joined WoW), though theu also have a lot of overlap with shamans given how they interact with the spirits.

Druid: most famous Tauren druid is Hamuul Runetotem. Known from the Cenarion Circle questlines.

Shaman: Muln Earthfury, mostly known from the Earthen Ring questlines in Cata and the comics.

Hunter: no real famous Tauren hunters. Huln Highmountain might be counted as a hunter since he wielded a spear (or a warrior), who you played as during the War of the Ancients flashback in the Highmountain questline.

Monk: there are no notable Tauren monk characters whatsoever, none with even a smidge of lore. I think there might have beenone random Tauren NPC who hanged out at the Peak of Serenity and that was it.

Death Knight: there are no notable Tauren death knight characters whatsoever, none with even a smidge of lore. There might have been a Tauren DK class order hall follower that you sent out on missions, and that was it.

Priest: Tahu Sagewind is pretty much the one and only Tauren priest in Warcraft with even a smidge of characterization or lore, and even then he was forgotten after Cata. Completely unknown to the playerbase outside of hardcore Tauren fans like me.

Paladin: Dezco is the only prominent Sunwalker NPC and probably the one that most players are familiar with due to his appearance throughout the MoP expansion, showing up at the inn in the Horde garrison, and showing up at the paladin class order hall, but he pretty much never talks about his faith. I'm not sure if most WoW players are even aware that Tauren don't worship the Light, as Dezco was lumped in with all of the other paladins into the Paladin's class order hall, Light's Hope Chapel, which explicitly worships the Light.*

*It saddens me that Sunwalkers were shafted so hard. Wrath set them up with an interesting theological discussion with Aponi Brightmane (who was a warrior at the time, later turned paladin trainer) and Tahu Sagewind (who was a druid at the time, later turned priest trainer) about the Tauren's worship of their gods. The Tauren have two gods: Mu'sha (the moon, aka Elune according to the Night Elves) and An'she (the sun). Druids draw their power from nature and the moon, so effectively Druids worship Mu'sha. Since there are a lot of Tauren druids, there is a lot of Mu'sha worship. However, there was relatively An'she worship. So Sunwalkers are a new sect that worships An'she (gameplay wise they can be priests of paladins but in lore they're all Sunwalkers, just some wear cloth and others wear plate). This was pretty interesting, but sadly the lore was never further explored.

- - - Updated - - -



Eh, the most famous Orc warrior characters were Grommash and Garrosh.

Saurfang was just a meme in Vanilla, and then became a background character in Wrath. Saurfang wasn't promoted to major character status at all until BFA, and even then, he has less narrative importance and screentime than either Grom or Garrosh. Grom was the star of WC3 and an expansion and appeared in several books. Garrosh was a major character for four expansions and appeared in several books. Saurfang was only a major character in one expansion and appeared only in one book.

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For human warriors...

Overall: Varian. In the comics, Varian was able to split his sword into two and dual wield, but Varian never demonstrated this ability in WoW until the Broken Shore. Also, most people never read the comics. So for the longest time people thought he was an arms warrior.

Arms: Admiral Taylor
Protection: Bolvar, who used a sword and shield in Dragonblight.
Fury: None. Now that I think about it, there are no prominent human warriors who dual wield. There are a lot of human rogues, but no dual wielding warriors I can think of.

Small correction on "no Tauren Death Knights". There's actually a somewhat major one; Trag Highmountain.

https://wowpedia.fandom.com/wiki/Trag_Highmountain