Heroes of Azeroth
Broxigar the Red: The Orc Who Wounded a God
Broxigar the Red, called Brox, was a veteran orc warrior of the Blackrock clan and the older brother of Varok Saurfang. He survived the First, Second and Third Wars. He was then thrown ten thousand years into the past and fought beside the night elves in the War of the Ancients. Armed with an axe of living wood made by Malfurion Stormrage, he leapt through the portal to Argus, stood on a mountain of slain demons and struck the leg of Sargeras himself. He is one of the only known mortals to have wounded the lord of the Burning Legion.
Video: Broxigar, the warrior who charged a god
A survivor of every war
Broxigar was born on Draenor into the Blackrock clan, the older brother of Varok. The two also had an unnamed half-brother, who shared their mother but not their father. Brox grew up with his friend Garno, who was practically a brother to him. Brox fought through the First, Second and Third Wars.
During the Third War he became famous among the orcs for helping to hold a vital mountain pass against hordes of demons. When reinforcements finally arrived, he was the only one of his comrades still alive. His people honoured him, but Brox never forgave himself for what he saw as the "cowardice" of surviving while his comrades died a glorious death. Even his niece Thura, a child at the time, could feel his guilt.
Ten thousand years into the past
Some time after the raids on Naxxramas, the Horde's shamans sensed a temporal anomaly in the Stonetalon Mountains. Brox and a younger warrior, Gaskal, were sent to investigate. Gaskal was killed, and Brox was thrown ten thousand years into the past along with a human and a dragon: the mage Rhonin and Krasus (Korialstrasz).
A prisoner in Suramar
The night elves' Moon Guard captured Brox and brought him to Suramar, where he was treated like an animal. Only the novice priestess Tyrande Whisperwind was kind to him. She brought him food and healed his wounds, and he called her "shaman", believing her healing was a gift of the spirits. Tyrande, Krasus and Rhonin eventually freed him. Brox then stood guard over the comatose Malfurion Stormrage while Malfurion destroyed a Highborne spell that was disrupting the Well of Eternity.
The Axe of Cenarius
Brox's skill earned him the respect of the Kaldorei Resistance, even though the night elves were deeply xenophobic. The presence of the dragon Korialstrasz may have helped. The Moon Guard had taken his old axe, so Malfurion, under the direction of the demigod Cenarius, made him a new one of enchanted wood. It held a piece of Kalimdor's magic, was light as a feather and was stronger than any mortal-forged weapon. In Brox's hands it killed thousands of demons.
A blaze of glory on Argus
At the final battle over the Well of Eternity, Brox understood that his companions needed more time. He leapt from the back of a red dragon into the swirling portal at the bottom of the funnel and came out on Argus, homeworld of the Burning Legion. There he cut down so many demons that he ended up standing on a mountain of them, mocking the rest to come and face him.
His defiance drew the attention of Sargeras, who came in person to end him. Brox did the impossible: with the Axe of Cenarius he opened a small wound in Sargeras's leg. Krasus and his allies later focused their spellwork on that wound. For a single moment it tore Sargeras's attention from the portal, which let Malfurion and Illidan close it on him. Just before the Dark Titan reached the portal, Brox was killed by the jagged edge of Sargeras's broken sword. Krasus saw his lifeless body impaled on it. In death, the wiki notes, he finally rejoined his fallen comrades.
Legacy
- The axe: Rhonin found the Axe of Cenarius washed up on the shore of the new Kalimdor. Back in the present, Krasus, disguised as an orc shaman, brought it to Thrall and asked him to sing of Broxigar the Red. Years later Thrall gave it to Thura, after his most trusted shaman dreamed it should be hers. False dreams sent from the Emerald Nightmare later made her believe Malfurion had betrayed Brox (Stormrage).
- The night elves: they raised a statue to him, the only orc they have ever honoured that way. The mere mention of his name still brings tears to Tyrande's eyes, and during Garrosh's trial she called him "one of the great heroes of Azeroth".
- His family: Varok honours his name and compared his son Dranosh's heroic death to Brox's.
- Argus: the Krokul never knew his name, but they never forgot his blow against the Dark Titan. They kept his necklace, a boot and a shoulder pad in the Shrine of the Great Warrior at Krokul Hovel.
- Legion: in a flashback at Black Rook Hold, Brox holds a bridge with Illidan and Jarod Shadowsong and fights Malvingeroth.
- Dragonflight: at the first Kosh'harg on Azeroth his spirit appeared beside Varok's (A Worthy Offering).
Broxigar family tree
Mermaid source of the family tree
%% Broxigar the Red – canonical family tree (The Tirisfalen)
%% Dashed = person not named in canon
flowchart TD
K["Koruk<br/><i>Father</i>"]
M["Unnamed mother"]
B["Broxigar the Red<br/><i>Elder brother</i>"]
V["Varok Saurfang<br/><i>Younger brother · High Overlord</i>"]
HB["Unnamed half-brother<br/><i>Same mother, different father</i>"]
R["Remda<br/><i>Sister-in-law</i>"]
D["Dranosh Saurfang<br/><i>Nephew</i>"]
T["Thura<br/><i>Half-niece · wields the Axe of Cenarius</i>"]
K --> B
K --> V
M -.-> B
M -.-> V
M -.-> HB
V --- R
V --> D
R --> D
HB --> T
Canon note: Varok as Brox's younger brother comes from BlizzCon 2010 and The Shattering (p. 14), and the father Koruk from Varok's family listing. The maternal half-brother comes from Stormrage (p. 4) and a Q&A with author Richard Knaak, and his daughter Thura is called Brox's niece. The mother is never named. No mate or children of Broxigar are known. Garno was "practically like a brother", a friend and not kin.
Related heroes
FAQ
Who wounded Sargeras?
Broxigar the Red. On Argus, at the end of the War of the Ancients, he struck a small wound in Sargeras's leg with the wooden Axe of Cenarius.
How did Broxigar die?
Sargeras killed him just before reaching the portal to Azeroth. Krasus saw Brox's body impaled on the jagged end of the Dark Titan's broken sword.
How did Broxigar travel back in time?
A temporal anomaly in the Stonetalon Mountains threw him ten thousand years into the past, together with Rhonin and Krasus, during the War of the Ancients.
Is Broxigar related to Saurfang?
Yes. Broxigar is the older brother of Varok Saurfang and the uncle of Dranosh Saurfang.
What is the Axe of Cenarius?
A wooden axe Malfurion Stormrage made for Brox under Cenarius's direction. It was enchanted with a piece of Kalimdor's magic, light as a feather and stronger than any forged axe. Thrall later gave it to Thura.
Who is Thura?
Broxigar's half-niece, daughter of his unnamed maternal half-brother. She later wielded the Axe of Cenarius in Stormrage.
Why is he called Broxigar the Red?
"The Red" is his epithet in the War of the Ancients novels and in the songs Krasus asked Thrall to sing about him. The lore does not explain where the name comes from.
Sources
- Richard A. Knaak, The War of the Ancients trilogy: The Well of Eternity, The Demon Soul, The Sundering (incl. ch. 5).
- Richard A. Knaak, Stormrage (pp. 4, 5, 178).
- Christie Golden, The Shattering, p. 14; BlizzCon 2010 Lore panel.
- World of Warcraft: Chronicle, Vol. 3, p. 131.
- In-game: Krokul Hovel (Argus), Black Rook Hold flashback (Legion, Ravencrest's Legacy), A Worthy Offering (Dragonflight), Dranosh's armour turn-in (Wrath of the Lich King).
- Community wikis cross-checked: Warcraft Wiki – Broxigar, Wowpedia – Broxigar, plus their pages on Varok and Dranosh Saurfang.
Illustrations: original artwork by The Tirisfalen. World of Warcraft and Warcraft are trademarks of Blizzard Entertainment. This page is fan content and is not affiliated with Blizzard.