Dranosh Saurfang: The Son Who Charged the Lich King

Video: He charged the Lich King alone

His father's story is told in our video Saurfang: He knew Sylvanas would kill him. He challenged her anyway.

A hidden child of Draenor

Before Remda died, Varok promised her that their son would stay safe and untainted on Draenor. Before he crossed the Dark Portal with the Horde, he had the elders of Garadar hide Dranosh so the orcish warlocks could not find him. Dranosh grew up among the Mag'har, the orcs who never drank the blood of Mannoroth.

The war party of Sunspring Post (The Burning Crusade)

After a raid by the Murkblood Broken, a group of young orcs from Garadar formed a war party to take revenge. Dranosh led them against Sunspring Post, and almost all of them died. He was badly wounded, blacked out and woke at the Mag'hari Procession. He told the adventurers sent by Farseer Corhuk that a rage had taken hold of him. "I was the last one left alive. Thirty of them surrounded me…" As he spoke, his eyes briefly glowed red. With their help he took his revenge on the Murkbloods. He then chose not to return to Garadar, believing his destiny lay elsewhere.

The Kor'kron Vanguard (Wrath of the Lich King)

Dranosh came to Azeroth, was reunited with his father and joined the Warsong Offensive in Northrend. He was given command of the Horde vanguard and accepted it with great pride. Varok gave his son his own battle armour and axe. He sent Dranosh to lead the Horde forces at Angrathar the Wrathgate, hoping the soldiers would follow Dranosh's courage rather than the recklessness of Overlord Garrosh Hellscream.

In the Dragonblight, Dranosh and the Alliance commander Bolvar Fordragon fought separate campaigns, but both understood that a victory for one was a victory for all. They began quietly coordinating their attacks and formed a grudging mutual respect, and word spread of a friendship of sorts. Dranosh also led his forces against the undead nerubians of Azjol-Nerub and blocked their tunnels into the Dragonblight.

The Battle of the Wrathgate

At the Wrathgate, Dranosh led the Kor'kron to the front line beside Bolvar until the Lich King himself came out of the citadel. Dranosh charged him. The Lich King killed him with a single blow of Frostmourne, shattering his axe and stealing his soul. Moments later the Forsaken under Grand Apothecary Putress betrayed both armies with their plague.

The Scourge took his body into Icecrown. Queen Alexstrasza asked the Horde's champions to bring his shattered armour to Varok. Varok told them not to mourn: his son had died a hero, like his uncle Broxigar. During the Battle for the Undercity, Thrall asked the winds to carry the Horde's war song to Dranosh, and afterwards he told Varok, "I'm sorry about your boy."

Deathbringer Saurfang

In Icecrown Citadel the Lich King raised Dranosh as Deathbringer Saurfang, his mightiest death knight, to guard the way to the upper citadel. A vision in Ulduar's Yogg-Saron encounter shows the Lich King torturing Bolvar while a "Turned Champion", Dranosh, stands at his side. When the Ashen Verdict stormed the citadel, they were forced to destroy him. Even the Alliance pitied Varok, so brutal was the torment inflicted on his son. Varok claimed the body.

Funeral and legacy

• The funeral: Varok dressed his son in simple clothes from Garadar and burned him on a pyre near the resting place of Remda and their family in Nagrand. He made himself watch until only ash remained. From then on he wore Dranosh's necklace.
• Comfort and honours: Cairne Bloodhoof told Varok that his son had died a hero. Garrosh promised that lok'vadnods would be composed for Dranosh and the other fallen.
• Thrall's regret: before the Cataclysm, Thrall privately thought that Dranosh would have been the perfect successor as Warchief, with his father's might and wisdom. He chose Garrosh instead.
• The Dranosh'ar Blockade outside Orgrimmar bears his name.
• Fourth War: on the night before the Battle for Lordaeron, Varok left the necklace in a fire, ready to die. Zekhan returned it to him, slightly burned. Sylvanas later mocked Varok that he could "say hello to his son".
• The afterlife: after Varok's death in mak'gora against Sylvanas, Bwonsamdi showed Zekhan a vision of father and son hunting talbuk together with Remda. The vision was a lie (Shadows Rising). Years later, though, Varok's soul really did find his family again (A Worthy Offering, Dragonflight).

Dranosh Saurfang family tree

%% Dranosh Saurfang – canonical family tree (The Tirisfalen)
%% Dashed = parent not named in canon
flowchart TD
    K["Koruk<br/><i>Grandfather</i>"]
    GM["Unnamed grandmother"]
    B["Broxigar the Red<br/><i>Uncle</i>"]
    V["Varok Saurfang<br/><i>Father · High Overlord</i>"]
    R["Remda<br/><i>Mother</i>"]
    HB["Unnamed half-uncle<br/><i>Maternal half-brother of Varok</i>"]
    T["Thura<br/><i>Half-cousin</i>"]
    D["Dranosh Saurfang<br/><i>Deathbringer</i>"]
    K --> B
    K --> V
    GM -.-> B
    GM -.-> V
    GM -.-> HB
    HB --> T
    V --> D
    R --> D

Canon note: Varok is the younger brother of Broxigar (BlizzCon 2010; The Shattering, p. 14), and both are sons of Koruk. Richard Knaak's Stormrage and a Q&A add an unnamed maternal half-brother, whose daughter Thura wields Broxigar's axe. Their shared mother is never named, so those links are dashed. Dranosh had no known mate or children.

Related heroes

• Broxigar the Red: his uncle
• Varok Saurfang: his father (video)
• Thrall: who wished Dranosh could succeed him
• Sylvanas Windrunner: who killed Varok
• Cairne Bloodhoof

FAQ

Who killed Dranosh Saurfang?

The Lich King, with a single blow of Frostmourne at the Battle of the Wrathgate. The blow shattered Dranosh's axe and stole his soul.

Is Deathbringer Saurfang Varok's son?

Yes. Deathbringer Saurfang is Dranosh, raised into undeath by the Lich King and fought as a boss in Icecrown Citadel.

Who are Dranosh Saurfang's parents?

High Overlord Varok Saurfang and Remda. Remda died on Draenor around the time the Dark Portal opened.

Was Broxigar Dranosh's uncle?

Yes. Broxigar the Red was Varok's older brother, which makes him Dranosh's paternal uncle.

What does Dranosh mean?

"Heart of Draenor" in orcish.

Why was Dranosh never corrupted by the demon blood?

Varok had the elders of Garadar hide him on Draenor, so he grew up among the uncorrupted Mag'har.

Where is Dranosh Saurfang buried?

Varok cremated him on a pyre in Nagrand, near the resting place of his mother Remda.

Sources

• World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King: Wrathgate in-game cinematic; quests The Kor'kron Vanguard!, Audience With The Dragon Queen, Return To Angrathar, The Battle For The Undercity; Icecrown Citadel (Deathbringer Saurfang encounter and epilogue).
• The Burning Crusade quests: The Missing War Party, Once Were Warriors, He Will Walk The Earth... (Nagrand).
• Christie Golden, The Shattering, ch. 10 and p. 14; War Crimes, ch. 10; Sylvanas, p. 266.
• Madeleine Roux, Shadows Rising, p. 215; Richard A. Knaak, Stormrage.
• Short stories Glory, Heart of War and Old Soldier; A Good War, pp. 3–4.
• World of Warcraft: Ultimate Visual Guide (pp. 54, 123, 169); World of Warcraft: Chronicle, Vol. 3 (pp. 175–186); Exploring Azeroth: Northrend, p. 145.
• Dragonflight quest A Worthy Offering.
• Community wikis cross-checked: Warcraft Wiki – Dranosh Saurfang, Wowpedia – Dranosh Saurfang, plus their pages on Varok Saurfang, Broxigar and Deathbringer 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.