Released all the way back in 2004, almost two decades ago, it's no surprise that World of Warcraft has some pretty expansive lore. Over the last 18 years, Blizzard has filled World of Warcraft with iconic storylines, beloved characters, and items that dive into the hidden lore of the series. And with every new expansion that gets released, the amount of lore and story in World of Warcraft just continues to multiply. But by far one of the most intriguing aspects of World of Warcraft lore is its four Old Gods.
Though they're rarely seen in-game, the four Old Gods of Azeroth have a consistent presence throughout World of Warcraft's long history. The Old Gods are baked into the very DNA of WoW, and no matter where players are in Azeroth, what objectives they're completing, or who they're talking to, the Old Gods will always have some kind of presence in the narrative, with their very being intrinsically tied to the world itself.
The Four Old Gods of Azeroth
The Old Gods, also known as the Shath'Yar, are four horrifying monsters of unimaginable size. Inspired by the eldritch horrors described in H.P. Lovecraft's works and beyond, the four Old Gods were created years ago by the Void Lords. These Void Lords are beings made of pure darkness and shadow, who reside in the Void realm outside of reality. These violent and cruel beings created the Old Gods so that they could corrupt Azeroth.
During the primordial age, four Old Gods ruled absolutely over Azeroth, named Y'Shaarj, C'Thun, N'Zoth, and Yogg-Saron. Together, the four formed the Black Empire, a dark civilization. But the Old Gods weren't the only ruling power in the world. Soon after the Black Empire was founded, the Titan Pantheon returned to Azeroth to help its people. These all-powerful protectors of the universe sent their Titan-Forged armies to wage war on the Black Empire and destroy all that the Old Gods had built.
Seeing the Black Empire's cities burn, the four Old Gods became enraged and took matters into their own hands. Upon defeating countless waves of Titan-Forged, the Titan leader Aman'Thul stepped in, reaching his arm down from the Heavens and tearing the Old God Y'Shaarj apart with his bare hands. This created a gigantic rift in Azeroth's surface. Seeing that the Old Gods were too integral to the planet's survival, the Pantheon decided to imprison the Old Gods underneath Azeroth's surface. While imprisoning the three Old Gods, the Pantheon accidentally created another Old God by the name of G'huun, who was also imprisoned.
Though the Old Gods have been imprisoned for thousands of years, their power can still be felt in Azeroth today, and they have been known to influence the minds of citizens, who they then use to try and free themselves from their eternal bonds. After Deathwing flew into Azeroth's surface and broke the barriers between the physical world and elemental, the Cataclysm began, heralding the return of the Old Gods. During this period, known as the Fourth War, the Old Gods reformed the Black Empire and sent out its forces across Azeroth in an attempt to regain control of the world. This war led to the death of G'huun and ended with the defeat of Yogg'Saron and C'Thun, and though N'Zoth has not been seen, Azeroth is thought to finally be free of the Old Gods' dark influence, at least in most parts of the world.
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