World of Warcraft is exploring the depths of draconic lore with its next expansion. Titled Dragonflight, the story takes players to the Dragon Isles, ancient home of dragonkind. Throughout their journeys, players will explore multiple new zones, delve into challenging dungeons and raids, and meet tons of characters both old and new. However, like any production, World of Warcraft: Dragonflight has a cast of major characters who will be featured throughout the story.
Wrathion the Black Prince is one such character. The Black dragonflight has had a tumultuous history in Warcraft thanks to Deathwing, the mad Aspect. In a dragonflight full of corruption, Wrathion stands as one of the few untouched by the insanity of his kin. Though the Black dragonflight has been all-but wiped out over the years, Dragonflight is seeing the dragons begin a long process of restoration, and Wrathion is at the center of it.
Wrathion’s History in World of Warcraft
The Black dragonflight in World of Warcraft suffers from a plague of madness that originated from Neltharion, the original Aspect of the Black dragonflight better known as Deathwing. As protectors of the earth and land, Neltharion’s proximity to the deep places of the world put him in contact with the Old Gods, who twisted him and his flight into tools of corruption.
Wrathion was the result of an experiment conducted by the Red dragon Rheastrasza during Cataclysm. Players meet Rheastrasza in the Badlands, where she is conducting experiments to create an uncorrupted Black dragon egg to try and save the flight. Yet her experiments are extremely unethical - she captures Nyxondra, one of the daughters of Deathwing, and forces her to lay eggs. Eventually Nyxondra escaped, and Rheastrasza is slain by Deathwing himself.
Her experiment, was a success, however. Rheastrasza was able to preserve a single egg that would later hatch into Wrathion, the Black Prince. World of Warcraft players of the Rogue class could later meet a young Wrathion in Cataclysm, hiding among the Ravenholdt assassin’s guild. From his hideout, Wrathion plots the deaths of several Black dragons, including Deathwing. Unfortunately, Wrathion’s strained relationship with the Red dragonflight thanks to his origins caused him to run afoul of them, forcing him to go into hiding after slaying a Red dragon.
Wrathion played a major role in Mists of Pandaria, where he first met and befriended Prince Anduin Wrynn. Throughout the expansion, Wrathion sought power and knowledge so that he could fulfill his duty as a true Black dragon and protect Azeroth. He examined the leadership styles of many major figureheads, including King Varian Wrynn, Warchief Garrosh Hellscream, and Lei Shen the Thunder King. Eventually, Wrathion began meddling in the politics of the Alliance and Horde in WoW, first by attempting to help the Alliance wipe out the Horde for good, and later by freeing an imprisoned Garrosh to do the opposite.
After his treacherous gambit, Wrathion disappeared from Azeroth for several years. It was not until Battle for Azeroth that he returned with much to answer for: namely his role in freeing Garrosh, allowed Gul’dan to return and kill Anduin’s father, Varian. Nevertheless, Wrathion aided players and Azeroth as a whole by helping to defeat N’zoth, the Old God responsible for his flight’s corruption, and began to take the first steps as a leader.
Wrathion’s Future in Dragonflight
Throughout his journey, Wrathion’s search for knowledge and power has made him into an anti-hero among mortals and dragonkind alike. His desire to make his own destiny and protect Azeroth has caused him to chafe against the likes of Anduin and Alexstrasza. However, with the future of the dragons in question in Dragonflight, Wrathion’s destiny is more important than ever.
Over the years, the Black Prince has discovered he is not the only Black dragon left. During Legion, players met Ebyssian, a Black dragon who disguised himself as the Highmountain Tauren elder, Spiritwalker Ebonhorn. Ebyssian was able to avoid the madness of his dragonflight thanks to the Tauren hero Huln Highmountain. He met Wrathion in Battle for Azeroth, and now acts as his friend in Dragonflight, being a liaison to the Horde and advisor to the Black Prince.
Ebyssian is not the only Black dragon who survived the Cataclysm and subsequent battles. Sabellian is a quest giver players met in Burning Crusade, where they were acting as a leader for the Black dragons marooned on Outland. Sabellian is a direct child of Deathwing, like Onyxia, Nefarian, and Nyxondra. However, unlike his siblings, Sabellian had a positive, if brusque, relationship with players. In Dragonflight, Sabellian and his followers return to make a bid for leadership of the Black dragonflight remnant.
As one might expect, Wrathion does not seem too keen on the return of his grumpy uncle. Though Wrathion is wrestling over whether leading the Black dragonflight is his destiny, the Black Prince may be forced to make a decision sooner than he would like.
In the alpha for Dragonflight, it appears both Wrathion and Sabellian have faction reputation that can be raised through quests and dailies, meaning players may have the opportunity to support one or the other as the new Black Aspect. While it is unlikely players will truly have a say in who becomes the new leader, becoming involved in draconic politics is exciting - doubly so because it seems unlikely Sabellian will become a villain. No matter what happens, Wrathion’s character arc in Dragonflight is likely to be his most important one yet.
World of Warcraft is available now on PC. The Dragonflight expansion is set to launch later this year.