Summary
There’s an interesting variety of magical beasts inWorld of Warcraft, from the walking shrubs in the woods to massive, magical beasts of impressive size and power. Some of these are just part of the background, but others are recurring NPCs that are important enough to influence the course of Azerothian history.
The dragons of theWorld of Warcrafthave been present since the beginning of time. Some of them have been touched by the Titans and act as Aspects of worldly entities like magic, nature, or even death. In many cases, their size reflects their importance, andsome of the largest dragons also happen to be Azeroth’s most famous.
6Malygos
Aspect Of The Blue Dragonflight
Also known as the Guardian of Magic and Hidden Arcanum,Maylgosis the dragon that most players have seen at least once thanks to his numerous appearances throughout the game world. InClassicversions of the game, he was one of the dragons that players had to find to finish part of the “Sceptre of the Sands” quest that was connected to the Gates of An’Qiraj event, which is what made him famous.
Malygos may not be the biggest dragon, but he’s most definitely the smartest, at leastthat’s what he says. His general attitude reflects the pride of the magic-users for whom he serves as guide and guardian. Run the Nexus in Northrend and face him as the final boss to get a realistic idea of his impressive size, and remember: He’s one of the small ones.
5Nefarian
Lord Of Blackrock Spire
The progression to reachNefaion, the boss who waits at the end of Blackwing Lair and is considered the lord of the highest part of Blackrock Mountain, is a long and arduous one. It requires an attunement process, rigorous gear checks, and some serious fire-resistance equipment. Hopefully, any players that face him have already faced his younger sister, Onyxia, because they can use some of the same gear to protect them.
The versions ofWoWpost-Cataclysmhave a second dungeon to continue this story called “Blackwing Descent”, in which Nefarian teams up with his sister, Onyxia, although she was in undead form by this point. The pair have a lot in common regarding how they secretly worked behind the scenes to undermine their opponents, with Nefarion taking the alter-ego of Lord Victor Nefarious, and Onyxia disguising herself as a Stormwind noble.
4Onyxia
Broodmother Of The Black Dragonflight
As Lady Katrana Prestor,Onyxiawas able to infiltratethe human kingdom at the highest levels for decades, influencing the Stonemasons and Nobles to turn against each other and start a violent rebellion. This conflict led to the untimely death of the queen and further plunged the flagship Alliance members into a state of disarray.
Prestor continued to flex her political muscles as the royal councilor to young Anduin Wynn, and used the Drakefire Amulet to control his guardian, Highlord Bolvar Fordragon. It was also this enchanted amulet that the player has to find to enter her lair.
There are two versions of how Lady Prestor was found out and slain. The older version credits agents of the Horde with discovering her identity, but a newer version credits Varian Wrynn with killing her after returning to Stormwind.
3Alexstrasza
Aspect Of Life
An example of the eternal feminine that often makes its way into fantasy stories,Alexstraszais the guardian of all life in Azeroth, and it’s a heavy burden to carry. One of her most important roles is her struggle against Deathwing, who was determined to destroy all of creation.
Since the events ofCataclysm, she’s passed on most of this responsibility on to the mortal heroes ofWorld of Warcraft,but she still appears constantly in lore and quests. Alexstrasza is depicted in various places throughout the world that she rules, but players can find her elven-version on the top of Wyrmrest Temple in Dragonblight, a zone in Northrend. Ysera, another important Dragon aspect who has close ties to the Night Elves and the Emerald Dream, is her smaller younger sister.
2Deathwing
Aspect Of Death
In his original form, he was Neltharion, and he was a friend to many of his fellow aspects. He was driven to madness by the influence of the Old Gods, like his friend Malygos, and this former Aspect of Earthbecame The Aspect of Death.
It wasDeathwing’sdark, massive visage that blocked out the sun and filled the air with smoke in the eventsof theCataclysmexpansion. He literally broke the world, changing the geography of the Eastern Kingdoms and Kalimdor, and Azeroth was changed forever. Under his guidance, the Horde was able to imprison Alexstrasza, the one dragon who could stand against him, and the other Dragon Aspects enlisted the help of some brave adventurers to help defeat him and free their mother.
1Galakrond
Father Of Dragons
Galakrondwas a proto-dragon, meaning he was untouched by the Titans and not reduced to an Aspect, and it was from him that all other dragons were born. He was bigger than all the other dragon Aspects combined, and when his nature turned from benevolent to hostile, they had to unite and battle against him.
As he was driven deeper into madness, Galakrond consumed other dragons and grew even bigger, sprouting necrotic appendages and vomiting up his prey to become his undead minions. After the Aspects defeated him, he rose from undeath to attack Wyrmrest Temple intheWrath of the Lich Kingexpansion, only to be defeated again. His massive skeleton rests at the foot of the temple, so anyone can visit and marvel at his massive size.
