World of Warcraft
What makes World of Warcraft a delight to spend time in for me, is firstly its world’s history. The sheer amount of events it holds is so much that you can get lost in pages just by following a path of events you find interesting. Most, if not all of these events are also tied to major ones that shape the lore of WoW heavily, and get people to remember them just by hearing a single word or name. And even after decades pass, they are still mentioned both in game, and from fans around the globe. One particular of these major events happens to be one of the ones that is by far the most liked one in the history of this game. Starting from even before the MMO, from the times of the Warcraft games, it has shaped many expansions, characters and concepts inside the game. And as mentioned, just a single name is enough to remember all of these: Arthas Menethil.
A Prince Born to a Fracturing Realm
In the final years before the First War reshaped the fate of kingdoms, a child was born within the marble halls of Lordaeron’s royal court. Arthas Menethil entered the world beneath the watchful gaze of King Terenas II and Queen Lianne, destined, though none yet sensed it, to stand at the center of the greatest tragedy the Eastern Kingdoms would ever recall. His early years unfolded during a time of fracture, when the Alliance trembled beneath the weight of old conflicts and new storms gathered at the horizon.
Even as a boy, the prince moved in circles where innocence and duty intertwined. He forged a bond with young Varian Wrynn, who would one day bear his own kingdom’s burdens. Their sparring matches in palace courtyards remained lighthearted, though Arthas seldom matched Varian’s experience. In quieter moments he watched a gray-coated foal racing across the royal fields, Invincible, who would one day become his cherished companion. Under the steady guidance of Muradin Bronzebeard, the prince began shaping the strength that was expected of him, learning the discipline of a blade while the dwarf taught him the rugged pragmatism of his people. Yet another education drew him closer to gentler ideals: the teachings of the Light under Uther the Lightbringer. These contrasting lessons, steel and sanctity, formed the two pillars of Arthas’ youth.
As he grew older, more subtle matters stirred in his heart. The young mage Jaina Proudmoore passed through Lordaeron on her way to Dalaran, and Arthas found himself lingering in her company with more attention than he had intended. Around him, the demands of royalty grew heavier. When Terenas arranged a political marriage for Calia, Arthas’ older sister, her quiet despair left its mark on him. She prayed her brother would one day marry for love, and not for alliances carved in ink by statesmen.
The Forging of a Paladin
By nineteen, Arthas was ready for the sacred vows of the Knights of the Silver Hand. In Stormwind Cathedral, kings and lords witnessed Archbishop Alonsus Faol preside over the ceremony. Uther set ceremonial plates upon his shoulders, and Gavinrad the Dire placed Light’s Vengeance in his hands. In that moment, the prince fully embraced the expectations of his lineage.
Old friendships briefly rekindled during the visit. He sparred with King Varian and marveled at infant Anduin Wrynn. But shadows gathered unnoticed. At Durnholde Keep, he encountered Thrall, whose future destiny would intersect with his own. Later, a cruel mercy fell upon him when Invincible was mortally wounded; the prince ended the horse’s suffering, leaving an unseen wound on his spirit.
In Dalaran, Arthas sought Jaina’s company. He attended banquets with Kael’thas Sunstrider, whose own affection for Jaina ran quietly beneath the surface. The prince and mage’s relationship blossomed briefly, celebrated in Lordaeron’s festivals, yet doubts led Arthas to end it abruptly, leaving unspoken hurt between them. Duty never paused; he served as juror during Tirion Fordring’s trial in Stratholme, witnessing the paladin’s unflinching honesty lead to exile and excommunication, though the significance eluded him then.
The Plague Rising in the North
Trouble returned as orcs slipped from internment and raided northern towns. Arthas and Uther defended Strahnbrad, where the prince confronted the black drake Searinox and brought its heart to Feranor Steeltoe, who forged an Orb of Fire. Arthas’ victories strengthened his reputation for courage and skill.
Yet whispers of a mysterious plague reached Lordaeron. Now twenty-four, Arthas set out with Jaina and Captain Falric to investigate. They discovered infested granaries, reanimated dead, and the necromancer Kel’Thuzad orchestrating the infection. Pursuing him to Andorhal, they learned the grain had already been distributed, dooming villages. Before Arthas struck him down, Kel’Thuzad named Mal’Ganis, a nathrezim, as the mastermind.
At Hearthglen, Arthas saw the plague’s horror firsthand: villagers dying and rising as undead. Only Uther’s timely arrival prevented complete ruin. On the road to Stratholme, Medivh urged Arthas to sail west to Kalimdor, claiming resistance would hasten Lordaeron’s fall. Arthas refused; his place was among his people. Jaina remained troubled but unsure.
The Fire and Ruin of Stratholme
Stratholme awaited them in quiet dread. The tainted grain had already reached its citizens. Knowing their fate, Arthas commanded Uther and his knights to purge the city before the transformation could claim its victims. Uther recoiled, appalled by the order. When he refused, Arthas denounced him for treason and relieved him of command. Many followed Uther into exile, including Jaina, who could no longer bear the path Arthas chose. Those who remained carried out the slaughter. Amidst the burning city, Arthas confronted Mal’Ganis, who sought to claim the same souls the prince was determined to deny him. When the dreadlord retreated to Northrend, Arthas gave chase, setting the city ablaze behind him, its fires destined to burn for generations.
Frostmourne and the Death of a Prince
Northrend greeted him with bitter winds. At Daggercap Bay, he reunited with Muradin Bronzebeard, searching for the fabled runeblade Frostmourne. Together, they destroyed a nearby undead encampment, but Mal’Ganis eluded them. When emissaries arrived with orders to return, Arthas rejected them, conscripting mercenaries under him and burning their ships they would’ve used to get back home. Later when his men returned and saw their ships in ruin, Arthas betrayed his newly recruited mercenaries, saying to his men that they were the ones responsible for them getting stuck here, and massacred all of the mercenaries. Now they had no way of going back, stuck in this icy continent. Meanwhile Muradin watched the prince’s growing ruthlessness with both sorrow and disgust.
At Drak’tharon Keep, Mal’Ganis taunted Arthas. The prince pressed onward, guided by desperation and a festering need to save his people. Through an ancient waygate, they reached Frostmourne, imprisoned in ice. A guardian warned them away, but Arthas’ fear of failure overcame caution. Offering his spirit to the sword, he shattered the ice; a shard struck Muradin down. The whisper of the blade silenced doubt. Light’s Vengeance was abandoned, and Frostmourne claimed him.
Arthas cut through Mal’Ganis’ forces and confronted the dreadlord. When Mal’Ganis boasted of the Lich King’s voice, Arthas answered that the voice now commanded him. Mal’Ganis fell, and Arthas fled into the frozen wastes, surrendering the last remnants of his humanity to Frostmourne.
From that moment, the prince of Lordaeron ceased to exist. In Northrend’s desolation, Arthas became the first and greatest of the Lich King’s death knights. Clad in saronite armor, he slaughtered nearly all who had followed him and raised many in undeath, including Falric, Marwyn, and Thassarian, bound eternally to his will.
