World of Warcraft
He was the one that stood at the center of events when the Well of Eternity broke the world. Not liked by many, due to being passive and helpless of a character nowadays (totally not true and portrayed wrong). We can safely say, this dude is one of the most powerful and olden characters of WoW universe. One of the few who knows the infinite power of the Well and can say ‘‘No’’ to it.
Malfurion Stormrage. To the Night Elves, he is the Shan’do (Honored Teacher), to his enemies, he is the wrath of nature incarnate. He is the first mortal Druid on Azeroth and, arguably, one of the most powerful mortal beings alive. And yes, he is actually stronger than his counterpart of a brother, Illidan (he is way cooler though).
The Student of the Wild
While his twin brother Illidan Stormrage, and the Highborne were obsessed with the glowing waters of the Well of Eternity, Malfurion felt a different calling. He looked at forests and was fascinated by Azeroth’s nature itself.
He caught the attention of the demigod Cenarius. Under Cenarius’ tutelage, Malfurion learned to listen to the heartbeat of Azeroth. He learned that magic shouldn’t be forcibly taken (Arcane), but borrowed and respected (Nature). This fundamental difference in philosophy would tear the brothers apart forever.
Philosophy wasn’t the only thing tearing the brothers apart. There was a girl, Tyrande Whisperwind. Both brothers loved her, but Tyrande’s heart belonged to the druid, not the mage. This rejection, combined with ideological differences, fueled Illidan’s path to darkness. Illidan wanted power to impress her, Malfurion wanted balance (a chill dude).
The Hardest Choice, War of the Ancients
As I discussed in my Well of Eternity article, when the Burning Legion invaded, it was Malfurion who realized the Well itself was the portal. While Dath’Remar and the Highborne fought to save their precious font of power, Malfurion made the hardest decision in history.
To save the world, he had to destroy his people’s source of immortality. He led the charge and shattered the Well, breaking the supercontinent of Kalimdor apart into multiple continents. While Dath’Remar called him a traitor and a fool for “destroying their birthright,” Malfurion knew that survival was more important than power. This decision is the root of the entire Night Elf vs. High Elf (Blood Elf) conflict.
The Long Vigil, Warcraft III
After the Sundering, Malfurion just went to sleep. For 10,000 years, he and his fellow Druids entered the Emerald Dream to help heal the shattered world and monitor the growth of the World Tree, Nordrassil.
He was awoken in Warcraft III by the Horn of Cenarius, blown by his lover, Tyrande Whisperwind, as the Legion returned. His finest moment came at the Battle of Mount Hyjal. It was Malfurion who devised the plan to lure Archimonde to the World Tree and detonate countless Wisps (ancestral spirits), destroying the Eredar Lord. Once again, he saved the world by sacrificing his people’s immortality.
Ragnaros, The Firelord & Cataclysm
Malfurion’s work was not done yet. When Deathwing broke the world in Cataclysm, Malfurion returned to save Mount Hyjal once again, this time from Ragnaros the Firelord inside the Firelands raid located in Hyjal itself. I remember doing all the quests in the zone to access the raid and grinding dailies for the Avengers of Hyjal inside the Molten Front. Chasing exotic spiders there with my hunter… Eventually getting the Flameward Hippogryph mount was a true blessing. But that ‘‘the Flamebreaker’’ title was a tedious chore to get. (/wave achievement anyone?)
This brings back a funny (slightly traumatic) memory. My older brother forced me to roll a Troll Hunter because their raid group needed one. It was my first serious and main (still is) character. We raided the Firelands, and even when I rolled high on loot, he would take the item saying, “You’re little, what are you gonna do with it?” I only got the scraps nobody wanted! When he became a firecat (he played a druid) with the staff weapon (first kill drop even) from Majordomo, it was so cool. Looking back, fighting Ragnaros alongside Malfurion and my brother was the real loot…
Return of the Legion and the Nightmare
For years, people joked that Malfurion was “always sleeping.” But in the Legion expansion, we kinda saw him on the front lines (helpless and nerfed). In my opinion, Legion was probably the last truly great expansion where the lore felt heavy and meaningful.
The Emerald Nightmare, a corruption within the dream that Malfurion had fought for millennia, finally burst forth. The Satyr Lord Xavius returned. The zone of Val’sharah was a tragedy (I literally teared up when Ysera died). We watched Malfurion lose his teacher, Cenarius to corruption (we had to save him).
I have vivid memories of this era. I remember progressing through the Emerald Nightmare raid with my guild. It was intense, but we managed to acquire ahead of the curve (achievement for clearing the raid on heroic) in just two weeks with thousands of golds spent on consumables and repairs. Fighting Xavius in the Rift of Aln felt epic and personal for me. I had read the War of the Ancients trilogy books at the time, so I kinda had some hate for Xavius. I farmed him so much later on and could never get that bastard’s cool shoulderpads for transmogging.
Personal Thoughts on Malfurion Stormrage
I want to mention one more thing because people often mistake Malfurion for a “peaceful hippie.” In the BfA cinematic for Darkshore, we saw the “real” Malfurion. He hunted the Horde soldiers in the forest like a horror movie monster. He buried an Orc alive with vines, pulling him into the earth while whispering. Nature is peace and flowers but also death. I am still salty about him staying in Ardenweald (shadowlands) to trade places with Ysera, it felt like a cheap way to bench him again.
Malfurion is the adult in the room. A person with age and kids would probably like Malfurion. WoW’s universe is not short of greed and villainy. Azshara (the power-hungry mage), Illidan (edgy demon hunter) and Sylvanas (I don’t even know what she is anymore). I can say Malfurion is an anchor and stands out in this crowd. He is boring to some because he is stable like a sane person. Without him, Azeroth would have burned ten times over. As I grew older, I now lean more toward Malfurion’s side of stability.
