World of Warcraft has been around for a while, constantly evolving. Teeming with rich lore and memorable heroes, it has also housed some of the most iconic villains to grace the video game world. There have now been nine major expansions to the WoW universe so far. Each one of them has introduced new and old villains to the game. While some of them left a long-lasting mark on anyone who fought them there are some which fell flat.

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This is a definitive ranking of every major villain in the WoW expansions. There are a few factors at play here, including how intimidating, powerful, or well-written these characters are, all of which influence how effective they are as villains.

Updated on January 25, 2023, by Kristy Ambrose: More expansions mean more badass villains, and the folks at Blizzard continue to impress with some intimidating antagonists. The most recent expansion, Dragonlifght, was released in November of 2022 to a warm reception from both fans and critics. One of the advantages that Dragonflight seems to have is a much better storyline, with fewer ret-cons and mystery-box hooks that hampered the last few expansions and all of the characters involved. The world of the Dragon Isles is new, but the lore is ancient, which is a nice mix for a new World of Warcraft zone. It also gives the bad guys a more realistic backstory and more gravitas in the present time.

11 Sylvanas, Battle For Azeroth

Sylvanas Windrunner in World Of Warcraft

Lady Sylvanas Windrunner, more commonly known as 'The Dark Lady', was a major part of The Battle for Azeroth expansion. Although she's not divulged as a villain until later on, a lot of the story does revolve around her.

The BFA expansion is notorious for not having clearly dealt with a villain. This is worsened by the fact that The Dark Lady isn't considered as one of the better villains in the WoW universe. There is a certain hollowness in her character and personality resulting in her placement at the top of this list.

10 Deathwing, Cataclysm

The party faces off with Deathwing in World of Warcraft: Cataclysm

Deathwing, often called Deathwing The Destroyer, is the prime villain in the Cataclysm expansion. Original players of World of Warcraft will remember that he was thought to be dead for a long time.

Though he is not the best villain to roam the lands of Azeroth, he did put up quite a fight that shook the land right to its foundations. He is driven by an insatiable desire to wipe all mortal races off the face of Azeroth.

9 Gul'dan, Warlords Of Draenor

Gul'Dan from World Of Warcraft

Gul'dan is one of the most well-known antagonists from the original World of Warcraft games. Surprisingly, an alternate version of him makes an appearance in the Warlords of Draenor expansion. He has an interesting history backed by an unquenchable thirst for power like any other villain in the history of video games.

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His main motive is to find the Tomb of Sargeras and have all of its power for himself. He is redeemed in the alternate timeline of WOD with a richer history and increased depth of personality.

8 Kel'Thuzad, Wrath Of The Lich King

Kel'Thuzad Villain in WoW

Kel'Thuzad is one of the most iconic villains in the World of Warcraft saga. He is mostly known for being the primary antagonist of the classic World of Warcraft game. He goes on the make a return in one of the best-received expansions, Wrath of the Lich King.

Kel'Thuzad was originally a member of the Council Of Six - the high masters of the Kirin Tor, but later takes the path of Evil. He has sworn to learn all he can from The Lich King and thus serves as the secondary antagonist in WOTK.

7 Kil'jaeden, The Burning Crusade

kiljaeden world of warcraft

The proud leader of the Burning Legion, as well as the creator of the Evil Lich King, Kil'jaeden has caused more than his fair share of destruction. He has the ability to shift between various forms, coupled with a cunning mind.

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Kil'jaeden is one of the few villains who is actually kind to his minions and willing to forgive them. The Kil'jaeden we know was created when he joined forces with Sargeras who promised him immense power and resources.

6 N'Zoth, The Battle For Azeroth

N'Zoth WoW Old God

N'zoth is the Demon Old God of Madness Nightmares Corruption and The Deep. His lair is situated deep under the sea in Azeroth, and he is one of the confirmed Old gods of the WoW universe.

Referred to as 'The Corrupter", N'zoth is responsible for turning Queen Azshara and Deathwing towards the dark side. He also plays a major part in the Battle for Azeroth expansion.

5 Hellscream, The Mists Of Pandaria

Hellscream WoW Villain

Garrosh Hellscream is often considered the best-written villain of the World Of Warcraft universe and not without good reason. As a kid, Hellscream was sent off to Garadar after contracting the red pox. He later goes on the become an import chief of the Mag'har and is feared all across the world.

The defeat of the Legion comes mainly due to the efforts of Hellscream but at a great cost to his own well-being. Hellscream is one of the most relatable villains of the franchise due to his tragic past and fleeting legacy.

4 The Jailer, Shadowlands

The Jailer WoW Shadowlands

The Jailer is the villain you'll find at the heart of the Shadowlands expansion, with an aura of mysteriousness surrounding his actual origins and purpose.

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He is also called Zovaan and is one of the Eternal Ones in Shadowlands. Serving as the guardian of The Maw, Zovaan has trapped the souls of Azeroth's greatest heroes and used them as a means to grow more powerful.

3 Raszageth The Storm-Eater, Dragonflight

World of Warcraft collage of three dragons - Kurog, Eranog, and Raszageth

It's not just this savage proto-dragon and her status and powers as one of the Primal Incarnates, it's the team of her older siblings. As the youngest of the Primal Incarnates, she might not be the most powerful, but it was thanks to her cunning that three even more lethal proto-dragons have been unleashed on Azeroth. Raszageth gets extra points for being the planner of this operation, and her own powers are already impressive, even in her juvenile state.

Raszageth, the Storm-Eater is the final boss in the Vault of the Incarnates. Even if a brave group of adventurers succeeds in slaying her, her efforts to free Fyrakk, Iridikron and Vyranoth are successful, and they live to be slain another day.

2 The Lich King, The Wrath Of The Lich King

lich King WoW

The Dark Lord Of The Dead was born out of the destruction of Ner'zhul, and is mostly known as the harbinger of unprecedented destruction to the kingdom of Azeroth. He is the leader of The Scourge, ruling them through his Helm of Domination while he sits atop The Frozen Throne.

Once Prince Arthas Menethil, the Lich King serves as the villain in Wrath of the Lich King. You can play through his backstory in Warcraft 3 if you have the Frozen Throne expansion.

1 Sargeras, Legion

Sargeras woW

If anything can be referred to as 'true evil', it is Sargeras. The Dark Titan is the creator of the Burning Legion who attacked Azeroth and almost destroyed it completely. Sargeras' sole goal is to destroy all life in the Universe and undo what his kin had worked so hard to achieve.

It's interesting to note that Sargeras initially served as the guardian of worlds before turning evil and setting out on his current path.

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