Garrosh

Biodata

Background

Garrosh grew up in Nagrand, the son of Warsong Clan chieftain Grom Hellscream. Thin and weak by Orc standards, he could not commune with the elements and was bullied by his clansmen. After his private diary exposed his childhood feelings for Agna, her suitors tormented him further 691.

An old Shaman transplanted a Gronn’s heart into Garrosh through a Hellscream family ritual. Newly empowered and consumed by a desire to kill, Garrosh slaughtered most of his village. His strength made him both feared and celebrated among the Orcs of Nagrand 691.

Garrosh joined the Orc army after Agna enlisted, and Eitrigg brought him to Azeroth with news that his father served Thrall. Saurfang later showed Garrosh that Thrall had reduced Grom to a miserable captive. Seeking revenge, Garrosh secretly allied with Saurfang while pretending loyalty to Thrall 691 692 693.

Appearance

Garrosh grew from a frail youth into a tall, heavily muscled Orc. After merging with the Heart of Darkness, he became more than ten meters tall 297 691 1397.

• Tusks: Sharp and outward-jutting 297.
• Armor: He wore demon-tusk shoulder armor and Orgrimmar’s black battle armor when confronting Thrall 297.
• Heart of Darkness form: His enlarged body could develop dark purple protective armor 1395 1397.

Personality

Garrosh is ambitious and ruthless, readily sacrificing soldiers to improve his position. While publicly appearing close to his troops, he cultivated corrupt officers and exploited ordinary Orcs; he regarded three thousand soldiers’ deaths as a price worth paying to dispel Thrall’s suspicions 694.

He can be calculating and patient, concealing his hatred of Thrall and using his guards to exhaust an opponent before challenging him. His temper can also override his judgment: provoked during the siege of General Xiboli’s keep, he ordered an assault that ended in defeat 693 957 1070 1071.

Garrosh values power and his claim to the Warchief’s position, but often submits when faced with overwhelming danger. He begged the Scourge for mercy when Gorehowl turned against him and offered the Horde to the Mantid while Shek'zeer and the Sha of Fear tortured him 1071 1390.

Abilities & Skills

Gronn Heart

A transplanted Gronn heart gave Garrosh the Hellscream family’s power to grow stronger through killing 691.

• Enemies’ souls are sealed within the heart after he kills them 691.
• In Draenor, Grimak gained control over the heart, forcing Garrosh to submit rather than resist 1442.

Martial Combat

Garrosh is a powerful axe fighter who combines strength with high leaps and aggressive attacks 297 908.

• He leaped into the air and struck Sindragosa apart with Gorehowl 908.
• His rage can leave him temporarily weakened after prolonged combat, as General Xiboli exploited 957.

Dark Shaman Power

Garrosh used Dark Shaman power against Thrall’s elemental allies 297.

• He and Agna deprived Thrall of elemental support, causing the Storm Wolf King Grishus to dissipate 297.

Sha Power and the Heart of Darkness

Garrosh retained Sha power that could drive him into a muscle-swelling berserk rage. Sylvanas later claimed she had helped him merge with the Heart of Y'Shaarj 298 391.

• The Heart of Darkness healed him after Shek'zeer and the Sha of Fear tore flesh from his body 1390.
• Its purple energy enlarged him and formed durable armor, although concentrated Sha corrosion stripped that armor away 1395.
• After merging with the Heart, he could no longer use magic to teleport 1390.
• He used the Heart of Y'Shaarj to create Kor'kron Orcs whose fighting strength matched Thrall’s Fel Orcs 1400.

Holy Light

Garrosh returned healed and empowered by Holy Light fused with a mysterious power after Cairne defeated him. He was later reborn from death through Holy Light 1136 1494.

Equipment

• Gorehowl — The Hellscream family battle-axe. Thrall claimed that six Gronn hearts were sealed inside it and that an unqualified inheritor risked a lethal backlash. The backlash nearly tore Garrosh apart at Icecrown Citadel before Orc blood sealed it 297 1069 1071.
• Ashbringer — Borrowed from Tirion Fordring after Cairne took Gorehowl; it blazed with Holy Light in Garrosh’s hands 1136.
• Robbie’s Rune — A rune intended to locate and destroy Thrall’s soul. Garrosh released it near Thrall, but it injured the evil soul hidden inside him instead 730.
• Ra-den’s Heart — He used it to heal his wounds and teleport away from Thrall 1426.

Relationships

• Grom Hellscream — Garrosh’s father and the Warsong Clan’s celebrated chieftain. Garrosh sought revenge for his treatment by Thrall, but father and son became rivals for power; Grom beat Garrosh after regaining his senses 692 712 713.
• Agna — Garrosh loved her from childhood and joined the Orc army after she enlisted. He later promised Kites that he would bring her to him safely 691 926.
• Thrall — A bitter rival for leadership of the Horde. Garrosh initially feigned loyalty while plotting against him, and their conflict continued through repeated struggles for the Warchief’s position 693 1065 1104.
• Saurfang the Great — An early ally against Thrall who helped Garrosh devise a counterstrategy 692 693.
• Doras — Garrosh’s political ally and financial backer. Nazgrim later described Garrosh as her puppet, though that was Nazgrim’s assessment 714 1039 1258.
• Sylvanas — An intermittent ally who claimed to have helped him merge with the Heart of Y'Shaarj. She later attacked his camp and defeated him with help from the Black-Robed Man 391 1559.
• Nazgrim — Garrosh’s trusted general, who aided him against Cairne and later escorted the Heart of Darkness away on his orders 1136 1176 1399.
• Jaina — A conspirator in a plan to kill Alliance and Horde leaders at Theramore. After both were trapped as laborers, Garrosh asked her to help him escape 1350 1559.

Story Role

Rivalry with Thrall

Garrosh assumed command of an allied army of five races and took Rag City using human-wave tactics. Although he helped secure treatment for Grom, their reunion ended with his father beating him and breaking with him politically 703 711 713 714.

In an earlier confrontation, Garrosh and Agna stripped Thrall of his elemental support. Garrosh severely beat him, but Thrall transformed through Fel power; Garrosh’s remaining Sha power failed to overcome him, and Thrall crushed and ate him 297 298.

Northrend and Icecrown

Garrosh’s New Warsong Clan plundered Tirion Fordring’s camp, taking its food, equipment and maps. His later assaults on Xiboli’s keep failed, and he realized the Alliance had drawn his army into a battle of attrition 905 957.

After Garrosh seized the coalition camp and became Warchief, the Moon Goddess’s Emissary forced him to attack Icecrown Citadel. His Orcs broke through three Scourge defensive lines, but the advance led into a trap. At the Frozen Throne, Gorehowl’s backlash nearly killed him 1065 1068 1071.

Horde Leadership and Pandaria

Garrosh reclaimed the Warchief’s position from Vol'jin and fought Cairne Bloodhoof in an arena, where Cairne defeated him twice. He later accepted Gallywix and the Kezan Goblins into the Horde, seeking their craftsmen and war machines 1104 1136 1187.

Cho'gall’s examination of Garrosh’s records found that at least five hundred thousand Orcs had died needlessly through negligence. Garrosh also agreed to Jaina’s plan to lure rival leaders to Theramore and destroy the city with the Focusing Iris 1247 1350.

In Pandaria, Garrosh fused with the Heart of Darkness and fought Thrall’s forces. After defeat by Jiyun Tafeng, he fell into the Throne Room, where Thrall moved to strike him with the Doomhammer; the hammer instead struck a wall of Holy Light 1390 1399 1427.

Draenor and Imprisonment

In an unfamiliar Draenor era, Garrosh encountered Grimak, who controlled his Gronn heart. Garrosh later manipulated Jarnal into killing Fenris Ironwolf’s children and Agatha, who had rescued him from an Ogre feast 1442 1465 1469.

After Garrosh’s later return through Holy Light, Sylvanas defeated him with the Black-Robed Man’s help. The man trapped Garrosh in a Pandaren laborer’s body in the Vale of Eternal Blossoms, where he repeatedly died and returned to forced labor. Garrosh found Jaina among the workers; she later contacted Chen Stormstout and sought Garrosh and Zul'jin’s help against Taran Zhu’s rule 1494 1559 1565.