Dire orc

Dire orcs
	; Hulking Brute
Faction/Affiliation	Illidari, Horde, True Horde, Iron Horde, pale orcs, Shadow Council
Character classes	Warrior, Shaman, Brawler, Berserker
Racial capital	Black Temple; Orgrimmar; Hellfire Citadel
Homeworld	Outland / Draenor (alternate)
Language(s)	Orcish, Common

This article is about the mutated orcs sometimes called berserkers. For the enraged melee warriors, see berserker. For missile-throwing trolls, see troll berserker. For large trolls also known as berserkers, see dire troll.

“That's... one big orc.”

— Lorna Crowley describing Korm Bonegrind^[1]

Dire orcs, also known as berserkers,^[2] abominations,^[3] horrors^[4] and brutes, are heavily mutated orcs. Dire orcs are created through Bleeding Hollow clan blood rituals,^[2] though the Twilight's Hammer seem to know how to create them as well; it is unclear if the Twilight's Hammer has their own methods or have adopted the Bleeding Hollow's.

History

The first dire orc was seen in the Black Temple — Gurtogg Bloodboil, a leader and presumed member of the local Bonechewer clan fel orcs. After the Cataclysm, Raz Skullcrusher was captured by the Twilight's Hammer and empowered into a dire orc by magic energies. Later, a group known as the Dark Shaman tried to recreate the Twilight ascension process, but the experiment failed and resulted in Lava Guard Gordoth becoming transformed into a dire orc or rather, mutated into a "hideous form".^[5]

In Mists of Pandaria, Garrosh Hellscream was in need of a subject to be infused with the powers of Y'Shaarj. Out of sheer loyalty, Malkorok volunteered and was twisted into a hulking, mutated orc.^[6]

In Warlords of Draenor, Grulkor investigates a fungal infestation in the Mistcreep Mire located on the east coast of Gorgrond. Throughout the quests he slowly becomes more and more obsessed with trying to harness the power of the mushrooms in the mire, eventually leading him to absorbing the power of a strange fungus. After consuming all the different mushrooms found in the mire as well as the strange fungus, all the spores eventually overtook his mind and mutated his body into a hulked orc monstrosity; causing him to attack the adventurer.^[7]^[8]

Additionally, in Tanaan Jungle and within the Stygana Cavern, the Bleeding Hollow Clan and their herbalists are experimenting with infusing orc brutes with mushrooms, affecting them similarly to Grulkor in Gorgrond.^[4] There are also several failed experiments laying dead on the ground nearby. An alternate version of Gurtogg Bloodboil is also encountered, and killed, in Hellfire Citadel.

There exist dire pale orcs as well. They are created through the Ritual of Destruction.^[9]^[10]^[11]

Notable

Name	Role	Affiliation	Status	Location
Ariok	Son of Eitrigg and member of the initial expedition to Draenor; transformed himself into a dire orc during his battle with Kilrogg	Orgrimmar	Alive	Various
Bleeding Hollow Horror		Bleeding Hollow clan	Killable	Stygana Cavern, Tanaan Jungle
Borka the Brute	Assistant of Pauli Rocketspark	Blackfuse Company, Iron Horde	Killable	Grimrail Depot
Dorg the Bloody	Bleeding Hollow aberration	Bleeding Hollow clan	Killable	Zeth'Gol, Tanaan Jungle
Franzok	Twin brother of Hans'gar	Iron Horde	Killable	Slagmill Press, Blackrock Foundry
Gnaw Bloodseeker	Dire pale orc assaulting Eventide Landing	Pale orcs	Killable	Eventide Landing, Shadowmoon Valley
Gorg the Host		Pale orcs	Killable	Forgotten Caves, Gorgrond
Grulkor	Laughing Skull Headtaker	Laughing Skull	Killable	Heart of the Fen, Gorgrond
Grute		Iron Horde	Killable	The Iron Bulwark, Hellfire Citadel
Gurtogg Bloodboil	Servant of Illidan	Illidari	Killable	Halls of Anguish, Black Temple
Hans'gar	Twin brother of Franzok	Iron Horde	Killable	Slagmill Press, Blackrock Foundry
Korm Bonegrind	Machinist of a Horde gunship in Gilneas	Orgrimmar	Killable	Gilneas
Krull	Assaults Karabor during a vision of Prophet Velen	Iron Horde	Killable	Defense of Karabor, Shadowmoon Valley
Lava Guard Gordoth	Dark Shaman transformed into a dire orc when attempting to become an ascendant	Dark Shaman	Killable	Ragefire Chasm
Malkorok	Former bodyguard of Garrosh Hellscream and leader of the Kor'kron, infused with the power of Y'Shaarj	True Horde, Kor'kron, Blackrock clan	Killable	Various
Maniacal Madgard		Iron Horde	Killable	The Pit, Gorgrond
Ogom the Mangler		Iron Horde	Killable	Iron Siegeworks, Frostfire Ridge
Raz the Crazed	Bodyguard of Pip Quickwit, captured and transformed by the Twilight's Hammer	Pip Quickwit	Deceased	Circle of Cinders, Mount Hyjal; Blackrock Caverns
Uk'urogg	Deckhand of Marak the Blooded	Iron Horde	Killable	Dread Grotto, Blackrock Foundry

Types

Notes and trivia

The name "dire orc" is taken from the original model's name, "felorcdire," as no official name is known. The updated dire orc models added in Warlords of Draenor are instead named "hulkedorc" and "felorcbrute."
Most, if not all, dire orcs added before Warlords of Draenor dire orcs use a model seemingly based on the original dire troll model, and have only three fingers on each hand despite orcs normally having five. Dire orcs added in or after Warlords of Draenor share a skeleton with the new dire troll model and have the correct number of fingers.
During his encounter in the Nighthold, Gul'dan becomes empowered and temporarily takes on an appearance similar to a dire orc.

Speculation

This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.

The Bonechewer Behemoths of the Black Temple may be different forms of dire orcs.
Some infested orcs are much larger and more heavily mutated than others, as such they may actually be some form of plant dire orcs as they have similar traits. Heavily mutated by flora (similar to mushrooms in Gorgrond and Tanaan Jungle) resulting in huge, hideous abominations.