Four Horsemen
- For pre-Wrath of the Lich King encounter, see Four Horsemen (Classic). For strategy on the encounter, see Four Horsemen (tactics).
 The Four Horsemen | |
|---|---|
 The new Four Horsemen (Clockwise from top left: Thoras Trollbane, Nazgrim, Darion Mograine and Sally Whitemane). | |
| Main leader |
 Darion Mograine |
| Formerly |
 Baron Rivendare Alexandros Mograine † |
| Race(s) |
  Human Orc |
| Formerly |
 Dwarf |
| Base of operations | Acherus: The Ebon Hold |
| Formerly | Naxxramas |
| Theater of operations | Northrend, Broken Isles, Eastern Kingdoms |
| Affiliation | Knights of the Ebon Blade |
| Formerly | The Scourge |
| Status | Active |
“The most powerful death knights within Naxxramas are the four horsemen. They represent the pinnacle of Kel'Thuzad's guard. The first, Thane Korth'azz, holds the power of flame. The next, Lady Blaumeux, calls forth the power of shadows, drawing the souls of the living into the voracious embrace. Sir Zeliek, a paladin in life, so strong in his faith, that even in undeath, the power of the light still heeds his call, smiting his foes in battle. The final death knight, Lord Mograine, was the finest warrior that the death knights had ever seen. However, after the events of Azeroth, he vanished without a trace. Kel'Thuzad has appointed Baron Rivendare in his place.”
The Four Horsemen are extremely powerful elite death knights originally created by the lich Kel'Thuzad to serve as his royal guard.[1] The most feared and powerful soldiers of all the Scourge, the Archlich considered them his greatest creation. The original Four Horsemen were eventually defeated on two occasions within Naxxramas by the adventurers, once above Stratholme and then in the Dragonblight.
During the third invasion of the Burning Legion, the Lich King Bolvar Fordragon ordered the Deathlord to create the new Four Horsemen and placed them under the command of Darion Mograine as voluntary agents, as it was his conditions to keep the Scourge contain in Northrend. Following the destruction of the Helm of Domination by Sylvanas Windrunner, the Four Horsemen remained faithful to their commitment and continue to serve the interests of the Ebon Blade under the command of Highlord Bolvar Fordragon.
Background
The greatest guardians of Kel'Thuzad, the original Horsemen were linked to the lich. As such, the only way to truly destroy them was to destroy Kel'Thuzad in the first place.[2] The original Horsemen were Thane Korth'azz, Lady Blaumeux and Sir Zeliek.
Following the Third War, the wielder of the Ashbringer, Alexandros Mograine, was murdered by his oldest son Renault near Stratholme. His body was then taken by the Scourge to Naxxramas where his will would be broken and his spirit corrupted by Kel'Thuzad. He rose as the leader of the Four Horsemen.[3]
World of Warcraft
The Four Horsemen stood in Naxxramas above Stratholme and oversaw the Military Quarter. They fought the champions of the Alliance and Horde and the Argent Dawn assaulting the necropolis.[4]
The Ashbringer
Darion Mograine also led a small party into Naxxramas in order to find his father. Following the whisperings of Alexandros, Castillian teleported Darion's group in a trap where the Four Horsemen were waiting. Brannigan Thundermaul dismounted Zeliek and fought Korth'azz. While Alexandros battled his son Darion, Lady Blaumeux was defeated by Grunn'Holde, before being executed by Alexandros himself. Zeliek struck at Brannigan's back, effectively killing him. Taking advantage of Castilian's spell, Darion cleft Korth'azz in two and killed his father with the Ashbringer, which would thereafter hold the soul of Alexandros.[5]
After the ghost of Alexandros killed Renault in the Scarlet Monastery, he returned to Naxxramas and attempted to resurrect the Horsemen. The Will of the Ashbringer and an adventurer wielding the Corrupted Ashbringer confronted Alexandros. The ghosts of the Horsemen also manifested and began aiding Alexandros with magic. Soon, the ghost of Renault joined the fray, banished the Horsemen, and killed his father.[6]
Wrath of the Lich King
During the war against the Lich King, Naxxramas rose once more in the skies of Dragonblight in Northrend. Kel'Thuzad had returned along with his Horsemen and Alexandros Mograine, the greatest champion of the Scourge, was replaced with Baron Rivendare as the new leader of the Horsemen. During the assault of the necropolis, they all fell once again under the attack of adventurers.[7]
Legion
At the beginning of the third invasion of the Burning Legion, the Lich King Bolvar Fordragon chose a new champion to lead the Knights of the Ebon Blade, the Deathlord. After they found the three powerful, legendary artifact weapons for his class order, he was ordered by Bolvar to create a new set of Four Horsemen.
The first Horseman was General Nazgrim, buried near the front of Orgrimmar, where the Deathlord and Thassarian resurrected him.[8] The second was King Thoras Trollbane. In order to access his body, the Ebon Blade had to deal with Prince Galen Trollbane.[9] However, despite previous agreements,[10] he ultimately refused to let his father come back to life. The Deathlord executed him, took Trol'kalar,[11] and resurrected Thoras.[12] The third was the former High Inquisitor of the Scarlet Crusade, Sally Whitemane.[13] The Deathlord, Thassarian, and the Horsemen assaulted the Scarlet Monastery, killing the last crusaders[14] before they resurrected Sally.[15]
In order to resurrect Tirion Fordring as the final horseman, the Knights of the Ebon Blade mounted an assault on Light's Hope Chapel and fought against Lady Liadrin and the reformed Order of the Silver Hand. However, the Light on the sacred ground proved too strong and they were defeated, killing Darion Mograine when he teleported his death knights to Acherus. The Lich King commended Darion's sacrifice and ordered the Deathlord to raise him as the final horseman. Following in his father's footsteps, Darion became the new leader of the Four Horsemen.[16]
Corrupted Ashbringer
The following section is a part of the Corrupted Remembrance's questline, a hidden cosmetic appearance for the Ashbringer.
Maxwell Tyrosus together with the Highlord of the Silver Hand arrived to Acherus demanding an audience with the Four Horsemen. Darion angrily reminded the new wielder of his father's blade that they were not the only Highlord present before asking their reasoning for entering Acherus. Whitemane on the other hand wasn't interested about the reason for the paladins' arrival and asked the guards to escort them out before being interrupted by Nazgrim who, seeing the two paladins as honorable people, suggested that they let them explain themselves to which Trollbane agreed, saying that they could decide what to do with them after hearing them.
The Highlord of the Silver Hand then showed them the 
[Shard of Darkness] which Darion thought only to be a myth. Darion, realizing the paladins' intentions was reluctant to help them until Maxwell reminded him and the other Horsemen that the death knights were indebted to the Order of the Silver Hand for attacking Light's Hope in an attempt to raise Tirion as one of theirs. The Horsemen agreed and Darion proclaimed that the Ashbringer would know their power once again.
The Horsemen then focused and channeled their power into the shard, turning it into the 
[Heart of Corruption]. Darion told the Highlord that they were even now to which Maxwell responded by thanking Darion, and told the death knight that his father would be proud of him for agreeing to help them. Darion angrily asks Maxwell not to mention his father in his presence again before demanding the two paladins leave Acherus and never return.[17]
Legionfall
During the Assault on Broken Shore, the Four Horsemen, with the Deathlord and Minerva Ravensorrow mounted on Daumyr, battled demons on the Broken Shore.[18]
Battle for Azeroth
Throughout the Fourth War, the Horsemen acquired fallen champions of both the Horde and Alliance under the orders of the Lich King Bolvar Fordragon, and later witnessed the new generation of death knights being raised.[19] As the pandaren and allied races became death knights, the Four Horsemen could be found at the Frozen Throne. Their leader Darion Mograine sent the new death knights to Orgrimmar or Stormwind and ordered them to make a choice from the Hero's Call Board.[20]
We Ride Forth
Believing that Bolvar Fordragon had fallen to the powers of the Lich King, Darion Mograine attempted to kill him. However, Bolvar forcibly controlled the former's body and made him return to Acherus: The Ebon Hold, while taunting him about requiring his fellow horsemen. Though wary of it being a trap, the horsemen agreed to kill the Lich King, and discussed who would wield the Helm of Domination after Bolvar was slain.
However, en route to Icecrown Citadel, the Four Horsemen, using their connection to the Lich King, discovered him locked in combat with Sylvanas Windrunner, and learned that this was all part of Bolvar's gambit to have the horsemen arrive and kill the winner of the conflict. The Horsemen were stunned when Sylvanas won and destroyed the helm instead of claiming ownership of it. With the Scourge no longer under control, Darion ordered Nazgrim and Sally Whitemane to rescue Bolvar, while he and Thoras Trollbane fought the unleashed undead to keep Acherus under their control.[19]
Shadowlands
The horsemen accompanied Bolvar and the heroes of Azeroth during the attack on the Sanctum of Domination, creating Death Gates through the fortress' various levels.
The new Horsemen of the Ebon Blade
| Name | Role(s) | Former affiliation(s) | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Darion Mograine
|
Leader of the Four Horsemen, former Highlord of the Ebon Blade. | Argent Dawn | Active |
 Sally Whitemane
|
Former High Inquisitor of the Scarlet Crusade. | Scarlet Crusade | Active |
 Thoras Trollbane
|
Former King of Stromgarde. | Kingdom of Stromgarde | Active |
 Nazgrim
|
Former General of the Horde. | Kor'kron | Active |
The original Horsemen of the Scourge
| Name | Role | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Alexandros Mograine
|
The Ashbringer, former leader of the Four Horsemen. | Deceased |
| Baron Rivendare
|
New leader of the Four Horsemen after Alexandros' death. | Killable |
 Lady Blaumeux
|
Former member of the Knights of the Silver Hand. | Killable |
 Thane Korth'azz
|
Former member of the Knights of the Silver Hand. | Killable |
 Sir Zeliek
|
Former member of the Knights of the Silver Hand. | Killable |
Trivia
- The new Four Horsemen wear amulets that link them to one another and tell them where each other are.[21] The medallions do this by summoning a shade that will lead them to another Horseman.[22]
- The Rider of the Apocalypse death knights call forth the power of the legendary Four Horsemen. They can call upon the Horsemen for aid and tap into the powers of death, famine, and disease.[23]
- They are based on the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse from the Book of Revelation, said to bring the end of the world.
- The Horsemen introduced in Legion ride skeletal horses with colors that correspond to the Horsemen from Revelation. Whitemane rides the white horse representing Conquest/Pestilence, Mograine rides the red horse representing War, Nazgrim rides the black horse representing Famine, and Trollbane rides the pale-green horse representing Death.
Speculation
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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.
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Original Legion intent
- Lady Blaumeux (link), Sir Zeliek (link), Thane Korth'azz (link), and Alexandros Mograine (link) were added during Legion's alpha, with modern appearances and models, but were eventually never used. It is unknown what their role might've been.
- Thoras Trollbane and Nazgrim had the same ID range as other warrior NPCs from Skyhold, perhaps indicating that they were supposed to be warrior champions, but eventually became death knights. See Skyhold#Speculation.
- To raise new Horsemen, the Deathlord originally had to find the
[Grimoire of Damnation], the journal of the Archlich Kel'Thuzad written during his time in Naxxramas, in order to gain the knowledge of how to create Horsemen.[24]
References
- ^ WoW Classic: Naxxramas is Now Live!
- ^ Ultimate Visual Guide, pg. 169
- ^ Ashbringer: Ashes to Ashes
- ^ Four Horsemen (Classic)
- ^ Ashbringer: Naxxramas
- ^
[60] A Kind of Peace
- ^ Four Horsemen (tactics)
- ^
[10-45] The Firstborn Rises
- ^ [10-45] The Ruined Kingdom
- ^ [10-45] Our Oldest Enemies
- ^ [10-45] Regicide
- ^ [10-45] The King Rises
- ^ [45] The Scarlet Assault
- ^ [45] The Scarlet Massacre
- ^ [45] The Zealot Rises
- ^ [45] The Fourth Horseman
- ^ [Heart of Corruption]
- ^ [45] We Ride!
- ^ a b We Ride Forth
- ^
[10] Defender of Azeroth
- ^ [10-55] Seeking the Baron
- ^ [10-55] A Cooling Trail
- ^ Take Your Character to the Next Level with Hero Talents
- ^ [100 - 110] Unholy Destiny