For over twenty five years Blizzard has captivated millions of fans with its dedication to rich storytelling and its unwavering commitment to world building. With each new universe it creates, Blizzard forces us to ask one vital question, why should we care? And the answer almost always starts with its characters.
While there are way too many great Blizzard characters for us to give them all the recognition they deserve, but here are our picks for the Top 25 Best Blizzard characters.
Illidan Stormrage
Illidan Stormrage was once an honored member of the Night Elves until he betrayed his people in his lust for power. First introduced in Warcraft 3 as an exiled demon hunter, over the years Illidan became the very thing he originally hoped to destroy, succumbing to demonic corruption. Though he served as the main villain in World of Warcraft’s Burning Crusade expansion, and now a pseudo an anti-hero type in Burning Legion, Illidan will always be best known for his opinions on whether you are, or are not, prepared.
The Lost Vikings
Despite not having a new game of their own for over 20 years, Eric the Swift, Baleog the Fierce, and Olaf the Stout are still some of Blizzard’s most beloved characters. So much so that they were unexpectedly added to the Heroes of the Storm roster and hold the crown as the MOBA’s most complex character. The Lost Vikings actually released a year before the first Warcraft game and almost certainly helped make Blizzard the powerhouse developer it is today.
Garrosh Hellscream
Garrosh Hellscream is perhaps the most iconic Warcraft character that didn’t exist in the series’ infancy. First appearing in World of Warcraft’s Burning Crusade expansion, Garrosh rose quickly through the ranks of the Horde, eventually appointed as Warchief in Thrall’s stead. His evolution continued in later patches and expansions, slowly cementing his identity as the hyper-aggressive, warmongering maniac that fans love to hate.
Apparently modeled after the elderly sniper woman in Mad Max: Fury Road, Ana may be one of the most distinctive characters in a shooting game we’ve seen. Before the events of the game, Captain Ana Amari was a decorated sniper in the Omnic crisis. Presumed dead, she came back to the fight when so many of her loved ones (including her daughter, Pharah) were endangered. The duality of her instincts-- to protect and to kill-- are apparent in her kit. She can heal you with a grenade or a blast from her rifle, but her ultimate makes her allies’ attacks much, much more powerful. With a wry joke and a knowing smile, she can put you to sleep with a dart and then stand over your body, drinking tea and taunting you for knowing nothing. Ana, we witness you.
Reno Jackson
Reno Jackson is the only Hearthstone-originating character on our list. Seemingly modeled after Indiana Jones if he’d been played by Tom Selleck, this cocky adventurer sprang onto the scene in November 2015 as part of the League of Explorers set. His battlecry was beyond powerful, getting early praise from the pros: “If your deck has no duplicates, fully heal your hero.” But not even they could predicate how influential Reno would become. Originally used as an anti-aggro card, he quickly became so popular-- across classes-- that an entire deck archetype sprang up around him. Decks were built around not only getting him onto the board but bouncing him back to your hand. Even though the plucky adventurer has rotated out of standard, his legacy has endured as Blizzard has continued to build cards for the “Highlander” archetype-- decks with no duplicates.
Deathwing the Destroyer (also known as Neltharion the Earth-Warder) was once designated by the Titans to watch over Azeroth's earth before he fell to corruption from the Old Gods. Responsible for all sorts of atrocities over the years, Deathwing has remained one Warcraft’s most enduring villains. He created the Dragon Soul artifact to kill his fellow dragon aspects during the War of the Ancients, took on a human disguise as Lord Daval Prestor during the second war in an attempt to destroy the Alliance from the inside, subjugated Alexstrasza, and later sided with the Twilight's Hammer cult to cause The Cataclysm (which nearly destroyed Azeroth itself). Deathwing is truly hated by all, which has made him one of the most memorable antagonists in all of Blizzard’s worlds.
Kel'Thuzad
Kel’Thuzad is a Lich responsible for spreading the undead plague in Lordaeron, but is perhaps best known by fans as the final encounter in the Naxxramas raid. Originally appearing the vanilla World of Warcraft, Naxxramas was reused in Wrath of the Lich king as hardly anyone advanced to the point necessary to experience the raid the first time.
In a game full of oddities and unexpected heroes, D.Va still manages to stand out from the pack. A bit of fourth wall breaking on Blizzard’s part sets her up as a pro-StarCraft from the not-so-distant future Overwatch takes place in, before joining a Korean mech-based military branch to fight kaiju-sized omnics on the Pacific Rim. On top of that incredible story, her implementation in the game is an absolute feat, essentially being programmed as two characters in one to function properly. D.Va is a testament to how out-there Overwatch can go in both lore and gameplay.
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