Illidan Stormrage (The Demon Hunter)

Illidan Stormrage : was the self proclaimed Lord of Outland, ruling from the Black Temple.
He was born a night elf and, as stated by Maiev Shadowsong, became "neither night elf nor
demon, but something more". He was the twin brother of Malfurion Stormrage and was in love
with Tyrande Whisperwind. Once an unusually gifted sorcerer, the extent of his powers
became difficult to classify due to his powers increasing in large bursts as a Demon Hunter
and his having absorbed the powers of the dangerous arcane object known as the Skull of
Gul'dan. His pursuit of power and arcane mastery led him to commit a number of horrific acts
against his own people and the races of Azeroth, including defecting to Sargeras during the
War of the Ancients and creating the second Well of Eternity. For his actions, he was
imprisoned for ten thousand years, until his release during the Third War. He came to be called
the Betrayer for his acts against the night elf people and carried the title of Lord of Outland.
Seeking to bring down her erstwhile prisoner, Maiev allied with Akama to invade the Black
Temple, where she cornered Illidan in his inner sanctum and struck him down, bringing an end
to one of the most tragic stories in Azeroth's history.

Illidan, also known as the Betrayer, was the twin brother of Malfurion Stormrage. He was a
practitioner of Highborne magic. In his youth, he attempted to master the druidic forces as his
brother had, but the sorcery called to him in a way that the magic of the land did not. Unlike
his brother, Illidan was born with amber eyes at the time, this was regarded by the elves as a
sign of a great destiny however, this actually indicated inherent druidic potential. When
Malfurion and Tyrande had found their destiny, however, Illidan was still searching for his.
Though not a Highborne himself, he became the personal caster of the military leader,
Ravencrest. When Sargeras' invasion of Azeroth had begun and Azshara's treachery became
known, Malfurion convinced Illidan to leave his queen. Illidan followed his brother.
However, as Cenarius and the dragons entered the battle, Malfurion came to understand that
their adversaries were too powerful to fall in combat. To end the invasion, he plotted the
destruction of the Well of Eternity. The idea appalled Illidan. The Well was the source of his
magic and likely of the elves' immortality, as well and its loss was a price far too dear for him
to pay. In addition, the night elf found that he increasingly admired the powers of the Burning
Legion, seeing a magical purity that underlay their chaotic behavior. Where the night elves
struggled to maintain their ground, the Burning Legion's numbers did not seem to permanently
diminish. The satyr Xavius seized upon his doubts, exploiting his confusion to plant seeds of
distrust into Illidan's mind, which made Illidan turn to seek the power the Burning Legion was
using so he could become stronger. While, in his mind, this was to help defeat the Burning
Legion, he actually helped them by giving Sargeras the Demon Soul to make the opening for
the portal. Illidan had strong feelings for Tyrande Whisperwind, a novice priestess in the
Sisters of Elune. Illidan so desired to impress Tyrande that he often acted without thinking,
particularly in magic; he never realized that these displays weren't quite what the priestess was
looking for in a mate. But while Illidan struggled to win her heart, none of them realized that
the battle was over soon after it had begun Tyrande had chosen Malfurion almost from the
beginning. Xavius knew of this and used his power to darken Illidan's thoughts, convincing
him that if Malfurion were to die, Illidan would no longer have a rival for Tyrande's love.
Finally, the sight of Tyrande in the arms of his brother, Malfurion, shattered his final ties to
the defenders. Illidan, with a new plan spurred into his mind, journeyed to Zin-Azshari. There,
he feigned allegiance to Azshara and Mannoroth. Illidan's plan was to obtain the Demon Soul,
an artifact of great power created by Deathwing also known as Neltharion the Earth-Warder,
which had the ability to close the portal which was allowing the demons to enter Kalimdor.
However, to put this plan in action, Illidan had to gain more power. Illidan was eventually
brought before Sargeras himself, who quickly discovered the night elf's plan to obtain the
Demon Soul for the Legion. Sargeras was pleased with this plan and gave Illidan a "gift" in
return for his allegiance. Illidan's eyes were burned out by Sargeras himself, despite still being
beyond the portal and orbs of mystic fire set in their place that allowed Illidan to see all forms
of magic and arcane tattoos covered his body. Azshara was fascinated by the "new" Illidan
(who was wary of her advances), but remained cautious, sending Captain Varo'then to
accompany Illidan in his search for the Demon Soul.

After the Great Sundering, Illidan, who had filled seven vials with water from the Well of
Eternity, scaled the peaks of Mount Hyjal, where he found a small, tranquil lake. There, he
poured the contents of three of the vials into the waters. The chaotic energies quickly
manifested, tainting the lake and twisting it into a new Well of Eternity. Illidan's joy was short
lived, however, when his brother, Malfurion, Tyrande and the rest of the kaldorei leadership
discovered him and all were horrified at what he'd done. Unable to accept that his brother had
committed such treachery, Malfurion tried again to explain to Illidan the folly of his ways. The
magic, he insisted, was chaotic by nature and it could only bring about destruction so long as
it existed. Illidan refused to listen, so enraptured by the magic's power that his brother seemed
to him an unknowing fool. Illidan claimed that magic would be needed should the Burning
Legion ever return. The lack of remorse shook Malfurion to his core and he raged at his brother,
understanding now that Illidan was lost forever to the magic's sway. He ordered him
imprisoned deep below Hyjal in a jail kept far from sight and mind.
Release from prison
llidan languished for 10,000 years in a lightless prison. Califax, a Keeper of the Grove and a
contingent of night elves (including Maiev Shadowsong) kept constant guard over the
Betrayer. Release came at the unexpected hands of Tyrande, who slaughtered the night elf
guards in the hopes of using Illidan against the Legion, which had returned to Azeroth at the
hands of the Scourge. With his love for Tyrande undampened through the millennia of
confinement, Illidan agreed to help. He swore to throw back the Legion and to depart from the
night elves forever. Malfurion opposed Tyrande's decision, thinking the release of Illidan a
catastrophic mistake. Frustrated that his brother remained unchanged and eager to prove to
him that the demons had no hold over him, Illidan left Malfurion behind, leading a force of
night elves into Felwood to hunt down the Legion. While in Felwood, he encountered Arthas,
champion of the Lich King, and they engaged in combat. The fighters were equally matched
and the combatants reached an impasse. Illidan stopped the duel and demanded to know why
Arthas had tracked him. Arthas responded openly, telling Illidan about the Skull of Gul'dan,
the demonic artifact that had corrupted Felwood. He explained that if the artifact were
destroyed, the corruption of the forests would halt. To ensure that Illidan would take the bait,
Arthas spared no detail of the Skull's power, adding that his master knew of Illidan's thirst for
power. Although Illidan did not trust Arthas, he nevertheless sought the Skull and its power
out. A great Demon Gate defended the Skull as Illidan and his forces had to fight mightily to
gain access to the artifact. Driven by necessity and influenced by the belief that with the
increased power, he could at last redeem himself in the eyes of Tyrande, he shattered the
demonic seal and used the Skull's powers for his own. Strength he found, but peril greater than
power came to him at once. The battle for control of the Skull came with a heavy price and
the artifact's powers changed him. Transformed into a demon, Illidan wrapped himself in
shadow and utterly destroyed Tichondrius and his demonic forces. But with victory came
devastation. Tyrande and Malfurion sensed the demonic power lurking within Illidan and
turned away with disgust and despair. Malfurion chastised his brother, convinced that Illidan
had traded his soul for more power. Enraged, Malfurion banished his brother from the forests.
Feeling his sacrifice and effort were unappreciated, Illidan muttered "So be it... brother" and
left the night elf lands.

Allegiances
After the Legion's defeat, Illidan was visited by Kil'jaeden, who, while noting Illidan's sketchy
track record with the Legion, offered him one final chance to serve them. He told Illidan to
seek out the Frozen Throne and destroy it. Ner'zhul had grown far too powerful for Kil'jaeden
to control and Illidan was to remove him from the equation in exchange for more power and
magic than he could dream of. Kil'jaeden granted him the Orb of Kil'jaeden to aid him in this
task. By harnessing Gul'dan's enchanted skull, Illidan came to possess the warlock's memories
and a plan came to mind, but he would need allies to help him. He decided to enlist the aid of
some old friends. Illidan called the naga to the surface. The naga, formerly the quel'dorei
servitors of Azshara, were eager to take vengeance upon the night elves and the other
landwalking races that had been spared from The Great Sundering. Azshara sent her
handmaiden, Lady Vashj, to establish contact the naga, respecting Illidan's magical talent,
accepted the alliance[1] and Vashj eventually came to lead those who would be known as
"Illidan's Naga". But Illidan still had the troublesome warden, Maiev Shadowsong, to deal
with, as she had persistently chased him all over Kalimdor. Illidan then allied with a group of
satyrs, known as Illidan's Servitors. Then he ran to the port of Nendis with his naga and satyr
minions protecting the way up behind him. Maiev killed the furbolgs and defeated his forces,
but when she came to the port, Illidan hijacked a boat and set sail, while a cadre of naga stayed
behind to scuttle the ships and ruin all hopes of following him. With the naga swimming in his
wake, Illidan came ashore on the Broken Isles the ruined remains of Suramar (ironically, the
same city where Illidan grew up) which Gul'dan and his warlocks had razed twenty years
before and the home of the Tomb of Sargeras.

Confrontation on the Broken Isles

Despite their best efforts, Illidan's servants had not been successful in destroying the boats.
Maiev and the Watchers arrived on the Broken Isles shortly after Illidan and the two forces
battled across the watery terrain. Illidan reached the tomb and Maiev was quick to follow.
With Gul'dan's knowledge, Illidan quickly traversed the Tomb and came to the chamber
which contained the Eye of Sargeras. Maiev came upon him as he and Vashj were activating
the powerful artifact and, as vengeance for her imprisoning him for 10,000 years, Illidan used
the Eye to bring the Tomb down around her and then quickly escaped through the
underwater passages used by the naga. Though he killed Naisha and all the other Watchers
within the Tomb, Maiev escaped with her magical abilities. On the surface, Illidan and Maiev
battled for supremacy as the Warden sent out a runner to gather reinforcements from
Ashenvale. Malfurion and Tyrande arrived on the Broken Isles with reinforcements as Maiev's
base was being overrun. When they struck back, Illidan's forces crumbled, but he and his
retainers fled before they were seriously harmed. Tyrande pursued them out of the base and
Illidan ensnared her to protect himself, warning her not to interfere. He fled across the sea once
again. During this battle, Tyrande finally revealed why she had spurned Illidan: too drunk with
his rising magical and political power, he had forgotten his own inner strength. Malfurion,
despite his increases in power, held on to that strength within him. Armed with this knowledge,
Illidan finally came to grips with his feelings. Illidan landed on the shore of Lordaeron and
quickly made his way through Silverpine Forest to get to Dalaran, where Illidan began to use
the Eye of Sargeras to break apart the polar ice cap and destroy Icecrown and the Frozen
Throne. But he was interrupted by Maiev and Malfurion, and the spell failed. Malfurion had
felt Illidan's spell tearing the land apart and concluded that he was a danger to the world and
had to be stopped. Illidan, who was entangled by his brother, called Malfurion a fool as he was
destroying the Lich King, their common enemy. Malfurion was furious at him for causing the
loss of Tyrande, who had been, according to Maiev, killed. Illidan was heartbroken that the
woman he loved was dead, but Prince Kael'thas, the night elves' newest ally, thought that
perhaps it was premature to presume her dead. Kael'thas explained that Tyrande had not been
"torn apart" by the undead, as Maiev had told Malfurion, but had instead fallen into a river and
been swept away by the currents. Malfurion immediately arrested the Warden and promptly
went in search of Tyrande. Illidan begged to be allowed to help his brother track down the
beloved priestess. Illidan and his personal guard of naga found Tyrande under heavy attack
from a massive undead force. Illidan and his naga battled their way through the undead until
they reached her. Tyrande was taken aback by Illidan's service to her, and when he delivered
her safely to Malfurion, she was astonished. Malfurion told Illidan he was free to go on the
condition that he never threaten the night elves again. Illidan, wishing for an end to the conflict
with his brother, agreed.
Escape to Outland
After Malfurion let him go, Illidan created a portal to Outland and fled immediately, pursued
by Maiev. Now that he had failed to destroy Ner'zhul, he knew that Kil'jaeden's wrath would
not spare him, so he wanted to find a world where he could remain free from Kil'jaeden. He
felt that Outland, the ruined remains of Draenor, was just such a place. Illidan was chased
down on the shattered world until he was captured by Maiev and the Watchers, and imprisoned
once again. But he was saved by Kael and Vashj. Illidan accepted the allegiance of the blood
elves, and made Kael his second-in-command. The Sin'dorei, coupled with the naga, would be
very invaluable to his plans. Illidan continued his original plan - to rid Outland of demonic
influence so that he could stay out of Kil'jaeden's grasp. To do this, they laid siege to the Black
Temple of Magtheridon, the Pit Lord who had taken control of the world. But first, Illidan
systematically shut down his dimensional gates to stem the flow of reinforcements. Eventually,
they succeeded. When they came to the Black Temple, Illidan was approached by Akama of
the Broken, who pledged the allegiance of his race. Akama's broken felt indebted to Illidan
and his army for aiding them in their fight against the fel orcs of Magtheridon, who had laid
siege to their village with the intent of slaughtering them all. They laid siege to the Black
Temple and destroyed Magtheridon's defenses, and then defeated the Pit Lord in battle himself.
Magtheridon noted wryly that Illidan had great power, and asked if the Legion had sent him
as a test. Illidan laughed, saying that he was not a test, but a replacement, and imprisoned
Magtheridon beneath Hellfire Citadel and kept sealed in place by the fel orc jailor Keli'dan the
Breaker.

The March on Icecrown

As Illidan rallied the forces of Outland under a new banner, a storm of fire and smoke
descended upon the Black Temple, and Kil'jaeden appeared in all his unholy glory. Chastising
Illidan for his foolhardy attempts to flee his wrath, Illidan quickly claimed that he had been
gathering his forces for a second attack on the Frozen Throne. Kil'jaeden, seeing that Illidan's
new comrades "showed some promise", agreed to give Illidan one more chance to appease the
demons. Illidan, Vashj, and Kael laid siege to Northrend and battled Anub'arak's forces as they
trudged through the snow towards the Icecrown glacier. But Ner'zhul, knowing he would be
overrun if he didn't do something, called Arthas to Northrend to complete the plan he had set
in motion so many months before. Finally, Illidan's forces arrived at Icecrown as Arthas and
Anub'arak dug their way out of Azjol-Nerub, and the two factions squared off in a titanic battle
as they tried to gain control of the four mystical obelisks surrounding the glacier. After a long
battle, and control going back and forth between the two enemies, Arthas activated all obelisks,
and the doors to the Frozen Throne were opened. But Illidan was not finished yet. Meeting
Arthas at the glacier's base, the two warriors engaged in single combat. After a few minutes of
exchanging blows, however, Arthas overcame Illidan's defenses and cut him down. Illidan
Stormrage fell in the snow, dead, or so it seemed. He was badly wounded, but not killed. Arthas
was quite aware of this, and before taking his leave, warned Illidan to leave Azeroth and never
return. After it became clear for Vashj and Kael that they could not destroy the Frozen Throne,
they retreated, eventually back to Outland, taking Illidan with them.
Relationship between Illidan and Malfurion
(The relationship between the Stormrage brothers is noticeably different in Warcraft III/The
Frozen Throne and in the War of the Ancients Trilogy)

By way of comparison, in the novels written by Knaak, Malfurion is more tolerant and
forgiving of his brother, who is portrayed as often selfish, reckless, out of control and not
completely sane. Rather than becoming part of the "lynch mob" who want Illidan summarily
executed, Malfurion speaks on his behalf, endorsing his knowledge of the Burning Legion as
vital tactical information... giving an undeniable reason to bury Illidan rather than kill him.
When we first were introduced to Malfurion and Illidan in Warcraft III, Malfurion objected
fiercely to the idea of freeing Illidan, in the belief that his crimes were unforgivable and that
he should stay locked up. When they were reunited Illidan was bitter about how he had been
punished and Malfurion was disgusted to be in the same room as Illidan, still nursing a grudge
over Illidan's betrayal. Illidan, who seemed to be the more forgiving one at the time, was eager
to prove to his brother that the demons had no hold over him. Later, after Illidan used the
powers of the Skull of Gul'dan for himself and took on a demonic appearance, Malfurion
demanded to know where his brother was, implying he still had some affection for him. After
Illidan revealed that he was the demon, Malfurion, rather than killing him, simply banished
him. Obviously, Malfurion knew Maiev Shadowsong would want Illidan imprisoned but still
chose not to act. Rather than object, Illidan simply walked away. Illidan was next seen in
Warcraft III: Frozen Throne. After the two worked together to save Tyrande, Illidan seemed
to have forgiven Malfurion for disrupting his attempt to destroy the Frozen Throne, even
though it would leave him at Kil'jaeden's mercy. Malfurion's last words to Illidan included an
ominous threat about what would happen to him if he ever did anything against the kaldorei
again. This too, Illidan accepted without objection. Illidan admitted that he had known only
"ages of hate" for his brother, but for his part he wished it to end. This is perhaps the closest
thing to a peace that the brothers have achieved. Illidan then departed telling Malfurion he
doubted they would ever see each other again. Malfurion's words indicate that he does not
wish to fight his brother, and he says that if he is forced to, things will not be as they were at
the Well at Zin-Azshari.

Malfurion's conversation with Remulos:

Malfurion Stormrage says: Cenarius fights at my side. Illidan sits atop his throne in Outland
brooding. I'm afraid that the loss to Arthas proved to be his breaking point. Madness has
embraced him, Remulos. He replays the events in his mind a thousand times per day, but in
his mind, he is the victor and Arthas is utterly defeated. He is too far gone, old friend. I fear
that the time may soon come that our bond is tested and it will not be as it was at the Well in
Zin-Azshari. The exact meaning and implications of this are not known. It is however likely
that Malfurion fears that the bonds between him and his brother Illidan will be tested in the
near future. For 10,000 years ago, during the War of the Ancients, the two brothers were forced
to work together to throw back the Burning Legion at The Sundering, which is when they
chose their separate paths. Now, with Illidan's death we will never know if they could have
co-operated again.
Relationship between Illidan and Tyrande
Illidan and Tyrande knew each other since their birth, which was thousands of years before the
first invasion of the Burning Legion. They were best friends alongside his twin brother
Malfurion. Thousands of years later, Illidan treated Tyrande not just as a friend, but something
more. He knew that Tyrande will have to chose either him or Malfurion in the future. Tyrande
also knew that if she chose one of them, the other will be deeply hurt and she didn't want to
hurt either of them. However, after the first invasion of the Burning Legion began, their
relationships were changed forever. While Malfurion studied the druidic way of nature, Illidan
studied the arcane arts, something that Tyrande was wary about rightfully so. He became
reckless with his magic, so reckless that he even killed some of his own people whilst
combating the Burning legion. Before the great battle between Kaldorei and the Burning
Legion continued, Illidan tried to talk to Tyrande about choosing him instead Malfurion,
claiming that he was dangerous with his druidic path. Tyrande told him that she though that
he was the dangerous one, and that she feared he was losing himself to the corruption of magic.
Illidan was heartbroken. He knew that she had chosen Malfurion, and in response he realized
that he wanted his own brother dead. Illidan later sided with the Burning Legion, while
unbeknownst to him, Tyrande was captured. She later escaped and ran into Illidan (who after
some time betrayed the Burning Legion). When she saw what Illidan had become when
Sargeras gave him his so called 'gift', she was horrified. She tried to reason with him to leave
the demon's service.He acknowledged to her that he was pretending to be on their side so that
he could make his plan to become a hero to his people. After the great battle in the palace of
Zin'Azshari and the Great Sundering, Illidan created a new Well of Eternity after also killing
some Kaldorei soldiers who had been trying to stop him. For this act he was imprisoned deep
below the World Tree Nordrassil on Mount Hyjal.

For more than 10,000 years Illidan suffered in darkness until Tyrande released him from his
prison to redeem himself by fighting the Burning Legion. After many centuries, Illidan still
cared about Tyrande. He even said that he would not fight because of his people, but only
because she asked him to. However, Illidan's twisted way of redeeming himself and saving his
people didn't end well for them. He turned into something he hated the most, a demon. For this
act, he was banished from his homeland by his brother Malfurion. Tyrande was horrified of
what he had become and she did not object to his banishment.

Their relationship came to a conclusion when Illidan threatened the entire world. It turned out
that he was trying to destroy Northrend and in doing so killing the Lich King (who was under
the command of the great demon lord Kil'jaeden). Tyrande sought to stop him with the aid of
his brother Malfurion. Illidan was surprised when Tyrande arrived to stop him. She told him
that he had become a monster, which he didn't take lightly, but he said he cared about her and
that he wanted to show her how powerful he was. Tyrande said something that haunted Illidan
for more than 10,000 years: "Raw power is no substitute for true strength Illidan. That is why
I chose your brother over you". When Tyrande was fighting the undead alone and fell into the
river, Malfurion and Illidan fought a large undead army to save her. Illidan completely
destroyed the undead army and rescued her. Tyrande was surprised by this act and asked why
he would risk his life to save her. He told her that whatever he may be in this world, no matter
what, he always cared about her. He made his peace with them, but he was not forgiven for
the crimes he had committed. Knowing that he was no longer welcome on Azeroth and that
Kil'jaeden's wrath would be inevitable, he was left no choice but to create a portal and retreat
to Outland. He bid them farewell and after 10,000 years he finally left Azeroth on relatively
good terms with them.

Illidan was one of the most powerful sorcerers on Azeroth (Queen Azshara was the most
powerful sorceress of their time). After 10,000 years it is unknown if he is more, less, or
equally powerful as Azshara. 10,000 years ago when the first invasion of the Burning Legion
began, Illidan practiced arcane magic and he became very adept at it. He was more impressive
than the senior sorcerers under Lord Ravencrest's command. He even became personal sorcerer
to Lord Ravencrest (something which made other sorcerers jealous).

While Illidan fought demons, he also learned from them and used their own magic against
them, something which both his own brother Malfurion and his long childhood friend Tyrande
didn't find appropriate. During the war, he sided with the Legion and Queen Azshara. He was
brought forth to speak with the lord of the Burning Legion, Sargeras himself. In return for his
allegiance, Sargeras burned out his amber eyes and replaced them with green, fiery orbs.
Through his new eyes, Illidan could detect any form of magic and detect the power of beings
around him. Illidan's entire body was also covered with arcane markings, which increased his
arcane power. Illidan had became the first Demon Hunter.

10,000 years later, during the second invasion of the Burning Legion, Illidan absorbed a
powerful demonic artifact called the Skull of Gul'dan, turning him into an immortal demon.
Illidan stated that with this power, he was stronger than any of Archimonde's lieutenants. He
destroyed Tichondrius, the most powerful of the dreadlords, with little effort. He also had the
power to transform into a full demon, making him even more powerful. Illidan is skilled in
melee combat, especially with the Warglaives of Azzinoth, which were once the weapons of
the powerful doomguard captain Azzinoth, a demon whom he slew 10,000 years ago. He can
strengthen them to become even more deadly.

Illidan's skills in melee combat are potentially surpassed by Arthas, who defeated him in close
combat, though it is speculated that Illidan's loss to Arthas was due to the Lich King giving
the small remainder of power he had to ensure Arthas' victory and, in the full spectrum, the
survival of the Lich King. In the book Arthas: Rise of the Lich King their fight was longer.
Illidan brought Arthas to his knees with one spell. When Illidan went for a finishing blow,
Frostmourne urged Arthas to rally and he struck Illidan with all of his strength. This indicates
that Illidan was more powerful than Arthas even when the Lich King gave him the power
boost.

Illidan is immortal. In the demon hunter starting experience he reveals he has an immortal
demon soul and that he cannot truly die. Instead, his soul makes his way to the Twisting Nether
until it can find another suitable body to inhabit.