Will Saurfang Return?





He’s arguably the most badass orc of them all. Sure, Thrall can lay down some hurt, but when it comes to just busting heads with an axe (the way an orc should), it’s hard to beat Varok Saurfang.

So when Cataclysm came out, what did Blizzard do? They decided to stuff Saurfang away for safe keeping. My guess is he just stole too much thunder from Garrosh. As it stands right now in current lore, Saurfang is in charge of the Horde’s forces that remain in Northrend, which is what an orc like Saurfang considers “semi-retirement”.

So is that it? Are we done with the great and powerful Saurfang? Hardly. I’m pretty sure I know when he’ll show back up, and I’m pretty sure how he’ll die. The answer? It all boils down to one word…

Sargeras. He’s the biggest, baddest bad-guy of them all throughout WoW’s entire pantheon of villains. However, for as bad as he is– for as much sheer evil he has wrought upon the universe, there is only one hero from Azeroth or Draenor who Sargeras has personally and directly killed: Broxigar.

There is no other character in WoW who has as direct a path of vengeance to Sargeras as Saurfang. Every single other hero in Azeroth has some degree of separation or a more round-about case. Saurfang is the only guy who could show up at the final battle and say, “Hello, my name is Varok Saurfang. You killed my brother. Prepare to die.”

And that’s why I firmly believe we haven’t seen the last of Saurfang. He will be there at the last battle with Sargeras. Sure, there will likely be a complete smorgasbord of NPC heroes at that battle, but Saurfang will all but surely be among them. And further– I think that’s where Saurfang will finally be killed.

And I don’t mean in some sissy way. He’ll probably sacrifice himself at some point in the battle to ensure victory. Why am I so sure? Beowulf. When it comes to hero types, Saurfang has been migrating into that role. (Happy fun fact: Frank Miller made Bruce Wayne into a Beowulf hero-type in “The Dark Knight Returns”.) For Saurfang to completely fulfill his hero-type, he needs to die in a glorious way. I can not think of a death more glorious, or personal for Saurfang than dieing to ensure the destruction of Sargeras. Fifth expansion, we’ll see him at the end. Count on it.