Here they are: the best Blizzard heroes and the legends of PC gaming!
There was a time when all you needed was a plumber and a princess to save. But as video games as a medium matured, so did their stories and, as a direct consequence, their characters.
Blizzard Entertainment has gifted the industry with some of the most complex, conflicted, fallible, and interesting characters. If you think about it, we can attribute the success of these characters to the fact that in many of them, we can see a reflection of ourselves, while in the others, we see what we aspire to be, or fear we may become if our wanton lusts continue unabated. It is for these reasons these stalwart champions and nefarious malefactors have become legends – the heroes of the gaming world.
There are so many great Blizzard characters that to extol all their virtues would take hundreds and hundreds of pages. So we’re just going to have this limit this list to the 10 most legendary heroes from Blizzard games.
1. Sarah Kerrigan
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"I am the Swarm."
Who hasn’t heard of the dreaded Queen of Blades?
Sarah Kerrigan is not only one of the most beloved characters in Blizzard’s StarCraft, she is, hands down, one of the most prominent figures in all of gaming. She has consistently topped popular opinion polls, and in 2010 beat 63 of the biggest gaming evildoers to become GameSpot’s “Greatest Video Game Villain of All Time.”
But the Queen of the Zerg wasn’t always so villainous. Once, she was an elite Terran Ghost – a psychic trained in assassination and espionage – until she was abandoned by Arcturus Mengsk and left for dead at the hands of the Zerg.
Not long after her transformation into a powerful Terran/Zerg hybrid, she took control of the entire Swarm. She then proceeded to crush all opposition in the galaxy’s Koprulu Sector. Driven by vengeance and a hunger for power, Kerrigan nevertheless exhibited benevolent, even heroic intentions in StarCraft II – a sign that her human side is anything but dead.
Critics have lauded Kerrigan’s evolution, vulnerability, and the intricacy of her internal struggles. When it comes down to it, though, Kerrigan is simply a total badass – and perhaps the only gaming villain who can commit a horrific act of genocide and look sexy while doing it.
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2. Diablo
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Evil incarnate
When you’ve got three games and several expansions named after you, of course you’re nothing less than a gaming legend.
Diablo, the Lord of Terror, is the big bad of the Diablo series. As the youngest of the Prime Evils of the Burning Hells, he was responsible for much of the horror that was visited upon the mortal world of Sanctuary. He is not only powerful, but also a keen strategist and manipulator, orchestrating events so that they always fall in his favor.
Perhaps most importantly, he is extremely resilient. Diablo’s many enemies – including the Horadrim, the Angels of the High Heavens, and occasionally even his own demonic brethren – have all tried to destroy him, but failed. Numerous times, he has bounced back from defeat even mightier than before. There is nothing more dangerous than a villain who just won’t stay dead.
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3. Arthas Menethil
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Evil never looked this cool
Everybody loves tragic characters, and aside from Kerrigan, they don’t get any more tragic than Warcraft’s Arthas Menethil.
A prince of Lordaeron, Arthas was idealistic yet impulsive, with a dream of one day becoming leader.
When his homeland was invaded by the undead Scourge, Arthas was forced to take drastic measures to save his people. Promising it would give him the power to defeat his enemies, the Lich King convinced Arthas to wield the cursed sword, Frostmourne. The sword stole Arthas' soul, transforming him into a death knight. With the help of the Scourge, he then conquered Lordaeron, killing his own father in the process.
Arthas eventually became the new Lich King. With the Scourge under his command, he embroiled the world in constant, bloody war, effectively forcing the Alliance and the Horde to unite against him.
It’s not every day that a single man is able to convince bitter enemies to kiss and make up so that they can focus on killing you instead. This alone makes Arthas one of the best Blizzard heroes.
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4. Jim Raynor
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Beacon of hope
StarCraft’s Jim Raynor is the quintessential space cowboy. Initially an outlaw-turned-marshal, he became part of a revolution to overthrow the oppressive Terran Confederacy. When his leader, Arcturus Mengsk, began exhibiting a genocidal streak, Raynor left the revolution to form his own, with the express purpose of bringing Mengsk to justice.
Raynor is beloved for many reasons, not least of which is his thick southern twang, courtesy of the marvelous voice work by Robert Clotworthy. Raynor is also tough and resourceful. Most importantly, he serves as the moral compass in a sector where shady political maneuverings and the disregard for the sanctity of life run rampant. He was the only one who saw the good in Kerrigan, which was instrumental in her transformation from mass murderer to something more heroic. Indeed, it’s in the darkest events that Raynor’s humanity shines the brightest, and it’s for this reason he sits at number four on our list of best Blizzard heroes.
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5. Thrall Son of Durotan
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Blood and honor
It was through Thrall that we learned of the nobility and heroism in the heart of the orc.
Without Thrall, the orcs would’ve never been able to rebuild their once proud society after their defeat at the end of Warcraft II. After liberating the remaining orcs from human interment camps and leading them to a new home in Kalimdor, he then allied with Jaina Proudmoore and her human armies against the Burning Legion.
While that alliance is no more, it’s because of Thrall that the possibility of peace between the Horde and Alliance transcends mere idea. In fact, Thrall remains friends with some among his former allies. Additionally, he’s an honorable warrior, not to mention the world’s greatest shaman. Not bad for number five on our best Blizzard heroes list.
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6. Zeratul
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Embracing the shadows
Dark templar Zeratul is among the coolest characters in StarCraft lore. His contributions were key in the destruction of the Zerg Overmind, and he was responsible for uncovering the secret experiments breeding Protoss and Zerg for a greater master.
In StarCraft II, Zeratul emphasized to Raynor the dire consequences that would befall everyone should the Terran fail to turn Kerrigan human. Later, he assisted Kerrigan herself, bringing her to the original Zerg homeworld, and proving to her the importance of stopping Amon – the fallen Xel’naga who seeks the destruction of all that live in the Korpulu Sector.
Aside from all that, Zeratul has one rad look. From the dreadlocks and the face mask to the massive shoulder pads and the psionic blade, his design just screams badass, earning him the reputation as one of the best Blizzard heroes.
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7. Tyrael
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The face of justice
As the Archangel of Justice, Tyrael always had a soft spot for the mere mortals of Sanctuary – an enduring sentiment that often put him at loggerheads with his fellow Archangels. In fact, his interference with human affairs – a violation of Heaven’s laws – led the chief of the Angiris Council, Imperius, to condemn him.
Not one to care about what others think of him (haters gonna hate), Tyrael renounced his divinity and fell to earth. Though no longer the Archangel of Justice but a mortal human being, Tyrael continues to serve as defender of humanity, even serving a significant role in the defeat of Azmodan, Belial, Diablo, and the rogue Archangel Malthael in the events of Diablo III. With the holy sword El’druin in hand, he slays any and all demons who dare threaten those under his protection.
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8. Sylvanas Windrunner
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Serving the Queen… in death
Another tragic character, Warcraft’s Sylvanas Windrunner was a high elf of Quel’thalas and an exemplary ranger. She valiantly defended her homeland against the Scourge, but was eventually killed by Arthas and transformed into a banshee.
When the Lich King lost psychic control over some of the Scourge, Sylvanas gathered the freed undead under her leadership, giving rise to the “Forsaken.” Vowing vengeance for her murder, Sylvanas and the Forsaken’s role in the events that lead to the Burning Legion’s demise cannot be understated.
Thanks to Sylvanas, the Forsaken found a purpose in their new existence, and are now part of the Horde. Sylvanas respects Thrall, and though she’s loyal to elves who’ve suffered because of Arthas, her priority will always be the Forsaken. For her contributions to her people and her allies, we think she deserves number eight on our best Blizzard heroes list.
A high templar with a fascination with the dark templar, Tassadar’s decision to align himself with Zeratul sparked civil war among the Protoss. Combining his own psionic powers with the dark templar’s, however, proved effective against the Zerg. This culminated in his self-sacrifice that destroyed the Zerg Overmind, causing Tassadar to transcend into a spiritual existence.
For saving countless lives, and for his single-minded selflessness and bravery in the face of his own demise, Tassadar is now a legend among the Protoss, and one of the best Blizzard heroes.
10. Deckard Cain
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"Stay awhile and listen…”
As the only character aside from Diablo himself to be present in all three Diablo games, Deckard Cain served as the voice of wisdom to many of Sanctuary’s heroes, guiding them in their quests and providing vital information whenever he could.
But Cain wasn’t just some strange old man with a penchant for helping strangers. He was the last of an ancient organization of mages called the Horadrim, who used the Soulstones to trap the Prime Evils.
Though old and frail, Deckard Cain was not one to shy away from adventure, often thrusting himself headlong into peril just to grab some other priceless tome or artifact. He discovered the Prophecy of the End of Days, which foretold the major events that would unfold over the course of Diablo III. Before his death as a result of Maghda’s torture, he repaired the mysterious sword that had fallen from the sky, revealing it to have come from the High Heavens. This, in turn, exposed the true nature of its wielder as the Archangel Tyrael.
And so ends our list of the 10 most legendary heroes from Blizzard Entertainment. Do you agree with our picks? Who else do you think deserves to be in the top 10, and why?
