Ever since the idea of primordial deities was stirred into the mix, many fictional universes have adopted them as well, withWorld Of Warcraftbeing one of the biggest. Despite all the different realms and terrors that Azeroth has to deal with regularly, they also have to keep the eldritch menace at bay.
That’s right, this universe has itsVoid realmof nothingness where the Void Lords and their pet Old Gods exist, just waiting to break into reality and wreck up the place. Though the Void Lords are confined to the Void, the Old Gods have found ways to reach Azeroth in hopes of causing untold terror and destruction.
The Old Ones' Purpose
Even though the Old Ones currently exist in the physical universe as various fleshy masses, their plan has a bit more tact than just “consume everything”. Using their twisted powers, these horrors aim to corrupt a titan world-soul.
Titans are powerful cosmic beings and world-souls are their earliest forms, which makes them incredibly vulnerable. If the Old Ones manage to corrupt a world soul, it will transform into an unspeakable force… that will consume everything and allow the Void Lords to take over the entire universe.
Y’Shaarj
Even though there were many Old Gods, some were more prominent and powerful than others, with four in particular standing above the rest. The oldest and most powerful of these four was Y’Shaarj, which arrived in Azeroth many millennia ago. It was said to have the appearance of a large gaping maw with many long clawed tendrils writhing around it.
In its original form, it posed a tremendous threat through its influence and construction of what is known as the Black Empire.This caused the Titansto intervene directly, tearing Y’Shaarj to pieces. Unfortunately, its death spawned dangerous monsters called the Sha, while its heart lived on and was used by Garrosh Hellscream for personal power. Even though Hellscream was defeated, and Heart drained, Y’Shaarj lived on through the Sha and the Mantid until both were defeated.
N’Zoth
Of all the four, N’Zoth is arguably one of the more pivotal Old Ones, having orchestrated multiple major events. It was seen as one of the more mysterious entities, lying in wait and making moves behind the scenes using its corrupting influence and power. It transformed both the Black Dragon Aspect in Deathwing andQueen Azsharainto a naga, leading to the creation of the Emerald Empire and the revival of the Black Empire.
N’Zoth aimed to bring about a cataclysmic event known as the Hour Of Twilight, which would release all the Old Ones from their prisons to reign in chaos across Azeroth. It was finally released from The Last Prison using the Heart Of Azeroth, but this same item led to its downfall when combined with the Forge Of Origination in the Battle For Azeroth.
C’Thun
Going back to an earlier Azeroth, C’Thun is another one of the Old Gods that has been in the realms since ancient times. It was around when Y’Shaarj was still active and was able to establish its own Black Empire. Having the appearance of a large demonic eye perched on top of a tower with many tentacles, C’Thun was directly associated with chaos and insanity.
This allowed it to influence the minds of many but created its own servant species called the qiraji. Its expansion was eventually halted by the Titans and their forces when it was finally imprisoned in a place that would eventually expand into the city of Ahn’Qiraj.
While imprisoned, C’Thun slumbered for thousands of years before the arrival of the Night Elves unleashed the still-living qiraji from Ahn’Qiraj and reawakened the Old God. From that point, it tries to reclaim its power by taking control of lesser but still powerful beings such as dragons. However, it was eventually defeated when adventurers confronted and destroyed it before it could fully return to power.
Yogg-Saron
If the Old Gods were assigned roles in their strategies for takeover, Yogg-Saron would definitely be the facilitator. Although it also arrived in Azeroth in ancient days, this entity was more passive, though no less evil. With a large cavern-like maw and tentacles, Yogg-Saron ran its influence throughout the land, both mentally through its whispers to the mind and physically with its black blood that turns into saronite when hardened, and anyone who touches it is instantly corrupted.
Its biggest act was creating the Curse Of Flesh, which had the power to turn Titan-forged beings into mortals and therefore make them far easier to corrupt. It was imprisoned by the Titans long ago in Ulduar within the frozen lands of Northrend.
While there, it was still able to poison minds (including those watching over its prison), transformthe Emerald Dreaminto the Emerald Nightmare, and even manage to corrupt the World Tree Vordrassil through contact with its roots. Although Yogg-Saron was eventually able to escape its prison, it drew the attention of adventurers who delved deep into Ulduar to fight and eventually slay it.
G’huun
Although the Old Gods are said to have been created by the Void Lords, G’huun was created by the Titans. Whenever the Titans imprison an Old God, they conduct experiments on it to further understand its being and power. G’huun is the result of those experiments, being dubbed the Blood God.
Despite not being nearly as grotesque (appearing as a large slug with sharp appendages) or half as powerful as the “true” Old Gods, it still posed a massive threat to Azeroth. G’huun’s corrupting force was called the “underrot” and it was a tenacious plague that decayed everything it touched, thus making it all weaker and much easier to consume. It was located inthe Uldir facilityon Zandalar, where it was defeated by an adventuring party.
Minor Old Gods
While the most important Old Gods, known as The Three (N’Zoth, C’Thun, and Yogg-Saron), were among the main threats to Azeroth, there have been reports of others. Although these are mainly heard through stories and dialogue, it implies that there are far more Old Gods than those encountered by the Alliance and Horde. It’s said that these entities operate on other worlds in the universe.
Even though characters have claimed to speak to them (such as Anzu), it’s unknown whether these Old Gods are interested in Azeroth. A notable example is when the Dark Conclave tried to summon an Old God into Outland, but was stopped by adventurers before it could fully manifest.
