Kael'thas Sunstrider

Kael'thas Sunstrider was the Prince of Quel'Thalas, the last of the House of Sunstrider, as well as a senior member of the Kirin Tor. After the fall of Quel'Thalas, Kael'thas led what remained of his people, the sin'dorei, in the service of the Alliance. Striving to placate his people's addiction to magic, he later covertly allied with Illidan Stormrage, but betrayed him to the Burning Legion when its master, the demon lord Kil'jaeden, enticed Kael with the promise of salvation for the blood elves.

He was branded a traitor after his allegiance to the Legion was revealed, losing the support of Quel'Thalas. Defeated in the Tempest Keep, he would be brought back by his demon masters and return to Azeroth a shadow of his former self. Kael'thas' purpose was to summon Kil'jaeden through the Sunwell, but his plans were foiled by the Shattered Sun Offensive agents and the sacrifice of Anveena Teague. He was defeated by their forces in Magisters' Terrace.

His soul was confined to the plane of Revendreth within the Shadowlands for his misdeeds.

Kael'thas serves as one of the protagonists (later antagonist) in Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne and the secondary antagonist in World of Warcraft: The Burning Crusade. He returned in Shadowlands.

Dalaran
The only son of Anasterian Sunstrider, king of Quel'Thalas, Prince Kael'thas was also a powerful mage and member of the Six, the shadowy high council of the Kirin Tor.

Sometime before the Second War, Kael'thas took an issue with the human Nathanos Marris being admitted to the Farstriders, and sent a letter to Quel'Thalas demanding Sylvanas to dismiss Nathanos from the ranger corps. Despite this opposition, however, Sylvanas persisted, and her response was simply that Nathanos would be a loyal ally.

Shortly before the Second War, he and the other members of the high council questioned Khadgar about the orcs and the events in Karazhan that led to the death of Medivh. Two years later, Kael'thas alongside Krasus and Antonidas battled against death knights who came to steal the Eye of Dalaran. However, the death knights escaped with the help of the black dragonflight.

Despite his status as both Quel'Thalas' royal prince and his place on the Council of Six, Kael'thas proved himself an approachable individual and quickly took to Lady Jaina Proudmoore. His charm and "perfectly" handsome features impressed the young sorceress, though his regality and her longing for Prince Arthas Menethil of Lordaeron had her rebuke his advances - such as traveling to visit the beautiful elven homeland, Quel'Thalas, where magic was even more commonplace than Dalaran. Arthas, in turn, came to view the older and more powerful Kael with jealousy, knowing that if push came to shove, Kael would end up victorious. Later, Arthas himself was to visit Dalaran to study, and Jaina began a relationship with him. Kael'thas did not take kindly to this, and upon discovering it simply feigned mild surprise that Arthas would be so secretive about having a woman such as Jaina.

Kael'thas was opposed to the notion of upkeeping the internment camps, viewing the orcs' inability to control their dependency on demon blood as a testament to their lack of formidability as a people. This brought him into conflict with Antonidas, Jaina and Arthas, who had come to believe that sentient individuals - lethargic or not - should be shown mercy and that the orcs were not beyond salvation.

Third War
As a member of the Council of Six, Kael was present when Kel'Thuzad was expelled from Dalaran.

After a dramatic turn of events, the treacherous Prince Arthas ravaged his own homeland and led an attack on Quel'Thalas. His brutal conquest of the elven kingdom resulted in the utter destruction of Silvermoon City, the defiling of much of the high elven forests, the tainting of the legendary Sunwell (thus forcing a withdrawal-based lethargy on the elves), the total slaughter of around 90% of the high elven race, and the killing of Kael's father, King Anasterian Sunstrider.

Kael'thas learned of this while in Dalaran, and a remorseful Jaina attempted to console him. Kael'thas lashed out at her, berating her for her relationship with such a butcher, and made one final allusion to the fact that she had chosen such a monster over him. Cursing humanity, viewing himself as a fool for ever assuming that humans could aid him, Kael'thas stated that his people had thus been reborn, by the blood of those who are forced to serve her "beloved" in death. With his father gone, Kael'thas knew that leading his people was now his duty alone.

Kael'thas abandoned Dalaran to its fate and rushed to the aid of his people. Once he entered the forests, Kael sent Rommath to Lor'themar Theron, to inform the elves about the coming of their prince.

Kael'thas arrived in Silvermoon to an icy reception. His prolonged absence had been noted, and the populace was downtrodden, fearing the prince would abandon them. Kael first met with Lor'themar, who had rallied the elves in his absence, and was shown to the body of his father. Kael performed a Thalassian blessing and told his father that he was lost without him; that Anasterian was the king, not him. He asked his father for the strength to lead their people forward and watched that night as Anasterian was cremated on a funeral pyre.

Kael'thas made no excuses for being absent in Quel'Thalas's darkest hour. He resolved to prove himself to the elves and do whatever he could to rebuild their kingdom. It was hard as he had always felt distant from his people. They were largely insular and isolationist and he was quite the opposite. He wanted to see the world, interact with other races and learn new ideas. Despite this, he loved his people and kingdom.

Kael'thas then left to observe the defiled Sunwell and witnessed the dark, twisted energies pulsating from it. Fearing a further catastrophe upon the elves and the land, and an attack of the Amani trolls, Kael'thas rallied a group of volunteers to destroy the corrupted Sunwell. He took three mooncrystals with him to this end, all three of which survived the sealing of the Sunwell, albeit altered. Kael took them into his possession thereafter. Though he had saved his people from continued exposure to the dark energy, the destruction of the Sunwell resulted in a withdrawal-based lethargy for the elven race.

Kael'thas renamed his shattered people "blood elves" in honor of their fallen brethren and resolved to see Quel'Thalas shine once again.

Though King Anasterian had removed Quel'Thalas from the Alliance prior to the undead onslaught, Kael rejoined what was known as the "remnants of the Alliance" battling the Scourge in Lordaeron. Though this alliance was Kael's best bet for vengeance upon the Scourge, he came under the bigoted scrutiny of its prejudiced leader, Grand Marshal Garithos, who had long despised the elves.

Kael'thas took a number of his most powerful followers to join the Alliance resistance, though the majority of his people remained behind in Quel'Thalas. Kael'thas commanded the great ranger, Lor'themar Theron, to safeguard the shattered elven kingdom, to protect their exhausted people, and to keep what remains of Quel'Thalas untainted from the Scourge. As such, Kael appointed Lor'themar as regent lord. Before leaving, he took his family's shattered runeblade Felo'melorn into his possession, planning to one day reforge it into a symbol of hope and power his people could again be proud of - a reminder that even in the face of overwhelming hardship, the blood elves would not be broken. In time, Kael'thas succeeded, and the mighty royal blade was reforged.

Kael'thas officially decreed that his father would be the last king of Quel'Thalas, leaving the crown unclaimed.

The hunt for Illidan
Following the destruction of Silvermoon, Kael began to notice an emptiness within himself and his brethren, an insatiable hunger and disharmony. However, there was no time to deal with that, as Kael had other duties. Kael and his soldiers were stationed in the Silverpine Forest when a disturbance began to rile up the undead in and around Dalaran. They had begun to raid the outposts Kael had established, so he gathered up his forces to seek refuge in the relative safety on the other side of the River Arevass.

As he was loading the supply wagons, he was met by two unexpected strangers, Maiev Shadowsong and Tyrande Whisperwind. These night elves had pursued Illidan Stormrage for three days across the sea. Kael guessed that perhaps Illidan was behind the disturbances at Dalaran, and when he told them his tale, Tyrande immediately offered her assistance, thinking that he could help them track down Illidan. Maiev believed it to be a waste of time but reluctantly agreed. With the protection of the night elves and their mountain giant allies, Kael quickly made his way to Pyrewood Village to retrieve his buried supply caches. As they gathered more reinforcements, Maiev asked Kael where the rest of his brethren were, and he told them of the destruction of Quel'Thalas. Tyrande empathized but warned that vengeance and rage were not a pleasant road to walk.

As they arrived in Pyrewood, the undead were lying in wait and ambushed the caravan. Kael, Maiev, Tyrande, and their forces battled off the first attackers, but as the second wave advanced, they realized that the caravan would never survive another assault. Maiev and Kael rushed the caravan across the bridge, while Tyrande stayed to fend off the undead alone. As she called upon the powers of Elune to protect her, the bridge fell away, and Tyrande was swept down the river. Kael wanted to pursue her, but Maiev stopped him, saying that she was a warrior and knew the risks. Maiev then demanded that Kael honor their bargain, and help her capture Illidan.

Kael and Maiev tracked Illidan to Dalaran, where Kael's scouts found him performing a strange ritual with a mysterious gem. Malfurion Stormrage came and told them that Illidan's spell was using the Eye of Sargeras to break Northrend apart. Immediately, they advanced upon his location, while Kael defended their bases from the voracious undead. After freeing the paladin Magroth the Defender from the Naga, he pledged to help them. When Illidan's spell was interrupted, Malfurion approached his brother and condemned him for his part in Tyrande's death. Kael, perplexed, suggested that it was premature to assume she was dead and was vehemently silenced by Maiev.

Malfurion, realizing he had been duped, left Maiev entangled in vines while he and Illidan set off to save Tyrande. Maiev eventually freed herself and set off in pursuit, while Kael'thas was left in the ruins of Dalaran.

The rise of the blood elves
Kael found the Grand Marshal Othmar Garithos at Dalaran, who dismissed his story of the night elves as a fanciful excuse. Garithos, Kael's commanding officer, harbored a poorly-hidden disdain for all non-human races. Garithos informed Kael that a strikeforce was encroaching on Dalaran and that he was going to head them off at the mountains. Kael was quick to volunteer his assistance, but Garithos had other plans. He explained that a second force was believed to be approaching from the east and that the arcane observatories needed repairs so that they could be used to spot them. Kael did as ordered, but when he came to Lordamere Lake, he found the shipyard ruined, and had no route across the water. Lady Vashj, a naga witch, soon arrived to offer her aid, citing their common ancestry. Vashj gave him boats, which Kael used to ferry his troops to the outlying observatories.

When Garithos returned from the front, he condemned Kael for consorting with the naga, despite the prince's assurances that they were not a threat to the Alliance. Garithos warned Kael that he would not tolerate treason before leaving Kael to keep things in line at Dalaran. An emissary sent by Garithos arrived the next day with further orders, reporting that the observatories had detected an undead force in the west. Kael was to defeat them, though the emissary also recalled his foot soldiers, cavalry, and support teams to the front lines. Kael was left with only his fellow elves to aid him, and the undead were quick to overtake the outposts across the river. Once again, Lady Vashj arrived with her naga, and though Kael was wary of accepting her offer, she insisted that without her help, he and his brethren would surely fall. Realizing that it would be impossible to survive without these reinforcements, Kael accepted. Together they defeated the undead.

After the battle, Kael told Vashj about how his people felt an emptiness ever since Quel'Thalas was destroyed. Vashj explained to Kael that just like the naga, his people were addicted to magic. Without the Sunwell to give them a constant supply of magical energies, they would surely suffer a fatal withdrawal. Kael heard Garithos approaching, and bid Vashj to flee, but Garithos' men saw the naga escaping and arrested Kael and his people for treason. Garithos smugly told Kael that he now had all the proof he needed to deal with him and the other elves as he felt they deserved, and he had them all imprisoned in the Dungeons of Dalaran.

Vashj crept in through the sewers of the dungeons and freed Kael, then helped him free his brethren. Vashj promised him an escape from his human oppressors through Kel'Thuzad's interdimensional portal, where her master, Illidan, was waiting on the other side. As they neared the exit, Kael met his former comrade, Jailor Kassan, who he was forced to slay in order to escape. Upon leaving the dungeons, the blood elves and naga fled through the portal Archimonde used to enter the world of Azeroth, and into a new world.

Kael found himself on the barren lands of the Hellfire Peninsula, and Vashj revealed that this Outland was once the orcish homeland of Draenor. They searched for Illidan for days, until Vashj caught a familiar scent on the winds. Maiev had captured Illidan and was escorting him back to her base in a prison wagon. Kael and Vashj's forces quickly rushed into the fray and battled Maiev's army in order to retrieve the unconscious Illidan and return him to their base, where they could undo the magical lock that kept him caged.

Illidan was pleased with the tenacity of all his servants, new and old alike, and told them of the situation in Outland. To flee from his vexed master, Kil'jaeden, Illidan had fled to Outland only to find it overrun by Magtheridon and the Fel Horde, an army of fel orcs, reinforced by demons arriving through Ner'zhul's dimensional gates. Kael had hoped Illidan might be able to cure the blood elves of their addiction to magic and asked if he could help them. Illidan sadly told him that there was no cure for their condition, but promised Kael that if he joined him, he would provide the blood elves with enough magical energies to keep their hunger sated forever. Upon hearing this, Kael pledged his loyalty to Illidan.

Kael and Vashj protected Illidan as he went about closing the interdimensional gateways. Kael discovered a camp of draenei being assaulted by orcs and lent them his aid. He was greeted by Akama, the Elder Sage, who offered his allegiance to Illidan. Finally, the time came to assault Magtheridon's Black Temple. Illidan, Kael, Vashj, and Akama all led their forces against Magtheridon's fortress, infiltrating it and finally defeating Magtheridon in his own throne room.

As Illidan stood triumphant, Kil'jaeden descended from the fiery sky and rebuked Illidan for his insolence in trying to hide. The demon gave him one last chance to save himself - destroy the Frozen Throne, or face his eternal wrath.

Assault on the Frozen Throne
Kael and his new allies returned to Northrend, where they were immediately met by Anub'arak and his troublesome race. Though they kept them at bay, Illidan's forces slowly advanced on the Icecrown Glacier.

The blood elves, thirsty for vengeance, attacked the newly arrived Arthas in a large-scale dragonhawk ambush. Arthas was able to push them back, with the help of his nerubian ally, Anub'arak, and was greeted by a familiar sight - Kael'thas, brandishing a reforged Felo'melorn. After a heated exchange, Arthas charged the elven prince, though Kael'thas teleported out of the fray for the time being. Arthas fled into Azjol-Nerub, and after his ascent out of it, Kael'thas attacked him once more.

The two appeared to be fairly evenly matched; Felo'melorn proving an adequate counter to the mighty Frostmourne. However, the tides began to turn, and despite Kael's vicious assault of both powerful fire spells and Felo'melorn's precision, Kael'thas was pushed back by Arthas - the death knight empowered further by the Lich King's proximity. Knowing that he could not win this battle, and forced into the snow, Kael'thas once again teleported himself away, deeming that he had bought Illidan enough time. Kael successfully withdrew, but Felo'melorn was lost in the battle.

As such, Arthas was left with only one more obstacle - Illidan himself.

After fierce combat, Arthas managed to get the best of Illidan, and Illidan's twitching body was tossed to the ground. Kael and Vashj were left leaderless on the snowy slopes of Icecrown as Arthas claimed his destiny. Together they took Illidan's unconscious body with them as they fled back to Outland.

A month later, when Magtheridon was being moved to Hellfire Citadel he accompanied the Illidari into the fortress. A week later, Lady Malande reported that Kael took his forces to close a Legion's portal in Netherstorm.

The Burning Crusade
Kael'thas, together with 15% of the blood elven people, made the journey into Outland with his new allies. With the goal of finding a lasting method to sate the elven addiction, and claiming a new homeland for the sin'dorei, Kael'thas thus put his plans into motion. However, he had not forgotten about his people still in Azeroth. Grand Magister Rommath, a powerful Archmage who had served Kael'thas' ambitions faithfully, was sent back to reclaim Quel'Thalas with a contingent of magisters - and to spread Illidan's teachings of draining magical power, teachings smoothly attributed by Rommath to the blood elven scion. Kael'thas named Lor'themar Theron Quel'Thalas' regent, to safeguard the country until the prince's return to lead their people. Emboldened by the reclamation of shining Quel'Thalas, and the prince's promises of a glorious future, the blood elves began to work towards their own great journey - to reunite with their prince in the promised haven of Outland. Rommath informed him about the possible alliance with the Horde.

As Illidan prepared his army of demon hunters to assault Argus, Kael'thas became alienated. Several of his followers had left him to join Illidan to be trained as demon hunters and he believed he could harness fel magic just as they did to sate his addiction. Soon, the fel gnawed at his mind, causing him to become more paranoid of his people, believing them to think of him as a failure. Many believed that the fel magic made him unstable. He believed his travel to Outland to have been a mistake since he was no closer to finding a cure to the addiction than before and the suffering of the blood elves had only increased. He was too prideful to return to Quel'Thalas without a cure, yet also deeply ashamed and angered of his own inability to find one. In this state of emotional turmoil, the prince was contacted by Kil'jaeden. The demon lord told him of more effective ways to harness fel energy and that Illidan had withheld them from him because he did not deem them worthy, only tools in the war against the Legion. In return for teaching Kael'thas, Kil'jaeden simply asked him to abandon Illidan. The prince refused, but doubts began to plague his consciousness.

Kael'thas sent Voren'thal the Seer and his forces to attack Shattrath City and the newly arrived Sha'tar. Kael'thas had requested that demon hunters would join the fray, but Illidan refused him, greatly angering the prince. Before the battle even started, Voren'thal threw down his weapons and defected. This betrayal was a devastating blow to Kael'thas, as Voren'thal's ranks included some of the most gifted magisters and scholars he had led into Outland. The prince saw Voren'thals betrayal as a sign of his own failures to his people and a rift began to grow between him and Illidan that widened as the demon hunter had only eyes for his planned assault against Legion worlds. Believing that Illidan planned on abandoning the blood elves and enticed by the demon lord's promises of salvation for his people, Kael'thas turned to Kil'jaeden as his new benefactor.

Kael'thas, with some of his most powerful servants, claimed the magic-rich area of Netherstorm as his base of operations in Outland. Displaying his long-severed ties to the Kirin Tor, Kael'thas ordered the callous destruction of the local Kirin'Var Village and its residents. Kael'thas himself claimed the citadel of Tempest Keep as his own and was able to overcome its powerful defenders - including a naaru, named M'uru, whom Kael'thas sent back to Silvermoon City for his people to feed upon by opening a portal with the technology of the Keep. He maintained these portals to send mana cells harvested from the Netherstorm to Quel'Thalas, still appearing as the benevolent prince.

His attack on Tempest Keep also led to the outmanned draenei being forced to flee in a vessel, the Exodar, though several of Kael'thas' agents were able to give pursuit. Upon the draenei vessel's crash into Azeroth itself, Kael remained in touch with his underlings and instructed them to create a portal - the Sun Gate - capable of allowing reinforcements from Tempest Keep to arrive and slaughter the draenei.

As the forces of the Alliance and Horde began pouring into Outland, Kael'thas and his followers originally accepted the blood elven pilgrims. However, these new arrivals were given menial tasks and treated little better than slaves, until Voren'thal's Scryers discovered that Kael'thas had entered into an alliance with the Burning Legion through the revelations of Sunfury deserters. Despite this revelation some other elves still decided to join their prince, prompting a recruitment war between Kael's forces and the Scryers.

During this time he had in his possession one of the Vials of Eternity, granted to him by Illidan, as did Lady Vashj.

The Cipher of Damnation
Through spying on the Earthen Ring and their activities in Shadowmoon Valley, Kael'thas gained the knowledge of the Cipher of Damnation. The Cipher of Damnation was used by Gul'dan to sunder the orcs' connection to the spirits of the land and may have been the same as (or similar to) the spell uttered by Thaurissan when he summoned the fiery destroyer Ragnaros to Azeroth.

Khadgar and A'dal discovered the plans of Kael'thas and requested help from any able-bodied adventurers to prevent Kael'thas from ever using the Cipher of Damnation. Through their efforts the cipher was recovered, depriving Kael'thas of a powerful weapon. These brave adventurers were granted the key to Tempest Keep, and sent to dispatch Kael'thas himself.

Defeated
Prince Kael'thas was ultimately cornered in his reinforced sanctuary of Tempest Keep, The Eye. He was defeated, though the timely arrival of Priestess Delrissa had allowed him to escape death. His image appeared in Shattrath, berating A'dal for not finishing the job with the same efficiency that he had claimed Tempest Keep.

The Sun King returns
Despite his defeat in Tempest Keep, Kael'thas survived the ordeal with the aid of Priestess Delrissa and continued to advance the plans of his dark masters. His appearance, however, was changed because of fel magic: his skin was sickly pale, and a crystal was lodged in his chest, and one of his Verdant Spheres is gone, having been taken by those who defeated him previously. Having collected the necessary energies from his manaforges in Netherstorm, Kael'thas returned to Quel'Thalas to reinvigorate the Sunwell - not as the source of his people's magic, but rather as the mystic portal that will allow him to summon his new master, Kil'jaeden, much as the Well of Eternity was used to summon Sargeras ten millennia before. or as the second Well of Eternity during the Third War was intended.

While the Alliance and Horde directed their forces to the Black Temple, Kael'thas and his Legion comrades made his return to Quel'Thalas through the Dark Portal, while his armies took a portal in the Throne of Kil'jaeden to the Sunwell. He briefly assaulted Silvermoon City with his felblood elves to retrieve M'uru. The Blood Knight matriarch, Lady Liadrin, witnessed this herself and traveled to Shattrath - renouncing her loyalty to House Sunstrider and offering to fight alongside the Sha'tar for Silvermoon's sake.

Following this, the combined forces of the Scryers and the Aldor formed the Shattered Sun Offensive, dedicated to ending Prince Kael'thas' dark ambitions. Kael'thas took up residence in the Magisters' Terrace, reinforced the isle with his last loyal servitors and Burning Legion assistance, and abducted the mortal avatar of the Sunwell - Anveena Teague, who had been placed under blood elf protection in Quel'Thalas.

Inside the Terrace, heroes assisted by Kalecgos battled their way to the twisted prince's inner sanctum. Kael'thas made his final stand, a shadow of his former self, and was cut down by the Shattered Sun Offensive, who claimed his head. Unlike his final thoughts in Tempest Keep, he did not meet his end with a cry for his homeland upon his lips; but with raving insanity instead wished only a violent death upon his killers.

Aftermath
The betrayal of Kael'thas sent shockwaves throughout the Kingdom of Quel'Thalas, and as Kael'thas was the last known member of the Sunstrider dynasty, Regent Lord Lor'themar Theron has become the sole leader of the blood elves. His once noble goals for his people aside, Kael'thas is now reviled as a traitor, who attempted to sell both his people and himself to the Burning Legion. His death brought an unhappy end to the Sunstrider dynasty, casting a bitter pall over the blood elves left behind. Kael's allegiance to the Legion severely hampered blood elf relations with the other races of Azeroth, connections Lor'themar had to take steps to repair.

Ironically, Kael'thas' increasingly desperate quest to relieve his people of their addiction would ultimately bear fruit. With the "blessing" of the Burning Legion, his own followers were permitted to gorge themselves on colossal amounts of fel power, thus becoming known as "felblood elves" in the process. His actions in abducting M'uru indirectly led to Prophet Velen using M'uru's "heart" to revitalize the Sunwell - that had been defiled by both the Scourge and Kil'jaeden. As such, Kael'thas' people have the Sunwell returned to them, now a mixture of both arcane and holy power.

Rommath, who was perhaps left the most shattered of all after Kael'thas' betrayal, mentioned that Kael'thas had been buried on Quel'Danas.

Shadowlands
Within the Shadowlands, Kael'thas pursues vengeance on an enemy from his past while confined to Revendreth for the crimes he committed in life.

Upon his death, Kael'thas was assigned by the Arbiter to Revendreth. However, Sire Denathrius took him to Pride's Prison within Castle Nathria not to redeem his sins but to amplify them, burdening Kael'thas with the sins of others through experiments and filling him with immense anima and sins beyond what he already carried. This corruption to his sinstone made Kael'thas' soul very strong, but also very unstable, self-destructive, and pushed to the limit of its existence, rendering him a weapon that must either be redeemed or would be cast into the Maw. The Accuser chose to personally oversee Kael'thas' redemption, cleansing him of his excess sins with the help of the Maw Walker.

Upon learning that Kel'Thuzad was not only in Maldraxxus but partially responsible for the troubles of Revendreth, in combination with his being unburdened of the sins of others, he was filled with anger and swore vengeance for Quel'Thalas. Kael'thas was part of the combined Venthyr and Necrolord forces who confronted Kel'Thuzad, but the archlich escaped to the Maw. Though Kael'thas' fury had not abated, he began to accept his own responsibility for failing his people.

Legacy
Kael'thas and his downfall have been referenced several times since The Burning Crusade.

Grand Magus Telestra, rumored to be Kael'thas' mentor, defected from the Kirin Tor to the blue dragonflight when Malygos reminded her of the unfair treatment Kael received while imprisoned in Dalaran.

High Examiner Tae'thelan Bloodwatcher mentioned that the prince's statues still stand within Silvermoon City. He used Kael as an example of past mistakes he feels his people are still living in the shadow of and states that the time has come for this to change.



Jaina Proudmoore conjured a vision of the Kirin Tor's past, citing Kael'thas as one of its greatest traitors. Aethas Sunreaver likened the callous leadership of Garrosh Hellscream to Kael's own in the prince's insanity, viewing their methods similar and their potential effect on the sin'dorei as equally catastrophic; just as the blood elves broke away from Kael'thas, Aethas believed they must heed the lesson learned from the prince's downfall, and never walk down that path again.

Lady Liadrin referenced Kael'thas and his betrayal to the Burning Legion when she dealt with the nightborne and nightfallen of Suramar, drawing parallels to her own people's struggles. The Nightborne leader Elisande erroneously believed that the sin'dorei would have understood her choice to ally with the Legion when it was this very action that led them to turn against Kael'thas. Like Kael, she felt that serving the Legion would save her people; and like Kael, this decision led to her death.

Kael'thas destroying the Sunwell is experienced by blood elf players during the questline to unlock their heritage armor.

Personality
Kael'thas was a cunning and powerful mage, as well as a gifted tactician and an accomplished warrior. He was hailed as a true champion of the blood elf people and a defender of their race's ancient heritage, but eventually fell prey to the dark influences of Kil'jaeden while sojourning on Outland, having been enticed by the demon lord with the promise of salvation for his people.

Proud and astute, the prince of Quel'Thalas could be both an amiable and a ruthless man. He proved himself approachable, but he also advocated drastic measures (such as the extermination of the lethargic orcs) that were at odds with the Kirin Tor's ethics. The prince was imposing to some and charming to others, and almost always regal and composed. The Third War's brutal aftermath had a huge effect on Kael, who would assume the mantle of leadership in his murdered father's place and find himself having to deal with the many problems his equally beleaguered people were faced with. Overcome with hatred for the Scourge, on the receiving end of racism from the Alliance resistance, and balancing the weight of a nation on shoulders weary from the addiction ravaging his people, Kael had become a much more desperate leader by the time he left Azeroth for Outland.

As Kael'thas fell further into despair and addiction, his actions became much bolder and more questionable; while Kael once derided the notion of trusting demons and considered the idea of draining demonic magic to be "madness," he would go on to do both himself, falling prey to Kil'jaeden the Deceiver. Following this, Kael's actions became more callous and cruel. Though judged as being on the path to madness by this point, he retained enough self-awareness to keep his dark dealings and draining of demons a secret from his people back on Azeroth, knowing most would be horrified if they knew the truth. By the time of his revitalization, Kael, now a shadow of his former self with fel burning in his very veins, had no qualms even with attacking his own kingdom. Like fellow prince Arthas, Kael was characterized as having a thorough love for his homeland and its people; but also like Arthas, the extremes he went to for them destroyed most of what he was in the process.

Kael loved his father, Anasterian, but the two did not always see eye-to-eye. While Kael felt loyalty and duty-bound to the Alliance, his father rescinded his own allegiance to it, and recalled the elves to their enchanted kingdom after the Second War. Kael remained in Dalaran despite this, and his father worried whether Kael'thas truly understood that it would one day fall to him to rule Quel'Thalas. Kael was left shattered by Anasterian's death, and strove to make his father's memory proud.

In the RPG
Kael declared that the blood elves would not let the Scourge enjoy their plunder, and planned to raze the entire forest. Before Kael left shattered Quel'Thalas, he managed to salvage the skull of his father, Anasterian, from the ruins of Quel'Thalas. The skull is among the artifacts that Alexstrasza believes would be needed to restore the Sunwell. Illidan gave him black plate armor. Flamestrike remained in his possession.

Kael was a wizard and fighter in the Warcraft RPG, which was changed to a mage and warrior in the World of Warcraft RPG.

Description
Prince Kael’thas was once a respected member of the Kirin Tor of Dalaran. He was an accomplished wizard and a hero of the high elf kingdom of Quel’Thalas. Yet when the elven kingdom was destroyed and the high elves pushed to the edge of extinction, Kael’thas and his surviving brethren grew dark and brooding. Renaming his followers the blood elves, Kael’thas led them to abandon the Alliance and join forces with Illidan the Betrayer. In exchange for their loyalty, Illidan taught the blood elves how to siphon demonic energies from their enemies in exchange for magical power. Now Kael’thas and his blood elves exist only to hunt demons and strip them of their powers. Though his principles and honor have been cast to the winds, the former elven hero finds his new pursuit more than adequate revenge for the loss of his beloved homeland.

Combat
Kael enjoys beginning a fight by summoning a phoenix or two before laying down a few flame-based attacks and then wading into melee.

Abilities

 * Heritage of the sin'dorei - Sunwell


 * Shadowlands

Quests

 * Use My Strengths
 * There's Always a Paper Trail
 * Reconnaissance... for my, uh, Recovery
 * Death's End Destruction
 * Strategic Executions
 * Lady Ouix'Ara (quest)
 * Enough Vengeance For One Day

The Frozen Throne

 * "The Scourge devoured our ancient homeland of Quel'Thalas. The once-proud bloodline of my people is nearly spent. The few of us that remain now call ourselves blood elves, in homage to our murdered people."
 * "This is preposterous! Am I to assault the undead with nothing but sticks and harsh language?"
 * "Greetings, Lady Vashj. I would welcome your aid gladly, but the commander I serve does not approve of your kind."
 * "Amazing. I remember when Khadgar led the Alliance Expedition here, years ago. He almost succeeded in wiping the orcs out for good. In an attempt to escape, Ner'zhul opened a number of massive dimensional gateways, but all they succeeded in doing was tearing their planet apart."
 * Arthas: "Are you still upset that I stole Jaina from you, Kael?"
 * Kael: "You've taken everything I've ever cared for, Arthas. Vengeance is all I have left."


 * "Pity I wasn't there to stop you. It's been a long time, Arthas."

Arthas: Rise of the Lich King

 * "Arthas Menethil. I would spit at the thought of your name in my mouth, but you aren't even worth that."
 * "You may not care for your subjects, but I care for mine. I have lost far, far too much in dealing with humans. I stand only for the elves now - for the sin'dorei. The children of the blood."
 * "Jaina loathes you now, Arthas. You sicken and disgust her. Anything she felt for you has long since turned into hatred."
 * "You're good at killing noble, elderly men. At least you faced my father on the battlefield. What of your own, Arthas Menethil?"
 * "Felo'melorn is stronger than ever - as am I. As are the sin'dorei. We are stronger for having been broken. Stronger and filled with purpose. And that purpose is to see you fall."

Blood of the Highborne

 * "Elor bindel felallan morin’aminor ("Sleep forever in quiet serenity"). I knew this day would come... but I never dreamed it would come so soon. I fear I am not ready, Father. You are the king. You will always be the king. I only ever wanted to make you proud. Grant me the strength to be the man you hoped I would be. Grant me the strength to carry us through this time of despair. Grant me the strength now to lead our people true. Elu’meniel mal alann ("May peace calm your heart")."
 * "The time has come! May the light of the sun guide us to the very end! If fate allows, we will rejoin you with new promise for the future of us all! If we do not return... then may you all find eternal peace!"
 * "We must put this misery behind us. We must enter a new chapter! And so I say to you that, as of this day, we are no longer high elves! In honor of the blood that was shed throughout this kingdom, in honor of the sacrifices of our brothers and sisters, our parents, and our children, in honor of Anasterian... as of this day we will take the name of our royal lineage! As of this day, we are sin'dorei! For Quel'Thalas! Hail to the sin'dorei!"

Dialogue

 * Shattrath City
 * emote
 * emote
 * emote
 * emote
 * A fiery symbol of the Sunfury, a rising phoenix, appears in front of A'dal, and then an image of Kael'thas Sunstrider appears in front of the symbol, facing the naaru.
 * yell
 * yell
 * yell
 * Kael'thas laughs.
 * yell

Dialogue

 * Requires (Venthyr Covenant)


 * Requires Necrolord Covenant

Gossip
After defeating Sun King's Salvation in Castle Nathria or beginning Confronting Sin, Kael'thas has this gossip:
 * You! You there! I insist you unshackle me at once! -or- You! Come here, subject! I command you to unshackle me at once! (for blood/void elves)
 * 
 * I suppose you enjoy seeing me like this! You may have bested me in battle, but you will never be my equal! (only for players who defeated him in Tempest Keep or Magisters' Terrace)
 * &lt;I am a prince of noble birth -or- I am your prince, your rightful liege (for blood/void elves)>, yet that aloof Arbiter dared consign me to this bleak realm of grey stone and narrow minds.
 * None of these venthyr are fit to judge my choices in life! Nor are you!
 * Accuser! Release me! I have a kingdom to avenge. Do you hear me?! ACCUSER!
 * 

After completing There's Always a Paper Trail, Kael'thas's gossip text is the same as the beginning of the questline, except removing the exclamation points and the lines, "Accuser! Release me! I have a kingdom to avenge. Do you hear me?! ACCUSER! "


 * After Enough Vengeance For One Day...
 * If a blood elf or void elf
 * While I, your prince, remain confined here in Revendreth, made to suffer due to a few... questionable choices, Kel'Thuzad roams free. That monster has all but seized control of Maldraxxus!
 * 
 * Nine of every ten of us, . Slain by Arthas Menethil to raise that lich. Our noble kingdom, all but erased.
 * Survival often felt more like a burden than a blessing. I did everything I could think of to keep our people strong.
 * But perhaps the path I took was...
 * 


 * If another race
 * While I remain confined here in Revendreth, made to suffer due to a few... questionable choices, Kel'Thuzad roams free. That monster has all but seized control of Maldraxxus!
 * 
 * Nine of every ten, . Slain by Arthas Menethil to raise that lich. A noble kingdom, all but erased.
 * You still bleed, do you not? Cut your flesh and count the drops of blood. Let nine fall and soak the earth for every one you save.
 * Tell me what that does to your heart, . For I can tell you precisely what it did to mine.


 * After The Tithelord (quest)
 * All this effort and sacrifice... and they still have not crossed even one sin off of my sinstone.
 * What is the point?


 * After The Medallion of Dominion
 * Draven calls ME arrogant! Yet if that stoneborn oaf had heeded my warnings about Kel'Thuzad, we would have destroyed the lich! Instead our enemy now stands at the Jailer's side.
 * 
 * I see now that I made mistakes. Perhaps, in time, I could atone for them.<-and-, and prove myself worthy of your trust once more. (for blood/void elves)>
 * Yet I would gladly trade my own redemption to claim vengeance for  people. For those that died because Kel'Thuzad--
 * 
 * Beacuse I failed to protect them.
 * Leave me, . There is much I need to ponder.

On-click

 * Greeting


 * If you have something to say, then say it.
 * My power is mine to wield.
 * Is it a sin to fight for survival?
 * You address the Sun King.
 * I suppose I have time to listen
 * I can learn to be humble, but never meek.
 * And what would you ask of me?


 * Farewell


 * Very well.
 * Do not presume to judge me.
 * Is that all?
 * All I did was for the sin'dorei.
 * Remember the Sunwell.
 * Until you need me, yet again.
 * I will contemplate my... transgressions.


 * Irritated


 * The venthyr can torment me quite well without your help.
 * I thought my deal with Kil'jaeden would save the sin'dorei, but it just got worse all the time!
 * True arrogance is wasting time pestering a bound soul when the Shadowlands are in peril!
 * As you can see, Magister's Terrace was merely a setback.

Lore

 * When the Flames settle, we shall see who still stands!
 * Lord Illidan awaits!

TCG

 * "Welcome…to the future. A pity you are too late to stop it. No one can stop me now! Selama ashal'anore!"

About him

 * "I may question Prince Kael'thas' loyalties, but never his style." -Elrodan

Heroes of the Storm trailer

 * "My people lost everything. Their light was extinguished, replaced by a hunger for magic... and vengeance. We became the blood elves. Now, I will fight for my homeland. Selama ashal'anore. I am Prince Kael'thas, and the time for a reckoning has come!"

In Hearthstone

 * Kael'thas appears as HS Kael'thas Sunstrider (a legendary card) in the Ashes of Outland expansion for Hearthstone. His flavor text reads: "Descent of Dragons was merely a set back!", a pun on the fact that Descent of Dragons was the card set preceding Ashes of Outland.
 * Screenshots from the Hearthstone alpha indicate that Kael'thas was at one point considered for one of the default hero positions, possibly mage.
 * In the League of Explorers adventure, Kael'thas HS Crown of Kael'thas (crown) can be found in the Hall of Explorers wing. Sir Finley Mrrgglton calls it "the magic of a mad mage made manifest."

Notes and trivia

 * Contrary to popular belief, Kael'thas's favored, and usually final, utterance to his enemies was actually 'PYROBLAST!'.
 * Prior to venturing to Outland, Kael had blue eyes.
 * Al'ar was the beloved pet of Kael'thas Sunstrider, who often boasted that death would never claim it. Perhaps he was right.
 * Kael was one of the most renowned practitioners of abjuration magic. He created a Mana Shield variant (known as Shock Barrier) that was practically unsurpassed among the residents of Dalaran.
 * Kael was able to control gravity, like his rumored mentor Telestra.
 * Kael was also considered one of the foremost masters of enchanting. He not only mastered the creation of potent magical weapons but also learned to manipulate these objects remotely, allowing them to fight on their own. This allowed the prince to fight as if he was defended by several skilled guardians, even when he was completely by himself.
 * His line "Tempest Keep was merely a setback!" has become infamous amongst players, usually using a version of the line for a joke about one antagonist or another returning yet again or when discussing potential future dungeons and raids, often with the joking implication that Kael'thas will somehow return. This line has subsequently been used by a few other NPCs.
 * Kael'thas is the owner of several verdant spheres, one of which can be obtained by players as a quest starting item.
 * The betrayal of Prince Kael'thas to the Burning Legion was met with many negative reactions, as Kael had seemingly gone from a "well-intentioned leader" to a "pawn of the Burning Legion" with little explanation. The issue was brought up during the 2010 BlizzCon, where Blizzard stated that a number of years before, Micky Neilson had written an 80-page long novella explaining the path of Kael'thas. The novella in question was actually Blood of the Highborne, which does not touch upon this plot thread, though Neilson was in the process of writing a Kael story which most definitely would. It was to pick up right after Blood of the Highborne, but he left Blizzard before completing it.
 * Kael'thas once judged the orcs for how poorly they were dealing with their lethargy, cut off from the power that had once sustained them. Ironically, this very fate would later befall Kael'thas and his entire race.
 * In addition to the list of affiliations above, Kael'thas was also loosely (if not earnestly) allied with Thrall's Horde for a brief period, if only as Quel'Thalas's sovereign. Kael was kept up to date on the state of negotiations by Rommath, and it is strongly implied in Blood of the Highborne that Kael himself was the source of information mentioned in one of Lor'themar's letters that confirmed the presence of uncorrupted orcs still on Outland; Kael's regent used this as a bargaining chip with the Horde.
 * Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider's Gold Coin can be fished from the Dalaran fountain.
 * His father, King Anasterian, displayed concern for his son's loyalty - which, Anasterian worried, was torn between the Kirin Tor fully and Quel'Thalas.
 * A medallion with Kael's image was found by Sylvanas on the beach of Quel'Thalas. She picked it up and threw it to the sea.
 * It was said that Kael'thas, like many others, desired Sylvanas' hand.
 * In life, she was not above defying his orders.
 * Kael'thas and Sylvanas snipe each other with scathing comments in Heroes of the Storm.
 * Kael'thas is the first character to appear as the end boss of two instances within the same expansion, and to drop two unique mounts.
 * Kael'thas appeared in nearly every campaign within Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, with The Founding of Durotar being the sole exception.
 * Kael'thas was voiced by Quinton Flynn in all appearances until patch 9.1.0. Following his voice actor switch, in addition to his new lines in Shadowlands, the new actor also recorded over Kael'thas' old lines from The Burning Crusade.
 * According to senior art director Samwise Didier, Kael'thas was "based off" former frontman.
 * The Introducing the Dance Battle System April Fools said that Kael had survived and was now challenging heroes to a dance-off.
 * Kael'thas's failures were the inspiration for Lor'themar Theron's poem The Adder.
 * In Revendreth, when Kael'thas is first encountered, his soul is shirtless and has a scar from the fel crystal he had in his chest that somehow remained from when he was defeated in Magisters' Terrace. Upon being cleansed by the Accuser, his form changes to something between a venthyr and a blood elf, dressed in red and black, with three venthyr anima orbs floating above him. He loses the scar upon the transformation.
 * While questing in Revendreth, Kael is seen riding a ghostly version of the Swift White Hawkstrider, the rare mount that he drops in Magisters' Terrace.
 * His generic name in Sinfall and Revendreth during the Covenant Campaign is Overburdened Soul and Arogant Soul.

Other

 * "Kael'thas Sunstrider, Prince of Quel'Thalas Silvermoon City  Tempest Keep  Sunwell Plateau ", is one of the characters featured in Blizzard Outcasts: Vengeance of the Vanquished, the fighting game that was "announced" as part of 2014 April Fools. His description reads: "The prodigal son of Quel'Thalas hails from a dynastic lineage that boasts centuries of arcane knowledge and equitable rule. Under his guidance, an entire race of addicts was forced to call themselves "Blood Elves."" His abilities are "Felbright Scholar", "Reversal of Misfortune" and "Conflagration of Hatred". His quote is "I did it for me".
 * Kael is a playable character in Heroes of the Storm.