Orgrim Doomhammer

Orgrim Doomhammer was the Warchief of the Old Horde and Chieftain of the Blackrock clan during the end of the First War and the entirety of the Second War. The orcish capital of Orgrimmar, the Horde-controlled town of Hammerfall in the Arathi Highlands, and the flying battleship Orgrim's Hammer patrolling the skies of Icecrown, are named in his honor. He was also known as the Backstabber by loyalists of Gul'dan and Blackhand.

Childhood


Orgrim of the Blackrocks and Durotan of the Frostwolves originally met whilst secreting away as children from the sleeping tent during the Kosh'harg festival in Nagrand. The two troublesome youths escaped past their sleep time to spy on the clans' councils, only to be severely disappointed. Deciding instead to spend the rest of the night challenging each other, they soon formed a bond that, while technically not forbidden, was considered against tradition by the Blackrock and Frostwolf clans they belonged to. Orgrim and Durotan never stopped being friends. One day, both of these youths would become great leaders. One day, both would change the destiny of the orc race in their own ways. As the clan chieftains had discussed current events and trade agreements, Orgrim and Durotan had challenged each other in feats of strength and willpower. Their rivalry had blossomed into a friendship that would last for many years to come.

One summer, the youths met at the border between Frostfire Ridge and Gorgrond. They had been warned not to stray beyond this point, but Orgrim and Durotan were not orcs prone to following the rules. One day while racing each other through Terokkar Forest, Durotan and Orgrim were attacked by a rampaging ogre. Seemingly out of nowhere, a brigade of draenei appeared and rescued the young orcs, who spent the rest of the day with Restalaan. Restalaan took the two orcs to Telmor, and informed them that the draenei leader, Prophet Velen, was in the town and invited the two to dinner. Due to his lingering injuries, the old draenei was not sure whether his premonitions of doom had any truth to them, but he was determined to find out. While meeting with Orgrim and Durotan, Velen observed the two orcs carefully. Yet he did not find any darkness stirring in their hearts. Much to the contrary, the youths seemed proud and honest. They discussed their people's histories, Durotan even commenting that he and Orgrim had learned more about the draenei in that period than their entire race had in over a century. They had never been inside a draenei settlement. Few orcs had. They were shocked by the draenei's hospitality, but even more so by the wondrous technology and craftsmanship of Telmor.

Blackhand's second-in-command
Some years after Telkar died and his Doomhammer was passed onto his son. Orgrim became the wielder of the weapon and in time arose to second-in-command to Blackhand.

When ogres attacked the Blackrock clan and they faced annihilation, Orgrim returned to the pool of lava where the Doomhammer was forged. Haunted by the prophecy that the last of his line would carry it to doom his people, he hoped to unmake its destiny and keep its power. The elemental spirits were displeased with Orgrim's pride and took back the Doomhammer. Blackhand then somehow helped to retrieve the Doomhammer. The ogres were then defeated, after which he returned the hammer to Orgrim.

Rise of the Horde
He accompanied Blackhand to a summit of the orcish clans near Oshu'gun, where Ner'zhul told them that draenei are their enemies and need to be killed. Though Orgrim was internally opposed to the war against the draenei, he followed Blackhand's orders, and even gave in to the blood lust Gul'dan had cultivated. But, like Durotan, he began to wonder if the orcs had been deceived. The Blackrock warrior had looked on with horror as the magic dried up Draenor's pristine rivers and killed its bountiful forests. Deep down, Orgrim knew that something was amiss with Gul'dan's agents and their gift. Later during the conflict, atop the mountain that loomed near the Citadel, Gul'dan addressed the gathered chieftains. He unveiled a pool of Mannoroth's smoldering blood, but he did not reveal its true source. Only a few would hold back from drinking the felblood, including Orgrim and Durotan. To avoid drawing suspicion, Orgrim claimed that he was not worthy to drink from the same cup that Blackhand had; after all, he was but a servant of the Warchief. Orgrim's plan worked. Both Gul'dan and Blackhand saw this refusal to drink as a sign of servitude.

First War
The Frostwolf clan had been exiled for Durotan's refusal to follow Gul'dan's schemes. While the Horde waged its war, the exiled Frostwolves moved north. They avoided almost all contact with humans thanks to the aid of the elements. Shortly after the Frostwolves arrived at their new home, the Alterac Mountains, Draka gave birth to a boy whom she would name Go'el. The baby's skin, however, turned out green, which made Durotan decide he could no longer stand by and do nothing about the Horde's corruption. Drek'Thar called on his shamanic powers to send word to Orgrim Doomhammer. The elemental spirits whispered in the Blackrock warrior's dreams, revealing to him that Durotan was coming south and that he wished to meet at the edge of a land known as Loch Modan.

Orgrim did not tell Blackhand of the meeting. Like Durotan, Orgrim had become wary of fel magic, Gul'dan, and Warchief Blackhand. He deplored the banishment of the Frostwolf clan, seeing it as further proof that the Horde's leadership was corrupt. He had also learned of the Shadow Council's existence, and he considered the order dishonorable and manipulative. Orgrim pretended to set up a scouting mission and took only a few trusted guards to Loch Modan, where Durotan was waiting. The Frostwolf chieftain showed him Go'el and explained everything he had uncovered: the mysterious warning he had received before the orcs had gathered at the Throne of Kil'jaeden, his theory that Gul'dan was in league with some dark force that was bent on manipulating the Horde, all that he knew. Orgrim was shaken, but he was not entirely surprised. He told Durotan about something he had seen in recent weeks: the fel energies from Draenor were creeping out from the Dark Portal and into the Black Morass. Soon, this world would be as dead as the one they had come from. Durotan, Draka, and Orgrim agreed that Gul'dan and Blackhand needed to be dealt with at all costs. Orgrim would return to the Horde alone and play along with the leaderships plan for the moment He urged Durotan and Draka to take shelter in the north until he sent word to them. Orgrim commanded his guards to accompany the Frostwolves on their journey home and keep them safe. That was a mistake Orgrim would regret to his dying day. His guards were not loyal to him, but to the Shadow Council and took it upon themselves to kill Durotan and Draka. When a few days passed and Orgrim's guards hadn't returned, the orc grew suspicious. He sent other warriors north to find out what had happened. Orgrim's warriors returned, reporting back to their commander in secret about the traitors' assassination of the Frostwolves. Orgrim was determined to avenge his friends and his people, but he bided his time, waiting for an opportunity.

Orgrim was also sent by Blackhand to ally with the forest trolls led by Zul'jin. An effort which ended unsuccessfully. Blackhand assigned Orgrim Doomhammer to oversee the construction of an outpost in the Swamp of Sorrows. From the swamp, Orgrim then led his troops onward, while crushing any opposition that they encountered. His troops' first real opposition was Grand Hamlet. With orders from Blackhand, Orgrim's troops razed the village to the ground and left no survivors standing. He was also tasked with leading the orcs into the Deadmines and to kill the renegade band of ogres led by Turok and Griselda Blackhand. In Redridge Mountains he defended an outpost and dealt with the human attackers. He also led an attack on Sunnyglade. Ultimately, the towns Northshire Abbey, Goldshire and Moonbrook were also destroyed.

Toward the end of the war, a surgical strike was launched by the humans to kill the treacherous Medivh. As Medivh was assaulted, Gul'dan felt the psychic trauma waves that Medivh emanated and realized that his chance to obtain the power of Sargeras was about to slip out of his grasp. He entered Medivh's mind and attempted to steal the location of the Tomb of Sargeras while Medivh was weakened and distracted. It was at this moment that Medivh died, and Gul'dan, having been in his mind at the time of death, was thrown into a coma.

The second Warchief and the second siege of Stormwind
Orgrim Doomhammer believed that his time had come. The Shadow Council was in disarray, and Blackhand was still reeling from the recent failed attack on Stormwind City. Orgrim would have no better chance to erase the corruption that had damned the orcish people. He challenged Blackhand to a mak'gora, a duel to the death, calling the Warchief a traitor who had sold his people into servitude to dark forces. It was not a challenge Blackhand could refuse. No orc could, not without losing the Horde's respect. He could not even have Orgrim assassinated in secret, for Blackhand had relied on the Shadow Council for such tasks.

Painted with clan symbols and adorned in oil, the two orcs dueled for hours. Orgrim ended the contest when he crushed Blackhand's skull with his family's weapon, the Doomhammer. The watching orcs knelt before the victor, proclaiming their new leader Warchief Doomhammer. Orgrim spoke to the Horde, telling them that Gul'dan and his warlocks were not what they seemed. Their fel powers were what had killed Draenor. Orgrim declared that he would cleanse the Horde of the foul darkness that had poisoned it. His first step was to outlaw the practice of using fel magic, on pain of death. Azeroth would not suffer Draenor's fate. Yet the full measure of Orgrim's vengeance would have to wait. After Blackhand's death, the Shadow Council had fled. Orgrim did not know where they had run to. For now, Orgrim focused his attention on the war with Stormwind. He did not relish the way the orcs would survive was by conquering Stormwind and making it their new home. If the did not defeat their enemies, they would be at the mercy of a strange world. Warchief Doomhammer ordered the clans to prepare for one final assault. They were moving before the sun had set. Stormwind City was conquered by the mighty Doomhammer. The First War was over. The Horde stood victorious. But its Warchief was anything but happy. Orgrim had no means nor the inclination to pursue Stormwind's refugees. The Horde had taken heavy losses to achieve victory, and he knew he needed to secure his conquered land before facing any new enemies. He sent messengers back to Draenor to call up the remaining clans.

Scouring of the Shadow Council
Orgrim used that time to consolidate his control of the Horde. His first priority was eradicating the Shadow Council. Though it was a powerful force, it was the root of the Horde's corruption. Orgrim believed that the Shadow Council was in league with dark forces that were manipulating the orcs and that the warlocks' obsession with fel magic was what had killed Draenor. On a more personal level, Orgrim also wanted revenge. Members of the Shadow Council had murdered Durotan, Draka, and their infant child, as far as he was aware.

The Shadow Council's whereabouts were unknown. Luckily, there was someone to interrogate. Gul'dan was still unconscious, but the Horde had captured his puppet, Garona, as she tried to escape from Stormwind City. Orgrim had her tortured until she revealed where the Shadow Council had built its secret refuge: Blackrock Spire. A large force of Horde soldiers stormed the smoldering volcano. The Shadow Council warlocks could do little to save themselves. Their fel power could only delay Orgrim's wrath for so long. Orgrim then killed as many warlocks and members of the Shadow Council as he could manage, effectively crushing their power. One of the few council members to survive was Cho'gall. The ogre made a very convincing case for why he should be spared. Without Cho'gall, the Twilight's Hammer would succumb to madness again. Could Orgrim really afford to lose such a capable fighting force? Cho'gall swore his allegiance to the Warchief, claiming that he had been manipulated into Guldan's service.

Orgrim accepted his surrender reluctantly. He wasn't sure whether the two-headed ogre was telling the truth, and he didn't particularly care. He needed fighting power to protect the Horde's new lands. The ogre also introduced Orgrim to the Dark Iron dwarves, who, under Ragnaros' secret command, allowed the Horde to use the spire as its base. The warchief felt it was a good omen that the place bore the same name as his own clan.

The Warchief also spared Garona's life. It was no secret that Gul'dan had been remarkably cruel to her, and her assassination of Llane had been very helpful. She, too, swore fealty to the Horde. Orgrim charged one of his most trusted lieutenants, Eitrigg, to act as her handler. In time, Orgrim's messengers returned from Draenor with bad news. The clans still on that world had descended deeper into bloodlust and had begun fighting with one another. Only a few skilled disciplined orcs and a handful of ogres would be able to bolster the Horde.

Arming the Horde
As the dust of the First War settled, Orgrim Doomhammer mulled over the future of his people. He dreamed of a time when the orcs could return to their old traditions and ways, free from fel magic and the other corruptive influences that Gul'dan and Blackhand had introduced to the clans.

Yet that dream would be long in coming. First, Orgrim would have to secure a home for the orcs on Azeroth. Conquering Stormwind was not enough. The other human nations would never make peace with the Horde. Not after Stormwind's destruction. Even now, Doomhammer's scouts reported that there was a gathering of human nations in a northern land called Lordaeron.

Orgrim knew that the Horde could not sit idle. If he and his people simply tried to defend their conquered territory, the human nations would muster the full might of their armies, march south, and eventually overrun the orcs. The only way for Orgrim to secure his race's survival was to strike first before his enemies could fully prepare for war. After interrogating human prisoners taken from Stormwind, the orcs had learned that many powerful human nations existed in the north, but none compared to Lordaeron. It was the heart of human culture. If the Horde conquered its seat of power, Capital City, Doomhammer believed the other kingdoms would fall in turn.

But that was if the Horde conquered Lordaeron's capital. The war with Stormwind had depleted Doomhammer's army and sapped its resources. With only meager reinforcements coming from Draenor, the Warchief sought other ways to strengthen the Horde. His followers scrambled to find new weapons. Blackrock orcs commandeered Stormwind's forges, but many of them were in ruins due to the fire that had raged through the city. The Dragonmaw worked on enslaving dragons. The Amani trolls that previously refused to ally with the Horde rejoiced upon learning of Stormwind's destruction and now saw the orcs as potential allies. Some of them indicated that they would join the Horde in exchange for Doomhammer's aid, for Warlord Zul'jin had been captured by humans and shackled in a prison near the town of Hillsbrad. If the orcs helped them liberate Zul'jin, these trolls would agree to fight for the Horde.

Then there was Gul'dan. Not long after Stormwind's fall, the disgraced warlock had stirred from his coma. The Warchief had kept Gul'dan under watch, intending to execute him when he woke. Yet when the time came to shed his blood, Orgrim stayed his hand. Gul'dan had an offer for his new master, a means to ensure the Horde's victory over the humans.

The warlock's gambit
Gul'dan awakened from his coma to find that the world had changed. Before he had commanded immense power of the Horde. Now, he had none. His Shadow Council was destroyed, and Doomhammer was the new Warchief. Gul'dan knew that if he did not win Orgrim's trust, he would meet the same grisly fate as his warlocks.

Gul'dan pleaded for his life, and he pledged his loyalty to the Horde. The warlock promised Doomhammer that he would no longer seek to manipulate the orcs. He disavowed his connection with the benefactors who had taught the orcs fel magic, claiming that they had betrayed and abandoned him. The warlock knew that his word was worth little more than dirt to Orgrim. Knowing the new Warchief was too intelligent, too honorable, too noble to be easily swayed or controlled, Gul'dan needed something more to win his trust. The warlock saw that the Horde was desperate for power. Without it, the orcs would fail in the coming war against the humans. He told Doomhammer that he could create new warriors, ones who could stand toe-to-toe with humanity's spellcasters. Clerics and magi had proved to be troublesome opponents in the First War. From what human prisoners had told the orcs, nations like Lordaeron incorporated far more of these spellcasters into their armies than Stormwind had.

Doomhammer didn't trust Gul'dan but the warlock was right. The Horde had no answer to human magic, especially after the warchief had outlawed the use of fel energy. Orgrim gave Gul'dan a chance to prove his worth. If he could produce something useful, he would live. If he could not the warchief himself would be the one to end his miserable existence. Orgrim knew that leaving Gul'dan alive was a risk, but he believed that he could control the warlock rather than become his accomplice and puppet as Blackhand had.

Gul'dan convinced Doomhammer to grant him permission to form his own clan, the Stormreavers. The warlock claimed that he would keep his activities visible to the entire Horde, unlike when he had ruled over the Shadow Council and shrouded himself in secrecy. He and his clan members would be forced to fight on the front lines alongside the rest of the army. In truth, Gul'dan planned to use the new clan as a means to expand his influence and power. Doomhammer suspected as much, but he was confident he could play one step ahead of Gul'dan. If the warlock wanted a clan of his own, so be it. Orgrim would plant spies among the clan to keep watch on Gul'dan and his activities.

The sight of Gul'dan's new death knights sickened Orgrim. They were unnatural abominations, and they had been created from the fallen members of the Shadow Council, the very organization that Orgrim saw as responsible for killing the orcs' homeworld. Yet despite all of Warchief's misgivings, he could not deny their potential. After weighing his options, Doomhammer accepted these unholy warriors into the Horde. The longer he waited, the more he risked losing the element of surprise in attacking the human nations. Orgrim ordered members of the Blackrock clan to keep a close watch on the death knights. Secretly, the Warchief planned to destroy Gul'dan and his undead soldiers once the Horde had secured victory.

Despite his suspicions and assassination plans toward the warlock, Orgrim disbanded the wolfriders after he was convinced by Gul'dan that they would join Rend and Maim to avenge Blackhand.

Invasion of Khaz Modan
During the invasion of the dwarven lands, Doomhammer sent Kilrogg and the Bleeding Hollow clan to Ironforge. Yet it would not fall as the rest of Khaz Modan had. Nearly all of the city's residents took up arms. The Horde smashed against the city like a battering ram, but to no avail. The cost in lives grew so great that Doomhammer called off the siege. Ironforge was not his main goal, and he saw no need to throw his soldiers' lives away to conquer the stronghold. Doomhammer had what he needed. Khaz Modan and its bountiful resources were his to exploit.

To keep the dwarves contained, Doomhammer stationed the Bleeding Hollows outside the gates of the dwarven and gnomish cities. He then ordered his Blackrock orcs to mine the surrounding mountains and commandeer the dwarves' forges. Before long, thick smoke blanketed the mountains. Blacksmiths distributed newly wrought armaments and siege weapons throughout the Horde.

Tides of Darkness
After conquering the bulk of Khaz Modan, Doomhammer plotted the next phase of his campaign. To reach the human kingdoms by land, the orcs would need to pass through the perilous Wetlands and the narrow Thandol Span, a site the humans could easily defend. The Alliance would likely expect the Horde to cross north by this path, but Doomhammer would not do the expected, he was no fool. He would build a fleet of ships and launch a surprise attack in the heart of humanity's territories.

Much to Orgrim's surprise, Gul'dan and his Stormreaver clan proved to be instrumental in persuading the Horde to cross by sea. The warlock and his followers urged their allies that it was the best course of action and that the voyage would be safe. Orgrim welcomed the assistance, but he remained wary of Gul'dan's motivations.

In a bay tucked in the southwestern Wetlands, Orgrim oversaw the construction of a vast yet crude fleet. This is when he acquired aid from a completely new ally: the Steamwheedle goblins. These ingenious and cunning creatures had witnessed the Horde's arrival and its conquest of Stormwind, and were determined to profit from it. The Warchief would not force the bold goblin into servitude; that was something Blackhand might have done. Orgrim saw more benefit in treating them as equals. If it was gold they wanted, gold they could have. The orcs had recovered a fortune from Stormwind's coffers, but they had no need of coin. Doomhammer paid the goblins handsomely for their aid. When he learned that they were also accomplished shipwrights, he hired them to oversee the construction of the Horde's fleet.

Grim Batol
Doomhammer claimed the Blackrock Spire as the Horde's base of operations, and allowed Zuluhed of the Dragonmaw clan to pursue his research into the Demon Soul. This led to the enslavement of the dragonqueen Alexstrasza, and the breeding of dragons to help the Horde in the war. Word of the Dragonmaw's feats spread throughout the Horde. No one was more pleased by the news than Warchief Doomhammer. He now had another potent weapon in his arsenal. Yet it would take time to reliably control the dragons and use them in the heat of battle. Doomhammer commanded Nekros and his clan to take control of Grim Batol, a remote fortress in the mountains east of the Wetlands.

Battle of Hillsbrad Foothills
Orgrim planned to cross the Alterac Mountains to reach Capital City. It would be a difficult journey, but it was the quickest way to strike at Lordaeron. As the Battle of Hillsbrad Foothills started, the Warchief watched the death knights with a mix of displeasure and satisfaction. He was still uneasy about them, but he saw just how effective they were in combat. The Horde and the Alliance were evenly matched, but Doomhammer knew that would not last forever. The longer the orcs stayed in Hillsbrad, the more time the Alliance had to call in reinforcements from their far-flung territories. The human army was protecting the quickest routes to Lordaeron's capital. Doomhammer's only course of action was to go eastward to find another way to the city. For this, he called on the Amani trolls. They knew the mountainous terrain well. The trolls agreed to guide the orcs, but hey would not do so until Doomhammer made good on his promise to help them liberate their leader, Zul'jin.

Amani pact
Doomhammer had not forgotten his vow to free Zul'jin. Orc scouts had discovered the troll's whereabouts in a prison camp near the human bastion known as Durnholde Keep. As battles continued across Hillsbrad, Doomhammer himself led a raiding party to rescue Zul'jin. The prison's defenders stood little chance against the Warchief and his battle-hardened soldiers. After freeing the troll, Doomhammer invited him and the rest of his people to join the Horde.

At first, Zul'jin balked at the proposal. He was warlord of the great Amani. He would answer to no one but himself. Doomhammer was quick to allay Zul'jin's fears about leadership. If the Amani pledged themselves to the Horde, they would not become servants. Zul'jin would retain full control over his people. He and Doomhammer would stand as equals against their enemies. Doomhammer finally won Zul'jin's support with an offer: if the Amani committed their forces to the Horde, the orcs would help them annihilate their rivals, the high elves of Quel'Thalas.

Attacking Quel'Thalas meant moving farther north from Lordaeron's capital than Doomhammer wanted. It was a risk, but a necessary one. The battles at Hillsbrad had taught Doomhammer many things about the Alliance. For one, the paladins were a formidable force, equal to that of the death knights. To win, Doomhammer would need the Amani's support.

Doomhammer ordered the Horde to turn east. His trusted lieutenant Varok Saurfang commanded a rearguard of Blackrock orcs to waylay the Alliance. This gave the rest of the Horde precious time to cross Hillsbrad and funnel through a narrow mountain pass and into a region known as the Hinterlands From there, the Horde crossed the mountains and walked through Lordaeron to Quel'Thalas.

Under his command, the Horde was able to wreak havoc on the northlands. Orgrim also made a pact with Lord Perenolde, the ruler of Alterac. The treacherous human allowed Orgrim and the Horde to pass unimpeded through the mountain passes towards Lordaeron's Capital City, in exchange for the assurance that his nation would not be attacked by the Horde. Orgrim, though suspicious of the human's motives, agreed.

However, Doomhammer was correct in his previous assessment of the perfidious Gul'dan. When the Horde was launching the final and massive attack on Lordaeron's Capital City, Gul'dan's Stormreaver clan, along with Cho'gall's Twilight's Hammer, and all others loyal to the warlock, abandoned the Horde and set sail to the south. Chasing him to the Tomb of Sargeras, Orgrim sent part of the Blackrock clan and the Black Tooth Grin clan to engage both the Stormreaver and Twilight's Hammer forces. Gul'dan and his warlocks entered the Tomb of Sargeras but were slain by the demons within. The rest of the clan members were annihilated by Orgrim's forces.

Weakened by losses caused by Gul'dan's treachery, Doomhammer was forced to fall back from the human capital of Lordaeron to his fortress at Blackrock Spire. There he fought the final battle of the Second War against the Alliance of Lordaeron, leading a charge from Blackrock Spire to clash with Anduin Lothar and his paladin guard. Human and orc battled one another in a titanic conflict that left both warriors drained, but the Warchief was able to vanquish the Regent of Azeroth. Some believe that Doomhammer did not win fairly and that Lothar was killed after being ambushed by Horde warriors. Nevertheless, Lothar's death did not have the effect that Doomhammer intended. Rather than being demoralized, the Alliance - led by Lothar's lieutenant, Turalyon - rallied, whipped into a frenzy that shocked even the Warchief himself and all but destroyed Doomhammer's forces, chasing them back to the Dark Portal. Orgrim himself was defeated and captured by Turalyon, soon after Lothar's death.

Meeting with Thrall
After the defeat at Blackrock Spire, Doomhammer was captured and held as an oddity (by his own words) in the palace of King Terenas of Lordaeron. On his side, Terenas fervently hoped that a treaty could be arranged with the former warchief. However, Doomhammer was able to escape easily from Capital City's Undercity, and went into an internment camp, where he saw what had become of his people. Rather than the bloodthirsty warriors he had led in battle, Doomhammer found only lethargic, wasted souls. Despairing, Doomhammer very nearly fell victim to the lethargy himself, but managed to retain enough of himself to escape from the internment camp. He lived as a hermit in the less-traveled areas of Lordaeron, until one day, he was contacted by Drek'Thar of the Frostwolf clan.

The elder shaman informed Doomhammer that there was a young orc staying with the Frostwolves high in the mountains of Alterac. This orc, discovered to be the long-lost son of Durotan, had escaped after being raised a slave by humans and had begun searching for his people. Durotan's son, Thrall, was determined to find a way to free the captive orcs and restore them to their former glory. Orgrim had heard of this Thrall before from Grommash Hellscream, whom Thrall had met before he began searching for his clan. Hellscream had nothing but good things to say about the youth.

Intrigued, Doomhammer paid a visit to the Frostwolves to see Thrall for himself but made it clear beforehand that he didn't want Thrall to know who he was. When Doomhammer arrived nobody referred to him by name or told Thrall about him. When Thrall met Doomhammer that night, he did not realize he was dealing with the former leader of the Horde of whom he had heard so many great things; he only saw a strange orc warming himself by the fire. As the night wore on, Thrall became increasingly annoyed by the secretive demeanor of the stranger, and by his talk of how there was no point in trying to fight the humans. When Thrall insisted that the freedom of the orcs was worth fighting for, the stranger asked him what he was doing hiding in the mountains with the other Frostwolves if he really believed that. Becoming angrier, Thrall argued that he would travel south in the spring to join Grom Hellscream and the Warsong clan, that together they would storm the camps and liberate all of the orc prisoners. The stranger scoffed at the notion and contemptuously dismissed Hellscream as a "demon-ridden dreamer." Thrall had heard enough and challenged this stranger, who had repaid the hospitality of the Frostwolves with insults, to single battle. This was precisely what Doomhammer had hoped would happen. He had implied the Frostwolves were cowards and that the orcs as a race could not defeat the humans in order to see whether Thrall would stand up for his clan and people, and Thrall had not disappointed him. Now Doomhammer would see whether Thrall's fighting skill was equally impressive.

Liberation of the orcs
Losing to the young shaman, and being shown mercy, he revealed himself as the Warchief of the Horde. At first Thrall was aghast at how he had treated such an important person as Orgrim Doomhammer, and began to apologize profusely. Orgrim stopped him and told him it was not necessary, explaining his reasons for staying anonymous. He went on to explain that he had a plan to break free the imprisoned orcs, and Thrall and Drek'thar agreed to help.

Along with Hellscream and the Warsong clan, they were able to easily storm four internment camps freeing the orcs held inside. At the fifth, however, the Alliance was prepared and held a force of mounted knights. They ambushed the orcs and in the midst of their bloodlust the orcs fell victim to the knights' charge. In the midst of the chaos created by Thrall to cover their retreat, Orgrim was mortally wounded by a strike to the back — impaled by a charging knight's lance with enough force to pierce the back plate of his armor and his body, denting the breastplate from the inside. With his last breath, Orgrim gave the title of Warchief, along with his great warhammer and black armor, to Thrall. The former internment camp where he fell is now the Horde base of Hammerfall, located in the Arathi Highlands.

Doomhammer's legacy
After the orcs found a land of their own, which they called Durotar after his father, Thrall established the city of Orgrimmar in honor of the venerable Warchief, his mentor and friend.

Doomhammer's name also lives on in the Orgrim's Hammer - a powerful flying warship that serves as the mobile Horde headquarters in Icecrown, the seat of the Lich King, in the frozen wastes of Northrend.

The Doomhammer and the plate
Orgrim wore the plate until he was slain in Hammerfall. Since that moment the plate was worn and the hammer carried by Thrall, fulfilling his weapon's ancient prophecy. He made sure to restore, but not replace, the back plate pierced by the lance that took Doomhammer's life. Since the Cataclysm, Thrall had the plate delivered to Orgrimmar as the part of orcish culture. When Thrall took charge of the Horde's side of a campaign into the Draenor of yet another alternate timeline he once again donned the black armor of his mentor. He would once again discard the plate after the Legion's third invasion when he retired to Nagrand, preferring to wear more traditional Frostwolf clothing.

Warcraft Adventures: Lord of the Clans
In the canceled Warcraft Adventures, Orgrim first appeared as a hermit living alongside several hell-hounds. As he, Durotan and Blackhand were three blood brothers, he warmly greeted Thrall and explained him the story of his father and the Old Horde. After the scattered clans were united, Doomhammer supported Thrall's rise as the new warchief.

Unlike his canon counterpart, he was to survive the story and was to be played by Peter Cullen.

Personality
Doomhammer is a warrior born, his leadership ability forged in combat. He is unendingly loyal to those who prove their strength and service, but quick to avenge himself on those who attack him or his allies. Among the orcs, his gruff, curt manner is respected, but to others he can seem dismissive and contemptuous. Understanding the value of protecting an army's leadership, battles often found Doomhammer in a far-off command tent. Yet whenever possible, he is a howling, bloodthirsty presence on the front lines, personally leading his troops to victory. Though he is a towering figure in his black armor, Doomhammer can hide himself completely in as simple a disguise as a tattered cloak in order to move undetected among his enemies.

Orgrim respected peons and punished the orc captain Narg Snarl for disrespecting them.

Combat
Doomhammer doesn't hesitate to strike the first blow in combat, usually striking from surprise using one of the Blackhand's fangs hanging from his belt. Wielding the Doomhammer, he leaps fearlessly into any number of enemies and becomes a whirlwind of destruction. Distrustful of spellcasters but confident in his armor, Doomhammer usually first attempts to kill any wizards among his enemies. On occasion, he will save the strongest among his enemies for last, relishing the chance to hone his martial skill against a worthy opponent.

Weapons and armor
Doomhammer's Plate was, of course, once worn into battle by the mighty Doomhammer. The half-plate armor is a black iron and mithril alloy, giving the armor an overall dull black appearance. Aside from the plate, he wielded Blackhand's Fangs.

Quotes

 * "Have a care, warlock. Remember what happened to your precious Shadow Council. I can crush your skull in an instant, and then where will your destiny lie? And do not think this abomination will save you. I have felled ogres before, even the gronn. I can and will do so again. Your goals are no longer important. Only the Horde matters."
 * "Yours is the title of warchief, Thrall, son of D-Durotan. You will wear my armor and carry my hammer." (Spoken to Thrall while dying)
 * "You will lead them... to victory... and you will lead them... to peace." (Last words)

Alternate timelines
In the alternate timeline where died as an infant, Orgrim Doomhammer was killed in a single combat by  during the Battle of Blackrock Spire. His weapon, the Doomhammer was shattered and his black armor reforged and worn by his slayer. The rest of the orcs weren't placed in the internment camps but were taken by Blackmoore who then conquered Lordaeron and became its King.

Orgrim from yet another timeway appeared before the main-unverse Thrall entered the King Blackmoore's world. Thrall, disguised as a warlock Thra'kash, witnessed the discussion of Doomhammer and his parents, Draka and Durotan. Orgrim sent them to the safety and assigned Grukar and Thra'kash to accompany them.

Another Orgim is briefly encountered in the alternate in the past during the war on Draenor.

from a separate timeline appears in the Warcraft film universe.

Notes and trivia

 * It was previously stated that he met with Durotan in Year 0.
 * Orgrim was described to have bright gray eye color and brown face. Warlords of Draenor and the Blackhand comic depicted him and the Blackrock orcs with gray skin.
 * According to older sources, Orgrim Doomhammer had risen to power through the Thunderlord clan which had strong ties to the Blackrock clan. However, this appears to be retconned as Rise of the Horde and other newer sources do not mention it and describes him only to be a member of the Blackrock clan.
 * An unused NPC representing Orgrim is situated in the same ID range as other legendary warriors presumably meant to appear in Skyhold. He and most of these NPCs didn't make it out of the Legion alpha stage.
 * There has been some comedic association with Orgrim Doomhammer and the real-life rapper/musician M.C. Hammer. The racial dance of the orcs is that performed by M.C. Hammer in the music video of the song, "You Can't Touch This," and a satirical version of the cover of Hammer's album, "Please Hammer Don't Hurt Them," was submitted to one of Blizzard's fan art contests, with Orgrim depicted on it.