All Old Gods in World of Warcraft

Obey the whispers of the Old Gods.

A raid boss in Ny'alotha watches over World of Warcraft players.
Ny'alotha is still a relevant raid, three years after its release. Image via Blizzard Entertainment

Long before the age of World of Warcraft’s titans and their mortal descendants, the Black Empire ruled over Azeroth, with the influence of the Old Gods protruding into every corner of the world. The four Old Gods—C’Thun, N’Zoth, Y’shaarj, and Yogg-Saron—are some of the most powerful beings to ever exist in WoW’s lore, and at some point in the game’s 20-year history, all of them have been taken down by the player base.

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Although the Old Gods have been vanquished, their influence can still be felt throughout the world. Many denizens of Azeroth continue to worship the Old Gods, hoping that one day they’ll return to bring about another age of darkness and terror. 

WoW’s Old Gods are usually depicted as eldritch beings with countless tentacles, eyeballs, and appendages made to induce horror and fear. Traditionally, the Old Gods of Azeroth use manipulation and deception as their greatest weapons, as their powers allow them to trick and fool mortal beings into doing their bidding.

Here are all of the Old Gods introduced to WoW throughout its long history.

C’Thun

Old God C'Thun faces off against World of Warcraft characters in the Temple of Ahn'Qiraj.
Old God C’Thun in the Temple of Ahn’Qiraj. Image via Blizzard

The first old god to make his mark on the WoW universe, C’Thun was introduced to the game as the final boss of the Temple of Ahn’Qiraj in 2005. As the leader of the Qiraji, C’Thun was a powerful force that had the most direct line of access to Azeroth. If he wasn’t stopped by WoW players early on in the game’s lifespan, it’s possible (if not likely) that he would have spread his influence across the world.

Related: What is Avaloren in WoW? Potential new WoW continent, explained

Yogg-Saron 

Yogg Saron from World of Warcraft.
Adventurers battle Yogg-Saron in Ulduar.Image via Blizzard

Yogg-Saron was introduced to WoW in the Wrath of the Lich King expansion, where he served as the final boss of the Ulduar raid. Unlike other Old Gods like N’zoth and Y’shaarj, Yogg-Saron was a secondary threat during that expansion but still needed to be put down before the imminent threat of the Lich King could be taken care of.

Yogg-Saron has one of the most iconic designs out of all enemies in WoW’s history, with his massive, gaping maw of a mouth being the centerpiece of his model and the countless jaws and gnashing teeth found across his body.

N’Zoth

The frightening visage of the Old God N'Zoth lingers over the Cathedral of Light in an alternate version of World of Warcraft's Stormwind City.
Old God N’Zoth lingers over the Cathedral of Light. Image via Blizzard

N’Zoth is perhaps the most powerful and recognizable of the Old Gods, N’Zoth was a central figure of the Battle for Azeroth expansions, which saw the reconstruction of the fabled Black Empire under its rule. N’Zoth is depicted as a monstrous purple being covered in eyes and tentacles, with a massive opening on top of its head. Champions of Azeroth invaded the eternal city of Ny’alotha, defeating the horrors within and putting an end to N’Zoth’s schemes.

Related: Can you solo Battle for Azeroth raids in World of Warcraft?

Y’shaarj

The Vale of Eternal Blossoms is corrupted by the presence of the Old God Y'shaarj.
The Vale of Eternal Blossoms is corrupted by Old God Y’shaarj. Image via Blizzard

Y’shaarj was the overarching threat of the Mists of Pandaria expansion, as fragments of the old god called “Sha” were ever-present throughout the continent during the events of Mists. Y’shaarj was the reason for the corruption of the Warchief Garrosh Hellscream, who, with the power of Y’shaarj, ended up being the final boss of that expansion.

The heart of Y’shaarj was used to corrupt Pandaria’s Vale of Eternal Blossoms, and that corruption was a major reason why the Black Empire chose the Vale as an invasion point when N’Zoth returned in Patch 8.3. Y’shaarj is depicted as a green-and-purple shadowy being with countless eyes and claws. 

G’huun

The Blood God G'huun lingers in its prison underneath Uldir in World of Warcraft.
The Blood God G’huun in its prison. Image via Blizzard

More of a failed experiment than a god, G’huun lurks beneath the sealed titan facility of Uldir in Nazmir. G’huun was created by the titans as a possible way to rid the world of the other Old Gods, although the corrupted result only ended up creating more of a threat to the world.

With that in mind, G’huun technically isn’t part of the original gang of Old Gods that ruled the Black Empire during the early days of Azeroth. G’huun’s presence in Nazmir evoked a spiritual response from the local Trolls, who began to worship the being as a “Blood God.” 

Author
Image of Michael Kelly
Michael Kelly
Staff Writer covering World of Warcraft and League of Legends, among others. Mike's been with Dot since 2020, and has been covering esports since 2018.