Warcraft/Characters/The Light

The Light (also known as the Holy Light, Holy Light of Creation and light of Creation) is an endless, shimmering sea of energy situated outside the barriers of reality and one of the two most fundamental forces in the world of Warcraft along with the Void, which was born from the absence of the former. The two cannot exist without the other.

Pure Light cannot exist within the physical universe but shades of it manifest as holy magic, as the Light is the source of all life in the cosmos. Summoned by willpower or faith in one's ability to do so, the powers of the Light can be harnessed to heal, cleanse, protect, or harm. Most of its practitioners are called priests or paladins, devoted to cleansing the universe of darkness. Learning to wield the Light as a healing force takes years of discipline.

General Tropes

 * Because Destiny Says So
 * Big Good: Downplayed. Recent lore has given the Light a ruthless side, but given its a higher power that nurtures life and is the only higher power to assert a definitive moral stance, the Light is either this or the closest thing to it in the Warcraft setting.
 * Color-Coded for Your Convenience
 * Good Powers, Bad People: Using the Light relies on one's faith in their ability to use it (plus the user can't draw on any other powers except Arcane and maybe the Void for discipline priests).
 * Healing Factor: The Light grants great healing abilities, to the point of limited resurrection.
 * Gold and White Are Divine: The Light manifests as a golden light or yellow-white crystals.
 * Holy Burns Evil: Undead are naturally weak against the Light, as are the Venthyr in Revendreth; something Denathrius used to punish wayward Venthyr.
 * Knight Templar: Has a faction equivalent in the Army of the Light. Also, followers of the Light at their worst end up as this.
 * Light Is Good
 * Light Is Not Good
 * Retcon: Much of the lore surrounding the Light has been changed across the games, with a unified lore in World of Warcraft: Chronicle, which included revelations/retcons such as:
 * The Light is a shimmering sea of energy with "Light Lords" potentially controlling it where it was a god, maybe even God prior to World of Warcraft.
 * Sliding Scale of Fate vs. Free Will: Since the Light sees one path as true and all others as lies, and like the Void lacks full knowledge of the future, if things do not go the way the Light thinks they should go, then the Light will make it happen.
 * Time Abyss: The oldest of Warcraft's six fundamental forces (and predated perhaps only by the First Ones).
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist

The Naaru
The naaru are a race of energy beings made up of shards of fractured Light. They are perhaps the purest expression of the Holy Light that exists in the Great Dark Beyond, and have vowed to bring peace and hope to all mortal civilizations and waylay the forces of the Void. They are known to travel through dimensions, and are the sworn enemies of the Burning Legion.

While they serve the Light, they have their own personalities and may not have the same motives, methods or goals.


 * A God I Am Not
 * Energy Beings: Explicitly described as such, with crystals of Light giving them physical substance.
 * Expy: Of the Vorlons from Babylon 5.
 * Glass Cannon: Played with. Very powerful, but while they can take a few hits, they're far less durable than their power indicates.  The best example is how Illidan dealt a One Hit Kill to the Prime Naaru Xe'ra with his eyebeams (though Illidan is the most powerful Demon Hunter and was exhausted by the effort afterwards).  There's also the fact that they cannot be fully killed outside the realm of Light and Naaru can split their essence core form their main body and survive.
 * Light Is Good
 * Our Angels Are Different
 * Power Echoes: When their voices are depicted, they always have a resonant echo.
 * Soul Jar
 * Starfish Aliens
 * Telepathy: When Naaru speak, the lore describes it not as speech, but as the naaru telepathically putting their words directly into the other's brain.
 * Well Intentioned Extremist

Lu'ra

 * Despair Event Horizon

O'ros

 * Killed Off For Real
 * We Hardly Knew Ye

Ti'or

 * Badass in Distress: Ti'or is trapped in Maldraxxus.

Xe'ra

 * Action Mom
 * Arch Angel: All but stated to be this as a Prime Naaru.
 * Because Destiny Says So: A firm believer in destiny, to the point she tried to Lightforge Illidan by force in order to lead him down the path she had planned for him..
 * Chooser of the Chosen One: Invoked. She proclaimed Illidan is the "Child of Light and Shadow", destined to defeat the Burning Legion..
 * Fantastic Racism: She hate the Void and anyone who draws on its power (including Alleria when she starts doing so). However, her hatred of the Void is justified, as its the Always Chaotic Evil arch nemesis of the Light (even if some who draw on its powers aren't) and its leaders' endgame is worse than the Burning Legion's.
 * The Fundamentalist: Subverted. She is completely incapable of seeing any power besides the Light as good. According to Velen, she withheld the existence of Dark Naaru from the Army of the Light. Subverted because she allowed Lightforged Draenei to be mages (who use Arcane power more than the Light), such as Archmage Y'mera, and was talked out of killing Alleria for using the Void by Turalyon and Lothraxion.
 * Hero of Another Story: She has been travelling the universe since it was formed, rallying the survivors of worlds the Burning Legion has destroyed into an army to defeat them. She also saved Illidan from Kil'jaeden in the titular novel, and Turalyon and Alleria from the destruction of Draenor.
 * Heroic Sacrifice: Downplayed, as "sacrifice" is not the right word since she wasn't dead, she still takes her core away from the rest of her body to get reinforcements from Azeroth leaving her in a vulnerable state.
 * Killed Off For Real: Killed by Illidan when he rejects her attempt to forcibly replace his demonic powers with holy magic.
 * Mama Bear: Xe'ra has several motifs of motherhood, her title is "Light Mother" after all.
 * While they weren't birthed by her, Xe'ra's adoration for her Army of the Light has been compared to a mother's adoration for her children.
 * Her forcefulness with Illidan could be seen as akin to an overbearing mother; believing that she's protecting her children by making decisions for them and that she knows best.
 * Her hostility towards any outsiders who threaten or attack the Army of the Light rings of this trope.
 * Also among Naaru, as Xe'ra did make at least two other Naaru (Velen refers to the Naaru O'ros as the last of Xe'ra's line).
 * The Needs of the Many: While Xe'ra loves entire races as if they are her own children, she can be aloof towards the feelings and desires of individuals. She tends to make blasé statements towards people unless they have a role of vital importance.  She has been at the frontline of millennia of war against the Burning Legion, so between timespan and stakes her view is oriented on the big picture.
 * Not Quite Dead: The adventurers find her core inert, and even upon recognition Velen treats her as a MacGuffin, but contact with the Tear of Elune allows her to communicate with the player character.
 * Pet the Dog: She either allowed Turalyon to communicate with his son Arator via her core, or personally passed along his message to Arator.
 * Time Abyss: Xe'ra said she was made during "the Great Ordering of the Cosmos" following the Warcraft universe's Big Bang. This would make Xe'ra and any other Prime Naaru at least as old as the Titans.
 * Well-Intentioned Extremist: While she is a Naaru and trying to save creation from the Burning Legion and the Void, she has a pretty dim view on anyone using evil powers whether or not they are evil themselves, judging by her treatment of Alleria. However she does give some leeway where the arcane is concerned, judging by Archmage Y'mera.:hhhh

Z'rali

 * Badass in Distress: Z'rali is first encountered as a prisoner in Denathrius' dungeon, the Sanguine Depths. Even in the form of an essence core, she also helps protect the dungeon group.
 * Broken Angel: She was subject to experiments on Denathrius' orders. What was done to her was unknown, but it somehow altered her nature.
 * Determinator: Despite being alone and imprisoned for millennia, Z'rali still held her fortitude and loyalty. She also resolves to maintain the Light's influence in Revendreth despite knowing the other Naaru will shun her.
 * Laser-Guided Karma: Delivers this to Denathrius after the Castle Nathria raid. After being imprisoned and experimented on Denathrius by millennia, Z'rali uses her powers to help imprison Denathrius and works with Ren'thal to purge his sins the traditional Revendreth way.
 * Time Abyss: Is millennia old.
 * You Can't Go Home Again: Denathrius' experiments altered her in a way that other Naaru would consider her an abomination, as a result Z'rali can never return to the Light home plane of other Naaru. According to Draven, her experiences have also left her too weak to make the journey.

Army of the Light
The Grand Army of the Light, also called the Golden Army, the Army of Light, and the Lightforged, is a faction of enlightened races that follow the Light and are led by the Naaru to combat the ravages of the Burning Legion. Formed after the fall of Argus, the draenei's finest warriors followed the prime naaru Xe'ra across the cosmos in an eternal war to bring about the Legion's end. Since then, other survivors of the Burning Crusade have joined the ranks of the Lightforged.
 * The Battlestar
 * The Blacksmith
 * Expy: Of the faction of the same name from Balylon 5, with the naaru as their equivalent of the Vorlons.
 * Forever War
 * Good Is Not Nice
 * Good Is Not Soft: They embody this trope as a faction.
 * Holy Halo
 * Holy Hand Grenade
 * Neutral No Longer
 * Power Tattoo
 * Ragtag Band of Misfits
 * Really 700 Years Old
 * Secret Test of Character
 * Space Marine
 * Taking You With Me
 * Touched By a Vorlon: Infused with the Light by the naaru (or at least Xe'ra).

Argent Crusade
The Argent Crusade is an order of holy warriors formed from the union of the reformed Order of the Silver Hand and the Argent Dawn. Founded and led by the paladin Tirion Fordring, the Argent Crusade was a major contributor to the successful campaign in Northrend that toppled the Lich King. After helping deal with the Cataclysm, they worked to restore the Plaguelands of northern Lordaeron, but rallying to fight of any threat to their world.


 * Arch Enemy
 * Defector From Decadence
 * Equal Opportunity Evil: Inverted; despite being an unambiguously good faction, they are notably open-minded about who they recruit, and accept both Alliance and Horde species in their ranks.
 * Good Counterpart
 * Good Is Not Soft
 * Jousting Lance
 * Light Is Good
 * The Order
 * Order Reborn
 * Teeth-Clenched Teamwork
 * The Tournament

Church of the Holy Light
The Church of the Holy Light (or simply the Church of Light) is a religious organization affiliated with the Alliance and is dedicated to creating a world of honor and justice in service to the Light. Its members strive to aid others and be good in all actions. By embodying the tenets of their religion, the Church's skilled clergy can use the power of the Light in various ways.


 * Saintly Church: The Church of the Holy Light, which most of the human kingdoms and the dwarves of Khaz Modan belong to. It does have its number of corrupt members and offshoots, but remains for the most part a Saintly Church.
 * Corrupt Church: A rogue offshoot of the Church of the Holy Light, the Scarlet Crusade, is one of the best examples of this in the franchise.

"Lightbound"
An army of Light extremists consisting of draenei, Mag'har orcs, and ogres from alternate Draenor led by High Exarch Yrel in service of the naaru. They waged war against the unified orc clans known as the Mag'har for the safety of Draenor. The Mag'har who refused to join call them "Lightbound", and what, if any other, name they have for themselves is unknown.


 * Appropriated Appellation: At the meta level. "Lightbound" is the Mag'har's name for Orcs who turned against them by joining the Draenei and helping spread the Light.  What, if any, name Yrel's faction have for themselves is unknown, but since the units use the nameplate "Lightbound" that's the name they're known by.
 * Equal Opportunity Evil: While "evil" is debatable, they are the antagonists of the scenario and will enlist anybody into their ranks.
 * I Fight for the Strongest Side: The reason the Ogres joined the Lightbound. While they had beef with both sides, the Ogres respect strength and didn't think the Orcs could fend off the new Draenei offensive.
 * Join or Die: The main (perhaps only) reason the Lightbound can be considered antagonists. Everyone they encounter is given three choices; join the Light willingly, be forced to join, or die.
 * Kick the Son of a Bitch: Many of the Mag'har they seek to conquer and enslave were once members of the Iron Horde who tried to enslave or genocide the Draenei without provocation. In fact their leader, Yrel, is a former Iron Horde slave whose sister Saamara was killed for Grom's plans, and one of the highest-ranking Mag'har is alternate universe Grom, the former leader of the Iron Horde whose war crimes while leading it went unpunished.
 * Knight Templar: They have good goals, but will use horrible means as readily as good ones to accomplish them including at least cultural genocide.
 * Shadow Archetype: Serve as this to the Army of the Light, showing what they could be like as antagonists.
 * To Be Lawful or Good: Firmly on the side of Lawful with Good being secondary.
 * Totalitarian Utilitarian: They want to bring peace and order to alt-Draenor along with spreading the Light. They also don't fight among themselves and treat each other well.  They're the bad guys.
 * Villain Has A Point: Despite their villainous status and extremism, they make several valid points. They have good reason to call the Mag'har "savage" due to their their past experiences at the hands of the Iron Horde (see Kick the Son of a Bitch above) and the Laughing Skulls clan (who were violently xenophobic and never joined the Iron Horde; even the Frostwolves were reluctant to ally with them at first).  A recurring criticism from the Lightbound is that alt-Draenor is dangerously divided... which is absolutely correct because alt-Draenor is a Death World gigantic aggressive wildlife, the Forever War between its Elmental Embodiments - the Breakers and the Botani, and aggressive civilizations such as the Ogre Gorian Empire and Arrakoa raiders.