Among World of Warcraft’s classes, the mage class has perhaps the best representation in Hearthstone in terms of featuring major lore characters in both legendary cards and hero skins. Some of the greatest and well-known mages such as Khadgar, Medivh, Jaina Proudmoore, and Kel'Thuzad have been in the game for quite some time, but they are far from the only mages worthy of being enshrined in Hearthstone. Here are seven of the most powerful and influential mages on Azeroth who deserve to be in Hearthstone.

Aegwynn

We’re starting off with a big one, Medivh’s mom. This lady is responsible for building the tower of Karazhan with her magic staff Aluneth, and being the unwitting entry point for Sargeras, fallen titan and lord of the Burning Legion, to directly manipulate events on Azeroth. You can learn more about her story in my lore guide on Karazhan, but the basic summary is that she was a powerful Guardian, a mage infused with the combined powers of a secret order called the Council of Tirisfal that was dedicated to protecting Azeroth from threats like demons. However, while she was supposed to hand off her powers to a successor, she chose instead to keep them for far longer than was considered acceptable. One day, she battled an avatar of Sargeras, narrowly defeating it. She didn’t realize that she’d fallen right into the demon lord’s trap, since he didn’t intend to defeat her, but to weaken her enough to possess her subconscious and eventually her unborn child, Medivh. It was through his control over Medivh from his very conception that Sargeras would contact Gul'dan, construct The Dark Portal, and spark the years of war between the Alliance and Horde.

Aethas Sunreaver

This is the fellow from Jaina’s Book of Heroes that you likely didn’t recognize if you’re not familiar with WoW lore. Aethas was the leader of the blood elf mages in Dalaran and the Kirin Tor. He sat as a member of the city’s ruling body, the Council of Six, and fought alongside them, participating in turning Dalaran into a flying city in the first place and battling the crazed dragon aspect, Malygos. However, he and his followers were expelled from Dalaran by Jaina Proudmoore after they assisted Garrosh Hellscream in using the neutral city’s portal network for the Horde’s war effort against the Alliance. Aethas himself only played a passive part in the scheme by looking the other way on the gamble that it would be better to face Jaina’s wrath than the punishments of Garrosh that would occur if the Sunreavers defied his orders. During the third invasion of the Burning Legion, he was readmitted to the Kirin Tor after proving he could be trusted again.

Aethas Sunreaver Card Image

Aethas Sunreaver from Jaina's Book of Heroes chapter

Arygos

Arygos is the son of Malygos and a member of the blue dragonflight, the dragonflight that oversees arcane magic on Azeroth and is often strongly connected to mages. Unlike the friendlier dragons who get along with mortals, such as Kalecgos, Arygos looked down on the “short-lived races”, considering them far inferior to the knowledge and power of dragons. He served as a commander in the War of the Shifting Sands, an alliance between the dragonflights and night elves against the qiraji, insectoid servants of the old gods. He ended up trapped in the city of Ahn’Qiraj for 1,000 years in an attempt to create a magic barrier that could hold their enemies back. He and his dragon companions were only freed by the defeat of C'Thun by adventurers, which released them from the binding spell.

Years later, Arygos sided with his father Malygos in the Nexus War, an attempt by Malygos to redirect all arcane magic to himself and withhold it from mortal mages, whom he considered too irresponsible to wield it. Malygos was eventually killed and his mad plan stopped, but this left the blue dragons without a leader. Arygos staked his claim to become the new aspect of the flight and allied with Deathwing to ensure the power would be his. Working to betray the dragons to Archbishop Benedictus, AKA the Twilight Father, he attempted to kill Kalecgos, his rival for the position, but failed. Kalec was chosen in defiance of Arygos’ claims of birthright, and the spiteful Arygos summoned a force of twilight dragons to kill the blue dragons who had spurned him. He died betrayed by the evil forces he had aligned himself with, his blood sacrificed by the Twilight Father in a ritual to raise a dragon abomination called Chromatus to life.

Thalyssra and Elisande

First Arcanist Thalyssra is the leader of the nightborne elves from the city of Suramar. Formerly led by Grand Magistrix Elisande, Suramar survived the War of the Ancients by encasing the entire city in a protective arcane dome for centuries, surviving via a source of arcane magic known as the Nightwell. However, Elisande sold out her own people during the third invasion of Azeroth by the Burning Legion. A demon army, led by Gul'dan from an alternate timeline (it’s complicated and requires an entire guide to explain, just accept if for now) convinced her that their victory was inevitable. She could either lower the protective barrier, give them the power of the Nightwell, and join the Legion willingly, or wait for them to break through it and cause more suffering. Not seeing any other options, even though her powerful time magic searching possible futures, Elisande surrendered.

Thalyssra and a small group of rebels were strongly against inviting their mortal enemies into their home and attempted to stop it, but failed and were cast out of the city to wither away without the Nightwell's power to sustain them. Their cause wasn’t lost, though, as they were rescued by adventurers and found an alternative source of magical energy in their new hideout. Aided by their new allies, Thalyssra’s resistance grew and marched on Elisande’s stronghold known as the Nighthold. There, Elisande was at last overthrown and Gul’dan was destroyed. Thalyssra became the new leader of the nightborne, who afterwards joined their blood elf kinsmen in the Horde.

First Arcanist Thalyssra and Grand Magistrix Elisande

Grand Magister Rommath

Rommath is the leader of the Magisters, a traditional order of mages in blood elf culture, and one of Regent Lord Lor'themar Theron's advisors. He used to work with the Kirin Tor as an archmage before cutting ties with them in disgust after he perceived indifference to the sufferings his people had endured in the Third War at the hands of the Scourge and mistreatment by the Alliance. He proudly served Prince Kael'thas Sunstrider, was charged with retaking as much of Silvermoon and the surrounding land from the Scourge as possible while the prince traveled to Outland with a group of followers to find a new source of magic to sustain them. He served as the prince's voice in Quel'Thalas and spread the knowledge Kael’thas had learned from Illidan Stormrage about siphoning of arcane magic to quench his people’s mana addiction. When he learned that his prince had betrayed their people by joining the Burning Legion, he was shocked and saddened. Now serving Lor’themar, and all of Silvermoon, he keeps a close eye to make sure his new lord doesn’t follow the same path of destruction.

Meryl Felstorm

Meryl Felstorm is a very unique mage. He’s undead, but not a member of the Forsaken or Scourge. In fact, he’s far older than any members of those groups. His original name was Meryl Winterstorm, and he is roughly 2,800 years old and fought in the Troll Wars between the ancient human kingdom of Arathor and the trolls of the Amani Empire. He was killed while on a mission during the wars but refused to remain dead and let others suffer because of his failure. He managed to turn himself into an undead in order to survive and serve those who needed him, although exactly how remains unclear. He was one of the founding members of the Council of Tirisfal. At one point, he managed to imprison a dreadlord named Kathra'natir within his own body, constantly struggling in a battle of wills to maintain control and prevent the demon from harming anyone until a proper prison could be devised. As a sign of the fel corruption inside him, he took the last name of Felstorm. During the Burning Legion’s third invasion, he reformed the Tirisgarde - a group of magi used by the old Council of Tirisfal in the absence of a Guardian - after Kathra'natir escaped. Eventually, he and the new Tirisgarde were able to imprison the dreadlord inside a soulstone.

Queen Azshara

Perhaps the most powerful mage in Azeroth’s history, Queen Azshara ruled over the ancient night elf empire 10,000 years ago. Vain and power-hungry, but nonetheless beloved by her people, she and her highborne mages were responsible for the War of the Ancients. Desiring the awesome power of Sargeras, they summoned demons into the world and attempted to turn the Well of Eternity, a lake brimming with powerful arcane magic, into a portal large enough for Sargeras himself to enter their world through. Azshara’s plan was stopped by a collation of forces arrayed against her from many races and even the dragon aspects themselves. At the end of the War of the Ancients, the Well of Eternity was destroyed, shattering the land and sinking the capital city of Zin-Azshari beneath the waves. In spite of her power, Azshara could only withstand the endless depths for so long before she and her followers would surely drown. It was then that the old god N'Zoth, God of the Deep reached out and offered her a deal. He would save her, and in exchange, she and her followers would be transformed into naga, able to live under the sea and working to free N'Zoth from his prison. Azshara agreed and the pact was sealed, making her one of the most powerful and longest-running enemies faced by either the Alliance or Horde in history.

Azshara in her naga form after being transformed by N'Zoth

This concludes our list of seven powerful characters from WoW lore that deserve to be Hearthstone mage legendary cards. Which one is your favorite? Are there any characters you would add to this list? What sort of effects do you think would be on these character’s cards? Let us know in the comments below.