Uther the Lightbringer

Uther the Lightbringer was the first paladin and the leader of the Knights of the Silver Hand, the order of holy warriors founded during the Second War. He trained Prince Arthas Menethil, refused to follow him at Stratholme, and was killed by him during the Scourge's conquest of Lordaeron. In Classic, Uther is already dead, but his tomb in the Western Plaguelands is a landmark and his name runs through paladin lore, quests and loot.

Biography

Uther was a knight of Lordaeron and a student of the cleric Alonsus Faol. When the orcs of the First War destroyed Stormwind and the clerics of Northshire with it, Faol decided that faith alone could not protect people. He chose a handful of knights to train as warriors of the Holy Light. Uther was the first and became the order's leader, and the other four were Turalyon, Saidan Dathrohan, Gavinrad and Tirion Fordring.

The paladins first rode into battle during the Second War, in the Hillsbrad Foothills, and fought through the rest of the war. Afterward, Uther kept the peace in Lordaeron and trained new members of the order, among them the king's son Arthas. Uther also presided at the trial of his old friend Tirion Fordring, who was exiled for defending an orc, and performed the ceremony that expelled Tirion from the order.

During the Third War, Uther and Arthas fought the spreading plague together, alongside the young sorceress Jaina Proudmoore. When Arthas ordered the Culling of Stratholme, killing the city's people before they could rise as undead, Uther refused and left. Arthas responded by dissolving the Silver Hand. After Arthas returned from Northrend with the cursed sword Frostmourne, murdered his father, and brought The Scourge to Lordaeron, Uther gathered the surviving paladins at Andorhal. Arthas came for the urn holding King Terenas's ashes, and the two met in battle. Uther had the better of the fight at first, but Frostmourne returned to Arthas's hand and he killed his old teacher.

In World of Warcraft

Uther's Tomb

Uther was buried in a great tomb on Sorrow Hill, south of the ruins of Andorhal and east of Chillwind Camp. In Classic, Uther's Tomb is one of the few places in the Western Plaguelands untouched by the Scourge. A statue of Uther stands inside, and the tomb is watched over by High Priest Thel'danis.

The tomb plays a part in two Classic quest lines:

• Tirion Fordring's chain. In Find Myranda, Tirion sends players to Myranda the Hag, his trusted advisor from his days as Lord of Mardenholde, who now lives at Uther's Tomb. In Scarlet Subterfuge she casts the illusion that lets players walk into the Scarlet stronghold of Hearthglen.
• The Harvest Festival. During this autumn holiday, Alliance players take [Uther's Tribute] to the statue of Uther with Honoring a Hero, placing a tribute to honor his sacrifice.

Uther in loot and lore

Two items bear Uther's name in Classic. [Uther's Strength] and [Girdle of Uther] are rare random drops, seen from many level 60 enemies including world bosses such as Lord Kazzak, Azuregos and Onyxia.

Uther's legacy also hangs over the paladin story of Classic. The Scarlet Crusade, the Argent Dawn and Tirion's reborn Silver Hand are all fragments of the order he led. In Of Lost Honor, Tirion explains that the Silver Hand was all but wiped out when Uther was slain.

Later history

• The Burning Crusade (2007). Uther's spirit appears at his tomb in a blood elf paladin quest, sorrowful at what one of his former students has become.
• Wrath of the Lich King (2008). In the Culling of Stratholme dungeon (patch 3.0), players relive his break with Arthas. In the Halls of Reflection (patch 3.3), a fragment of Uther's soul trapped in Frostmourne warns Jaina or Sylvanas that someone must take Arthas's place as Lich King.
• Shadowlands (2020). The rest of Uther's soul went to Bastion, the realm of the kyrian. There he joins the rebellious Forsworn before turning back to help the kyrian against the Jailer.

Trivia

• Uther's hammer is called the Hammer of the Lightbringer.
• In-game text often drops the "the" and calls him "Uther Lightbringer," as in Honoring a Hero.
• The Scarlet Crusade was founded by paladins and priests who survived Uther's fall, including Saidan Dathrohan, one of the original five paladins.

Sources

• Uther the Lightbringer - Warcraft Wiki
• Uther's Tomb - Warcraft Wiki
• Honoring a Hero - Warcraft Wiki