Lore · October 26, 2026

What Is the Burning Legion? The Demon Army of Sargeras Explained

The Burning Legion is the demon army of Sargeras, a titan who turned against his own kind and set out to destroy creation, and it twice invaded Azeroth, the second time ending in a crippling defeat at Mount Hyjal in the Third War. In World of Warcraft: Forever (WoW Forever), set in the first year of World of Warcraft, the Legion's main host is gone, but its remnants and the ruins it left are everywhere, from Ashenvale to the new Mount Hyjal zone.

Quick answer: Sargeras recruited the eredar leaders Archimonde and Kil'jaeden, tried to enter Azeroth through the Well of Eternity, corrupted the orcs and, in the Third War, Archimonde led the second invasion. Archimonde died at Mount Hyjal, and Engadget says Kil'jaeden remained in command.

The Burning Legion's history in five steps — A five-step history of the Burning Legion: Sargeras raises the army and wins the eredar Archimonde and Kil'jaeden, a portal opens at the Well of Eternity but Sargeras is denied entry, the Legion corrupts the orcs, Archimonde invades in the Third War, and he is destroyed at Mount Hyjal. Sources: Warcraft Wiki, Engadget, Warcraft Tavern, Blizzard.

There are scars on Azeroth that do not look like scars at first: ancient elven ruins where satyrs gather, a forest where a demigod fell to an orc who had been tricked. Most of them trace back to one army.

Key facts

Founder: Sargeras, a fallen titan (Engadget, Warcraft Wiki)
Generals: Archimonde and Kil'jaeden, the eredar who accepted his offer (Engadget)
First invasion: through a portal at the Well of Eternity in the War of the Ancients, which Engadget says ended with Sargeras denied entry (Engadget, Warcraft Wiki)
Second invasion: the Third War, ended at Mount Hyjal (Warcraft Wiki, Engadget, Blizzard Watch)
After Hyjal: Engadget says Kil'jaeden remained in command of the Legion
In Forever: Mount Hyjal is a new zone and the Hyjal Summit raid unlocks December 9 (Warcraft Tavern, Blizzard)

Who is Sargeras, and how did the Legion begin?

Engadget's history of the Legion says Sargeras, a fallen titan, decided that his mission had no purpose and that he would destroy creation faster than the other titans could perfect it. He freed the old evils, and the Nathrezim and other demons of the Twisting Nether agreed to serve him. Engadget says he then offered the eredar of Argus power and knowledge: Archimonde and Kil'jaeden accepted, while Velen suspected a catch and escaped. Warcraft Wiki's draenei page says Velen's followers later named themselves the draenei, meaning "exiled ones."

How did the Burning Legion first reach Azeroth?

Engadget says the War of the Ancients ended with the Well of Eternity disrupted and Sargeras stopped on the edge of entering the portal, which it calls the first time the Legion knew failure. Engadget's column on Mannoroth says Mannoroth designed the shield spell that cut Azeroth off from the Well and then led the demonic horde through, and Warcraft Wiki's Mannoroth page says hundreds of demons poured through within hours. Warcraft Wiki's Xavius page says Xavius, one of the Highborne's most powerful sorcerers, was transformed by Sargeras into the first satyr. Read Night Elf History and Illidan Stormrage for that age.

How did the Legion corrupt the orcs?

Engadget's history says Kil'jaeden's plan against the draenei who fled to Draenor led to the original Horde, and that Sargeras's control of Medivh enabled the Dark Portal. Engadget's Mannoroth column says Kil'jaeden worked on the orcs' beliefs and paranoia and sent Mannoroth to Draenor, where the orcs drank from a cauldron of fel-corrupted pit lord blood. Warcraft Wiki's Mannoroth page says Gul'dan drew Mannoroth's blood for the clan chieftains. Read The Orcs of Azeroth.

How did the Burning Legion fall at Mount Hyjal?

Warcraft Wiki's Battle of Mount Hyjal page says the Legion's main objective was the power of the second Well of Eternity beneath the World Tree Nordrassil. Night elves, the Alliance under Jaina and the Horde under Thrall held the road while Malfurion sounded the Horn of Cenarius, and the wisps channeled Nordrassil's enchantments into a shockwave that destroyed Archimonde and most of his forces. Engadget agrees that Archimonde was destroyed by power Nordrassil had drawn from the Well, and Blizzard Watch calls the result a crippling blow to the Legion. Warcraft Wiki adds that the night elves lost their immortality, and that some surviving demons went on serving Kil'jaeden. Read Nordrassil, the World Tree.

What does the Legion leave behind in WoW Forever?

Warcraft Tavern's BlizzCon zone roundup describes Mount Hyjal as a new zone, "Mount Hyjal – Renewed," where the forest slowly revives after Archimonde's death, and Blizzard's raid overview says the 20-player Hyjal Summit raid unlocks December 9. Read Mount Hyjal in WoW Forever and WoW Forever Raids.

In Ashenvale, Warcraft Wiki says Cenarius was killed by Grommash Hellscream, tricked by the Legion's masters, and its Mannoroth page says Mannoroth's blood let the orcs kill him. Warcraft Wiki's satyr page lists Legion-sworn satyr groups at Xavian, Night Run and Satyrnaar; see Ashenvale Explained. Warcraft Wiki's Durotar page says Horde forces crushed Legion agents that still wandered the land there. The free Lore Forever add-on shows readable zone and quest background as you play, and the optional Willo voice companion can answer lore questions. Both are fan-made.

What is not confirmed yet

Blizzard has not published a list of Forever quests that mention the Legion, so this article describes the history, not new content.
Sources describe the end of the first invasion differently: Engadget says the Well was disrupted and Sargeras failed to step through, while Warcraft Wiki's Xavius page says Malfurion destroyed the portal's spell array.
The Ashenvale satyrs and the Durotar Legion agents come from Warcraft Wiki alone, and Lore Forever could not read the body of Warcraft Wiki's Burning Legion page.
Later in the timeline, outside WoW Forever, the Legion returns through the reopened Dark Portal and again in later expansions.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Burning Legion in Warcraft?

The Burning Legion is the demon army of Sargeras, a fallen titan who turned against his own kind. It seeks to destroy every world, and it twice invaded Azeroth.

Who leads the Burning Legion?

Sargeras founded it. After Archimonde died at Mount Hyjal, Engadget says Kil'jaeden remained in command.

Who was Archimonde?

Archimonde was an eredar who joined Sargeras and led the Legion's invasion of Azeroth in the Third War. He was destroyed at Mount Hyjal.

Did the Burning Legion create the orcs' bloodlust?

Indirectly. Engadget and Warcraft Wiki say the orcs drank the blood of the pit lord Mannoroth, and Engadget says Kil'jaeden's schemes against the draenei led to the original Horde.

Is the Burning Legion in WoW Forever?

The main army is gone in Forever's era, but its remnants remain, and Mount Hyjal, set in the aftermath of Archimonde's death, is a new Forever zone.

Who defeated the Burning Legion at Mount Hyjal?

Night elves, the Alliance and the Horde held the road to Nordrassil while Malfurion sounded the Horn of Cenarius. Warcraft Wiki says the tree's stored power destroyed Archimonde and cost the night elves their immortality.

Sources

Reviewed October 25, 2026. This article covers history before Forever's setting and does not treat later events as Forever canon. Lore Forever and Willo are fan-made and are not affiliated with Blizzard Entertainment.