Lore ·
What Is the Dark Portal? Medivh's Gate Between Azeroth and Draenor
The Dark Portal is the gateway between Azeroth and Draenor (now Outland) that the wizard Medivh and the orc warlock Gul'dan's Shadow Council opened to begin the orcish invasion, and in the original game it is a decorative, unusable gate in the Blasted Lands. Warcraft Wiki says that in the original game its glow was blue to show it was inactive; Blizzard has not confirmed what World of Warcraft: Forever (WoW Forever) does with it.
Quick answer: Medivh built the Azeroth side in secret while Gul'dan built the Draenor side. The orcs poured through, Khadgar later destroyed the Azeroth structure, and the Alliance built Nethergarde Keep to watch the ruins. In the original game the portal is decoration.
Engadget calls the Blasted Lands a lifeless, dried-out wasteland. The gate at their edge once opened onto another world, and an army walked through it.
Key facts
- Also called: the Great Portal (Warcraft Wiki)
- Where it stands in the original game: the southeastern corner of the Blasted Lands, southeast of Stormwind (Warcraft Wiki)
- Builders: Medivh and Gul'dan's Shadow Council (Warcraft Wiki, Engadget)
- Azeroth side opened in: the Black Morass (Warcraft Wiki, Engadget)
- Destroyed by: Khadgar, with his fellow magi (Warcraft Wiki, Engadget)
- Watchtower: Nethergarde Keep, a fortress the Alliance High Command built to watch the ruins (Warcraft Wiki)
- In the original game: decorative and unusable, with a blue glow showing it is inactive (Warcraft Wiki)
Who built the Dark Portal?
Every great door has two builders, one on each side. Engadget's "Know Your Lore: The Dark Portal" says Gul'dan and Medivh collaborated, with Medivh giving Gul'dan the instructions for building it on Draenor. Warcraft Wiki says the portal was created jointly by Medivh, who was possessed by Sargeras, and the Shadow Council warlocks led by Gul'dan, with the Horde building the Draenor side on ley lines in Hellfire Peninsula and Medivh opening the Azeroth side in the Black Morass. Engadget adds that Medivh built the Azeroth side in secret, so it was more modest than Gul'dan's structure. Engadget says Gul'dan wanted a new world because Draenor was dying from the overuse of fel magic. Read The Story of Gul'dan, The Story of Medivh and The Shadow Council Explained.
What happened when the Dark Portal opened?
Warcraft Wiki says the orc armies poured through into the Kingdom of Stormwind, beginning the First War, and that the Black Tooth Grin clan was entrusted with guarding the portal in the Blasted Lands. Engadget says Medivh was later killed by his old friend Anduin Lothar after others discovered his plan. Read The Story of Anduin Lothar and The Story of Orgrim Doomhammer.
Who destroyed the Dark Portal?
Warcraft Wiki says that after the Siege of Blackrock Spire, at the end of the Second War, Khadgar and his fellow magi cast a spell that destroyed the gateway on the Azeroth side, and the blast made the Draenor side explode too. Engadget agrees that Khadgar destroyed the structure but says "the hole between worlds remained." Warcraft Wiki says Khadgar then persuaded the Alliance High Command to build Nethergarde Keep to watch the ruins. Read The Story of Khadgar.
What did Ner'zhul do with the Dark Portal?
Warcraft Wiki says Ner'zhul reopened the portal using the Skull of Gul'dan, and that King Terenas sent an expedition through it that became known as the Sons of Lothar. Engadget says Ner'zhul ripped Draenor apart to create Outland and that his attempt to open multiple portals destroyed Draenor utterly.
What does the Dark Portal look like in the original game?
Warcraft Wiki says the original game's portal is a noticeable but unusable feature in the southeastern corner of the Blasted Lands, southeast of Stormwind, "merely for show." Its travel-hubs section says Alliance players travel to Nethergarde Keep and Horde players to Dreadmaul Hold. Engadget describes the surrounding Blasted Lands as a lifeless, desiccated wasteland. 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. Later in the timeline, outside WoW Forever, Warcraft Wiki records the portal opening to Outland in The Burning Crusade.
What is not confirmed yet
- Blizzard has not said whether the Blasted Lands appear in WoW Forever's first release.
- The original-game description (blue glow, decorative gate, travel hubs) comes from Warcraft Wiki alone.
- Warcraft Wiki says the Azeroth side was opened in the Black Morass and also describes the portal in the Blasted Lands; the article reports both and does not reconcile them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Dark Portal in Warcraft?
The Dark Portal is the gateway between Azeroth and Draenor (now Outland), built by Medivh and Gul'dan. In the original game its Azeroth side is a decorative gate in the Blasted Lands.
Who opened the Dark Portal?
Medivh and Gul'dan's Shadow Council opened it together. Engadget says Medivh gave Gul'dan the instructions, and Warcraft Wiki says Medivh opened the Azeroth side in the Black Morass.
Where is the Dark Portal in Azeroth?
In the original game, Warcraft Wiki places it in the southeastern corner of the Blasted Lands, southeast of Stormwind; the Alliance built Nethergarde Keep to watch the ruins.
Who destroyed the Dark Portal?
Khadgar destroyed the Azeroth side, according to both Warcraft Wiki and Engadget. Warcraft Wiki says he did so with his fellow magi after the Siege of Blackrock Spire.
Does the Dark Portal work in the original game?
No. Warcraft Wiki says the portal is decorative and unusable in the original game, and its glow is blue to show it is inactive.
Is the Dark Portal in WoW Forever?
Blizzard has not confirmed Blasted Lands content for WoW Forever. Warcraft Wiki says the original game has an inactive, decorative portal there.
Sources
Reviewed October 27, 2026. Original-game details may differ in WoW Forever. Lore Forever and Willo are fan-made and are not affiliated with Blizzard Entertainment.