Lore · October 27, 2026

Who Is Kel'Thuzad? The Necromancer of the Cult of the Damned Explained

Kel'Thuzad is the Dalaran archmage who turned to necromancy, founded the Cult of the Damned for the Lich King, helped spread the plague that created the Scourge, and later ruled the Eastern Plaguelands from the necropolis of Naxxramas as a lich. In World of Warcraft: Forever (WoW Forever), set in the first year of World of Warcraft (year 25 after the Dark Portal), no source I opened lists Naxxramas among the dungeons or launch raids.

Quick answer: Kel'Thuzad was exiled from Dalaran for his necromancy, answered the Lich King's call and spread the plague through the Cult of the Damned. Arthas killed him, raised him again as a lich, and he opened the portal for Archimonde. In the original game he is the final boss of Naxxramas.

Kel'Thuzad's story, step by step — A six-step timeline of Kel'Thuzad: archmage of Dalaran's Council of Six, exiled from Dalaran for necromancy, founder of the Cult of the Damned for the Lich King, killed by Arthas and raised as a lich with the Sunwell's power, opener of the portal for Archimonde, and ruler of the Eastern Plaguelands from Naxxramas. Naxxramas is not on WoW Forever's announced dungeon or launch raid lists. Sources: Warcraft Wiki, Engadget and Blizzard Watch.

Every plague has a physician who turned wrong. Kel'Thuzad sat on Dalaran's Council of Six before he turned to the Lich King.

Key facts

Origin: an archmage of Dalaran's Council of Six (Warcraft Wiki, Blizzard Watch)
Exile: banished from Dalaran for his necromancy (Warcraft Wiki, Blizzard Watch)
Cult: founded the Cult of the Damned for the Lich King (Warcraft Wiki, Blizzard Watch)
Death and return: killed by Arthas, raised as a lich with the Sunwell's power (Warcraft Wiki, Blizzard Watch)
Archimonde: opened the portal for the demon in the Third War (Warcraft Wiki, Engadget's Archimonde column)
Lair: Naxxramas, ruling the Eastern Plaguelands (Warcraft Wiki); players ended him there (Engadget)

Who was Kel'Thuzad before the plague?

He was a mage of the first rank. Warcraft Wiki calls him an archmage of the Kirin Tor and a member of the Council of Six in Dalaran. Blizzard Watch's Know Your Lore on the Third War calls him a former mage of the Council of Six who pursued forbidden magic.

Warcraft Wiki says Archmage Antonidas learned of his necromancy experiments, stripped his rank and holdings and exiled him from Dalaran. Blizzard Watch says he was banished from Dalaran and the Council, traveled north to Northrend and answered the Lich King's call. Read The City of Dalaran and What Happened to Lordaeron?.

What was the Cult of the Damned?

A cult is a plague with a vow attached. Warcraft Wiki says Kel'Thuzad offered his soul to the Lich King, who charged him with founding a religion that would worship him as a god, and that he built the secret Cult of the Damned in Lordaeron by promising immortality. Blizzard Watch says the cult spread the plague through tainted grain, seeded into the granaries of Andorhal. Warcraft Wiki says the plague cauldrons were hidden in cult-controlled villages, and that the cult's members helped spread the plague that became the Scourge.

For the larger story of the kingdom's fall, read Who Is Arthas Menethil?, The Scourge and the plague explained and The Third War explained.

How did Kel'Thuzad die and return?

Death did not slow him. Warcraft Wiki says Arthas hunted him down and killed him, and Blizzard Watch says Arthas and Jaina destroyed him. Warcraft Wiki says Arthas later resurrected him as a lich using the Sunwell's power, and Engadget's Third War series says Arthas defiled the Sunwell with his remains. Warcraft Wiki says Kel'Thuzad helped Arthas summon Archimonde, and Engadget's Archimonde column says he opened the portal with artifacts Arthas supplied, after which Archimonde destroyed Dalaran.

Where do you meet Kel'Thuzad in WoW Forever?

You may not, at least at launch. Warcraft Wiki says he ruled the Eastern Plaguelands from Naxxramas and was the final boss of the original raid, and Engadget says players ended him there and brought his phylactery to Father Inigo Montoy. But Warcraft Tavern's Forever dungeon list, which includes Scholomance and Stratholme, does not list Naxxramas. Warcraft Wiki's Patch 1.60 page and Gfinity name only Barrow Deeps, Hyjal Summit and Onyxia's Lair as the December 9 raids, and Gfinity says later raids are unnamed.

Warcraft Wiki's Kel'Thuzad page links Scholomance to the Cult of the Damned, saying cultists moved in under a deal with the Barov family. Warcraft Tavern lists Scholomance at levels 58 to 60 in the Western Plaguelands. Read the Scholomance guide, Argent Dawn explained and the raids guide. The free Lore Forever add-on adds readable background in each place, and the optional Willo voice companion answers lore questions. Both are fan-made.

Later in the timeline, outside WoW Forever, Warcraft Wiki says Kel'Thuzad returns in later expansions. This article leaves that there.

What is not confirmed yet

Whether Kel'Thuzad appears in WoW Forever is not stated by any source I opened. Naxxramas is not on the lists above.
Sources describe the plague's spread differently: tainted grain in Andorhal's granaries (Blizzard Watch) or plague cauldrons hidden in villages (Warcraft Wiki).
Warcraft Wiki says Alliance heroes defeated him in Naxxramas, while Engadget says Alliance and Horde players did together.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Kel'Thuzad in World of Warcraft?

Kel'Thuzad is a former archmage of Dalaran who founded the Cult of the Damned for the Lich King and became the lich who rules Naxxramas.

Why was Kel'Thuzad exiled from Dalaran?

For practicing necromancy. Warcraft Wiki says Antonidas learned of his experiments, stripped his rank and exiled him, and Blizzard Watch says he was banished from Dalaran and the Council.

Is Naxxramas in WoW Forever?

No source I opened lists it. Warcraft Tavern's dungeon list and the December 9 raid lineup from Warcraft Wiki and Gfinity do not include Naxxramas.

Who killed Kel'Thuzad?

Arthas killed him, says Warcraft Wiki, and Blizzard Watch says Arthas and Jaina destroyed him. Warcraft Wiki says Arthas later raised him as a lich with the Sunwell's power.

Did Kel'Thuzad summon Archimonde?

Yes. Engadget says Arthas supplied the artifacts, including the Book of Medivh, and Kel'Thuzad opened the portal. Warcraft Wiki says he helped Arthas summon the demon in Dalaran.

Sources

Reviewed October 27, 2026. This article covers history before and during 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.