Lore · October 26, 2026

Who Is Orgrim Doomhammer? The Warchief Behind Orgrimmar's Name

Orgrim Doomhammer was the Blackrock clan chieftain and Warchief of the Old Horde, who killed Blackhand, led the Horde in its wars on the human kingdoms, and died freeing his people from the internment camps after naming Thrall his successor. In World of Warcraft: Forever (WoW Forever), set in the first year of World of Warcraft (year 25 after the Dark Portal), his name survives in Orgrimmar, the Horde capital Thrall named for him.

Quick answer: Doomhammer challenged and killed Blackhand to become Warchief, shattered Gul'dan's Shadow Council and led the Horde through the Second War, which turned against him at Blackrock Spire. Captured by Turalyon, he escaped the camps, met Thrall, and died in a lance charge at the fifth camp, passing Thrall his hammer and the title of Warchief.

Orgrim Doomhammer's story, step by step — A six-step timeline of Orgrim Doomhammer: heir of the Blackrock clan and second to Blackhand, the mak'gora that made him Warchief, the campaigns against Stormwind and Lordaeron, the fall at Blackrock Spire where Lothar died and Turalyon captured him, the internment camps and his death at the fifth camp, and Orgrimmar named in his honor. Sources: Warcraft Wiki and Blizzard Watch.

A great name outlives the great man. If you have ever stood in the red canyons of Durotar and looked up at the gates of the Horde's capital, you have already read his.

Key facts

Clan: Blackrock, and heir to the weapon called the Doomhammer (Warcraft Wiki, Blizzard Watch)
Rise: killed Blackhand to become Warchief (Warcraft Wiki, Blizzard Watch)
Second War: led the Horde against Lordaeron and fought the Alliance at Blackrock Spire (Warcraft Wiki, Blizzard Watch)
Defeat: captured by Turalyon after Lothar's death (Warcraft Wiki, Blizzard Watch)
Second in command: Varok Saurfang (Warcraft Wiki, Blizzard Watch's Saurfang column)
Death: mortally wounded freeing an internment camp, with Thrall at his side (Warcraft Wiki, Blizzard Watch)
Successor: Thrall, who received the hammer and armor (Warcraft Wiki, Blizzard Watch)
Namesake: Orgrimmar, the capital of the Horde (Warcraft Wiki, Blizzard Watch)

Who is Orgrim Doomhammer?

Doomhammer began as a loyal lieutenant and ended as the Horde's last great Warchief. Blizzard Watch's Know Your Lore column says he belonged to the Blackrock clan, inherited the Doomhammer from his father and served Blackhand as second in command, and Warcraft Wiki says the same of the clan and the weapon. Both say he killed Blackhand to take the title of Warchief, and Warcraft Wiki says he challenged Blackhand to a mak'gora, a duel to the death.

Warcraft Wiki and Blizzard Watch both say Doomhammer then led the Horde. Warcraft Wiki says he destroyed the Shadow Council, the circle that had controlled Blackhand. Read Who Is Gul'dan? for the warlock who survived him, and The Orcs of Azeroth for the clans' wider story.

What did Doomhammer do in the wars?

His wars were fought across two kingdoms. Warcraft Wiki's Orgrim page credits him with conquering Stormwind City at the end of the First War, and its First War page says sources conflict on who led the final siege, with some crediting Blackhand. For the city that fell, read the history of Stormwind.

Warcraft Wiki says Doomhammer then struck Lordaeron, the heart of human culture. Its Second War page says the Horde landed in the Hillsbrad Foothills, where the Alliance hastily moved to block its path, and that the Horde almost took Lordaeron's capital city after Alterac betrayed its comrades. Gul'dan abandoned the Horde during that siege, according to Warcraft Wiki's Orgrim page. Read Lordaeron explained for the realm he attacked.

The war turned at Blackrock Spire. Blizzard Watch says Doomhammer killed the Alliance's Supreme Commander, Anduin Lothar, there, and that Lothar's second, Turalyon, rallied the Alliance and captured him. Warcraft Wiki says Doomhammer won the fight, though some tellings say Lothar was killed after an ambush. Read Who Is Anduin Lothar?. Warcraft Wiki's Saurfang page says Varok Saurfang served as his second in command, and Who Is Varok Saurfang? tells that story.

How did Doomhammer die?

Captives do not stay captive forever. Blizzard Watch says the Alliance interned the orcs in camps, and that Orgrim escaped and returned to the fight. Warcraft Wiki says he escaped, found his people broken and apathetic in the camps, and met Thrall in the Frostwolf mountains as a stranger, lost a duel to him, then revealed himself. Both say he joined Thrall in the rescue of the camps, and Warcraft Wiki's account of the liberation says Grom Hellscream joined with the Warsong clan.

At the fifth camp he fell. Blizzard Watch says Doomhammer was mortally wounded at the fifth camp, and Warcraft Wiki says a mounted knight's lance struck him in the back. Both say that before he died he gave Thrall the Doomhammer and the title of Warchief, and Warcraft Wiki adds his armor. Read Who Is Thrall? and Who Is Grom Hellscream?.

Where does Orgrim's legacy appear in WoW Forever's era?

A Warchief's last order is sometimes a place name. Warcraft Wiki and Blizzard Watch say Thrall named the orc capital Orgrimmar in Orgrim's honor, and Warcraft Wiki says he named Durotar for Durotan. Warcraft Wiki's Patch 1.60 page lists Orgrimmar in Forever as a transport hub and a dungeon location, Ragefire Chasm. For the land around it, read Durotar in WoW Forever.

Warcraft Wiki's Orgrim page says Doomhammer died at the former internment camp that is now the Horde town of Hammerfall in the Arathi Highlands, and a Hammerfall quest in the original game tells of his death by a lance from behind. Whether Forever includes Hammerfall is not confirmed. The Horde leveling zones guide shows the routes Forever's Horde players take.

The free Lore Forever add-on shows readable zone and quest background as you travel, and the optional Willo voice companion lets you ask about the figures behind the names. Both are fan-made.

What is not confirmed yet

Blizzard has not published a list of Forever's Doomhammer quests or dialogue, so this article describes the character, not new content.
Warcraft Wiki's First War page says sources conflict on who led the final siege of Stormwind, with some crediting Blackhand. Blizzard Watch's Orgrim article does not mention Stormwind, so only Warcraft Wiki places Doomhammer there.
Sources disagree on how Lothar died. Blizzard Watch says Doomhammer killed him, while Warcraft Wiki says Doomhammer won the fight though some believe Lothar was ambushed.
Only Warcraft Wiki's Orgrim page places Doomhammer's death at Hammerfall; its Hammerfall quest page describes the lance but does not name the place. Neither source says whether Forever includes Hammerfall.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Orgrim Doomhammer in World of Warcraft?

Orgrim Doomhammer is the Blackrock orc who killed Blackhand, became Warchief of the Old Horde and led the orcs in the Second War. He died freeing the internment camps and named Thrall his successor.

Is Orgrim Doomhammer alive in WoW Forever?

No. Doomhammer died before the Third War, long before WoW Forever's first year of World of Warcraft. Thrall named the Horde capital Orgrimmar in his honor.

Why is Orgrimmar called Orgrimmar?

Thrall named the city for Orgrim Doomhammer, according to Warcraft Wiki and Blizzard Watch. Warcraft Wiki says Thrall named Durotar after Durotan.

How did Orgrim Doomhammer become Warchief?

Doomhammer challenged Blackhand, the first Warchief, to a duel to the death and killed him, according to Warcraft Wiki and Blizzard Watch.

Did Orgrim Doomhammer kill Anduin Lothar?

Blizzard Watch says he did, at Blackrock Spire. Warcraft Wiki says Doomhammer won their fight, though some tellings say Lothar was killed after an ambush.

Sources

Reviewed October 25, 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.