Warcraft

Warcraft

Year: 2016

Runtime: 123 min

Language: English

Director: Duncan Jones

ActionAdventureFantasy

In the realm of Azeroth, an ancient portal opens, bridging two worlds as Orc warriors flee their dying land to colonize another. The peaceful coexistence is shattered, setting two heroes on a collision course that will decide the fate of families, nations, and homelands. A spectacular tale of power, sacrifice, and war's many faces unfolds.

Warning: spoilers below!

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Warcraft (2016) – Full Plot Summary & Ending Explained
Read the complete plot breakdown of Warcraft (2016), including all key story events, major twists, and the ending explained in detail. Discover what really happened—and what it all means.

Draenor, the orc’s home world, is being ravaged by an enigmatic force known as Fel magic. Gul’Dan, a formidable orc warlock, consolidates the orc clans to form the Horde and opens a portal to the world of Azeroth. To sustain this portal, the orcs begin employing Fel magic to siphon life from captives of the Draenei. As the portal becomes operational, Gul’Dan leads a small war party to seize prisoners on Azeroth, intending to use them as sacrifices to facilitate the passage of the entire Horde. Initially hesitant, Durotan, the chieftain of the Frostwolf Clan, along with his pregnant mate Draka and his ally Orgrim Doomhammer, ultimately join this mission.

Upon traversing the portal, Draka goes into labor, and after arriving on Azeroth, Gul’Dan assists in the childbirth. Sadly, the baby is stillborn, prompting Gul’Dan to drain the life from a nearby deer, infusing its essence into the child, who Durotan later names Go’El. The orcs proceed to raid several settlements across Azeroth, drawing the attention of Anduin Lothar (/actor/travis-fimmel), the military commander of the human forces from the Stormwind Kingdom. Lothar examines the bodies of soldiers slain in battle, discovering a trespassing Mage named Khadgar, who reveals he was investigating the corpses due to traces of Fel magic.

Khadgar convinces King Llane Wrynn (/actor/dominic-cooper) to consult Medivh (/actor/ben-foster), the renowned Guardian of Tirisfal, leading Llane to send Khadgar and Anduin to Medivh’s tower, Karazhan, to inform him about the Fel magic. Within the vast library of Karazhan, a ghostly figure guides Khadgar to a mysterious tome, which he takes for further study. Together, Anduin, Khadgar, and Medivh embark on a scouting mission to track the Fel magic’s origins, only to find themselves ambushed by orc warriors. Medivh, wielding a spell, dispatches the Fel-tainted orcs, yet the war chief, Blackhand, manages to escape alongside Durotan and Orgrim. During the chaos, Khadgar captures a half-orc slave named Garona, who reveals to Medivh that a dark daemon guided Gul’Dan towards Azeroth.

King Llane decides to set Garona free, requesting her allegiance to Stormwind in return. She leads the humans on a reconnaissance mission against the orc camp, unveiling Gul’Dan’s ulterior motive to transport the entire Horde to Azeroth. Meanwhile, Durotan uncovers the perilous truth—Fel magic threatens to bring the same devastation to Azeroth that has befallen Draenor. Ignoring Orgrim’s apprehensions, Durotan arranges a clandestine meeting with Llane, aspiring to unite the Frostwolf Clan and humans to thwart Gul’Dan’s sinister plan.

As Khadgar delves deeper into his studies, he realizes Gul’Dan couldn’t have managed to open the portal alone—someone on Azeroth aided him. Khadgar confronts Medivh about this suspicion, but Medivh dismisses his research. Tension escalates when the Frostwolf Clan’s meeting with the humans is thwarted by an ambush led by Blackhand. As chaos ensues, Medivh conjures a protective barrier, yet Lothar’s son, Callan, is tragically cut off and perishes at the hands of Blackhand. Severely weakened, Medivh is taken back to Karazhan, where Khadgar and Garona assist him, but the trace of Fel magic in Medivh becomes alarmingly evident.

Determined to uncover the truth, Khadgar returns to his hometown of Dalaran, seeking counsel from the Kirin Tor, the ruling body of mages. They reveal the truth about Medivh’s corruption and affliction by an unknown demon. Back at the orc camp, Blackhand forces a brutal purge against the Frostwolf Clan. In a desperate attempt, Orgrim aids Draka to escape, but she tragically sacrifices herself, sending baby Go’El down a river, where he is later discovered.

Durotan, fueled by desperation, challenges Gul’Dan to Mak’Gora, a traditional duel for clan leadership. However, during the battle, Gul’Dan violates the sacred rules of combat, siphoning Durotan’s life force to secure victory, outraging the watching orcs and consequently empowering Blackhand with this cruel magic. Now partially demonic, Medivh begins to reopen the portal to Draenor, while Gul’Dan sacrifices captured villagers to allow the Horde through.

In a final confrontation on the orc camp, Llane leads a human assault. Amid the chaos, Anduin and Khadgar fight against Medivh to vanquish the demon threatening to manifest. Medivh, mortally wounded, channels his last energies to close the Draenor portal and opens a route to Stormwind, enabling Llane to evacuate the remaining prisoners. However, with Medivh’s death, the portal collapses, leaving only Llane, Garona, and a sparse company of soldiers to face the orcish onslaught.

In a bittersweet maneuver, Llane commands Garona to kill him to gain honor amongst the orcs, positioning her as a potential peacemaker. Reluctantly, Garona fulfills this duty and is embraced by Gul’Dan. Meanwhile, Anduin arrives, heartbroken as he realizes it was Garona’s blade that ended Llane’s life. He quickly dispatches Blackhand, and against Gul’Dan’s orders, the orcs adhere to their traditions and permit Anduin to leave with the fallen king’s body.

At Llane’s solemn funeral in Stormwind, human leaders, alongside their elven and dwarven allies, rally behind Anduin, proclaiming a united front against the orcs. In a poignant moment of legacy, Orgrim claims one of Durotan’s tusks, vowing to one day return it to Go’El, while the basket containing the infant drifts to human shores, signifying hope amidst the turmoil.

Last Updated: November 08, 2024 at 07:25