Hero class A hero class is a character class derived from the base classes , but with exclusive perks . Examples of these perks include a higher starting level , better starting gear , unique abilities , and class mounts . Introduced in the Wrath of the Lich King expansion , the death knight uses the rune system which no other class has . The second hero class , the demon hunter , was introduced with the Legion expansion . Prerequisites are required to " unlock " the hero classes for play . The concept of a hero class is derived from the Warcraft III hero units . Blizzard ' s meaning of " Hero Class " . When Blizzard said " Hero Class " they never had any intention of saying a class is more powerful as if you were a hero . It just means a class is more unique in play style . The word hero often seems to confuse players to think the opposite of what Blizzard defined it as . " " It ' s also important to keep in mind that even though the death knight is a hero class , that doesn ' t mean it is more powerful than the other classes , just that it will offer a very different playing experience . " " Death Knight . At Blizzcon 2007 , Blizzard announced that the death knight hero class was to be a new addition in the expansion pack . Nethaera posted on the Wrath of the Lich King forums that the current plans are to introduce one new hero class per expansion set . Death knights do not have a mana , rage , or energy bar ; instead they have a runic power bar and use runes . The death knight can have two roles : tanking and damage dealing ( or DPS ) . They do not use shields while tanking , instead using two - handed weapons or dual - wielding one - handed weapons . Non - melee magic abilities can also play a role during combat . Pre - requisites . There used to be an old requirement that to create a Death Knight , one must ' ve had at least 1 level 55 character , and only 1 per realm . Recently , this restriction was lifted . Demon Hunter . At Gamescom 2015 , Blizzard announced that the demon hunter hero class was to be a new addition in the expansion pack . Demon hunters use Demonic fury as their resource . The demon hunter can have two roles : tanking and damage dealing ( or DPS ) . They are the only class with two talent specializations , instead of the typical three . Pre - requisites . Not all the pre - requisites are known at this time . Bard . The Bard hero class was announced on April 1st 2008 , as a Blizzard hoax . According to the announcement , the Bard " can vanquish evil with the power of ROCK ! " and wields a two - handed " axe " ( that is , an electric guitar ) . Screenshots revealed a new " Fret Bar " interface ( resembling that of the " " games ) powering the Bard ' s " Groove " resource system . Blizzard claimed that the " Wrath of the Lich King " expansion would ship with a Frostmourne - themed " guitar - based keyboard peripheral " . Two Talent tree s were revealed , including Metal Talents ( such as " Starstruck " , " Epic Solo " , and " Axe Specialization " ) , and Punk Rock Talents ( such as " Shred " , " Mosh Pit " , and " Rock ' N Roll Racing " ) . Pre - World of Warcraft hero classes . Paladin s were a hero class in " " but were changed to a normal class when " World of Warcraft " was released . Paladins were also originally considered being made into a hero class in " WoW " . Other possible hero classes . In Blizzcast 7 , it was revealed that while making Wrath of the Lich King , Blizzard considered a number of ideas for the hero class , which they narrowed down to four front runners . Besides the death knight , they also considered : Monk s eventually became a primary starting class in Mist of Pandaria expansion , not a hero one . Although they did not ultimately choose to implement the class , some of the ideas for the necromancer class were incorporated into the death knight instead . Note that , during the Blizzcast interview , J . Allen Brack mentions a figure of " 29 hero classes that we ' ve got completed " . However , some sources quoting the interview frame this as " Brack " joked " that . . . " , and the interviewer who was face to face with him during the interview laughed after he made the statement . However , he delivers the statement deadpan , and some people have taken the comment seriously and literally . In any case , regardless of the actual number , it is clear that Blizzard has a number of ideas beyond the one we ' ve seen implemented so far .