Medivh Magus or Magna Medivh was the last Guardian of Tirisfal , an ancient line of protectors bestowed with great powers to do battle with the agents of the Burning Legion . However , he was corrupted even before birth and possessed by the spirit of the demonlord Sargeras , who used Medivh in his plan to conquer Azeroth . Medivh contacted the orc ish warlock Gul ' dan , and together they opened the Dark Portal , which allowed the Burning Legion to begin its destruction of Azeroth . He was slain shortly after by a party led by one of his friends , Lothar . Shortly before the beginning of the Third War , Medivh returned as a mysterious prophet , manipulating events in order to arrange the formation of a last - ditch alliance between the mortal races on Kalimdor , guiding them to victory at the Battle of Mount Hyjal . The prophet ' s name means " keeper of secrets " in Thalassian . He possessed . He is voiced by Michael Bell in " " and Cam Clarke in " " . He is played by Ben Foster in the Warcraft film . Biography . Birth and childhood . Medivh ' s mother , Aegwynn , served as the Guardian of Tirisfal before him . Eight centuries before the coming of the orcs , she fought and seemingly defeated Sargeras . This was according to the demon lord ' s plan , as he used the opportunity to transfer his essence into her body , where he would lay in wait . Forty - five years before the coming of the orcs , Aegwynn desired to give birth to a child to whom she could pass on her powers , against the wishes of the Order of Tirisfal . She seduced the court conjurer of the Kingdom of Azeroth , Nielas Aran , who was a powerful sorcerer of the Order in his own right , only returning later to leave the child in his care . Naming the boy Medivh , which means " keeper of secrets " in the high elven tongue , Aegwynn was unaware that Sargeras had possessed the defenseless child while it was still in her womb . The boy , and Sargeras , were given all of Aegwynn ' s powers , which were to lay dormant until he reached adulthood . Medivh had a happy childhood , primarily spent with friends Prince Llane Wrynn and Anduin Lothar . One day , while out on the road in Stranglethorn Vale , Medivh and his friends were ambushed by three jungle troll s . None were hurt badly ; however , Medivh fainted after casting several spells . He would at some point succumb to a coma on his fourteenth birthday , awaking in the middle of the night from evil dreams , where he pictured figures giving chase through deep chasms . In a sweat , he stumbled into his father ' s room and , when his father touched his brow , the power his mother had given him awoke . By the time the force had subsided , his father was dead and Medivh nearly so himself . Spanning over twenty years , Medivh , in a coma caused by Sargeras , was tended by his friend Lothar , as well as the clerics at Northshire Abbey . It is unknown if the two events are connected in some way . The fallen Guardian . Medivh awoke over twenty years later under a facade of control , and assured the court and his mother Aegwynn that he was fine . But the dark spirit of Sargeras twisted his thoughts and emotions towards an insidious end . With Medivh ' s powers growing exponentially daily , he had set out to know everything , and he even consorted with the Legion of the Lower Planes . He began to search for something with which to destroy the humans of Azeroth , whom he saw as the only thing standing in his way of true power . He found that on Draenor . Bargaining with the warlock Gul ' dan from his chambers in the tower of Karazhan , Medivh promised to furnish Gul ' dan with the location of the Tomb of Sargeras if Gul ' dan would bring the Horde to Azeroth and destroy the humans . And so , aided on the other side by Gul ' dan ' s Shadow Council , Medivh opened the Dark Portal between Azeroth and Draenor . Aegwynn then appeared to Medivh , trying to reason that this was the wrong path to take , but he heard nothing . They battled , with Medivh emerging the victor and banishing her from his sight . But the battle had drained him , so he attempted to draw power from the very land itself . Aegwynn had survived the battle with Medivh , who promptly set up magical wards to ensure that his mother lived in peace . Aegwynn wasn ' t the only one to confront the maverick guardian . Arcanagos , a blue dragon and one of the guardians of magic , paid visit to Karazhan to attempt to sway Medivh from the path he was being led down . Finally the blue resorted to using force , but was overpowered by Medivh and burned from within . Once again Medivh was left drained and left to recover his strength . It was shortly after this time that the mages of Dalaran sent Medivh an apprentice . This young apprentice was known as Khadgar , a name which among the dwarves meant " Trust " . Time passed as " Young Trust " studied under Medivh . He lived within Karazhan with a few others : Medivh studying , Moroes serving as his aide , and Cook the Chef making meals . Around this time , the war began picking up between the orcs and the humans , as the orcs increasingly struck out of the Black Morass . Medivh was sober about this , even remarking that it was happening as planned . Soon after , the Horde ' s emissary , Garona Halforcen , came to Karazhan . Unbeknownst to anyone Medivh and Garona had a brief affair which later resulted in a child , the mixed race Med ' an . Through a vision in Karazhan , Khadgar and Garona discovered that it was Medivh who contacted Gul ’ dan and brought the orcs upon the lands of Azeroth . Shorty after , Khadgar and Garona fled from Karazhan to Stormwind to warn King Llane and Anduin Lothar about the corruption of the Guardian . King Llane thought of it as one of Medivhs mood swings and did not pay much attention to it , though Lothar believed it was a matter of importance and that further investigation was needed . Later on , he led a troop of human forces ( including Khadgar and Garona ) to deal with the crazed Guardian . While battling , Medivh cast a spell to drain the youth and power out of Khadgar , making his hair grey and his body useless . With a sword , Khadgar managed to deliver a final strike to his master , ending his life and purifying him from the demon - lord Sargeras . As Medivh was dying , the body started to transform into demon - like shape and to finish it ; Lothar had to decapitate it , banishing Sargeras into the Nether . At the height of his powers , Medivh worked his magics and struggled with Sargeras in his tower of Karazhan . His powers were such that the trauma of his death laid a curse on his once wondrous tower and the surrounding area that became Deadwind Pass . The tower has become such a dangerous and accursed place , that those that venture in never return ( Violet Eye chain ) . Medivh ' s magics created Medivh ' s Beetle at the time of the Second War . Resurrection . When Khadgar killed Medivh and destroyed the spirit of Sargeras , Medivh ' s spirit escaped . The spirit of Medivh foresaw the eventual downfall of Lordaeron , and with his mother ' s help his spirit attained form , and he was resurrected by the last of her magic . Medivh briefly returned to Karazhan , where he interacted with a past version of Khadgar ( though it was a future version of Medivh from Khadgar ' s perspective ) . He explained to his erstwhile apprentice that with his burial in the past by Khadgar and his current return to life , the good ( the Guardian ) and the evil ( Sargeras ) battling within him had been destroyed , and that he was , perhaps for the first time , only Medivh . A prophet emerges . Long after the Second War , a strange prophet appeared to various denizens of Azeroth . He appeared to deliver a warning of a looming apocalyptic threat . The young warchief of the Horde — Thrall , son of Durotan — had a dream where the orc s and human s were fighting against each other while infernal s rained from the sky . He awakened and The Prophet told him it was a vision , that he must go to the ancient lands of Kalimdor if he wished to save his people , Thrall sensed the truth of his words and set sail to Kalimdor in the far west beyond the sea . Medivh , The Prophet , chose to remain uninvolved directly in the upcoming war ( leading some to suspect he had remained a ghost ) . He has the ability to turn into a black raven . The Horde went to Kalimdor ; however , convincing the humans was found to be more difficult . King Terenas of Lordaeron and Antonidas of Dalaran both dismissed The Prophet as a madman . The king ' s son , Prince Arthas , refused to leave his beleaguered people . Only the young daughter of Daelin Proudmoore , and apprentice of Antonidas , Jaina , sensed that he was perhaps right . When he appeared to her after the destruction of Stratholme , she heeded his warning and prepared to leave for the west . She set sail with a group of her people just as the invasion began . Thrall arrived to Kalimdor looking for his destiny , and his new acquaintance Cairne Bloodhoof — chieftain of the Bloodhoof tribe — suggested he go to the Oracle . Thrall fought his way through the Human Expedition until he arrived at the Oracle , but he found Jaina and some humans . As they prepared to battle each other , the prophet appeared . He told them that they must cease hostilities if they ever hoped to defeat the Burning Legion and escape its corruption . They reluctantly agreed . Finally , The Prophet revealed his identity when the time came to rally the forces . Appearing in a dream to Thrall , the night elf Malfurion Stormrage and Jaina , The Prophet told them that they must form an alliance to battle the common enemy . He told them that he was , in fact , Medivh , the Last Guardian of Tirisfal , and that it was his doing that brought the orcs , and , in turn , the Burning Legion , to Azeroth . Jaina , Thrall , and Malfurion became convinced that victory could only be achieved through an alliance , and they rallied together to defend the World Tree , Nordrassil . In the final hour , nature ' s spirits , called into action by the Horn of Cenarius ' clarion call , swarmed around Archimonde , and destroyed the demon once and for all . Confident that the world was safe for now , and that he had repaid a fraction of debt for his terrible sins , Medivh vanished , to take his place " amongst the legends of the past . " His actions ensured Azeroth ' s survival and he found some redemption for his previous crimes . Afterwards . After the events of the Battle of Mount Hyjal he went to places unknown ; he may have met the end of his wandering on Azeroth and somehow departing the material plane , or he may have simply retired somewhere distant . More recently , a black raven can be seen endlessly circling Karazhan , leading some to suggest that the Last Guardian may linger on in some form . A Black Raven also appears on the loading screen when entering Karazhan . Nonetheless , his fate remains unknown , though it is quite clear from his final comments that he intends to never be heard from or seen again . In spite of his unknown fate , he left an avatar of himself in Karazhan to give a message of knowledge and power to his son , Med ' an , so that Med ' an could decide his own fate . Death . Medivh ' s death has been portrayed in at least four different sources . In " " , the player had to enter his lair and slay him . His lair was filled with summoned and cave beings : Skeleton s , scorpion s , fire elemental s and daemon s . Lothar , Khadgar , and Garona are all absent . Medivh ' s death was clearly described in " The Last Guardian " , where it is established that he was slain by the three listed above — with Khadgar wielding the blade that was run through Medivh ' s heart ( and Lothar then decapitating him ) ; this version is supported by various sources . In the interlude " The Last Guardian " in the " Eternity ' s End " campaign in " " , Medivh is shown in a flashback being killed by human footmen . Though the captain figure in the scene could be Lothar , Khadgar and Garona are nowhere to be seen . In " The Last Guardian " it is , however , described that Khadgar and Garona were wearing Stormwind garbs , which would explain why they could be displayed as normal footmen . Finally in " Flashback " we see Medivh being stabbed through the heart by Khadgar with Lothar standing just behind . The idea that there were more involved than just Lothar , Khadgar , and Garona is supported by " Shadows & Light " ( " . . . a squad of human warriors . . . " ) and " Horde Player ' s Guide " ( " A group of human heroes slowed the invasion by slaying Medivh " ) . However , both sources also confirm that Lothar , Khadgar , and Garona were involved as well . In " Tides of Darkness " it is explained that Lothar was with Garona , Khadgar and a handful of men when they defeated Medivh . In The Burning Crusade . Although long gone by the time of " World of Warcraft " , Medivh still makes several appearances in one form or another in two significant instances . Strangely , Medivh ' s character model , from where his animations are derived , is that of a male night elf as opposed to a human , which accounts for his increased height . He ends and begins the following quests : See Caverns of Time NPCs and Karazhan NPCs . Caverns of Time . His first appearance is within the Caverns of Time : Opening the Dark Portal , the second instance within the caverns opened after Thrall ' s Escape from Durnholde . It is set in the Black Morass just as Medivh prepares to open the Dark Portal , and the player group must protect him from members of the infinite dragonflight attempting to kill him and stop the opening of the Portal , which would prevent the Horde from crossing into Azeroth . Medivh is also involved in the attunement process for Karazhan . After obtaining the fragments of Khadgar ' s key from instances in Outland , Khadgar sends you to the Black Morass to speak to Medivh to enchant it so that it will open the locked gates of Karazhan ; Medivh will instead give you the Master ' s Key . However , you must have completed the instance ( Medivh must survive to open the Dark Portal ) before you can speak to him and gain his key . Karazhan . He shows up twice more in his old tower of Karazhan in Deadwind Pass which has been abandoned since Medivh ' s death at the hands of Khadgar and Lothar , shortly before the end of the First War . An " Echo of Medivh " is seen where players play a game of chess against him in the Gamesman ' s Hall , and an " Image of Medivh " is seen in a flashback on the Master ' s Terrace fighting off the blue dragon Arcanagos . Personality . Medivh ’ s soul constantly struggled with that of Sargeras for control of his body and mind . The fight between them was constant , and resulted in Medivh shifting periodically between stretches of calmness and lucidity and bouts of strangely incomprehensible behavior . To outsiders , he often seemed to make abrupt decisions or reverse his position on issues . When the struggle between the two souls became too great for Medivh ' s body to handle , he sank into a catatonic state and became completely unresponsive . These periods varied greatly in duration and could range from a matter of minutes to months . When Medivh was in control of his body and mind , he was a friendly and wise individual . He cared deeply for a number of the high - ranking human leaders and put the needs of the kingdom above almost everything else . He had defended Lordaeron from attack many times throughout the years and has built a great reputation as a staunch defender of the land . He was not naturally biased against any of the races , and displayed a fair amount of interest in people who brought to him stories of distant lands or cultures . However , when Sargeras was in control , Medivh ’ s personality shifted dramatically . He became sullen and distant , barely acknowledged the presence of close friends , and practically ignored strangers . He was secretive and often traveled to faraway places abruptly . In private , Medivh would not hesitate to do away with annoying visitors by using his spells to kill or incapacitate them . However , he was moderately concerned about his cover being blown with the Lordaeron leadership and would not act out of character in public . Medivh ' s tactics were often erratic , depending upon which personality was in control at the time . Nonetheless , the common theme with both personalities was to stay at range and harass enemies with potent spells . He often cast only a few spells and then retreated for a few rounds to strike again later from another direction . Quotes . Medivh has made many statements , worthy of quotation . However , there is one that is the most memorable ; his farewell at the end of the Third War ( and " Warcraft III " ) , below . " The roots will heal in time . . . as will the entire world . The sacrifices have been made . Just as the orcs , humans , and night elves discarded their old hatreds and stood united against a common foe , so did Nature herself rise up to banish the Shadow . . . forever . As for me , I came back to ensure that there would be a future , to teach the world that it no longer needed Guardians . The hope for future generations has always resided in " mortal " hands . And now that my task is done , I will take my place . . . amongst the legends of the past . " Atiesh . The most powerful mages focus their powers into magical staves , and Medivh was no different . His staff , , was possessed by an agent of Sargeras , thus boosting Medivh ' s already - immeasurable powers . When Medivh was killed , Atiesh was taken to Dalaran , where it was revealed that the spirit within killed anyone who dared try to wield it . It was locked away in a secret and secure vault for nearly three decades following Medivh ' s death , until Dalaran was destroyed by Archimonde . The staff was shattered into 42 pieces — the 40 splinters of the shaft , the base , and the headpiece . The base found its way into C ' Thun ' s possession in the Temple of Ahn ' Qiraj in an unknown way from Brann Bronzebeard ( who found it through his exploration of Azeroth ) , and the headpiece was located by the necromancer - lich Kel ' Thuzad , who was responsible for summoning Archimonde in the first place . The 40 splinters of the shaft are in the hands of Kel ' Thuzad ' s lieutenants , spread out across his citadel of Naxxramas in the Eastern Plaguelands . Even if the staff were restored , it would need to be . Status as an Eternal . Medivh is classified as an Eternal in the legends chapter of " Shadows & Light " , but the book is not specific as to how or when he reached that status . The article is mostly concerned with the period in history when he was possessed by Sargeras . This likely means that he was an Eternal only because he was possessed by one . It doesn ' t seem to be related to the fact he was a guardian , as other guardians are not Eternals , for example Aranda . Although the article does make a brief reference to his period as the legendary Oracle , it is not likely the reason for his Eternal status . The majority of the article concerned with the period when he had dual personalities where he struggled with Sargeras for control of his body , this includes the role - playing notes and combat section . It explains how others might react to his mood swings and personality changes . His abilities are also a combination of a guardian and Sargeras ' s abilities . The book is also pretty clear that no new Eternals have appeared in modern times . It should be noted Medivh is no longer a human as he was before referenced by his quote in " Warcraft III " : " I left my humanity behind long ago . I am something . . . different now . "