Balnazzar Balnazzar ( currently under the guise of Saidan Dathrohan , Grand Crusader of the Scarlet Crusade ) was one of the three nathrezim siblings left behind in Lordaeron to oversee the demonic conquest of that land . The return of Prince Arthas , following the defeat of Archimonde , sent the three brothers packing , but they quickly regrouped and concocted a new plan to destroy Arthas once and for all . Though they ( and Sylvanas Windrunner , who attacked Arthas on her own terms ) didn ’ t destroy Arthas , the undead prince left Lordaeron , leaving Balnazzar to rule the Plaguelands . Soon after , Sylvanas ( who forcibly made Varimathras join her ) laid siege to Balnazzar ' s forces and ultimately forced Varimathras to execute Balnazzar . He later came to possess the body of Saidan Dathrohan , a founder of the Scarlet Crusade . Brann Bronzebeard misspelled his name as Balzannar . Biography . Balnazzar and his brothers , Varimathras and Detheroc , were not aware that the Burning Legion had been defeated at Mount Hyjal until months after the fact . It was only when Arthas returned from his sabbatical to Kalimdor that he announced Archimonde ' s destruction . Arthas stated that their deaths would complete their folly . Balnazzar and his brothers quickly teleported away before Arthas could strike . The dreadlords plotted in the safety of the Tirisfal Glades , and began to form a plan to ruin the undead king . Knowing that Ner ' zhul , and Arthas , were losing their powers , they called to Sylvanas , who was no longer locked in loyalty to the Lich King , and asked for her assistance in the coup that was sure to entail . Sylvanas , hungry for vengeance for her current form and the slaughter of her people , agreed . Balnazzar and his brothers staged an ambush for Arthas within the Capital City ruins , separating Kel ' Thuzad from him and attacking him with their minions . Balnazzar even loosed other dreadlords on him , but Arthas , rounding up the forces he could find still loyal to him , escaped , or so he thought . Escorted by a cadre of banshee s , Arthas was attacked by Sylvanas , who had prepared a long , grisly death for her murderer , and was about to begin her work when Kel ' Thuzad interrupted and chased her off . Though he still lived , Arthas was gone from Lordaeron , or the Plaguelands as they were now called , and Balnazzar was free to reign over it as he liked . He sent Varimathras to bring Sylvanas to join their new order , but things went horribly awry . Unfortunately for Balnazzar , Sylvanas had plans of her own and laid siege to Lordaeron . She had defeated Balnazzar ’ s brother Varimathras , who offered to serve her in exchange for his life . Sylvanas accepted and the dreadlord fought at her side in the attack on Lordaeron . Balnazzar received word from his scouts that Sylvanas had coerced Varimathras to her side , killed Detheroc , and allied with his human minion , Garithos . The banshee and her forces laid siege to Balnazzar ' s base , which he had fortified within the city ruins . Even armed with demons as his minions , Balnazzar found himself attacked from both ends by Sylvanas and Garithos , and despite his many threats , Balnazzar ' s forces were defeated . Sylvanas , Varimathras , and Garithos approached Balnazzar . Sylvanas ordered Varimathras to kill his brother as a testament to his loyalty to her . Varimathras was reluctant . Killing another nathrezim was forbidden , but Sylvanas was adamant . Balnazzar was sure that Varimathras would never take that final step . He was wrong . However , Balnazzar survived — Varimathras allowed his brother to fake his death in order to fool Sylvanas . To remain hidden , Balnazzar went underground . Not content to simply sit by while the undead legions overran Azeroth , he formed a new plan to oppose them . He possessed the body of the paladin Saidan Dathrohan , who then helped found the Scarlet Crusade , an order of knights focused on the singular goal of defeating the Scourge in all its forms . Though on the surface the Crusade seems merely interested in fighting the Scourge , it is secretly ( through Balnazzar ) a tool of the Burning Legion , which still hopes to destroy Azeroth . Balnazzar likely hopes to curry favor with the surviving Lords of the Legion by destroying the Lich King . Balnazzar also uses agents to do his jobs . One day , a mysterious prophet emerged from caverns underneath the Stonetalon Mountains . The prophet warned that the Burning Legion was coming soon and would be ushered in by the Forsaken and sent adventurers on anti - Forsaken missions . Upon further investigation , it was found that the " prophet " was really an agent of Balnazzar , who had survived his " death " . Balnazzar had plotted his revenge against Sylvanas ever since that day — and the prophet was apparently just one small part of his plan . Possessed soul . No one in the Crusade is aware that Dathrohan is a demon — they simply believe him to be a holy knight obsessed with the destruction of the undead . Balnazzar uses this fact to his advantage as much as possible , intending not only to defeat the undead but one day secure his hold on Lordaeron once again . To maintain his charade , Balnazzar kept ( and still keeps ) a low profile , letting others run the Scarlet Crusade . At present , Balnazzar dwells within the Scarlet Crusade stronghold in the besieged ruins of Stratholme , in the deepest reaches of the Eastern Plaguelands . The Scourge and the Crusade remain locked in battle , at a stalemate primarily because Balnazzar depends upon his masquerade for his long - term plans . His agents actively recruit new members for the crusade , and his ranks grow steadily . Should anyone find out his true nature , however , the Scarlet Crusade could potentially fall apart overnight , and the undead would become the only power in the Plaguelands . Balnazzar attempts to remain in his possessed form as long as possible , not revealing his true nature until absolutely forced to do so . He avoids using spells or spell - like abilities unless they could be paladin spells or he can do so in a way that makes them look like they came from a magic item . He avoids direct combat , preferring to let his minions do the fighting for him . If cornered and sorely pressed , he reveals his true nature , abandoning his possessed body and emerging in all his glory . The hulking demon ’ s skin is a waxy purple , save the black bat - like wings . Its eyes glow crimson as it raises its massive greatsword . At this point he lets loose with all the firepower at his command , subduing and then destroying his enemies with demonic fury . Any allies who remain by his side are then slain in turn , so that he may preserve his secret , and he returns to his former body to maintain the masquerade . If his secret is openly revealed , he retreats , seeking vengeance on those responsible at some future time . Balnazzar can possess the body of a creature he has slain through the use of his energy drain ability . In doing so , his form turns to a misty cloud that invades and takes over the corpse , while the soul of the slain creature moves on to its final reward ( or punishment ) . The slain creature cannot be raised from the dead through any means other than a true resurrection for as long as Balnazzar possesses it ( True resurrection ejects him from the body at once ) . His power sustains the body so it does not decompose ; in fact , it appears in all respects as if alive . Balnazzar wears paladin gear ( Scarlet Crusade armor and the like ) in Saidan Dathrohan ’ s guise . Otherwise , he carries a greatsword of wounding ; this sword is tied to Balnazzar ’ s life force , and anyone else touching it or trying to wield it is corrupted as long as he contacts the weapon . If Balnazzar possesses a creature , the sword vanishes with him , returning to his side when he emerges . Balnazzar also has a ring of protection and wears bracers of armor . Powers . Balnazzar ( along with Mal ' Ganis ) is the only Dreadlord known to have the powers to possess another being as proven with his possession of Saidan Dathrohan . He also seems to be able to take on the mannerisms of whomever he possesses and can express false compassion despite being a Demon . This makes him highly convincing , making his diplomacy alone one of his many strengths . One example of this is shown when he makes conversation with Renault Mograine convincing him to betray his father . He is also able to use the blood of those he possesses ( or of his own possibly ) to project images , as seen in the Ashbringer . Balnazzar is able to telepathically communicate using this projection , this may be shared by other Dreadlords seeing as Varimathras can communicate with him also . In addition he can also cast the drain life spell which he uses in the battle against the scourge at Hearthglen to heal Dathrohan ' s wounds killing a scarlet crusader in the process . World of Warcraft . Also , he is the final boss of the Stratholme Living Side , located within the the Scarlet Bastion in The Crimson Throne . He begins the fight as Grand Crusader Dathrohan , but eventually sheds his human disguise for his true form . It should be noted that if killed too quickly , he will not transform into his true form , and players will not receive the achievement regardless of the kill . Two realms in " World of Warcraft " are named after Balnazzar : and Cataclysm . After the events in Northrend and Undercity , Balnazzar sheds his disguise and kills the remaining Scarlet Crusaders , using his necromantic powers to resurrect them as the Risen . Legion . When Tirion was captured , Balnazzar guarded the Ashbringer in order to kill anyone who attempted to claim it . Balnazzar leads the assault on Netherlight Temple .