Dragon A dragon is a reptilian creature , usually winged , with magical or unusual abilities . Dragons were one of the first intelligent life forms to appear in Azeroth . It is not clear whether the titans created them or if they somehow evolved prior to the titans ' arrival . At one time , their numbers were uncountable , but in present - day Azeroth there are very few left . Originally , there were many different dragonflight s , with many different colors to be seen . The five most influential , however , were the reds , the greens , the bronze , the blacks , and the blues , and eventually most ( if not all ) of the other flights disappeared . Chosen by the titans , each of the five dragonflights were given domain over a certain aspect of the world , ranging from the earth to time itself . During the War of the Ancients , the dragonflights sought to fulfill their duty and strike against the invading Burning Legion . Over time , the dragons have endured much hardship and only a handful still remain , hostile to all that may tamper with the titans ' creations . The dragons of Azeroth are far more intelligent even than the humans who hunt them ; they struggle to reconcile their metaphysical nature with the reality of the savage world they inhabit . While each dragon is a powerful entity , dragons also represent the origins of the world and were given care over various parts of Azeroth ’ s creation since time immemorial . Today , the dragons still remember their original natures and attempt to use their powers to continue their original purposes : for some , to shape stone and raise mountains ; for others , to protect the forests or expand the realm of magic . The dragons of Azeroth reach maturity after a mere hundred years have passed . They are very cunning and magical , using spells to complement their powerful physical capacity . Because each creature has an intimate connection with the world around it , the death of a dragon is never a simple thing ; it is a metaphysical event , driven by the creature ’ s natural connection to the spirit of the world . A dragon ’ s death can cause massive upheaval in the natural surroundings — earthquakes , surface lava explosions , a new lake flooding forth from a sudden crack in the earth ‘ s crust , and so on . Even young dragons , those who have not established as close a bond to the spiritual world , still make ripples in the fabric of reality when they die . Although these ripples are not always seen or felt by other races , a young dragon ’ s death nonetheless garners the attention of other dragons in the area — and creatures particularly attuned to the natural state of being that surrounds them . When proto - dragon s were rediscovered as the mounts of the vrykul , it could easily be seen that they bore a striking resemblance to many kinds of carnivorous dinosaur s . This may be coincidence , or it could link dinosaurs to dragons in evolution . Age groups . Dragon is both the name for the race as a whole and the short title for the mature - aged dragon ( aka " mature dragon " ) . See lifespan s . The Dragon Aspects . The titan s chose a member of each of the five dragonflights to watch over Azeroth in their absence . The ones they chose were the original Dragon Aspects and leaders of each dragonflight : Consorts . The Aspects are aided in their tasks by their consorts , who are their companions , partners , and lovers . Typically , the consorts are chosen by traditional draconic courtship rituals ; though a consort may be smarter or more powerful than the average dragon , only those loved by the Aspect will rise to the position . The consorts at any given time are led by the Prime Consort , the one who has held the position longest , or is else the most capable . Typically , an Aspect would have three or four consorts at any time . Nozdormu Alexstrasza Ysera Malygos Neltharion ( Deathwing ) Tactics . Dragons have a number of reasons for fighting ; they are territorial , and numerous factions hunt them for a variety of different reasons . With the exception of black dragons , most dragons do not attack random groups of mortals on sight ; although like mortals , each dragon has a different personality and some are more aggressive than others . Each of the dragonflights fights slightly differently , but their overall tactics are relatively similar . Fearsome alone , groups of dragons are nearly impossible to combat ; all five dragonflights are intelligent , and they use everything they can think of to their advantage . When possible , the dragonflights use dragonspawn troops to open the way into combat , allowing these ground - based troops to draw their enemies ’ attention while they strike from above or a distance . Even when bereft of dragonspawn support , dragons prefer to fight from the skies , resorting to melee only when necessary or when enraged . Dragons are highly intelligent and , due to their long lives , possess vast experience . Thus , they are excellent judges of when to call a tactical retreat . Yet if dragons decide that the cause is worthy , they will fight to the death for it , however hopeless the battle might be . Blue dragons open combat with magic to disrupt their enemies , such as creating illusions or walls of force . Red and black dragons focus on offensive magic and breath attacks , using spells like chain lightning and blazing column to eliminate waves of weaker enemies . Green and bronze dragons use spells to allow them to maneuver around their opponents , or directly incapacitate their enemies ; greater invisibility and charm monster are popular . When facing a large group of enemies , dragons attempt to affect as large a group as they can with an individual spell or attack . In the battles against the qiraji a thousand years ago , dragons focused their efforts on taking down wave after wave of lesser qiraji with their breath weapons ; the mortals had the responsibility of dealing with enemy commanders . This does not mean that if the opportunity presents itself a dragon won ’ t take a bite out of an enemy commander ; however , they are more likely to wreak as much havoc as they can than spend their time hunting a specific opponent . When fighting against a single target , dragons use spells to complement each other ; one dragon might serve as a healer or cast enhancement spells like brilliance aura , while another decreases their target ’ s defenses with bestow curse and detrimental magic , while the third attacks directly . In this respect , dragons work together in ways similar to a mortal adventuring party , but due to their inherent abilities they can switch roles and last longer in an extended battle .