Mal'Ganis

Mal'Ganis (or Mal'ganis) is one of the most notorious of the nathrezim, or dreadlords. During the Third War, he was one of the dreadlords sent by the Burning Legion to serve as a jailor of the Lich King. He commanded the Undead Scourge and Cult of the Damned in Lordaeron,Ultimate Visual Guide, pg. 50: "Arthas then sought to kill the dreadlord Mal'Ganis, who commanded the Scourge forces in Lordaeron ..." and "Kel'Thuzad, leader of the Cult of the Damned under Mal'Ganis ..." and was chosen to head up the plot to turn Prince Arthas Menethil to darkness and make him the Lich King's greatest champion. However, the Lich King then betrayed Mal'Ganis by allowing Arthas to kill him.
During the war against the Lich King, Mal'Ganis orchestrated the creation of the extremist Scarlet Onslaught and led it under the guise of Grand Admiral Barean Westwind, plotting to take revenge and overthrow the Lich King, but he had to flee after being discovered by adventurers sent by the Knights of the Ebon Blade.
Years later, Mal'Ganis and his fellow dreadlords reappeared in the Shadowlands and revealed their true allegiance to Sire Denathrius and the Jailer. Mal'Ganis led a diversion while the other nathrezim freed the captive Denathrius from Revendreth. He subsequently escaped from captivity himself to assist the Jailer's efforts in Zereth Mortis, ultimately being defeated by the mortal Maw Walkers within the Sepulcher of the First Ones.
==Biography==
===Origin===
Mal'Ganis and the rest of the nathrezim were originally created by Sire Denathrius, ruler of the Shadowlands realm of Revendreth, to serve as infiltrators and spread Death's influence through the cosmos.Convoy of the Covenants Mal'Ganis and Prince Renathal seem to have personally known each other during this time.De-Infiltration After one of the nathrezim's incursions triggered an invasion by the Light and led to rising tensions with the Stonewright, Denathrius banished the nathrezim from the Shadowlands. However, in truth, this "exile" was also part of the Sire's plan: the nathrezim's mission remained unchanged, and all of the schemes they carried out in the following eons as members of the Burning Legion were only pawns in Zovaal the Jailer's long-term planThe Nathrezim of reaching the Sepulcher of the First Ones at the heart of the Shadowlands and remaking reality. Mal'Ganis believed that if the Jailer succeeded, those who had served him faithfully would be "rewarded in kind".Sylvanas, chapter 25
===The Third War===
Following the destruction of Draenor, the orc Ner'zhul was captured by the Legion lord Kil'jaeden. A group of dreadlords consisting of Mal'Ganis, Tichondrius, Balnazzar, Detheroc, and Varimathras took turns torturing the orc until he agreed to serve the Legion, at which point Kil'jaeden transformed him into the spectral Lich King. The dreadlords equipped Ner'zhul with the runeblade Frostmourne and a set of armor including the Helm of Domination, before he was imprisoned in a block of ice which was hurled to Azeroth to become the Frozen Throne. Kil'jaeden sent the nathrezim who had tortured Ner'zhul to accompany him, act as his jailors and executors, and ensure that he succeeded in his task of spreading a Plague of Undeath to weaken Azeroth's defenses in preparation for the Legion's invasion. Mal'Ganis and the other dreadlords' true master, the Jailer, intended to use the Lich King to establish his own influence on Azeroth, a plan which, however, failed when Ner'zhul and his successors either proved too weak or defied the Jailer's will.The Jailer's GraspSylvanas, chapter 21
In time, the Lich King recruited Kel'Thuzad, who founded the Cult of the Damned and began to spread the plague throughout Lordaeron. However, the Lich King also decided he needed to use Frostmourne to create an additional champion to act as his direct surrogate beyond the Frozen Throne. He knew the dreadlords would never allow him to create a servant of his own, but he was able to play on their fears of Kil'jaeden to convince them that finding other mortal champions was the key to victory, all while making them believe that it had been their idea. With the nathrezim's approval, the Lich King thrust Frostmourne from the Frozen Throne to await a wielder.
Mal'Ganis was responsible for commanding the Scourge forces in Lordaeron at the onset of the Scourging, with Kel'Thuzad as his subordinate. The Lich King settled on Lordaeron's crown prince, Arthas Menethil, as the perfect candidate for a champion. Based on the Lich King's advice, the dreadlords crafted a plan to lure Arthas to Frostmourne in Northrend. On their orders, Kel'Thuzad faced the prince in battle and revealed that he was a servant of Mal'Ganis, who lurked in the city of Stratholme.The Cult of the Damned As he continued battling the Scourge, Arthas grew increasingly unhinged and obsessed with killing the dreadlord.March of the Scourge On arrival to Stratholme, he discovered that it had already been infected by the plague and ordered his forces to purge the city before its inhabitants could turn into undead. Mal'Ganis remotely projected his voice to taunt Arthas during the subsequent massacre, before eventually appearing to him in person amid the burning streets. The dreadlord challenged Arthas to face him in Northrend for a true battle,Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, chapter 12 then shrouded himself in magic and left the city. He left behind an artifact from Nathreza, the nathrezim homeworld.Proof of Demise: Mal'Ganis
As expected, Arthas sailed north with the royal fleet.Divergent Courses At the time, the Dwarven Expedition, led by Muradin Bronzebeard, was searching Northrend for ancient artifacts. Mal'Ganis and the other dreadlords secretly planted clues and false information about Frostmourne in the dwarves' camp in order to lead them to it. Upon arriving in Northrend, Arthas joined forces with Muradin against the undead, but the prince's obsession with the dreadlord led him further down the path of evil, leading him to burn his own ships, lie to his men, and betray his mercenaries.Dissension The next day, Mal'Ganis attacked Arthas' camp with an overwhelming force of Scourge. The prince and Muradin sought out Frostmourne Cavern, where Arthas took up the runeblade and became a servant of the Lich King. He rejoined his forces and easily cut through the Scourge to reach Mal'Ganis.FrostmourneArthas: Rise of the Lich King, chapter 15 - 16 Instead of telling Arthas to stand down, the Lich King took the chance to eliminate one of his most powerful Legion handlers and ordered the prince to kill the dreadlord. After a short duel, Arthas felled his enemy with Frostmourne. Mal'Ganis died in disbelief, both at having been defeated and at having been betrayed by Ner'zhul.
Mal'Ganis' death infuriated the other dreadlords, but the Lich King convinced them that it had been an accident and that Arthas hadn't been under his full control yet. Both Arthas and Ner'zhul believed Mal'Ganis to be slain. However, the nathrezim had previously shielded themselves from Frostmourne's power. As such, the sword did not consume Mal'Ganis' soul but instead sent it back to the Twisting Nether where he would be reborn in a new body.
===The Scarlet Onslaught===
Shortly before the war against the Lich King, Mal'Ganis returned and orchestrated the creation of the Scarlet Onslaught, a splinter faction of the Scarlet Crusade that traveled to Northrend to battle the Scourge. His goal, according to himself, was to have the Onslaught wash over the Scourge and thereby allow him to get revenge on Arthas, who had become the new Lich King. This mirrors Balnazzar's corruption of the original Scarlet Crusade.
Mal'Ganis began by whispering to the Crusade's high general, Brigitte Abbendis, in her dreams. Abbendis thought that the voice was that of the Light, even though it left her feeling unnaturally cold. The voice told her and High Abbot Landgren to create a cadre of the most faithful to travel north, and to name it the "Scarlet Onslaught".The Path of Redemption Shortly after, the Scourge attacked the Scarlet Enclave from Acherus: The Ebon Hold. During the assault, the Lich King could sense Mal'Ganis' presence ("An old enemy. An enemy that I destroyed long ago...") but decided that it did not matter.Death Comes From On High Mal'Ganis sent a vision of the Enclave's destruction to Abbendis and Landgren, urging them to leave with the most faithful and abandon the rest of the Crusade to their fate. Abbendis did not understand why the Light would give her such a dishonorable command, but obeyed nonetheless.The Path of Redemption (Updated version) / The Diary of High General Abbendis
The "Light" stayed silent during the Scarlet Fleet's voyage to Northrend, before one day intervening again by moving Abbendis' hand to make adjustments to her maps, showing her where to go. Upon landfall at Crusader's Landing in the Dragonblight, the "Light" spoke through Abbendis to declare the arrival of the Crimson Dawn and the birth of the Onslaught. During construction of New Hearthglen, Mal'Ganis assumed the appearance of Grand Admiral Barean Westwind (who had died in Northrend years prior) and sought out Abbendis, telling her that he'd been sent by the Light to advise her. Although he claimed that he didn't intend to replace her, he effectively undermined her authority and took over command of the Onslaught.The Story Thus Far...
"Westwind" warned Abbendis about the Alliance and Horde's upcoming invasion of Northrend, and created the sect of raven priests by passing on a "blessing" from the Light to High Abbot Landgren. Abbendis felt that something wasn't right about the admiral, but dismissed the feeling and resolved to stay faithful, even though the "Light" had stopped speaking to her in conjunction with the admiral's arrival. Shortly after the Alliance and Horde's arrival to the Dragonblight, Westwind ordered some Onslaught men to begin building a new base, Onslaught Harbor, off the coast of Icecrown.
===Wrath of the Lich King===
Adventurers of the Alliance and Horde later came to New Hearthglen to disrupt the Onslaught. Mal'Ganis predicted that they would try to get information from High Abbot Landgren and warned him, which led to the abbot killing himself before the adventurers could attack him.A Fall From Grace When the adventurers entered New Hearthglen's cathedral to kill Abbendis, Admiral Westwind stood by, protected by a magic shield, and watched them kill her. He commented that Abbendis had "served her purpose" and then teleported away. Eligor Dawnbringer and High Executor Wroth were both concerned by the admiral's escape but decided that he'd have to be dealt with later.My Old Enemy / Do Unto Others
Westwind retreated to Onslaught Harbor and told his followers there that they would soon defeat the Lich King, then conquer the rest of the world to "bring order to Azeroth".The Grand (Admiral's) Plan He holed himself up in a Hidden Hollow to prepare for the final battle against the Lich King;Second Chances alongside him were Onslaught warlocks performing fel rituals. He ordered the rest of the Onslaught to stay away from the cave.Onslaught Raven Bishop#Quotes Adventurers working with the Knights of the Ebon Blade discovered Westwind's whereabouts through Onslaught intel and by killing the resurrected Landgren a second time and interrogating his soul.Second Chances Lord-Commander Arete gave the adventurers a device to nullify Westwind's magic shield, then sent them to the cave to kill the admiral. During the battle, Mal'Ganis shed his disguise and revealed his true identity, but eventually escaped through a portal to gather his strength on "the homeworld". Before leaving, he told the adventurers that they'd never defeat the Lich King without his forces, and swore to get revenge on both them and Arthas.
A past version of Mal'Ganis appears in the Culling of Stratholme in the Caverns of Time, in which adventurers must preserve the timeline by helping Arthas defeat the dreadlord.
===Legion===
Mal'Ganis was one of the many demons summoned by in front of the Tomb of Sargeras at the end of the Battle for Broken Shore.The Battle for Broken Shore (quest) He was not seen again for the rest of the third invasion.
At the end of the invasion, the heroes of Azeroth killed the corrupted soul of Argus, which led to the Arbiter of the Shadowlands falling dormant, in turn causing all souls entering the afterlife to flow into the Maw. Zovaal the Jailer sent Mal'Ganis to inform another one of his allies, Sylvanas Windrunner, of the new situation. The night before Sylvanas met with her sisters, Mal'Ganis entered the Undercity disguised as a handsome blood elf and asked for an audience. Having previously been told by the Jailer to look for a "child of the blood", Sylvanas let him into her private quarters. He revealed his identity and told Sylvanas the details of the Jailer's plan: how the dreadlords had corrupted Argus, and of how the Jailer planned to reach the realm of Zereth Mortis and access the Sepulcher of the First Ones, from which he could remake the cosmos. Mal'Ganis instructed Sylvanas to start unleashing as much death and destruction as she could, since every mortal death would empower the Maw further and bring the Jailer closer to his goal. Sylvanas stated that she'd do what she could to manifest the plan, then brusquely dismissed Mal'Ganis and prompted him to teleport away.
===Shadowlands===
====Chains of Domination====
During the anima drought, the nathrezim returned to the Shadowlands and infiltrated the venthyr at Sinfall with the goal of freeing their master, Sire Denathrius, who had been imprisoned in his sword Remornia. Mal'Ganis was given the hardest task: infiltrating Prince Renathal's inner circle and keeping him out of harm, as well as earning the trust of the Maw Walkers. He was also given the honor of revealing his superior's plan to Renathal when the time was right.Translated Cryptograms
After facing problems with dreadlord incursions, Prince Renathal, a Maw Walker, and their allies traveled to Dominance Keep to recruit the Stonewright's help against the nathrezim, as well as ask for her :Medallion of Wrath to recreate the venthyr's covenant sigil. Mal'Ganis' minion Nal'ragas sprung a trap on the meeting to steal the medallion,The Unseen Guests which she then gave to Mal'Ganis.Nal'ragas (quest) The other Harvesters performed a ritual which revealed that Mal'Ganis was hiding in DawnkeepThe Power of a Crown alongside his fellow dreadlords Diathorus, Gorgannon, Kivretan, and Terravangelous. The Maw Walker, the Stonewright, Renathal, and their allies defeated him and took back the medallion, after which Renathal tried to convince Mal'Ganis to join them and help save Revendreth. However, the dreadlord revealed that the medallion heist had only been a distraction to keep the venthyr occupied while the rest of the nathrezim captured their true objective: Remornia and Denathrius' essence. He added that neither the medallion, Revendreth, nor Renathal's cause mattered in the face of Denathrius' long-term vision for reality, and that the prince should've obeyed the Sire when he had the chance.
The Stonewright took Mal'Ganis into custody in Dominance Keep. She intended to harshly interrogate him, and then hand him over to Renathal for "whatever atonement he believes a dreadlord capable of" once she was done. While sneaking into Dominance Keep in disguise in search of Huln Highmountain, the Maw Walker, Lady Moonberry, and Cudgelface came across Mal'Ganis' cage. The dreadlord tried to bribe the Maw Walker into freeing him by collecting the keys to his cage. Instead, the hero gave the keys to the stoneborn guards and told them about the dreadlord's escape attempt in return for information on where to find Huln.Mal'appropriated Mal'Ganis was furious at having been tricked and swore revenge on the Maw Walker.The Big Squeeze
After the events of the Sanctum of Domination, a message from Mal'Ganis found its way to Keeper's Respite. In it, the nathrezim revealed that he had escaped through other means and promised to make the Maw Walker pay for refusing to help him.A Loose Thread
====Eternity's End====
Mal'Ganis and many other nathrezim accompanied the Jailer to Zereth Mortis. To enter the Sepulcher of the First Ones, the Jailer needed to use the Forge of Afterlives.Fighting for the Forge While Kin'tessa led efforts to destroy the Forge's defensive obelisks,Scour the SandsReinforcements May Be Necessary Mal'Ganis took advantage of the high trust shown to the Maw Walker by disguising himself as them, sabotaging Provis Fauna's defensesThis is Your Fault, Fix It and positioning covenant forces where they would be of little help.A Break in Communication Bolvar Fordragon realized that something was amiss and sent the Maw Walker to investigate. They confronted Mal'Ganis alongside Jaina Proudmoore and Baine Bloodhoof, but the dreadlord revealed that his efforts had merely been to stall the covenants long enough for Zovaal and his champion, Anduin Wrynn, to reach the Forge. He then teleported awayDoppelganger Duel while the Jailer used the Forge to enter the Sepulcher.
When Maw Walkers entered the Sepulcher to stop Zovaal, Mal'Ganis and Kin'tessa, together called the Lords of Dread, tried to stop them to ensure that none were left to interfere with the Jailer's plan. However, the Maw Walkers fought through their magic and illusions and defeated them.Lords of Dread#Adventure Guide It is not known if their deaths are permanent.
==Locations==
==Quests==
*Mal'appropriated 
==Objective of==
*The Nathrezim
==Memorable quotes==
===Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos===
*"I've been waiting for you, young prince. I am Mal'Ganis. As you can see, your people are now mine. I will now turn this city household by household, until the flame of life has been snuffed out... forever."
*"This is where your journey ends, boy. Trapped and freezing at the roof of the world, with only death to sing the tale of your doom."
*"You hear the voice of the Dark Lord. He whispers to you through the blade you wield. What does he say, young human? What does the Dark Lord of the Dead tell you now?"
===Wrath of the Lich King===
===Shadowlands===
;Chains of Domination
;Eternity's End
===Sylvanas===
*"The Banished One has sent me to you. I am Mal'Ganis. I believe you know the name."
*"You are mortal, the binding of flesh with soul. But we are beings of magic, and the nature of magic can be altered... with enough effort and patience. You call me demon because that is what we wanted you to believe we were, a deception that took millennia to unfold. But in truth, the nathrezim were formed by the hand of Sire Denathrius of Revendreth, a true ally of the Jailer's cause for longer than you can comprehend."
*"Freedom is such a mortal desire. The Banished One seeks not merely to break free of his confinement in the Maw. He seeks a forbidden realm hidden even from the Eternal Ones who rule the Shadowlands. Within it lies the Sepulcher, which holds the secrets of those who shaped the cosmos itself. It is from that sacred place that he will remake all there is, into all that can be."
*"Death comes for the soul of this world, Banshee Queen. When the Jailer succeeds and all of reality is born anew, those who served faithfully will be rewarded in kind."
==In Hearthstone==
*Mal'Ganis appears as for the warlock class in the expansion. His flavor text reads: Mal'Ganis doesn't like being betrayed, so if you discard him, watch out.
**His card art was originally created to depict Varimathras in the TCG.
*He also appears as a purchasable for the warlock class. His flavor text reads: Mal'Ganis' enduring presence is proof that the evil acts of the Burning Legion will never be erased.
*Mal'Ganis serves as the in the adventure to unlock the death knight class. The encounter reflects the Warcraft III campaign mission Frostmourne; the player controls Prince Arthas, who early on in the encounter gets equipped with Frostmourne and turns into a death knight, allowing him to easily defeat the dreadlord. During the encounter, Mal'Ganis uses a mix of warlock and death knight cards, reflecting his status as a demon commanding the Scourge.
==In Heroes of the Storm==
Mal'Ganis is a in Heroes of the Storm.
==Notes and trivia==
*Mal'Ganis' name is derived from "Mal Ganis", a space vampire lord in the canceled Blizzard game Bloodlines.The Art of Blizzard Entertainment, pg. 348
*Despite his claim that he would get revenge on the Lich King, Mal'Ganis played no role in the Lich King's defeat in patch 3.3. In a January 2010 Q&A, when asked if the dreadlord would have any role in the patch, the developers simply stated that "He will continue to menace you in Culling of Stratholme".
*During the Purge of Dalaran, Archmage Lan'dalock summoned images of various Wrath of the Lich King-era bosses, Mal'Ganis among them, to fight for him against the Horde.
*The Dreadlord's Deceit item references Mal'Ganis.
*While trapped by the Emerald Nightmare, Jaina Proudmoore suffered a nightmare in which she did not abandon Arthas at the Culling of Stratholme, but instead accompanied him to Northrend and helped him defeat Mal'Ganis before finding Frostmourne Cavern. As Arthas was about to approach Frostmourne, Mal'Ganis reappeared and attacked him, giving Jaina no choice but to pick up the blade herself and kill the dreadlord, causing her to lose her soul and become the Lich Queen.Nightmares
*In the Warcraft III campaign mission Frostmourne, it is possible to kill Mal'Ganis before Arthas has obtained Frostmourne. If this is done, Mal'Ganis will drop 2-3 Ankhs of Reincarnation and then come to back to life. This can be repeated numerous times, and when he finally dies for good (shown by the triggering of the normal death animation), Ankhs will continuously spawn from where he died.
*In Warcraft III: Classic, all dreadlord characters use the same model. They were given different colors out of concern that players wouldn't be able to tell them apart.Warcraft III - Design Insights Highlights 02 : Undead Campaign In Warcraft III: Reforged, the major dreadlords have unique models. Mal'Ganis' model was designed around his scheming personality, with "a hairless face with a wrinkle for every treachery he's committed".
*Mal'Ganis is voiced by Christopher Corey Smith in World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King and Michael Gough in Heroes of the Storm.
*Players who purchased the Warcraft III: Reforged Spoils of War Edition also received a in Diablo III.
*An unused NPC ID suggests that Mal'Ganis was at some point intended to appear in the original World of Warcraft as a boss named Dreadlord Malganis, with the title <Overfiend>.
==Speculation==
It is unknown why he was not present in Icecrown Citadel. It can be speculated that his plans were ruined by the arrival of the Ashen Verdict.
==Gallery==
File:MalGanis.jpg|Mal'Ganis artwork by Samwise Didier.
File:Malganis2.jpg|Mal'Ganis in Warcraft III: Classic.
File:Mal'Ganis' death.jpg|Arthas "killing" Mal'Ganis in Warcraft III.
File:Warcraft III Reforged - Mal'Ganis concept art.jpg|Warcraft III: Reforged concept art.
File:ArthasMalganisRF.jpg|Arthas "killing" Mal'Ganis in Warcraft III: Reforged.
File:Warcraft III Reforged - Game Informer cover.jpg|Cover art for the Game Informer magazine, depicting Mal'Ganis during the Culling of Stratholme.
File:Mal'Ganis-DK.jpeg|Mal'Ganis in the Death Knight manga.
File:Arthas vs Mal'Ganis 1.jpg|Arthas fighting against Mal'Ganis in the manga.
File:Arthas vs Mal'Ganis 2.jpg|Arthas stands triumphant.
File:Mal'Ganis TCG.jpg|Mal'Ganis in the TCG.
File:Mal'Ganis TCG2.jpg|Mal'Ganis in the TCG.
File:Varimathras Art.jpg|TCG artwork of Varimathras, used to depict Mal'Ganis in Hearthstone.
File:Reforged Spoils of War Diablo III.jpg|The Mal'Ganis pet in Diablo III.
Mal'Ganis HotS Art.jpg|Mal'Ganis key art.
Mal'Ganis HotS.jpg|Mal'Ganis, Nathrezim Lord.
Mal'Ganis HotS Dreadmachine.jpg|Dreadmachine Mal'ganis.
Mal'Ganis HotS Mal'gaucho.jpg|Mal'gaucho Mal'ganis.
Mal'Ganis Carrion Swarm HOTS.jpg|Bats created by Mal'Ganis's Heroic ability Carrion Swarm.
Mal'Ganis HotS concept.jpg|Concept art.
Mal'Ganis HotS promo art.jpg|Mal'Ganis in a piece of promotional art. 
==Videos==
<vplayer/>
*
==Patch changes==
*
==See also==
*Mal'Ganis (Reign of Fire), TCG card
==References==
==External links==
Category:Nathrezim
Category:Quest givers
Category:Battle for Broken Shore
Category:Legends characters
Category:Arthas: Rise of the Lich King characters
Category:World of Warcraft: Death Knight characters
Category:Hearthstone legendary cards
Category:Hearthstone heroes
Category:Heroes of the Storm characters
Category:Revendreth mobs
Category:Named mobs
Category:Revendreth NPCs
Category:Zereth Mortis mobs
Category:World of Warcraft: Sylvanas characters
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