Dragon Aspects – WoW Dragonflight

The Dragon Aspects (also called Great Aspects, Aspects of Azeroth or simply Aspects) are the leaders of the five dragonflights, empowered by the titans to protect Azeroth. Since the defeat of Deathwing, they have lost their titan-given power, which they sacrificed in order to empower the Dragon Soul. They however remain extremely powerful, ancient and wise beings.

The Dragon Aspects

• Alexstrasza the Life-Binder – the red leviathan chosen by Eonar to safeguard all living creatures on the world.

• Kalecgos the Steward of Magic – former investigator for Malygos and guardian of Anveena, he succeeded Malygos as the new Blue Aspect after his death.

• Nozdormu the Timeless One – the massive bronze dragon chosen by Aman’Thul to guard time itself and police the ever-spinning pathways of fate and destiny.

• Ysera the Awakened, formerly the Dreamer – Alexstrasza’s younger sister, chosen by Eonar to watch over the growing wilds of the world from her verdant realm, the Emerald Dream. Ysera fell to the Nightmare and was put to rest by Tyrande Whisperwind. Her spirit was reborn in Ardenweald.

• Malygos the Spell-Weaver – the blue dragon originally chosen by Norgannon as the guardian of magic and hidden arcanum. After declaring war against all mortal spellcasters, he was killed by agents of Alexstrasza.

• Deathwing the Destroyer, formerly known as Neltharion the Earth Warder – the mighty black wyrm chosen by Khaz’goroth and given dominion over the earth and the deep places of the world. He was driven mad by the whispers of the Old Gods and managed to drive the blue dragonflight to near extinction. He was slain by forces of the Alliance, Horde and adventurers, with the help of Thrall and the other Aspects.

• Murozond the Lord of the Infinite – the future self of Nozdormu, fallen to madness. Tricked by the Old Gods into trying to subvert his own mortality, Nozdormu shattered the timeways and created the infinite dragonflight. He was slain by adventurers at the End Time.

Dragonflight

Adventurers will have to stop and destroy the Primal Incarnates, malevolent proto-dragon equivalents of the Aspects.

Fate

During an interview lead quest designer Dave Kosak explained that the Dragon Aspects stood in the spotlight because one of their own had gone bad. Now the Dragon Aspects will continue to be important and still be around, but they may not be central characters anymore. For example, Kalecgos has been elected shortly before the Hour of Twilight and, obviously, he is still a dragon and he is still a very powerful mage, even if he is not immortal anymore. And he will still play a role in the world and will advise the Kirin Tor, he is just no longer the Aspect of Magic. The bronze dragons still can travel between time, but they no longer have control over timelines. In the Age of Mortals, mortal organizations need to take over what was once the charge of the Aspects. So all the characters are still important and their story will continue, even if they are not in the spotlight for the next expansion.

The five Aspects: Deathwing, Nozdormu, Alexstrasza, Ysera and Kalecgos

The original Aspects in mortal form: Nozdormu, Ysera, Alexstrasza, Malygos, and Deathwing

Four Aspects in mortal form

Notes and trivia

• The mortals of Azeroth are told that the Aspects were created from Galakrond.
• As of Legion, Alexstrasza is the only Dragon Aspect that has never been fought by players. Kalecgos, Malygos, and Deathwing are all raid bosses (although Kalecgos was not yet an Aspect at the time he was fought); Nozdormu (as Murozond) is a dungeon boss; and Ysera, corrupted by the Emerald Nightmare, is fought in a quest.
• During the events of Dragon Soul, Thrall is called “Earth-Warder” in his Dungeon Journal entry of the Ultraxion encounter. During Thrall’s journey to Wyrmrest Temple, a minion of Deathwing says, “You are a fool if you think to take your place as the Aspect of Earth, Shaman!” In Tides of War, Thrall states that he “merely held the space for the Earth-Warder.” However, it has been made clear that Thrall cannot become an Aspect, and the Earth-Warder title was just that, a title, a replacement needed to complete the ritual.[citation needed]
• With Malygos’ death, Haleh is the first of the Aspects’ consorts to outlive their respective Aspect.
• Most of the Dragon Aspects and their dragonflights appear to be at least vaguely associated with the regions of the Broken Isles, as well as the Pillars of Creation, with Ysera being slain in Val’sharah, where the Dreamweavers were located; Kalecgos helping Senegos, oldest of the blue dragons living in Azsuna; the nightborne of Suramar mentioned rivaling Nozdormu’s bronze dragonflight in terms of temporal magic prowess and likewise deriving much of their powers from Aman’Thul; and Deathwing having made his home at Neltharion’s Lair at Highmountain being before being banished by the [Hammer of Khaz’goroth]. While not directly associated with the red dragonflight, Odyn and his Valarjar in Stormheim also seem to defend Life in their own way, being counterparts of Helya and her followers, and even rewarding noble warriors with a chance to fight beyond Death.