Arthas Menethil

"Frostmourne hungers."

- Arthas

Arthas Menethil, first introduced in Warcraft 3, is the chief villain from ''World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King. ''During his rise to power as a Death Knight, he stabbed his father in the face and killed his mentor with the runeblade Frostmourne. He then proceeded to wage war on his own kingdom, unleashing the undead, his army. He is also the mortal host to the Lich King and is the commander of the Scourge, an evil undead legion intent on wiping out all life from the face of Azeroth to add them all members of the Scourge. Despite his immense power the Lich King is the final boss of the expansion, where players face the lord of darkness in his terrible frozen fortress known as Icecrown Citadel.

History
Prince Arthas Menethil was born four years before the outbreak of the First War. King Terenas II and Queen Lianne were overjoyed and all of Lordaeron celebrated Arthas' birth. At the tender age of nineteen, Arthas fulfilled his father's hopes by being inducted into the Knights of the Silver Hand. The paladin Uther the Lightbringer became Arthas' mentor. Five years later, Arthas and sorceress Jaina Proudmoore began investigating a deadly plague, its victims turned into undead fighters in an army that became known as the Scourge. Arthas and Jaina found and dispatched Kel'Thuzad, the necromancer who was spreading the plague. Tragically the city of Stratholm had already become infected, and Arthas ordered it purged. Eventually Arthas came upon the dreadlord Mal'Ganis, who claimed ultimate responsibility for the plague. Eluding capture, Mal'Ganis challenged the prince to a final confrontation on the continent of Northrend. After landing on Northrend's icy shores, Arthas encountered dwarves under attack by the Scourge. The dwarves' leader, Muradin Bronzebread, had been searching for the fabled runeblade known as Frostmourne. At Uther's urging, King Terenas sent word to Northrend that Arthas and the rest of the fleet return to Lordaeron immediately. Arthas' soldiers gladly prepared to obey. Increasingly driven by thoughts of Vengeance, Arthas refused to abandon the hunt for Mal'Ganis. Instead, the prince secretly hired mercenaries to sink his own ships. As the ships burned, Arthas publicly blamed the mercenaries for the fleet's destruction. They were swiftly killed by Arthas' infuriated soldiers. Now trapped in Northerend, Arthas and Muradin's forces struggled to hold off the undead. In the meantime, the pair tracked down Frostmourne, which was incased in ice. Despite knowing of the curse Arthas swore he would pay any cost for victory and shattered the ice to free Frostmourne, one of the ice shards flew out and killed Muradin in the process. With the power of Frostmourne Arthas led his troops to victory and killed Mal'Ganis, he would then wander Northrend - becoming insane as the power of the cursed blade seered into his mind. Despite his actions Arthas returned to Lordeon a hero and was welcomed home by his father in loving faith - which he rewarded by killing his own father and leading the Scourge in ravaging Lordaeron, he then retrieved Kel'Thuzad's remains and took them to Quel'Thalas - kingdom of the high elves. The elves fought bravely against Arthas but were defeated - Arthas would kill and resurrect Ranger-General Sylvanas Windrunner into a banshee servant for her defiance. With the help of his new servant Arthas captured the Sunwell and through its magic resurrected Kel'Thuzad as an undead lich - the demon lord Archimonde ordered Arthas to retrieve the spell book: the Book of Medivh. Arthas invaded the city-state of Dalaran and retrieved the book, using it to summon archimonde into the world of Azeroth. However Arthas proved disloyal to Archimonde and helped seal his fate by having the demon-hunter Illidan Stormrage steal the Skull of Gul'dan, without this powerful artefact Archimonde was forced to leave Azeroth. However his victory was shortlived as the call of the Lich King soon saw Arthas return to Northrend - upon arriving he was attacked by elf survivors of the Scourge attack upon Quel'Thalas, now allied with Illidan Stormrage and seeking to destroy the Lich King. With help from the evil nerubian race Arthas defeated the elves but with Illidan's army already heading for the Icecrown Citadle Arthas began to fear he would not reach the Lich King in time so opted for taking a shortcut through the ancient underground city of Azol-Nerub.The shortcut paid off and Arthas intercepted Illidan, defeating him in single combat and banishing him from Northrend - he then entered Icecrown Citadel and merged with the Lich King and take his place upon the Frozen Throne as the new king of all undead.

Plans
As the new Lich King Arthas seeks to destroy all life on Azeroth and rule over a world of undead bound to his will (although a part of Arthas remains good and keeps that from happening), everything else is secondary to him though due to the grand-scale of his plan many smaller-scale plots and schemes are formed along the way - all of which ultimately link back to his main objective: ending life and enslaving the undead.

Awakening
The Lich King awoke and started to make his plans come true in person. He soon removed his heart, as he believed anything making him mortal made him weak. Then he went Sindragosa's Fall, and he thrust Frostmourne through the ice. It blew all the snow of the area, and from the ice emerged Sindragosa as the Queen of the Frost Wyrms. He then began his major attack on Azeroth by sending plagued grain to all of the capital cities of the main races of Azeroth. Those who ate it either became ghouls, zombe-like servants of the lich king, or were cured before that happened. He then sent many of his Scourge minions into the cities of The Horde and The Alliance, which by then the leaders became enraged and sent heroes to Northrend.

The Scarlet Enclave and The Battle for Light's Hope
Soon the Lich King decided to send his new order of Death Knights against the Scarlet Enclave, the remaining forces of the Scarlet Crusade, which were a group of crazed paladins and priests who saw anyone who wasn't part of them to be evil and should be killed. Soon his new death knights had killed many of them and drove the remainder of them off. Those who survived went to Northrend to form the Scarlet Onslaught.

The Lich King soon turned his attention to the Argent Dawn, who resided in Light's Hope Church nearby. He sent his order of death knights to destroy them, led by the son of the Ashbringer Darion Mograine. The Ashbringer was a paladin by the name of Alexandros Mograine whom crafted a blade which could destroy unholy beings in the flash of an eye, which was also called The Ashbringer. His son Darion now wielded the blade in a corrupted state. When the death knights were sent to end the Argent Dawn, the death knights failed and were defeated by the Argent Dawn. There, a vision came of Darion and his dead father talking, as Darion watches. Soon the Lich King comes and shows all the death knights he used them to bring Tirion Fordring out of hiding, a great paladin. Darion comes to realise everything, who attacks the Lich King and obviously the Lich King easily swats him away. Darion throws the Ashbringer to Tirion, which is purified. Tirion attacks Arthas, whom retreats. The death knights there form the Knights of the Ebon Blade, and Tirion brings the Argent Dawn and the Knights of the Silver Hand to create the Argent Crusade. They both serve the purpose to kill the Lich King.

Angrathar the Wrathgate
The Alliance led by Bolvar Fordragon, and the Horde, led by Saurfang the Younger, make a massive attack together on Angrathar the Wrathgate, a gate leading to the inside of Icecrown Citadel. The Alliance is the first to attack, and the Lich King sends out a number of undead to fight them. Then the Horde comes along and helps clear out the undead. thumb|left|270px|The Alliance and Horde attack the WrathgateAfter that Bolvar shouts, calling Arthas a traitor and ordering him to come out and fight them face to face. In reply, Arthas comes out, and summons a small number of undead while making a speech to the attackers. Saurfang then runs to attack the Lich King, but is easily slain. The Lich King then uses Frostmourne to consume Saurfang's soul. After, a loud boom is heard, and Grand Apothecary Putress and his undead are seen on a ledge above. He shouts, "Death to the Scourge, and death to the living!" as he unleashes the New Plague, which he created, upon the Scourge and Alliance and Horde alike. The undead walk away, as The Lich King walks back into Icecrown Citadel. Soon after the Red Dragonflight comes and bring down the flames of life. Bolvar is brought back to life, and is brought back into Icecrown Citadel along with Saurfang's body.

Small hint of humanity left
In the Halls of Reflection, Either Jaina or Sylvanas will attempt to communicate with the spirits in Frostmourne and the spirit of Uther comes out. He explains that the small piece of Arthas is all that keeps the Lich King form having the Scourge from wiping out Azeroth and the only way to kill the Lich King is to fight him at the Frozen Throne. The Lich King arrives and sends Uther back into Frostmourne and some of his Scourge minions try and kill the party but his minons fall and he tries to kill them only for them to escape.

Siege on Icecrown Citadel
After Crusaders' Coliseum, the Knights of the Ebon Blade and the Argent Crusade came together to form the Ashen Verdict. They then began their Siege on Icecrown Ciadel. It was there, that the Lich King turned Saurfang into a death knight and was attempting to turn Bolvar. Finally, after the players faced the horrors of the Spire, the monstrousities of the Plagueworks, the Blood Princes and Queen of the Crimson Halls, and the dragons of the Frostwing Halls, the players faced Arthas Menethil, now the Lich King, himself. He freezes Tirion in a block of ice as he fights the champions. thumb|250px|right|The attack on Icecrown Citadel begins!

After a long fight, the Lich King becomes fed up and kills all the players. He makes a speech and then proceeds to raises the players from the dead. Meanhwile, Tirion uses the power of the light to break free from the ice and jumps up and shatters Frostmourne with the Ashbringer. The spirits of Frostmourne are unleashed and swirl around him. His father, Terenas Menethil ll, resurrect the players to end it once and for all. The players finally defeat Arthas. He falls the Helm of Domination falls off of him head, and he reaches for it but falls.

Death of the Prince of Lordaeron
Arthas lays, Frostmourne shattered at his side. His father sits next to him, as Arthass' eyes turn to sea green from glowing blue, hinting he was finally free of the Lich King's influence. He asks if its over, almost glad to be free of the Lich King, and his father replies saying that no king rules forever. The prince proclaims that he sees only darkness before him, as his eyes roll backward, and dies in his fathers arms able to rest in peace. Terenas tells Tirion there must be a Lich King, and Tirion takes up the helm ready to become the Lich King. However, Bolvar is chained up on the Frozen Throne, burnt and somewhat undead. He asks Tirion to make him the Lich King, and Tirion finally agrees. Bolvar tells him to never let anyone know what happened there, only that the Lick King is dead and that he died with him. Tirion puts the Helm of Domination on Bolvar's head, as he becomes the new Lich King.thumb|right|274px|One king falls and a new rises

Personality
Ruthless, cruel and utterly without mercy - even as a human Arthas was a man who grew to value nothing other than victory and self-preservation, a master of manipulation and fear he is a tyrant and dark-lord who is worshipped as a death-god by some while demonised as a monster by others - despite this he is an exceptional leader and a legendary warrior.