Gruul the Dragonkiller is a major antagonist in Warcraft, being the main enemy of Blade's Edge Mountains in The Burning Crusade and the final boss of the first raid, Gruul's Lair. He is the Overlord of all Gronn and Ogres in Outland, the supreme ruler of Blade's Edge Mountains, and the most powerful Gronn to ever exist. Gruul is notorious for being strong enough to kill fully grown dragons, getting his title of Dragonkiller, and has along with his followers, laid waste to the Black Dragonflight within his domain.
Gruul appears in the Warlords of Draenor expansion, and in this alternate timeline, has been subjugated by the Iron Horde, serving as part of the forge team and a boss in the Blackrock Foundry.
Biography[]
Gruul originally only held authority over a small amount of his kin. When The Old Horde attacked and destroyed Shattrath City, The Thunderlord Clan embarked on a genocidal extermination of all Breakers and their descendants the Ogres. While at first succeeding across Draenor, they were met with repetitive and increasingly brutal defeat at the hands of Gruul, to the point where the Orc Chieftain Fenris abandoned his crusade against them.
With the Dark Portal open, Deathwing sought to gain a stronghold in Draenor, and sent a massive host of black dragons through. While they began creating hidden bases across the world, when they tried to get a foothold in Gruul's realm, they were met with instant retaliation. Gruul and his forces would slay countless, with Gruul himself personally killing several adult dragons with ease. He would impale the winged beasts upon the spines of the mountains, leaving them as horrific warnings to the rest of the Black Dragonflight. Eventually, Gruul would come to challenge the fallen Aspect himself, and while he was on track for a quick defeat, intervention by members of The Alliance ultimately lead to mad dragon having to retreat.
By the time of the The Alliance and The Horde's formal arrival into Outland, Gruul's power and influence had grown exponentially. Now Overlord of a massive army of Breakers and Ogres as well as a ally to The Illidari, Gruul's presence was so destructive and hostile that the heroes had no choice but to band together and make a stand against him and his followers within his own lair, resulting in both being killed by the protagonists.