The Frozen Throne #5: rise of the Lich King

September 15, 2026•Lore•Brendo Arruda

"The Frozen Throne" series — The Frozen Throne #5. The story of Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, from Illidan's escape to Arthas becoming the Lich King. The episodes are listed in order at the end of the post.

The ending of The Frozen Throne is a race. Arthas has little time, fading powers and an enemy army marching on the Frozen Throne. This is the chapter of the Legacy of the Damned campaign that takes Arthas through the underground kingdom of Azjol-Nerub, to his duel with Illidan and the moment he puts on the Helm of Domination and becomes the new Lich King.

The Lich King's call

In the previous chapter, Arthas fled Lordaeron. There was only one reason. The Lich King, trapped in the Frozen Throne, was screaming in his mind. Demonic forces were trying to destroy the Throne. Later, Arthas finds out who they were: Illidan, the naga and the blood elves.

The Lich King is the spirit of Ner'zhul, the old orc shaman. On Kil'jaeden's orders, the dreadlords imprisoned his soul in a suit of armor and a helm and sealed it all inside a block of ice in Icecrown. From there, he commanded the Scourge with his mind.

Return to Northrend

Arthas' fleet reaches the southern coast of Northrend. Three blood elf dragonhawk riders appear and swear to avenge the dead of Quel'Thalas. Arthas has them killed.

Then the ground splits open. Out of it comes Anub'arak, with his crypt fiends. He introduces himself as the former king of Azjol-Nerub, sent by the Lich King to help Arthas.

Soon after, Kael'thas teleports in. He says those elves were only scouts. Illidan's main army is already marching on the Icecrown Glacier. Arthas will not get there in time.

Arthas has another fit. The Lich King warns him that the enemies are close and that time is running out. Anub'arak suggests a shortcut: crossing Azjol-Nerub, the fallen kingdom beneath the ice. First, Arthas and Anub'arak destroy the naga and blood elf bases at the entrance to the passage.

The fallen kingdom of Azjol-Nerub

Azjol-Nerub was the great empire of the nerubians, the spiders of Northrend. Anub'arak says that many of them died in the War of the Spider and were raised to serve the Lich King.

But not all of them died. Some nerubians still fight to free the kingdom from the Scourge, and they attack Arthas. There are also dwarves in the caves. They are what is left of Muradin's expedition, led by Baelgun, and they have wandered the ruins ever since Arthas killed Muradin.

Before he dies, Baelgun warns that the recent tremors have awakened ancient, horrible things beneath the ice. The dwarves had sworn to keep them imprisoned.

The Forgotten One

The tremors came from something far worse. In the depths, Arthas and Anub'arak find the Faceless Ones. Anub'arak thought they were only legends.

Then the Forgotten One appears, a horror from a forgotten age, emerging from the ice to block the way. Arthas fights the creature and kills it. But there is no time to celebrate. The Faceless Ones keep coming, and the Scourge flees up the stairs.

On the way up to the Upper Kingdom, the tunnel collapses. Arthas is cut off from Anub'arak and the army, alone and weakened. He fights until he finds his allies again, and they all reach the surface together, in Icecrown.

The race for the glacier

At the top of the glacier, Illidan's forces are already dug in. Illidan leads the attack with Kael'thas and Lady Vashj.

The Throne's chamber is sealed inside an ice spire. It only opens when the four obelisks around it are activated. The two armies fight over the obelisks, taking and losing each one several times.

In the end, the Scourge defeats the blood elves and the naga and activates all four obelisks. The chamber opens.

The duel with Illidan

Illidan makes his last stand at the entrance to the chamber. Arthas and Illidan fight face to face. Arthas wins and leaves Illidan badly wounded.

Kael'thas also faces Arthas in Northrend and loses his sword, Felo'melorn. He and Vashj retreat and carry Illidan's wounded body back to Outland.

The stairway and the Throne

In the final cinematic, The Ascension, Arthas climbs the long spiral stairway. Memories of the past return to his mind. He hears Uther warning that bloodlust would make them as vile as the orcs. He hears his own voice saying that no one would go home until the job was done. He hears the Prophet warning that the young prince would find only death in the frozen north.

At the top, the Lich King demands: return the blade, complete the circle, free me from this prison.

Arthas screams and shatters the Frozen Throne with one blow of Frostmourne. The chamber starts to crumble. Ner'zhul's helm falls at his feet.

The merging with Ner'zhul

Arthas picks up the Helm of Domination and puts it on slowly, eyes closed. The helm fits perfectly. When he opens his eyes, they glow a pale white-blue.

The Lich King says: "Now, we are one." Arthas' soul merges with Ner'zhul's spirit. A burst of light covers everything. When it fades, only the stairway remains. The new Lich King sits on the throne.

The helm's origin has changed over time. The original version said the dreadlords forged the helm and Frostmourne. In Shadowlands, the story says the helm was made by the Primus, forced by the Jailer.

What this changes in the story

This is the starting point of Wrath of the Lich King. Arthas and Ner'zhul become one, and the new Lich King sleeps on the Frozen Throne for years while the Scourge builds Icecrown Citadel around him.

Illidan leaves defeated, but alive. Kael and Vashj take him back to Outland, where the player will meet them in The Burning Crusade. And Anub'arak stays at the Lich King's side until he is faced in Trial of the Crusader.

Episode timeline

Arthas reaches Northrend, and Anub'arak joins him.
Kael'thas warns that Illidan is marching on Icecrown.
Arthas and Anub'arak cross Azjol-Nerub.
Arthas kills the Forgotten One and flees the Faceless Ones.
The Scourge takes the glacier's four obelisks.
Arthas defeats Illidan, and Kael and Vashj take him to Outland.
Arthas shatters the Throne, puts on the Helm and merges with Ner'zhul.

Who's who in this episode

| Name | Who they are | |------|--------| | Arthas | The death knight who becomes the new Lich King. | | Ner'zhul | The spirit trapped in the Frozen Throne, the original Lich King. | | Anub'arak | The former king of Azjol-Nerub, servant of the Lich King. | | Illidan Stormrage | The enemy who tries to destroy the Throne. | | Kael'thas | The prince of the blood elves, who loses Felo'melorn. | | Lady Vashj | The leader of the naga, who carries Illidan back. | | Baelgun | The leader of the surviving dwarves of Muradin's expedition. |

Where to see it in WotLK

Azjol-Nerub: the dungeon in Dragonblight, with Anub'arak as the final boss.
Icecrown Citadel: the raid built around the Frozen Throne.
Icecrown: the glacier zone where Arthas defeated Illidan.
Trial of the Crusader: the raid where Anub'arak is fought in the tunnels beneath the coliseum.