Death knight

Death Knight
Krog the Deathfist, an orc death knight
Favored by	Blood elf  Dwarf  Draenei  Forsaken  Gnome  Goblin  Human  Night elf  Orc  Tauren  Troll  Worgen
Role(s)	Tank, Melee DPS
Specializations	Blood, Frost, Unholy
Resource(s)	Runes, Runic Power
Primary attribute	Strength
Weapon proficiency	Polearms, One-handed, Off-hand or Two-handed Sword, Axe and Mace
Armor proficiency	Cloth, Leather, Mail, Plate
Skill(s)	Can switch between [Blood Presence], [Frost Presence] and [Unholy Presence] for different situations, [Death Grip], [Army of the Dead], [Runeforging]

Classes
Starting a	Death Knight	Druid	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Tactics	Death Knight	Druid	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Class races	Death Knight	Druid	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Quests	Death Knight	Druid	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Abilities	Death Knight	Druid	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Trainers	Death Knight	Druid	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Armor sets	Death Knight	Druid	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior
Useful macros	Death Knight	Druid	Hunter	Mage	Monk	Paladin	Priest	Rogue	Shaman	Warlock	Warrior

This article is about the playable class in World of Warcraft. For other uses, see Death knight (disambiguation).

Death knights are melee fighters that wield dark magic and runeforged weapons. The death knight is the first hero class of World of Warcraft, introduced in the Wrath of the Lich King expansion. Each death knight begins at level 55 in a phased, instanced area known as Plaguelands: The Scarlet Enclave. Only one death knight may be created per realm, and a player may not create a death knight without having at least one character at or above level 55.

Death knights utilize enchanted rune weapons that enhance their abilities and are powerful foes on the battlefield. Like warriors, they deal large amounts of physical damage and are capable of withstanding large amounts of damage to protect their allies. Death knights spread infections and diseases among their enemies, and use dark magics to heal themselves in battle. Born of the frozen north, death knights can command the frost in their veins to freeze the hearts and minds of their enemies, or even turn the very ground beneath their feet to ice. By their very nature, death knights are resistant to magic, and have a number of abilities for defending against its use.

Death knight abilities rely on a rune system of Blood, Frost, Unholy, and Death Runes that, when used to perform attacks, generate Runic Power as a resource for different attacks. Runic Power is capped at 100. Blood death knights have many abilities and talents that aid in generating runes. Frost death knights deal large amounts of damage through powerful strikes and use of runic power. Unholy death knights focus more on rune regeneration, fast-paced attacks, and the aid of an undead minion.

Death knights can assume and shift between any one of three Presences: [Blood Presence], [Frost Presence] and [Unholy Presence]. Each provides its own benefits, and certain abilities, such as [Rune Strike], change their effects based on Presence, but shifting between Presences will consume all Runic Power collected by the death knight. Death knights can wear any type of armor from the moment of creation and begin with a full set of Uncommon-quality plate armor. They can wield any type of sword, mace, axe, or polearm and can dual-wield one-handed swords, maces, or axes. Death knights have their own, unique, enchantments acquired by [Runeforging], and also have two unique mounts, the [Acherus Deathcharger] and the purchasable  [Winged Steed of the Ebon Blade].

Primary death knight attributes are strength and stamina. Death knight tanks also seek to increase their dodge rating and parry rating. Death knight damage-dealers seek to increase their critical strike and haste ratings. Hit rating and expertise can be useful to death knights of any role. While levelling through content from The Burning Crusade, a death knight may also focus on Agility due to the lack of Strength-enhancing items.

Class overview

When the Lich King’s control of his death knights was broken, his former champions sought revenge for the horrors committed under his command. After their vengeance was won, the death knights found themselves without a cause and without a home. One by one they trickled into the land of the living in search of a new purpose. Frost sharpens their strikes; blood fortifies their bodies; and undeath allows them to erupt in unholy rage in the heat of battle. A thousand atrocities are etched in the eyes of every death knight, and foes who gaze into them too long will feel the warmth pulled from their bodies, replaced with cold steel.

Background

Death Knight

Creations of the Shadow Council

Main article: Death knight (Warcraft II)

The original death knights were created for Orgrim Doomhammer by Gul'dan as powerful soldiers of the Horde. These death knights were created by placing the souls of the slain warlocks of the Shadow Council into the corpses of fallen Stormwind knights, the first of whom was Teron Gorefiend. Unlike modern death knights of the Scourge, these ghoulish fiends were not battle hardened warriors; they were insidious necromancers who possessed superior intellect and tremendous magical power. They often favored the use of terror tactics and reanimated the corpses of enemy soldiers who fell in battle to serve them as mindless undead minions.

Most of these death knights were destroyed during and after the Second War, either killed by the Alliance or transformed into liches by Kil'jaeden.

Fallen Knights of the Silver Hand

Main article: Death knight (Warcraft III)

Prince Arthas Menethil was the first of the Lich King's death knights.

Death Knights were once virtuous defenders of Humanity. However, once the Paladin ranks were disbanded by the failing Alliance, many of these holy warriors traveled to the quarantined lands to ease the suffering of those left within the plague-ridden colonies. Though the Paladins were immune to disease of any kind, they were persecuted by the general populace who believed that they had been infected by the foul plague. A small band of Paladins, embittered by society's cruelty, traveled north to find the plague's source. These renegade Paladins succumbed to bitter hatred over the course of their grueling quest. When they finally reached Ner'zhul's icy fortress in Northrend they had become dark and brooding. The Lich King offered them untold power in exchange for their services and loyalty. The weary, vengeful warriors accepted his dark pact, and although they retained their humanity, their twisted souls were bound to his evil will for all time. Bestowed with black, vampiric Runeblades and shadowy steeds, Death Knights serve as the Scourge's mightiest generals.

Years after the destruction of Draenor, the immensely powerful Lich King created a new breed of death knights: malevolent, rune-wielding warriors of the Scourge. The first and greatest of these was the Lich King's chosen champion, Prince Arthas Menethil, once a mighty paladin of the Silver Hand, who sacrificed his soul to claim the runeblade Frostmourne in a desperate bid to save his people. The rest are primarily made up of other fallen warriors or paladins whose souls were twisted and bound to the will of the Frozen Throne.

Unlike Gul'dan's death knights, these dark champions possess unholy strength, however, they do not possess free will and their minds are inexorably entwined with and dominated by the Lich King's vast consciousness. Despite the heavy costs of free will, some powerful mortals are intrigued by the promise of immortality and pledge their souls freely into the Lich King's service to achieve it. (Baron Rivendare is an example of this).

There are examples of death knights created during the Third War who did not give themselves willingly. Falric and Marwyn were killed and raised as death knights against their will by Arthas. Thassarian was killed by Captain Falric shortly after this. As all three precede the destruction of Lordaeron, they would have been created before the aforementioned paladins. Koltira Deathweaver was also killed and raised by Thassarian in the midst of the destruction of Quel’Thalas during the Third War.

In the years since Arthas shattered the Frozen Throne and merged with the Lich King, the power and fury of the death knights has only grown. Now these unrelenting crusaders of the damned eagerly await the Lich King's command to unleash their fury on Azeroth once again. Unlike death knights of the Old Horde, the Scourge’s death knights are not limited to their use of ranged spell casting abilities. In addition, these tireless death knights are considerably stronger, faster and more agile than they were in life. However, both generations are equally destructive and terrifying to engage in the field of battle.

The Death Knights of Acherus

Main article: Knights of the Ebon Blade

A female, human Death Knight of Acherus.

A hero... that's what you once were. You stood boldly against the Shadow and purchased another dawn for the world... with your life. But the evil you fought is not so easily banished; the victory you claimed, not so easily held. For now, the specter of death looms over the world yet again and it has found new champions to bring about its final reign. Knights of darkness, wielding runes of death and destruction, bound by the will of the Lich King. This is the hour of their ascension! This is the hour of your dark rebirth...

Death knights are the former champions of the Scourge. They fortify their bodies and drain life energy itself with the power of blood, sharpen their blades and strike powerfully with the power of frost, and raise the dead while striking with the unholy fervor granted by undeath. They are engines of destruction chosen by the Undead Scourge to serve the almighty will of the Lich King.

The playable death knights are the uniformly undead members of the Death Knights of Acherus, a regiment consisting of hundreds of death knights stationed at the necropolis Acherus: The Ebon Hold under the direct command of the Lich King and Highlord Darion Mograine. These death knights were set loose upon the Scarlet Enclave, culminating in the flight of the newly-formed Scarlet Onslaught to Northrend and the subsequent massacre known as the Scarlet Apocalypse, in which the death knights decimated Scarlet reinforcements. After this, the Death Knights of Acherus were sent to Light's Hope Chapel to destroy the Argent Dawn.

During the Battle for Light's Hope Chapel, the Lich King, in betrayal of his death knights, was willing to sacrifice them to kill Highlord Fordring. Darion threw the Ashbringer to Highlord Fordring, purifying it and, in a large burst of Light, freeing the death knights from the Lich King's grasp and forcing the Lich King to retreat.

The freed death knights took Acherus from the Scourge and formed the Knights of the Ebon Blade under the command of Highlord Mograine. The Ebon Blade sent many of its freed death knights to their respective factions – Alliance or Horde. The Knights of the Ebon Blade would later become a major factor in the death of the Lich King, joining the Argent Crusade to form the Ashen Verdict.

Knights of the Ebon Blade are conditioned with a need to cause pain; the need is so great that, if not sated, it can drive a death knight into a blood-seeking hysteria. It overrides magic dependency. Additionally, without the protection of the Lich King, shades from the Realm of Shadows constantly torment liberated death knights. Death knights afflicted by the worgen curse have their feral instincts shattered in favor of the Lich King's will. This holds true even after their freedom from the Lich King.

While in the Scourge, death knights are known to have eaten meals consisting primarily of humanoid meat, vermin, and insects. They are capable of sleeping though it is not necessary and was forbidden by the Scourge.

Races

Main article: Death knight races

All races released prior to World of Warcraft: Mists of Pandaria can be death knights, and start with the following attributes:

Race		Strength	Agility	Stamina	Intellect	Spirit	Armor	Health
	Draenei	109	70	99	29	44	140	2169
	Dwarf	113	69	100	28	41	138	2179
	Gnome	103	75	99	33	42	159	2169
	Human	108	73	99	29	43	146	2169
	Night Elf	104	77	99	29	42	154	2169
	Worgen	111	75	99	25	41	?	2169
	Blood Elf	105	75	99	32	40	150	2169
	Undead	107	71	99	27	47	142	2169
	Goblin	105	75	99	32	40	?	2169
	Orc	111	70	100	26	44	140	2179
	Tauren	113	69	100	25	44	138	2246
	Troll	109	75	99	25	43	150	2169

Racial abilities

In-game model of a dwarven death knight.

These are some of the racial traits relevant to death knights:

• Blood Elves — Have the racial ability [Arcane Torrent]. It provides a 2 second, area of effect silence as well as refilling 15 Runic Power.
• Draenei — [Heroic Presence] improves hit by 1% (~120 rating at level 85) for the Death Knight. Their [Gift of the Naaru] ability also grants them a heal over time.
• Dwarves — [Stoneform] Can be useful for tanking, as well as dispelling harmful debuffs in PvP.
• Gnomes — [Shortblade Specialization] improves a Death Knight's expertise with one handed swords.
• Goblins — [Time is Money] increases the Death Knight's attack speed. [Rocket Barrage] can be used to increase DPS once every two minutes. [Rocket Jump] can be a quick getaway in PvP or used to jump off a cliff, [Death Grip] an opponent to the death knight, then Rocket Jump back onto the cliff in PvP.
• Humans — [Sword Specialization] and [Mace Specialization] are both useful as Death Knights use both swords and maces. [Every Man for Himself] acts as an extra trinket, removing snare effects.
• Night Elves — [Shadowmeld] Provides the Death Knight with an aggro-dump. Also allows the Death Knight to enter a stealth state (which breaks on movement); [Quickness] can improve a tanking Death Knight's avoidance.
• Orcs — [Blood Fury] acts as an extra trinket (boosting your attack power). Death Knights use both Axes, making [Axe Specialization] useful (Increases Expertise).
• Trolls — [Berserking] acts as an extra trinket (boosting your attack speed). [Beast Slaying] provides increased damage against Beasts.
• Tauren — [War Stomp] causes a short area-of-effect stun around the Death Knight, useful for rough spots, as well as [Endurance] which can increase a Death Knight's health by a small amount.
• Undead — [Touch of the Grave] adds a small chance to self heal when causing damage. [Shadow Resistance] gives the Death Knight an extra resistance to Shadow damage. [Will of the Forsaken] acts as an extra trinket, removing charm, fear, and sleep effects. [Cannibalize] is a decent self heal over time in PvP that allows the Death Knight to restore health when a humanoid or undead corpse is nearby.
• Worgen — [Darkflight] acts as speed boost in PvP. [Viciousness] increases the Death Knight's critical strike chance. Aberration increases resistance to Shadow and Nature damage slightly.

Notable death knights

See also: List of death knights

Name	Role	Condition	Location	Allegiance
Lord Alexei Barov	Lord of the House of Barov. Former owner of Caer Darrow, Brill, Southshore, and Tarren Mill.	Undead	Scholomance	Formerly Undead Scourge and Cult of the Damned.
Orbaz Bloodbane	A leading member of the Death Knights of Acherus. Escaped during the Battle for Light's Hope Chapel and later went on to lead the Host of Suffering, the death knights assigned to the necropolis named Malykriss: The Vile Hold that was under construction in Icecrown. Slain by Darion Mograine and agents of the Knights of the Ebon Blade.	Deceased (lore); Undead, Killable (WoW)	Icecrown	Undead Scourge, Host of Suffering. Formerly Death Knights of Acherus.
Ragnok Bloodreaver	Death knight of the Shadow Council. Attempted to enslave Nether drakes on Draenor. Slain by Jorad Mace.	Deceased	Unknown	Shadow Council, Horde of Draenor.
Koltira Deathweaver	First Death Knight to re-join the Horde.	Undead	Unknown (lore); Orgrim's Hammer , Andorhal	Knights of the Ebon Blade, Undercity, Silvermoon City, Horde, formerly Undead Scourge
Teron Gorefiend	First death knight created by Gul’dan. Former warlock of the Shadow Council and leader of the Shadowmoon Clan.	Deceased (lore); Undead, Killable (WoW)	Black Temple	Illidan's Forces, formerly Shadowmoon Clan, Shadow Council, and Horde of Draenor.
Trag Highmountain	Raised into undeath by the Orb of Ner'zhul. Allied with the Taunka.	Undead	Argent Tournament Grounds	The Icemist Tribe, formerly Undead Scourge.
Arthas Menethil	Former Prince of Lordaeron, Knight of the Silver Hand, Death Knight of Ner’zhul, former Lich King. Slain by the forces of the Ashen Verdict.	Deceased (lore); Undead, Killable (WoW)	Icecrown Citadel	Undead Scourge, formerly the Kingdom of Lordaeron, Knights of the Silver Hand, and Alliance of Lordaeron.
Highlord Alexandros Mograine	Former Knight of the Silver Hand. Original wielder of the Ashbringer. Former leader of the Four Horsemen of Naxxramas. Slain and freed from undeath by his son.	Deceased	Naxxramas (original)	None. Undead Scourge in undeath. Knights of the Silver Hand and Alliance of Lordaeron before undeath.
Highlord Darion Mograine	Former Highlord of the Death Knights of Acherus. Wielder of the  [Corrupted Ashbringer]. Highlord of the Knights of the Ebon Blade. Co-leader of the Ashen Verdict.	Undead	Acherus: The Ebon Hold, Light's Hammer	Knights of the Ebon Blade. Formerly Death Knights of Acherus and Undead Scourge.
Baron Rivendare	Former Baron of the Stratholme Service Entrance. Leader of the Four Horsemen of Naxxramas.	Deceased (lore); Undead, Killable (WoW)	Stratholme (original), Naxxramas	Undead Scourge, Cult of the Damned.
Dranosh Saurfang	Known as The Deathbringer, strongest of the Lich King’s death knights. Slain during the Battle of Angrathar the Wrathgate and raised into undeath. Slain once more by the forces of the Ashen Verdict.	Deceased (lore); Undead, Killable (WoW)	Icecrown Citadel	Undead Scourge, formerly the Horde.
Gaz Soulripper	Placed in charge of matters on the Azerothian side of the Dark Portal reconstruction during the invasion of Draenor. Slain by Turalyon.	Deceased	Unknown	Shadow Council, Horde of Draenor.
Thassarian	First Death Knight to re-join the Alliance.	Undead	The Skybreaker , Andorhal, Sethria's Roost	Knights of the Ebon Blade, Alliance, formerly Undead Scourge

Overview

Death knight as depicted in a teaser (very early concept).

Death knights in World of Warcraft are a new class mirroring their previous incarnations. While boasting powerful melee abilities, as well as plate armor, these warriors supplement their strength with dark magic. Calling upon a rune system of magic, the death knight may summon unholy, blood, and frost spells. The criterion for creating a death knight is the existence of a level 55+ character on the player's account on any realm.

Unlocking your death knight

Main article: Starting a death knight

The death knight is the first hero class in World of Warcraft. The death knight will start at level 55 in Acherus: The Ebon Hold over the Eastern Plaguelands, with multiple spells and abilities ready to use, and a set of uncommon gear. When you leave Ebon Hold, you will have a full set of rare gear ready for Outland. Through the death knight-specific quests in this necropolis and the surrounding areas, the character learns to master the power of the death knight and learns to use this new power for the will of the Lich King. Quests will take them outside the necropolis and into an area within the Scarlet Enclave.

Players can create one death knight per realm, so long as they have a level 55 character already (on at least one realm), and the Wrath of the Lich King on their account. Except for Pandaren (who did not appear in the Wrath of the Lich King expansion), there are no racial limitations for creating your death knight.

The rune system

The final frame art used since WotLK public release.

The death knight uses a unique rune-based resource system to govern his/her spells and abilities. Three rune types exist: blood, frost, and unholy, each with an attached color and symbol. Using certain abilities exhausts one or more runes, starting a cooldown of 10 seconds. When both runes of a particular type are used, the second rune does not begin its cooldown until the first one finishes. The death knight can use spells to turn a rune into a Death Rune, which can be used as a blood, frost, or unholy rune. In addition, whenever the death knight uses a rune ability, it builds up a certain amount of Runic Power. This Runic Power is only used by a few abilities. All abilities that use Runic Power use a set amount, like Death Coil. Death knights cannot reallocate the number and type of runes - they are fixed to two runes of each type.

The original player frame for death knights shown at BlizzCon was changed as feedback showed it was not ideal for displaying rune power for players.

[Runeforging] is a profession available only to death knights, providing permanent weapon enchants. The enchants work just like the permanent weapon enchants provided by Enchanting, but are self-only and are designed specifically to benefit the death knight class. These are independent of the rune resource system.

Character's role

In general, the death knight can be considered a hybrid melee class that combines damage dealing and tanking, somewhat akin to Warriors. They wear plate armor and are able to dual-wield or use two-handed weapons. Like druids, they tank without shields. Their tanking mechanics involve high armor and a high chance to dodge and parry a,d. Death knight tanks depend on a combination of high damage abilities, in addition to high threat abilities, such as Death and Decay and [Rune Strike], to generate and hold aggro.

Specializations

An orc death knight wielding a runeblade.

Blood

A dark guardian who manipulates and corrupts life energy to sustain <him/her>self in the face of an enemy onslaught.

Blood is the death knight tanking tree, primarily amplifying the death knight's melee spells, weapons, and abilities. It enhances tanking abilities and provides new abilities to use, such as [Bone Shield] and [Vampiric Blood]. As the name suggests, the special abilities it grants through talents are based on the Blood Runes. Blood has a prominent health-regeneration theme, as well as providing healing utility to party and raids. It also has some very useful buffs and debuffs, such as [Scarlet Fever].

Blood

Ability	Level
[Blood Rites]	55
[Vengeance]	55
[Veteran of the Third War]	55
[Dark Command]	58
[Heart Strike]	60
[Scent of Blood]	62
[Improved Blood Presence]	64
[Rune Tap]	64
[Rune Strike]	65
[Blood Parasite]	66
[Scarlet Fever]	68
[Will of the Necropolis]	70
[Sanguine Fortitude]	72
[Dancing Rune Weapon]	74
[Vampiric Blood]	76
[Bone Shield]	78
Mastery: [Blood Shield]	80

Frost

An icy harbinger of doom, channeling runic power and delivering vicious weapon strikes.

Frost has many control elements, with a strong critical-strike/bonus-damage theme, and enhances the dual-weapon and two-weapon DPS abilities. It provides some very powerful direct damage abilities like [Frost Strike] and [Howling Blast].

Frost

Ability	Level
[Blood of the North]	55
[Frost Strike]	55
[Howling Blast]	55
[Icy Talons]	55
[Obliterate]	58
[Unholy Aura]	60
[Killing Machine]	63
[Improved Frost Presence]	65
[Brittle Bones]	66
[Pillar of Frost]	68
[Rime]	70
[Might of the Frozen Wastes]	74
[Threat of Thassarian]	74
Mastery: [Frozen Heart]	80

Unholy

A master of death and decay, spreading infection and controlling undead minions to do <his/her> bidding.

Unholy has a heavy focus on diseases and related abilities, with AoE, spell damage shielding, and mobility-improvement sub-themes. It enhances the death knight's diseases and damage over time spells, as well as improving summoned minions. It also provides the death knight with a ghoul who is a permanent pet, and a gargoyle guardian he or she can summon. Raid and party utility is granted by a 4% increased physical damage debuff, [Ebon Plaguebringer].

Unholy

Ability	Level
[Master of Ghouls]	55
[Reaping]	55
[Unholy Might]	55
[Scourge Strike]	58
[Shadow Infusion]	60
[Unholy Aura]	60
[Festering Strike]	62
[Sudden Doom]	64
[Unholy Frenzy]	66
[Ebon Plaguebringer]	68
[Dark Transformation]	70
[Summon Gargoyle]	74
[Improved Unholy Presence]	75
Mastery: [Dreadblade]	80

Talents

Due to starting the game at level 55, death knights get their first three talent tiers at levels 56, 57 and 58, rather than being created with three unspent talents.

Death knight talents

Level	Choices
56	[Roiling Blood]	[Plague Leech]	[Unholy Blight]
57	[Lichborne]	[Anti-Magic Zone]	[Purgatory]
58	[Death's Advance]	[Chilblains]	[Asphyxiate]
60	[Death Pact]	[Death Siphon]	[Conversion]
75	[Blood Tap]	[Runic Empowerment]	[Runic Corruption]
90	[Gorefiend's Grasp]	[Remorseless Winter]	[Desecrated Ground]

Runeforging

Main article: Runeforging

The Runeforge is a Scourge instrument that creates runeblades.

[Runeforging] allows the death knight to permanently enchant their weapon. These enchants act as a replacement for the stat enhancements provided by shields or ranged weapons, which death knights cannot wear.

A weapon can have an enchant from either runeforging or from Enchanting, but not both together (the runeforging enchants are usually considered better). A player will have to be near a Runeforge in order to forge a rune onto their weapon. Once a weapon has been engraved with a rune it is impossible for the rune to be removed, though it can be exchanged for a different rune. Like all weapons that have been modified, a runeforged weapon becomes soulbound to its death knight.

Runeforging

Rune	Level
[Rune of Cinderglacier]	55
[Rune of Razorice]	55
[Rune of Spellbreaking]	57
[Rune of Spellshattering]	57
[Rune of Lichbane]	60
[Rune of Swordbreaking]	63
[Rune of Swordshattering]	63
[Rune of the Fallen Crusader]	70
[Rune of the Nerubian Carapace]	72
[Rune of the Stoneskin Gargoyle]	72

Images

• 

  A worgen death knight versus a forsaken spellcaster.

• 

  Jarrod Gravon, another worgen death knight.

• 

  Ahkara, a draenei death knight.

• 

  Skaala of the Somber Watch, another draenei death knight.

• 

  Brumdor Dreadforge, a dwarf death knight.

• 

  Shanis Bladefall, a night elf death knight.

• 

  A blood elf death knight.

• 

  Runes as shown at BlizzCon 2007 (outdated).

• 

  Early beta frame removed due to pet difficulties (outdated).

• 

  Krog the Deathfist, an orc death knight

• 

  Elderguard Brennan, a forsaken death knight.

• 

  A draenei death knight.

Concept artwork

• 

  Death knight concept art

• 

  Death knight concept art

• 

  Death knight art by Raneman

• 

  Death knight art by Raneman

• 

  Female Death Knight art by Raneman

Video

• Death Knight In-Game Intro (Wrath of the Lich King)

Patch changes

• Patch 5.0.4 (2012-08-28): Relics have been removed from the game.
  
• Patch 4.0.1 (2010-10-12):
  • A dedicated tanking tree (Blood) has been implemented.
  • The way in which runes recharge has changed. Rather than each rune type (Blood, Frost, Unholy) regenerating simultaneously, they now fill sequentially.
    
• Patch 3.0.8 (2009-01-20): All multi-rune abilities generate 15 runic power.
  

See also

• Death knight organizations
• List of death knights
• Death Knoob

External links

Offical Wrath of the Lich King site Features - Death knight news, information, and more (US)

Offical Wrath of the Lich King site Death knight class Information

Offical Wrath of the Lich King site Death knight Interview (Design team: Q&A)

Offical Wrath of the Lich King site Death knight lore (Shadows of Justice, Champions of the Lich King)

Icy Veins Blood, Frost, and Unholy Death Knight Raiding Guides (Mists of Pandaria)

Elitist Jerks the dominant theorycraft sites' DK forums.

pwnwear.com DK tanking blog with specs and analysis