Darkfallen

The Darkfallen (also spelled darkfallen) are undead elves, including the dark rangers of the Forsaken, the vampiric San'layn of the Scourge, and the death knights of the Ebon Blade.

Darkfallen are accessible as a playable option in the form of a skintone for the void elf, night elf, and blood elf races upon completion of the Return to Lordaeron achievement, or by simply playing one of those races as a death knight.

When Prince Arthas Menethil invaded Quel'Thalas, he raised the fallen members of Sylvanas Windrunner's army either as incorporeal banshee or as intact bodies. These fallen high elves would become known as Darkfallen, prowling the lands as either dark rangers or blood mages for the Scourge. Others were reanimated as death knights, becoming the Lich King's champions.

When the Lich King slowly began to lose his power after Illidan's failed attempt to kill him in Northrend, many Darkfallen dark rangers had their conscious will restored. They later joined Sylvanas Windrunner and her Forsaken in Undercity, as elite agents and personal guards of the Banshee Queen.

In the aftermath of the Third War, the blood elves were cut off from their source of magic, the Sunwell. Desperate for aid, their prince Kael'thas Sunstrider pledged allegiance to Illidan Stormrage who taught them how to siphon magic, and how to wield fel. The blood elves, or Sunfury, seeking to avenge their fallen brethren, participated in Illidan's attempt to destroy the Lich King. Arthas intervened, and the two armies clashed, but the undead ultimately defeated Illidan's forces at the foot of Icecrown. Arthas raised the fallen blood elves as a new generation of vampyr Darkfallen in service to the Scourge, organizing them in the sect known as the San'layn.

During the Battle for Light's Hope Chapel, the Death Knights of Acherus managed to free themselves from the will of the Lich King, among them were some Darkfallen death knights such as Koltira Deathweaver. Under the lead of Highlord Darion Mograine, they formed the Knights of the Ebon Blade, took control of Acherus: The Ebon Hold as their headquarters, and cooperated with the Argent Crusade to defeat Arthas Menethil during the Scourgewar.

Following the War of the Thorns, the Forsaken raised to undeath fallen night elves, turning them into Darkfallen dark rangers. While a few sided with Sylvanas Windrunner after she raised them, many of them including their leader Delaryn Summermoon joined Calia Menethil in a quest to learn life as undead.

Following the war against the Jailer, several Darkfallen joined the Forsaken as they mustered in the Tirisfal Glades. After the Ruins of Lordaeron were cleansed, Dark Ranger Velonara joined the Desolate Council, the new governing body of the Forsaken. While Delaryn and other Darkfallen night elves joined the Horde, Dark Ranger Velonara said those who wished to depart and rejoin the Alliance were free to do so.

Darkfallen mostly retain the builds of their still-living kin. Their once lustrous skin is now pale and lifeless, while the color of their eyes were displaced by a glow of crimson red or icy blue.

• Prior to the release of the novel Sylvanas, the term "Darkfallen" was exclusively used in reference to the San'layn. The terms were not treated as synonymous (many mobs have "Darkfallen" in their name but use <The San'layn> as a title), but the exact distinction between them was never explained by Blizzard. Sylvanas clarified the issue by revealing that non-San'layn elves like dark rangers are also Darkfallen.
• Embrace of the Darkfallen was a death knight Azerite trait which increased Leech when Vampiric Blood expired.
• A "Darkfallen Handmaiden" mob was created in patch 7.3.0 but never added.
• Though the Darkfallen are listed in the World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Bestiary, their entry was never added.

• World of Warcraft