Defender of the Crown

The Defender of the Crown is the name given to refer to the leader of the human forces of the Kingdom of Stormwind during the First War.

As a loyal subject of King Llane, the Defender fought on multiple battlefields against the orcs and their leader, Blackhand.

When King Llane was assassinated by the half-orc Garona, the Defender assumed the mantle of leadership and led the human armies to victory against Blackhand's main castle at Blackrock Spire. This is in conflict with the lore from the novels so his subsequent fate after Llane's death in unknown.

Since official Warcraft lore says the orcs were victorious in the First War, it is unknown what happened to the Defender or whether or not he survived the events of the First War. It is possible he was slain during a devastating surprise attack by the orcs on one of the human encampments or during the second siege and fall of Stormwind Keep.

It is also likely that his background and role in game are combined with that of Lord Anduin Lothar, much like his counterpart in the Orc campaign, Orgrim Doomhammer. Lothar was personally responsible for some of the events in the Human campaign, most notably the killing of Medivh. It was also Lothar who took leadership of the kingdom after Llane's death. However, in one campaign the Defender of the Crown was ordered to rescue Sir Lothar from the Deadmines, suggesting that they can also be two different people.

The second manual mentions that once Lothar was rescued, he went to fight the orcs. It's thus possible that the Defender led the human army until the the rescue of Lothar and then he may have joined with Lothar's army or die at some point near the end of the war.