Wow Titans

The titans are colossal godlike beings made up of the primordial matter from which the very universe was born. Imbued with the raw power of creation itself, they roam the cosmos like walking worlds. Titans are born from world-souls, spirits who are formed within the fiery cores of a small number of worlds and who slumber for ages, suffusing the planets they inhabit with Spirit energy before finally awakening. Described as living worlds, their bodies are covered in mountain peaks and rivers, their forms wrapped in cloaks of stardust and their eyes shining like brilliant stars. Bastions of purity and good, the titans are unable to conceive of evil or wickedness in any form.

Titans are heavily tied to the cosmic force known as arcane. In fact, arcane is their very lifeblood. The original Well of Eternity, an enormous lake of volatile arcane energies, was literally the very lifeblood of Azeroth's world-soul. They are also uniquely susceptible to fel magic.

Known titans

A generally aloof creator race, the titans are now a subject of significant interest on Azeroth, at least for the dwarves — especially the Explorers' Guild. Their part in Azeroth’s history lies far, far back in time, although Sargeras has, of course, taken a more active role in recent conflicts through the Burning Legion. There are two known races of titans (aesir and vanir). The Pantheon are the leaders of the titans and some of the universe’s most powerful entities. Their figure is humanoid but gigantic, with gleaming metallic skin and a perfection of form that makes the heart ache.

Very little is known about the titans save for scraps the dwarves have unearthed and some vague night elf folklore. Few human scholars actually believed the mighty demigods even existed. Legend holds that the great ones shaped the land when the world was young, then left the world to its own devices. The ruins and buried cities that remain on Azeroth — Uldum beneath the Tanaris Desert, Ulduar beneath the Storm Peaks of Northrend, and Uldaman beneath the dwarven home of Khaz Modan — are known to a few to actually be "titanic" ruins. Most mortals believed that they were only ancient ruins. There are two presumed types of titan, the stronger, smarter, more agile aesir, and the tougher but less powerful vanir. One scholar has postulated that there are other subspecies of titans. No titans have ever been spotted, and it is believed that they live among the stars where they continue to this day shaping new worlds. In this passage, the majority of "scholars" and the "most mortals" refers primarily, if not entirely, to humans.

The Ordering of Azeroth, fan art by hipnosworld

Each titan cultivates specific interests that relate to particular elements or energy types — essentially, to some small aspect of creation over which the titan holds a measure of dominance. Some titans refer to the piece of creation upon which they focus as their "sphere of power".

Titans generally believe they are invincible. They wade into the thickest of battles using their most powerful abilities, or even just swinging with massive, alloyed fists. Titans with well-defined spheres of power have wildly varying combat tactics, focusing primarily upon the strengths of their spheres. Despite this there is evidence that in the war with the old gods a titan was killed.

• Wrathion mentions a being called "The Final Titan" after eating the heart of Lei Shen during   Heart of the Thunder King. He may or may not have been referring to Azeroth.
• Some titanic creations were implied to be titans (as in   Fate of the Titans), but this is not the case. Actual titans (albeit their spirits and avatars) were only introduced to the game with Patch 7.3.0, almost 13 years after the release of World of Warcraft.
• In BlizzCast 12, Chris Metzen said "Will we see actual titans one day? Will we ever get to the truth and origin of the Old Gods? There's all sorts of meta-themes that's all rich fertile ground and we will get there." These questions were ultimately answered in Chronicle Volume 1.
• According to a prophecy by Skeram, a titan battled an unimaginable evil (C'Thun) in Silithus. The titan fell, but may not have been vanquished in the battle. Chronicle Volume 1 states that this was not the case.
• Some dwarves believe that Greatfather Winter is a titan, but this is not the case.
• According to Magni Bronzebeard, they built the Hall of Communion.

• Two in-game models are called "titans" in the files, but are used for titanic watchers rather than actual titans.
• The non-canon RPG described two races of titans: aesir and vanir. This categorization was used in-game to describe storm and earth giants, but was later re-defined in Chronicle Volume 1 to describe instead the two original types of titan-forged.
• Prior to the publication of Chronicle Volume 1, the Pantheon were the leaders of all titans, who were described as metallic-skinned.
• Though Chris Metzen said the titans were godlike and the Warcraft Encyclopedia states titans are not gods, the Ultimate Visual Guide, the Sunwell Trilogy, the Magazine, and Loreology have stated that they are "metallic-skinned gods" as described in  [Mythology of the Titans]. The Senior Historian later clarified that by "gods" he meant "perfect specimen rather than an actual divine being".
  • Reconciling the various sources, Chronicle Volume 1 described them as godlike beings.
• The titans do not transcend all realities like demons do.
• The name "titan" is inspired from the eponymous giants or proto-gods from Greek mythology who inhabited the world during the First Era, and later ruled it during the Second Era. Their leader was Kronos. Notable titans include Rhea, Atlas, and Prometheus. Unlike their Warcraft counterparts, most of them were inherently malevolent. They were defeated by Zeus and the Olympians at the start of the Third Era.
• The Æsir and Vanir come from Viking (Norse) mythology. The Aesir are the rulers of Asgard and the more altruistic force in the universe, the greatest of them being Odin and Thor. The Vanir come from Vanaheim and are allied with the Æsir. They mostly live apart from each other, but a few Vanir have been taken into Asgard and are considered as "one of the Æsir." Both have a common enemy in the Jotnar (giants). In an interesting contrast from Blizzard's direction, which places the dwarves close to the titans, the Vanir of Norse myth had stronger ties to the elves.

• The original Titans are the elder gods from Greek mythology who inhabited the world during the First Era, and later ruled it during the Second Era. Their leader was Kronos. Notable titans include Rhea, Atlas, and Prometheus. Unlike their Warcraft counterparts, most of them were inherently malevolent. They were defeated by Zeus and the Olympians at the start of the Third Era.
  • In Greek mythology, the gods chained the evil titans beneath the surface of the world. In the Warcraft universe, the Titans chained the old gods beneath the surface of the world.
• The Æsir come from Viking (Norse) mythology. They are the rulers of Asgard and the more altruistic force in the universe, the greatest of them being Odin and Thor. The Vanir come from Vanaheim and are allied with the Æsir. They mostly live apart from each other, but a few Vanir have been taken into Asgard and are considered as "one of the Æsir." Both have a common enemy in the Jotnar (giants). In an interesting contrast from Blizzard's direction, which places the dwarves close to the Titans, the Vanir of Norse myth had stronger ties to the elves.