Four Portals of the Apocalypse | World of Warcraft

Happy Friday, everybody! Today, we tackle a long-standing mystery that is present within the shattered world of Outland. The Burning Legion's portals are integral parts of their invasion strategy... but what happens when one of those portals goes missing? Let's find out!
Video Footage:
Blizzard Entertainment's World of Warcraft (2004-)
Blizzard Entertainment's Warcraft III (2002)
Some images retrieved from Google Images and WoWpedia
Background Music:
"Outland Suite" and "Shadowmoon Valley" from the WoW TBC OST
#worldofwarcraft #burningcrusade #classicwow
Outro Music:
"Watch Me (Live)" by Greta Van Fleet
Jediwarlock 2023

[@lyricsarchive8808]

Man, I love seeing all of these small things talked about, it really makes the Warcraft universe feel more like an actual world. Not everything needs to be some huge lore-important thing. Great work!

[@General12th]

Somehow, Zovaal returned.

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you!! I enjoy those little side-details and theories much more than another big lore point that takes 30 minutes to explain :'D

[@TheRealCeeJai]

10:00 Interesting conjecture, but if you look at the cinematic closely, it shows the portal on the *edge* of Hellfire Peninsula. It's not a stretch to think that in the intervening six years that the ground beneath it crumbled off into oblivion, taking the portal with it.

[@Jediwarlock]

That's a very solid point :)

[@ninny65]

Notice the design of the three known portals have sets of spikes on either side to denote which portal it is. Portal 1 has 1 set of spikes on either side, portal 2 has 2 sets of spikes on either side, portal 3 has 3 sets of spikes on either side. The portal in the black temple cinematic only has 3 sets of spikes on either side, this means that portal in the black temple cinematic is definitely the violet portal. I can imagine blizzard using this as the basis of a new expansion lol, "oh no, we forgot about the 4th portal, the void titans are invading through it"

[@Jediwarlock]

Great detail!! :)

[@rosspritchett8423]

Wow. How the hell did you catch that lol

[@EggeFett]

Head canon theory: The Hellfire Peninsula portal was detached from the zone with the rest of the terrain and flew away into the Twistin Nether. (Since Outland always deteriorates and falls apart)

[@Jediwarlock]

Another great point that I Somehow left out of my script XD Thanks for saying this!

[@DIEGhostfish]

Ot thr HF pen portal was using the same unstable rift as the dark portal, merely redirected to another legion world.

[@EggeFett]

@@DIEGhostfish Could be the case, but unlikely. Both in WCIII and in the BT raid it was depicted as stationary portal

[@Marqrk]

If we wanna make some assumptions to tie up some lore lose ends, given the shown location it’s possible that this 4th portal was on a piece of rock that has since broken off and drifted away from the rest of the peninsula. We see in game that this is kind of happening, especially on the alliance side where an entire questing hub is set up on one of these floating rocks, and it wouldn’t be too outlandish (get it) to assume Illidan’s battle to close the portal weakened the soil it was built on and eventually caused it to drift away

[@Jediwarlock]

That is also a very plausible explanation! ;)

[@katsarelas1947]

I’ve seen videos mentioning these as Easter eggs for over a decade, but none I’ve seen ever connected them to the 4 gates of Warcraft III…. Well done!

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you! I needed to get to the bottom of it. XD

[@katsarelas1947]

@@Jediwarlock I always saw them mentioned as “mysteries” welp! You solved it!

[@endered2383]

Great video, I also wrote about this a few years ago. But another fact from the lore worries me. How did Illidan get to Northrend? Moreover, how did he transport an army of nagas and elves from Outland? He himself closed all the portals. And these portals did not lead to Azeroth. Moreover, the lore doesn't even indicate how Kael and Vashj moved to Outland after Arthas defeated Illidan. Trailer 2.4 leaves another plot hole. In it, Kael led his people to the Dark Portal and through it entered Outland. But in Warcraft 3, Kaelthas was running away from Garithos and opened a temporary rift at the site where Kel'Thuzad summoned Archimonde. It's strange...

[@Jediwarlock]

Very interesting! I wonder why they decided to use the Dark Portal in that cinematic... maybe because it was relatable and players knew what was on the other side? I definitely think the Archimonde portal site is the actual location... odd!

[@StoryComic]

Great video! I started playing during burning crusade, and I have such nostalgia for this expansion. I love your topics

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you very much! The original expansions are my favorite thing to explore. :)

[@No3xi7]

Yo im binge watching all your videos atm , such a great content ,keep doing what you are doing .Wow community needs this

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you so much, that means a lot. :)

[@Ren3gaid]

It's so cool how you combine all these things. So entertaining to watch

[@Jediwarlock]

I'm glad you enjoyed it! :D

[@selasiovec8581]

Very good, solid theory. I just take one issue with it: the cinematic takes place in a past before the twilight cultists found the portal in Nagrand, so the argument is that the haze is found with them. Case in point head to Kil'sorrow, the purple haze is there too. The point is that the Twilight Ridge could still be in the cinematic. I am willing to admit that we really don't know what the devs were thinking (it could have been a case of incomplete game again *cough* Karazhan *cough* *cough*

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you for the comment! Even despite the haze, you can see the ground texture as red/barren which also led me to believe it's supposed to be Hellfire Peninsula. :) But I think it could go either way and as you said it's really just an incomplete anomaly in Outland.

[@narleymarley666]

Loving the editing Jedi! It’s great to see your progress

[@Jediwarlock]

Thanks so much! :)

[@DDDiegoAGM]

I was just doing that campain on reforged a few weeks ago so this is best timing ever, your videos are made with love and care and that's all we want, they do such a good job on expaning the word, thank you!

[@Jediwarlock]

You are very welcome! I appreciate the kind words. :)

[@ArakkoaChronicles]

These portals weren't built after Draenor's destruction, they were its *cause*. Zangarmarsh portal is located where the seafloor once was because the Zangar Sea started draining even before Draenor blew up. There was already a massive ecological catastrophe going on even before then, and for example, the Tanaan Jungle was already cut down. Also worth mentioning the Nagrand portal is right where Highmaul used to be, so the Twilight's Hammer forces there were probably there the entire time since Cho'gall toppled Imperator Mar'gok in the original timeline.

[@Jediwarlock]

Good ideas! I appreciate the details about the portals ;)

[@danieltodorov7753]

Thank you or making this. The few times i've thought about it over the years I always couldn't think of the 4th one and assumed it was faulty memory. Good to know that they just never added it to TBC.

[@Jediwarlock]

You are very welcome! It was bugging me too and I knew I needed to investigate it XD

[@Tallestdwarf]

Fourth portal was torn thru dimensions and landed off the shore of Azshara.

[@Jediwarlock]

Haha, I love that!! That portal is only available in the Vanilla WoW Alpha build, but it makes me happy to know that so many players know about it. :)

[@ItsTheShiki]

I always thought growing up that these portals were the ones the orcs used to try and escape Draenor and ultimately caused it to be destroyed. Their designs reminded me of the one the original Dark Portal used in the Warcraft II cinematic where Khadgar shut down/destroyed it.

[@ianroscablu]

They should've made the Legion transporter at Annihilator in HFP be the actual 4th portal instead. Or that base camp on the northern edge of SMV, whatever it's called.

[@Jediwarlock]

Yes, a Shadowmoon Valley portal would have made for a nice Easter Egg (since originally all four portals were canonically close to the Black Temple, but this was obviously changed for scaling reasons). :)

[@ChanceTheCheetah]

I was thinking about that scene in the cinematic trailer while watching this video, I wasn't actually expecting it to come up though and be the final clue to the puzzle however!

[@Jediwarlock]

It was surprising to me as well! :D

[@TheRealCeeJai]

Fun fact: as per the Illidan novel, the Legion wasn't powering up the portals and transporters to invade Outland. Quite the opposite: they were powering them up to bait *US* - the Horde and the Alliance - to Outland to wage war on Illidan and his lieutenants for them since they had failed and the Illidari shut down the major portals. The Legion was, if I recall correctly, using the transporters to "fake" an invasion (knowing we would come running and make no distinction between their demons and Illidan's demons) and trying to get portals up to evacuate the troops remaining in Outland from so long ago.

[@Jediwarlock]

Interesting details! :D

[@TheRealCeeJai]

@@Jediwarlock Indeed! That novel's story was one of the last things Metzen had planned before he left Blizzard right at Legion's start. It does a lot to not retcon, but recontextualize the actual story of TBC because at first blush a LOT of the stuff in TBC doesn't make sense. Like, why would the demons even bother trying to take over Outland when there's really nothing of value to them there ~or~ why would we be fighting Illidan when he has *never* been a bad guy in the story and he didn't do anything to directly oppose us until we started attacking his forces? These questions are very cleverly answered in this novel, along with an absolutely *amazing* description of our characters fighting Illidan and dealing with his mechanics near the end!

[@jarlfisk]

Nice ! I've been thinking about these for years !

[@Bramandin]

Wow, you really are a bigger warcraft nerd than me. Increadible.

[@Jediwarlock]

I knew I wanted to get to the bottom of this XD

[@juancho650]

My theory is that maybe the fourth portal was originally located in either the Peninsula, SM Valley or Netherstorm. And the reason we never get to see it is bc since these are the most damaged zones so far, probably the ground eroded enough to make it float away in space

[@Jediwarlock]

I like that idea! :)

[@Ale-du6ft]

This video is based on a speculation that was disproven by the Illidan novel in 2016. It suggests that 4(3) Outland portals seen in TBC represent the 4 gateways already seen in TFT, but this is not the case. Those sealed in TFT are not the same as those seen in other regions of TBC, because in Illidan's novel the Shadowmoon portals (absent in TBC) are mentioned as still existing and sealed, while the portals that appear in TBC in the other regions are simply meant to be other ones used by the Legion, which Illidan intended to close after the events of TFT, among other things according to the novel there should also be one in the Netherstorm which is also absent in the game. Check the wowpedia page for "Dimensional gateway"

[@Jediwarlock]

Good clarifications! Thank you.

[@ujopozera6673]

man the last portal is so close to the edge it probably was torn off along with the soil, just as the other floating chunks of rocks/ground

[@Jediwarlock]

I like that explanation!! Probably the most likely case. :)

[@tadeasprikryl2407]

This was super dope!

[@Jediwarlock]

Hey, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for being a subscriber :)

[@magnapopus]

Pretty neat! I didn't know most of this!

[@Jediwarlock]

Thanks for watching! :D

[@Tivuer]

Good eye noticing the trailer using the same geography as the Nagrand one!

[@Jediwarlock]

Thanks! :)

[@Sithedd]

I like to think the 4th portal probably broke off from the main piece of land and is floating out in the Twisting Nether.

[@Jediwarlock]

That's a great theory as well! :)

[@tictcha612]

Nice video !

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you! :)

[@charlesv5h975]

Love this type of content! 🎉

[@Jediwarlock]

Glad to hear it! Thank you for watching it. :)

[@drfate7863]

The 4th portal was destroyed, likely pulled into the nether by the landmass of Hellfire peninsula eroding away.

[@Jediwarlock]

Yes, probably the most likely explanation! XD

[@boxoid5230]

that portals very close to the edge of the abyss. maybe it broke off the main section of Outland and fell down to the abyss. hence why you cant see it anymore.

[@Jediwarlock]

I like that idea :)

[@grafspe807]

While maybe a bit of a stretch on the last portal im sure you put more effort into this than Blizz would have . This last portal could have been on a part of Hellfire that broke off and floated away. I always wanted an expac where we return to Outlands and discover parts the broke away ( new zones) and bring them back to Outlands proper in order to help heal the planet . This could be a bread crumb to get us on that track

[@Jediwarlock]

Yes, the broken off chunk is probably the best explanation! I love the idea of exploring Outland again someday... the remnants of Frostfire, Arak, Goria, and maybe even Ashran or Eastern Farahlon. :D

[@buklao8000]

Perfection! 1+

[@Jediwarlock]

Thanks so much! :D

[@General12th]

Hi Jedi! Very cool!

[@Jediwarlock]

Thanks! :D

[@Hellkizz93]

Aint there one in Black Temple at Illidan? or thats just there when Warlocks do their Fire Quest?

[@Jediwarlock]

Just for Warlocks I believe, it's not there in the default raid ;)

[@NekoCutieSasha]

Correct me if im wrong but the area you fight Arrazius the cruel (spelling?) For the overlord quest his area looks similar to the portals, possibly having been broken

[@Jediwarlock]

That is a good idea! :)

[@malory2217]

Unfortunately it's not quite right, the portal 4 was seen in the game and is in the Hellfire Peninsula. It was used in the course of the Sunwell quest series to get to the island of quel'danar as part of the quest on the island. It is possible that it previously led to a different location even though the RAM is gone, the connection is still active as the quest shows

[@Jediwarlock]

That's a good idea! I checked out the area and it seems like the Quel'danas portal on the Hellfire side is more like a Legion transporter rather than a full portal, but on the Isle it definitely looks very portal-like! A very interesting detail XD

[@ChillingStreams]

awesome video bro

[@Jediwarlock]

Thanks! :D

[@fizola88]

There is still one functioning portal on Azeroth, somewhere beneath the sea, I forgot the location, but there are orbs and stuff flying from it

[@Jediwarlock]

Oh, the Azshara Portal! It was only in the WoW Vanilla Alpha but the photos of it have been very popular on the internet. :)

[@aredub1847]

Do you recall the flying mount you can use while dead hoax back in orginal bc? That would be a good vid.

[@Jediwarlock]

I remember hearing something about that but am not familiar with the details, haha... maybe I'll look into it!

[@aredub1847]

@@Jediwarlock it was on the old now deleted wow forums.

[@xirvin92]

Maybe illidan actually destroy the fourth portal

[@Jediwarlock]

It's a possibility! :)

[@ВолодимирМайко-п7р]

the fourth portal were the friends we made alon the way

[@Jediwarlock]

Definitely XD

[@undercover8265]

nice

[@Jediwarlock]

:)

[@kyleellis1825]

Do you think the ogre continent is floating off on it's own in another direction?

[@Jediwarlock]

Probably! Or it was completely destroyed or sucked through a portal into another dimension. :)

[@kyleellis1825]

@@Jediwarlock Because if Blizzard eveer wants to give us playable Ogres, they could find the Outland version of the Ogre continent and make them a bit smaller for whatever reason.

[@kyleellis1825]

Do you think these are new portals, or ones used in WC2?

[@Jediwarlock]

It's a good question! I know a couple people in the comments were debating that... hard to tell! :)

[@ts45wF3]

Video idea, the draenei and blood elf starting areas tell the same narrative. Example: Courier Dawnstrider and Injured Night Elf Priestess both are injured and both the starting point were the races meet their respective faction.

[@Jediwarlock]

Oooh, a comparison would be very cool! :)

[@Silly_Illidan]

How the hell did an eredar lord enter outland without any active portals anyways

[@Jediwarlock]

Shrek: "Good question"

[@hezerd6780]

FIRST!! also your lore videos rock, I love your imagination!! Rock on

[@Jediwarlock]

Thank you very much! :)

[@rook6591]

Dude did you call illidan a sorceror ???

[@Jediwarlock]

Well, he was originally a night elf sorcerer before becoming all demon-y... I suppose his followers may have called him either a sorcerer or a demon hunter.

[@Silly_Illidan]

Ok but why is the title about Oblivion?

[@Jediwarlock]

Just to seem dramatic XD

[@6enduro331]

yas

[@Jediwarlock]

:D

[@SilentStorm54722]

Is it creativity Blizzard's part or is it just laziness? 😅 And before anyone says it, I think Blizzard has the right to be lazy sometimes considering the magic they put out

[@Jediwarlock]

Good question!

[@Bramandin]

Something about each expansion after vanilla feels so cheap. Like nobody in the company cared much anymore. I would say the attention to details was gone, but these are not details. A whole portal being missing is meat and potatoes for me at least. Oh did I mention I absolutely love your videos?

[@Jediwarlock]

Thanks so much! :D I think the "original trilogy" of content is pretty genius, but even near the end of Wrath I know what you mean about Blizzard entering the slow decline in terms of lore.

[@lucamckenn5932]

Personally I enjoy thinking of a post Azeroth special forces operation Outlands as downright enjoyable for most of its inhabitants. With the most obnoxious and aggressive forces gone or forced into hiding the powers of good could rally and not only retake positions, but have them fortified with people who had just witnessed alien counter terrorism and know how to fight themselves. Consortium could easily help Nagrand become a breadbasket, and could terraform Hellfire with time. Netherstorm and Shadowmoon would be uphill but not impossible to reclaim in some way. Terrokar would probably become industrious I imagine. Real thing up to question would be true leadership. The best outcome would be an Outlands Council in my opinion.

[@Marqrk]

Iirc from the WoW cinematics, Outland (or at least nagrand) is actually doing kind of alright Thrall set up shop there with his family and had a kind of chill life out there, probably helping to heal the land and foster rolling hills of grain and growth We definitely have the Cenarían Expedition and the local shaman to thank for that

[@jameschristophercirujano6650]

Remember, Outland is a dying world. Dying in a length of time not specified, could be a few decades to millennia. They should make a way to get it fixed first.

[@Bramandin]

Bro, that floating piece of rock called Outland is fraying and crumbling. How long is it going to be before the atmosphere is gone?

[@Marqrk]

@@Bramandin it’s a fantasy game and I don’t think Outland is even in normal space anymore anyways

[@Jediwarlock]

It's a fun thing to think about!! Imagining what happens after we adventurers move on to the next expansion! XD