Jaina Proudmoore

Lore & Background

Jaina Proudmoore is the daughter of Grand Admiral Daelin Proudmoore, lord of the island nation of Kul Tiras. After displaying magical talent at a young age, it was arranged for Jaina to be sent to Dalaran to begin an apprenticeship with the Kirin Tor. After persistent badgering, Jaina was accepted as the apprentice of the Kirin Tor's leader Archmage Antonidas, becoming one of the few female wizards at the time. During her early adulthood, Jaina struggled to prevent the spreading of a mysterious plague of undeath that would initiate the Third War and send her longtime friend and romantic interest, Prince Arthas Menethil, down a path of unmitigated darkness.

After the plague of Lordaeron and destruction of Dalaran during the events of Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos, Jaina rallied as many survivors she could and led them west across the great sea, eventually arriving on Kalimdor and founding the city of Theramore. As the war escalated, Jaina gained the trust of Thrall, the warchief of the reformed Horde, and became a key player in uniting the races of Azeroth to work together and stop the Burning Legion.

Once an advocate for diplomacy and peace between the Horde and Alliance, Jaina has more recently declared war on the Horde after the destruction of Theramore at the hands of warchief Garrosh Hellscream. Following Theramore's destruction, the Kirin Tor approached Jaina to become their new leader after the death of their former leader Rhonin at the hands of the Horde during Theramore's destruction. Accepting the role, Jaina pledged to maintain the rebuilt Dalaran's position of neutrality between the Horde and Alliance despite the events of Theramore.

However, after it was discovered that blood elf mages had used Dalaran's resources to aid the Horde in stealing an artifact from the night elf capital of Darnassus, Jaina banished all blood elves from Dalaran, taking prisoners where possible but swiftly executing any who resisted. Jaina has since pledged Dalaran and the might of the Kirin Tor to King Varian Wrynn and the Alliance.

Reader's Guide

In Hearthstone, Jaina Proudmoore is the playable hero representing the Mage class. As a Mage, she wields powerful magical abilities and can make use of effects such as freezing and boosts to spell power. Her appearance in Hearthstone draws from her role in the Warcraft universe as one of the most powerful sorceresses alive and a key leader in the Alliance. Players who choose Jaina as their hero can expect to utilize direct damage spells, area-of-effect attacks, and crowd control through freezing effects, mirroring her cold-based abilities described by Heroes of the Storm designers. Her inclusion in the game reflects her status as an iconic character in Warcraft lore, with the World of Warcraft Trading Card Game developer noting that 'MMO fans are immediately drawn to iconic figures like Tirion Fordring, Jaina Proudmoore, and Sylvanas Windrunner.'

Did You Know?

• Jaina was voiced by Carrie Gordon Lowrey in Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos and World of Warcraft, and is currently voiced by Laura Bailey in subsequent World of Warcraft expansions, Hearthstone, and Heroes of the Storm.
• In an early draft of Warcraft III, Jaina was supposed to die and be raised as a banshee, but this plot element was scrapped and moved over to the story of Sylvanas Windrunner.