Zul

For the prefix often found in names, see Zul'.

For information on how to defeat Zul in Uldir, see Zul, Reborn.

Zul
Title	The Dark Prophet Prophet
Gender	Male
Race	Zandalari troll (Humanoid)
Affiliation(s)	Atal'zul G'huun Zandalari Invaders
Former affiliation(s)	Zandalari Empire, Zanchuli Council
Occupation	Dark Prophet of the Zanchuli Council
Location	Zuldazar
Status	Alive
Student(s)	Vol'jamba

Zul is a member of the Zanchuli Council and the personal prophet of King Rastakhan, ruler of the Zandalari. Leader of the Zanchuli Council and chief advisor to King Rastakhan, Zul has earned his name and title through his many years foretelling accurate futures, providing the kingdom's military and agriculture with a tremendous advantage. From a young age, Zul was burdened by prophecies of dark times and the end of the world. Many of these prophecies came to pass, including the coming of the Cataclysm While some of the catastrophes were not as grim as Zul predicted, the events did come to pass. Zul has lived many lives of trolls, preaching and predicting and standing by the side of his friend and king, Rastakhan.

After the Cataclysm devastated parts of Zandalar, Zul took the Golden Fleet of the Zandalari Empire and led them them across the globe to reunite the other troll tribes. He also orchestrated the attempted assault on Pandaria from behind the scenes to regain ties with the mogu. He is one of the main antagonists on Zandalar during World of Warcraft: Battle for Azeroth.

Background

Zul in the patch 4.1 trailer.

Among the Zanchuli Council are many priests and mages of incredible power and forbidden knowledge. One of the most respected of these is Zul. Even as a child his dark and terrible visions had come true down to the last horrifying detail. He commanded fear and respect as one of the dark prophets: seers capable of witnessing great tragedies before they come to pass. This is a power referred to as the Sight, and Zul had a student named Vol'jamba who also had the Sight. During the war against the Lich King Zul was present with the Zandalari forces in Zul'Drak, where he witnessed the Drakkari sacrificing their loa for power.

Years ago Zul warned King Rastakhan of a terrible Cataclysm. For Zul had seen a vision of a great armored dragon clenching the world in his ferocious jaws. Months later Zul returned, bearing more grim news from his visions. He saw a legion of serpents pouring forth from a gaping fissure that tore open the floor of the ocean. Still, King Rastakhan did nothing. Finally, mere months before the Cataclysm, Zul returned. Tearing his clothes and throwing his staff to the ground, Zul spoke of earthquakes and tidal waves. He described the golden capital of Zandalar slowly sinking beneath the waves in the aftermath of the Cataclysm, its once-great people drowning as their mighty works slipped forever beneath the sea. He advised the council and the king to unite with the other troll tribes and to abandon their doomed homeland. Despite Zul's infamy, the council refused to believe in the scope of the disaster to come. Many felt that Zul was grandstanding to increase his own status and power.

Zul warning Rastakhan

King Rastakhan tired of Zul and his troubling nightmares. To be rid of the prophet, he granted Zul the use of his largest ships, so that he and his followers could seek a new land if his visions came to pass. They scoffed as he and his followers began assembling a war fleet and reaching out to the lesser troll races. The old prophet sailed all around the oceans, meeting with the other tribes like the Sandfury trolls or the Drakkari.

But Zul's vision were visions of the truth. Deathwing's Cataclysm rocked Zandalar to its foundation. The spine of the land broke in two, and soon, the city and all its riches began to slide into the hungry sea. The Zandalari people turned to their King for help, but there was only one Zandalari equipped to help them: The prophet Zul. Even now the mighty and enigmatic troll empire slides into the sea, and Zandalari peasants and warriors alike flock to Zul for guidance on what to do next. But though Zandalar was indeed damaged, it did not sink as Zul predicted. While Zul and the Golden Fleet left Zandalar, those that stayed behind endured and rebuilt.

Rise of the Zandalari

This section concerns content related to Cataclysm.

Led by Zul, the Zandalari issued a call to Azeroth's embattled troll populations: unite into a single mighty empire and save their race from extinction. Zul was the leader of the Zandalari delegation that appeared at the meeting of the troll tribes, inviting them to join the Zandalari at Rastakhan's proposal. When Vol'jin refused, Zul threatened him that against the powers they would soon unleash, none would stand against them for long.

Mists of Pandaria

This section concerns content related to Mists of Pandaria.

In the wake of the mists vanishing around Pandaria, Zul has sent Zandalari scouts under the command of Prophet Khar'zul and Gara'jal the Spiritbinder to find out information about their ancient mogu allies. Setting up on the Isle of Reckoning, the Zandalari immediately go about invading Zouchin province, massacring a large percentage of it's populace in order to penetrate deeper into Pandaria. Eventually, the Zandalari discover and reconnect with the mogu clans inhabiting the mountains of Kun-Lai Summit. The Zandalari and the mogu immediately go about raising stone, jade, and terracotta warriors to fuel the mogu army which is intent upon retaking Pandaria from the Pandaren. Zul then orders the Zandalari to find information about the dreaded First Emperor of Pandaria, Lei Shen, the Thunder King. They find his body secured by several hundred terracotta soldiers. After taking his body away, the mogu enter to raise the terracotta to fight. Although the Zandalari succeed in resurrecting the Thunder King, Prophet Khar'zul and a large amount of the Zandalari invasion force are killed in the process. Lei Shen immediately allies with Zul and goes about uniting the mogu clans and the Zandalari.

After Lei Shen's resurrection, Zul orders Gara'jal to break into the Mogu'shan Vaults and discover the secrets and weapons within to make the Zandalari stronger. Gara'jal eagerly assaults the Vaults, but he and his Zandalari forces are eventually killed on top of a terrace overlooking Zouchin Province.

Lei Shen returns to his island citadel with the majority of Zul's Zandalari army and along with the Mogu, forms then into an enormous army which is bent on reclaiming Pandaria for the Mogu and Lei Shen. Zul orders the Zandalari to immediately begin land assaults on the continent itself.

Battle for Azeroth

This section concerns content related to Battle for Azeroth.

Please add any available information to this section.
The Horde infiltrated Stormwind Stockade to free Zul and Princess Talanji. Throughout their escape from Stormwind City, Zul used his powers of prophecy to guide the group to safety; for example, telling them to jump into Stormwind's canals in order to avoid Anduin Wrynn who was just about to enter the area. Zul also set the city on fire to force the Alliance to decide between capturing them or putting the fires out. Afterward he traveled to Zuldazar with the Horde and Talanji.

Seeing Rastakhan as a weak king, Zul leads a coup against him. Zul and his lieutenant, Yazma, have corrupted the once pristine tombs of Atal'Dazar on Mount Mugamba. They seek to twist the power of the ancient kings buried there for their own dark machinations, and revive Dazar, first king of the Zandalari. Having witnessed the Drakkari sacrificing their loa for power in Zul'Drak, Zul sought to do the same to the loa of Zandalar.

Zul struck an accord with Queen Azshara of the naga. Zul later revealed his allegiance with the Blood God G'huun.

Zul serves as a boss in Uldir, having been resurrected as a blood troll.

Trivia

• Zul was voiced by Dave Fennoy in the patch 4.1 trailer.
• Zul's model has spotted skin with stony patches like regular Zandalari trolls, but with a paler skin, red eyes instead of blue, and his model is based on the thinner, standard troll skeleton, likely in order to make him look aged and frail, or to represent his dabbling in dangerous magics.
  • Zul's old model in Cataclysm and Mists of Pandaria was a reskinned ice troll model, which all Zandalari from patches 4.1 to 5.1 used. Even after the Zandalari received new models in Patch 5.2, Zul continued to use his old reskinned model in a vision from Lorewalker Cho. The reason for this may have been for players to recognize Zul from the patch cinematic.
  • In the Battle for Azeroth alpha Zul used a jungle troll placeholder model, but wearing the same clothes as his Cataclysm appearance.

Speculation

This article or section includes speculation, observations or opinions possibly supported by lore or by Blizzard officials. It should not be taken as representing official lore.

The Altar of Zul in Hinterlands may be named after him, though it being named after the Empire of Zul is probably more likely.

Gallery

Fan art

• 

  Awake The Thunder by hipnosworld.

Videos

• The Story of Zul the Prophet

Patch changes

• Patch 8.0.1 (2018-07-17): Added as an NPC. Model updated.
  
• Patch 5.2.0 (2013-03-05): Added as a vision.
  

See also

•  [Torn Zandalari Journal]

External links

• Wowhead
• WoWDB