Thori'dal, the Stars' Fury

Not to be confused with [Thas'dorah, Legacy of the Windrunners].

Thori'dal, the Stars' Fury is the name of a legendary bow that drops from Kil'jaeden, who is the last boss of the Sunwell Plateau 25-man raid instance. This bow was the highest dps (level 70) weapon in game, excluding wands. Equipping the bow awards the Feat of Strength, [Thori'dal, the Stars' Fury].

The legendary bow resonates with the power of the Sunwell. The origins and history of the weapon remain a mystery,^[1] even to the blood elves. The bow magically conjures an arrow ready to be loosed.^[2]

A bow with the same model is wielded by the Ranger-general of Silvermoon, Halduron Brightwing. It has not been confirmed whether it is Thori'dal. In Legion, Thori'dal is hung on a wall of the Unseen Path's Trueshot Lodge, next to the [Bristleblitz Striker]. According to World of Warcraft: Exploring Azeroth: The Eastern Kingdoms, the bow was reclaimed by the blood elves after Kil'jaeden was defeated at the Sunwell.

Notes[]

Before the requirement to carry ammunition was removed altogether in Cataclysm, Thori'dal generated magical arrows when the bow string was drawn, thus eliminating the need for physical arrows to be carried or produced. Attempting to add ammunition to the paper doll slot Thori'dal did not add extra DPS, and instead produced an error message, "Ammo slot full." The high DPS of this bow was most likely the result of this lack of need for arrows since there would be no +damage added from such. The contemporary top arrow (in The Burning Crusade) was [Timeless Arrow] with a +53.0 bonus, giving Thori'dal a comparative DPS of 109.8 - presumably. However, due to the nature of [Steady Shot], this weapon vastly increased hunter DPS, in spite of having comparable DPS to [Golden Bow of Quel'Thalas] with Timeless Arrows.

Originally, Thori'dal had a +15% attack speed effect not stacking with ammo quivers or pouches, allowing the hunter to carry a fourth normal bag. This was removed in patch 3.1.0 when ammo bags no longer granted haste.

Although Thori'dal was obviously added for hunters, it is not limited to them and can be equipped by any class that can use bows, namely warriors and rogues. Despite its release at the end of The Burning Crusade expansion, it is still the highest level, permanent legendary weapon available to hunters.

So far the bow has no confirmed lore behind it. It is the only permanent, legendary weapon available to players to have no story or lore to rationalize or explain its existence.

In Hearthstone[]

This section contains information exclusive to Hearthstone and is considered non-canon.

In the Rise of Shadows expansion for Hearthstone, Thori'dal appears as an uncollectible weapon that can be equipped by Vereesa Windrunner's Battlecry effect.

Speculation[]

Halduronthoridal — Halduron Brightwing wielding Thori'dal, or an identical bow.

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.

There has been some debate in the roleplaying community (and generally with those interested in lore) regarding the history behind Thori'dal. Even in the hands of Halduron Brightwing, it remains an enigma within the lore, with little to no information behind it.

How old the bow is is unknown. Its inscription (that the power of the Sunwell courses through it) says nothing as to whether it was created before or after the Sunwell's revitalization; if the former (which is considerably more likely), then perhaps its power was simply dormant prior the end of The Burning Crusade.
Thori'dal's centerpiece is reminiscent of the Icon of Blood, the blood elven racial crest, the phoenix emblem included. This is curious in that no source has seen the high elves prior to the Third War use a phoenix (their racial crest was apparently a unicorn) to represent their culture.
It could also be a weapon of some forgotten Night Elf hero from the War of the Ancients, seeing as some other drops from the encounter date that far back. It is also speculated that the bow is actually a manifestation of the Sunwell's energy, that is suggested from its name, its quote, and the ability to generate arrows when the string is drawn.
- The emphasis put on the "stars" may also point to this, as the quel and sin'dorei venerate the sun in their culture, the stars thematically being opposed to that.
Even though it is named, the Thori'dal in Trueshot could be a replica.

Sunstrider's Longbow?[]

A particularly popular theory is the notion that, with the RPG books rendered non-canon, Thori'dal is, in fact, the canon rendition of Sunstrider's Longbow, the legendary bow which the RPG books stated was wielded by Dath'Remar Sunstrider, and later, Ranger General Sylvanas Windrunner. It is possible that the legendary bow was lost when Sylvanas fell during the Scourge invasion, and was rediscovered and passed on to Halduron—Sylvanas's successor—after the victory at the Sunwell Plateau, just as it was once passed down to Ranger General Sylvanas.

Gallery[]

Thori'dal's World of Warcraft model.
Thori'dal in Hearthstone.
In the Trueshot Lodge.

Patch changes[]

Patch 8.3.0 (2020-01-14): Transmogable.
Patch 8.0.1 (2018-07-17): Stats squished, Item level squished.
Patch 7.0.3 (2016-07-19): Animation changed.
Patch 4.0.1 (2010-10-12): Armor Penetration and Attack Power replaced with Haste and Stamina.
Patch 3.1.0 (2009-04-14): No longer increases ranged attack speed by 15%.
Patch 2.4.3 (2008-07-15): Thori'dal, the Stars' Fury is now Unique as intended.
Patch 2.4.0 (2008-03-25): Added.