Warduke is an evil character in the LJN toyline and related media/merch.
Warduke rides a nightmare named Nightmare.
About[]
Warduke - Evil Fighter is a powerful human warrior. He sometimes works as a bounty hunter and assassin, and is heartless, cruel and short-tempered.
Description[]
Warduke is a muscular human, equipped with a skull-motif shield, a half-suit of blue chainmail, and most notably, a helmet complete with "bat wing"-like ridges. His favored weapon is Nightwind, a +3 anarchic flaming burst human bane bastard sword. He also bears a fearsome eye fiendish graft. Most official artwork depicts him as left-handed.
History[]
Warduke's early life is unknown, as is his true identity, though rumors abound. One states that he was once firm friends with a noble paladin, until Warduke's descent into evil forced them to become fierce enemies.
Warduke came to prominence after the Greyhawk Wars, spreading terror among the soldiers, fighting societies, and mercenaries of the Flanaess, from the Solnor Ocean to the Barrier Peaks. Warduke was quickly recruited by the Unnameable Hierarch to aid in rebuilding the Horned Society, and was eventually made a Hierarch himself.
Creative origins[]
Warduke originated as a character for the Dungeons & Dragons toy line in the 1980s. Warduke originally appeared as a D&D action figure along with such other characters as Strongheart the paladin, Elkhorn the dwarf fighter, and Zarak the half-orc assassin. In a module featuring many of the characters from the toy line, Warduke and Strongheart were depicted as once having been good friends, until Warduke turned to evil.
It is worth noting, however, that a (unnamed) figure with warduke's distinctive headgear appears on the cover of Dragon Magazine #17, published by [TSR, Inc. in 1978.
He often was seen teamed with the villainous sorcerer Kelek, and even once appeared on the Dungeons & Dragons animated TV series. In 2003, the staff of Dungeon magazine retconned Warduke into Greyhawk continuity.
The Shady Dragon Inn[]
The Dungeons & Dragons accessory, The Shady Dragon Inn, provides a number of details on Warduke and other characters in the D&D and AD&D toy lines. However, as this accessory was published long before the character's retcon into Greyhawk, it is uncertain how accurate this information is in regards to canon.
Originally a close friend of Strongheart the paladin, the two became mortal enemies when exposed to a magical item called the Heartstone, which brought Warduke's cruel nature to the fore. He is a close ally of a woman named Skylla, an evil wizard. Warduke is loved by one woman, a formerly good cleric named Raven, and hated by another, a good cleric named Mercion.
Appearances[]
Adventures/Manuals/Modules[]
- D&D AC-1 - The Shady Dragon Inn by Carl Smith (1983)
- D&D XL-1 - Quest for the Heartstone by Michael L. Gray (1984)
- A Brief History of Warduke (WOTC 3.5 D&D online article) (2006)
- D&D 5th Edition - The Wild Beyond the Witchlight - A Feywild Adventure (2021)
- Dungeons & Dragons - Dungeon Master's Guide (2024 version)
TV/Movies[]
Toys[]
- LJN AD&D Toyline (1983-1984)
- 1983 Player Character figure
- 1984 Battle-Matic figure
- 1983 miniature
- AD&D Mounts - Nightmare & Warduke
- Larami Pencil Sharpener (1983)
- Hasbro - D&D - Paint-A-Figurine (1984)
- WOTC - D&D Miniatures: Ward Drums - Warduke (2006)
- Funko Pops - Warduke Funk Pop #847 (2021)
- Icons of the Realms - League of Malevolence miniatures set (2021)
- NECA D&D 7-inch figures (2023-2024)
- 2023 Ultimate figure
- 2024 50th Anniversary figure
- Diamond Select Minimates (2023) - D&D Animated Series Set #2 Villains
Trading Cards[]
- Magic The Gathering (2021) - Secret Lair - Saturday Morning D&D - Primal Vigor
- Super7 D&D Trading Cards (2024)
- #7 Imprisoned by Warduke!
- #11 Warduke Charges!
- #58 Warduke (character card)
- #68 Warduke - Bounty Hunter (sticker card)
Colorforms Products[]
- Colorforms Adventure Set (1983)
- D&D Shrinky Dinks (1983)
- D&D Puzzleforms (1983)
- Lazer Blazers 3-D Holographic Stickers (1983)
Books/Coloring Books[]
- Dragon Magazine #17 (1978) - proto-version
- AD&D The Crown of Rulership (1983)
- AD&D The Lost Wand (1983)
- AD&D The Rescue of Ringlerun (1983)
- AD&D Characters Coloring Book (1983)
- AD&D Magical Coloring Book (1983)
- The Forest of Enchantment (1983)
- Hasbro - Paint by Number - Dungeons & Dragons - Adventure Set (1983)
- Dungeon Magazine #105 (Dec 2003)
Video Games[]
Misc Other[]
- Collegeville - AD&D Evil Fighter - Halloween Costume (1983)
- C.A. Reed D&D Party Supplies (1983)
- LJN - AD&D Puffy Stickers (1983)
- Larami - D&D Puffy Stickers (1984)
Gallery[]
_-_2021_Warduke_-_Tyler_Walpole.png "Magic the Gathering - Primal Vigor (Enchanment) - 2021 Warduke - Tyler Walpole.png (4.03 MB)")
_-_2021_Warduke.png "Tyler Walpole - Primal Vigor (MTG) - 2021 Warduke.png (3.32 MB)")
.png "Warduke - Collegeville - AD&D Evil Fighter - Halloween Costume (1983).png (2.11 MB)")
_-_Warduke_-_Front.png "Hasbro - D&D - Paint-A-Figurine (1984) - Warduke - Front.png (2.97 MB)")
_-_Warduke_-_Back.png "Hasbro - D&D - Paint-A-Figurine (1984) - Warduke - Back.png (2.34 MB)")
_-_cover.png "Dungeons & Dragons XL-1 - Quest for the Heartstone by Michael L. Gray (1984) - cover.png (4.95 MB)")
Idle Champions
Idle Champions
Idle Champions
External Links[]
- Warduke on Greyhawk Online
- Warduke on D&D Lore Wiki
- Warduke on Forgotten Realms Wiki
- Warduke on D&D Wiki
- A Brief History of Warduke