The Haranir are a new Allied Race introduced in World of Warcraft: Midnight, representing a major addition to the playable roster. Native to the newly revealed zone of Harandar, these nature-bound guardians are commonly described as a bridge between the aesthetic traditions of Trolls and Night Elves. Based on current revealed lore, the Haranir appear to descend from an ancient dark troll lineage, shaped over generations by the energies of Azeroth’s world trees. Long secluded beneath the surface as wardens of the world’s roots, the events of The War Within and the Midnight campaign bring the Haranir into open contact with the wider world for the first time.
In this guide, we’ll cover:
- How to unlock the Haranir through the Midnight level-up campaign
- Faction alignment, starting level expectations, and class availability
- A full overview of Haranir’s racial abilities and their gameplay impact
- Strategic recommendations for leveling, gathering, PvE, and PvP
- Detailed coverage of Haranir Druid forms and shapeshifting customization
- Character customization options, including quills, body types, and visual effects
- Heritage Armor status, racial mount details, and housing decor
- An explanation of the “Legends of the Haranir” narrative feature
Haranir Allied Race Overview (At-a-Glance)
- Unlock Requirement: [Confirmed] Complete Harandar campaign + “Allied Race: Haranir” achievement.
- Faction Alignment: [Confirmed] Neutral (Choose either Horde or Alliance at creation).
- Starting Level: [Expected] Level 10 new race.
- Unique Features: [Confirmed] Unique racial abilities, unique Druid forms, and extensive customization options.
- Best Use-Cases: Gathering (increases Herbalism skill and increases finesse), open-world leveling (experience gains), and group utility.
How to Unlock the Haranir Allied Race
Accessing this new Allied race is a narrative-driven process integrated into the expansion’s “level-up” campaign. To gain account-wide access, players must complete the main Harandar campaign questline. The campaign beats, including the story of the young Haranir Orweyna, introduce the race and lead into the final unlock. Progressing through this zone allows players to learn about Haranir culture and earn their trust while following the story of their long-absent goddess.
Upon unlocking the race, players receive the Ivory Grimlynx, a racial mount earned via the achievement reward. The Ivory Grimlynx is currently datamined as a ground-only mount available to all characters on the account.
Haranir Classes, Faction Choice, and Race Identity
The available classes for this race reflect their history of survival. When Haranir chooses a path, they have several options that reinforce the Haranir identity. While thematically unusual for a nature-bound race, the inclusion of Warlocks suggests a specialized lore framing (details TBD). All Haranir customization options can be adjusted later via the Barbershop.
| Class | Status | Race-Specific Class Flavor |
| Druid | [Confirmed] | 7 unique forms (Quillbear, Wolverine, Bat, etc.). |
| Hunter | [Confirmed] | Starts with a Saptor pet (Whiptail family). |
| Shaman | [Confirmed] | Totems inspired by world roots and powerful thorns. |
| Warrior | [Confirmed] | Noticeable animation weight due to the taller model frame. |
| Mage | [Confirmed] | Fluid casting animations across all Haranir classes. |
| Rogue | [Confirmed] | Smooth combat flow; unique “front-flip” jump animation. |
| Priest | [Confirmed] | Strong synergy with increased critical strike healing. |
| Warlock | [Confirmed] | Potential lore tie-ins regarding Void Corruption and fel magic. |
| Monk | [Confirmed] | Visually distinct punch/kick animations with dynamic reach. |
Note: Death Knight, Demon Hunter, Evoker, and Paladin are not currently available classes.
Haranir Racial Abilities, Racials Explained, and Gameplay Impact
The following racial abilities provide a blend of combat utility, leveling efficiency, and world traversal. While tooltips are known, specific tuning—such as whether damage bonuses apply in instanced Raids and Mythic+—remains TBD. In instanced PvE, Haranir racials are unlikely to be mandatory picks but provide steady throughput rather than burst advantages.
| Ability Name | Type | Effect | Cooldown |
| Thorn Bloom | Active | Command powerful thorns to hit 8 enemies and heal 8 allies in a target area. | 3 Min |
| Rootwalking | Active | Perform a ritualistic dance to teleport to World Tree locations via root gateways. | [TBD] |
| Lash Out | Passive | Increases critical strike damage and increases critical strike healing by 1%. | N/A |
| One With Nature | Passive | Increases Herbalism skill by 5 and increases Finesse by 10. | N/A |
| Subterranean Predator | Passive | 10% experience gains and 1% damage dealt vs. Aberrations, Beasts, and Elementals. | N/A |
Strategic Best Picks:
- Gathering: Finesse increases the statistical probability of gathering additional materials, making Haranir elite candidates for professions.
- Open World: Subterranean Predator offers consistent value for leveling, as the damage and XP bonuses apply to common outdoor enemy families in Harandar.
- PvP: There is no major crowd-control or stealth racial; value is mostly passive throughput combined with Thorn Bloom in clumped fights. Thorn Bloom deals nature damage over 12 seconds.
Haranir Druid Forms – Guardian, Feral, Balance, and Travel
The Haranir Druid forms are a primary draw for their Allied race. These represent one of the most extensive sets of unique forms released to date, departing from traditional aesthetics to offer a more menacing look:
- Guardian (Bear): Known as the Quillbear [Datamined], this form resembles a heavily armored pangolin.
- Haranir Feral Form: A predatory creature sharing traits with wolverines, featuring sharp, powerful thorns or quills.
- Balance (Moonkin): A slender bat-bear hybrid. Changing the skin color also alters the eye color of this form.
- Travel Forms: The flight form is a massive Bat. Ground travel utilizes a Sable (weasel-like creature). The aquatic form is an Axolotl with customizable leafy gills.
- Restoration (Treant): The “Root of Life” form must be unlocked by purchasing Druid Tomes from Lorelae Wintersong in Moonglade.
Haranir Customization Options (Appearance, Quills, Body Types)
The Haranir customization suite provides significant player agency over the final look of their characters.
- Customization Highlights: Irises utilize a light-reflecting effect with glowing accents. A signature “quill” system allows spines to be added, removed, or colored within various hairstyles.
- Anatomy: Players can choose between normal feet or clawed feet and various ear shapes (droopy, sharp, or folded).
- Body Type 2: Specific flourishes include freckles, mature skin textures, animated ears, and eyelash customization.
- Heritage Set: [Datamined] The Haranir Heritage Armor reportedly features orange and purple variants. Leveling a character to level 50 without a boost is the expected requirement for this set, designed to resist Void Corruption.
Haranir Housing Decor and Cosmetic Items
Players can decorate their homes with items reflecting the bioluminescent wildlife of Harandar. These items are cosmetic and do not provide gameplay bonuses, though the lighting pieces are especially useful for large rooms. Massive fungi, moss bridges, and fungal towers characterize the decor:
- Crafting: Alchemy provides the Rootbound Vat, while Inscription allows for the Haranir Signpost. Leatherworking offers the Canopy Bed and leather rugs using additional materials.
- Quest Rewards: The Replica Sky’s Hope lighting fixture is earned through a quest in Harandar.
- Vendors: Items are available via the vendor Maku in Harandar or specific expansion vendors.
Legends of the Haranir
The narrative feature “Legends of the Haranir” allows players to experience the Haranir lore through “living murals.” These watchful guardians of history guide players through wild domains in bite-sized journeys. This storytelling element provides context for their long seclusion and reactions to world-altering events through firsthand experiences within the murals.
Should YOU Play the Haranir in WoW Midnight?
The Haranir are an ideal choice for players who value unique forms and world traversal. Casual players will find significant value in gathering additional materials, while Druid mains can enjoy a diverse new aesthetic. While min-maxers will find consistent value in the critical strike passives, the primary appeal lies in their unique subterranean aesthetic and the utility of their ritualistic dance across additional locations.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the Haranir in World of Warcraft?
The Haranir are a new Allied Race introduced in the World of Warcraft: Midnight expansion. They are ancient guardians bound to the World Tree’s roots, blending dark troll ancestry with nature-infused mutations shaped over countless generations of isolation. Their culture centers on vigilance, preservation, and survival beneath the world.
How do you unlock the Haranir Allied Race?
Players unlock the Haranir by completing the full Harandar campaign and earning the “Allied Race: Haranir” achievement. This process is narrative-driven and introduces Haranir history, culture, and their long-secluded role in the Warcraft universe.
Are the Haranir Horde or Alliance?
Haranir are a neutral Allied Race at character creation. Players choose whether their Haranir will align with the Horde or the Alliance, reflecting their recent emergence into surface-world politics.
What level do Haranir characters start at?
Haranir characters are expected to start at level 10, consistent with modern Allied Race design. This allows immediate access to the Midnight expansion leveling experience without skipping early progression systems.
What classes can Haranir play?
Haranir can play Druid, Hunter, Shaman, Warrior, Mage, Rogue, Priest, Warlock, and Monk. These class options reflect adaptability and survival rather than rigid cultural traditions.
Do Haranir have unique racial abilities?
Yes, Haranir have several unique racial abilities focused on utility and efficiency. Their kit emphasizes passive bonuses, open-world effectiveness, and group support rather than burst damage.
What passive abilities do Haranir get?
Haranir passives include increased critical strike damage and healing, bonus experience gains, and increased damage against Aberrations, Beasts, and Elementals. They also gain bonuses to Herbalism skill and finesse, reinforcing their connection to the roots of the world.
Are Haranir good for leveling?
Yes, Haranir are excellent for leveling due to increased experience gains and bonus damage against common outdoor enemy types. These advantages are especially noticeable while questing in Harandar and other Midnight zones.
Are Haranir racials strong in endgame PvE?
Haranir racials provide consistent throughput rather than burst windows. While useful in raids and Mythic+ dungeons, they are unlikely to define the meta or become mandatory picks.
How do Haranir perform in PvP?
Haranir lack strong crowd-control or stealth racials, limiting their PvP burst potential. Their value instead comes from passive damage, healing bonuses, and area-based utility in extended fights.
What is Thorn Bloom?
Thorn Bloom is an active racial ability that damages enemies while healing allies in a targeted area. It provides hybrid value and is most effective during stacked pulls or coordinated group encounters.
Do Haranir have unique Druid forms?
Yes, Haranir Druids feature one of the most extensive sets of race-specific shapeshift forms released so far. Each form is visually distinct and unavailable to other races.
What makes Haranir Druid forms special?
Haranir Druid forms depart from traditional animal aesthetics and lean into subterranean and predatory themes. Forms like the Quillbear, bat-inspired flight form, and axolotl aquatic form emphasize their evolutionary adaptations.
Can Haranir customize their appearance heavily?
Yes, Haranir offer deep customization options, including hairstyles, quill placement, glowing eyes, ear shapes, and skin textures. Many elements are reactive or animated, giving characters a more organic feel.
What is Haranir Heritage Armor?
Haranir Heritage Armor is a cosmetic armor set unlocked by leveling a Haranir character without using a boost. The set visually represents their role as ancient guardians of the World Tree’s roots.
Does Haranir Heritage Armor have variants?
Datamined information suggests multiple color variants, including orange and purple versions. These designs appear to reflect nature magic and resistance to void corruption.
Do Haranir have a racial mount?
Yes, unlocking the Haranir grants the Ivory Grimlynx, a ground-only mount. It is usable by all characters on the account and visually ties into Haranir culture.
What is “Legends of the Haranir”?
Legends of the Haranir is a narrative feature that presents Haranir lore through living murals. These experiences explain their long isolation and reactions to world-altering events.
Are Haranir good for gathering professions?
Yes, Haranir excel at gathering due to increased Herbalism skill and finesse. Over time, this results in consistently higher material yields compared to other races.
Who should play a Haranir character?
Haranir are ideal for players who value lore depth, customization, and open-world efficiency. They are especially appealing to Druid mains and gathering-focused characters rather than strict min-maxers.
