The Death Knight's Death Coil ability makes him useful for healing units and for attacking other Heroes. Some jokingly refer to him as the healing Knight because 3 of his abilities (Death Coil, Death Pact, Unholy Aura) can be used to heal damage. Bestowed with black, vampiric Runeblades and shadowy steeds, Death Knights serve as the Scourge's mightiest generals. The weary, vengeful warriors accepted his dark pact, and although they retained their humanity, their twisted souls were bound to his evil will for all time. The Lich King offered them untold power in exchange for their services and loyalty. When they finally reached Ner'zhul's icy fortress in Northrend they had become dark and brooding. These renegade Paladins succumbed to bitter hatred over the course of their grueling quest. A small band of Paladins, embittered by society's cruelty, traveled north to find the plague's source.
Though the Paladins were immune to disease of any kind, they were persecuted by the general populace who believed that they had been infected by the foul plague. However, once the Paladin ranks were disbanded by the failing Alliance, many of these holy warriors traveled to the quarantined lands to ease the suffering of those left within the plague-ridden colonies. Death Knights were once virtuous defenders of Humanity.
