In his early years, he was seduced by Kil'jaeden and took part in the massacre of the draenei. After being exiled, he returned to the shamanistic faith and succeeded as chieftain. He taught Thrall the ways of the shaman, helped him build the new Horde, and foresaw the cataclysmic changes of the world before the Cataclysm. In his later years, he refused to aid the Forsaken, upholding his traditional moral stance.

Haunted by the sins of the old Horde's atrocities in his youth, Drek'Thar preserved the orcish traditions by mentoring heirs such as Thrall, becoming a spiritual bridge between the old Horde and the new.