Alternate hero

Alternate heroes are cosmetic 'skins' for existing classes. Each alternate hero belongs to a specific class, and provides an alternative to the default hero for that class. Alternate heroes are purely cosmetic and do not affect gameplay in any way, making use of the same Hero Power and class cards as the default hero for that class.

Alternate heroes are currently available for all ten classes (with Demon Hunter — previously the last class without one — having received Aranna Starseeker as of the release of Felfire Festival bundle), with more planned for the future.

Like the game's 10 original heroes, most alternate heroes are major characters from  lore (although some are original), and all come with their own portrait and emotes. In addition, alternate heroes bring special art for the 'hero tray' (the panelled area near the portrait), unique animations when using their Hero Power, and "entering the game" animations.

Alternate heroes can be obtained through various means, from purchasing them with real money, to participating in special promotions. Some alternate heroes come with corresponding card backs.

Functionality

 * Alternate heroes are permanent additions to the game; once purchased or earned, a hero will not be removed at a later date. Some heroes are available for purchase or reward only through time-limited promotions, but once a hero is unlocked, it can be used at any time.
 * Alternate heroes can be used in any game mode, including Play mode, Arena and Tavern Brawls.
 * Once purchased, players can select alternate heroes through the collection manager. Similar to card backs, players can choose a default "favorite hero", as well as assigning a specific class-appropriate hero to each custom deck. Favorite heroes for each class will be used whenever playing a deck of that class, including Arena, unless another hero has been specifically assigned for that deck.
 * Wins with alternate heroes will count toward the 500 wins count for that class.
 * Alternate heroes are all animated, regardless of whether the golden hero for that class has been unlocked. However, for technical reasons alternate heroes do not have golden tray or border art, even if the player has unlocked that class' golden hero. Alternate heroes' Hero Powers do not have a golden border unless the player has unlocked the golden hero for that class, although they are always animated. There is no option for non-golden or non-animated versions of alternate heroes.
 * Alternate heroes have their own unique emotes, using the standard types (e.g., "Greetings", "Wow", "Well Played"). They may also have special, unique emotes; for example, Nemsy Necrofizzle has a special emote when playing Renounce Darkness.
 * Alternate heroes do not bring additional deck slots or battlefields.
 * While Hero Powers will produce special animations when used by alternate heroes, there are no visual changes to class cards.

How to get
Different alternate heroes can be unlocked through different means. Some can be purchased with real money, while others can only be unlocked through participating in special promotions. Most are available on an ongoing basis, while others are only available for limited periods. However, once unlocked players can use alternate heroes at any time.

Prices
Those alternate heroes that can be purchased can be found in the Shop. These can only be purchased using real money; it is not possible to purchase them using gold. All alternate heroes that require purchase are the same price, as listed below.

Release
Alternate hero release is often sporadic, but there are a few consistent features:
 * For the Year of the Mammoth and Year of the Raven, alternate heroes were available for winning 10 games that year. This was discontinued in 2019.
 * Beginning with The Boomsday Project, a new alternate hero has been included with a pre-release bundle for each expansion; those bundles, and the heroes, stopped being available after the expansion has launched.
 * A promotional hero is typically made available near the end of the year, such as Khadgar, Tyrande Whisperwind, Nemsy Necrofizzle, and Sir Annoy-O.

Heroes
All announced and previewed alternate heroes are listed below. For a list of heroes' unique card backs, see the Card backs section.

Card backs
The acquisition of some alternate heroes also grants a unique card back, usable with any deck.

History
In January 2014 it was stated that future developments might see alternate heroes for a given class. It was suggested that alternate heroes may be available for real money, gold, or a mixture of both. In November 2014 it was stated that the developers were "excited" about the feature, but were not yet ready to make any announcements.

In June 2015 an Innkeeper's Journal blog was released apparently hinting at the introduction of a new warrior hero. An image in the blog depicted the silhouette of a figure, with the warrior class icon at the bottom, while the blog itself discussed the arrival of an "imposing, broad-shouldered figure", causing quite a stir in the tavern. A tweet from the official Hearthstone account stated "What this character lacks in height, he makes up for in ferocity! Can you guess his identity?"

Alternate heroes were officially revealed June 4, 2015, along with Magni Bronzebeard, the first alternate hero to be revealed. Alleria Windrunner and Medivh were next, teased on June 10, and revealed June 11 and 12. The feature went live with Patch 2.7.0.9166 on June 15, 2015, with Magni, Alleria and Medivh available for purchase.

Trivia

 * Alternate heroes use the same Hero Powers and Hero Power art as the standard heroes for that class. Ben Brode states that this is in order to "keep some measure of instant recognition", with alternate heroes already making it harder for players to tell what class they are playing against.

Patch changes

 * Scholar Jaina added.
 * Kel'Thuzad added.
 * Aranna Starseeker added.
 * Lady Vashj added.
 * Dame Hazelbark and Sylvanas Windrunner added.
 * Deathwing added.
 * Elise Starseeker added.
 * The Thunder King added.
 * Madame Lazul added.
 * King Rastakhan added.
 * Sir Annoy-O added.
 * Mecha-Jaraxxus added.
 * Lunara added (for the Year of the Raven).
 * Nemsy Necrofizzle added.
 * Prince Arthas added.
 * Maiev Shadowsong added (for the Year of the Mammoth).
 * Tyrande Whisperwind added.
 * Morgl the Oracle added.
 * Khadgar added.
 * Lady Liadrin added.
 * The first alternate heroes are added - Magni, Alleria and Medivh.