Warhammer Video Game Lore Part 5
Rise of The Primarchs
The Primarchs are among the most important and iconic characters in the lore of Warhammer 40,000 (Warhammer 40k). They are the genetically-engineered sons of the Emperor of Mankind, created during the Emperor’s efforts to build a powerful, unified human empire across the galaxy. The Primarchs served as the leaders of the Space Marine Legions and are central figures in the Horus Heresy, the civil war that almost destroyed the Imperium.
Here’s a detailed overview of who the Primarchs are and their roles in the 40k universe:
The Creation of the Primarchs:
The Emperor, during the Great Crusade, sought to reunite the scattered human colonies of the galaxy under his rule. To achieve this, he needed superhuman generals to lead his armies. The Emperor used advanced genetic science and his own psychic powers to create 20 superhuman beings—the Primarchs. Each Primarch was a paragon of human ability, possessing immense physical, intellectual, and psychic powers. The Emperor based each of the Space Marine Legions on the genetic template of their respective Primarch.
However, the forces of Chaos interfered with the Emperor’s plans. The Chaos Gods, fearing the Emperor’s rise to power, scattered the infant Primarchs across the galaxy before they could be raised by him. As a result, each Primarch landed on a different planet, where they grew up under vastly different circumstances. Eventually, during the Great Crusade, the Emperor reunited with his lost sons one by one and made them commanders of the Space Marine Legions that had been created in their image.
The Loyalist Primarchs:
These Primarchs remained loyal to the Emperor and the Imperium during and after the Horus Heresy.
1. Lion El’Jonson
- Legion: Dark Angels
- Homeworld: Caliban
- Traits: Mysterious, secretive, and a master strategist.
- Fate: After the Horus Heresy, he disappeared during the civil war on Caliban. He is believed to be in stasis, hidden in the depths of the Rock, the Dark Angels’ fortress-monastery, awaiting the day he will return to the Imperium.
2. Roboute Guilliman
- Legion: Ultramarines
- Homeworld: Macragge
- Traits: A master tactician, statesman, and the author of the Codex Astartes (the guide to Space Marine organization after the Heresy).
- Fate: Mortally wounded and placed in stasis for 10,000 years. Guilliman was revived in the modern era of Warhammer 40k by Belisarius Cawl, and he now leads the Imperium in its fight for survival.
3. Rogal Dorn
- Legion: Imperial Fists
- Homeworld: Inwit
- Traits: Known for his unbreakable resolve and mastery of defensive warfare.
- Fate: Dorn reportedly died during a battle with Chaos forces while defending the Imperium, though his body was never fully recovered. His remains are scattered relics, including his skeletal hand.
4. Jaghatai Khan
- Legion: White Scars
- Homeworld: Chogoris
- Traits: Emphasized speed and lightning-fast warfare, with a love for freedom and independence.
- Fate: The Khan disappeared while pursuing the Dark Eldar into the Webway. His ultimate fate is unknown, and many believe he still lives, lost within the labyrinthine tunnels of the Webway.
5. Leman Russ
- Legion: Space Wolves
- Homeworld: Fenris
- Traits: Ferocious, loyal, and imbued with the spirit of a warrior, Russ and his legion embodied the brutal, wolf-like nature of Fenris.
- Fate: Russ disappeared after the Heresy, embarking on a quest with his personal guard. He is said to return during the Wolftime, a moment of great need for the Imperium.
6. Vulkan
- Legion: Salamanders
- Homeworld: Nocturne
- Traits: Known for his compassion toward ordinary humans and his belief in defending the weak. Vulkan is also a Perpetual, making him effectively immortal.
- Fate: Vulkan disappeared after the Horus Heresy, and his exact whereabouts are unknown. Some believe he may return in the future, as he is one of the few Primarchs who may still be alive due to his immortality.
7. Corvus Corax
- Legion: Raven Guard
- Homeworld: Deliverance
- Traits: Stealthy, intelligent, and brooding, Corax emphasized guerrilla tactics and hit-and-run warfare.
- Fate: After the Horus Heresy, Corax blamed himself for the Raven Guard’s genetic mishaps during the Heresy. He eventually disappeared into the Eye of Terror, vowing to hunt down the traitors. His current status is unknown.
Traitor Primarchs
These Primarchs turned against the Emperor during the Horus Heresy and joined the forces of Chaos. Many of them were later transformed into Daemon Princes by the Chaos Gods.
8. Horus Lupercal
- Legion: Sons of Horus (formerly Luna Wolves)
- Homeworld: Cthonia
- Traits: Charismatic, brave, and the Emperor’s favored son, Horus was named Warmaster of the Great Crusade.
- Fate: Horus was corrupted by the Chaos Gods and led the rebellion known as the Horus Heresy. He was ultimately slain by the Emperor in the final battle aboard his flagship, the Vengeful Spirit.
9. Fulgrim
- Legion: Emperor’s Children
- Homeworld: Chemos
- Traits: Obsessed with perfection in all things, Fulgrim sought excellence and beauty but was ultimately seduced by the excesses of Slaanesh, the Chaos God of pleasure and decadence.
- Fate: Fulgrim became a Daemon Prince of Slaanesh after the Heresy, and he continues to lead his corrupted legion in worship of the Chaos God.
10. Perturabo
- Legion: Iron Warriors
- Homeworld: Olympia
- Traits: A master of siege warfare and fortification, Perturabo was cold and bitter, often resentful of his role.
- Fate: Perturabo turned to Chaos and joined Horus during the Heresy. After the Heresy, he became a Daemon Prince of Chaos Undivided and continues to serve the Ruinous Powers.
11. Angron
- Legion: World Eaters
- Homeworld: Nuceria
- Traits: Angron was consumed by rage and bloodlust, due in part to the Butcher’s Nails, devices implanted in his brain that enhanced his aggression.
- Fate: Angron fully embraced Khorne, the Chaos God of blood and war, and became a Daemon Prince. He continues to lead the World Eaters in their violent campaigns.
12. Mortarion
- Legion: Death Guard
- Homeworld: Barbarus
- Traits: Obsessed with endurance and death, Mortarion was known for his resilience and refusal to bow to any master—until he was corrupted by Nurgle, the Chaos God of decay.
- Fate: Mortarion became a Daemon Prince of Nurgle, leading his corrupted Death Guard Legion as one of the most powerful servants of the Plague God.
13. Magnus the Red
- Legion: Thousand Sons
- Homeworld: Prospero
- Traits: A powerful psyker and scholar, Magnus sought to understand the Warp and its mysteries, but his efforts led to tragic consequences.
- Fate: Magnus was tricked by Tzeentch, the Chaos God of change, and became a Daemon Prince after the destruction of Prospero. He now serves Tzeentch, leading the Thousand Sons as one of the most potent sorcerers in the galaxy.
14. Lorgar Aurelian
- Legion: Word Bearers
- Homeworld: Colchis
- Traits: Deeply religious and a fervent believer in the divine, Lorgar sought to spread worship of the Emperor, but when rebuked, he turned to Chaos.
- Fate: Lorgar embraced Chaos and became the most devout of the traitor Primarchs, leading the Word Bearers in their worship of the Dark Gods. He eventually became a Daemon Prince of Chaos Undivided.
15. Konrad Curze (Night Haunter)
- Legion: Night Lords
- Homeworld: Nostramo
- Traits: A nihilistic and terrifying figure, Curze used fear and terror to enforce his will and viewed himself as a tool of justice.
- Fate: Curze was eventually assassinated by an Imperial agent, as he had foreseen. He welcomed his death, believing his actions were justified by the cruelty of the galaxy.
Missing Primarchs
These two Primarchs are often referred to as the Lost Primarchs, and their legions were erased from Imperial records.
16th Primarch & 17th Primarch
- Legions: II Legion & XI Legion
- Fate: The records regarding the II and XI Legions and their Primarchs have been purged from Imperial history. Their ultimate fate is unknown, and speculation abounds within the fan community, but it is officially a mystery.
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