Over the decades that the world of Warhammer 40,000 has existed, hundreds of notable characters have stood out. Thanks to the immense audience, every facet of the world has at least a small following. However, one man stands out: Erebus, whom most deeply hate.
In the world of Warhammer 40,000, there isn’t really “good” and “evil”; everyone is at least a little brutal or fanatical. It always depends on one’s own perspective and which views one can best identify with.
Except for Erebus. Erebus is the man through whom the Horus Heresy came to be, the war that nearly destroyed the entire Empire. He is the person who converted Lorgar and Horus to Chaos.
The character is so profoundly evil that even the best devil’s advocates find it hard to highlight anything positive about his behavior. And that’s what makes him such a fascinating figure for the community.
On Reddit, a fan asks whether Erebus and the Word Bearers are really that hated, or if it’s just a big meme. The most frequently given response: “Fuck Erebus.”
“A poorly written character wouldn’t receive so much hate”
To give you a little background on why people hate Erebus: He is not only responsible for Lorgar and Horus falling to Chaos, he was already an exceptionally conspicuous character as a child. In his life, he has committed numerous offenses, such as:
- strangling a child named Erebus to assume his identity (no one remembers his real name)
- killing Erda, a woman of the same species as the Emperor, which required him to summon four Greater Daemons
- planning the treachery of Isstvan III, in which tens of thousands of Space Marines and several billion people died – after the use of an exterminatus in the form of a virus bomb, which even the Empire usually hesitates to deploy
- reportedly resurrecting the daemon Samus, who haunted the Empire for years afterwards
When Erebus first saw the Emperor of Mankind, he immediately realized that he wanted to overthrow this person. For this reason, he gradually led Horus and Lorgar along with the entire Word Bearers and the Luna Wolves to Chaos with a nefarious plan. He is the cornerstone of the Great Brother War.
Additionally, he is in many ways quite a wimp. He is not a daredevil and not an especially good fighter (compared to other heroes and villains), but simply an intriguer – similar to Gríma Wormtongue from The Lord of the Rings. Erebus rarely fights himself; he lets others do the dirty work.
The Joffrey Baratheon of the 41st Millennium
Virtually no one can condone what Erebus has done. Nevertheless, some users on Reddit explain that you have to love Erebus for what he is: the means to convey all that is evil in Warhammer 40,000.
If his story and he himself weren’t so well written, you couldn’t hate him that much: “As a character, he is great, but as a person, he is absolutely despicable.” (via Reddit)
Some users even compare Erebus to Joffrey Baratheon from Game of Thrones. Joffrey is widely regarded as the most hated character in Game of Thrones because he is simply a sadistic narcissist with no morals or scruples.
As viewers, we intuitively hate everything about him – and that’s exactly what good writing shows; otherwise, a character couldn’t evoke such strong emotions. Nevertheless, there are at least some people with Erebus who admire him for his determination (via Reddit). You have to know…
“Erebus is something like the original heretic”
Warhammer thrives on conflicts; the entire lore would not yield anywhere near as much if there weren’t constant wars and strife. One user even goes so far as to explain: “Warhammer 40k only exists because of Erebus.”
In fact, he deserves to be celebrated for it, but he is simply so incredibly unsympathetic, treacherous, and cowardly that he becomes one of the “most despicable figures” in the universe.
Many characters in Warhammer divide the community, being hated by some and loved by others. Erebus is one of the few exceptions, as he virtually has no supporters, save for a few misguided souls.
However, it is exactly such characters that allow stories to continue and engage fans in discussions about the world, sometimes intensely. Some of the key figures in the world are controversially discussed due to the many ways to view the Warhammer universe: Is the Emperor in Warhammer 40,000 actually “good”? Fans discuss and come to dramatic conclusions
