4. The first Space Marines: Firstborn
Space Marines, or Adeptus Astartes, undergo a long transformation process from human to super-soldier. Their bodies are biologically and cybernetically altered to gain tougher muscles and bones, react faster, and connect neurally with the armor they wear.
For the “improved” version of the Thunder Warriors, the Emperor eliminated flaws to create not just strong, but above all loyal soldiers who follow the rules of the Imperium without compromise – with moderate success, as half of the original legions have betrayed the Imperium and now serve Chaos.
For this ranking, it is irrelevant whether a Space Marine is from the first or second founding or has fallen to Chaos. Every Space Marine is stronger than even the strongest human; only the fanatical Adepta Sororitas come close.
The fact that Space Marines only end up in fourth place is due to the fact that there are now better versions of them. What you now know as Space Marines is now referred to as “Firstborn” to distinguish them from the new (and better) Primaris Marines, who represent the next developmental stage of super-soldiers.
