The Emperor is one of the most important figures in Warhammer 40,000 and is worshiped by most humans as a god—though he does not want this at all. The few who oppose the faith without being punished are the Space Marines. But even among the oldest of them, the certainty is now crumbling.
For millennia, the Emperor has sat on his Golden Throne and ensures that the gods of chaos do not completely devour humanity. At least, that’s what the Church in Warhammer 40,000 teaches.
A huge cult surrounds the Emperor, with ecclesiarchy, inquisition, and a massive force of holy female warriors who burn anyone who insults their “God.” The Imperium doesn’t joke around here; after all, the Emperor is their guarantee of safety.
In the Imperium of Man, only the Space Marines can openly say that the Emperor is not a god without being visited by an inquisitor. Of course, because their “fathers,” the Primarchs, knew the Emperor personally.
Now with Roboute Guilliman, one of the Primarchs, as the new leader of the Imperium, a direct “son” of Big E. But even Guilliman is no longer sure if his view is correct and suspects that the being on the Golden Throne could be more.
A god doesn’t have to be chaos
The only gods that are currently truly known among the inhabitants of Warhammer 40,000 are the four gods of chaos—aside from the Emperor. However, since humans regularly fight against gods, they mainly see negative traits in them.
In the novel “Dark Imperium: Godblight” by Guy Haley from 2021, Guilliman speaks with a scriptor of the Space Marines and a Farseer of the Aeldari about what makes gods. The conversation arises after Guilliman himself was apparently saved by divine intervention. A user shares a short excerpt on Reddit.
While the scriptor Donas Maxim insists that the Emperor cannot be a god, the Eldar Illiyanne Natasé provides somewhat cryptic explanations, emphasizing that the concept of divinity is not clear-cut. The beings known today as Necrons, for example, once had gods in the C’tan who had nothing to do with the chaos gods. The Eldar themselves had their own pantheon, which has nearly disappeared.
However, Natasé goes even further and states: What the truth is, ultimately doesn’t matter. If enough people believe something, it will become a reality in some way. The Farseer speaks from experience because his people have already accomplished exactly that.
Gods are born in Warhammer – and can die
Warp gods are entities that are nourished by strong emotions of psychic beings: Khorne by hate, Nurgle by despair, Tzeentch by hope. The Eldar have even birthed a god through their excess: Slaanesh, who then nearly wiped out the people.
The Aeldari’s own gods have also fallen, most of them at least. One still exists in For of Shards, one goddess is Nurgle’s captive, and one is said to have somehow escaped death. What is clear, however, is that even gods can die.
In contrast, new gods are repeatedly born or created. Not only Slaanesh, but even the T’au, who are actually not present in the warp, have their own goddess—simply because humans and other beings believe in them.
Natasé explains that gods seek worship and that, in the past, even mortals have ascended to divinity. Whether this can happen “against the will” of the mortal remains open—but it could be the case with the Emperor.
Big E has long been a god; he just doesn’t know it yet
The Emperor himself has always fought for a world where humans are their own rulers and no longer need gods. Accordingly, he himself never wanted to be a god. The fact that he is one is already deeply rooted in the faith of humans—with numerous indications.
This includes the fact that humans can only navigate through the warp thanks to the Emperor. His light burns so brightly that it can be seen from almost anywhere in the galaxy.
Furthermore, thousands of souls are sacrificed to him daily. Natasé emphasizes: The influence of many souls can change a being, even against its will. Exactly what might have happened with the Emperor long ago.
Is the Emperor a good or a bad god?
Indeed, many fans and characters in the universe suspect that the Emperor has long been a god, and not just among humans. The Aeldari know the legend of a “Dark King” who would fit well with the figure of the Emperor.
Others suspect that the Emperor is actually a chaos god who has simply misled humanity to become more powerful. Because of this, the question often arises of whether the Emperor is even “good”. He was never truly human, but a Perpetual, a kind of infinite being with different moral views.
In an earlier post on Reddit, users debate whether the Emperor still has an influence on what happens. The flow of souls that is sacrificed to him daily could have made him unstable and turned him into a divine being, which he now must control to avoid either dying himself or destroying everything. That’s exactly why he fought for a world without gods.
Who or what the Emperor is will probably be revealed in the lore over the coming years. At the moment, only speculation can be made. The truth certainly lies somewhere between the assumptions, which would fit excellently with Warhammer, because there is no “black and white” here: A user asks if anyone was shocked the first time they played Warhammer 40,000, and gets seasoned responses.
