Now that there are finally official images of the Emperor from Warhammer 40,000, the rumor mills are running hot. Fans are discussing all sorts of details about what was seen in the latest trailer. But: what exactly did we actually see and what does that mean for the world of Warhammer? MyMMO editor and Warhammer expert Benedict Grothaus dares to offer an analysis.
The Emperor is one of the greatest mysteries of the Warhammer 40,000 universe, simply because no one really knows whether he is still alive. Or rather: how much of him is still left.
With the latest trailer, Games Workshop has seemingly unveiled the mystery of the Emperor’s condition, as there are official images of the ruler of mankind – only to raise new questions immediately.
Instead of simply showing “Big E” on his Golden Throne, there are various versions of how he is depicted:
- in radiant armor, as he is likely depicted in most images and statues within the world
- as an almost fully mummified corpse, yet still possessing so much life that it can move its eyes – because that is exactly what happens in the trailer
- and in some shots, the Golden Throne is even completely empty
On Reddit and other platforms, fans are now discussing what all this means. Some apparently overlook that we already know the fate of the Emperor. But first, the question arises: how is the Emperor doing now?
Is the Emperor alive, dead… or perhaps both?
The various versions in which the Emperor is shown are likely due to different interpretations of faith: for most believers, he is the ruler in golden armor, for others the steadfast protector who pays with his life force to grant humanity safety – or indeed the corpse-emperor, as heretics call him.
Since the Warp is itself composed of the emotions and thoughts of humans and other psychic beings, both could indeed be possible. How the Warp portrays things does not always have to be true, and at the same time every version of it is true.
Time and existence work differently in the realm of Chaos than in reality. It is the only way, for example, that Slaanesh was born through the excesses of the Aeldari or Drukhari and has always existed since that time.
The best answer to the question of which version of the Emperor is true is likely: all. But when it comes to which exists in our reality, then on the throne probably sits a mummy that must not die. Because that is what the Emperor is currently damned to.
Protector of reality and a god against his will
Currently, the Emperor is an integral part of the Imperium of mankind for two reasons:
- he holds back the gods of Chaos who want to invade reality through the rift on Terra
- and his burning soul, the Astronomican, serves navigators so they can actually bring ships through the Warp – a kind of galactic North Star
In order for him to achieve all this, thousands of psykers are sacrificed daily, quite literally to “fuel” him and maintain his power. Ironically, the Emperor was born through just such a sacrifice.
It is now quite likely that the Emperor has himself become a god, even one of his sons holds this assumption. The psychic sacrifices as well as the pure belief of mankind may have ensured that the Emperor has become a Warp entity.
Such a thing has already happened at least three times in the history of Warhammer 40,000:
- once, when the Aeldari summoned the dark god Slaanesh into existence
- then by the Orks, whose pure will to fight manifests in the gods Mork and Gork
- and lastly by humans who converted to the T’au realm and with their convictions created the goddess T’au’va, as the T’au themselves have too weak souls
The Emperor is repeatedly shown in the scenes together with other Warp entities and almost unknown gods, placing him on a level with these beings. He must not be happy about this, as his entire doctrine was to free mankind from the yoke of the gods.
It should govern itself and not follow higher powers. This could turn out to be a major problem if the Emperor ever decides that he no longer wants to tolerate this “heresy”.
When the Emperor rises, humanity will perish
The mere fact that there is a possibility that the Emperor might one day turn against humanity – even though this is extremely slim – makes the whole situation precarious. But even in the best case, the Emperor should never leave his post.
Assuming the ruler of mankind manages to somehow keep the Chaos gods at bay so that he no longer has to stand watch and after over 10,000 years of forced feeding on human souls, with a populace that disobeys his instructions, he would still be kind to humanity, there is still the “Terminus Decree.”
This decree is the last command of the Emperor to his children and is kept by the secret order of the Grey Knights. A few months ago, Games Workshop revealed what this famous command is about.
In summary: as soon as the Emperor rises, the Grey Knights must arrive in full strength and ensure that he remains on the throne. However, this would lead to a catastrophic war.
For even if the Grey Knights follow this command, the Adeptus Custodes must obey their order to protect the Emperor. Two armies of demigod-like super-soldiers and powerful sorcerers would clash in a battle whose outcome would be as devastating as the Horus Heresy.
There are some theories suggesting that exactly something like that was the Emperor’s plan, to unleash enough psychic power in the moment of greatest need to create a new god: himself.
This all here is my personal interpretation of the details from the trailer with my knowledge as someone who has been following the lore of Warhammer 40,000 for many years. What are your thoughts on this? Would you agree or disagree with me? And what exactly does the trailer tell us? Feel free to write me a comment.
But no matter which of the possibilities comes to pass: in any case, the tiny movement of the Emperor means that terrible times are ahead for the Imperium – even worse than before. This is exactly what the trailer for the 11th edition culminates in, continuously emphasizing that there is no peace in the future of the 41st millennium, only endless war and slaughter. The new edition is just starting. It will officially be released on June 20, 2026, along with new official lore.
In this whole dilemma, there is one person who could certainly have helped: Malcador the Sigillite. As one of the Emperor’s closest advisors, he would certainly have known how to interpret all this: Even the Emperor trusted a man in Warhammer 40,000, yet humanity has forgotten him
Your opinion is important to us!
Do you like the article? Then let us know!