The Emperor is the most important figure in the universe of Warhammer 40,000, by far. However, those who do not delve deeply into the incredibly vast world will find out very little about this light figure. MeinMMO editor and Warhammer nerd Benedict Grothaus tries to summarize the most important information about the Emperor.
If anyone can survive a roundhouse kick from Chuck Norris, it’s the Emperor. But only one, mind you.
Joking aside, it is almost impossible to tell the story of the Emperor as briefly and understandably as possible. The guy is just incredibly important – for example, if you want to understand why you play such absolutely fanatic superhumans in Space Marine 2.
Thanks to the Emperor, the world of Warhammer 40,000 is even possible. He is the reason why humanity still exists. He is approximately as old as the world itself and possibly the most powerful being in the universe.
To start with: I will explain as simply and understandably as possible who the Emperor is, where he comes from, and what makes him so important. For this, I have to omit several points from his history, so I do not guarantee completeness for experts.
If you want to read more, feel free to check out the Wiki page about the Emperor, but I expressly warn you about the rabbit hole you will enter.
That it doesn’t look like Space Marine 2 everywhere is thanks to the Emperor:
Where does the Emperor come from?
The origin of the Emperor is not one hundred percent secure, because even in the lore books only stories are recounted, and the Emperor himself has spoken very little about it. However, there are a few points that are more or less certain:
- The Emperor is said to have been born around 8,000 BC on Terra (our Earth), near the Sakarya River in Anatolia (modern Turkey) as the son of farmers.
- He is a “Perpetual” – rare mutants whose cell renewal is so strong that they are virtually immortal. Even fatal wounds can regenerate.
- Nonetheless, the Emperor allegedly grew up as an ordinary human with brothers and sisters.
- He is also known by the names:
Big E
, corpse-emperor, Emperor of Mankind, “The New Man”, the golden god, protector of humanity, and “Anathema” (as the Chaos gods call him).
The stories mostly agree that the Emperor is the reincarnation of all magically gifted humans who existed before him. All wizards, shamans, and other magicians are said to have collectively taken their lives to unite their souls into one.
This soul is then said to have been reincarnated in the Emperor, making him the most powerful magician to have ever lived (and ever will live). His psychic power is said to have been so great that he even altered himself in the womb to become a Perpetual.
Whether this is really true is uncertain, as there are always contradictions.
By the way: The Emperor is described as a tall man with a perfect physique, noble features, and black hair and is said to look something like the image on warhammerart.com However, there has never been an official model of him. A representative image is therefore a depiction of one of his sons
, the Primarch Fulgrim of the Emperor’s Children – later a traitor and daemon prince.
Why the Emperor is so important
As the immortal and yet most powerful human ever, the Emperor has intervened multiple times in the history of the world – or simply watched. However, his most important achievements are the fight against the Warp, the creation of the Space Marines, and the unification of humanity.
Since the European Middle Ages, the Emperor has been fighting against the Chaos gods Khorne, Tzeentch, and Nurgle. The fourth god, Slaanesh, awakened only in the 30th millennium. Today, he is the only reason why these gods do not completely destroy the world of humans.
However, in order for humanity to withstand external dangers, the Emperor first had to unite them. In the great “Unification War” and the subsequent Great Crusade
, he united the scattered humans in the galaxy under one empire at the cost of billions of lives and expanded the borders.
To achieve this, he genetically modified small children in a lab on Terra to model them after himself, thus creating the first Primarchs – mutated superhumans whose “gene-seed” becomes the foundation of the Space Marines.
By the way: In order to make this mutation possible, the Emperor is said to have made a deal with the Chaos gods.
Is the Emperor a god?
The Emperor himself would deny this question and then punch you in the face for even thinking such a thing. His ultimate goal has always been to free humanity from “higher powers”, much like Immanuel Kant, only as Superman.
That he is still worshiped as a god has mainly two reasons:
- The “Word Bearers”, one of the chapters of the Space Marines (and later traitors), simply declared him a god. They said: A human could not achieve what the Emperor has achieved, so he must be a god.
- The Emperor’s power keeps the Warp at bay now and at all times, preventing the forces of Chaos from devouring all of humanity. He is literally the only reason why humans still exist (at least that is the belief).
The faith in the Emperor has grown particularly strong after his apparent death. The resulting “Ecclesiarchy” worships him fanatically and ensures that belief is maintained throughout the Empire.
For those interested: The Adepta Sororitas, also known as “Sisters of Battle”, refer to themselves as his daughters and are the most fanatic followers of the Emperor. Their faith in him is so strong that a certain power actually radiates from him to them, making them nearly as superhuman as Space Marines. Whether the Emperor is actually a god remains a question of faith.
Where is the Emperor now?
After his last battle during the Horus Heresy
against one of his Primarchs – Horus – the Emperor was mortally wounded. Although this should not have been a problem for him, the Emperor must now be kept alive by external means.
He now sits on the Golden Throne in Terra and is more or less dead. What happened to him depends on whom you ask. Chaos followers claim he has been a corpse for a long time. Believers say he is as alive as ever.
However, his spirit presumably still exists and is in an eternal struggle with Chaos. If he were ever to lose the fight or die, a Warp tear would open on Terra, devouring the entire galaxy and creating an “Eye of Terror”.
To prevent this, not only is his body preserved as well as possible with the help of technology, but hundreds of psychers also give their lives daily to feed him with their power.
The Emperor is even said to still be capable of perceiving his external world and communicating with certain people.
By the way, the Emperor also nurtures the Astronomican
, a beacon that shines in the Immaterium. Without this, navigators would be unable to find a path through the Warp, and humanity would lose this means of travel.
If you’re thinking: That all sounds completely absurd and over the top
, you are correct. Warhammer was never meant to be taken seriously; it aimed to exaggerate the world with a wink. That is one of the reasons why I consider it one of the best universes ever: In a perfect world, the greatest MMORPG today would be World of Warhammer
