The Primarchs present at the Triumph of Ullanor. From left to right, Sanguinius, Mortarion, Magnus, Angron, Jaghatai Khan, Lorgar, Rogal Dorn, Horus and Fulgrim.
They shall be my sons, and in them will live the hopes of a unified humanity. Theirs will be the strength to prevail, not only when victory lies within easy reach, but even when it seems unattainable, when doom settles like a shroud all about. In those times of darkness, my noble sons will shine the brightest of all.—The Emperor of Mankind
The Primarchs were the 20 genetically-engineered sons of the Emperor in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. Created to be the Emperor's superhuman and immortal generals during the Great Crusade, their genomes also served as the genetic templates for the original Space Marine Legions. Each primarch embodied an aspect of war, such as the greatest strategist, the personification of terror or mastery of the psyker's arts. The Primarchs would fall into ruin during the event known as the Horus Heresy, when they're legions would split between those loyal to the Emperor and those loyal to the traitor warmaster, Horus. At least half the Primarchs would die or go missing either during or after the heresy, with the majority of the survivors ascending to daemonhood, becoming Daemon Princes of Chaos.
Fate of the Primarchs[]
- Lion El'Jonson - Primarch of the Dark Angels, currently serving alongside his brother Guilliman to defend the Imperium.
- Unknown - All information on this primarch has been purged from all records.
- Fulgrim - Primarch of the Emperor's Children, ascended to daemon prince of Slaanesh. A clone of the original Fulgrim also exists, currently contained in the vaults of Solemnace.
- Perturabo - Primarch of the Iron Warriors, ascended to daemon prince of Chaos Undivided.
- Jaghatai Khan - Primarch of the White Scars, lost in the Eldar webway.
- Leman Russ - Primarch of the Space Wolves, disappeared into the Eye of Terror.
- Rogal Dorn - Primarch of the Imperial Fists, believed to have been slain during the 1st Black Crusade.
- Konrad Curze - Primarch of the Night Lords, killed by an Imperial calidus assassin.
- Sanguinius - Primarch of the Blood Angels, killed by his brother Horus at the end of the Heresy.
- Ferrus Manus - Primarch of the Iron Hands, killed by his brother Fulgrim during the Istvaan Dropsite Massacre.
- Unknown - All information on this primarch has been purged from all records.
- Angron - Primarch of the World Eaters, ascended to daemon prince of Khorne.
- Roboute Guilliman - Primarch of the Ultramarines, currently serving as the Lord-Commander of the Imperium.
- Mortarion - Primarch of the Death Guard, ascended to daemon prince of Nurgle.
- Magnus the Red - Primarch of the Thousand Sons, ascended to daemon prince of Tzeentch.
- Horus Lupercal - Primarch of the Sons of Horus, killed by the Emperor at the end of the Horus Heresy.
- Lorgar Aurelian - Primarch of the Word Bearers, ascended to daemon prince of Chaos Undivided.
- Vulkan - Primarch of the Salamanders, missing, location unknown.
- Corvus Corax - Primarch of the Raven Guard, missing, last seen heading into the Eye of Terror.
- Alpharius and Omegon - Twin primarchs of the Alpha Legion, fate unknown. Alpharius is dead, having been slain by Rogal Dorn during the Heresy. Omegon, however, may have been killed by Guilliman. Due to the Alpha Legion's practice of referring to all members as Alpharius and the twin primarchs being closer to the height of a regular space marine than their brothers, this could just as easily have been another Alpha Legion operative, and not the primarch.