Warhammer Primarchs: Complete Guide to the Emperor’s Demigod Sons

The Warhammer Primarchs are the beating heart of Warhammer 40K’s lore. These are not just powerful characters – they are the Emperor’s engineered demigod sons, each designed to lead a Space Marine Legion and embody a different aspect of war, empire-building, or human nature. Their rivalries, flaws, and loyalties drive the biggest stories in the setting, from the Horus Heresy to the current Era Indomitus. 

This guide breaks down who the Primarchs are, how many exist, which turned traitor, who’s still around in the 41st/42nd Millennium, and how they show up in the tabletop game and novels.

Who Are the Warhammer Primarchs?

In the distant past of the 30th Millennium, the Emperor of Mankind created a brood of superhuman sons – the Primarchs – using his own genetic material and warp-infused science. Each Primarch was designed with a specific strategic role: master psyker (Magnus), supreme leader (Horus), political genius (Guilliman), siege master (Perturabo), etc. 

From these Primarchs, the Emperor then created the Space Marine Legions – vast armies of Astartes who carried each Primarch’s gene-seed and fought in their image. Every Legion had its own flavor and specialty, mirroring its Primarch:

• Iron Warriors – siege warfare under Perturabo

• White Scars – lightning-fast raids under Jaghatai Khan

• Imperial Fists – stoic siege defense under Rogal Dorn, and so on. 

The Primarchs are central to the Horus Heresy, a galaxy-spanning civil war that shatters the early Imperium and sets up the grimdark status quo of Warhammer 40K.

How Many Warhammer Primarchs Are There?

Canonically, the Emperor created 20 Primarchs, each intended to lead one of the 20 Space Marine Legions. Two of these – the II and XI Legions – were later erased from Imperial records, leaving 18 known Primarchs in most stories.

Fans and some modern guides sometimes talk about “21 Primarchs”, usually counting a meta-slot for the two “lost” brothers together or including special edge-cases, but the core lore revolves around twenty. Wargamer+1

Loyalist vs Traitor Primarchs (During the Horus Heresy)

At the time of the Heresy, the Primarchs split broadly into loyalists and traitors:

Loyalist Primarchs

• Lion El’Jonson – Dark Angels

• Jaghatai Khan – White Scars

• Leman Russ – Space Wolves

• Rogal Dorn – Imperial Fists

• Roboute Guilliman – Ultramarines

• Vulkan – Salamanders

• Corvus Corax – Raven Guard

• Sanguinius – Blood Angels

• Ferrus Manus – Iron Hands 

Traitor Primarchs

• Horus Lupercal – Sons of Horus (Luna Wolves)

• Fulgrim – Emperor’s Children

• Perturabo – Iron Warriors

• Angron – World Eaters

• Mortarion – Death Guard

• Konrad Curze – Night Lords

• Lorgar – Word Bearers

• Magnus the Red – Thousand Sons

• Alpharius & Omegon – Alpha Legion (twin Primarchs, often treated as one “slot”) Lexicanum+1

The Lost Primarchs

• II Legion – name and Primarch unknown

• XI Legion – name and Primarch unknown

Their records have been deliberately purged in-universe, and Games Workshop keeps them intentionally mysterious for now. Lexicanum

Warhammer Primarchs Timeline: From Creation to Catastrophe

Here’s the broad lifecycle of the Primarchs in the lore:

1. Creation on Terra – The Emperor creates 20 Primarchs as part of his plan to reunite humanity. Wikipedia+1

2. Scattering – The Chaos Gods interfere, hurling the infant Primarchs across the galaxy. Each lands on a different world and grows up in wildly different cultures. The Gamer

3. Great Crusade – The Emperor finds each Primarch one by one, reunites them with their gene-Legions, and leads a crusade to bring the galaxy under Imperial rule. Wikipedia

4. Horus Heresy – Horus, the Warmaster, falls to Chaos and takes half his brothers with him, triggering a devastating civil war that nearly destroys the Imperium. Wikipedia+1

5. Aftermath – Many Primarchs die, disappear, or ascend as Daemon Princes. Roboute Guilliman implements the Codex Astartes and breaks the Legions into Chapters to prevent another Heresy. Wikipedia+1

Where Are the Primarchs Now in Warhammer 40K?

In the modern 41st/42nd Millennium setting, most Primarchs are dead, missing, or locked in the Warp – but a few play an active role again.

Active Loyalist Primarchs

• Roboute Guilliman (Ultramarines)
  Returned from stasis during the Gathering Storm and now serves as Lord Commander of the Imperium, leading the Indomitus Crusade in the Dark Imperium era. Wikipedia+1

• Lion El’Jonson (Dark Angels)
  Recently returned from a millennia-long slumber in The Rock, becoming an active Primarch in 40K once more. Wargamer

Other loyalists like Jaghatai Khan, Leman Russ, Rogal Dorn, Vulkan, and Corvus Corax are listed as missing, presumed dead, or operating in the Warp – but none have been definitively written off, which keeps the door open for future returns. Bell of Lost Souls+1

Active Traitor / Daemon Primarchs

Several traitor Primarchs now rule as Daemon Princes of Chaos and have full 40K rules and models:

• Magnus the Red – Daemon Primarch of the Thousand Sons (Tzeentch)

• Mortarion – Daemon Primarch of the Death Guard (Nurgle)

• Angron – Daemon Primarch of the World Eaters (Khorne) The Gamer+1

Fulgrim, the Daemon Primarch of the Emperor’s Children, has long existed in the lore and has recently received a modern 40K model, signaling a more active role on the tabletop. Wargamer+1

Others, like Lorgar, are canonically Daemon Primarchs but are more background movers than front-line tabletop characters (for now).

Primarchs on the Tabletop: Models & Games

The Primarchs appear across several game lines:

Horus Heresy / Age of Darkness

Forge World has produced a large range of high-detail resin Primarch models for the Horus Heresy era – characters like Ferrus Manus, Fulgrim, Horus, Perturabo, and more in 30K scale and armor styles. Warhammer+1

These models are designed primarily for the Warhammer: The Horus Heresy game system, which focuses on Legion-vs-Legion warfare during the civil war.

Warhammer 40,000

In “modern” 40K, several Primarchs are fully playable:

• Roboute Guilliman (Imperium, Ultramarines)

• Lion El’Jonson (Dark Angels)

• Magnus the Red (Thousand Sons)

• Mortarion (Death Guard)

• Angron (World Eaters)

• Fulgrim (Emperor’s Children, in current releases) Wargamer+1

These are centerpiece models with powerful custom rules that can define an army’s playstyle.

Primarchs in the Horus Heresy Novels & Black Library

If you want deep Primarch lore, the Horus Heresy and follow-up series like The Siege of Terra are essential reading. These novels focus heavily on the Primarchs’ personalities, rivalries, and downfall. Wikipedia

Examples:

• “Horus Rising,” “False Gods,” “Galaxy in Flames” – chart Horus’s fall and the early split between loyalist and traitor Primarchs. Wikipedia+1

• Character-driven books like “Vulkan Lives,” “Magnus the Red,” “Angron: Slave of Nuceria,” “The Unremembered Empire,” etc., dive into individual Primarch arcs.

• The Siege of Terra series concludes Horus’s rebellion and showcases some of the most iconic Primarch moments in the setting. Wikipedia

These books are a huge part of why “Warhammer Primarchs” is such a popular search – they turn the demigods from cool models into fully realized, tragic characters.

How to Pick a Favorite Primarch (and Legion)

If you’re trying to choose a Legion/Chapter or just want “your” Primarch, think in terms of archetypes:

• Tacticians & empire-builders – Roboute Guilliman (Ultramarines), Rogal Dorn (Imperial Fists)

• Lone-wolf heroes – Jaghatai Khan (White Scars), Leman Russ (Space Wolves)

• Tragic angels – Sanguinius (Blood Angels)

• Monstrous rage – Angron (World Eaters)

• Sorcerous masterminds – Magnus the Red (Thousand Sons), Lorgar (Word Bearers)

• Gothic horror / terror tactics – Konrad Curze (Night Lords)

Once you know whether you vibe more with stoic defenders, sleek raiders, fanatical zealots, or full Chaos corruption, you’ll naturally gravitate toward certain Primarchs and their associated armies.

FAQs About Warhammer Primarchs

Are the Warhammer Primarchs stronger than regular Space Marines?

Yes. A Primarch is to a Space Marine what a Space Marine is to a human – a massive power and scale jump. They are physically, mentally, and psychically superior, capable of feats entire companies of Astartes can’t match. Warhammer 40k Wiki+1

Will more Primarchs return to Warhammer 40K?

Probably – that’s one of the big draws of the setting. Games Workshop has already brought back Guilliman and the Lion on the loyalist side, and multiple Daemon Primarchs on the Chaos side. Recent articles and model releases show that Primarchs remain a major design focus, so more returns are widely expected, though not guaranteed. Wargamer+1

Who is the strongest Primarch?

There’s no official tier list, and power can vary depending on the story, but debates usually revolve around Horus at the height of his power, Magnus, Angron as a Daemon Primarch, or the Emperor himself (who is technically beyond Primarch level). Many guides simply emphasize that different Primarchs excel in different domains – psychic might, strategy, raw combat, etc.

What about the two lost Primarchs?

The II and XI Primarchs are deliberately left blank in the lore. We know they existed, that their records were purged, and that many characters pointedly avoid talking about them – and that’s about it. Any specific names or backgrounds you see are fan theories, not canon (yet).

Final Thoughts: Why Warhammer Primarchs Matter

The Warhammer Primarchs are more than stat blocks or expensive centerpieces – they’re the emotional spine of Warhammer 40,000. Their rise, fall, and occasional return shape the entire galaxy’s history. If you care about the story, you care about the Primarchs; if you care about the tabletop, they’re some of the most impactful and visually striking models you can field.

Whether you’re here to pick an army, dive into the Horus Heresy novels, or just understand why people argue endlessly about which Primarch was right, learning the Primarchs is one of the best ways to unlock the full, grimdark drama of Warhammer 40K.