Games Workshop’s popular tabletop wargame,Warhammer 40k, has seen asurge in popularityin recent years. With numerous books, video games, and animations based on the grimdark universe, more people are discovering the additive hobby than ever before. Famously protective over their IP, it came as a small surprise when Games Workshop and Amazon announced a Film and TV deal between the two corporations.
With the unknown project being led by 40k super-fan, Henry Cavill, fans eagerly await news related to the upcoming production. While many rumors swirl around the internet, the truth of the project is shrouded in mystery.Warhammer 40khas numerous stories and characters that would translate well to a large-scale animation or live-action epic. These characters are some of the most interesting and badass in the setting and would perfectly introduce a wider audience to the lore and history of the 41st millennium.
10Commander Farsight
Leader of the Farsight Enclaves
The Tau stands apart from almost any other faction in theWarhammer 40ksetting. Their willingness for diplomacy and emphasis on progress and unity makes them an anomaly in the grimdark future. The Tau seek to create a grand society, where everyone works for “The Greater Good”. While many of the Tau are dedicated to this ideal, one hero has forged his own path. Commander Farsight.
Commander Farsight leads the Farsight Enclaves, a breakaway Tau colony that became disillusioned with the faction’s leadership. Commander Farsight is the perfect protagonist to introduce the Tau faction. He is a skilled warrior and one of the few in his species who favors close combat. A series revolving around Farsight would feature epic sci-fi battles as a small colony of separatists survives against the ever-expanding Tau Empire.
9Yvraine
Emissary of the Eldar God Ynnead
Of all theXenos charactersfeatured in theWarhammer 40ksetting, Yvraine may be the most deserving of a dedicated series. She has been central to many recent events, including the revival of Roboute Guilliman. She connects the Aeldari, Drukhari, and Harlequin cultures and is the leader of the Ynnari, who are followers of the newly awakened God of the Dead, Ynnead.
Yvraine is a deadly fighter, having been both a famed Corsair and a Commorragh Gladiator. She is also an inspiring leader, who has brought many famous Aeldari to her cause, including legendary warriors Lelith Hesperax and Jain Zar. A series featuring Yvraine would connect many different stories within the 40k setting. It would feature exciting combat, extravagant costumes, and galaxy-spanning political plots.
8Lion El Jonson
Son of the Emperor and Primarch of the Dark Angels
One of the major turning points inWarhammer 40klore is the return of Loyalist Primarchs. Lion El’Jonson was the second to reappear, after Roboute Guilliman, and instantly impacted the setting. The Lion is considered one of the greatest warriors ever to live, even among his exceptional brothers, and is the iron-willed leader of theDark Angels chapter of Space Marines.
After catastrophic events at the end of the Horus Heresy, the Lion would sleep for ten thousand years, only to awake in a very different galaxy. Lion El’Jonson would be a perfect character for a TV series, as he enters into a galaxy he knows little about. He is an older and wiser man than before, but still a fierce and skilled swordsman. As he attempts to reunite his lost sons, known as The Fallen, the character has vowed to battle the forces of chaos and protect the people of the Imperium.
7Commissar Sebastian Yarrick
The Hero of Hades Hive
Commissar Yarrick is one of the greatest heroes of the40ksetting. Famous for his bionic eye and Power Klaw, which was taken from the same ork that took his arm, Yarrick strikes an imposing figure. His greatest deeds were during the first and second wars of Armageddon, where his steely resolve and iron will would gain even the respect of his Ork enemies.
Sebastian Yarrick would make a great protagonist for a TV series, as he is central to one of the greatest conflicts in the Imperium’s history. The War for Armageddon is the classic tale of a determined few holding out against overwhelming odds. As humanity defends against Ghazghkull Thraka and hiscountless green tide of Orks.
6Garviel Loken
Captain of the 10th Company of the Luna Wolves
Set 10,000 years before the current timeline, the Horus Heresy is the defining event ofWarhammer 40k. Spread over numerous novels, it tells the story of the Emperor’s favored son becomingcorrupted by Chaosand declaring a galaxy-spanning civil war. One of the central figures of this large-scale narrative is Garviel Loken.
Loken would be the perfect protagonist to tell this story, as he is one of Horus’s trusted advisors and would witness his descent first-hand. While his legion moves further into Chaos, Garviel Loken remains loyal to the Emperor. The character’s story is one of guilt, betrayal, and honor, and would serve as a perfect point of view for the enormous Horus Heresy narrative.
5Morvenn Vahl
Abbess Sanctorum of the Adepta Sororitas
Abbess Morvenn Vahl is the current leader of the Sisters of Battle and is a High Lord of Terra. She is a fierce and canny warrior who leads from the front, wearing the colossal Paragon Warsuit into battle. She is known as a straightforward and resolute leader, who wears full battle armor in meetings with the other High Lords of Terra.
Morvenn Vahl would be an excellent character for a TV adaptation. She would bring viewers directly into the world of the Adepta Sororitas and the Ecclesiarchy, the ruling religion of40k. However, her no-nonsense attitude and intimidating presence make her a rebellious figure among the High Lords. A series based around the Abbess would be action-packed and filled with political intrigue.
4Commissar Ciaphas Cain
Hero of the Imperium
WhileWarhammer 40kis famed for its grimdark depiction of the far future, the Ciaphas Cain series brings much-needed humor to the setting. Ciaphas Cain is a Commissar of the Ordo Prefectus unlike any other. Where most seek heroism and valor to inspire the troops, Cain actively tries to avoid conflict.
While cowardice is usually rewarded with a bullet, for Cain, it has made him a legendary hero of the Imperium. A series revolving around Ciaphas Cain would introduce the inner workings of the Astra Militarum and be a fun adventure series, where the central protagonist is a loveable rogue whose schemes always seem to land in his favor.
3Commander Dante
Chapter Master of the Blood Angels and Lord Regent of Imperium Nihilus
Commander Dante is one of the most prominent Space Marine leaders in the setting. He is the oldest living Space Marine at around 1550 years old but remains a powerful and cunning warrior. He has been a central character to many recent40kevents, from meeting both returned loyalist Primarchs, to fighting the Daemon Primarch Angron.
While his stories are epic in scale, dealing with huge conflicts against xenos threats, Dante is a tired figure. He has become worn out by his years as a leader and longs for death. However, he continues to fight and lead his men. Dante is one of the most interesting figures inWarhammer 40kand would be the perfect character to tell the larger galaxy-spanning stories of the setting.
2Imperial Commissar Ibram Gaunt
Commanding Officer of the Tanith First and Only regiment
Another of the setting’s most popular characters, Ibram Gaunt, leads a large cast of characters over numerous books. The Gaunt’s Ghosts series revolves around an Imperial Guard regiment from the doomed planet Tanith, as they are deployed in countless battlefields across the galaxy. Highly influenced by Bernard Cornwell’sSharpeseries, Gaunt is a Commissar unlike any in the setting and leads his soldiers by example rather than fear.
TheGaunt’s Ghostseries would make an excellent TV adaptation, with its long-running narrative, memorable characters, and epic backdrops. The story would drop viewers directly into the unending war machine that is the Imperium of Man, depicting the victories, losses, and everyday lives of the soldiers in the grimdark future.
1Gregor Eisenhorn
Inquisitor of the Ordo Xenos
Gregor Eisenhorn is one of themost popular charactersin the40ksetting and the most likely choice for a big-budget TV series. Eisenhorn is a likable character, who is a powerful psyker and roguish individual. His radical views have sometimes marked him as a heretic by his fellow Inquisitors.
This anti-hero type character is ideal for a TV adaptation. His story is a lot more centered than many40knarratives. He and his loyal retinue often deal with the internal struggles of the Imperium, investigating heretics and traitors. This creates intriguing action-packed stories that showcase the vast40ksetting and its many working parts. In addition, Eisenhorn’s side characters, such as Alizebeth Bequin, have popular spin-off series, which offer further content for a TV show.
