Orks Lore: The Waaagh!, Gork and Mork, the Clans and Ghazghkull Thraka (Plus How to Start an Army)

Orks are the galaxy's most cheerful menace: huge, green, endlessly violent aliens who live for a good fight and build their weapons out of scrap. They are funny, terrifying and impossible to wipe out, and their lore is some of the most entertaining in Warhammer 40,000.

Army guide, last updated November 4, 2026. Lore summarised in our own words from Black Library novels, codexes and community wikis. For game rules, use the official codex or the official app.

The Orks in 30 seconds

Where Orks come from

Orks are part fungus. They reproduce by releasing spores, especially when they die, so every battlefield they fight on can sprout new Orks years later. That makes them almost impossible to wipe out. Many scholars believe they were created long ago as living weapons by an ancient race for the War in Heaven, and fighting is simply what they were made for.

The Orks belong to a wider family of creatures, the greenskins: small, cowardly Gretchin (grots), tiny Snotlings and the beast-like Squigs, which Orks use as food, pets and sometimes ammunition.

Gork and Mork

Orks worship two gods: Gork, who smashes you when you're not looking, and Mork, who smashes you when you are. Orks argue endlessly about which one is which. Their faith is real in a strange way: Orks give off a psychic field, so if enough of them believe something works, it often does. That's why red vehicles really do seem to go faster.

The Waaagh!

Orks are led by the biggest and strongest, the Warboss. When a Warboss wins enough fights, more and more Orks flock to him, and a Waaagh! begins: a great migration of war that can overrun whole star systems. The bigger the Waaagh!, the bigger and stronger its leaders grow, which only makes it bigger still.

The clans

• Goffs: the toughest and meanest, who love close combat.
• Evil Sunz: obsessed with speed, bikes and buggies.
• Bad Moons: rich, flashy Orks with the best guns.
• Deathskulls: lucky scavengers and looters, painted blue.
• Blood Axes: sneaky Orks who use (gasp) tactics and camouflage.
• Snakebites: old-fashioned beast-riders who distrust new technology.

Meks, Painboyz and Weirdboyz

Some Orks are born knowing things. Meks instinctively build engines, guns and giant walking robots called Gargants. Painboyz are surgeons who will happily swap your arm for a better one. Weirdboyz absorb the psychic energy of nearby Orks and blast it out of their heads, sometimes literally.

Ghazghkull and Armageddon

The most famous Ork of all is Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka. Once an ordinary Ork on the world of Urk, he was shot in the head and rebuilt with a metal skull, after which he claimed Gork and Mork spoke to him. He launched huge invasions of the hive world Armageddon, where the Imperium fought several bloody wars against him. His great rival is the Imperial commissar Sebastian Yarrick.

In recent years Ghazghkull has grown into a true Prophet of the Waaagh!, and even fought on Terra's doorstep.

Famous Orks

• Ghazghkull Thraka: the Beast of Armageddon.
• Makari: Ghazghkull's unbelievably lucky grot banner-bearer.
• Kaptin Badrukk: a flashy space pirate.
• Boss Zagstruk: leader of the jump-rocket Stormboyz.
• Mad Dok Grotsnik: the craziest Painboy of all.

Black Library books to read

• Ghazghkull Thraka: Prophet of the Waaagh! (Nate Crowley): his rise, told brilliantly in Ork style
• Brutal Kunnin' (Mike Brooks): a hilarious Ork adventure

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Find them as Black Library paperbacks and audiobooks.

Collecting Orks: a quick guide

Orks overwhelm the enemy with numbers and close combat, plus crazy vehicles. Start with: an Orks Combat Patrol or the Orks Christmas Battleforce.

Painting tip

Messy looks great on Orks: green skin, rusty metal, chipped paint and bright clan colours. Washes hide every mistake.

New to the hobby? Start with our Warhammer beginner's hub, and see the other army guides.