The Emperor of Mankind is the immortal psyker who united Terra, created the twenty Primarchs and the Space Marines, led the Great Crusade, and has sat broken on the Golden Throne for ten thousand years since he killed Horus at the end of the Horus Heresy.
The Emperor at a glance
| Titles | Emperor of Mankind, Master of Mankind, the God-Emperor, the Anathema (to Chaos) |
| Born | Terra, in prehistory (Anatolia, around 8000 BC in most accounts) |
| Seat | The Golden Throne, Imperial Palace, Terra |
| Created | The 20 Primarchs, the Legiones Astartes, the Adeptus Custodes |
| Status | Alive in body only, kept by the Golden Throne since the Siege of Terra |
Who is the Emperor of Mankind?
The Emperor is the most powerful human psyker who ever lived. Lore says he was born in the age of the first cities, when the shamans of humanity chose to be reborn together in one child to stand against the coming horrors of the Warp. He walked through human history in secret for tens of thousands of years, guiding it from the shadows, until Old Night, when warp storms cut Terra off from the stars and the human empire collapsed.
The Unification Wars
In the 30th millennium the Emperor stepped into the open. With his genetically engineered Thunder Warriors he conquered the warring techno-barbarian nations of Terra one by one. He then made the Treaty of Olympus with the Mechanicum of Mars: the Tech-Priests would build his fleets and weapons, and in return they kept their own laws and their worship of the Machine God.
The Primarchs and the Space Marines
In a hidden laboratory under the Himalazian mountains, the Emperor created twenty super-human sons, the Primarchs. Before they were ready, the Chaos Gods snatched the infants away and scattered them across the galaxy. From their gene-seed the Emperor made the Legiones Astartes, the twenty Space Marine Legions, and a smaller, finer guard of his own: the Adeptus Custodes.
The Great Crusade
The Emperor led the Legions to the stars to reclaim every human world. One by one he found his lost sons: Horus first, then Guilliman, Sanguinius, Dorn and the rest. He preached the Imperial Truth: there are no gods, only science and reason. After Ullanor he named Horus Warmaster and went home to Terra.
The Webway project
The Emperor's secret goal on Terra was the Webway: a path through the Eldar labyrinth dimension so humanity could travel without the Warp and its gods. Magnus the Red saw Horus's betrayal and burst through the Emperor's wards with sorcery to warn him. The breach let daemons into the Webway, and the Emperor had to take the throne that powered the project and hold the gate himself.
The Horus Heresy and the duel
Horus turned to Chaos and led half the Legions against the Imperium. At the end of the Siege of Terra he lowered the shields of his flagship, the Vengeful Spirit, to lure his father in. The Emperor teleported aboard. He found Sanguinius already dead and fought Horus, holding back because he still loved his son, until he saw that Horus was beyond saving. With his last strength he destroyed Horus, body and soul.
The Golden Throne
Mortally wounded, the Emperor was placed on the Golden Throne, the ancient machine that now keeps his broken body alive. For ten thousand years his mind has done two things from it: holding back the daemons in the Webway under the Palace, and lighting the Astronomican, the psychic beacon that lets Navigators steer ships through the Warp. Every day a huge number of psykers are sacrificed to feed it.
The God-Emperor
The Emperor denied being a god, yet after his fall the Imperium came to worship him. The Ecclesiarchy and the Adepta Sororitas preach the Imperial Creed in his name, and his faith now gives real power to the faithful. Chaos calls him the Anathema. Whether he is still a man, a dying god, or something in between is the great open question of the setting.
Who guards him
- The Adeptus Custodes: his golden guard. Read our Custodes lore guide.
- The Sisters of Silence: null-maidens who hunt witches beside the Custodes.
- The High Lords of Terra: they rule in his name.
Emperor of Mankind FAQ
Is the Emperor dead?
His body is a corpse kept by the Golden Throne, but his mind still acts: he powers the Astronomican and holds the Webway shut.
How old is the Emperor?
Over 40,000 years old in most accounts, born in Anatolia in human prehistory.
Did the Emperor kill Horus?
Yes. On the Vengeful Spirit he destroyed Horus completely, but took fatal wounds.
Is Guilliman the Emperor's son?
Yes. All twenty Primarchs are his sons. Guilliman is now Lord Commander of the Imperium.
Books to read
- Master of Mankind (Aaron Dembski-Bowden)
- The Last Church (Graham McNeill), in Tales of Heresy
- The End and the Death (Dan Abnett)
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