Jaghatai Khan, the Warhawk, Primarch of the White Scars, united the horse tribes of Chogoris and led the fastest Legion of the Great Crusade. He wavered when the Horus Heresy began, chose loyalty, defended Terra against Mortarion, and later vanished into the Webway hunting the Dark Eldar.
Jaghatai Khan at a glance
| Primarch of | the V Legion |
| Legion | V: Star Hunters, later White Scars |
| Homeworld | Chogoris, a world of endless steppes |
| Flagship | The Swordstorm |
| Wargear | The White Tiger Dao sword, a power glaive, swift jetbikes and steeds |
| Allegiance | Loyalist |
| Status | Missing: vanished into the Webway after the Heresy |
Who was Jaghatai Khan?
Jaghatai Khan is the freest spirit of the twenty Primarchs. He loved speed, open skies and the hunt, and hated the politics of Terra. He was a brilliant warrior-poet who kept his own counsel, and many of his brothers never truly understood him. During the Horus Heresy both sides wondered which way he would go, and his choice shaped the defence of Terra.
Origins on Chogoris
The Khan landed on Chogoris, a world of wide grasslands and high mountains. He was found by Ong Khan, leader of the Talskar, a small and hunted tribe of horsemen. The young Primarch grew up riding with them and quickly became their greatest warrior.
Chogoris was dominated by the Palatine, a powerful civilisation that ruled many tribes. When Ong Khan was killed, Jaghatai swore revenge. He united the tribes of the steppe one by one, then led them in a lightning war that broke the Palatine empire. By the time he was a young man, he ruled all of Chogoris.
Discovery by the Emperor
The Emperor arrived soon after the Khan's victory. Jaghatai accepted him as father and lord, and was given command of the V Legion. It had been called the Star Hunters. Under the Khan it became the White Scars, after the ritual scars that Chogorian warriors cut into their faces.
The White Scars
The White Scars were built for speed. They fought on bikes, jetbikes and fast assault craft, striking hard, falling back, and striking again before the enemy could react. They recruited from the tribes of Chogoris and kept their customs, language and stormseer traditions. Their psykers, the Stormseers, were led by Targutai Yesugei, one of the Khan's most trusted advisers. Other famous White Scars include Shiban Khan, a young officer whose story runs through the Heresy, and Qin Xa, master of the Khan's bodyguard, the Keshig.
The Great Crusade
The White Scars conquered huge stretches of the galaxy, often far from other Legions. The Khan preferred to fight on his own terms and kept away from the Emperor's court. He was close to Magnus, with whom he shared a curiosity about the stars and the Warp. He respected Horus as a warrior, and had a long rivalry with Mortarion. He had little patience for Rogal Dorn's rigid ways.
Chondax and the choice
When the Heresy broke out, the White Scars were fighting Orks on the distant world of Chondax, cut off from news. Messages reached them from both sides. Horus sent envoys asking the Khan to join him. The Khan also learned that Magnus had been condemned and that Prospero had burned, and he was troubled by the order. For a while his loyalty was genuinely in question.
Inside the Legion, a secret warrior lodge had grown among some of his officers, and it tried to push the Legion toward Horus. In the end the Khan learned the truth about Horus's crimes, fought the traitors among his own sons and declared for the Emperor. A clash with Mortarion's Death Guard settled any doubt.
The Path of Heaven
The White Scars spent much of the Heresy as raiders, hunting traitor fleets and supply lines. Eventually they fought their way back to Terra, arriving to strengthen the defences before the great siege. The Khan argued with Dorn about strategy, wanting to strike at the enemy instead of waiting behind walls.
The Siege of Terra
During the Siege of Terra, the Khan led the defence of the Lion's Gate spaceport, one of the keys to the Imperial Palace. There he faced Mortarion in a terrible duel. The Death Lord, now a daemon of Nurgle, nearly killed him, and the Khan was carried from the field close to death. He recovered and fought on until the end of the siege.
Into the Webway
After the Heresy, the Khan led his Legion in the hunt for the fleeing traitors. Then, while pursuing a raiding force of Dark Eldar, he followed them into the Webway and was never seen again. Many White Scars believe he is still out there, fighting in the hidden labyrinth, and that one day he will ride out again. Since the return of Roboute Guilliman and Lion El'Jonson in the current era, that hope has only grown stronger among his sons, who still keep watch for any sign of their lost Great Khan.
The White Scars today
The White Scars remain one of the fastest and most unpredictable Chapters in the Imperium. They still recruit from Chogoris and keep its customs. Their best-known hero of the current era is Kor'sarro Khan, Master of the Hunt. Their successor Chapters include the Marauders, Rampagers, Destroyers and Storm Lords.
Personality and brothers
The Khan was proud, independent and thoughtful, a poet as much as a warrior. He valued freedom over obedience and honesty over flattery. He liked Magnus and Horus, distrusted Dorn's rigidity, mocked Terra's bureaucrats, and fought Mortarion with real hatred. His loyalty was never blind: he chose the Emperor only once he knew the truth.
Jaghatai Khan FAQ
Is Jaghatai Khan dead?
No one knows. He vanished into the Webway after the Heresy while hunting Dark Eldar.
Did Jaghatai Khan almost turn traitor?
He hesitated, and Horus tried to recruit him, but he chose loyalty once he learned what Horus had done.
Who did Jaghatai Khan fight at the Siege of Terra?
Mortarion, at the Lion's Gate spaceport, in a duel that nearly killed him.
Why are they called the White Scars?
After the ritual scars Chogorian warriors cut into their faces.
Who leads the White Scars now?
The Chapter is led by its own Great Khan; Kor'sarro Khan is its best-known hero.
Books to read
- Scars (Chris Wraight)
- The Path of Heaven (Chris Wraight)
- Jaghatai Khan: Warhawk of Chogoris (Chris Wraight)
- Warhawk (Chris Wraight)
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