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"In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war."

—Standard Warhammer 40,000 introduction
Warhammer40000Logo

Warhammer 40,000 logo in use from the Third Edition in 1998 until Ninth Edition in 2020.

Warhammer 40,000, also known colloquially as "Warhammer 40k," "WH40k," "W40k" or simply "40k," is the sister, dark science fiction universe of Warhammer Fantasy Battle. It was also created by Games Workshop.

Warhammer40k-9e-logo

Warhammer 40,000 logo starting with the Ninth Edition of the game in 2020.

Warhammer 40,000 is a dark, brutal, dystopian science fantasy setting which in many ways mirrors Warhammer, having been created after it in 1987.

As a result of this mirroring, almost every faction in Warhammer 40,000 resembles one of the various factions or races of Warhammer. The dark setting can best be summed up by its official slogan: "In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only war."

Relation to Warhammer[]

"I have not the words, Sesto. No words to do it justice. Blood, there is blood. Pestilence. I see the future, I think. Fire and sword, fire and sword. Wholesale war. And darkness. Such suffocating darkness. Is that what is to come, Sesto? A grim darkness of the far future where there is only war?"

Roque Santiago Delia Fortuna to Giordano Paolo, son of Lorenzo Lupo, Prince of Luccini[1e]
Warhammer Chainsword

A sketch of a chainsword, drawn from the Liber Chaotica by Richter Kless, declared insane.[5a]

Upon Warhammer 40,000's release in 1987, it was claimed that the Known World actually resided within the Warhammer 40,000 universe, located somewhere in the Chaos-warped "Eye of Terror". This was said because the Old Ones were featured in both settings, and were believed to have created both the Orks and Aeldari from the Warhammer 40,000 universe.

However, any clear ties between the two universes were completely severed by Games Workshop in early editions of the game. Furthermore, after several decades of distancing Warhammer 40,000 and Warhammer from a shared setting, contradictory lore now exists that makes the concept almost impossible to implement as official canon. 

Despite this, Games Workshop will occasionally introduce "Easter Eggs" that reference both settings. Most of the aligning lore comes from Chaos. In Warhammer 40,000 the Warp (the equivalent of the Realm of Chaos) is said to transcend both reality and time. Both Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 share the same pantheon of the four main Chaos Gods. This would later change with the release of Warhammer Age of Sigmar, however, with the Horned Rat becoming the fifth major Chaos God.

This connection between the two settings with Chaos also means that both share the Daemons of Chaos as a playable faction. This includes various Daemonic named characters which exist in both universes, such as N'kari, Kairos, Ka'Bandha, Skarbrand, Ku'gath, and Be'lakor, though some have different backstories and fates from their Warhammer 40,000 counterparts. Daemonic units like the Soulgrinder (introduced in Fantasy's 8th Edition) are also originally units from the Warhammer 40,000 universe and tabletop game.

Gods such as Malal and Khaine were originally present in both settings as well. However, Malal would later be removed completely from Warhammer in a retcon, while Khaine, along with the rest of the Elven Pantheon, would later be annihilated during the End Times and replaced by the new deities born of the ascended heroes of the Known World in Warhammer Age of Sigmar.

During the End Times, hints were alluded to Warhammer 40,000 races and characters, such as a mysterious Knight in massive Grey Armour (implied to be the Grey Knight Kaldor Draigo) who accompanied Araloth during his journey towards Nurgle's Garden, only to eventually be killed. Another instance was when the Skaven activated a form of communication device known as the Device of the Great Beyond, which resulted in a brief conversation with a mysterious, alien being whose speech was similar to the Elves.

In June 2018, a White Dwarf Q&A article alluded to the fact that Slaanesh, having been created by the Eldar in Warhammer 40,000 lore, could exist in a realm of pleasure located beyond space and time, free to send his minions wherever he pleased, which possibly included the "World-That-Was". This directly conflicts with Warhammer's lore, however, which claims that Slaanesh was first created by the lustful desires of the Known World's intelligent races, and not the Eldar. Despite its contradictory nature, this is the closest Games Workshop has ever come to confirming a link between the two settings since the 1980s.

The release of Warhammer Age of Sigmar, complete with its own infinite universe comprised of multiple planes of existence, each larger than the Known World, new gods and a wealth of new lore, has only further complicated the original theory of a shared canon.

The Warp in Relation to the Universes[]

Amazon Laspistol

An Amazon armed with a laspistol, one of the ancient, advanced technologies they were said to possess in early editions of Warhammer.

Despite numerous similarities, unlike Warhammer: Age of Sigmar which can be considered the literal and spiritual sequel to the Warhammer universe, the futuristic counterpart of Warhammer 40,000 is not directly related to the canonical fantasy universe.

Despite this canonical separation, Games Workshop has repeatedly inserted "Easter Eggs" that would suggest the Warp possibly acts as a link between the two universes. These Easter Eggs, however, can be contradictory, and are often left to the interpretation of the reader. Below is a list of the most notable:

  • Chaos Daemons and the Realm of Chaos from both universes are the same, including the named characters, though some have different backgrounds and fates than their Warhammer 40,000 counterparts.[1]
  • In the Warhammer Storm of Chaos campaign, there was a magical sword available to the factions of the Known World which commonly belongs to Chaos Space Marines, a chainsaw-like sword.[3] This weapon was also referenced in the book Liber Chaotica: Khorne.[5a]
  • In earlier editions of Warhammer, the Amazons had access to highly advanced weaponry resembling that featured in Games Workshop's Warhammer 40,000 setting, such as laspistols. Such technology was removed from the Amazons after the Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000 settings were more clearly separated from one another.
  • During the End Times, the Skaven, thanks to a bizarre mechanism, managed to make contact with a strange Elven race, implied to be the Aeldari.[2]
  • In June 2018, a White Dwarf Q&A article alluded to the fact that Slaanesh, having been created by the actions of the Aeldari in Warhammer 40,000 lore, could exist in a realm of pleasure located beyond space and time, free to send his minions wherever he pleased, which possibly included the "World-That-Was." This directly conflicts with Warhammer's lore, however, which claims that Slaanesh was first created by the lustful desires of the Known World's intelligent races, and not the Aeldari. Despite its contradictory nature, this is the closest Games Workshop has come to confirming a link between the two settings since the 1980s.

Warhammer 40,000 Wiki[]

For more information see:

Sources[]

  • 1: Warhammer: The Game of Fantasy Battles (8th Edition)
  • 2: The End Times Pentalogy
  • 3: Storm of Chaos (7th Edition)
  • 4: Fell Cargo (Novel) by Dan Abnett
    • 4a: Ch. 21
  • 5: Liber Chaotica: Khorne (Background Book)
    • 5a: pg. 46
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