History Characters / Warhammer40000

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialFounders Founders]]: The Emperor, his right-hand man, and the Primarchs of the Space Marines, who founded and helped shape the Imperium into its current state.

[[/index]]

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialGuard Astra Militarum]]: The Imperium's standing army, also known as the Imperial Guard: numberless legion of simple human soldiers fighting in most of the Imperium's wars.

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialGuard Astra Militarum]]: The Imperium's standing army, also known as the Imperial Guard: uncounted billions of simple human soldiers fighting in most of the Imperium's wars.
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Sororitas Adepta Sororitas]]: An army of female nun-warriors serving as the chamber militant of the Ecclesiarchy, with the most notable being the Sisters of Battle.

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Inquisition The Inquisition]]: The secretive black-ops organization which polices the Imperium for signs of corruption beyond the frontlines of battle.

[[index]]
* [[Characters/Warhammer40000Imperium The Imperium of Man]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialFounders Founders]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Astartes Adeptus Astartes]][[note]]Also known as Space Marines[[/note]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesChapters Adeptus Astartes Chapters]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesCharacters Adeptus Astartes Heroes]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000PrimarisSpaceMarines Primaris Marines]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialGuard Astra Militarum]][[note]]Also known as Imperial Guard[[/note]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Sororitas Adepta Sororitas]][[note]]Also known as Sisters of Battle[[/note]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Inquisition The Inquisition]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Mechanicus Adeptus Mechanicus]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000CurrentImperialFactions Other Imperial Factions]]
* [[Characters/Warhammer40000ForcesOfChaos The Forces of Chaos]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000ChaosGods Chaos Gods and Daemons]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000ChaosMarines Heretic Astartes]][[note]]Also known as Chaos Space Marines[[/note]]
* [[Characters/Warhammer40000XenoRaces Xeno Races]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Eldar Aeldari]][[note]]Formerly known as Eldar[[/note]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000CraftworldEldar Craftworlders]][[note]]Formerly known as Craftworld Eldar[[/note]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000DarkEldar Drukhari]][[note]]Formerly known as Dark Eldar[[/note]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Necrons Necrons]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Orks Orks]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000TauEmpire The T'au]][[note]]Previously spelled Tau[[/note]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Tyranids Tyranids]]

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Tyranids Tyranids]]

The universe of ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'' contains many characters, but none are more significant than the various factions fighting it out for survival and control. These groups can be divided into three broad categories: Imperial, Chaos, or Xenos.

[[index]]
![[Characters/Warhammer40000Imperium The Imperium of Man]]
The Imperium of Man is the most powerful political entity in the galaxy. Untold billions of humans living on a million planets are united by species-wide loyalty and servitude to the Imperial Faith, worshipping the God-Emperor on Holy Terra. Beset by Chaos and Xenos on all fronts, the Imperium has decayed from an enlightened empire to a dictatorial, stagnant and obscurantist theocrary whose cheapest resource is human lives.
!![[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialFounders Founders]]
Several key figures dating back to the 31st millenium have founded the Imperium and heavily contributed to shape it into its current form. Most remarkable of them is the Emperor, a mysterious god-like person whose ambition and might kickstarted the Imperium. In that colossal task of conquering the galaxy, the Emperor was assisted by Malcador the Sigillite, chief administrator of the Imperium, and 20 mighty superhumans named the Primarchs, who acted as his generals during the period of galactic conquest known as The Great Crusade.
!![[Characters/Warhammer40000Astartes Adeptus Astartes]][[note]]Also known as Space Marines[[/note]]
The Adeptus Astartes or ''Space Marines'' are one of the most celebrated and iconic factions of the Imperium. They are a scant million super soldiers armed with some of the best weapons, armors and vehicles the Imperium can provide. Once gathered into Legions, they have been split into thousand-strong chapters acting independantly, lending their strengths to the most terribles theatres of war and fighting threats mere men could never handle.
* [[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesChapters Adeptus Astartes Chapters]]
* [[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesCharacters Adeptus Astartes Heroes]]
* [[Characters/Warhammer40000PrimarisSpaceMarines Primaris Marines]]
!![[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialGuard Astra Militarum]][[note]]Also known as Imperial Guard[[/note]]
The Astra Militarum or ''Imperial Guard'' is the main army of the Imperium. It is composed of billions of ordinary human soldiers mobilized from the worlds of the Imperium and fights inglorious yet necessary battles across the galaxy to defend the Imperium. Despite its subpar equipments and soldiers compared to the horrors they face, the Astra Militarum is the most powerful united military organization of the galaxy.
!![[Characters/Warhammer40000Sororitas Adepta Sororitas]][[note]]Also known as Sisters of Battle[[/note]]
The Adepta Sororitas is the Chamber Militant of the Ecclesiarchy. Zealous warrior-nuns known as the ''Sisters of Battle'' take arms in the named of the Imperial Faith, defending the Imperium with as much firepower as they do with sheer faith in the greatness of the God-Emperor.
!![[Characters/Warhammer40000Inquisition The Inquisition]]
The Inquisition is a secretive and dreaded organization of oustanding men and women tasked with rooting out all threats to the integrity of the Imperium. Whether it concerns Xenos schemes, heretical branches of the Ecclesiarchy or Daemonic corruption, the Inquisition is free to take the most terrible decisions to preserve the Imperium from such threats.
!![[Characters/Warhammer40000Mechanicus Adeptus Mechanicus]]
The Adeptus Mechanicus is a nation inside of the Imperium, devoted to the worship of the Omnissiah or Machine-god and responsible for manufacting all the technological equipment of the Imperium. Based on Forge Worlds, the Mechanicus not only provides the Imperium with technology but it can also field technological marvels of its own.
!![[Characters/Warhammer40000CurrentImperialFactions Other Imperial Factions]]
![[Characters/Warhammer40000ForcesOfChaos The Forces of Chaos]]
Without a doubt the greatest threat to the galaxy is Chaos, an all-encompassing term designating the threats of the Deamons of Chaos lurking beyond the veil of reality in the parallel universe known as the Warp, as well as that of their mortal minions.
!![[Characters/Warhammer40000ChaosGods Chaos Gods and Daemons]]
In the parallel universe known as the Empyrean or Warp, the psychic resonance of emotions have taken form, forming in time an almighty pantheon of four Chaos Gods: Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle and Slaanesh. The four of them embody the vices and perversions of mortal souls and command vast armies of Daemons, shards of their godly power. Fortunately, the Chaos Gods are rarely interested in the mortal realms and are mostly locked in internecine struggles for dominance contained to the Warp, as they could easily damn the entire universe for eternity if they united once and for all.
!![[Characters/Warhammer40000ChaosMarines Heretic Astartes]][[note]]Also known as Chaos Space Marines[[/note]]
During the great civil war known as the Horus Heresy, half of the Astartes of the Imperium spearheaded a galaxy-wide rebellion against the Emperor. Their leader defeated, the Traitor Legions have retreated to forgotten corners of the galaxy, most notably the sector known as the Eye of Terror. Shattered into warbands, the Heretic Astartes carry the Long War against the Imperium, devoting themselves to the Chaos Gods in exchange for the power to break their foes.
![[Characters/Warhammer40000XenoRaces Xeno Races]]
Although humans are probably the most proeminent species in the galaxy, they share the Universe with a number of other sentient species of alien origin. Called ''Xenos'' by the Imperium, they can be bitter enemies of mankind just as they can be desperate allies and political rivals to the Imperium.
!![[Characters/Warhammer40000Eldar Aeldari]][[note]]Formerly known as Eldar[[/note]]
The Aeldari or ''Eldars'', are an ancient race of graceful and psychically potent elf-like humanoids. Although they dominated the galaxy, the Aeldari's decadence resulted in the birth of Slaanesh and the fall of their civilization. As of now, the Aeldari are split into several minor factions. Most notables are the Craftworlders, sailing through space in enormous craftworlds and trying to uphold ancient valours of nobility and discipline while the Drukhari, hidden in the city-port of Commoragh, fully indulge in cruelty and bloodthirst. Another faction called the Ynnari has recently risen, worshipping Ynnead the God of Death and hoping to unite all Eldars again.
* [[Characters/Warhammer40000CraftworldEldar Craftworlders]][[note]]Formerly known as Craftworld Eldar[[/note]]
* [[Characters/Warhammer40000DarkEldar Drukhari]][[note]]Formerly known as Dark Eldar[[/note]]
!![[Characters/Warhammer40000Necrons Necrons]]
Even more ancient than the Aeldari are the Necrons. Formerly known as Necrontyr, they have waged war against the Old Ones and won through their hyper-advanced technology and pact with powerful beings known as C'tans. The Necrontyrs subsequently betrayed the C'tans, shattering them into weaker parts that they could enslave. But, weakened by their conflict, the Necrontyrs have transferred each of their members' souls into biomechanical bodies made of living metal and fallen into deep slumber for aeons, only to have recently awakened. The divided dynasties of the Necrons now plan to conquer the galaxy back from the upstart species that inhabit it.
!![[Characters/Warhammer40000Orks Orks]]
The Orks are a brutal, greenskinned species of warmongering xenos. They love to fight above all as they were engineered by the Old Ones to be a race of warriors. Easily dismissed as primitive brutes, the Orks are a galaxy-wide scourge who can rapidly multiply to staggering numbers and create ramshackle yet powerful weapons and vehicles. Given time, billions of Orks may gathers into Waaagh!, near unstoppable armies drowning their enemies in corpses and bullets.
!![[Characters/Warhammer40000TauEmpire The T'au]][[note]]Previously spelled Tau[[/note]]
The T'au are a young but highly ambitious species of blue-skinned xenos. Having built a short but notable Empire on the eastern fringes of the galaxy, they possess highly advanced technology and are united in a common belief in the "Greated Good". Having managed to endure Orks, Tyranids and several Imperium crusades through valor, luck and the relative unimportance of their Empire, the T'au ambition to unite the galaxy under their flag.
!![[Characters/Warhammer40000Tyranids Tyranids]]
Coming from intergalactic space, the Tyranids are a highly threatening faction of Xenos all subservient to a Hive Mind, being less a sentient species than a horde of various organisms obeying a collective will. Driven by hunger, the Tyranids have performed several incursions in the galaxy. To do so they gathered into Hive Fleets to overrun and consume whole worlds out of their biological matter, using it to feed and create more soldiers. So far they have been repelled each time but those who know about the Tyranids fear that the fleets that they have seen so far are only the vanguard of the main group.

For characters important to the ''Literature/HorusHeresy'', see [[Characters/HorusHeresy here]]
[[/index]]
----

The Imperium of Man is the most powerful political entity in the galaxy. Untold billions of humans living on a million planets are united by species-wide loyalty and servitude to the Imperial Faith, worshipping the God-Emperor on Holy Terra. Beset by Chaos and Xenos on all front, the Imperium has decayed from an enlightened empire to a dictatorial, stagnant and obscurantist theocrary whose cheapest resource is human lives.

Several key figures dating back to the 31st have founded the Imperium and heavily contributed to shape it into its current form. Most remarkable of them are the Emperor, a mysterious god-like person whose ambition and might kickstarted the Imperium. In that colossal task of conquering the galaxy, the Emperor was assisted by Malcador the Sigillite, chief administrator of the Imperium and 20 mighty superhumans named the Primarchs, who acted as his generals during the period of galactic conquest known as The Great Crusade.

The Astra Militarum or ''Imperial Guard'' is the main army of the Imperium. It is composed of billions of ordinary human soldiers mobilized from the worlds of the Imperium who fight inglorious yet necessary battles across the galaxy to defend the Imperium. Despite its subpar equipments and soldiers compared to the horrors they face, the Astra Militarum is the most powerful united military organization of the galaxy.

The Inquisition is a secretive and dreaded organization of oustanding men and women, tasked with rooting out all threats to the integrity of the Imperium. Be that Xenos schemes, heretical branches of the Ecclesiarchy or Daemonic corruption, the Inquisition is free to take the most terrible decisions to preserve the Imperium from such threats.

The Adeptus Mechanicus is a nation inside of the Imperium, devoted to the worship of the Omnissiah or Machine-god, and responsible for manufacting all the technological equipment of the Imperium. Based on Forge Worlds, the Mechanicus not only provides the Imperium with technology but it can also field technological marvels of its own.

The Aeldari or ''Eldars'', are an ancient race of graceful and psychically potent species. Having at one time dominated the galaxy, the Aeldari's decadence resulted in the birth of Slaanesh and the fall of their civilization. As of now, the Aeldari are split into several minor factions. Most notables are the Craftworlders, nomadic Eldars trying to uphold ancient valours of nobility and discipline while the Drukhari, hidden in the city-port of Commoragh, fully indulge in cruelty and bloodthirst. Another faction called the Ynnari have recently risen, worshipping Ynnead the God of Death and hoping to unite all Eldars again.

Even more ancient than the Aeldari are the Necrons. Formerly known as Necrontyr, they have waged war against the Old Ones and won through their hyper-advanced technology and pact with powerful beings known as C'tans. The Necrontyrs are subsequently betrayed the C'tans, shattering them into weaker parts that they could enslave. But, weakened by their conflict, the Necrontyrs have transferred each of their members' souls into biomechanical machines made of living metal and fallen into deep slumber for aeons, only to have recently awakened. The divided dynasties of the Necrons now plan to conquer the galaxy back from the upstart species that inhabit it.

The T'au are a young but highly ambitious species of blue-skinned xenos. Having built a short but notable Empire on the eastern fringes of the galaxy, they possess highly advanced technology and are united in a common belief in the Greated Good. Having managed to endure Orks, Tyranids and several Imperium crusades through valor, luck and the relative unimportance of their Empire, the T'au ambition to unite the galaxy under their flag.

Coming from intergalactic space, the Tyranids are a highly threatening faction of Xenos all subservient to a Hive Mind, being less a sentient species than a horde of various organisms obeying the whole. Driven by hunger, the Tyranids have performed several incursions in the galaxy. To do so they gather into Hive Fleets to overrun and consume whole worlds out of their biological matter, using it to feed and create more soldiers. So far they have been repelled each time but those who know about the Tyranids fear that the fleets that they have seen so far are only the vanguard of the main group.

* [[Characters/Warhammer40000Imperium The Imperium of Man]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialFounders Founders]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Astartes Adeptus Astartes]][[note]]Also known as Space Marines[[/note]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesChapters Adeptus Astartes Chapters]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesCharacters Adeptus Astartes Heroes]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000PrimarisSpaceMarines Primaris Marines]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialGuard Astra Militarum]][[note]]Also known as Imperial Guard[[/note]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Sororitas Adepta Sororitas]][[note]]Also known as Sisters of Battle[[/note]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Inquisition The Inquisition]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Mechanicus Adeptus Mechanicus]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000CurrentImperialFactions Other Imperial Factions]]
* [[Characters/Warhammer40000ForcesOfChaos The Forces of Chaos]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000ChaosGods Chaos Gods and Daemons]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000ChaosMarines Heretic Astartes]][[note]]Also known as Chaos Space Marines[[/note]]
* [[Characters/Warhammer40000XenoRaces Xeno Races]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Eldar Aeldari]][[note]]Formerly known as Eldar[[/note]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000CraftworldEldar Craftworlders]][[note]]Formerly known as Craftworld Eldar[[/note]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000DarkEldar Drukhari]][[note]]Formerly known as Dark Eldar[[/note]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Necrons Necrons]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Orks Orks]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000TauEmpire The T'au]][[note]]Previously spelled Tau[[/note]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Tyranids Tyranids]]

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Astartes Adeptus Astartes]] (Space Marines)

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialGuard Astra Militarum]] (Imperial Guard)
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Sororitas Adepta Sororitas]] (Sisters of Battle)

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000ChaosMarines Heretic Astartes]] (Chaos Space Marines)

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Eldar Aeldari]] (Eldar)
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000CraftworldEldar Craftworlders]] (Craftworld Eldar)
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000DarkEldar Drukhari]] (Dark Eldar)
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000EldarGods Aeldari Gods]]

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000TauEmpire The T'au Empire]] (Tau)

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Astartes Adeptus Astartes]]

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialGuard Astra Militarum]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Sororitas Adepta Sororitas]]

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000ChaosMarines Heretic Astartes]]

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Eldar Aeldari]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000CraftworldEldar Craftworlders]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000DarkEldar Drukhari]]

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000TauEmpire The T'au Empire]]

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialGuard Imperial Guard/Astra Militarum]]

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialGuard Astra Militarum]]

*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesChapters Adeptus Astrtes Chapters]]

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Astartes Space Marines]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesChapters Space Marine Chapters]]

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialGuard Imperial Guard]]
** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Sororitas Sisters of Battle]]

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000ChaosMarines Chaos Space Marines]]

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Eldar Eldar]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000CraftworldEldar Craftworld Eldar]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000DarkEldar Dark Eldar]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000EldarGods Eldar Gods]]

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000TauEmpire The Tau Empire]]

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000PrimarisSpaceMarines Primaris Marines]]

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000PrimarisSpaceMarines]]

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Mechanicus Adeptus Mechanicus]]

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000CurrentImperialFactions Current factions]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000ImperialGuard Imperial Guard]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Mechanicus Adeptus Mechanicus]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Sororitas Sisters of Battle]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Inquisition The Inquisition]]

** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Astartes Space Marines]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesChapters Space Marine Chapters]]

*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Astartes Space Marines]]
*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesChapters Space Marine Chapters]]

**** [[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesChapters Space Marine Chapters]]

*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesChapters Space Marine Chapters]]

*** [[Characters/Warhammer40000Astartes Space Marines]] ([[Characters/Warhammer40000AstartesChapters Chapters]])