The announcement of the Warhammer 40,000 cinematic universe was made by Games Workshop and Amazon Studios quite a while ago. And since then, fans of the franchise have been eagerly anticipating what they can expect from the final product.
And since Henry Cavill will be out of action for quite a while following his injury on the sets of the Highlander reboot film, fans are praying for his speedy recovery, while also diving deeper into the lore. Thus, we have explained the faction of Chaos from 40K in detail so that you may be ready for what the cinematic universe might have to offer.
5. Nurgle: The Father of Plagues and Entropy
Called by his loyal subjects as Papa, Nurgle is the personification of entropy, death, and paradoxically, life. While he spreads pestilence, he also represents the endurance to survive it, which is why his followers revere him as a benevolent father figure who embraces them with gifts of disease and eternal life through pestilence.
His teachings relay the sentiment of accepting despair and finding joy in suffering, turning weakness into a disgusting form of strength. He resides in his realm in the Immaterium called Nurgle’s Garden, a swamp of rot, pus rivers, rotting trees, and buzzing flies.
Here, he’s surrounded by his rotting, plague-riddled followers, who consist of Plaguebearers, Nurglings, Great Unlean Ones, and his tallyman, Epidemius, who records every death by plague that the galaxy experiences.
His faction, which also consists of the Death Guard legion alongside the Daemon Primarch Mortarion, is considered one of the strongest Chaos factions in Warhammer 40,000
4. Tzeentch: The Bringer of Change
Residing over the domains of change, knowledge, destiny, and lies, Tzeench is often called The Architect of Fate, as he controls everyone’s destiny in the palms of his hands through his multi-layered schemes.
His existence is sustained by every plan and every ambition that the mortals ever had, have, and will have. He is also the master of sorcery and the Warp, as every psychic power ultimately traces back to him in some manner. His devotees consist of sorcerers, scholars, and manipulators, any that hunger for forbidden knowledge or to control destiny.
He resides in a labyrinthine maze that is stated to be a kaleidoscopic nightmare of ever-shifting landscapes, impossible architectures, and rivers of pure magic. His subjects include Horrors, Screamers, Lords of Change, and Kairos Fateweaver, who sees the past, present, and future, all at the same time.
He also boasts of the following of the Thousand Sons legion, led by the Daemon Primarch Magnus the Red.
3. Khorne: The Blood God
Khorne’s title of The Blood God stems from him being the Chaos embodiment of rage, war, murder, and bloodshed. Every act of killing, whether for glory or survival, strengthens him and makes him stronger in the Immaterium.
His worshippers tend to embrace close combat weapons, entirely shunning ranged or psychic attacks since the entity also personifies honor in combat, discipline, and martial skill, viewing other forms as cowardly. Through this practice, those who revel in never-ending war often turn into daemonic beings known as Khorne Berserkers.
Khorne can be found in the Warp in the Brass Citadel, a fortress of skulls and iron, guarded by endless legions of daemons, sitting atop the Skull Throne. His followers include Bloodletters, Flesh Hounds, Bloodthirsters, and his champion, Skulltaker. He also enjoys the allegiance of the traitor legion World Eaters, headed by the Daemon Primarch Angron.
2. Slaanesh: The Prince of Excess
Last born of the Chaos Gods, from the indulgence in extremes of pleasure and pain by the ancient Aeldari until their psychic excess birthed them, Slaanesh represents the realm of excess, pleasure, desire, and perfection.
They practice and preach the spreading of all extremes of sensation, from ecstatic joy to endless torment and everything in between. The ones who pray She Who Thirsts are the ones pursuing excess to the extreme, even if it means turning to the perverse side of existence.
Her followers are made up of Daemonettes, Seekers, Keeper of Secrets, and the Masque of Slaanesh. They are also aided by the presence of the traitorous and headonistic Space Marine faction, The Emperor’s Children, led by the Daemon Primarch Fulgrim.
1. Malal: Forgotten God of Anarchy and Rebellion
We may not have much information regarding Malal, who is considered the god of anarchy, rebellion, and hatred of Chaos itself, as he has been present in the lore to a lesser capacity. Malal first appeared in the early 1980s Warhammer Fantasy Battle lore in The Quest of Kaleb Daark.
However, due to legal issues with his creators, Games Workshop stopped directly publishing content that had Malal as a direct subject of the work (via Jordan Sorcery). Yet to this day, he has seen subtle references in 40K, where he’s called Malice, Maliceor, The Renegade God, and The Doomed One, among others.
Which is your favorite Chaos God? Tell us in the comments below.
An official release date for the Warhammer 40,000 live-action series is yet to be announced, but we can expect it to be released on Prime Video in mid-2027/early 2028.
