Commissar Yarrick led a life filled with near-impossible exploits and incredible feats of strength, all a product of his sheer force of will.
Few humans have raised themselves so high in the Imperium’s hearts and minds than Commissar Sebastian Yarrick. He is the bane of Orks, and with his unique leadership style, he has saved Armageddon from certain doom.
Is Commissar Yarrick Dead?
Yarrick has been rumored dead many times in recent years. However, it is not clear what his fate is currently (even from Games Workshop themselves), as there are just as many rumors of him still being alive. Ghazghkull himself or a returning Daemon Primarch Angron could have been the ones to kill him, but there is no specific record.
This leads to the next question.
How Old is Commissar Yarrick?
In actual years, he is 153; however, physically, he is 45. So, while he may seem old, he could still have plenty of time left!
What is Commissar Yarrick Famous For?
Commissar Yarrick is most famous for his two defenses of Armageddon from the Ork Warlord Ghazghkull and the Power Klaw he took from a fallen Ork Warboss. He is one of the greatest heroes in the Imperium, starting with his first defense of Armageddon.
The Second War for Armageddon
Commissar Yarrick learned the Ork language as a child from a captured raider and understood the Ork mind. Before the Second War for Armageddon, in 941.M41 Yarrick had served as a commissar for Armageddon’s Planetary Defence Forces in 12 campaigns and was well-known for his loyalty to Emperor. He was already at an advanced age at the start of the war and was set to retire on the day the Orks landed.
Yarrick was on Armageddon when the Ork landing warnings came, assisting in the founding of the 4th Armageddon Regiment. Due to his understanding of Orks, he quickly realized the threat was far greater than any other threat he had seen.
He went above Herman von Strab, the inept Overlord of Armageddon, and had the astropaths call for help. However, Von Strab insisted that Armageddon could handle the Ork threat by itself and exiled Yarrick from Hades Hive.
Von Strab was a gravely mistaken man. He was incompetent, and the planet began to fall until the Orks reached Hades Hive. This is when Commissar Yarrick stepped in and led the defense forces, inspiring them to incredible feats of bravery. Yarrick was constantly on the front lines of the fighting at Hades hive and received numerous battle wounds. Despite overwhelming Ork numbers, not one soldier was executed for cowardice at Hades Hive.
Ghazghkull was frustrated at Yarrick’s refusal to let Hive Hades fall and sent Ugulhard, one of his strongest Warbosses, to take on Yarrick. The Ork and his followers ravaged through the hive’s outer defense. The Commissar took the initiative to halt the advance and strode out to challenge Ugulhard. The duel was not easy by any means, as his arm was ripped off by a swipe of the Warboss’ Power klaw.
A lesser man would have died from such a wound, but Yarrick had an iron will and could survive. He decapitated Ugulhard with his chainsword in the fight, pulled the Power Klaw off his corpse, and held it high for all to view. The sight caused the Orks to flee in panic, as well as caused the humans to charge forward with renewed energy. Yarrick only allowed himself to pass out after the Orks were defeated.
Ghazghkull, at this point, had no choice but to lead his forces against Hades after such a staunch defense. However, Yarrick defeated every strategy he tried to use to capture the Hive. Hades Hive was eventually a personal fight between the two warriors. Yarrick saw that they couldn’t keep their position once Ghazghkull had fallen upon the hive. After a series of daring shuttle runs, the remaining forces escaped. Yarrick sustained a severe wound from Ghazgkull himself and flirted with death at the end of the evacuation.
Commander Dante of the Blood Angels finally entered the war as he took over command of the defenders. Even though the Space Marine’s offensive drove the Orks away from the planet, The defense of Hades Hive proved to be the turning point, and Commissar Yarrick became the hero of Armageddon.
A True Hero of the Imperium: Commissar Yarrick
In 944. M41, three years after the Second War had ended, Yarrick left his retirement and requested a military mission to rid the surrounding worlds of Ork raiders and their remnants. His specific goal was to capture Ghazghkull.
One such planet, Golgotha, was to be the final destination for this purge, as it would result in an overwhelming defeat by Ork defenses. Yarrick even lost his personal Baneblade (the Fortress of Arrogance) and was eventually captured by Ghazghkull. Yarrick then led a revolt on board Ghazghkull’s Space Hulk, despite being subject to brutal torture and forced labor.
Yarrick was corraled again by Greenskins after the uprising failed and brought before Ghazghkull. Surprisingly the Warboss then gave Yarrick a shuttle and released him. Ghazghkull stated, “Good enemies are hard to find.” He felt Yarrick’s participation in the Warboss’ planned re-invasion at Armageddon would be more fun with him on the defender’s side.
Commissar Yarrick would later take revenge on the encounter and return to Golgotha, leading an army of Mechanicum, which included Titans, Skitarii, and an Ordinatus engine, to scour Orks’ world.
What Do Orks Call Commissar Yarrick?
After the intense battle and capture of Yarrick, the Orks almost revered him and gave him the name Old Bale Eye, as they thought he could kill you with a single look.
What Happened In The Third War for Armageddon?
The Third War for Armageddon was to be more complex than the second. Commissar Yarrick returned just two weeks before the invasion began. Not surprisingly, he was offered supreme command of all the forces on the planet.
Yarrick also had the Fortress of Arrogance reconstructed from Golgotha before the war began.
Ghazhkull began the conflict by eliminating Hades Hive from orbit with a giant rok dropped from orbit.
Yarrick’s first order was that all Imperial aircraft launch and kill as many Orks as possible before touching they could touch the ground. When Orks finally landed with their Roks, it provided them with prebuilt fortresses. Yarrick, along with a force of Cadian Shock Troopers, led the assault against one of these.
Eventually, Ghazghkull was defeated in a war of attrition, as Yarrick had dug in everywhere.
Ghazghkull fled Armageddon as the Black Templars rushed to pursue him. Commissar Yarrick petitioned High Marshall Helbrecht to join them as they set out to eliminate the galaxy of Ghazghkull.
Yarrick and Helbrecht eventually caught Ghazghkull after a lengthy pursuit. However, while they were able to corner his flagship Kill Wrecka in the ensuing Battle of the Haunted Gulf, Ghazghkull was able to escape into the Warp and begin yet another Great Waaagh!
Is Commissar Yarrick Good?
Commissar Yarrick is famous throughout the Imperium for his staunch defense against the Orks and for keeping Armageddon from falling. Even from the Ork’s perspective, he is possibly the best foe they have ever faced, and in turn, they want him to stay alive, so they can continue to battle him!
His leadership and skill have turned him into one of the biggest heroes of the Imperium.
What is the Wargear of Commissar Yarrick?
Commissar Yarrick’s weaponry shows his keen understanding of Orks and his strength. At the end of the Second War for Armageddon, he rebuilt his hand using the Power Klaw he had taken from the Warboss, but specially modified to fit the shape of his arm.
Upon hearing the Orks’ rumors that he could kill with one glance, he had the missing eye replaced with a Bionic Replacement, the Bale Eye. It can fire a laser beam similar to a Laspistol at close range.
So the life of Commissar Yarrick has truly been filled with near-impossible exploits and feats of strength, which were all made possible by his tremendous force of will.
Do you want to see Commissar Yarrick return to Warhammer 40k?
Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, or our new Discord server, and make sure you enter the latest monthly giveaway for FREE today!
Get ad-free access to our videos, a monthly crate of miniatures, and support some of the best creators out there for as little as $6 a month on Patreon!
About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Socials: @paschbass
About Travis Pasch: Travis has been a Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the 1990s, playing the game since Third Edition. Through extensive traveling, he’s seen a lot of the miniatures hobby from across the world, giving him a unique perspective on the latest gaming topics and trends.
Travis’s brother even owns a commission painting studio, where he’s picked up a lot of good advice and techniques for painting Warhammer and tabletop miniatures over the years, as well. Travis joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the lead writer since 2020.
Currently, he’s working on converting all his 40k Adeptus Mechanicus models and becoming a true tech enjoyer, complete with both sad and happy robot noises!
