The World Eaters lore is full of anger, destruction, and severe betrayal, but even before the Horus Heresy, they were already insane!
The World Eaters Legion was a pretty obvious candidate for Horus to turn against the Emperor, as Angron had always been a blood-thirsty monster (he was born into being a slave warrior, so no surprise). Let’s see how the Legion turned to Khorne and some choice lore on them.
A Rampaging Legion of Destruction: World Eaters Lore
The World Eaters, one of the Traitor Legions of Chaos Space Marines, now reside in the Warp rift known as the Eye of Terror within the Imperium of Man’s Segmentum Obscurus.
The World Eaters were initially called the War Hounds. They were once the XIIth Legion among the twenty legions in the First Founding of Space Marine Legions and one of the first to betray the Emperor of Mankind to serve Chaos and Warmaster Horus.
This Legion was an ensemble of almost inhuman monsters that were insane long before Horus turned them against the Emperor. They would be monsters, and monsters they would continue to be, but with the remnants of their control and humanity taken away after they fall to Chaos.
Dedicated to Khorne
The World Eaters serve as dedicated servants to the Blood God Khorne and the Chaos God of war, murder, and war. They are devoted to his cause and will not stop spilling blood for him. Perhaps tellingly, the Primarch Angron of the World Eaters was the first to join Horus in his rebellion against the Emperor.
Overall, the Legion is no longer united. They have long since given in to their patron Khorne’s bloodlust and do nothing but pursue his will. They now operate as separate warbands made up of Chaos Space Marines, who aim to spread terror and death across the galaxy in the name of Blood God.
From their inception, the World Eaters were regarded as one of the most brutal and direct assault troops as their Primarch was a critical key factor in their fearsome doctrine.
The Primarch Angron
Angron was raised in the Nuceria world as a slave warrior and driven by a Cybernetic brain implant called the Butcher’s Nails to unleash uncontrollable violence for the entertainment of the masses.
Angron was not a slave long as he possessed the will of a Primarch. He rallied his fellow gladiators to conquer his oppressors, break their chains, and helped to free them from slavery.
Angron led his army of slave warriors into the mountains. He was pursued relentlessly by five armies of Nucerian watchers, and only about a thousand of his fellow gladiators survived. Angron and his soldiers were determined to fight to the bitter end and even dug their own graves. This sent the signal that no quarter would be given to the enemy.
The following day, Angron did not fall because, as it turned out, the Emperor was watching his actions from orbit. He appeared before his long-lost gene-son and informed him, just as he had the other Primarchs, about the purpose for which they were created.
Angron, however, refused to listen to the Emperor and decided to fight alongside his fellow slave warriors.
The sun rose, and the enemy fully encircled Angron’s army of warriors; the Emperor realized that no Primarch could overcome such odds. Just as the battle started, the Primarch was teleported to Emperor’s vessel. Although he was saved from certain doom, his fellow warriors fell, and he would never forgive his gene father for this gross betrayal to his battle-kin.
Why are They Called the World Eaters?
Angron assumed the position of Primarch of the XIIth Legion. He renamed it the “World Eaters” because he knew the implants given to him would allow his Legion to destroy all enemies.
He then insisted that the rest of the Legion would be given the same implants.
This gave the Legion such speed, aggression, and strength that no enemy could stand against his Legion.
However, it was quickly discovered that the implants were based on lost technology. The Mechanicum knew nothing of it. They used Angron’s implant as a template but could never entirely recreate it.
The Mechanicum was able to create devices that significantly increased the abilities of bearers, making them stronger and more aggressive than before. They proved that no one could defeat them, and the World Eaters were the most potent shock troops in the Imperium’s armies.
The glories were not without serious cost. The implanted aggression proved too much to control once they had full power. In the solar night at Ghenna, a whole planet population was killed by World Eaters, who could not, or would not, deny the bloodlust unleashed through the implants. Angron was then censured and told by the Emperor to stop implanting his warriors this way.
However, he continued to do so…
World Eaters in the Horus Heresy
Angron’s Legion was there to help with the bloodshed during the Horus Heresy. The World Eaters were the ones who attacked the Imperial Palace walls, taking no consideration of their losses. The World Eaters were now able to unleash their worst impulses.
Angron was once a powerful man with a strong sense of martial pride and honor. Now he is a blood-soaked, frothing Daemon Prince. His warriors also lost any reason that survived the implant; a severe blood lust for Khorne replaced everything in their minds.
According to legend, when the Emperor defeated Horus, and the Hordes of Chaos attacking Terra were eventually routed, the World Eaters were the last to leave the battlefield.
It is impossible to know how close the World Eaters came to destroying the palace. If Horus had not lowered the shields on his Battle Barge and precipitated the final confrontation in orbit, they might have even taken the palace…
After the Horus Heresy
The World Eaters plunged into new levels of bloodlust and destruction in the wake of the Horus Heresy. They ravaged the Imperium horrendously in its ruin before diving into the dark depths of the Eye of Terror. It is not possible to say what exactly happened in the Eye. However, it is clear that the Legion almost consumed itself in an internecine conflict that saw it split into many smaller warbands.
The Blood God may have been pleased with the slaughter as Angron was already raised to a Daemon Prince. His Legion, however, ceased to exist as an integrated whole.
Although its Daemon Primarch would occasionally gather disparate warbands together into something resembling the glory of the old Legion, the World Eaters were condemned to roam the galaxy looking for war. Individual warbands will sometimes join other Chaos forces, fighting for the chance to shed blood and take skulls. Anything to bring more blood for Khorne!
What Were the World Eaters Called?
The World Eaters were originally called the War Hounds, but their Primarch Angron thought the new name was much more fitting after the implants grafted onto his troops.
What are World Eaters Based on?
They pull a lot from Roman/Greek discipline and gladiators, as Angron was initially thrown into a world where he was raised as a slave warrior/gladiator. He even helped lead a slave revolt against the oppressors, much like Spartacus. However, once they fell to Khorne, martial discipline and honor took a backseat to insane rage and outright bloodshed.
What are your thoughts on possibly the craziest Legion ever?
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About the Author: Travis Pasch
Travis Pasch
Job Title: Head Writer & Editor
Joined: 2019
Socials: @paschbass
Bio: Dark Eldar Dracon and Warhammer 40k hobbyist since the third edition in 1998. He also loves camping because you can only paint so much! He joined the Spikey Bits team in 2019 and has been the main daily writer since 2020.
Maybe one day, he’ll finish converting all his Ad Mech models and turn into a true tech enjoyer, complete with sad and happy robot noises!
