Your guide to the burning questions about Female Space Marines, their place in the Warhammer 40k lore, and the community debate.
Updated on April 22nd, 2025, by Rob Baer with new information and links to relevant content.
The Warhammer 40k universe has often stirred debates beyond just tactical gameplay. One that has gained traction over recent years is the call for gender diversity in its iconic factions: female Space Marines and the potential for male Sisters of Battle or Sisters of Silence.
One ongoing debate among the fanbase (which seems to erupt out of nowhere and is currently trending on social media as of this writing) is the call for female Space Marines and the fact that GW has now confirmed that female Adeptus Custodes have been around since the first Ten Thousand.
But how does this compare to the already established female force, the Sisters of Battle? Let’s break it all down:
Questions About Female Space Marines
Back in the 1980s, at the beginning of the Rogue Trader Era, Warhammer 40,000 featured female “Space Marines,” and they weren’t Sisters of Battle miniatures either.
As the game has grown in popularity, so has its diverse player base. Incorporating female Space Marines could reflect and respect that diversity. However, a significant portion of the player base is also angered by this possibility, and loves to point out a number of reasons why Female Space Marines doesn’t work.
Female Space Marine Miniatures: Fact, Fiction, or Future?
Maybe the biggest question for GW is whether there is market demand for them. From a commercial perspective, there is clear interest. Many hobbyists have already converted miniatures or sourced third-party figures to represent Female Space Marines. But would the move harm the company with its existing fan base? Why female space marines doe
It might… However, introducing female Space Marines can open the door to new stories, conflicts, and narrative possibilities. Most importantly, for Games Workshop, though, it can open the door to new audiences and revenue streams.
Sisters of Battle vs. Female Space Marines
The Sisters of Battle, or Adepta Sororitas, have a unique lore steeped in faith and martyrdom and tons of female models, which starkly contrasts with the genetically engineered might of the Space Marines. Introducing Female Space Marines isn’t about replacing the Sisters but diversifying the broader Warhammer 40k universe.
The Sisters have a gothic, ecclesiastical design distinct from the utilitarian, militaristic look of the Space Marines. Female Space Marines could offer a new aesthetic direction, providing hobbyists with more options.
You may ask, “Are the Sisters of Battle the Female Counterparts of Space Marines?” Not exactly; while the Sisters are indeed a powerful female force, their lore, motivations, and aesthetic differ from that of the existing Space Marine chapters.
So “Why Not Just Expand on the Sisters of Battle Instead of Introducing Female Space Marines?”
While expanding the Sisters’ lore is crucial, the call for Female Marines revolves around diversifying an iconic and existing faction. Both actions can, in theory, coexist. However, the only way it may happen is if GW can recognize the market demand.
Should There Be Male Sisters of Battle or Sisters of Silence?
The Sisters of Battle’s origin, tied deeply to the Ecclesiarchy’s ban on “men-at-arms,” and the Sisters of Silence being a part of the Adeptus Astra Telepathica, might make introducing male versions more complicated, but still elite warriors.
This would require some serious lore adaptations from GW (Vandire and the Brides of the Emperor), but they have done it in the past. While diversifying gender is one concern, the uniqueness of each faction’s role should remain intact. Male Sisters, if introduced, would need a strong narrative reason that doesn’t dilute the essence of these factions.
How Would the Lore Accommodate Male Sisters of Battle, Given Their Origins?
If Games Workshop chooses this route, they’d need to craft a compelling story, perhaps a splinter faction or a drastic change to the Warhammer 40k universe’s events. Again, though, it’s not like GW hasn’t changed the lore in the past to accommodate something they wanted.
Games Workshop Confirms Female Adeptus Custodes
On pages 14-15 of the new 10th Edition book Adeptus Custodes codex, there is a full story about a female Custodes named Calladayce. The full story is here, and this is the first codex book to discuss female Adeptus Custodes explicitly. Since Games Workshop originally posted this, it has since confirmed that this is official and that female Custodes are now canon in Warhammer 40k.
A few years back, a GW writer also weighed in on the issue and discussed why we hadn’t seen them before from a design standpoint.
Warhammer 40k’s Female “Space Marines” Miniatures
Back in 1988, at the beginning of the Rogue Trader Era, Games Workshop posted this ad in White Dwarf 99, offering two of these minis for 5£. Sculpted by Bob Naismith, Trish, Aly Morrison, and Mark Copplestone, these figures helped spearhead the Rogue Trader revolution, which eventually became the Warhammer 40k game we know today.
As you can see, Jayne and Gabs debuted here as “female warriors.” At this point, GW didn’t even know what a Space Marine was, so it’s hard to say if they are female Space Marines, but this is the closest you can get officially from GW!
Jayne was listed as having a Power Sword, and Gabs as having both a Power Sword and Bolter. From the sculpts, they both appear to be wearing power armor with a backpack as well.
At this point, it is impossible to determine whether the sales of these two figures contributed to the development of the Sisters of Battle miniature line in the early 1990s, but it would be interesting to think so.
Now, other companies have taken inspiration from Jayne and Gabs and made versions to fit their miniature lines.
The Female Space Marine That Fooled the Hobby
Image Credit @Kittenmeetswarhammer
You might have initially thought that Belisarius Cawl figured out a way to turn females into Primaris! In all reality, this is one hobbyist’s conversion piece photoshopped onto a page of a year-old White Dwarf. The model, however, is very much a real conversion, as our article debunking this hoax shows.
Image Credit @Kittenmeetswarhammer
A picture shows the model’s conversion progress.
Image Credit @Kittenmeetswarhammer
Yes, it’s that good because it fooled the entire internet for a few minutes. While this may not be an official GW miniature, it certainly provides a good foundation for female Primaris Space Marines in the future. If GW ever decides to go that way…
Ex-GW Employee Weighs in on Female Space Marines in 40k
The age-old debate of female Space Marines reignites with the latest from an ex-GW employee and key insights into their release cycle. A few years ago, a hobbyist on Twitter reposted some of the old pictures of the female Space Marines from the Adventurers line and explained his take on why they never really “took off” back in the late 1980s.
Another user posted a reply from Alan Merrett, the former head of intellectual property at Games Workshop, who was the GW design manager at the time these models were released. He had a few interesting things to say on another forum a while back, not only about the “burning” question of “Why aren’t there any female Space Marines?” but also about GW’s release cycle in general.
Making what seems to be a good point, there were technically female Space Marine models that existed way back in the male-dominated 1980s miniatures market. But what we found interesting about this post was that even back then, GW seemed to have a dedicated release cycle (either monthly or weekly), and they apparently ended up using everything that was sculpted… even the models in the dreaded “Drawer 101”.
He went on to say:
Weekly Releases Amid Representation
This is a lot to read through, but we underlined the areas of interest in red. Essentially, when female miniatures were first introduced into the model range (in the 1980s, to be precise), they didn’t sell as well as the male variants, and stores complained that they weren’t moving products. Thus, GW adapted to what the community wanted and again focused on male models in the late 1980s.
Recently, the resounding demand from the community to bring back Sisters of Battle, which was a massive success for GW, proves that times have changed from the 1980s customer base 1000%.
While there still aren’t any official female Space Marine models in production by GW, we can still find ladies in power armor if that’s your style- or Female Stormcasts in Age of Sigmar. And, of course, we all know that Games Workshop generates tons of revenue off of their constant, weekly releases (with or without the dreaded “Drawer 101”)
So, Can There Be Female Space Marines?
Yes, if Games Workshop wanted it to be so, the Warhammer 40k universe, with its millennia of lore and vast scope, can undoubtedly accommodate the inclusion of female Space Marines, especially since they confirmed female Custodes have existed “since the beginning” of the lore!
Whether it’s the inclusion of female Space Marines or considering gender shifts in traditionally female factions or units, the essence lies in the quality of the narrative and design. They would just have to come up with some ideas for the Gene Seed to work, as currently it is keyed to male hormones, as Space Marines are genetic (technically.)
Final Thoughts Them
In conclusion, the debate about female Space Marines in the Warhammer 40k universe has been raging for decades, and it seems like there’s no end in sight. With calls for gender diversity, potential male Sisters of Battle or Sisters of Silence, and even discussions about male versions of existing factions, the Warhammer 40k universe continues to evolve.
Regardless of where you stand on the issue, one thing’s for sure: the 40k universe is vast and full of potential for exciting new narratives and characters (especially if Games Workshop needs something new to sell).
40k’s New Female Adeptus Custodes
Where do you stand on the female Space Marines debate for Warhammer 40k?
