Is Commissar Yarrick actually dead, or is a new model for Commissar Yarrick, 40k’s hero of Armageddon, right around the corner? Here’s the latest on Old Bale Eye.
Is Commissar Yarrick dead or just gearing up for another fight? Games Workshop has finally cracked open the vault of secrets, sort of. With a few sly hints and some suspiciously vague storytelling, they’ve left the fate of the Old Man of Armageddon hanging in the balance.
As a miniatures junkie who’s watched Yarrick punch his way through greenskins and survive things that would flatten a Baneblade, let’s break down exactly what GW’s latest breadcrumbs mean for Warhammer 40k players.
Games Workshop, the Masters of “Maybe”
Updated on December 24th, 2025, by Rob Baer, with the latest on Yarrick 40k.
Was Yarrick smashed by Angron during the Blood Crusade? Could be. Did he bow out with a bang, taking down a Daemon Primarch in the process? Possible.
But we think if the old Yarrick Commissar really bit the dust, they’d have made a way bigger deal about it. Old Bale Eye doesn’t just vanish without a 40-page eulogy and at least one new special character boxed set.
Games Workshop Is Not Exactly Being Subtle About Yarrick
Their Dec 22nd, 2025, Grotmas short story reads less like a farewell and more like GW loudly clearing its throat about old Bale Eye.
Commissar Yarrick is talked about in hushed, reverent tones, his death questioned outright, and his absence framed as a problem that still needs fixing. That last line is the real tell.
GW is very deliberately leaving the door cracked, and with current rumors pointing to a Christmas reveal or a 2026 return, this short story feels like a setup, not nostalgia.
Is Commissar Yarrick Dead?
Let’s talk about Commissar Yarrick 40k’s hero of Armageddon, ork-slayer extraordinaire, and living embodiment of pure stubbornness. Or should we say… maybe living? Games Workshop stirred the pot with some cryptic comments about his fate, and the 40k community hasn’t stopped debating it since.
This is the piece of info that got everyone talking about Yarrick once again.
And the new Codex: Astra Militarum suggests that the Bell has tolled for the Hero of Armageddon, as Commissar Sebastian Yarrick goes to join the Emperor in glory.
Possibly.
Maybe?
So, is 40k Commissar Yarrick dead? The short answer: no one’s entirely sure. The long answer: it’s complicated, messy, and suspiciously full of opportunities for new miniatures for one of the greatest heroes of the Imperium.
Commissar Yarrick 40k’s Hero of Armageddon
When the 9th Edition Codex: Astra Militarum dropped, fans noticed something suspiciously absent: no Commissar Yarrick, 40k’s Hero of Armageddon. No updated model, no fresh rules, no soaring hymn to his latest brutal victory. Just… silence. And then came the ominous hints.
Games Workshop’s official post teased that maybe the Hero of Armageddon has joined the Emperor in glory, or maybe he hasn’t; that’s what it’s like to be an Imperial Guard player.
The real kicker? Angron, the Red Angel himself, is swinging around a skull with a bionic eye. That’s right, a very Yarrick-shaped skull. It’s the kind of storytelling bait only Games Workshop could throw out without offering a shred of clarity, and maybe show his death at the hands of the Red Angel.
Why a New Commissar Yarrick Model Feels Inevitable
Let’s not kid ourselves, Games Workshop loves a good “surprise return.” Just ask anyone who painted Death Riders right before they were “retired” and then brought back better than ever. This has all the makings of a setup: drip-feed the mystery, keep the community theorizing, and then reveal a brand-new Yarrick model with some snazzy 40k rules.
Why Commissar Yarrick Still Matters So Much
For anyone somehow new to the legend, Commissar Sebastian Yarrick wasn’t just a hard-nosed officer. He was the bane of Orks everywhere. This guy learned their language as a kid, took down a Warboss in single combat after losing his arm, stole the Ork’s Power Klaw for himself, and slapped a laser cannon into his missing eye socket.
During the Second War for Armageddon, Yarrick didn’t just inspire soldiers; he turned terrified PDF conscripts into ork-stomping maniacs through sheer presence. His stubborn defense of Hades Hive made him a living myth, earning respect even from the Orks, who started calling him “Old Bale Eye” like he was some kind of death god.
Later, in the Third War for Armageddon, when Ghazghkull came back for round two, Yarrick was there again, turning dug-in defenses into an art form and refusing to die no matter how badly the odds were stacked.
Could Yarrick Actually Be Alive?
It’s not just wishful thinking. The Imperium has a long and storied history of “factual creativity.” Look at Marneus Calgar, killed on Vigilus (but not really), patched up by Roboute Guilliman’s boys, and then strutting around in new Primaris armor.
The Imperium knows that symbols matter more than facts. If rumors of Yarrick’s death light a fire under the Guard’s boots, so be it if later rumors of his miraculous survival bring even more zeal and violence, even better.
Another angle? Maybe Yarrick didn’t die at all, but was captured again, or even preserved as some grim relic by the Mechanicum. Stranger things have happened in Warhammer 40k.
Final Thoughts: Don’t Write His Epitaph Yet
Is Commissar Yarrick dead? For now, it’s Schrödinger’s Commissar: he’s both dead and alive until Games Workshop decides how many sprues they want to print. From legends to reality, one thing’s certain: the galaxy isn’t finished with Old Bale Eye
🔗 Related Reads:
- A Complete Guide to Every 40k Army
- Best Warhammer 40k Games
- All The New 40k Astra Militarum Minis
- How To Play Astra Miliatrum
- Astra Militarum Battleforce Box Set
- Astra Militarum’s New Combat Patrol Box
- Best Buys: Warhammer 40k Starter Sets
A Complete Guide to Every 40k Army
