After years of rumors, a new Lion El’Jonson Primarch model and El Jonson datasheet have returned to Warhammer 40k after being revealed in 2023!
Updated on May 8th, 2025, by Rob Baer with new information and links.
The Primarch Lion El’Jonson is now part of Warhammer 40k after years of rumor, and now this miniature has new features and rules for 10th Edition. This article will discuss the Lion El Jonson model, his rules, and how he returned to the Warhammer 40k world. We will also show you the pricing and where you can get your own.
An Epic Return
He’s back—and he brought a sword, a shield, and a grudge. Lion El’Jonson, the brooding Primarch of the Dark Angels, has finally returned to Warhammer 40k, and the 2023 model reveal didn’t disappoint. From his brutal combat stats to the sleek gothic design, this isn’t just a comeback—it’s a statement.
Lion El’Jonson Model Retail Price: $70/€55/£42.50
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This one’s a showstopper—an absolute centerpiece for any Dark Angels force. Painters, get ready to have a field day with all the layered textures: flowing robes, intricate armor, and weapons that are just begging for some edge highlighting. If you’re more into rolling dice than painting eyes, don’t worry—the Lion El Johnson model brings the pain on the tabletop too, slicing through heretics and showboating in duels like it’s his full-time job.
The Lion El Jonson model kit includes 43 plastic bits and comes with a 60mm Citadel Round base. You’ll need to build it yourself, and yeah, it’s unpainted—so get to work!
Another Primarch splashes down! While you could have gotten the returned Lion Eljonson model before in his small bundle box, that was heavily allocated and more expensive.
Lion El’Jonson Datasheet 10th Edition 40k Model Rules
In 10th Edition 40k, the Lion El Jonson datasheet got some small changes from 9th Edition, but the Lion El Jonson model is still quite strong (and with S12 should have an easy time on wound rolls) and very tough. He has a ton of great abilities, and All Secrets Revealed can be super annoying when it works. Then, giving all models within 6″ Feel No Pain 4+ to Mortal Wounds can be super useful against certain armies.
You get a free CP, and your opponent doesn’t get to use his Stratagem. Plus, with Lone Operative and Fights First, he can be hard to remove from the board. Just be sure to roll high on those charge rolls if you’re deep striking him, as he doesn’t have an aura for that!
Of course, if he’s in your army, he will be the Warlord, it only makes sense for the rules and datasheet!
How Did the Lion Return in Warhammer 40k?
During the chaos of the Era Indomitus, right in the thick of the Arks of Omen campaign, Lion El’Jonson finally decided nap time was over. After lounging in stasis inside The Rock for a few thousand years, the Lion woke up—not as a bureaucrat like his brother Roboute Guilliman, but as a hunter on a galactic vendetta. Less paperwork, more decapitations.
While Guilliman was busy reorganizing spreadsheets and supply lines, the Lion was quietly building a legend. Long before the Imperium even knew he was back, whispers spread across isolated planets about a towering figure cloaked in shadow.
Some called him the Cowled Giant, others the Unforgiving Knight, and a few even jumped straight to “Emperor Incarnate.” Wherever he showed up, eerie visions of ancient forests faded into thin air—and the locals were left half in awe, half in therapy.
How exactly he zipped around the galaxy stayed under wraps. Even his most loyal followers didn’t get the full story. In his long sleep under The Rock, the Lion kept dreaming of the dense, haunted forests of Caliban—his old stomping grounds before the planet got obliterated.
Whether those dreams were just nostalgia or an actual Warp-powered Uber service? No one knows. The Lion’s not talking. But one thing’s clear—he’s got a knack for popping up out of nowhere, and he knows exactly how to use it.
What Happened to The Lion?
After the nightmare that was the Horus Heresy, Lion El’Jonson needed a break—and maybe a chance to patch things up at home. So he headed back to Caliban, hoping to regroup with his Dark Angels and get his house in order.
Instead? He got a planetary welcome party made entirely of orbital gunfire. Not exactly the homecoming he had in mind.
Turns out, Luther—once Jonson’s closest ally—had gone full Chaos and brainwashed the local garrison. That betrayal hit hard. The Lion, not one to take treachery lightly, ordered an all-out bombardment to cleanse the planet. Subtlety wasn’t on the agenda.
Amid the firestorm, Jonson personally led a charge into the Fortress Monastery, determined to end things face-to-face. What followed was an epic throwdown between primarch and fallen brother, leveling large chunks of the fortress and destabilizing the planet itself.
As the fight peaked, Luther hit Jonson with a psychic strike that nearly killed him. The damage done, Luther snapped out of it… But the clock had already run out.
Chaos, being the sore loser it is, unleashed a warp storm that tore Caliban apart. Everything was obliterated—except the heavily shielded monastery. When the surviving Dark Angels made planetfall (now more of an asteroid landing), they found Luther babbling about Watchers in the Dark, claiming Jonson had been taken by them and would one day return to forgive him.
No trace of the Lion remained. The traitor legionaries—now called The Fallen—were scattered through the warp, leaving behind nothing but shame and unanswered questions.
What almost no one knew was that Jonson hadn’t died. He was in stasis, tucked away even deeper within The Rock, guarded by the Watchers themselves. Only the Emperor knew the truth, waiting patiently for the day the Lion would rise again—and take up arms for the Dark Angels one more time.
Lion El’Jonson New Primarch Miniature Revealed for Warhammer 40k: (March 22nd, 2023)
He is initially releasing a new Arks of Omen book that will also have rules for the Primaris Dante model as well. Let’s take a closer look at the size, and scale of the primarch miniature!
Lion El’Jonson, the OG Primarch of the Dark Angels, is finally back—and not a moment too soon. Armed with the glowing blade Fealty and the Emperor’s Shield, the Lion is basically a one-man crusade: part knight, part ghost story, and all business. He stalks through the Warp like some brooding myth from Old Terra, hunting traitors and smashing nightmares with righteous fury.
He’s definitely looking a bit more weathered than his Horus Heresy days—but hey, you’d have some mileage too after 10,000 years of power naps. As for his rules? Games Workshop is keeping those cards close to the chest.
What we do know is Cypher’s still running around with the Lion’s sword, so a dramatic reunion (or rematch) seems inevitable. Keep your bolters ready.
However, he carries the Shield of the Emperor, which should mean he has some crazy defensive capabilities.
Like many of the Dark Angels, he comes with a few attendants, just as it should be.
Then, he comes with four different head options, so if you’re not a huge fan of the old man look, you can throw a helmet on there.
The Lion El Jonson model is about the same size as Guilliman, which makes sense, complete with tactical rock (get it).
RUMORS: GW’s Biggest Hint Yet For Lion El’Jonson Returned Model in 40k (March 13th, 2023)
They have been doing these little teaser videos for the Arks of Omen books and minis, and this one is maybe even more obvious than the Farsight trailer. Let’s check it out!
The Knight? This is an obvious one, right? Right?! Nope, we still have no clue!
They say they have no clue, but what else could this be? Unless they are coming out with a newly named character, this has the color scheme, the name, and the look to be Lion! It would also make sense with the current timeline of releases and reveals.
They even say his blade reflects the light of a poisoned sky, and we know The Rock is coming under siege. So, really, at this point, you almost have to assume this confirms a new Lion El’Johnson miniature.
This is still technically a rumor, so take it with as much salt as you need, but the timeframe is working out perfectly. Perhaps the Lion will be the big announcement at Warhammer Fest if they tease 10th edition at AdeptiCon.
Either way, if this isn’t the lion, saying there will be a lot of disappointed hobbyists may be an understatement…
RUMORS: GW Drops More Hints For The Lion Returning to 40k (March 4th, 2023)
Just like the previous card we saw, the colors just scream Dark Angels and the forests of old Caliban! They mention a star falling (which Lion came from the sky and fell as a small boy), then about watching battles unfold. Perhaps this is what he’s been doing, just watching the battles, waiting for the right time to reveal himself from his slumber inside the Rock!
On top of that, he comes from the stars and could rise up as a light for humanity, sort of like a star.
Next up, this looks like Caliban, and as we said, the color scheme is so Dark Angels. This one didn’t say quite as much as the last video, but everything in it could easily be translated directly to Lion El’Jonson!
However, this is just the tip of the iceberg for Lion rumors.
RUMORS: Lion El’Jonson or Lost Space Marines Legions Returning…
Well, starting with the name of the video from Warhammer Community, The Lost Child. This could very quickly be based on either Lion or any of the two Lost Legions Primarchs. With the Lion having been missing for so long (not really missing, but from the eyes of non-Dark Angels), you could easily equate this to him.
However, Legions II and XI are called the lost and the purged; so, in theory, it could also be them as well. This would be a pretty wild shift in the lore of Warhammer 40k, as they have never been mentioned. Not even the Legions of Chaos talk about them!
So, this could, in theory, be a massive shift in the game.
Next, we get this, which means purge in some form. Guess who was purged from all Imperial records? Oh, that’s right, the II and XI legions!
However… this could also be talking about Lion finally waking up to purge the Fallen and get the Dark Angels clean once again! Either could make sense, honestly…
Then, in the video, they mention a fatherless son alone in the endless night. This could mean a whole bunch of things, but with Lion sleeping for so long, that sounds like an endless night to us!
The Sundering of the Primarchs & The Missing II & XI Legions
Big E is basically gone and has left his sons to fend for themselves. Then, the Lion has blonde hair, and something about the color scheme of this card screams Dark Angels to us, with the powerful red and muted green.
Again, though, it’s not definitive, and this could easily be talking about the lost child of either the II or the XI, as both of them were abandoned by their father and have spent nearly endless time in the warp (which could easily be seen as an endless night).
We’ll have to see, but when you look at the card, it’s hard not to think of Lion…
Final Thoughts on the Lion in 40k
The Lion’s return is more than a lore drop—it’s a game-changer for Warhammer 40k and a flex for Dark Angels players everywhere. Whether you’re hyped for the model, curious about the rules, or just here for the drama with Cypher, now’s the time to prep your paints and update your army lists. Overall, it’s great news for fans of the game who have been waiting for this moment for years!
Learn About the Dark Angels Lore & Tactics
What do you think about all the Lion El’Jonson model rumors, the El Jonson Datasheet, and his return to 40k?
