What is the Star Child exactly, and is it the Emperor of Mankind himself?
The Star Child is a mysterious entity said to represent the soul of the Emperor of Mankind.
History
The Emperor is the incarnation of the extinct Shamans who, with their prophetic powers and connection to the warp in its natural and uncorrupted form, had guided ancient mankind. After Horus rebelled and destroyed the Emperor’s mortal frame, his body and soul could no longer remain as one; his soul melted into the warp, only a tiny core of the Emperor’s humanity remaining whole, which was like a small child in a tiny reed boat adrift in the storm of the warp. Since the Emperor’s soul survived, there was a possibility that his whole essence could be reborn once more.
In the same way the Shamans died together to reincarnate as the Emperor, the Emperor’s death too could herald a new saviour. That time would lie far in the future, when mankind’s desire for a new saviour would strengthen the core of the Emperor’s soul and rekindle it to new life.
The soul of the Emperor adrift in the warp is the Star Child. The humans that were left in charge of the Imperium had no real understanding of what had happened to the Emperor. Though the Emperor’s body continued to live within the Golden Throne and his mind continued to be a beacon for humanity, his soul is a god waiting to be born.
The Star Child is also suggested as being the compassion which the Emperor cast from himself in order to destroy his most beloved Primarch-son, Horus.
One legend states that once the Emperor dies, his soul will be freed to go into the warp. Here it will neutralize the Chaos Gods, causing the physical universe to fight one last bloody conflict against itself for the control of the galaxy.
The Inquisition (particularly the Ordo Malleus) has always been at war with the Sensei, the “Emperor’s Sons.” In 997.M41, Inquisitor Fortez reported that he and his colleagues Alexio and Credo determined the Temple of the Star Child on Levilnor IV consisted of unwitting pawns of Tzeentch, so they eliminated it.
However, the same Cult was eliminated by Jaq Draco and a fellow Inquisitor.
Canon Ambiguities
| ! | Previous Edition Warning: This article discusses a topic from a previous edition of Warhammer 40,000. Its canonicity is in question but was once considered canon. |
The Star Child background was introduced in the second of the Realm of Chaos books and referred to later in the 3rd Edition Warhammer 40,000 Rulebook. Much controversy arises out of its continued existence. Some point to the fact that the Cult in the Third Edition Rulebook was found in the Inquisition War Trilogy, meaning that the rulebook, which is supposedly saying that the Star Child lore is refuted, is directly referencing a novel where it is clearly stated it exists.
Checkout more about the Emperor of Mankind Here
About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
