Unhinged Primarch First Impressions Part One

*One random Tuesday two years ago*

T:  These are the Primarchs. Do you see any that interest you?

Me: *Immediately points to Curze* that one. Is he nice?

T: Uhh…

Honestly, introducing me to the Primarchs was the best way to get me into 40K.

Diving into Warhammer Fantasy (RIP) and Age of Sigmar was relatively easy, but 40K and Horus Heresy were different beasts altogether.

With all that lore, it can be overwhelming for newbies to know where to begin. Starting with the Primarchs is a simple way to introduce someone to the different personalities of each legion, giving them a starting point to pursue the ones they’re interested in the most and branching out from there.

I thought it would be fun to look back at my first impressions of each Primarch before I knew their back stories or much about their lore, and compare that to how I perceive them now.

Note: I know more about some Primarchs than others and still have a lot to learn. This is just a light-hearted, non-serious post that doesn’t dive too deep into events or characterisation, we’ll save those deep dives for another post.

Also, just because I don’t like a particular character, it doesn’t mean they’re not written well. If I dislike a character, it probably means they are written incredibly well, but again that’s another topic for another time.

Lion El Johnson

First impression: I thought the Lion was a character straight out of a fairytale- a knight that hunts monsters? Yes please!

Current opinion: I expected to like the Lion the most, but ended up not liking him as much as I thought I would.

His stoic, reclusive and secretive personality makes him relatable (to me anyway) but he tends to rush into things without thinking which I find frustrating.

One thing I do like is how grumpy he can get. Quick to anger, this trait leads to some hilarious moments, notably the argument he has with Dorn in Dorn’s Primarch novel.

I’m not even sure if his grumpy old man status is meant to be funny, but I appreciate it.

Fulgrim

First impression: Fabulous bitch.

Current opinion: Extra fabulous bitch.

I love Fulgrim. He was the best part of the Rogal Dorn Primarch novel (which is saying something, especially as he was barely in it), but I appreciate that under that confident exterior he’s just as vulnerable and insecure as everyone else.

it’s nice to see a character that appreciates art and aesthetics in an otherwise brutalist, industrial grimdark setting. I remember a chapter where he had to break a stained-glass window and felt really guilty about it.

We all know how his story goes, but I find him to be one of the more entertaining Primarchs pre and post-heresy, and his presence in the novels is always welcome.

Pertuabo

First impression: It hurts to say, but my first impression of Perturabo was that he was bland and boring. Don’t worry, I was wrong!

Current opinion: I definitely don’t think he’s boring now, but he also irritates me to no end.

I can sympathise that his legion was rarely shown any appreciation, but I also feel like he just complained about it a lot and didn’t fight hard enough to improve how he and his legion were treated.

Also, decimation!? What a way to introduce yourself to your legion! That being said, I kind of like the fact that he’s so brutal, as it’s a great contrast to some of the other Primarchs which makes for interesting storytelling.

Jaghatai Khan

First impression: I thought he looked cool but wasn’t really interested in him at all for a long time compared to some of the other Primarchs.

Current opinion: Once I did read more about him, Jagatai ended up becoming one of my favourite Primarchs.

He’s just a genuinely cool dude, someone you could easily see yourself having a drink with and talking about life (and death).

He is heavily misunderstood and overlooked by his brothers, but I think that coupled with his elusiveness adds to the mystery around him, which just makes him more likeable.

Leman Russ

First impression: I liked Leman Russ at first because the Primarch of a legion named the Space Wolves had to be fun and cute right?

Current opinion: Don’t hate me (too much), but I kind of forget he exists.

I find the Space Wolves to be way more interesting than their actual Primarch, especially the Fenrisian wolves and Bjorn the Fell-Handed who I love.

Overall, Russ is written well. The brashness of his personality and the way he acts first and thinks later serves its narrative purpose, but it’s just not something I tend to like.

Rogal Dorn

First Impression: We all know first impressions tend to be superficial, because all you have to go off is their appearance.

I thought Dorn was going to be the sweet, innocent one. It might be the gold armour and the yellow of his marines, but he just struck me as the sunflower of the bunch.

Current opinion: Dorn disapoints me, and he’s been the most boring character in every appearance he’s made in any book I’ve read.

I had to force myself to finish his Primarch novel, which was a shame because I know he does some badass things later on.

I’m not dismissing him just yet, but if MySpace were still a thing he wouldn’t be in my top 8.

Konrad Curze

First impression: The hair. The armour. The skull bat. Are those lightning claws? Is that a spine on his shoulder? Instant intrigue.

Current opinion: Not sure if I need professional help or not, but the more I learned about Curze, the more I liked him.

His upbringing, unusual methods of exacting justice and descent into total madness are all things I enjoyed reading. Sculpting a statue of the Emperor out of bits of flesh while talking to yourself? Brutal, I want to read more.

Curze and the Night Lords act as vessels for writers to explore some of the more dark and twisted aspects of the Warhammer universe, which are the kind of stories I like to read.

Also, the thought of him crawling around the Lion’s ship and making him angry is just so funny.

Sanguinius

First impression: I thought Sanguinius was gorgeous- a sweet, innocent, gentle soul, incapable of hurting anyone.

Current opinion: Obviously I was VERY wrong, Sanguinius is absolutely capable of killing and causing harm.

I love Sanguinius. It seems to be a theme that my favourite Primarchs are fated to die, but this is the Warhammer world we’re talking about here.

The thing I like the most about him is his nature. He has no trouble slaughtering his enemies, but he is capable of letting his soft side show. To me, that is a true sign of strength, and is a trait I like in people as well as fictional characters.

What a ride. If you’ve made it this far, thank you- you’re a legend.

That’s a very brief rundown of my first impressions of the first eight Primarchs.

Stay tuned for part two!

Images are from the cover art of the Primarch novels, but I couldn’t find the artist names. If anyone knows who they are, please let me know x