Warhammer 40K: Five Most Mind Blowing Reveals From the Dan Abnett Interview

Let’s talk about some juicy tidbits Mr. Abnett dropped the other day.

Dan Abnett is one of the masters of the Black Library and a veteran 40K/30K writer. He is considered by most to be one of, if not the, best 40K authors and has written a host of books. Aside from his works in 40K, including the massively influential Guant’s Ghosts books, he’s often seen as the granddaddy of 30K. It was Abnett after all who wrote the first Horus Heresy book, kicking the series off with a bang, and it will be Abnett who closes out the Siege of Terra and the saga. Abnett has delivered some of the greatest twists and reveals in 40K. Recently he gave an interview with Ars Technica and went over a lot of 40K and 30K topics. Let’s take a look at the most mind blowing revels from this interview.

5. We Won’t Find Out What Happened To The Missing Primarchs

This one isn’t a huge surprise perhaps. The fate of the missing Primarchs of the II and XI Legions is one of the enduring mysteries of Warhammer 40K. Many people have hopped for an answer to this question. Abnett however effectively says there will never be a straight answer, that the mystery is the point. Having unknowns makes the universe seem bigger. Indeed he seems to think the question really shouldn’t ever be answered and says he wouldn’t write the answer if he was asked (then later says he’d be tempted and stupid not to).

4. The Chaos Gods Aren’t Gods

This one is pretty interesting to me. People have long debated the nature of the Gods of Chaos, and if they are in fact “gods”. In the pantheon of 40K, and Age of Sigmar, there are a number of gods and the Chaos Gods are included in this, despite what the Imperial Truth might have thought. Abnett however was very clear that the Choas Gods are not gods at all. What’s interesting is that he wasn’t asked about their nature, merely which one was his favorite, and he then went out of his way to say, more than once in a short answer, that they are not gods at all. This is an interesting look at how the writers at least view 40K.

3. The Emperor IS A God

This is a super interesting one. In the question right after he says the Chaos gods aren’t gods he is asked what the Emperor looks like. Abnett in his long answer refers to the Emperor as a god several times, comparing him to other gods, like the Greek gods. He states that he thinks the Emperor decided He needed to be a god, and states he is (possibly) a divine being watching over humankind. Abnett also says that most of the writers agree with this viewpoint. This means that while the writers do not see the Chaos pantheon as gods, they do seem to see the Emperor as one, which is pretty interesting and has some ramifications to what is really going on in 40K

2. The Emperor Is Where He Wants To Be

Now to be clear, Abnett says he can’t give us a definitive answer on this one, so this is merely his opinion, not 100% canon, but it’s the closest we will get to an answer for now. The Emperor’s status – is He alive, dead, or trapped is another big question in 40K. Abnett however states the Emperor is right where He wants to be. According to Dan, the Emperor could reincarnate in a new body whenever He wants, but instead chooses to stay on the Golden Throne for… reasons. (This does sound a lot like the official Imperial line). The Emperor, according to Dan, is constantly dying and being reborn on the throne and really is sacrificing for His people.

1. The Golden Throne is More Important Then We Know

The Golden Throne is a pretty important piece of 40K mythology. Just what it does however is a real mystery. Originally it was said to be the Emperor’s life support system, keeping Him alive (and eating souls). Later it was tied into the Webway project and was either used to keep the webway open or later closed. In the interview, Abnett implies that the Golden Throne (and the Astronomicon) is somehow integral to the survival of the universe. If it fails, then 40K and the universe would end.  This is not simply in a metaphorical way as in “it would not longer be the 40K universe” but it would lead to “the heat death of the universe and silence”. That’s pretty mind blowing, to think of, especially since we are specifically talking about the failure of the Throne, not the death of the Emperor. It also seems to raise the stake in the Siege of Terra a bit.

Let us know what parts you found most interesting, down in the comments!

Author: Abe Apfel

Abe is that rare thing, an Austin local born and raised here. Though he keeps on moving around, DC, Japan, ETC., he always seems to find his way back eventually. Abe has decades of experience with a wide range of tabletop and RPG games, from historicals, to Star Wars to D&D and 40K. He has been contributing to BOLS since almost the start, back when he worked at and then owned a local gaming store. He used to be big into the competitive Warhammer tournament scene but age has mellowed him and he now appreciates a good casual match. He currently covers 40K tactics and lore, as well as all things Star Wars, with occasional dabbling in other topics. Abe remains in mourning over the loss of WFB to this day.