Warhammer 40K Theory: The Emperor Killed Sanguinius
Have we been lied to about the death of one of 40K most famous characters?
The final days of the Horus Heresy saw many deeds both foul and heroic. The titanic final clashes are some of the most famous bits of the 40K lore. They are legendary events with long history. Core among all of these is the final battle between Horus, Sanguinius and the Emperor. But what if we’ve all been lied to about just what happened there.
The Story We Know
The story is one of the most well known in 40K. Sensing that time was running out to defeat the Emperor, the arch traitor Horus laid a trap. He lowered the shields on his ship, the Vengeful Spirt. This allowed the Emperor and a strike force to teleport onto the ship to try and take down Horus, falling, knowingly, into his trap.
The first to reach Horus was his brother the Great Angel. Sanguinius however was no match for the corrupted Horus and was killed by the Warmaster. His death was so horrible that its physic shockwaves still haunt his gene-sons. Arriving only after Sanguinius fell, the Emperor avenged him, eventually slaying the Warmaster. Victory in the end, came at a horrible cost, as the Emperor was horrible wounded.
What If This Was a Lie
One interesting theory out there posits that what we’ve been told is a lie. According to this theory Horus did not kill Sanguinius. Rather, the Emperor did. It points out that there are some inconsistences in the story we know. Firstly there are a couple different versions. In one a Custodian Guard interrupters the duel between the Emperor and Horus. In another it is Ollanius Pius who does it. Horus kills the interloper and it is this act that convinces the Emperor that Horus is full lost and lets him unleash His full power.
But why should this act be what convinces the Emperor that Horus is a goner? Wouldn’t killing his own brother and a beloved Primarich do much more to show how far gone he was? Unless of course Horus didn’t kill the Great Angel. And some argue that it would be unlike Horus to have killed Sanguinius. It’s well known that Sanguinius had the gift of foresight. Now it seems clear he saw his death coming on. However it seems odd he wouldn’t do anything to avoid it. Why did he reach the throne room first? This theory states that Sanguinius survived the fight with Horus, though he may have been wounded, only for his father to kill him.
Why Would The Emperor Do That?
Well lets think back to the Imperium Secundus. At one point during the Heresy a number of Primarchs feared that Terra was lost and the Emperor could be dead. They chose to try a build an Imperium Secundus based around Ultramar and its worlds. As a ruler they chose Sanguinius declaring him Emperor Regent. When it was clear that The Emperor and Terra still stood, Imperium Secundus was buried and became an “unremembered empire”.
What if the Emperor knew about it felt that it was a betrayal. In the wake of the Heresy He had to be a little paranoid about His sons turning on Him. Here was a son who had be an emperor himself. It would not be a great leap for a distrusting mind to see Sanguinuis as a possible rival, the leader of a future uprising. Indeed if he had had a final conversation with Horus, what secrets might the Warmaster have told him an attempt to corrupt the Great Angel. It’s totally possible that the Emperor felt he had to kill Sanguinuis in order to prevent future strife.
The Cruelest Blow
You have to admit this would be a pretty cruel twist. However, what about the vision that Sanguinuis has of his death at Horus’ hands? Well, who better to manipulate visions than the Emperor? Maybe the Emperor was plotting this death for a long time and gave Sanguinuis the vision to keep him focused away from the real threat to his life. How dark, how cruel would it be for him to survive Horus, to dodge his own fated death, only to be killed by his father. It’s an end that would shake 40K lore, but also be in keeping with the Emperor. Luckily with the Siege of Terra wrapping up soon we will get an answer to if this theory is true!
Let us know what you think about this theory, down in the comments!
