40K: Guilliman vs The Lion Is The Showdown We Are All Waiting For
We’re all waiting for the biggest showdown looming over the future of 40K – Roboutte Guilliman versus Lion El’ Jonson.
40K loves its big showdowns. From the epic brother vs. brother battle of Fulgrim and Ferrus Manus, the father/son fight of the Emperor and Horus, or the more recent clashes between Abbadon and seemingly… everyone. The clash of minds, and often blades lend a personal aspect to the conflict of billions. These personal conflicts, on and off the battlefield, shape the story of Warhammer 40,000 and give it life. Today let’s talk about what could be the biggest showdown and rivalry of the modern setting – Guilliman, and the Lion.
Not Abaddon?
Some people might be scratching their heads right now. Isn’t Abaddon the “Big Bad (TM)” of 40K, and isn’t Guilliman the “Big Noble Hero (TM)”? Are they not fated to fight? Well… maybe? The thing is, I don’t know if Abaddon is Guilliman’s rival. Abaddon certainly WANTS to be, but at the end of the day, he’s not a primarch. Nor is he really on the level with Guilliman. The Despoiler has been beaten by Celestine, and while he did beat Calgar, it wasn’t all one-sided. But more than that, the Guilliman/ Abaddon thing is just… boring. Just another traitor and loyalist. It’s a tale as old as time. Even GW seems to understand this as 10th Edition is switching focus from Chaos to Tyranids.
Is It Tyranids?
Given 10th’s focus on the Nid invasion, is the big showdown going to be with them then? After all, the new trailer defiantly showcases Guilliman fighting Nids on a galactic, if not personal scale. But that’s really why I don’t think the big showdown is with Nids. The Hivemind just isn’t a super compelling enemy as a character. There is no personality at play, no back and forth or banter. It’s not something Guilliman can just go have a showdown with. It might dominate the big plot for now, but not it’s dramatically not made for these types of personal showdowns.
The Lion Is Coming
The Lion is coming back. After tons of speculation and many rumors, he is awakening and about to return to the game. This is a big moment for 40K. Not only is his model amazing, but his impact on the story is going to be huge. Many people think that one reason to bring him back is to help balance things out. Chaos now has three Primarchs, so the Imperium will now have two to fight them. However, I don’t think that’s going to be quite the case, because the Lion and Guilliman are not going to be on the same page.
Why Would They Fight?
When the Lion wakes up and comes back to join the fight on the Imperial side, why would he and Guilliman fight? The answer to that goes all the way to the Heresy. During the Heresy Guilliman, while cut off from Terra, attempted to set up a so-called “Imperium Secundus” in Ultramar. While some, including the Lion, accused him of trying to build his own Empire, Guilliman defended himself, saying he was just trying to make sure the Imperium survived if Terra was lost. The Lion eventually agreed to aid Guilliman in the task, provided that another person lead the Imperium Secundus. However, he does note at the time that he doesn’t totally trust Gulliman’s motives:
“‘I want to trust you, Roboutte,’ the Lion replied, ‘but I have always been wary of your ambition.’”(Unremembered Empire)
So even back then, the Lion didn’t fully trust Guilliman. Flash forward now to the current time. As the Lion returns and gets back in touch with things, he’s going to see an Imperium that’s far changed from what it was, and not in a way he will like. He will also see Guilliman all but in control of it, having replaced people at every level with those loyal to him. Guilliman is, in effect, Emperor right now, and there are some, like Gabriel Seth, who already think he wants to be Emperor. Also, Guilliman is working to rebuild his own little empire of Ultramar and is reshaping the Space Marines more in his ideal. He’s also pretty openly working with the Eldar. I don’t think any of this is going to sit well with The Lion.
The Coming Civil War
Over the years we’ve been seeing lots of hints pointing towards a possible Imperial civil war or schism. Possibly between Primaris and old Marines, or Cawl and Guilliman, or Guilliman and others. One that seems increasingly likely however is one between Guilliman and The Lion. A war not for the galaxy, but for the Imperium. The awoken Lion is mostly fresh from the recent (to him) betrayals that put him in his sleep. He’s woken up to a world where his ambitious brother, who he doesn’t fully trust has taken over. Noble and even-handed Sangunius won’t be there to smooth things over, and I think the Lion will have no choice but to act.
I learned at a young age you can’t trust lions.
That right there is all the setup you need for an Epic brother-versus-brother showdown. It doesn’t even have to be a full-blown civil war. But there really has to be some kind of friction/conflict between them. Maybe a duel. Maybe they divide up the Imperium and each rule a part in the Emperor’s name – Late Roman Empire style. There is a lot you could do here with this kind of conflict. This would be a story worth paying attention to. This would focus the story on a showdown between two mortal brothers, brothers who ultimately want the same thing. It’s not the tired old good vs. evil line, it’s not a daemon primarch with nothing to lose, it’s instead a very human story and one that could have some real stakes.
So, will the Lion and Guilliman fight? Will Russ return and join the Lion? Let us know how you think that fight would go down.
