Warhammer 40K Theories: Commissar Yarrick Is Unkillable, Powered By Orks

Is 40K’s Old Man Commissar Yarrick benefiting from the aid of his greatest foes – the Orks themselves?

Warhammer theories are always a ton of fun. In the dark vastness of the far future, there is a ton to speculate about. We’ve taken a lot of plenty of theories over the years. Some are easy to prove. Others are harder to. Today lets take a look a fun one focusing on Old Bale Eye himself, Commissar Yarrick.

Yarrick, The Man, The Myth, The Legend

Sebastian Yarrick is one of the most famous heroes of the Imperium. In the real world he is one of oldest characters to continually get rules in books. Yarrick’s fame goes back to the Second War for Armageddon. When the Second War broke out Yarrick was already an old veteran and experienced Ork fighter. In fact he was supposed to retire right before the Orks attacked. The war however had different plans and Yarrick became on of the key defenders of Armageddon.

At Hive Hades Yarrick stalled the Ork attack. When a warboss cut off Yarrick’s arm, Yarrick killed the Warboss. He then took the bosses power Klaw as a replacement arm. Eventaully with the help of the Blood Angels, Ghazhkull and the Orks were deafened and Yarrick could rest.

Armageddon War 3 – Out of Retirement

This wasn’t the end for Yarrick. He next did the most impossible thing for anyone in 40K. He peaceful retired. For three years. Then he went back to Ork fighting. He was later captured by Ghazhkull , lead a revolt, was freed and then took command of Armageddon in the Third War. The Third War started 57 years after the Second, but old Yarrick was there to fight off the Orks… again. After driving Ghazhkull  away for a secound time, the Old Man took off hunting him. And he still is.

A Dubious Death

Of late rumors have swirled that Commissar Yarrick is dead – but there is much to be desired to the tale. It is said that the Bell of Lost Souls on Holy Terra  pealed for him, but there are no certain dates. Some stories say he fell at the hands of Ghazhkull, while others say it was the World Eater’s Daemon-Primarch Angron. In any case, there is no when, no who, no why, no where, and last but not least, no body. It is far more likely in a dark IMperium that Commissar Yarrick is still out there, hunting his eternal enemy.

What Powers Yarrick?

Yarrick’s exploits are almost too much to believe of a normal human. For an unagumented man, the Commissar has done a whole heck of a lot. He is a brilliant tactical and strategic commander, matching wits with the most dangerous Ork around. He’s also quite long lived. Yarrick was said to be old, at retirement age, during the Secound War. Yet now, at least 60 years later, he shows no signs of slowing down at all.

On top of all that is his sheer physical prowess. This old man, ancient even, is able to go toe-to-toe with Ork Warbosses. He can take on some of the most deadly combatants in the galaxy and survive. Win even in some cases. That seems kind of hard to fathom. This theory however says there is more at play here than we think.

Is It the Orks Themselves?

So here is the theory. Yarrick is in fact powered by the Ork’s themselves. Their Waaagh powers are what make him so deadly. We know that Orks can power things with their collective beliefs. Its how their guns, and many other of their technologies work for instance. We also know that the Orks hold a special place in their culture for Yarrick. They tell stories about the Old Man. He is in effect their bogeyman, their Baba Yaga, their John Wick. The Old Bale Eye episode  of Hammer And Bolter showed this. So what if the Ork’s very belief  in Yarrick has made him into effectively an immortal Ork-killing machine. He has in fact became their bogeyman, because they truly believe he is. Ghazkhull himself believes that a mighty worthwhile enemy make life worth living. As long as the Orks believe, Commissar Yarrick may fight on, and on, and on. He may really be the Old Bale Eye.

Hey, its not the most far fetched theory I’ve heard. Plus it has the distinct advantage in the Grimdark of being absolutely plausible.

Let us know what you think about this theory, 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.