Warhammer 40K: The Youngest Wolf Lord – Ragnar Blackmane
Ragnar Blackmane became the youngest Wolf Lord in the history of the Space Wolves. But how? Let’s talk about this legendary leader!
Ragnar Blackmane, also known as the Black Wolf, was born on Fenris. He was known as Ragnar Thunderfist and was a member of the Thunderfist Tribe. When he was still a teenager, his village was attacked by a rival tribe, the Grimskulls, who slaughtered his family and most of his tribe.
Despite his youth, Ragnar showed extraordinary fighting talent, using berserker-like rage to slay many of the invaders. He finally fell in combat with the Grimskull youth who had killed his father, Strybjorn, though Ragnar dealt him a mortal wound in kind. Because of their equal ferocity and fighting skill, both youths were selected by the Wolf Priest Ranek to join the ranks of the Space Marines, and their lives were saved by the medicine of the Astartes.
Ragnar was sent to one of the training camps on Fenris, and was eventually sent through the Gates of Morkai, in which he was subjected to psychic interrogation, searching for any hint of taint. His hatred for Strybjorn, against whom he had sworn revenge, was almost his undoing, but he did not give in to the wolf spirit and was allowed to drink from the Cup of Wulfen. At the end of his initiation rite he returned to the Chapter’s fortress of The Fang bearing the pelt of a blackmaned Fenrisian wolf, a notoriously vicious breed.
Later, as Ragnar’s career as a Space Wolf continued, his actions won him great renown. He had clashes with the Thousand Sons Sorcerer Madox and even aided Inquisitor Sternberg, an old ally of the Great Wolf Logan Grimnar, in tracking down an Eldar talisman which Sternberg believed was crucial to stopping a plague on his home planet.
Ragnar Blackmane, 2nd Edition miniature (with a lore accurate paint job)
Eventually, he was inducted into the Great Company of Wolf Lord Berek Thunderfist. Soon a great portion of the Chapter was deployed to Garm, where a Chaos-fueled uprising had stolen the Spear of Russ, a sacred relic of the Wolves. During the climactic battle, Ragnar was again confronted by Madox, who was conducting a ritual to raise fallen Thousand Sons again and to summon his master, Magnus the Red, into the Materium. In a desperate action, Ragnar threw the Spear into the opening warp rift, preventing Magnus’s return.
Becoming A Wolf Lord
After an exile to Terra for the seeming loss of the relic, Ragnar returned and was one of the few, if not the only, Space Wolves to completely bypass the rank of Grey Hunter, being elevated from a Blood Claw straight to the rank of Wolf Guard in Berek Thunderfist’s entourage. This incredibly rare feat was achieved after Ragnar single-handedly killed Ork Warlord Borzag Khan and his entire retinue in close combat.
When Berek was killed in single combat with the Chaos champion Ghorox Bloodfist, it was Ragnar who hunted down and slew his former Lord’s killer. As a result, Ragnar was elevated to Wolf Lord and took command of Berek’s Great Company. He is the youngest battle-brother to ever reach such a rank.
Crossing the Rubicon Primaris
During the Psychic Awakening, the Space Wolves attempted to curb the power of the infamous Ork Warboss Ghazghkull Thraka. Ragnar and his Great Company eventually cornered Ghazghkull at the Battle of Krongar. During the battle, Ragnar Blackmane managed to decapitate the Ork Warboss but suffered great wounds himself. He only narrowly survived after days of intense surgery that saw him cross the Rubicon Primaris.
Ragnar Blackmane, 8th Edition Miniature
Upon returning to duty, Ragnar was horrified to find that Ghazghkull still lived. In another attempt to slay The Beast, Ragnar redirected an orbital station into Krongar’s surface. During the hunt for Ghazghkull, Ragnar’s two wolves Svangir and Ulfgir were slain by Ghazghkull.
For even more on Ragnar Blackmane be sure to check out the Lexicanum!
By being tough, tenacious, and unrelenting — that’s how he became the youngest Wolf Lord!
