Warhammer 40,000: The Real Life Origins of Your Favorite Characters – Prime
Let’s take a look at real life figures who inspired some famous 40K Named Characters.
The universe Warhammer 40,000 is a massive, sprawling setting. A hundred thousand story threads weave together to form a sprawling tapestry of tragedy and heroism. Tales of betrayal and loyalty, brotherhood and war, are played out on a galactic stage. Today folks it’s time to turn back the clock once more and delve into some real world history. We’ve looked at the influence history has had on Warhammer a few times before, looking at battles, Primarichs, and the Emperor.
40K is filled with memorable characters, both liked and those worthy of being despised. The lore has always featured these larger than life heroes, from the demi-god Primarches to the lowly grunts that of the Imperial Guard, such as Try-Again Bragg who you know and love. Many of these characters where created from whole cloth or have no clear inspiration. Others are clearly inspired by other works of fictions. Many however are also clearly based, to one degree or another, on real world people. Today I want to look at some of the most popular generals and leaders of the 40K, leaving aside primarchs whom we’ve already covered, and try to discern their real world inspirations.
I do not claim that what follows will be in any way comprehensive. This is merely looking at a few of the most interesting cases. As always with these kind of things there is an element of guesswork. Without an author outright stating such and such was based on this person we can never know for certain. Indeed in some cases the resemblance may be unintentional or was made subconsciously. As such I’ve picked real world figures that seem to best fit the 40K character in some way.
Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka – Attila
Whole old Ghaz’s name may or may not be a reference to Margret Thatcher, it’s clear that he draws influence from very difference sources. In this case it is the leaders of Migration Period tribes, and in particular Attila the Hun. Ghazghkull’s story is fairly well known. He started off a lowly boy, but eventually came to lead a small Ork Clan. Through luck, and cunning brutality, he gained more power, leading a growing number of followers on Waagha!!!s across the stars. Though he is a great danger to the Imperium he has often been thwarted in his larger goals, Armeggedon for instance still stands. Over time Ghazghkull has only grown more powerful and dangerous, even while Imperial agents and armies hunt him across the stars. 
Back when I wrote about the real world matches for Warhammer Fantasy factions, I mentioned that Orcs were clearly influenced by Migration Period tribes, and the same is true of 40K Orks. They are a massive race of semi-nomadic “barbarians” that are constantly pushing at the borders of the Imperium. Like the Goths, Huns, Vandals and others, they aren’t truly unified, and don’t represent quite the organized threat that the later Mongols would, yet they are still deadly. Indeed the various waves of nomadic attacks greatly resemble Ork Waaghs!!!. As such Ghaz has a lot of similarties to some of their leaders and in particular Attila.
Attila, unlike Ghaz was never a nobody. His father was brother to the dual Kings of the Huns. Despite this high birth, its clear he was always destined to be a leader. Like Ghaz however he mastered a blend of burtal and cunning tactics and slowly rose to be first one of the Kings of the Huns, and then the only king. Despite this he was only one leader among the many tribes thearting Rome, though he is often seen as the greatest of them. His tribe even absorbed others. Like Ghaz, while Attila won many battles and left a trail of destruction behind him he was turned back from his greatest goals, both Rome and Constantinople escaped sack at his hands. Likewise he was hunted by agents and armies of the Empire.
Solar Macharius – Alexander the Great
Out of all the people on this list this is clearest influence. Solar Macharius is an almost one for one copy of Alexander the Great. Macharius was first noticed by then Lord Solar Phillips for crushing the Roxane Rebellion. After Phillips death, Macharius became Lord Solar and with a close group of companion generals launched a crusade to conquer/reconquer a huge area of space. Macharius soon proved himself to the be greatest human commander of all time. In a mere seven years his forces conquered an unimaginable one thousand worlds, winning a host of victories against foes both strange and familiar. Eventually his path took him to the edge of known space and the limit of the Astronomicon’s light. Macharius wished to push onward into the unkown, yet here his troops refused. Ultimately the Crusade turned back, and Macharius himself died on the return trip. After his death his conquests fell into anarchy as his generals fought for control of the new lands. 
So yeah, that’s also just pretty much Alexander’s life. Indeed Macharius’ story is full of winks at the real history. Lord Solar Phillips is a reference to Alexander’s father Philip II and the Roxane Rebellion is a reference to Roxana one of Alexander’s wives. Similar to the Macharius story, Alexander became King of Macedonia after the death of his father Philip II. Shortly after his ascension Alexander launched his grand war of conquest, initially against the Persians, but going far beyond that. Alexander too was aided by a cadre of loyal commanders and companions, indeed several of Macharius generals are references to parts of the Alexander story. Arrian, Commander of the 6th Army Group for instance it named after Arrian of Nicomedia, the Greek historian who wrote the most influential account of Alexander’s life. 
In a thirteen year reign Alexander, like Macharius conquered an unheard of Empire. He proved himself one of the greatest generals of all time, defeating both familiar long time foes, such as the Persians, and stranger never before seen enemies like the Indian Princes and Kings he faced. After a long a brutal campaign Alexander and his armies reached the edge of the known world. Though Alexander wished to push on, indeed some sources say he had grand plans to lunch every expanding wars of conquest, his troops, just like Macharius’ refused to go on. Defeated, with no more lands to conquer, Alexander and his armies turned back. Again like Macharius, Alexander died not long after this, under similarly suspicious circumstances. His Empire too soon fell apart to infighting. All in all its a pretty one to one coloration.
Prince Yriel– Sir Francis Drake 
Prince Yriel of Iyanden is a famous Eldar naval commander and corsair with a long and distinguished carrier. He also seems to be at least in part based on the real life Sir Francis Drake. While Yriel has served for a long time, one of his most famous battles, was against the Chaos armada of Lord Kallorax. In command of Iyanden’s fleet Yriel used his lighter faster ship to launch hit and run attacks against the heavy Chaos ships, eventually defeating them. Despite this victory Yriel was exiled from Iyanden, as it was felt he had been too reckless in his attack and caused the death of many Eldar. After his exile Yriel became a Corsair Prince, leading a string of raids and pirate actions. Eventually his path led him back to defend Iyanden again, where he was killed, only to resurrected by Yvraine, whose cause he then joined.
Like Yriel, Francis Drake was a naval commander and corsair/privateer/pirate, serving England, and himself (I likely don’t have to go into the similarities between England and the Eldar). Drake had a long career as an explorer and corsair. He captained the second circumnavigation of the globe and waged campaigns against the Spanish in particular, attack ships and settlements all along their oversea colonies and even striking at the Iberian Peninsula. Like Yriel, he sometimes found himself on the outs with the English government and suffered periods of exile, sometimes merely as a formality.
Drake’s most famous battle was the conflict with the Spanish Armada. Here Drake was second in command of the English fleet, and he and the other “Sea Dogs” used their light and faster ships to lunch hit and run attacks against the larger heavier Spanish ships, in a close mirror to Yriel and the Chaos Fleet. Likewise after the battle Drake was accused of reckless actions when he took the Spanish ship Nuestra Señora del Rosario (and the pay chests she was known to be carrying). In order to take the ship Drake, who was leading the English ships at night, extinguished the lights on his ship and threw the English fleet into confusion. In other areas you can see connections between the two figures, Yriel’s devotion to Yvraine somewhat tracks with Drakes loyalty to Elizabeth I. Even Yriel’s death and rebirth has an echo in the Legend of Drake’s Drum.
Imotekh the Stormlord- Imhotep 
This one is a looser association based on name and influences, but it seems clear that Imotekh the Stormlord is partially inspired my Egyptian Imhotep. Imotekh is of course the Phaeron of the Sautekh Dynast. Aside from the Silent King he is the most powerful Necron active today, though he remains a figure of some mystery. He is a peerless general, and is known to allow his enemies to live, and endure shame, rather than kill them off.
While we don’t know a ton about the life of the real Imhotep he doesn’t seem to have been a general or commander. We know he was builder and a priest/advisor under the rule of the Pharaoh Djoser. After his death Imhotep was raised to godhood and eventually was widely worshiped as a god of healing and knowledge. While their aren’t a ton of direct similarities between Imhotep and Imotekh some connections can be drawn. Of course the Necrons are heavily based on ancient Egypt and likewise the similarities of the names Imotekh and Imhotep are no coincidence. Likewise there is a parallel as both started off as servants to gods (the God King Pharaoh Djoser and the C’tan). Overtime however they would grew beyond their old lords and become worshiped by untold masses, even as the old gods were forgotten.
Ursarkar E. Creed- George S. Patton
While their lives don’t really match up, its clear that in personality and image the Cadian General Ursarker E. Creed is match for American General George S. Patton. The history of these two commanders doesn’t really have a lot of parallels. Creed was born on besieged Cadia and his parents were killed in a Chaos raid at a young age. Through brilliant his rise was held back by his low birth, only after the assassination of the rest of the Cadian high command was he promoted to Lord Castellen. In that role he command the eventually doomed defense of Cadia. Patton in contrast was born to a well off family in America, attended the Military Academy at West Point, and joined the US Army. He had a long successful career and rose through the ranks, held back only by his personality. Unlike Creed his war was successful, though he was killed in a accident shortly after it’s end. 
If their lives aren’t similar, the similarities can be found in their personalities. Both men where hard driving, hard fighting generals, known for never giving up and fighting to the bitter end (Cadia Stands!). They where both hugely popular with their soldiers, known to be a bit coarse and rough and often commanding from the front. Creed’s problems with commissars mirror Pattons own issues with Allied High Command and the press. Creed was well known for using a pair of mismatched laspistols in combat. Likewise Patton was known to carry a mismatched pair of ivory handled revolvers. Two hard fighting, brilliant and ultimately doomed commanders.
Let us know what your favorite real life connections to 40K are, down in the comments!
