Drawing on existentialist theory and ethics (Sartre 2004, Beauvoir 2015) and theories on emotional responses to fiction (Hatley 2017, Hamby/Jones 2022), the paper explores the concept of honor (Sessions 2010, Olsthoorn 2016) as depicted in Warhammer 40k lore and argues that 40k’s appeal as a Grimdark setting derives from the assuredness with which it asserts the inconsequence of human action – an assuredness that reveals self-determination as the sole source of meaning.
The Imperium of Mankind is beset by enemies. Countless soldiers fight and die on myriad worlds to defend mankind, their faith, and each other in the Emperor’s name. We empathize with these soldiers through honor as displayed in the Astartes’ warrior codes, the Sororitas’ religiously grounded personal honor, and even the seemingly insignificant yet honorable sacrifices of common Militarum soldiers.
These actions matter to them and to those affected by them. Being dependent on both meaning and the look of others ourselves, these actions also matter to us as we share the fundamental need for meaning with the people of the 40th millennium.
Yet, the Imperium burns this meaning like coal. Like real-life totalitarian regimes, Imperial culture exploits the human need for meaning to keep its war-machine running. By framing self-sacrifice as the pinnacle of personal honor, the Imperium serializes and instrumentalizes it, rerouting what starts as a meaningful affair between individuals through the institution.
In the grand scheme, honorable deeds become mere means to an end. 40k’s Grimdark setting intrigues us because it illustrates that human action means everything – and nothing. Each action is but a spark in a cosmic fire. Yet for us each action still matters because it is a choice of how to live and die. In the face of this cosmic ambiguity, we are condemned to reflect on what truly matters – and why.
Author bio
Marcel Siegler is a teacher, lecturer, and independent scholar. He studies the inherent relationship between human existence, technology, and society from a system theoretical, organizational, and action theoretical perspective.
