Horrible Heretics: LION EL'JONSON | Warhammer 40k Lore 

The Lion is a lesson we can all learn from. when all seems dark, when no hope is in sight, take a nap. seriously it'll do you wonders

Azriel: MY LORD WHAT ARE THE FALLEN DOING BY YOUR SIDE?! Lion: Ah you know guys... i slept on it for a little while, and i think i might have overreacted a bit.

Lost for 10,000 years, wandering through portals of a realm that appeared as an alternate reality… sounds like a bank holiday in IKEA

Good ol' Warcrimes Johnson.

"Of all the Primarchs, save perhaps Mortarion, Lion El'Jonson stands apart. Partially this is due to his taciturn nature - a brooding silence hangs over him at all times. Yet there is something more... something buried beneath his noble exterior. Perhaps this is a result of his upbringing, growing to maturity alone in the monster-ridden forests of Caliban. Even at a council of war, the Lion moves like an apex predator. He is always watching, always planning, always hunting. He unnerves even his brothers." -Malcador

I think the Lion is, sadly, the son who ended up most like his father. Each primarch has a characteristic or ability of the Emperor, but the Lion was the one who saw the world the same way, the ends always justify the means, no matter how insane the means are.

The Lion was just that; a Lion. Savage, monstrous and ferocious. I really like how hard they leaned into his name; if you study lions you’ll see exactly how little the dominant male cares for the politicking of his Pride, but he will defend them with everything he has and will ensure his sons do well even if that means driving them out to welcome them back later when he can’t protect them anymore. The Risen are his lost sons, now trusted to do his role alongside him; protect the pride without caring for the politicking. But I also like that he’s learned as The Old Lion, wiser and more careful with the limited force he can now summon. Just like a Lion getting older, he has to lean more on those around him as his Legion- his strength- is no more. It’s a beautiful metaphor; but you need to remember that he is still fighting to protect and uphold the worse government ever devised by humanity. After all, “The Primarchs and Space Marines are the Heroes of the Imperium; which should tell us a lot about the Imperium.” (Mild edit to the quote, hope you don’t mind Ian.) Great series, I’ve welcomed my dad into Warhammer and I think he’ll treat this series like an audiobook while he’s mowing the lawn or something, so thanks for this chance to bond.

Curze: Gets captured, escapes, burns 16 WEEKS of another Primarch's time playing cat and mouse in said Primarch's OWN SHIP Another common Night Lords W

I deeply missed hearing "Unification Wars" from you. This should be a great series!

Great video. And a great idea for a series. I have to say though it's always hilarious to listen to these stories of the primarchs that were clearly written before the primarchs were decided to be gigantic freaks. Like, this story is great but Luther and the rest of the Knights are never upset that the Lion is a gigantic man double their heights, and cannot fit into the buildings or clothing that they have. And obviously that's because the giant primarch stuff was added later, probably with an eye to selling big impressive models. The Khan's backstory is similarly hilarious - did he have a special gigantic horse? Or did he just run into battle on foot, keeping up with the horse mounted tiny people around him? Giant primarchs remains one of the stupidest "modern" 40K background changes :D Anyway. You can tell that's a pet peeve of mine!

The Angels stuff in Heresy is simultaneously some of the most gripping and some of the most tiresome storytelling, the Heresy in mini haha. His new book that reintroduced him Brookes is phenomenal though I can't wait for follow up

As somewhat interesting the Lion's return may be, I found the story surrounding 'The Risen', Zabriel etc. extremely compelling and interesting. Good writing!

I liked the bit where he said "it's Orderin' time!", and then he Ordered all over the place.

I absolutely love how humbled he was by his fight with Luther. After a good twn thousand year nap, he's getting close to being a good man- if you can forgive the massive xenophobia.

Horrible heretics? Will there be catchy songs that teach the lore?

Ian, your lore videos are easily my favourite. I love the way you interpret and explain the lore and that you remember that the imperium are also bad guys

Personally I see Lion as the emperors hubris and ambitions personified

That was an excellent dive into the Lion's history, looking forward to seeing where this new series goes next!

this format is fantastic! this was an entertaining bit of lore about a primarch who is pretty interesting, and now im jonesin for more developments on what he will be like in more 40k books

Really good video Ian, keep at it dude, you nake the most engaging Warhammer content out there!

I really enjoyed this video, and look forward to more of this series. I was happy to see that "Horrible Heretics" is just a play on the title of Horrible Histories, and you avoided the low hanging fruit of 'The Dark Angels were traitors all along' and 'The Lion was waiting to see who'd win before choosing a side'.

Great content and great presentation. Discovered this channel 2 hours ago. I'm hooked.

Seriously loved this one. Would love for this to go on forever, all the primarchs but also figures like Malcador, Draigo, or Farsight. Well done, sir.

The Emperor made The Lion, then The Emperor thought to himself, "I better tone this shit down!" and then he made the other Primarchs.

Excellent as ever Ian! Love the presentation and it made the first two DA HH novels story much more interesting than they managed!

Arbitor, you are one of the few lore channels that I have seen give topics like the Legions and Primarchs proper reviews and I appreciate it (especially for the Dark Angels since I play them for both 40k and 30k). Also just a suggestion, but it would be real nice if you could do a video talking about the Risen characters.

I like how somehow all the primarchs display some level of neurodivergency.

Great video. Looking forward to seeing more.

Great series! Looking forward to part II!

The Lion is that guy who was an angry young man, but when he becomes a grandfather, he mellows out and gets his shit together. I do always find it funny/odd that while pretty much every other Legion loved their Primarch, almost down to the genetic level, when they met them while The Lion is written as an arsehole no one really liked.

Hear me out; with the more optimistic direction of the wh40k universe for the Imperium (2 primarchs and the new primaries marines), here’s what I think could be the best direction for Games Workshop to take the story. Lion and Guilliman “meet up” and vow to make the Imperium stronger with a new direction, after reviewing the decline of the last 10,000 years. This involves a new leadership to guide the Imperium while the Emperor is incapacitated. Taking a queue from 10,000 years ago where they formed the Imperium Secundus, The Lion and Guilliman lion to forge this new leadership, using their skills as best they can to best serve the Imperium. They come to conclusion that the best course of action would be a Triumvirate; that way no one leader can take too much power. Also realising their own skills in generalship and tactics (The Lion), and organisational strength (Guilliman), they cast around to find the third member of their Triumvirate. Unfortunately, Sanguinius is very much dead. So, reviewing their other lost brothers and their skill sets, they decide what is missing is someone to defend the imperium. Guilliman can mould and organise it, The Lion can lead its vast offensive armies and strategy, so they just need someone to defend its borders. The obvious choice? Dorn. Also, he’s one of the few presumed not dead primarchs that isn’t in self imposed isolation, thus theoretically making him easier to find. But Dorn is dead, right? Actually, as the lore states, just his hand was found after he assaulted the black crusade ship. So, Guilliman and The Lion scout the galaxy for clues to their brother’s whereabouts. There’s lots that GW could fill in here, but at the end of the day, they find Dorn, probably in the warp somewhere, and he rejoins the Imperium as the third member of the Triumvirate. Thus Guilliman becomes the Steward, Lion becomes the Strategist and Dorn becomes the Stalwart. Or substitute some other catchy titles. Grand Warden, Master General, High Steward, etc.

Brother, this is really good stuff. I mean you do good work but this was a real cool "audio book" to listen to whilst doing my paperwork!! Looking forward to my boys, Fulgrim and Vulkan!

You have no idea how excited I am for the Night Haunter video.

I'm incredibly pissed that Cypher didn't factor into the Lions return. I seriously hope we get a little bit of conclusion on that plot thread

Great vid, Ian! As a nice reflection, after the 'Horrible Heretics' series, you should do a 'Hallowed Heroes' explaining the tragic/reluctant/misunderstood bad guys.

Great video, can't wait to see the story of Fulgrim!

I REALLY enjoyed this

My first encounters with Lion and the DA was in the Lion Son of the Forest novel. It was pretty good! Made me a fan of the faction.

Great character analysis!

Dude, very great!

Great Vid!

Only just started, but top marks for the series name, would love to see HH-style illustrations for all the primarchs

Ah Johnson, for me he is the base essence of a Primarch. A seeker of victory, regardless of cost or consequence.

Lion, I've always called him a "Savage Noble". While he is noble, his regality is the predator's cage, a beast he developed to be the apex in the Calibanite wilderness. but that's still not who he is, there are some rare moments where what's underneath is hinted at (Luther saying if you heard him sing, you will cry), or witnessed (star gazing philosophy pre-discovery), and what you are handed is an existentialist core, an artist who yearns for unfettered aspirations. (this is the one thing that Kairos could vaguely see when he licked the inside of Lion's skull, but so vague that Kairos couldn't pull on it to tempt Lion to Chaos). The Pharos device highlights this further: Roboute and Lion were trying to return to MaCragge, a need teleported them away but when the need was satisfied, they couldn't return. But since they could talk and look at the MaCragge side through the device, Roboute was informed that Curze had threatened his mother and Roboute was able to step through without hesitation or thought, Lion still could not. Roboute had to pull Lion through. The device is suspected to operate on intent, and if you do not display the intent of your values, then the device doesn't teleport you to where you want to go. Lion sequesters what he wants, instinctually, such that an ancient Necron device couldn't get a read on him, no matter how frustrated Lion got. Conceptually, this makes for rich inner tension, a deep core protected by the necessary savagery developed to be an apex predator, who then also adapted his defense with another layer when he became civilized as a knight of the Order and further as the Primarch of the Dark Angels, this places him in the Byronic Hero template, specific author and storyline notwithstanding. This culminates his perspective; Lion doesn't value order, he values the effectiveness that order can provide. When a new order is needed to be more effective, the old is discarded and the new is developed. For many primarchs, order is a part of them, Dorn, Lorgar, Roboute being clear examples, or they are honest with their order, Horus was warmaster due to ability to link different order like an ambassador, Russ for the aggregation of the thrill of individual combat in a culture that promoted it, or deliberately playing with perception of order, Alpharious Omegon. AFAIK, Lion is the only one who doesn't care for any specific order (abstract or specific) and only cares about enabling certain order if it begets greater effectiveness (this is a point of the star gazing philosophy scene) and is manifest in the Hexagrammaton. There are Primarchs who discard their order out of disillusionment, pain or pivotal moments, but for Lion, its just a question of evolution. This makes him unknowable and unpredictable to his peers and enemies alike, while simultaneously displaying order in everything he does and how the Dark Angels operate. finally, all of this culminates in "loyalty is its own reward". Lion values being loyal to the emperor, why? alignment of Lion's and Emperor's values. What this means is that The Lion will adhere to the Emperor's order out of recognition that it is the most effective way for humanity, the Emperor has to fall for the Lion to be "traitor", and this is why Kairos could never turn Lion. What the Lion values doing, is in alignment with what the Emperor would want to do, or what the Emperor's order would need the Lion to do. This is why the Lion violated the Edict of Nikaea and reinstated librarius - the old order would lead to their death so the Lion embraced a new, more effective, order. So long as Lion and Emperor are aligned, Lion doing what he wants to do, acting upon his values, is identical to doing the loyal action that is needed, hence "loyalty is its own reward". Now, this doesn't mean he can't mess up or go overboard, but it serves to state The Lions pathway; walking the tightrope between doing what is wanted, and doing what is needed, rendering him loyally defiant when what is wanted and needed aren't in alignment. Which again is handled in a Byronic Hero way.

Looking forward to more of these

I love that Luther is like "I'll never be a real astartes" and then later apparently duels Lion n doesn't get insta murdered.

What If King Arthur Were Evil; The Lion in a nutshell.

Grest vidoe with a lot of new lore for me!

The Space Wolves ignored the Dark Angels orders in orbit not to fire upon enemy ships because there where Dark Angels boarders on them, the Space Wolves did anyway and killed them. Lion ordered Russ to stay way from the final citadel because there where already plans in motion, Russ ignored this once again due to a petty grudge. Also Lion disarmed Russ and thought the 'duel' was finished but Russ threw himself at Lion turning it into a brawl then after the day stopped to laugh and only then did Lion knock his lights out. Idk if these mistakes where intentional to portray the Dark Angels in a more negative light or what but there was a lot wrong in that part.

Great video 👍

I really liked the video. The only gripes I have with it is the Russ incident being depicted based on old lore that was contradicted by Russ himself in his own primarch book. If this was a stylistic choice (as hinted by Ian mentioning the 'old Space Wolves tale') then its fitting - but in this case I would suggest making a small clarification at the beginning of the videos of this series that they are meant to be 'from a in lore' point of view and not a lore summary as for people who are new to it might get the wrong impression :)

The start of a new long 30k series by Ian feels like Christmas came early 🎉

40k Behind the Bastards? Im here for it.

I got a tiny little bit of beef with Jonson after what he did to Nemiel ): It came out of the blue...

Great video thanks

Somehow... the Lion was awaken! Thank you for a new video.

I really like your style of video and story telling. I get more interested in the stories than the “facts” at a point but don’t have time to read every black library novel

I'm glad I waited to create my own Chapter till after The Lion returned. I know some people don't like the changes made to his character and the plot of The Dark Angels, but it's been very good for me and my hobby. I hope we get models for The Risen, I'd love to bring them to life on the table.

The Lion sounds like one of the worst primarchs. He couldn’t command the loyalty of his legion, disobeyed the emperor, was ostracised from Imperium Secundus due to incompetence, was late to every major battle during the heresy, and then such a weak warrior he lost a fight to Luther who was too weak to become an Astartes and destroyed his home planet in the process. Just an awful leader and character from start to finish.

I've always had trouble imagining the first days of some of the primarchs on their adoptive planets. Like, how did a baby live in the forest? I get that he's superhuman, but still...baby. It feels like my only option is to picture a baby comically scurrying up a tree and jumping onto a monster's back, using a vine to choke it. A baby. It'd be so much easier to imagine if they were even 3 years old. But they always say infant.

Further evidence that if everyone just wound their necks in and talked to each other the Imperium wouldn't be in the mess it is now. I look forward to Lion El launching a civil war as he thinks Poppa Smurf has taken over in The Big Es absence 🤣

Awesome name for a series :D

Bought a Lion'el Jonson Mini two weeks ago. Put it on some stones on a base. He's taller now, I like a tall Jonson. Even showed it to the missus.

I honestly want in game rules for the army of hangers on that's been following him around since he woke up.

Fantastic video, as always. I have a pretty silly question.. What is the name of the song you use as a theme?

Gothic stories will not stop And your host is a space cop The far future is far less hectic Welcome to HORRIBLE HERETICS.

Babe wake up new Abitor Ian video

In the jungle, the mighty jungle, the Lion sleeps tonight.

I like how he aged, not just cause he aged like fine wine but because it in a way shows how he changed/grew as a person.

10/10 choice with the horrible heretics title!

Most of this stuff was news to me. I was surprised to learn of all the mistakes the Lion made during the Great Crusade.

lion sounds like the big E here, and his little crusade heh

Time for a story or Mr Lion El'Johnson&Johnson!

I like their stories starting earlier than the emperor funding them

Drinking Game: when Ian says Order, you drink…. You’ll be smashed after 2:31

stormwardens are secretly dark angels set in the calixis sector to guard from the rangda threat as a 40konspiracy

Maybe some of the new prototype Space Marine implants and Armour were not as efficient and reliable as first thought

The Lion is the greatest Primarch hands down. The hero the Imperium needs but does not want.

Don't know why GW didn't name "the Order" the Order of Dark Angels

Well look, we all get grumpy when we need a nap 😪

Maybe will get lucky and he’ll chew out big blue for stealing his brother’s genetic material building and building a massive army of deviant marines in secret and just expecting everyone to go with it. The sorta thing he probably would have done himself had he not spent 10,000 years gaining a little perspective.

Excellent video Arbitor! Not really what the video is about but just don't get why the loyalist primarchs has to become so "reasonable" when they're returned to the 41st millennium, feels to me like a antithesis to the setting.

Still cant wait for the brothers union

love this dude's videos but his pronunciation of secundus is going to drive me to chaos

The fact that all 20 (21?) embryos were still in stasis at the time of the scattering, means that they were all created at relatively the same time. These distinctions of first, and second for the Primarchs is quite pointless because none of them have had a life prior to any other being 'born'.

Anyone know what books that Ian has screenshots of in all these videos? Assuming old heresy codex’s that are out of print?

TL;DR: the Lion was very grumpy, but he’s much nicer now that he’s had a good nap. 😂

Good ol' Lionel.

The Order from The Pale King Novel is also called... The Order.

So when your parents tell you a nap will do you good this is what they mean

Excellent video, but needs more songs!

I would say The Lion is most like his father outta of his brother's, cold n ruthless. The only thing remains is the Legacy of Ash from foes of the Imperium.

How long until there’s a more direct reference to Tywin Lannister?

This man is a genius. Seriously, can't believe he's come here after his past in the military. I've heard stories about this guy - just absolutely no words for how good he's gotten. Keep killing it Ian - you've done it before, you'll do it again. Cheers

Ar-biter?! I've been saying it wrongly. I stand corrected!

Lion El'Johnson learned from his mistakes and is applying himself. What more do you want?

Sanguinius at 24:18 has BIG Dee Snider energy.

they gave lion the 'i care about humans' shtick. what are they gona do with vulkan?

His name... is "Lion El'Jonson." So these games are ABSOLUTELY secret comedies, then? Like, it's not OBVIOUSLY a comedy, but they're not exactly hiding that this is all ridiculously silly sometimes.

I'm just re-reading Horus heresy books and that story it different there. I'm guessing details are simply inconsistent? Good stuff, now need 17 more of those :D