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

Lion El'Jonson - Primarch of the Dark Angels, Lord Commander of Imperium Secundus, Grand Master of the Order and a total asshole. Yup, it's NEW THING time, and in this first episode we're gonna go over the life and times of the terrible dad of the Dark Angels, the primarch formerly known as....Lynn Elgonsen.

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Copyright: Unless noted in the video, all images © Games Workshop 1987-2022. All music by Karl Casey @White Bat Audio

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[tabletoptrilobite]

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

[tonydotnottingham]

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

[andymiller]

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

[cookietinsewingkit]

40k Behind the Bastards? Im here for it.

[dustinolson]

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.

[scottrubin]

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

[andrepaesdebarros]

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

[aylameridian]

There's no way to hear "Horrible Heretics" and NOT sing it to the tune of "horrible histories"! stroke of genius!

[BlizzardofKnives]

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

[pierre-louispicot]

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

[syntheticjester]

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.

[CrimsonTemplar]

Great video. Looking forward to seeing more.

[Jaszunai]

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

[flamingmuffin]

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.

[Yurt_enthusiast]

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.

[misterdepresso]

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.

[nobleman]

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

[rmod]

Sanguinius at 24:18 has BIG Dee Snider energy.

[akumaking]

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

[crocutable]

So what you're saying is literally everything right up to the Heresy and even beyond basically screamed "the obvious favorite son who's going to turn traitor for the sake of his own pride and viciousness, and bring the whole thing crashing down, is actually The Lion, " but that's far too obvious for 40K?