A Chaos Lord in Warhammer 40,000 is a fearsome and ruthless commander of the forces of Chaos, one who has fully embraced the malevolent power of the Warp. These lords were once noble Space Marines, warriors of the Imperium, but they have since fallen to the whispers and promises of the Chaos Gods. This corruption has transformed them into twisted versions of their former selves, consumed by ambition, hatred, and a burning desire for power. Often clad in dark, spiked power armor and bristling with arcane relics, a Chaos Lord is a terrifying figure, an embodiment of unholy strength and brutality.
Every Chaos Lord has their own story of damnation. Some turned against the Imperium out of a sense of betrayal or disillusionment, while others were seduced by the lure of immortality and god-like power. They are leaders of warbands and legions, overseeing traitor Space Marines, daemonic entities, and other heretical forces, all eager to destroy or corrupt everything the Imperium holds dear. The most powerful Chaos Lords might even wield weapons and armor blessed by the Chaos Gods themselves, granting them supernatural abilities. Their armies often serve the agendas of one or more of the Chaos Gods—Khorne, Tzeentch, Nurgle, or Slaanesh—or they may serve Chaos Undivided, embodying the destructive will of Chaos as a whole.
In battle, a Chaos Lord is a force to be reckoned with, striking fear into the hearts of their enemies with their sheer ferocity and brutal combat prowess. They fight with weapons infused with Warp energy, such as daemon-forged swords or cursed axes, and they can call upon dark powers to unleash devastating sorceries or summon daemons to the battlefield. Their presence on the front lines inspires their corrupted warriors to fight with unholy fervor, driven by the promise of favor from the Chaos Gods or the thrill of carnage. The ambitions of a Chaos Lord are limitless; they seek to conquer worlds, overthrow the Imperium, and ascend to greater power, sometimes even aspiring to become a Daemon Prince, an eternal servant of the Dark Gods.