Magnus the Red, the primarch of the Thousand Sons Legion, is a towering figure in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, known for his immense psychic powers and tragic fate. Born on the planet Prospero, a world of scholars and psykers, Magnus quickly became its leader, shaping its culture around the pursuit of knowledge and the mastery of the Warp. His red skin and single eye earned him the nickname “The Crimson King.”
Under Magnus’s leadership, the Thousand Sons excelled in psychic warfare, but their reliance on the Warp led to the horrifying Flesh Change, a mutation that threatened to destroy the Legion. In desperation, Magnus made a pact with the Chaos God Tzeentch, unwittingly sealing his and his Legion’s doom. His tragic flaw was his thirst for knowledge and power, which would ultimately lead to catastrophic consequences.
During the Horus Heresy, Magnus sought to warn the Emperor of Horus’s betrayal, but his use of forbidden sorcery resulted in the destruction of his home world, Prospero, by the Space Wolves. Feeling betrayed and shattered, Magnus turned to Chaos, becoming a Daemon Prince and fully aligning with Tzeentch.
Now, as a Daemon Prince, Magnus rules over the Planet of the Sorcerers in the Warp, leading his Legion in the service of Tzeentch. His once-noble quest for enlightenment has been twisted into a relentless pursuit of power and revenge against the Imperium. Despite his tragic fall, Magnus remains one of the most powerful psykers in the galaxy, his legacy marked by both his brilliance and the consequences of his hubris.