If you’ve spent any time looking at the Blood Angels and their successor chapters, you know things get messy. Really messy. Most fans focus on the Flesh Tearers because, well, Gabriel Seth is a loud guy with an even louder chainsword. But the Warhammer 40k Knights of Blood? They’re a different story. They didn't just walk the line between loyalty and damnation; they tripped over it, did a somersault, and kept right on fighting for an Imperium that had already kicked them out of the house.
Most people get them wrong. They think "Renegade" means "Chaos." It doesn't. Not always. The Knights of Blood are basically the tragic cautionary tale of what happens when you try to be a "good guy" while your DNA is literally screaming for you to drink everyone's blood. They were declared Excommunicate Traitoris not because they worshipped the Dark Gods, but because they were just too violent for the High Lords of Terra to handle. Think about that. In a universe where the Inquisition exists, these guys were considered "too much."
The Tragedy of the Knights of Blood and the Flaw
Everything goes back to Sanguinius. Our golden boy. When he died, he left his sons with two massive problems: the Red Thirst and the Black Rage. Every Blood Angels successor deals with this, but the Knights of Blood leaned into it. Hard.
They were originally a Second Founding chapter, though some lore nuances suggest they might have been later. Either way, they were born from the blood of the Primarch. For a long time, they were just another chapter winning medals and killing Orks. But the Red Thirst started to win. It’s a slow burn. You start by executing a few prisoners. Then you’re "accidentally" draining a hive world's PDF forces because they got in the way of your charge.
The High Lords eventually got fed up. It’s one thing to be a bit "bitey" in the heat of battle, but the Knights of Blood were leaving behind worlds that looked like they’d been processed by a blender. They were officially stripped of their honors. They were told they weren't part of the Imperium anymore.
And they said: "Okay, fine. We're still going to kill your enemies, though."
Honestly, that’s the coolest part. They became renegades who refused to turn to Chaos. Most chapters, when they get the Excommunicate Traitoris stamp, immediately start growing tentacles and shouting about the Blood God. Not these guys. They stayed (mostly) loyal to the idea of the Emperor, even if they hated the bureaucracy that exiled them. They spent centuries as nomads. No home world. No resupply. Just a fleet of ships and a whole lot of bottled-up resentment.
✨ Don't miss: Why This Link to the Past GBA Walkthrough Still Hits Different Decades Later
What Really Happened at the Devastation of Baal
If you want to understand why the Warhammer 40k Knights of Blood matter, you have to look at the Devastation of Baal. This is the big one. Hive Fleet Leviathan was knocking on the door of the Blood Angels' home system. Dante, the oldest and tiredest man in the galaxy, sent out the call. He didn't just call the "good" chapters. He called everyone.
The Knights of Blood showed up.
Imagine the scene. You’re a Flesh Tearer or a Blood Angel, and suddenly this fleet of renegades you’ve been told to shoot on sight arrives. They didn't come for forgiveness. They didn't come to get their names cleared. They came because Sanguinius’s house was on fire and they were the only ones crazy enough to run into the basement.
Sentor Jago. Remember that name. He was the Chapter Master of the Knights of Blood during the defense of Baal. He’s one of the most fascinating characters in the lore because he was completely self-aware. He knew his chapter was doomed. He knew they were monsters. When he met Dante, there wasn't a big "please let us back in" speech. It was more like, "We're going to go over there and die so you don't have to."
During the battle on the moon of Baal Primus, things got incredibly grim. The Knights of Blood were fighting the Tyranids, but they were also fighting their own nature. As the battle dragged on, the Black Rage started taking everyone. It wasn't just a few squads; it was the whole remaining chapter.
The Final Stand of Sentor Jago
There's this moment in the novel The Devastation of Baal by Guy Haley that really hits home. Jago and his men are fighting alongside the Flesh Tearers. At one point, Jago basically tells Gabriel Seth that the Knights of Blood are what the Flesh Tearers will eventually become. It's a mirror. A dark, bloody mirror.
🔗 Read more: All Barn Locations Forza Horizon 5: What Most People Get Wrong
Jago didn't die to a Tyranid. Not exactly. He died because the Daemonic entity Ka'Bandha showed up. Ka'Bandha is the Bloodthirster who has a personal vendetta against the Blood Angels. He wanted to claim the Knights of Blood for Khorne. He offered them a way out—give in to the rage, serve the Blood God, and live forever in slaughter.
Jago said no.
He chose to die as a monster of the Imperium rather than a prince of Chaos. He and his remaining battle-brothers were completely wiped out on Baal Primus. Every single one of them. They died in a frenzy of gore, fighting Tyranids and Daemons alike, holding the line so that the Blood Angels could survive. When the battle was over, the Knights of Blood were gone. Extinct.
Why They Weren't Just "Chaos Lite"
It is incredibly easy to dismiss them as Chaos-corrupted. But that misses the nuance. In Warhammer 40k, the Knights of Blood represent the tragedy of the "Untouchables."
They represent the dark side of the Space Marine program. These are guys who were created to be weapons, and then the Imperium got upset when they acted like weapons.
- They stayed loyal to a system that hated them.
- They refused the "easy" path of Chaos worship.
- They sacrificed their entire lineage for a home world they weren't even allowed to land on.
Usually, when a chapter goes rogue, they start raiding Imperial shipping or carving out a little empire. The Knights of Blood just stayed in the dark, hunting the enemies of mankind. They were essentially the galaxy's most violent vigilantes. If you're a fan of the "grimdark" aesthetic, these guys are the peak. No shiny armor, no parades. Just rust, blood, and a stubborn refusal to stop doing their jobs.
💡 You might also like: When Was Monopoly Invented: The Truth About Lizzie Magie and the Parker Brothers
Building and Painting the Knights of Blood
If you're a tabletop player, painting the Warhammer 40k Knights of Blood is actually a fun challenge. Their scheme is striking: silver/steel armor with red shoulders and helmets. It’s distinct. It’s not just "more red."
The challenge is the weathering. These guys didn't have access to forge worlds for repairs. Their armor should look trashed. Scratches, dents, mismatched plates—this is where you get to go ham with the technical paints.
- Base Coat: Start with a dark metallic like Leadbelcher or Iron Warriors.
- The Red: Use a deep red, maybe Khorne Red, for the shoulders.
- The Grime: Use plenty of Agrax Earthshade or Nuln Oil. These guys aren't clean.
- The "Lore" Touch: Since they are extinct in the "current" 42nd Millennium setting (unless you're counting the new Primaris replacements which... we'll get to), you can really lean into the "final stand" look.
Speaking of Primaris, after the Devastation of Baal, Roboute Guilliman actually reconstituted the chapter. He gave them new Primaris recruits to replace the fallen. This is a bit controversial among lore fans. Does a chapter keep its soul if everyone who knew the "old ways" is dead? The new Knights of Blood have the name, but they don't have the centuries of exile. They’re "clean." For now. Give them a few centuries with the Red Thirst, and we'll see if history repeats itself.
Practical Insights for Lore Fans and Players
If you're looking to dive deeper into this specific chapter, don't just stick to the wikis. The nuances are in the narrative.
- Read "The Devastation of Baal": This is the definitive text. It gives Sentor Jago a voice and shows the interaction between the "civilized" Blood Angels and their "savage" cousins.
- Understand the Legal Status: In your RPGs or tabletop games, remember that the Knights of Blood are Excommunicate Traitoris. If they show up to help an Imperial Guard regiment, the Guard officers are technically supposed to arrest or shoot them. This creates amazing narrative tension.
- Embrace the Nihilism: Playing Knights of Blood isn't about winning glory. It's about dying well. Your strategy should reflect that—aggressive, sacrificial, and utterly brutal.
The Knights of Blood remind us that in the 41st Millennium, being "loyal" doesn't mean you're a hero. It just means you've chosen which monster you want to be. They were a chapter that accepted their damnation and used it as a shield for a humanity that didn't even want them. That’s about as Warhammer as it gets.
If you are planning to build an army, focus on the "old" Firstborn kits mixed with newer bits to show that scavenged, nomadic look. Use the Flesh Tearers rules for the tabletop—the extra aggression and "bloody" mechanics fit the Knights of Blood perfectly. Focus on Vanguard Veterans and Death Company. These units represent the chapter's descent into the Flaw better than anything else. Make every model look like it hasn't slept or cleaned its gear in a decade. That is the true spirit of the Knights of Blood. They are the ghosts of the Second Founding, finally finding peace in total annihilation.