Warhammer 40,000 might be one of the most significant untapped media properties. Sure, there are a million books, games, comics, and fan projects for fans to enjoy, but the movie and TV studios have ignored Games Workshop's beloved title. Proud fan Henry Cavill intends to rectify that oversight, but Games Workshop is testing the waters with some animated projects. Pariah Nexus is the newest and perhaps the best.
Most fans who want to experience Warhammer through non-interactive mediums turn their attention to the massive community of fan filmmakers on YouTube. There was an official animated Warhammer film in 2010, but it's outdated today. The endless fan content scratches the itch. Games Workshop suffered a cataclysmic blow to their cultural perception when they announced a zero-tolerance policy toward fan films. The onset of official animated projects visibly designed to fill the void they'd create by stamping out creativity makes their reasoning clear. Pariah Nexus and Games Workshop's other animated shows will always exist in the shadow of the fan films the studio worked to destroy.
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What is Warhammer 40k: Pariah Nexus about?
|
Producer |
Mads Munk |
|---|---|
|
Cast |
James Phoon, Hannah Melbourn |
|
Episodes |
3 |
|
Release Date |
September 13, 2023 |
The titular Pariah Nexus is a carefully constructed region in space. Through Necron engineering and the liberal application of Blackstone, the area is untouched by the influence of the Warp. Deep within the Nexus lies a planet called Paradyce VI. Paradyce once flourished under the protection of the Sisters of Battle and the 23rd Paradycian Peltasts. The unique effects of the Nexus infected the planet's citizens with a disease called the Stilling. Their homegrown warriors gradually lost the will and strength to fight, leaving the Sororitas to defend Paradyce alone. The planet's weakened state allowed the Necron to invade and dominate. Humanity exists in small pockets across the surface, struggling to survive and flee to safety.
Pariah Nexus follows Sister Danica, one of the last Sororitas soldiers on Paradyce. She's suffered through more violence than most could survive, leaving her hardened for better and worse. Danica has lost whatever compassion she had, her sympathy comfortably suffocated by an unending rage. She wants to continue her futile battle against the Necron, sacrificing her life and the lives of countless others to settle a justifiable grudge. Her foil is a Space Marine named Sa'Kan. Though most Marines are typically driven by battle fury and righteous zeal, Sa'Kan comes from the Salamanders chapter of the Astartes. Sa'Kan lives up to his chapters' notorious desire to save civilians, struggling against impossible odds to rescue the terrified innocents. In a world without hope and a battle that has long been lost, two soldiers must rectify their opposing desires to find the path off of Paradyce. It's a quintessential Warhammer 40,000 story premise, complete with the kind of downer ending any seasoned Space Marine would expect.
How to watch Warhammer 40k: Pariah Nexus
Pariah Nexus is exclusively available through Games Workshop's in-house streaming service, Warhammer TV. Fans can use the Warhammer website to create a My Warhammer account, through which they can subscribe to Warhammer+. A monthly subscription is $6.99 per month or $59.99 a year. The service's price is less expensive than Disney+ or Netflix, though equal to Paramount+, Peacock, and Dropout. Warhammer TV features hundreds of hours of content directly related to the game. Most of its material depicts experts playing 40k or its spinoffs. They have informative content about lore and DIY guides about painting miniatures. Its biggest draw is its seven original animated series, most of which go ignored by most outlets. Superfans will love shows like Angels of Death and Hammer and Bolter. Mild devotees will likely find what they're looking for in YouTube fan projects.
How does Warhammer 40k: Pariah Nexus end?
The evil Illuminor Szeras hires a Deathmark assassin to hunt down the remaining Imperium forces on Paradyce. As Danica sees through her guilt-fueled hallucinations and starts to agree with Sa'Kan, the Deathmark shoots her with his sniper rifle. She's left near death, but continues to struggle to save lives. Sa'Kan intervenes and mortally wounds the Deathmark. Sa'Kan loses his arm, but the Deathmark is considerably worse off. He calls Illuminor Szeras to request repairs, but the mad scientist declares him a waste of parts and leaves him to die. Though the city falls to the Necron, Sa'Kan saves a few children. The military guns them down, potentially seeing signs of the Stilling in them and offering them a quick death. It's as grim as expected.
Pariah Nexus is a compelling example of the type of story talented filmmakers could make in the Warhammer 40,000 universe. It and its stablemates on Warhammer TV still remain fairly one-note, but their slight deviations offer hints at potential future outings. The moral struggle between Danica and Sa'Kan is a genuinely engaging narrative beat. Fans of the franchise may be missing out if they don't look into the Pariah Nexus.
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