Warhammer 40K fan film The Awakening shows Dark Angels versus Necrons

The recent success of Space Marine 2 means that many people are looking more into these heavily armored, transhuman soldiers of Warhammer 40K and all of the war crimes they commit in defense of the Imperium of Man. A newly released Warhammer 40K fan-made animation, called The Awakening, by Gabriel Christtiane shows off nearly a full hour of Space Marines — in particular, the secretive and stoic Dark Angels — as they face off against the enigmatic machine race known as the Necrons.

Community members, like YouTuber Baldemort, and audio drama narrator A Vox in the Void, play characters in The Awakening. However, most of the focus is on the spectacle of seeing the Dark Angels in action, lining up en masse with Thunder Hammers and bolters in order to stand strong against the ancient and far more technically evolved Necrons. Seeing two cool armies face off is a good 40% of the appeal of Warhammer 40,000, but Christtiane also sneaks in all kinds of Easter eggs and little touches as an extra treat to fans.

Christtiane has been working on the project for nearly four years, and collaborated with Legio Symphonica for the audio and music. In the description for the video, Christtiane writes: “It was created as a desire to tell the story of our beloved universe and to bring goodwill and new fans to the Warhammer brand, as well as to please all existing fans.”

Warhammer 40K fans are some of the most dedicated around; after all, this is a franchise with hundreds of books, many video games, and a whole subscription service in Warhammer Plus. And the hobby’s depth is rewarded with creations from devoted fans, some of whom are willing to spend blood, sweat, and tears in order to create an original work of animation as in-depth as this one.