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Warhammer 40K: Boltgun may seem like it has another faceless protagonist, especially considering he's always got his helmet on. But a lot is going on under that ceramite-covered suit of armor that you can easily miss out on if you're not overly familiar with Warhammer or missed out on the Space Marine game, as there's some nice crossover stuff going on.
This blue-suited demon is a bane to the forces of Chaos and is well-versed in combat arts as he collects a colorful assortment of the Imperium's finest weaponry in his travels. There's a lot to take away from just looking at his gear alone.
Who Is The Main Character In 40K Boltgun?
The blue armor of the Ultramarines is one that strikes terror into the hearts of all that stand against them. These giants among men clad in hardened plates of armor, are considered the best the Imperium has to offer. They are the unstoppable, the uncompromising, the undefiable, the Ultramarines.
Though the Ultras are considered by a lot of Games Workshop fans to be the galaxys "good boys," and they come with a lot of background baggage, they're still a good introductory choice for 40K as they're pretty mainstream.
Plus, they're simple to get to grips with lore-wise, they're big guys in blue armor that will always do the right thing, and they fight really well. There's a bit more depth if you dig in, but on the surface, it's an easy Space Marine Chapter to pick up and run with for first-timers, and it's one of their members by the name of Malum Caedo that we play as in Boltgun.
Who Is Malum Caedo?
There isn't much lore to gather ingame about Malum Caedo. But what we do know is that he's doing his best Doom Guy impression, albeit in the 40K universe with a very different kind of demon. But there is a fair amount of information you can tease out purely by examining his character details, from his name to his actions and even his armor.
For example, in Latin his name rather appropriately translates to "I Kill Evil," and he's a veteran elite member of the Ultramarines. As previously mentioned, they're considered to be the proverbial best of the best, and to be an elite veteran within that organization carries a lot of weight and prestige.
Though he was sent to the Forgeworld as the leader of a group of Ultramarines, sadly, he was the only survivor after the drop as the assault pod teams had a rocky and lethal entry into the planet's atmosphere.
Caedo, being an Ultramarine, is also a devout worshipper of the God Emperor of Mankind to an almost zealot-like degree. For instance, with a button press, he'll yell out an exhaustively long list of praises to the Emperor and threats to the Heretics, all voiced by the talented Rahul Kohli.
He himself is a huge Warhammer and Ultramarine fan. So it's a fitting choice for the voice of a proud Ultramarine of the Imperium.
Finally, there’s a small hint at how into the Emperor Caedo is when you let him idle for a little while in-game. After standing doing nothing for a minute or so, Caedo will pull out a big golden book and start idly thumbing through it.
Though the text is impossible to see, the bright glow and the fact that it’s an Ultramarine carrying it around are enough to piece together a theory that it’s a big book of Emperor facts or something equally sanctified and holy in the Imperium's view. It’s a straw grab at most, but it’s an interesting little detail.
The Significance Of The Armor
Worth a brief mention is the armor our hero wears because it's pretty significant and a nice touch for 40k lore heads.
Though it makes them look like big robots, the suit is a Mark VI Corvus power armor suit worn by Veteran Firstborn or, more commonly, Primaris marines of the esteemed 1st Company. An elite group within the Ultramarines Chapter House who are considered by many to be the pinnacle of the legion's entire fighting force.
What makes the Sterngaurd so notable, aside from their martial prowess, is that their members are highly trained specialists in ranged combat.
Often preferring to wear down foes from range and only engaging in melee when appropriate or tactically advantageous. The Mark VI is also lightweight and aids movement much more than heavy variants, perfect for those trained to run and gun.
What this means for Caedo is that from a glance at his armor, you immediately know that he's an expert in firearms, is very nimble, and is all about putting as many rounds as possible into whatever finds itself in front of his crosshairs.
It also explains why so many weapons in Boltgun are ranged-focused instead of melee, as it's more appropriate for the lore and gives the developers the fun excuse to dig into some of the chunky and exotic weaponry of the 40K universe.
The Connection With Space Marine
A pretty interesting fact about Boltgun is that it has a connection with the first Space Marine game. Though the story of Boltgun is set several years after Space Marine, it is a canon sequel.
The game takes place on the planet Graia, a Mechanicus Forgeworld that first appeared for many in Space Marine. This planet-spanning factory had been harassed or raided over the years by everything from Aeldari pirates to Necrons and millions of Orks led by Warboss Grimskull.
Though it would receive aid from the Ultramarines, a demonic incursion caused by the machinations of a Chaos Sorceror using a xenos energy core would erupt all over the planet.
After putting down the demons and delaying the Orks, the planet receives reinforcements, though Titus is taken into custody under false charges of Chaos Corruption by a fellow Ultramarine named Leandros.
Boltgun brings us back there once again, several years later, as the world has fully fallen to the corruption of the warp. Following Caedo as he tries to recover the same energy core device that Titus had in his possession at one point.
Malum Caedo also wields the former Captain's chain sword and references Titus in one of his vox lines, stating, “I will finish the work Captain Titus started.”