The Angels of Death animation is a Warhammer 40,000 series about a squad of Blood Angels Space Marines fighting a Genestealer Cult on the planet Niades. It launched on Warhammer+ in August 2021 and gave the streaming service one of its first flagship shows.
What the series is
It’s a 10-episode animated show that premiered on Warhammer+ on 25 August 2021. The story follows the crew of the Blood Angels strike cruiser Sword of Baal, stranded in orbit over Niades by warp storms, and the marines who deploy to the surface below.
The series was directed by Richard Boylan and Boman Modine, with scripts from John French, Boman Modine, and George Mann. It was made by the Warhammer Animations team working alongside the same fan team behind the fan-made Helsreach animation, which is a big part of why it looks and feels the way it does.
Who’s in it
Most of the cast are Blood Angels, but the human crew of the Sword of Baal get real screen time too, which sets the show apart from a lot of 40k fiction.
The main named characters are Ancaeus and Kazarion (both Sergeants), Rafael (Chaplain), Hadrael (Techmarine), Orpheo (Captain), and Livia, a Chapter Serf who serves as Shipmaster.
- Ancaeus and Kazarion: Sergeants leading the squad on the ground
- Rafael: Chaplain, the spiritual heart of the group
- Hadrael: Techmarine
- Orpheo: Captain, missing for much of the early story
- Livia: Chapter Serf and Shipmaster, a rare human viewpoint
Episode list
The first five episodes ran weekly from late August 2021. After a break, the last five aired through November 2021. All 10 have since been recut into a single film, Angels of Death: Final Cut, which runs around 168 minutes.
| # | Title | Premiere |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Blood and Duty | 25 Aug 2021 |
| 2 | The Silent City | 1 Sep 2021 |
| 3 | Trail of Blood | 8 Sep 2021 |
| 4 | Awakenings | 15 Sep 2021 |
| 5 | Tempest | 22 Sep 2021 |
| 6 | Against the Horde | 3 Nov 2021 |
| 7 | The Honour of Angels | 10 Nov 2021 |
| 8 | Rise | 17 Nov 2021 |
| 9 | Slaughter | 24 Nov 2021 |
| 10 | Reborn in Blood | 24 Nov 2021 |
Origins and the prequels
Angels of Death: Origins is an anthology of prequel episodes that fill in the pasts of the Sword of Baal’s crew. In the Company of Death (July 2023) follows Kazarion before his Deathwatch days, fighting through Death Guard territory with Chaplain Rafael to rescue a missing battle-brother named Lucretius.
Another Origins episode, Patience of Iron, digs into the backstory of Magos Dominus Castia-Theta-9 as Imperial forces try to put down the Genestealer Cult uprising. The whole run, plus the Final Cut, sits on Warhammer+.
Why it matters
It’s the show that proved Warhammer+ could do more than lore videos. The Black Rage hangs over the whole story, and that gives the Blood Angels a personal, creeping threat on top of the xenos cult they’re fighting.
For anyone new to 40k, it’s a solid entry point: a self-contained squad, a clear mission, and a look at how Space Marines and ordinary humans live side by side on a warship.
Key facts
- Premiered on Warhammer+ on 25 August 2021
- 10 episodes, later recut into the 168-minute Final Cut film
- Follows Blood Angels of the Sword of Baal on the planet Niades
- Directed by Richard Boylan and Boman Modine
- Written by John French, Boman Modine, and George Mann
- Prequel anthology Angels of Death: Origins expands the crew’s backstories
FAQ
Where can I watch the Angels of Death animation?
It’s exclusive to Warhammer+, available as the original 10 episodes or as the feature-length Final Cut.
Is Angels of Death canon?
It’s an official Warhammer 40,000 production, so it sits alongside the wider Blood Angels lore rather than being a fan project.
How many episodes are there?
Ten episodes in the main series, plus prequel episodes under the Angels of Death: Origins banner.