Ibram Gaunt is a Commissar of the Astra Militarum, best known as the commander of the Tanith First and Only, the regiment everyone calls Gaunt’s Ghosts. He’s the central figure of Dan Abnett’s long-running Gaunt’s Ghosts novel series, and one of the most human characters in Warhammer 40,000.
Who is Ibram Gaunt?
Gaunt was born on Manzipor in roughly the 700s of M41, the son of a Jantine Patricians officer. After his father died fighting Orks, Gaunt was sent to the Schola Progenium on Ignatius Cardinal, then served as a Cadet-Commissar under Commissar Delane Oktar before earning his full rank.
What sets him apart is his job. Commissars usually execute cowards and stay out of command. Gaunt was handed an entire regiment by Warmaster Slaydo on his deathbed, an unusual honour that made him both colonel and commissar at once.
- Titles: Colonel-Commissar, later Lord Militant General and First Lord Executor
- Affiliation: Imperium, Astra Militarum, the Commissariat
- Regiment: Tanith First and Only (Gaunt’s Ghosts)
The Tanith First and Only
Slaydo wanted three regiments raised from Tanith. Only one made it off the planet before it was destroyed, and just enough men survived to form a single understrength unit. That’s where the name comes from: the First, and only.
The Tanith are scouts and marksmen from a forest world, and they don’t fit the Guard mould. Gaunt turned them from a ragtag bunch of survivors into one of the most effective regiments of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, though it took years before anyone upstairs noticed.
His rise through the Sabbat Worlds Crusade
Gaunt’s career spans the whole crusade, from early battles on worlds like Hagia and Herodor through to the Salvation’s Reach campaign. He served under Warmaster Macaroth and eventually became First Lord Executor, effectively Macaroth’s right hand and acknowledged successor.
Along the way he’s fought alongside his Ghosts in some of the bloodiest actions of the war, and his reputation as a commander who leads from the front is well earned.
What he’s like
Gaunt is a soldier’s officer. He’s stern, principled, and willing to bend or break Imperial protocol when it keeps his people alive. That puts him at odds with plenty of senior officers and rivals within the Commissariat.
He carries a power sword and a bolt pistol, and he’s known for a line he shouts to rally the Tanith: asking if they want to live forever.
Key facts
- Ibram Gaunt is a Commissar and the commander of the Tanith First and Only Imperial Guard regiment.
- He was given regimental command by Warmaster Slaydo on his deathbed, an unusual role for a Commissar.
- The Tanith First and Only got its name because only one regiment survived Tanith’s destruction.
- Gaunt rose to First Lord Executor of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade, serving as Warmaster Macaroth’s successor.
- He’s the central character of Dan Abnett’s Gaunt’s Ghosts novel series.
FAQ
Who are Gaunt’s Ghosts?
They’re the Tanith First and Only, the Imperial Guard regiment Gaunt commands. The nickname comes from the regiment’s association with him and from the Tanith’s stealthy, scout-style fighting.
What rank did Ibram Gaunt reach?
He started as a simple Commissar, became Colonel-Commissar of the Tanith First, then Lord Militant General, and finally First Lord Executor of the Sabbat Worlds Crusade.
Where does Ibram Gaunt appear?
He’s the main character of the Gaunt’s Ghosts novel series by Dan Abnett, which follows the Tanith First through the Sabbat Worlds Crusade.