The Skulltakers are the daemonic host of Khorne led by Skulltaker, a Bloodletter champion whose whole existence revolves around taking heads. If you’ve seen a red daemon with a sack of skulls and a serrated blade, that’s the one.
Who the Skulltaker is
Skulltaker, also called U’Zhul, is a Bloodletter champion of Khorne. He’s less a rank-and-file daemon and more a named executioner, the Sacred Executioner, to be exact, a title Khorne gave him after he took his 888th skull.
The story goes that U’Zhul’s first act after being created was to decapitate the first creature he met, another Bloodletter. That set the tone for everything after.
How he fights
Skulltaker leads his own army, the Cohort of Blood, hand-picked from Khorne’s legions. In a battle he hunts the enemy’s strongest warrior, cutting through anyone in the way with a serrated blade.
He doesn’t kill quickly. He dismembers, leaving his opponent alive until they’re limbless on the ground. Then he speaks the eight Words of Sacrifice, burns the flesh away with magical fire, tears off the bare skull, and adds it to the sack on his back.
When he returns to the Brass Citadel, Khorne takes most of the trophies and impales them on the ramparts. A few, the ones that were a real challenge, Skulltaker gets to keep and weaves into his cloak with bloody sinew.
Notable kills
Skulltaker’s tally is long, and a few entries stand out because of who they were.
- He felled a quarter of the Grey Knights Brother-Captains during the First War for Armageddon.
- He butchered Ork Warboss Grimsnag Urk and his armoured bodyguards on Agrippina-6.
- He killed 17 Eldar Exarchs during the fighting on Haranshemash.
Khul’tyran, his Juggernaut
Skulltaker usually fights on foot, but he does have a mount: Khul’tyran, a Juggernaut from Khorne’s infernal foundries. Khul’tyran was supposedly the toughest of the stockade, having killed more of his own kind than any other.
He was a problem prisoner, once breaking the compound wall and nearly escaping before a dozen Heralds of Khorne restrained him. Skulltaker picked him out after watching him gore three Heralds.
Why it matters
The Skulltakers sit at the intersection of Khorne’s lore and the tabletop. Skulltaker is a named character you can field, and his rules reflect his duelling style: he challenges champions and takes skulls.
They also show how Khorne’s hierarchy works. Even among daemons, there’s room for individual reputation, and a Bloodletter can rise to something like a saint of slaughter.
Key facts
- Skulltaker, also known as U’Zhul, is a Bloodletter champion of Khorne and his Sacred Executioner.
- He earned the title after taking his 888th skull.
- He leads the Cohort of Blood, an army of hand-picked Bloodletters.
- He never kills quickly; he dismembers foes, then takes their skulls with the eight Words of Sacrifice.
- His mount is Khul’tyran, a particularly vicious Juggernaut.
- His tally includes a quarter of the Grey Knights Brother-Captains at the First War for Armageddon and 17 Eldar Exarchs on Haranshemash.
FAQ
Is Skulltaker a daemon or a mortal?
He’s a daemon, specifically a Bloodletter champion of Khorne. He’s not a mortal champion who ascended; he’s a pure daemon created by Khorne.
What’s the difference between Skulltaker and the Skulltakers?
Skulltaker is the individual champion. The Skulltakers are his army, the Cohort of Blood, which he leads into battle. The names are often used interchangeably, but they refer to the leader and his host.
Does Skulltaker ever lose?
In the lore he’s presented as an unbeatable duellist, but he’s a daemon, so death in the material realm just sends him back to the Warp. He can be banished, but he always comes back.