Imperial inquisitors are the Imperium’s secret police, agents of the Inquisition who hunt down heresy, aliens, and daemons wherever they hide. They answer to no one but the Emperor himself, and their authority is absolute.
What is the Inquisition?
The Holy Orders of the Emperor’s Inquisition was founded after the Horus Heresy to guard humanity’s souls. Its job is simple to state and impossible to finish: find and destroy every threat to the Imperium, whether that’s a mutant uprising, an alien infiltration, or a daemon cult.
Inquisitors don’t answer to the High Lords of Terra or any other authority. They answer only to the Emperor. That means they can demand obedience from anyone, up to and including planetary governors and Space Marine captains.
How the Inquisition works
There’s no single leader. The Inquisition is deliberately decentralised, with each inquisitor acting on their own judgement. They coordinate through the Inquisitorial Representative on Terra, but that’s more of a liaison role than a command position.
Inquisitors are split into ordos, each specialising in a different kind of threat. The three major ones are the Ordo Malleus (daemons), the Ordo Xenos (aliens), and the Ordo Hereticus (heresy and rogue psykers). Smaller ordos exist for niche threats, like the Ordo Sepulturum, which deals with the walking dead.
- Ordo Malleus: hunts daemons and warp entities.
- Ordo Xenos: hunts aliens and alien influence.
- Ordo Hereticus: hunts heretics, witches, and mutants.
- Ordo Sepulturum: deals with plague zombies and similar horrors.
How they root out heresy
An inquisitor rarely works alone. They build a retinue of trusted agents: warriors, scholars, psykers, assassins, and specialists of all kinds. These teams can go anywhere and do almost anything in the Emperor’s name.
When an inquisitor finds a threat, they have the power to deal with it however they see fit. That might mean calling in Imperial Guard regiments, Space Marines, or even ordering Exterminatus, the destruction of an entire planet. They don’t need permission.
Famous imperial inquisitors
Some inquisitors have become legends in their own right. Gregor Eisenhorn is probably the best known, thanks to Dan Abnett’s novels. His story shows how an inquisitor can start as a puritan and slide into radical methods.
Others include Gideon Ravenor, Eisenhorn’s former pupil, and Kryptman, the inquisitor who first identified Hive Fleet Kraken. There’s also Amberley Vail, who chronicles the exploits of Commissar Ciaphas Cain.
Puritans and radicals
Inquisitors don’t agree on much, but the biggest split is between puritans and radicals. Puritans believe in using only the Emperor’s sanctioned tools. Radicals are willing to use the enemy’s weapons against them, like daemonhosts or alien tech.
That divide causes a lot of infighting. Inquisitors have been known to declare each other traitors, and sometimes they’re right. The line between radical and heretic is thin, and plenty of inquisitors have crossed it.
Key facts
- The Inquisition was founded after the Horus Heresy to protect humanity from heresy, aliens, and daemons.
- Inquisitors answer only to the Emperor and have authority over almost everyone else in the Imperium.
- The three main ordos are Malleus (daemons), Xenos (aliens), and Hereticus (heresy).
- Inquisitors often work with a retinue of hand-picked agents rather than alone.
- The split between puritans and radicals causes frequent conflict within the Inquisition.
FAQ
Who do imperial inquisitors answer to?
They answer only to the Emperor. In practice, that means they’re free to act as they see fit, though they’re expected to serve the Imperium’s interests.
What’s the difference between the Ordo Malleus, Ordo Xenos, and Ordo Hereticus?
Each ordo focuses on a different threat: daemons, aliens, and heresy respectively. They sometimes work together, but they also have their own agendas.
Can an inquisitor order Exterminatus?
Yes. An inquisitor can call for the destruction of an entire planet if they believe it’s the only way to stop a threat. They don’t need approval from anyone else.