A Space Marine in dark green armour and a skull helmet beside a dark green tank, with a bright green energy beam and fires, in Dawn of War IV — Game image: Dawn of War IV © Deep Silver, cleaned up and sharpened with AI

Characters

Dawn of War 4 Lion El'Jonson: The First Playable Primarch

Yes, Lion El'Jonson (often typed Lion El Jonson) is in Dawn of War 4, and you get to control him. The Primarch of the Dark Angels is the first playable Warhammer 40,000 Primarch in any video game, but only at key moments of the campaign. Here is everything confirmed so far.

Last updated October 23, 2026Game version: Pre-launch (official info, October 2026)

KING Art first showed The Lion in the Dawn of War IV Story Trailer (the PC Gamer Most Wanted showcase, December 2025) and confirmed two things straight after: he is playable, and he is not playable everywhere. To keep a Primarch's power believable on the battlefield, he has a small but important part in the fight for Kronus instead of joining every mission.

What is confirmed

Playable	Yes, in part of the campaign; the first playable Primarch in any video game
Role	Small but pivotal, in the battle for Kronus; not in every mission
Faction	Space Marines: Primarch of the Dark Angels
Voice	Alistair Petrie
First shown	The Story Trailer at the PC Gamer Most Wanted showcase, December 2025
Multiplayer	Not announced

The Lion and the Dark Angels

The Dark Angels are new to Dawn of War. In the story they answer the Blood Ravens' call for help on Kronus and bring heavy firepower with them, led by Chaplain Ezrael and Company Master Astoran, with the Deathwing Terminators and Ravenwing bikers as their elite units. Both Chapters are playable in the campaign. Our Dawn of War 4 Space Marines guide compares the two Chapters and lists every Space Marine unit revealed so far.

What we do not know yet

Which missions he appears in, what his abilities are and how long you control him have not been revealed, and the closed beta did not include the campaign. Expect those answers once the campaign is out: Commander Edition owners play from November 30, everyone else from December 3 (see the release countdown). The other big story questions, from the campaign length to co-op, are in the Dawn of War 4 FAQ.

Questions

Is Lion El'Jonson playable in Dawn of War 4?

Yes, but only in part of the campaign. KING Art calls him the first playable Warhammer 40,000 Primarch in any video game, and says he has a small but pivotal role in the battle for Kronus rather than being playable in every mission.

Can you use Lion El'Jonson in multiplayer or Skirmish?

Nothing official says so. He is not one of the ten Commanders named for the four factions; the Dark Angels' Commanders are Chaplain Ezrael and Company Master Astoran. We will update this page if that changes.

Who voices Lion El'Jonson in Dawn of War 4?

Alistair Petrie, a stage and screen actor known for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Night Manager, The Terror.

Why is Lion El'Jonson in Dawn of War 4?

He is the Primarch of the Dark Angels, who are one of the two playable Space Marine Chapters in Dawn of War IV. The Dark Angels arrive on Kronus when the Blood Ravens call for help.

Sources

Checked against the official posts on October 23, 2026. Until we have checked a page in the game itself, it follows the developer's own description; we update it as details are confirmed in play.