Given how much lore Warhammer 40,000 has received over the years, it's no wonder plenty of mysteries remain unsolved. One such mystery that has piqued the interest of fans is the origins of the Carcharodons Chapter. These eerie Space Marines are some of the most cold and brutal warriors of the Emperor, even by Imperium standards. Even more importantly, the shark motif looks cool as hell.
And they're coming to Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2.
Courtesy of the official Space Marine 2 Discord, teaser images for the Carcharodon cosmetics just dropped. Wrapped in bloody chains and adorned with shark teeth, these loyalist Space Marines could so easily be mistaken for their Chaos cousins. With their brutal traditions, that may not even be far off. After all, the Charcharodons fit neatly into the "destructive saviors" category of Imperium loyalists.
For those unfamiliar, the Carcharodons are a Space Marine chapter of unknown origin. Their MO is to show up at the last possible second, silently massacre all planetary threats, and leave with barely a word to their allies. In the rare cases they do speak, it' s merely to ask for supplies. They are said to speak in a strangely antiquated High Gothic, polite yet terse. However, their chapter traditions are anything but polite.
The Carcharodons embody their animal motif well in their tactics. Much like sharks, they pounce upon unaware enemies in force, ravaging all in their path until only scorched earth remains. They also have a habit of dropping on random planets to enslave the local populace, both for labor and replenish their chapter numbers. These "visits" are infamously known as the Red Tithe.
One theory as to why they're so mysterious is their alleged ties to the Raven Guard. Corvus Corax, as a staunch abolitionist, did not care for the pro-slavery stance of a number of his sons. He allegedly sent them out to the far reaches of space as a form of banishment. Some believe that over the centuries, these Astartes began stealing gene seed with the Chaos chapters. Just rumors of course, and best said out of the Carchardons' earshot.
The Carcharodon cosmetics will release alongside the 12.0 Techmarine Update for Space Marine 2.
The Wargamer Discord is also a great online community to join for Warhammer 40k fans. If you seek more 40k news, then the Warhammer 40k codex release dates is a good place to start.