It’s a big week for Warhammer+ – the second episode of The Exodite has arrived, in which we get a closer look at the titular character than we’ve seen so far*.
But how does a piece of background lore from Warhammer 40,000’s history make the jump to a fully animated feature? To find out, we caught up with Sarah Wallen from the Warhammer animations team.
Warhammer Community: Up until now, we've only seen glimpses of an Exodite. How did it feel to have the responsibility of depicting one of these elusive figures in such a vivid way?
Sarah Wallen: It’s a huge responsibility to bring any part of the Warhammer universes to life, but particularly when it’s something new. Everyone comes into this with their own expectations, and you never want to disappoint anyone.
As such a beloved corner of Warhammer lore, there have been a lot of eyes on this process. We have a great deal of precedent to work with for an Exodite – as they’re still part of the Aeldari race at the end of the day – but you have to make sure they’re recognisably different from the other branches of the family tree.
For example, years of work have gone into making craftworld Aeldari distinct from their Drukhari kin, and we needed to find a look that was clearly related to both while also not stepping on the aesthetics of the Harlequins, Ynnari, or Corsairs.
The miniatures design studio were able to produce some excellent concepts, which gave the 3D modellers a strong base to work from.
WarCom: What was the design process for the character of the Exodite?
Sarah: We got the concept from the Warhammer Studio and ran with it, translating the design into a 3D model as closely as possible. We had to make some changes to the hair for the purposes of animation, as big, voluminous locks look great on a miniature, but don't translate well to 3D animation – particularly when that character has to wear a hood for some scenes (Exodites hate hat hair).
It’s always helpful to have miniatures to use as reference, but when you don’t, concept sketches from the Warhammer Studio are a fantastic alternative.
WarCom: What can you tell us about the Exodite’s look, their weaponry, and their gear?
Sarah: This mysterious character is the last survivor of his people on the planet, so he’s lost a lot before we even encounter him. The design started with what an Exodite without a destroyed planet might look like, and then added or removed elements to convey the long survivor's journey he’s been on.
The original sketch, for example, has a pretty nifty lance weapon… but the Exodite in our story no longer has a mount, and has lost that lance somewhere along the way – though we do get a glimpse of it in a flashback.
Similarly, once you consider that he’s been travelling on foot for a while, it made more sense for him to have a melee weapon, which is where his halberd/spear came from. The armour and accessories are certainly a touch more organic-looking than other Aeldari technology, but not any less sophisticated.
WarCom: What was your approach to voicing and animating the character?
Sarah: Turns out he’s really fast, and a bit difficult to catch on film as he runs circles around our Stealth Team. Luckily, he has a few things to say about the state of the universe, so we get a chance to see him lay down some of that ancient wisdom you only get from former rulers of the galaxy.
His voice carries the weight of that wisdom, and the pain it was learned through. There’s a lot of sadness and disappointment, clearly, but an edge of bitterness and resentment too – you can tell the Asuryani and Drukhari tend towards one side of that coin or the other, while our Exodite bears both equally.
WarCom: How do you feel about the finished animation?
Sarah: It’s been so much fun to bring the Exodite to life – the collaboration between the animation team and the Warhammer Studio allowed us to really explore the unique flavour of the Exodite, from the way he should move, down to the textures of his armour and cloth. It’s so exciting to finally bring a small slice of this unexplored part of the Warhammer 40,000 universe to the fans.
Did our mysterious title character sound familiar to you? If so, that’s because he is! The eponymous Exodite is voiced by renowned actor Clancy Brown, whose acting talents have run the gamut from barbarian to crustacean – and now his CV includes an Aeldari wanderer.
The Exodite isn’t the only show making its way to Warhammer+ this week – Battle Report returns with a psychically-charged clash between the Aeldari and Grey Knights. The giant molten shard of a god in their midst might have something to do with it, and the Knights of Titan will have their work cut out bringing down such a devastatingly powerful monster.
Plus, the Imperial Armour series continues with Volume Eight: Raid on Kastorel-Novem, chronicling a lightning Imperial assault on an upstart Ork Big Mek’s operations. The Raven Guard Space Marines join up with the vaunted Elysian Drop Troops in a race against time to prevent the activation of a colossal Gargant, and destroy Mekboy Buzzgob’s plans for the future.
You can access all of this incredible content right now by signing up to Warhammer+, alongside loads more original Warhammer animations, from Angels of Death to Hammer and Bolter. Subscribe today for an even greater world of the Warhammer hobby at your fingertips.
* The Exodite is still waiting on certification in Australia, but it will be released as quickly as possible.