WHY DID MALCADOR THE SIGILLITE WEAKEN IN THE HORUS HERESY?

[@alexandercarter1228]

I recall there was a moment where Malcador gave strength to the emperor before he took the golden throne. It is entirely possible that he was siphoning himself to bolster up the Emperor, and maybe even caused him his perpetual status. Who knows how long he was giving strength to the emperor

[@headlibrarian1996]

I don’t think he was a perpetual. He clearly aged, so I think he used his psychic powers to extend his age. Unfortunately that was imperfect.

[@redhandtheblack]

@@headlibrarian1996 I'm pretty sure Malcador was a perpetual.

[@dimwitsixtytwelve]

I thought it was just before he died, he gave his last ounce of strength to the emperor to keep him alive long enough to give his final instructions?

[@alexandercarter1228]

@ I believe it was before that. The emperor was sitting under a tree, swirling shadows being held back by a fire. Malcador gave him a sip of water, but had to hold onto the rest because the siege has been taxing. I believe it was in the middle of the siege, because later Horus visits the emperor and tells him he is coming

[@fitsthetrickster5262]

I agree I think Malcador was boosting the emperor as horus attacked him across time .

[@Carbonblak]

The weight of governing an empire is enough to cause a grey hair or two,sheer worry and stress 24/7 will kill you as quicker than a bullet , keeping the Primarchs in line , getting backhanded by Lorgar , then having been killed by Magnus and brought back to life , then the weight of chaos baring down on Terra before horus was defeated sitting on the Golden throne ,id say that's enough to turn any man to dust .adding being over 1,000 years old . Considering he was his own version of a demi God made flesh . Glory to Malcador , the hero. His wisdom was undeniable. One of my favorites in the whole story .

[@whatamidoinghere2714]

Malcador pulled a classic Yoda move. He got so tired of the kids' BS that he just sat and passed.

[@John-jc3ty]

he was old and weak cause of plot reasons... but an in universe explanation could be that perpetuals live forever, but they get older, and can only get younger by dying and appearing again

[@bidenhasdementia8657]

I literally watched Rho's 'Horus confronts Malcador" vid last night. Fitting.

[@chrisbennett6236]

We do know that the Emperor was a very nostalgic being. Like when he was remembering raising Horus, or standing side by side with Jaghatai just looking out into the stars after a debate with him, or his long psychic conversations with Magnus even before he rediscovered him, or his meetings with Sanguinius and Corvus Corax. The memories he chose to keep as more and more of his conciousness was taken up by holding back the horde of Chaos is very telling. I think anyone that doubts whether loved his sons or thought of Malcador as a brother needs to read this story. There is no practical or logical reason to retain these kinds of memories while he allowed other memories to fade. Only emotional reasons.

[@Guywiththetypewriter]

Rho accidentally revealing he's never worked in retail... or else this video wouldnt be needed... At the height of the Horus Heresy... traitors everywhere, heartbroken loyalist demigod sons, warped and corrupted traitor demigod sons... plots and schemes to take power, spread chaos, ruin humanity... Malcador felt what it was like to do a 9-5 Saturday at Tesco during the Christmas Season. 😂

[@diddy8706]

What about the Reverse of Your Theory. Since The Golden Throne Is Powered By Psykers, Maybe Malcador Was Giving The Emperor "Pyschic Blood/Energy Transfusions" as The Emperor Became More Preoccupied, Rather than The Emperor Withheld Power From Malcador As He Became More Preoccupied??? 🤔

[@lobogonzalo4745]

I believe malcador appears weak because the Emperor needed Magnus to spread the word he had killed him. Without the sigilite powering the golden throne the duel with the Emperor would have been so much easy for Horus. It's all part of the last regicide game, to foul Horus into having a one on one combat in the end

[@peterusmc20]

People talking about stress and age etc and that all may be true but during the heresy, horus' increasing control over the warp in particular around terra and the warp storms etc i assume would have made it harder for psykers in general. We know the stronger the psyker the harder it is to not explode into a demon portal and malacador is essentially thee most powerful human psyker in existence. If the warp is the source of his powers then i think naturally as it became less stable and accessable during the heresy the weaker he would be aside from all the physical tolls of the world.

[@iamcaesar6741]

Why are you not mentioning that Malcador was feeding the Emperor warp food and drink, while the Emperor was in the Golden Throne before the Un-named Sanction was enacted. And for those reading this do know what that is, it’s the Sisters of Silence sacrificing 1000 psychers a day to the Golden Throne.

[@beowulfadrinor7242]

I think you are right. The Emperor was most lik;ey sharing some power with Malcador, keeping him stronger and more powerful than he should have been. He got weaker and older as the Emperor had to use more power in the golden throne and couldn't share with Malcador any more.

[@ditmarvanbelle1061]

Or perhaps he was using Malcador like a tool, like he uses everything and everyone. He needed more power, and he drew it from someone who shared a connection with him.

[@beowulfadrinor7242]

@@ditmarvanbelle1061 Souns very possible as well.

[@joesjohnjohnnyjohnson4609]

@@ditmarvanbelle1061 Very simplified conclusion, if your assumptions were true about the Emperor earth would have been subjugated or gone long ago, and i don't claim i know him either. I just know one thing for certain, he is so far above us that we cant deduct anything he is thinking or has planned, which makes perfect sense given who he is.

[@Ally.Cat.252]

He was literally over 6000years old….dudes body is going to age eventually.

[@monkofbob]

5:13 Rho, part of what I love about that interaction is that Malcador is so powerful that the other two Primarchs do not dare approach him as they are aware he could inflict the same on them as well, at the same time.

[@chrisbennett6236]

He was NOT a Perpetual. Extremely powerful to the point that he could sustain his own life for sure. We know the Emperor sent the Perpetual Olivia to give her life for Malcador.

[@richc3253]

I have a whole theory about the Malcador/Emperor thing that I won't go into here, but this plays into it. The Emperor was feeding off Malcador after Magnus broke the Human Webway.

[@lordcrakkin965]

Love you Rho, always have...BUT...no. Uncle Mal is a perpetual...he has seen dark night, the men of iron and who else knows what. This is not mental strain that we are seeing. MAYBE he is a different kind of a perpetual, maybe this is Mals cycle. Get strong for a long time, then old age sucky, then die, then start again. but that is us guessing. I personally believe there is something else that has not been written yet. Maybe it is one of the lost Primarchs is imprisoned in the palace and Uncle M was his prison guard while the Emp was doing emp things. Mal had to manage the psychic wall holding the lost boy at bay...??? who knows. BUT what do we really even know about perpetuals? Sometimes a blade kills them, sometimes not. Sometimes they come back with their mind in tact, sometimes they come back crazy. The lore seems to be intentionally all over the place. Even the "reactivation" of Malcadors perpetual status, post magnus killing him, seems strange. Mal getting weaker throughout the heresy feels almost like something was feeding on Malcadors life force....just a thought.

[@Masamune84]

While the empowering theory is new. I think it was boiled down to stress, everything has a breaking point.

[@AndyAshworth-h6w]

What about what he was doing on titan with the grey knights, with the webway/warp time protection that he gave them, wouldn't that be a major factor?

[@AvitusNox]

Thx you I was going to post this

[@tomjackson6268]

But as seen in the fury of Magnus, He’s sort of a soul vampire when he takes the girls perpetuity for himself in order to come back after Magnus burns him to ashes, so maybe his borrowed power ran out. The reason I’d say Magnus was more powerful was because he was created to use the throne without it killing him.

[@Blade_291]

Ok, as the imperial regent and the first lord, he had a force staff with an aquila topper. Wouldn't that make the perfect conduit for a portion of the emperor's power much like His sword and His shield? As time went on, I'm sure that Mal was also shouldering other burdens to free up the Emperor's capacity. Channelling to the astronomicon from time to time etc. Combined with the steady withdrawal of His power, I'm sure Rho is right and it just drained Mal.

[@jahaerystargaryen4527]

Again, absolutely amazing and interesting video. You are the best Rho!

[@Reyma777]

I think Malcador had the psychic might to power the Golden Throne . However, he lacked the greatly enhanced physiology of the Emperor [and Magnus the Red], so using the throne destroyed his body, leaving his soul unprotected.

[@silversurfer8818]

Perhaps the archeotech collar allowed Malcador to siphon some of the Emperors powers, and while he sat on the throne, less power could be transferred thus appeared weaker.

[@myveryunprofessionalvideop5830]

I am always here for Malcador discussion

[@gryphdex]

4:59 with this being said, how come people often say Magnus is more powerful than Malcador? Could Magnus do that to Horus too?

[@Anthonythomas_19]

I wonder if it's because most perpetuals are killed at some point and come back at a peak age, like ol, he passes for a man in roughly his prime. What if malcadore hasn't ever died, he's always been too powerful for anything to kill him. So a perpetual that lives for that long before a "recharge" starts to weaken so they can start the cycle again. The only trouble was, that when his cycle came to an end and he would have been reborn he had to sacrifice it to keep the emperor alive.

[@headlibrarian1996]

Maybe that was why Malcador was willing to get on the Throne. He knew he was long beyond his natural past due date and it was only a matter of time before he could no longer be propped up by the Emperor. In other words, he knew he was going to die anyway so why not make it a valuable death.

[@1sgPerkins]

“…snapped up into an arcane gesture…” -my brain imagining Malcador’s gesture: 🖕🏻

[@ghostbearr1]

There is a scene in the Siege of Terra, where Malcador is giving energy to the Emperor. The scene implied this happened multiple times and this would be the last time.

[@JeffereyShoop-ru6zz]

Buy two primarchs get one FHREE!!! Lol we love the pronunciations so much here across the pond❤. Ty. Old man just needs a nap here and there

[@malb.4107]

We're always told that Malcador is really old, and that he makes himself appear older lol. Just more mysteries...i wanna know what the primarchs were refering to about Mal's secrets during Old Night.

[@mikepatterson6416]

Excellent and thanks 😊!!!

[@christopheraaron1255]

Because he was trying to administrate a galactic empire, whilst also running the assassinorum, adminstratum, what would become the Inquisition, keep track of Garro and all his bullshit, and everything else. He's a perpetual, and potent psyker, but he's still only a man. He doesn't have the flame that the Emperor stole from the four, he's just using his own mojo.

[@DGH-q3b]

I do wish you would speak more quickly. I have to put you on 1.5 speed just to be not bored to death.

[@junaidimtiaz2394]

The idea that malcador weakened due to stress/age just dosent make sense. He is a perpetual that went through the darkest periods of humanity maintaining his strength. 1] Power levela are far too inconsistent in 40k. Magnus for example can swing around massive battleships from orbit like nothing and in another book get his ass kicked by space wolves mellee captains/chapter masters...one book he is about to end vulcan without much trouble and in another he gets pummeled with vulcan turning into wolverine/hulk. The avatar of khaine is fighting on par with fulgrim and crushes greater daemons and in another book gets trampled by carnifexes.. 2] I believe the emperor has the ability to share his power with his servants. He empowered malcador against horus but by the end he could not maintain focus due to the astronomicon. I mean we already saw how in vulcans fight with magnus in the recent book he basically performed on a level he never has before. He was being hit with attacks that were atomizing him and yet his healing factor acted like wolverines on turbo while in the past this never happened and he had to be saved against magnus by his sons etc. I mean he shrugged off an attack that ended malcadors perpetuality.

[@logangodofcandy]

He threw the fight.

[@UncleMikeDrop]

Maybe, Malcadore simply fell prey to his own power. Maybe, his perpetuality was not enough to fully protect his body from the strain.

[@Hemigloopilop7890]

pal-see-eyed..? Palsied. "Pawl-seed"... Horus is paralyzed by Malcador's psychic might.

[@MasterElements]

Hot take; Malcador gave his perpetuality to Vulcan because while Vulcan has a warp god of endurance in him he was not a perpetual. Afterwards the Emperor then empowered his friend to extend his life.

[@christopheraaron1255]

3:52 palsied, like cerebral palsy.

[@chrisbennett6236]

There is a difference between Horus and Jaghatai. First Horus never discovered or utilized his psyker abilities. Whereas Jaghatai is an extremely powerful elemental psyker AND one of, if not the greastest swordsmans and warriors. Second Horus was a gifted leader and strategist, but as Russ pointed out, most of his brothers were better warriors.

[@KrisToCool]

I’ve always told you he was the architect!

[@Dadecorban]

Magnus obliterated Malcador instantly....not in some fight of endurance. Then later holds himself together on the throne for hours. This is inconsistent writing.

[@monkofbob]

9:49 My belief on this is that being a Perpetual isn’t binary, you have to want to keep living. Malcador spent countless decades gathering what he could of the old world. Then millennia with the Emperor in pursuit of saving, protecting, and making perfect human society and survival. They create these demigods, and after millennia of preparation these children rebel and destroy what he has devoted his life to. I don’t think he is tired in the sense of being old, I think he is tired in the sense of giving up.

[@andrewbaer2820]

I wonder what the Emperor would have done if Malcador had killed Horus

[@_-JonDoe-_]

So we have a Lost Primarch’s name? Mal-? It could be Malcador but that seems wrong. I bet it is Malal. Primarch Malal of the Legio XI. The sacred number of Malal, the Fallen.

[@BerserkingGator]

The emperor sustained him, as the need to focus elsewhere the emperor was unable to focus as much of himself into sustaining his friend.

[@BerserkingGator]

As I finished this comment you mentioned this theory at the end of your video 😅

[@TheShepherd2305]

I think Malcador was getting weaker because he was giving the Emperor his own power.

[@Brandon-k3o7q]

Up against three Primarks like I care ..Iron Within! lol

[@jjandre7032]

Because the story needed him to

[@im_a_simulation433]

Or why not Malcador given parts of his powers to the emperor so he could stay strong on the Golden Throne without the need of human sacrifices (Psykers)......

[@TheLim1986]

Doesn't this theory contradict the Horus Hersey was planned by the emperor, why would he be so stressed out/weakened if it was all planned?

[@icklemoo]

would malcador have been handle the other two at the same time though if they both fully engaged to help Horus ... would malcadors power have been enough to restrain 3 primarchs at once

[@efulga]

I dont like the scene with Malcador vs Horus at all. The 3 Primarchs went there with an agenda and it seems to me as soon as Malcador seemed to coss the line, the other Primarchs should have been all over him but they acted like scared palace servants,

[@miguelmontes146]

Alpharius was raised by malcador he wasn’t going to go against him never and the khan is too reasonable really, now if they were other brothers maybe

[@bugleboop]

Didn’t malcador revive jaghatai khan?

[@redcell2852]

He didnt weaken its just everybody around him got stronger especially those who got dark gifts from the dark choas gods."

[@MoraqVos]

Power levels never seem to make sense in 40k.

[@automatics1im]

Because the plot demanded it.

[@ditmarvanbelle1061]

Headcanon: Malcador cut a Faustian deal with a fifth warp entity. His time to pay was due. Now, little did he know that fifth warp entity was the Emperor himself, because as we know the God that will become will always have been.

[@Overonator]

Or Malcador weakened because he needed to for the story because of ad inconsistent writing by the authors of the Horus Heresy.

[@mead813]

Bad writing is my guess.

[@sethozturgut1312]

I always liked the idea that Malcador is a very powerful (psuedo) Psyker, not a real Psyker... nor a true Perpetual. Yet is something of an oddity, somewhat in between as a "missing-link." The lost link of Humanity, locked, frozen at the precipice of an Epoch. One cursed to walk the razors edge; from a darkend, historied, forgotten past, towards a blazing potential of Golden, blissful serendipity. Yet doomed to be Fated to not lay sight to the Dream he so dutifully helped lay the foundations for.... but for a brief, eternal moment the realization of: "What Could Have Been" Washes up and over, briefly, fleetingly, then is gone. With his Staff that boosts his abilities and with his mastery of sigils and symbols; he seems to be charged and sustained by his long proximity to the power of the Emperor. How I see it, He, Malcador, is the neutral or ground (N) to the Emperor's positive (+) aura. Meanwhile, the Warp is the negative energy (-), as the Golden Throne is the Ohms (O) or resistance to/in the Flow of the output in the Astronomican. (Sorry, I hope that made some kind of sense. It is how my brain brains.) 🤔🧠 [Edit: RIP Malcador the Hero! 🫡]

[@fightforaglobalfirstamendm5617]

Same answer with all the holes and mistakes related to GW and Black Library, bad writing!

[@Kristian.B.Kristiansen]

Horus is neither arrogant nor in the Wrong. He is in the right and argues for something just. Malcador is in the wrong.

[@Abefroman-lq3md]

Total and utter bollox! You are so wrong and know it!

[@Kristian.B.Kristiansen]

@Abefroman-lq3md I know nothing of the kind. Horus is arguing the preservation and honouring of a brother. A being he loved which fought for the Imperium. Malcador is as always arguing cultural destruction and obfuscation. Obviously Horus is right.

[@Abefroman-lq3md]

@@Kristian.B.KristiansenAgain you are being obtuse and argumentative for no reason other than trying to provoke disagreement. Which you have. I am not engaging further as you obviously are talking out your @rse.

[@Abefroman-lq3md]

@@Kristian.B.Kristiansen Total bollox.🤣🤣

[@chuck2703]

Took the bait, huh. ​@@Abefroman-lq3md

[@reginaldnzemeka818]

I'm probably the only person who hates malcador 😂,I wish horus had a second confrontation with him