Editing Abaddon (section)

==On his personality==
For a very long time, Abaddon's character has been in flux. You see, he has had the BBEG tag and all the related tropes ascribed to him over the years: being cruel, a bully, prone to outburst of rage when things don't go well, and all in all looking like your classic Saturday Morning cartoon villain. However, more recent fluff has tried to give more depth to his character.

Before his fall, the most important thing for Abaddon was loyalty, not to institutions or figures of authority, but to those who were at his side fighting. This quality is evident when you see how he reacted to the wounding of Horus, the man who had been fighting with for decades, more than the Emperor. Abaddon saw in Horus the true representation of the Imperium, that of a band of brothers fighting for survival against a hostile universe.

But then, Horus started his path downward. By the time of the Siege of Terra, it became obvious to Abaddon that Horus has become a deluded puppet of an uncaring power, exactly what he had claimed to be freeing everyone from when waging war against the Emperor. Ultimately the death of Horus proved to Abaddon that no soldier, no warrior, should ever put himself at the service of some so called higher power. In this sense Abaddon came to understand Chaos can never be allowed to reign over him. He would always be his own master, even if he bargained with the Ruinous Powers. But then, what is left for him?

Only war. Abaddon is at core a warrior, a creature who thrives in conflict. He probably can't even contemplate himself in a situation where peace reigns. It eventually becomes evident in his title, the Warmaster: from laying low Marneus Calgar in a brawl, to planning and executing the grand strategy to unleash the Great Rift upon the Galaxy, this is where his heart and soul is. He doesn't really fight for the Chaos Gods, unlike, say Kharn, Typhus or Lucius. At best he deals with the Ruinous Powers, at worst he is the one calling the shots. Even while the Pantheon enjoys what devious plans he is going to pull next, Abaddon's main fight is against the Imperium. The very concept of warriors being used as pawns under the pretense of serving some higher power is just an opportunity for him to be what he is, a warrior-general who will always look for a challenge. He is the antithesis of Archaon, who was made a slave to the Dark Gods and loathes his destiny as the Everchosen, wishing for everything to be destroyed so he can be free.

But wait anon, why would Abaddon treat his own troops like cannon fodder and sacrifice them just like the Emperor and Horus did? This is a tricky question, and it really comes down to the fact as a warrior Abaddon will indeed always be willing to sacrifice others to achieve his goals. Does it make him a hypocrite? Perhaps to others, but for him it's a matter of giving his followers what they want: conflict, vengeance against Emps and his legacy, and the chance to achieve even greater power. The astartes who follow him will always have a choice, even if it means their deaths. Of course, that's the whole point of a warrior's existence. As for those who let themselves be taken by the Chaos Gods, well, even Horus was eventually slain by such folly. Let them glut in the powers of the Warp; they either will learn to master it or die consumed, undeserving of its power just like the Emperor and Horus. That's the line Abaddon will never cross.

All these traits become evident when you see some acts in the novels where he is featured as anything but a moronic bad guy. He inspires those he calls his brothers, to the point they are willing to die for his ideal; and he certainly has shown to honour those who have fought well enough. Although rare, these gestures are important to illustrate the character of Abaddon, the Warmaster of Chaos.