Warning! This article contains spoilers for Secret Level episode 5.
Secret Levelepisode 5’s ending takes the world ofWarhammer 40kand tells a story about the franchise’s iconic Space Marines and their morality. Thevideo game franchises explored inSecret Levelare aplenty, yetWarhammer 40kfelt like one of the more obvious choices for Prime Video to explore. The reason for this stems from its popularity, with even stars likeHenry Cavill developing aWarhammerseriesto prove how wide-reaching it truly is.
Many will be hoping that theseWarhammerinstallments will rank among thegreatest video game TV showsof all time, giving the source material the depth it deserves. AlthoughSecret Level’s short episode runtimes do not allow for quite the same level of depth that a full series would, episode 5’s ending wraps up an intriguing story about the world ofWarhammer.Secret Level’s Rotten Tomatoes scoremay fall short of expectations, but episode 5 is a standout in the action department, ending with a lone Space Marine facing down a horde of Chaos warriors.
Secret Level Episode 5’s Ending Explains Titus' Warhammer Flashbacks
Titus & The Little Boy In The Flashbacks Are Closer Linked Than First Thought
BookendingSecret Levelepisode 5 are flashes of a young boy holding Marine weapons, his face covered in blood. Initially, the episode presents these flashbacks as integral to the story in that the young boy - described as someone with immense pain and trauma - has potentially gone against his training as a Marine. The narration by Metaurus hints at this based on the exploration of the boy’s past and how that shaped him into a violent person. However, it is quickly hinted that the young boy is actually someone on Metaurus' squad - a Marine named Titus.
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Titus is the Marine that Metaurus inducted into the order as a child with the former becoming as strong as he did as a result of his aforementioned pain and trauma.The flashback is symbolic in that Metaurus still sees Titus in this way, despite the latter having grown into a hardened warrior. What could have been a frightened young child that Metaurus forced into a life of training, discipline, and warfare has fulfilled his destiny as a lethal killing machine, standing to face the oncoming Chaos horde asSecret Levelepisode 5 ends.
What The Marines' Mission Was In Secret Level Episode 5 & How It Ties To Warhammer 40k
The Mission Becomes Clear By Journey’s End
For much ofSecret Levelepisode 5’s story, it is unclear what the Space Marines' mission was. The broad overview of their primary and secondary directives is shown briefly in the opening, but the exact method of achieving these goals is not known untilSecret Levelepisode 5’s ending. Before then, the Marines are shown fighting their way through hundreds of warriors opposed to the Imperium to reach a specific point on an unknown planet.
The Marines in Prime Video’sSecret Levelepisode 5 were not only weakening the opposition on the planet by defeating their armies and their daemonic leader but also prepping the planet to fall into the Imperium’s hands…
After reaching their destination,it is revealed that the Marines need to destroy something known as an Apostate Relic. If they succeed in doing so, they can contact the Imperium fleet orbiting the planet and provide coordinates for an orbital strike. In the lore ofWarhammer 40k,orbital strikes often preempt Marine invasions of other planets. As such, the Marines in Prime Video’sSecret Levelepisode 5 were not only weakening the opposition on the planet by defeating their armies and their daemonic leader but also prepping the planet to fall into the Imperium’s hands.
The reveal that the Marines are shown trying to destroy an Apostate Relic could hint at another connection toWarhammer 40k, though this is less certain. In the lore of the source material, one of the deadliest civil wars in all of human history was known as the Age of Apostasy. Given the link between these names, it could be thatSecret Levelepisode 5 is set within this war which would admittedly be a good setting forWarhammervideo game movie adaptation.
Who The Marines Were Fighting & Who Was In The Box In Secret Level’s Warhammer Episode
The Daemonic Presences Of Warhammer Make Themselves Known
Another question stemming fromSecret Levelepisode 5’s ending is what or who the Marines were fighting and what the purpose of their cargo was. Interestingly, both of these answers are linked. Once the Marines reach the Apostate Relic, they are met by a daemonic entity that enters their minds using sorcery and feeds on their fears. This makes the link to the Chaos gods all the more prevalent, as does what - or, more aptly, who - was in the Marine’s cargo.
The box that the Marines were carrying is opened once they reach the Relic, revealing a bound man inside. This man is credited as a sorcerer of Tzeentch, a Chaos god. Sorcerers of Tzeentch seek to unleash the powers of their deity and are often fallen Imperium mages. Given the fact that this sorcerer had his eyes covered,it is likely the daemonic entity links to Tzeentch and that the imprisoned mage was taken along to remove the Chaos magic of the Relic, with his dark alignment explaining why he was transported in a locked box.
The Real Meaning Of Secret Level Episode 5’s Ending
Secret Levelepisode 5 is, on the surface, fairly straightforward. However, as with most other episodes in the show, it has deeper meanings when linked to its characters and the themes they represent. Firstly, the title of the episode is “And They Shall Know No Fear.” Although this applies to the Marines in the episode on a surface level as it explores them facing insurmountable odds, hordes of warriors, Chaos magic, and daemons, it has a deeper meaning in and of itself.
“It Takes a Life”
“The Once and Future King”
“Tales of the Implacable”
“Fulfillment”
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This phrase is one of the more iconic in theWarhammer 40kfranchise and links to a speech given by The Emperor of Mankind when he first created the Marines. The speech ends with the lines:“They are my bulwark against the Terror. They are the Defenders of Humanity. They are my Space Marines and they shall know no fear.“By the end of the episode, Titus proves that all of his pain, trauma, and training have made him overcome fear, becoming exactly what the Marines were intended to be.
The final line ofSecret Levelepisode 5 also links to the underlying meaning of the episode. Metaurus watches Titus run towards the onrushing army, asking"What could a soul like that be capable of?“This solidifies Titus as the episode’s focus, as he was the one who won the fight against the denizens of the planet and killed the daemon during the battle for the Apostate Relic. Titus' broken soul is capable of a great deal of violence, warfare, and bloodshed, but also kindness and compassion, with Titus saving Metaurus inSecret Levelepisode 5’s ending.
Secret Level
Cast
Secret Level is an adult animated series exploring original short stories set within the worlds of popular video games. Each episode introduces new adventures, delving into iconic gaming classics and forthcoming titles to unlock captivating narratives and immersive experiences. Created by Tim Miller, the series celebrates gaming culture.
