[quote=@Keksalot]Would love to roll in as a prize-winning underhive gladiator thrice-blessed for death but still denied it by Emperor's will - even when he went completely bonkers on frenzon and slaughtered dozens of men and arbites in a bloody rage he didn't manage to die under fire and was arrested, judged and sent over to penal troops so that he could really put his life on the line for the God and the Imperium. Complete with a huge chainsaw instead of one arm.[/quote]


No qualms about a frenzon-taking gladiator, but there is no way he would be sent to a Penal World or 'enlisted' into a Penal Legion; he would either simply be executed for his crimes, especially murdering [b]dozens[/b] of Arbites and civilians, or kept fighting until he was eventually taken out. His having a chainsaw for an arm would also disqualify him, as he'd be damaged goods, incapable of holding a weapon and useless in what is essentially an irregular Guard formation.

These (http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Last_Chancers) are of course the most well known Penal Legion, and taking a look at the characters included can give anyone a bit more of an idea of what sort of individuals (or tropes/archtypes) would be expected.