Destiny 2 (D2) is one of Bungie's most recognizable titles. After the blossoming success of the original game, D2 was released in 2017. Since then, the game has seen the death of beloved Vanguard, Cayde-6, war with the Cabal, and two of Destiny's largest expansions, Forsaken and The Witch Queen.

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What makes D2 stand out from other MMO games is the impressive continuation of the Guardians' story and the lore that builds the world. D2 can be played casually, or if a Guardian chooses, they can dive into the rich and fascinating underbelly of what makes this world come to life through lore books and grimoires.

10 The Darkness Has Plans For The Guardians

The Guardians have always drawn their power from the Traveler. After death, if the Traveler chooses them, a Ghost will find the deceased's corpse and reanimate it. Reborn, this person now enjoys immortality so long as their Ghost remains alive, but they also enjoy incredible abilities. Originally limited to abilities granted by the Traveler (the Light), Guardians could only harness the power of arc, solar, and void.

When the Beyond Light expansion hit D2, it changed everything. Guardians were able to commune with the Darkness, something that should go against their nature. This manifested in the Stasis super, allowing Guardians to harness the Darkness. The Darkness has manifested itself to look like a way to achieve peace, but multiple lore entries suggest this is a facade to gain trust. It wants more from the Guardians.

9 Osiris & Saint-14's Relationship

Osiris, one of the oldest warlocks in Destiny and Ikora Ray's mentor, forces the Guardian to help save Saint-14. Saint-14 was a titan that the Guardians held in high regard due to his power and sacrifice. The players had never met him because he died before the beginning of the original game.

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Being forced back in time to save someone that the community collectively accepted the death of seemed strange. Players got the feeling that Saint meant more to Osiris than he was letting on, and it turned out to be true. D2 officially made them an openly gay couple. It made Savathun's possession of Osiris much more uncomfortable when the reveal happened.

8 How & Why Clovis Bray Created The Exos

Exos were created by the Clovis Bray Corp. during the Golden Age as a shell for human consciousness (an exomind) to be uploaded into. The idea was simple. Importing a human consciousness into a durable shell that could be modified and maintained would create synthetic immortality.

Early renditions of the program were not successful, though. After uploading an exomind, many degenerated over time. Their minds could be "reuploaded," but the same degeneration would inevitably happen. This eventually claimed Clovis Bray II. Clovis I solved this problem with mysterious help from Clarity Control and used Vex radiolarian fluid to stabilize the exomind. Altering the fluid with Clarity solved the issue.

7 What Sword Logic Means To The Hive

Sword Logic is a concept known to most who come in contact with the Hive, though the truth behind it may be unclear. Sword Logic is religion for the Hive that guides how the Hive behaves and what grants the Hive their power. Similar to the philosophies of the Darkness, it is believed to be the Hive's interpretation of something greater, much like humans interpreting God.

"Existence is the struggle to exist." This is the common theme of Sword Logic. If one cannot defend oneself and survive, it shouldn't exist at all. Ultimately, this philosophy should lead to a self-sustaining society that will not crumble because the powerful will always endure.

6 Oryx Becomes The Taken King

Oryx, the Taken King, was the original game's biggest adversary. Developing the ability to take creatures against their will and turn them into his taken army, Oryx seemed like the worst the Guardians would ever have to face, but he was only one of three siblings. Savathun, known for her cunning and intellect, quickly surpassed her brother as the most impressive creature the Guardians face in D2.

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However, the Witch Queen and the God of War, Xivu Arath, were slaughtered by Oryx. In order to become the Taken King and gain the power to defeat Ecumeme, he needed to bring about his sisters' final deaths. He then brought them back by using their respective traits against their enemy. Oryx's cunning rebirthed Savathun, and his act of war did the same for Xivu Arath.

5 The Drifter Doesn't Trust The Light

The Drifter was introduced in D2 as a rogue lightbearer who distrusts the Light. He hosts a PVP mode called Gambit that lets you summon Taken and drop them on your opponents in a display that the Vanguard would never approve of. At one point, the Guardian has to choose to side with Drifter or rat him out to the Vanguard, but regardless of the choice, he sticks around.

He even ends up working with Eris Morn during The Witch Queen. His relationship with the Traveler is interesting, though. Believing his Light has taken away his humanity, the Drifter doesn't actually like his Ghost. His abilities are also vague and unknown, as he doesn't conform to the life of a Guardian.

4 Emperor Calus: Herald Of The Witness

Calus initially led the Cabal before Ghaul (the main antagonist of D2's first campaign, The Red War) overthrew him. For a long time, players were enchanted by the mystery of Calus. As Guardians boarded his Leviathan to participate in multiple raids, he was always present in the shadows.

Only recently has it been uncovered that Calus, during his exile, communed with the Witness. Integrating with the Darkness, Calus became the Witness' Herald. He has always acted as a warning for what's to come. He attempted to control the Lunar Pyramids of Beyond Light, but the Guardians stopped him thanks to an alliance with his daughter, Empress Caiatl.

3 Cayde Remembers The Darkness

This bit of information is difficult to get ahold of, even for thorough lore hunters. That's because it was hidden in the Collector's Edition of The Taken King. While this sources back to the original game, given how important the Darkness is, it's worth mentioning.

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Cayde-6 leaves a single journey entry behind describing the collapse of the Golden Age and the Darkness that burst through the world. Popular lore YouTuber MyNameIsByf included the journal in one of his videos. It describes the sky torn open and tendrils engulfing him as the Darkness "consumes" him.

2 Before He Was The Crow, He Was Uldren Sov

Prince of the Awoken, Mara Sov's brother, and the main antagonist of Forsaken. Since the Guardian's first encounter with Uldren Sov in Destiny, fans of the franchise hated the prince. Finding him rude and intolerable, they often overlooked the intricacies of Uldren's story. Still, after Forsaken and his resurrection as the Guardian Crow, his story is more important now than ever.

Book: The Forsaken Prince covers Uldren's story. From his discovery of the Black Garden to his control over the elite Crow force to his unhealthy ties to Mara, Uldren was doomed from the beginning. When sacrificed to an Ahamkara by his own sister, he has little hope of resisting its influence, turning him into the complicated man who fathered the Scorn and killed Cayde-6.

1 Darkness Reveals Itself As The Witness

For years, the Darkness has been a catchall term for the forces that oppose the Light. The force that brought the Golden Age to its knees. Guardians have always been aware of its presence. Over the years, they've even developed a complicated relationship with it. But, harnessing the Darkness and manifesting it into the Stasis super, players have become more entwined with it than ever before.

Whether the Witness is the Darkness itself or simply a child of the Darkness (as Savathun describes it) is yet to be seen, but the Witness is incredibly powerful. Master of the Black Fleet, even Savathun seems to fear the Witness.

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