The Guardian

"I don't have time to explain why I don't have time to explain."
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This article is about the main character of the Destiny series. For the faction, see Guardians.

The Guardian
Biographical information
Other name(s):	Captain Godslayer Iron Lord Young Wolf Hivebane Kingslayer Lord/Lady Guardian Crota's End Rivensbane Dredgen Unbroken Wayfarer Chronicler Cursebreaker Blacksmith Reckoner Invader Reaper Sentry Collector Shadow MMXIX VIP #2014
Homeworld:	Earth
Species:	Player-determined
Gender:	Player-determined
Hair color:	Player-determined
Eye color:	Player-determined
Political and military information
Affiliation:	The Last City Vanguard Guardians Factions Iron Lords Partner of Drifter (determinant) Shadow of Emperor Calus (Chronicon Only)
Rank:	Guardian
Class:	Player-determined
Notable info:	Cleansed the Black Garden Destroyed Sepiks Prime Destroyed Atheon, Time's Conflux Slayer of Crota, Son of Oryx Slayer of Skolas, Kell of Kells Defeated Oryx, the Taken King Destroyed Aksis, Archon Prime Slayer of Dominus Ghaul Champion of Emperor Calus Erased Panoptes, Infinite Mind Destroyed Argos, Planetary Core Slayer of Nokris, Herald of Xol Slayer of Xol, Will of the Thousands Slayer of Val Ca'uor Avenged Cayde-6 by killing Uldren Sov Slayer of Riven of a Thousand Voices Defeated Dûl Incaru, the Eternal Return Liberator of the Lost Forges Destroyed Insurrection Prime, Kell's Scourge Slayer of Siviks, Lost to None Calus’ favourite Light-bearer Slayer of Gahlran, the Sorrow-Bearer

"All of the after-action reports I've shown you about the Taken War, the calm state of the system... we have this Guardian to thank. I've attached more details, if you want to read evaluations from the Vanguard. Just skim Cayde's. He's... not very biased, here."

— Grimoire description

The Guardian is a protector of the Last City and a new-generation Iron Lord, who has participated in numerous legendary battles to retake humanity's past from various malevolent forces.

Despite their lack of memory, the Guardian, at the request of the Speaker, joined the fight against the foes of the City. In their exploits they met a mysterious stranger who put them on the path to stop the Vex, eventually resulting in an alliance with the Reef - something that would later prove invaluable to quelling the Wolf Rebellion. At the call of Eris Morn, they helped end the resurgence of Crota's forces and slew the God-Prince personally, attracting the wrath of his father but also putting an end to him as well. Later, during the SIVA Crisis, they helped Lord Saladin stop a techno-plague ravaging Earth from gaining sentience and were responsible for the deaths of various threats left over from the Taken War.

At the start of Destiny 2, the Guardian returned to the Last City only to immediately face its invasion by the Red Legion. After confronting Dominus Ghaul, however, the Guardian was severely crippled due to being stripped of the Light and forced to retreat in defeat.

Biography

"[...]Claiming he's seen the future, that he fought Six Fronts fueled on the idea that some Guardian savior is coming? That's insane."
"Belief is a heck of a thing."
"Sure, yeah. One Guardian's going to fix everything. Kick Crota off the Moon. Make it look like us Vanguard know our head from our hindquarters. Hey, where are you going?"
"One of the new recruits from Old Russia I've had my eye on—entering the Crucible for the first time."
"Hey, maybe they're the one. We'll call ‘em Crota's End."

— Cayde-6 and Lord Shaxx

Pre-revival

On a mission during the Taken War, Ghost remarks that prior to their resurrection, the Guardian had once been a part of the exodus during the Collapse and had somehow fallen by The Wall, resulting in their death. Wondering why the Guardian still can't remember, Ghost drops the subject.

Destiny

A Guardian Rises

Centuries after the Collapse, the Guardian was found and resurrected by a lone Ghost searching the Cosmodrome, but before Ghost could explain what had happened, he was interrupted by the roars of a Fallen Captain who had been tracking him. Ghost then led the Guardian into The Wall and helped them find their first weapon—a battered, ancient Khvostov 7G-02. After foraging for more gear, the Guardian kills a Fallen Devil Captain named Rahn, and escapes in an Arcadia-class jumpship revived by Ghost just as Riksis emerges. As the Guardian departs, the Fallen vainly attempt to shoot it down, and a mysterious stranger looks on as the Guardian departs.

After flying through a storm over many leagues of land, the Guardian arrives at The City, a place Ghost describes as the "last safe city on Earth" and "the only place The Traveler can still protect".

Defending Earth

The Guardian gets acquainted with the various Tower residents including the three Vanguard leaders, the Gunsmith, Master Rahool and the Bounty Tracker, as well as the Postmaster and the Tower Shipwright who helps repair their ship. Along the way they visit other Tower residents of lesser importance, including the three Faction leaders and Tess Everis.

Afterward the Guardian returns to the Cosmodrome to find a Warp Drive. They locate a downed Guardian's ship and learn the location of where an existing drive might be found. After battling and killing Riksis, they acquire the drive and return to the Tower to have it installed. Later that night as the Guardian looks up at the Traveler, they meet with the Speaker, an old Warlock who had been with the City since its foundation. The Speaker answers some the Guardian's unasked questions, namely what the Ghosts are, and a brief summary of the Traveler's history with humanity. He then confides in the Guardian his deepest fears: that the Darkness is returning and humanity won't be able to survive it this time.

The Guardian asks what they can do to help, and the Speaker encourages them to join those already fighting to defend Earth until a cure for the Traveler could be found; adding wryly that he hoped Ghost chose his Guardian prudently, to which the robot reaffirms emphatically it did.

Returning to the Cosmodrome at the request of the Speaker, the Guardian heads to the old Skywatch—a complex that once maintained communications with Earth's former colonies—and find the Fallen in an uproar. Pressing deeper into the Lunar Complex, the Guardian discovers another enemy: the Hive. After eliminating all of the Hive enemies they encounter including a Wizard named Gotra, Ghost recalls the Hive have not been seen on Earth for centuries, surmising that their presence here may herald another invasion.

Locating Rasputin

Shortly thereafter the Vanguard reports an upsurge in Fallen activity all over the Cosmodrome. Connecting to the vehicle grid, the Guardian makes their way to the Forgotten Shore via their Sparrow and find a Fallen amplifier. After searching out a second one, Ghost discovers both are linked to the Skywatch as they make their way to the next. Finding a Fallen encampment inside the Terrestrial Complex, they defeat the aliens and hack into one of their machines. In doing so, Ghost encounters resistance from an unknown entity and investigates further while the Guardian defends him against Fallen forces.

After Ghost retrieves the necessary data they destroy the machine. Ghost reports the existence of an ancient Warmind, Rasputin, who somehow survived the Collapse and is defending something later revealed to be the Terrestrial Aray in the Cosmodrome.

In an effort to raise this Array, the Guardian finds a lost Dead Orbit team and extracts the codes from their dead Ghosts. Beating off the Hive, who have established a large presence there and are in conflict with the local Fallen, the Guardian enters the Terrestrial Complex once more. Sensing the increased presence of Darkness, Ghost quickly gets to work opening up the Array just as Hive Tombships arrive.

As the Guardians battles the oncoming Hive, including a Hallowed Knight, a satellite dish awakens in the distance and pivots skyward. Once the battle is over, Ghost reports that Rasputin took control of the array and is expanding his reach throughout constructs across the solar system.

Shortly thereafter, at the request of Commander Zavala, the Guardian partakes in a Strike to eliminate Sepiks Prime, Prime Servitor of the House of Devils. Locating the Lair beneath a colony ship the Guardian kills a Baron named Naksis and destroy a Fallen Walker barring their way, and battle Sepiks. After a fierce battle the machine is destroyed, ending the Devils' threat.

Awakening the Hive

On Earth's Moon, the Guardian picks up the trail of another Guardian who went dark searching for a way into the Hive fortress. After hacking a Golden Age colony base, the Guardian travels to the Temple of Crota where they fight off members of a shattered fallen house as well as Hive forces led by Wizard Vurok. Unable to save the Guardian, Ghost recovers his Ghost's memories and learns that the Hive are raising an army to invade Earth. Just moments before engaging the Hive, the Guardian hears the Stranger and catches a glimpse of her just before the Temple doors open.

In an attempt to uncover further information on what the Hive are planning, the Guardian infiltrates the The World's Grave and kills its keeper, Kranox. The Guardian's Ghost then steals as much data as possible before the two return to warn the City. After looking through Cryptarch records on the Temple, the Guardian infiltrates the Hellmouth once more and claims the Sword of Crota, killing its guards and shattering it in the process. While inside the Hellmouth, the Guardian also follows a lead from the vanished Warlock Osiris, seeking the fabled Shrine of Oryx - a tribute altar. After killing Frigoris and his Fallen crew, the Guardian defeats the shrine's priest, Sardok, and destroys the Shrine.

After successfully decrypting the information from the World's Grave alongside the Cryptarchs, the Speaker broadcasts an urgent transmission to all Guardians claiming that a Hive ritual is draining the Traveler's Light and that nothing else is more important. The Guardian then returns to the Hive Temple and after receiving a message from the Exo Stranger inviting them to come find her if they are successful, kills the Siphon Witches, effectively preventing them from stealing any more of the Light.

Uncovering the Vex

Following the Stranger's coordinates, the Guardian travels to the Ishtar Sink on Venus, where they are ambushed by alien cyborgs known as the Vex, described by Ghost as "war machines". After reactivating an extensive series of sensors established by other Guardians to track these machines, the Guardian meets with the Exo Stranger in the Ishtar Academy. There, she informs them of the Black Garden, the birthplace of the Vex, and a powerful entity responsible for keeping the Traveler in a state of catatonia.

Before the Guardian could ask any more questions however, the Stranger suddenly vanishes following a mysterious conversation with an unknown individual. Ghost suggests they go to the Awoken in order to find the Garden's location, an option he had brought up during the discussion. Wistfully he wonders if they could stay with the Vex, as the idea of traveling far into danger was not something he liked, and the Guardian jokingly calls him "little light" after the Stranger's remark. Ghost firmly objects.

The Awoken

The Guardian travels to the distant Reef and is intercepted by two Awoken Guard Galiots who demand an explanation as to the Guardian's intrusion into Reef space. The Guardian states their mission and the Guardian is escorted to the Vestian Outpost. After gaining an audience with Queen Mara Sov, the Guardian meets with the Prince, Uldren Sov. Sov mockingly reveals he had been the one to let them in, and attempts to deny them an audience with his sister the Queen.

Two Fallen guards armed with spears emerge from behind the Queen's throne, however; alarmed, the Guardian seizes a weapon from one of the Awoken Guards and prepares to shoot just as Uldren puts a knife to the Guardian's throat; Mara's subsequent appearance defuses the hostilities and the prince apologizes. The Guardian reiterates their request for the location of the Black Garden. Despite this, Uldren denigrates them until his sister requests his council. After a moment of conferring, Uldren offers them a deal: they bring the head of a Vex Gate Lord and the Awoken would give them location of the Garden. In spite of the Guardian's skepticism and Ghost's stammering, the two set off for Venus once more, determined to succeed.

Finding a Gate Lord

In order to find a Gate Lord, the Guardian travels to an old research station of the Ishtar Collective, defeating a Cyclops and analyzing its mind core. Armed with vital intel on the nature of the Vex as well as the means with which to summon the Gate Lord, the Guardian sets off. While at the Ishtar Academy, the Guardian kills Graliks, a Baron of House Winter, a High Servitor named Simiks-3, and secures an ancient Golden Age Archive for the Cryptarchs.

During their mission, the Guardian takes a detour to hunt down Draksis, the Kell of House Winter, as reports place him in a nearby group of caves. Battling their way aboard the Ketch, they find and kill the Fallen leader as well as his guards. Back on track with the Fallen threat dealt with momentarily, the Guardian reaches the Endless Steps. After summoning and slaying Zydron, the Guardian returns to the Reef.

A Bargain Made

The Guardian brings the Gate Lord's head before the Queen, to their astonishment. Reafirming their request for the location of the Black Garden a reluctant Uldren cuts out the now dead eye from the Gate Lord and gives the Guardian coordinates for the Garden's location. The Queen then addresses the Guardian directly, telling them they owe her. Courteously, the Guardian thanks her for her help and leaves, politely ignoring Uldren's mocking well-wishes.

Crossing the Exclusion Zone

The Guardian flies to Mars, stronghold of the enigmatic Cabal, and infiltrate a scout bunker. There they learn that the heavyset, militaristic aliens are locked in a massive attrition war with the native Vex with neither side gaining much ground. Venturing into Giants' Pass they break into a local computer and trigger a response from the Cabal; after a brief battle they kill a Bracus named Tho'ourg and retrieve his Access Key. Moving to the Valley of the Kings they spot a mountain Cabal outpost standing guard before a vast Vex Gate seething with dark energies. Using the Access Key, the Guardian has Ghost hack into the Cabal network, learning that the aliens have made significant progress in cracking Vex defenses. The Gate then starts surging with activity and they break off to defeat an onslaught of Vex, with Ghost remarking they would have to fight the Cabal after all.

Journeying through the Scablands, they discover a Vex Spire deep within the Rubicon Wastes. Within the Legion's Keep they encounter an army of Cabal intent on stopping the intruders, their Primus, Sha'aul, leading them. As Ghost repowers the Gate Lord's eye - the Vex Conflux forming - the Guardian obliterates the enemies and kills the Primus without much effort.

Upon a request from Master Rahool they venture to a buried city nearby and flush out the Cabal there. Atop an old Clovis Bray facility inside the Hollows they find the Cabal and Vex battling over a computer terminal. Killing Bracus Tha'aurn they clear out the opposing forces and secure the computer only to find that Rasputin has taken control of the old Martian Warmind's systems and locked it down.

The Black Garden

Somehow aware of the Guardian's effort to breach the Garden, the Vex suddenly surge across Freehold, overwhelming the Cabal and forcing a response from the Guardian as well. Delving into the Tharsis Junction the Guardian destroys several active Transfer Gates, destroying a Vex Minotaur called the Prohibitive Mind in the process.

The Guardian heads for the Vex Gate leading to the Black Garden, entering the Valley of the Kings before fighting off waves of Vex. Finally teleporting through the Gate as it reacts to the charged eye, the Guardian cautiously passes through a graveyard of frozen Vex, their immense age indicated by the plant life growing on them. Some activate and attack the Guardian but are subsequently destroyed.

Battling their way across the Garden, they pass a cliff overlooking the Vex realm, Ghost remarking that "something dark" lay beneath, and eventually come upon a barrier blocking their way. After destroying the Divisive Mind Cyclops protecting it, the Guardian reaches the entrance to the Heart of the Garden. They activate another Spire directly before the Entrance itself. Ghost inputs the charged Gate Lord eye, and the Vex gate opens.

Inside the chamber they encounter a curious sight: dozens of ancient Vex kneeling with their arms apart before a large writhing mass of Dark energy within a large coliseum. Three large statues of Gate Lords ring the worship ceremony. As they look on, the Vex begin to react to their presence sluggishly, as if the arrival of an alien intruder was unfathomable to them. Ghost sarcastically inquires if the Guardian could kill a god, to which the Guardian replies they didn't "have much of a choice". The Heart pulses with energy, animating a nearby statue and commencing the battle.

As each statue is brought to life, one by one—revealed to be the Eschaton Mind, the Imminent Mind, and the Primeval Mind—the Guardian destroys them. With the death of its protectors, the Heart grew visibly weaker; Ghost encourages the Guardian to keep fighting as the Vex bring in tens of reinforcements, until at last the final Mind is destroyed. The Heart contracts upon itself and the coliseum shakes violently as it explodes in a blinding flash. The Heart had been destroyed and, as Ghost said in surprise, they were back on Mars. The Darkness was retreating and the Light, ostensibly captured by the Heart, was returning back to the Traveler.

Summoned back to the City by the Speaker, who then gives a congratulatory speech thanking all of the Guardians for their work, the Guardian responsible wanders into the Hanger where the Exo Stranger stood looking at the Traveler. She remarks that even though it is a time for celebration, the fight was far from finished. Giving the Guardian her Rifle she turned and departed, warping away in a disintegrating cloud of bluish-white energy. The Guardian then repowers their ship and takes off into orbit, preparing for their next mission.

Further Adventures

The Guardian and a fireteam descends into the depths of the Hellmouth, and kills Phogoth, the Untamed before the Hive can unleash it on the City.A fireteam of Guardians descends far below the Ishtar Academy and slays Sekrion, Nexus Mind, dealing a devastating blow to Vex efforts and delaying Venus' transformation into their network. A Guardian fireteam is sent to stop the Fallen House of Winter from restoring the "soul" of Aksor, Archon Priest. Commander Zavala tasks Guardians with taking out Cabal High Command, and sends a fireteam to lead an assault on the Cabal Imperial Land Tank and take out their leader Valus Ta'aurc, breaking the Cabal's grip on the lost city of Freehold. The Cabal also unleash the Psion Flayers to locate one of Rasputin's usurped AI cores buried in the Dust Palace to attempt to break his control over Mars' defenses. In response, a Guardian fireteam is deployed to secure it. The Flayers are defeated, and Rasputin locks down the machine. Using data from a reclaimed Ishtar archive a Raid-team of Guardians follow in Kabr's footsteps and pierce the Vault of Glass. They slay the mighty Templar and its Oracles, avoid the Gorgons, and confront Atheon, Time's Conflux in the Glass Throne. Using the Aegis they defeat the Vex overseer and break the Vex's control over the Vault.

The Dark Below

Return of Crota, Son of Oryx

After an unspecified number of years, Eris Morn returns to the Tower, attempting to warn the Vanguard of an impending Hive invasion that will be led by a soon-to-be resurrected Crota. Under Eris' direction and guidance, the Guardian travels to the Cosmodrome and hunts down Sardon, Fist of Crota, slaying the Hive general within the waterlogged caves of the Grottos. Traveling to the Moon, the Guardian successfully foils a Hive ritual intended to resurrect Crota, thus stopping the Hive invasion. However learning that Crota's soul would have survived their initial assault, the Guardian, alongside five others, infiltrates the Hellmouth and finds a way to enter Crota's realm - the Oversoul Throne - where he is slain permanently.

Aiding Rasputin

Subsequently, the Hive lay siege to one of Rasputin's bunkers in an attempt to corrupt him. However after receiving a high-gain transmission from Rasputin requesting aid, the Guardian repels the incursion successfully and secures the old Warmind within its vault once more. The Guardian also leads a fireteam on a strike mission to track down and kill Crota's last remaining general, Omnigul, effectively breaking the Hive's hold on the Cosmodrome and ending the possibility of an invasion.

Foiling the Vex

Meanwhile deep within the crust of Mars, The Undying Mind attempts to repair the schism torn by the Heart's destruction. Upon learning this, the Guardian ventures to a previously unexplored part of the Black Garden and destroys it.

House of Wolves

Summoning the Guardians

At some point in the Reef, Skolas leads a Fallen uprising, slaughtering hundreds of Awoken and wresting control of House Winter. He declares himself the legendary Kell of Kells in the hopes of uniting the previously disparate Fallen Houses. Following the loss of numerous Awoken lives, Mara Sov declares the Reef open to the Guardian's who will exact her vengeance.

Defeating the Outlaws

Working with Petra Venj, the Guardian begins systematically tracking down and dispatching key Fallen threats. Among the first of their targets is Taniks, the Scarred, and Skoriks, Archon-Slayer.

Trouble on Earth

As Skolas vies for control over the various houses, he sends his elite assassin's to wreck havoc on Earth. The Guardian, who is tipped off by Variks, the Loyal, is sent back to Earth to stop Skolas' Silent Fang from usurping the House of Devils as well as foiling the Wolves' attempt to seize control of the House of Kings.

Hunting Skolas

Back on Venus, the Guardian follows Skolas assaults on Vex strongholds across the Ishtar Sink all the way to the Vault of Glass where he finally attempts to augment his army with its mysterious technology. As Skolas pulls the House of Wolves through time in a last effort to unite the Fallen, he is swiftly defeated atop the Citadel and sent to face the Queen.

The Taken King

Petra Venj detects the Hive Dreadnaught orbiting the rings of Saturn and orders all Reef assets to mobilize, following a conversation between Queen Mara Sov and Eris Morn and presumably Osiris on Oryx's imminent arrival.

The Awoken space fleet engages the Dreadnaught and a small fleet of Hive warships escorted by thousands of Tombships; Uldren Sov leads his fighter wings to scatter the Hive fleet whilst from behind the Queen and her Techeun Coven summon the Harbingers, as part of a predetermined plan. The Harbingers destroy much of Oryx's fleet, ripping through enemy vessels with ease, but leave no marks upon the Dreadnaught itself. Oryx ends the battle by firing his ship's main cannon, destroying both his and the Queen's fleets in a single Pyrrhic stroke and force him to forestal his advance.[268] The Queen and major parts of Reef leadership, including Paladin Abra Zire, and Techeun Shuro, are considered missing in action.

Primus Ta'aun suspends all Cabal mining operations and recon on Phobos pending investigation of a trans-Jovian threat, while mysterious anomalies are reported across the Skyburners' Keep.

The Vanguard intercepts a distress signal on all channels, broadcasting from the Skyburners fortress of Fleetbase Korus on Phobos. The Guardian is dispatched in order to investigate, but upon their arrival they find the Skyburners have been slaughtered. Oryx reveals himself to the Guardian, willing into existence the first wave of his army of corrupted Cabal and Hive called the Taken, led by Syrok, Word of Oryx. The Vanguard scrubs the mission and orders the Guardian to return. Fighting through hordes of Taken the Guardian finally reaches the transmat zone where their ship is waiting, and escapes.

The Vanguard discusses the arrival of Oryx’s Dreadnaught over a hologram Ghost collected, analysing its weapon to find a way to slip past while reflecting upon Mara Sov's sacrifice. Eris Morn interrupts them, proclaiming that her “stone” has spoken for the first time since Crota’s defeat and has told her Oryx was coming to finish what his son started. Cayde-6 leaves the discussion to “see about a ship”.

Realizing the Taken to be too deadly a threat to take lightly, the Vanguard send Guardians to rediscover lost powers of their forebearers. Hunters learn to harness the Void and become Nightstalkers, Warlocks travel to Mars and mediate upon the Arc to become Stormcallers, and Titans explore Mercury in search of the mercenary Sunbreakers only to find they were obliterated by the Vex, before reigniting the forge with the help of the Sunbreakers' Third Empyreal Magistrate Ouros.

Cayde-6 directs the Guardian to one of the dead colony ships in Old Russia, where he had previously hidden a modified stealth drive capable of getting the Guardian past the superweapon and into the Dreadnaught to face Oryx. Upon touching down in The Blast, just outside of the Fallen House of Devils' lair, the Guardian discovers that the Taken have already reached Earth and have begun overwhelming the Fallen. After defeating an Echo of Oryx, and retrieving the stealth drive, the Guardian returns to the Tower.

In the Hangar Cayde convinces Amanda Holliday to install the stealth drive on Eris' ship and arrange a “test flight” for the Guardian to infiltrate the Dreadnaught in order to establish a beachhead after disabling its super weapon.

With the stealth drive equipped, the Guardian travels to Saturn and reaches the Dreadnaught. Just as the drive malfunctions, causing the Dreadnaught to destroy Eris' ship, the Guardian is transmatted onto the Dreadnaught by their Ghost. They then proceeds to disable the superweapon and establish a transmat zone for reinforcements before returning to the Tower. Cayde leaves to speak with Eris about the loss of her ship.

The Cabal deploy their reserve force, the Skyburners, in a direct attack on Dreadnaught. After the Skyburners' Primus is Taken however, their offensive crumbles. A lone unit aboard the Cabal ship, Dantalion Exodus VI, sends a distress signal to the head of the Empire, only to be wiped out by Guardians. Nevertheless their message is believed to have reached its intended target.

The Guardian breaks into the crashed Cabal gunship, Dantalion Exodus VI, and steals information that the Cabal have secured on Oryx. The Guardian fights their way to a portal called the Rupture, and after defeating an Echo of Oryx discovers they must become Ascendant in order to enter.

The Guardian also travels back to the Moon once more, where they obtain a shard of the Hive crystal used to hold Crota's soul and defeated its Gravekeeper, but are discovered by Oryx, who sends his Taken after them. While escaping the Guardian stumbles upon an open entrance to Wolfship Kaliks-Syn and rids the ship of Taken. The Guardian then goes to collect more stealth technology from Rasputin in order to infiltrate Crota's funeral. Along the way the Guardian eliminates a Taken Centurion and collects a mysterious item.

Guardians answer Rasputin's call for aid in fending off a Fallen attack led by S.A.B.E.R.-2, a giant super-powered Shank, as the Devils attempt to gain control of the warsat network.

The Guardian enters Crota's netherworld, and sneaks their way to his tomb and acquires enough of his essence to become Ascendant. Crota's sisters lead a procession of Deathsingers in the dirge, along with a full contingent of guards, but the Guardian is successful in their mission. They are discovered by Oryx however, and he sends his Taken—Ta'aun and Baxx among them—to kill the Guardian. Eris intervenes,and transports the Guardian to safety. Armed with Crota's soul, the Guardian returns to the Dreadnaught and using the Essence, is able to pass through the Rupture and confronts the Taken King before subsequently destroying his physical form, forcing his soul to retreat to his Throne World. Eris meanwhile takes apart Willbreaker and retrieves its shard.

In the wake of the Dreadnaught campaign, Commander Zavala tasks Cayde-6 with establishing patrol beacons across the Dreadnaught.

Dead Orbit detects the Skyburner's transmission to the stars and sends Guardians to put an end to it. During the op, Vro'ourn, Fist of Oryx is killed.

Alak-Hul, the Darkblade is found aboard Oryx's Dreadnaught and is slain in his Sunless Cell by a Guardian fireteam tasked by Eris Morn to eliminate a contender for the Osmium Throne.

Guardians prevent a Cabal assault team led by Valus Tlu'urn and Valus Mau'ual, from blowing up the Dreadnaught's core, saving the entire system from certain doom.

On Venus, Guardians destroy an Echo of Oryx and return to the emptied Vault of Glass hoping to rescue Praedyth from his timeless prison, but discover that a Vex Hydra tasked by Oryx to co-opt the Nexus' power, is blighting and corrupting the Vex network. Luckily for the Vex, Morphon, Blighted Mind is destroyed by Guardians and Praedyth is freed from their control, with his centuries-old remains being found in a small room within the deepest parts of the Vault.

A fireteam led by the Guardian, infiltrates Oryx Ascendant Realm, kills his Warpriest, the Ogre Golgoroth, and his daughters the Deathsinger twins, and finally the Taken King himself. Eris tasks one of the Guardians with collecting certain items from the Hive gods, and rewards them with a Hive weapon.

The Guardians stop Theosyion, the Restorative Mind from bringing back Sekrion, Nexus Mind from the past and completing its transformation of Venus.

Guardians destroy a Taken infestation blighting the House of Winter's Lair while searching for a missing Archon prisoner, and kill Nixis, Hunger of Oryx.

The Guardians eliminate two more Taken Echoes on both Earth and Mars.

The House of Wolves regroups on Mars and rebuilds their previous Prime Servitor, Orbiks Prime. Under Orbiks' direction, the Wolves attempt to establish a base in the Blind Legion's former keep, coming into conflict with local Cabal forces. The Guardian tracks down Orbiks Prime and eliminates it, scattering the House of Wolves once more.

A Taken Warbeast, Malok, Pride of Oryx, attempts to rally the remaining Taken from the Hellmouth. Malok is discovered however and a strike team eliminates him in a last stand at the Shrine of Oryx.

Rise of Iron

The Transmission Incident—field reports are made from Guardians whose armor have become infested with "tech mites", which manifest as swarms of colorful specks that swirl around their heads. Unable to contain the mites' spread among the Guardians, the Owl Sector and Vanguard instead implemented a quarantine on the Last City in order to prevent non-Guardians' exposure.

Bypass Authority Berriole travels to the Dust Palace to learn the origin of the tech mites. Following a set of tracks to a lab, she finds various locked storage cabinets had been cut or blasted open. Further investigation yields the mites were linked to a Clovis Bray project overseen by a Dr. Zarin Shirazi who worked under Dr. Willa Bray and that the tech mites were actually a nanomachine therapy to improve subjects' intelligence and strength for the Golden Age's colonization effort. After sealing Shirazi's lab, however, Berriole becomes aware that the tracks which led to the lab appeared to have been made by Fallen, implying that a group of Fallen (possibly the Splicers) were responsible for the incident. Eventually, a third of all Guardians become affected by at least one variety of tech mite, prompting the Vanguard to further tighten the City's quarantine.

The Owl Sector's Liaison to the Vanguard, Shun Li, accidentally becomes exposed to a sample of tech mites and loses consciousness soon after, forcing his fellow operative Ramos to take on the duties of Acting Liaison. Fortunately, the countermeasure to the tech mites is discovered among Shirazi's records, and the combined efforts of the Owl Sector's research corps, the Hidden, and the Techeuns succeed in replicating it. Shun is revived, and the cure administered to the Guardians, much to their dismay. With the crisis ended, the Owl Sector is returned to standby status.

The Fallen House of Devils begins digging into old Golden Age research labs all over the system, eventually returning to the Cosmodrome while shifting massive amounts of resources to a previously dark region of Old Russia. Concerned the SIVA Plague may have been discovered by the House of Devils, and unleashed upon the Cosmodrome, Lord Saladin personally leads the counterattack to contain the threat.

A Fallen force captures Felwinter Peak. Unable to get there in time, Lord Saladin orders the Guardian to secure the observatory at the top before it is too late. After defending the mountaintop from several waves of Fallen forces, the Guardian reaches the Iron Temple before defeating Sepiks Perfected in the courtyard, keeping the Fallen from the temple long enough for Saladin to arrive with reinforcements, but Sepiks escapes.

Lord Saladin then sends the Guardian to pursue Sepiks Perfected into a transformed Cosmodrome in order to learn the extent of the SIVA outbreak. In the Cosmodrome, the Guardian encounters the Hive who are being driven into the open somehow. The Guardian then seeks out a monitoring station responsible for keeping the sensor grid online and retrieves vital sensor logs that provide valuable insight into the Fallen activity.

Pushing further into the Cosmodrome, the Guardian discovers that the Fallen have taken control of several Golden Age gun positions near the Triglav Bunker. Upon reaching the Bunker, the Guardian destroys two SIVA enhanced shield generators before disabling the enemy guns.

A fireteam of Guardians tracks down Sepiks Perfected again, and kill both it and Dresiks, Splicer Baron in the Devils' Lair. A trio of augmented Captains—the Shock Captain; the Splicer Scorch Captain; and the Null Captain—are methodically eliminated.

Having observed that the Hive have begun hitting the Splicers near a beached Tanker, Shiro tasks the Guardian with discovering why they are at each other's throats. The Guardian arrives at the Giant's Husk expecting to encounter hostilities, but finds the Hive engaged in all out war. After the Guardian recovers a coded relay from a defeated Devil Splicer, Shiro deduces that the Hive may be attempting to reclaim something stolen and tasks the Guardian with exploring the Overpass for further clues. Working off of the pointers obtained from their exploration, the Guardian takes off for the Archon's keep in search of Hive or Fallen activity. At the keep, the Guardian discovers the Fallen Splicers are experimenting with the Hive, prompting them to seek out the Splicer's High Priest in order to end his madness.

Kovik, Splicer Priest invades a Hive nest located within Bunker Triglav. After a team of Guardians destroy a network of SIVA Nodes, which are augmenting the Silos' old defense protocols and keeping the facility sealed tight, they descend into the Hive Nest and kill Kovik, as well as a captive Hive Ogre the Fallen Priest had infused with SIVA.

Back at the Iron Temple, Lord Saladin meets with the Guardian and tells them the story of the Iron Lords, and how they attempted to co-opt SIVA against all of Rasputin's attempts to stop them (including eliminating all but nine of the Iron Lords in the process). In the end, revealing how SIVA ultimately corrupted many of the Iron Lords by turning their weapons and armor against them, forcing Jolder to seal herself and all of the Iron Lords except for Saladin within the Bunker rather than let SIVA escape. Saladin then realizes the Fallen have not yet mastered SIVA, and sends the Guardian to meet with Tyra, a Cryptarch well versed in the origins of SIVA, and also one who might know the source of the Fallen's discoveries.

The Guardian then travels to an old Clovis Bray research lab following a hunch from Timur, who believes the answer to the Fallen's weakness may lie with the ancient SIVA prototypes. After clearing the facility of the Cabal, the Guardian locates an old archive that reveals information on several types of nanotech designed for differing purposes. The Guardian is then attacked by a Cabal force which they promptly eliminate before returning to the Iron temple.

Communing with the Guardian, Lord Saladin informs them that Shiro-4 has analyzed the Clovis Bray data and found a way to temporarily disrupt the Splicers' control over it. The Guardian is then tasked to descend into the SIVA replication complex in order to cut its ability to replicate itself. On the way, they reverse the power cells in the SIVA reactor, temporarily cutting off the Splicer's SIVA supply. Infiltrating the Archon's Keep, the Guardian descends deeper into the facility and after confronting the Remnant of Felwinter, destroys the SIVA Replicator via a self destruct mechanism.

Returning to the Iron Temple once more, the Guardian returns Jolder's broken helmet to Lord Saladin who thanks the Guardian and subsequently gifts them a Sword, pronouncing the Guardian as the next generation of Iron Lord.

A Guardian fireteam descends into the Hellmouth to stop the Devil Splicers from stealing unborn Hive Ogres for their crazed rituals, and eliminate them, killing the Hive Abomination the Devils nearly took.

Guardians infiltrate Foundry 113 and defeat the Splicers' surviving duumvirate of Aksis and his second-in-command Vosik inside their Perfection Complex. With Aksis and his followers gone, the Devil Splicers are neutralized.

Omnigul returns and the Vanguard tasks the Guardian to go and eliminate her once and for all.

Brokering an alliance with Taniks' crew the Splicers resurrect Taniks the Scarred using SIVA, augmenting him into Taniks Perfected. Shortly after, a team of Guardians eliminate him.

The Vex finally discover how to manifest their ontological power outside of the Vault and augment Sekrion with it, but are unable to keep the Taken from corrupting the Mind, transforming it into Sekrion, Subverted Mind. A team of Guardians, with the aid of the Aegis, destroy both it and the Taken, and any lingering Vex.

Destiny 2

Onset of the Red War

While out on Patrol, the Guardian and Ghost responded to emergency frequencies from the City. Quickly returning to The Last City aboard a Hawk, they quickly discovered that the City had been invaded by the Cabal, and aided in defending the Tower against the Red Legion. The Guardian attempted to disorganize the enemy by disabling the Cabal command ship and though they succeeded in infiltrating the ship and in destroying the Shield generators, no reinforcements could make it, and they were confronted by Dominus Ghaul himself. There the Cabal Emperor activated the Light-restraining device upon the Traveler, encasing it in a force field. This act cut the Guardians off from the Traveler's Light, effectively crippling them. Ghaul savagely beat the weakened Guardian, even sending them off of his command ship along with their Ghost, plummeting to the devastated city below. Barely surviving the fall, the Guardian linked up with others, and with little choice, they evacuated the Last City.

Despite Ghaul's success in attacking the City, the Guardian refused to give up the fight, and after setting up a camp in the European Dead Zone, they sought out to gain new powers and began developing a counterattack against the Red Legion.

The Road to Titan

After supporting Hawthorne and Devrim Kay establishing a support beacon to draw people to the Farm, the Guardian received a distress signal from Zavala which told him to head to Titan where he was making a resistance with Deputy Chief Sloane and Amanda Holliday. The Guardian and Ghost headed there and found that the Hive were there taking control of the pipes and the planet itself. The Guardian and Ghost now had to reactivate the stations to fortify themselves against the Hive. After rebooting the power, the Guardian and Ghost then delve deep into the New Pacific Arcology after detecting an AI. After they escaped, the Guardian, Sloane, and Zavala eventually discover, through Cabal transmitions, that the sun-destroying Almighty is in position over Sol. After learning of this, Zavala orders the Guardian to locate the other members of the Vanguard so that they may attempt to destroy the ship.

Pursuit on Nessus

The Guardian and Ghost go to Nessus after picking up a signal from Cayde there. After Ghost questions why Cayde went to Nessus in the first place, it is soon discovered that Nessus has been almost completely consumed by the Vex. After tracking the source of the transmition, they soon discover Failsafe was broadcasting the signal for Cayde after he was caught by the Vex. They chased after Cayde's teleporting prison and slay a Hydra. They are then told by Cayde to shut down the teleporter to let Cayde free. After doing so, they hurry back to the Exodus Black after fallen were chasing Cayde. After slaying Jaliks, the Captain responsible for the attack, they are welcomed to the Exodus Black and are made Captain of the crashed ship by Failsafe. Through some convincing, Cayde turned back from his original plan, which was to kill Ghaul which would've inevitably caused the Almighty to fire, and discover that Ikora was meditating on Io.

Pilgrimage to Io

After finding Ikora, they learn of a nearby Red Legion base. While making their way over, they see a beam of the Traveler's light beaming over a convoy of Cabal ships. After eliminating what's left of the Cabal in the encampment, they delve deeper into the base and find mining equipment and drills. Pushing through the desolate base, they discover the Taken are trying to sap the light. After killing off a major Taken Wizard, Ikora, through some connections to the Taken, discovers that Ghaul is attempting to steal the light. As the Guardian and Ghost leave the base, they recieve a distress signal from Asher Mir that the Taken's sapping operation is going to cause the moon to implode if not intervened. After killing the Wizards responsible and killing a Taken Centurion within the portal, they are then summoned by Asher to be an assistant and help with his works. After the talk, they then head for a Warmind vault that was breached by a Cabal drill. After killing the Taken attempting to halt the Guardian and Ghost, Asher discovers that the Almighty is tithed to the Sun, and if destroyed, takes the Sun with it. Ikora, and the Guardian then head back to the Farm to finally reunite the Vanguard.

Payback

Once more united, the Vanguard plans their attack. They send the Guardian and Ghost to hunt Thumos, the Unbroken. With the help of a Drake Tank, they push through a web-work of Cabal tunnels and ground the carrier. They then march into the carrier and eventually kill Thumos and took his keys to his ship. They then reach the ship, killing the Cabal and invading Fallen whom were in their way and fly off to the Almighty. Once aboard the great ship, they push through the machinery of the ship and debris which was once apart of Mercury. After walking through the sun's heat, they make their way to the weapon and overheat it, disabling the ship and it's weapon. The Guardian and Ghost join the battle of the Last City and make their way to Ghaul. After meeting up with the Vanguard, they discover that everyone else is injured, and must face Ghaul themselves. Using the teleporter Cayde nabbed off Nessus, the Guardian and Ghost are teleported to Ghaul's command ship. They meet up with Ghaul, who has induced himself with corrupt, synthetic light, and face off with him. After Ghaul is killed by the Guardian, Ghaul attempts to use Radiance, and is turned into an etheral figure thanks to the corrupt light, and declared himself immortal as he speaks to the Traveler. In doing so, he awakens the Traveler, which breaks the cage and slays Ghaul. The Guardian is then congratulated on their success for killing Ghaul, awaking the Traveler, and saving Sol from the Red Legion.

Further Adventures

European Dead Zone

The Guardian help to push back the Fallen, weaken the Cabal, reboot the Patrol network and discover more lost powers in the Black Forest. Later, Bracus Zahn, a Cabal gunrunner is bringing supplies to the Red Legion and taking command on the Orobas Vectura. The Guardian and their fireteam tracked down Zahn and killed him. Meanwhile, the Taken attempted to corrupt the water supply at a reservoir on the other side of town. The Guardian puts an end to the operation and discover that the commander was once a member of the Red Legion. As the Guardian was patroling the EDZ, they get a request from Devrim to look for "glowing" Fallen. They soon discover the Fallen are augmenting their Ether supplies with Cabal technology. The Guardian and Ghost destroy the Ether and kill the Archon and Servitor responsible for the attempted ascendance.

Titan

The Guardian reclaimed supplies taken by the Fallen and ended Hive rituals which could've ended the operation on Titan definitivly. The Guardian is then dispatched to the Arcology to search for Guardians who have gone silent. They discover that the Hive were attempting to use Void Light to summon a powerful Shrieker. With the help of a Guardian's sacrifice, the Guardian and their team destroys the Shrieker, thus ending the ritual and avenging the lost. Later, Sloane dispatches the Guardian to scare off a Captain and his crew in the command center. They then learn of a Methane Reactor within the Arcology. So the Guardian and Ghost go off to search for the Reactor before the Captain can claim it. They track down the reactor before the Arcology's security systems detained them. Now in a race with the Captain, they seek to find the Reactor before the Captain can. They discover that the Captain was attempting to use the Reactor to create Ether with the help of a Servitor. They kill the Servitor and, depending on the Guardian's actions, spared the Captain or killed him, and claimed the Reactor for the Rig.

Curse of Osiris

Osiris and his Ghost, Sagira, are out in a simulation of the Vault of Glass looking for answers to the future. Osiris sees a future possibility that terrifies him, and quickly closes the portal, but not before the Vex are snapped out of stillness and attack Osiris and his Ghost. During the attack, they are ambushed by Panoptes, the mind responsible for creating the plan for the dark future. Realizing he has to stop the Vex now before it is too late, Osiris throws Sagira through a portal back to present day Mercury, while Osiris attempts to fend off Panoptes.

Warmind

After responding to a mysterious distress call on an official Vanguard channel, The Guardian heads to Hellas Basin on Mars to help this guardian, who turns out to be none other than Anastasia Bray of Twilight Gap glory. After fighting through the Frozen Hive and reactivating the BrayTech Futurescape Ana sends the guardian to save Rasputin's core from the Hive invasion. Upon arrival, Rasputin presents the Guardian with the Valkyrie javelin to help deal with the Hive that have swarmed outside his core chamber.

When the guardian finally gains entry to the core, it is revealed that a rather angry Zavala has beaten them there, which doesn't please Ana. A short argument ensues which ends in Zavala revealing the real reason he has arrived. Rasputin wasn't the only thing to awaken on Mars, but the Hive's worm god Xol, Will of the Thousands. The Guardian then goes to retrieve a shard of the Traveler from the EDZ, but finds it shielded by a Taken barrier. Ana responds to this by asking Rasputin to crash a Warsat into the shard in order to break the shield, which he does.

The Guardian returns to Hellas Basin and uses the shard to summon Xol, but instead provokes Nokris, his herald, who they proceed to kill. After this, they go into Rasputin's inner workings at Alton Dynamo to find a way to overcharge the Valkyrie and kill Xol, as he has started an attack on Rasputin's neural network. If he succeeds, Rasputin will be gone forever, taking the Valkyrie with him and leaving Xol with no way to even damage him.

The Guardian runs to Rasputin's aid, but is cut off by Xol and trapped on a service platform. With the help on Ana Bray and the newly overcharged Valkyrie, the Guardian is able to vanquish him and save Rasputin. After this, Rasputin grants Ana, Zavala, and The Guardian an audience with him, where he tells them that he will not serve any of them, and will protect humanity on his own terms, launching a new Warsat network to prove his point. Zavala returns to the Tower and Ana decides to stay on Mars as Rasputin's ambassador. The Guardian then proceeds to partially exterminate the Hive through Rasputin's Escalation Protocol, as well as fighting the Red Legion, who are on Mars to scavenge what they can during their retreat from Sol.

Forsaken

Alongside Cayde-6, the Guardian traveled to the Reef in light of civil unrest and a breakout from the Prison of Elders.

However, the mission in the Reef ends horrifically as Cayde-6 is murdered by the Uldren Sov, the former prince of the Reef. Outraged, the Guardian takes Cayde's body to the Vanguard where his fireteam, Zavala and Ikora, mourn his loss. Refusing to simply do nothing, the Guardian speaks for the first time in years, swearing to take down Uldren and avenge Cayde.

Teaming up with Petra Venj, they broker a deal with the Fallen criminal kingpin, The Spider, to begin the campaign to reclaim the Reef, assassinate the Scorn Barons and kill Uldren Sov.

Personality and Traits

"You know it's starting to concern me how seldom you talk. We've been through a lot together, the neural symbiosis is pretty far progressed, but you'd be surprised how little I understand what you're thinking."

— Ghost

The Guardian has demonstrated humility and bravery, often fighting the Solar System's enemies without question nor hesitation. Like other Guardians, The Guardian is very silent, only speaking when the situation deems it necessary. Cayde-6 once joked that the Guardian was the "strong, silent type" of hero. They also put high regard and value in those they consider as friends, such as dragging their Ghost away from Ghaul and shielding him with their body (as well as completely losing hope when he falls off the ship), giving various figures who have aided them gifts during the Dawning (including the Vanguard, Banshee-44, and Asher Mir), and personally seeking justice for Cayde-6's death.

A much darker side of The Guardian is revealed in Forsaken. First off, The Guardian is shown to be vengeful, as they became determined to kill not just Uldren Sov but the entire Scorn faction just for their hand in Cayde's death. They are also shown to be somewhat unscrupulous, as they were willing to openly disobey the Vanguard and work with the likes of the Spider in pursuit of the aforementioned goal. Although likely more unintentional, they were shown to be either oblivious or insensitive during this quest for vengeance; blinded by revenge, they didn't show regard for Ghost's discomfort during the entirety of the ordeal, as well as going through with Uldren's execution even with the knowledge of what he had endured for the sake of his sister. However, despite going through with the execution, they did take responsibility for their actions by returning to the Vanguard once their mission was complete.

Trivia

• The Guardian was stated by Cayde-6 to be his "favorite Guardian."
• Between Destiny and Forsaken, the Guardian had not spoken for over 4 years.
• If the Guardian is Awoken, The Ghost will say "You're Awoken!" And if you could sense anything when in the Dreaming City for the first time

Gallery

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  The Guardian Titan looks over the landscape of Titan.

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  All three Guardian classes in Destiny 1's character creator.

List of appearances

• Destiny Alpha (First appearance)
• Destiny Beta
• Destiny
  • The Dark Below
  • House of Wolves
  • The Taken King
    • April Update
  • Rise of Iron
    • The Dawning
    • Age of Triumph
• Destiny 2 Beta
• Destiny 2
  • Curse of Osiris
  • Warmind
  • Forsaken
  • Black Armory
  • Joker's Wild
  • Penumbra