Dominus Ghaul

"I don't have time to explain why I don't have time to explain."
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Dominus Ghaul
Biographical information
Species:	Cabal
Faction:	Red Legion
Rank:	Dominus
Class:	Centurion
Gender:	Male
Height:	8'1
Weight:	800 lbs.
Combat information
Mission:	Homecoming Chosen
Weapon(s):	Modified Projection Rifle
Abilities:	Midair Levitation Brief Immunity Corrupted Dawnblade Super Burning Effect Corrupted Sentinel Super Slowness Effect Corrupted Stormcaller Super Shocking Debuff Quake Attack High Durability Rapid Movement Summon Cabal Radiance

"You're not brave. You've merely forgotten the fear of death. Allow me to reacquaint you."

— Dominus Ghaul

Dominus Ghaul is the military emperor of the Cabal Empire. Ghaul arrived in the solar system following the Skyburners' distress call with the goal of claiming the Traveler and its Light for himself. He successfully led his forces in a surprise attack against the City, having eliminated the Vanguard satellites prior to attacking the Tower and isolating the Traveler within a restraining shield, leaving the Guardians displaced and crippled. He also managed to swiftly capture and imprison The Speaker aboard his command ship, The Immortal.

He also has stationed a massive ship outside of the Sun, which siphons Light from it. He is the main antagonist of Destiny 2. Ghaul is mentored by a Cabal political leader known as The Consul.

Ghaul seeks to rebuild Cabal society with the help of the Traveler, aiming to develop his people past the established status quo, while taking the Light for himself.

Biography

"I command Legions. Conquered worlds. Waged war across the galaxy to prove my worth. I alone am worthy of the Traveler's Light."

— Dominus Ghaul

Ghaul was born as a Cabal outcast, having been left for dead as an orphan. From his youth, he was rejected and tormented by his fellow trainees within his Legion, which he claims made him stronger as a result. Ghaul was raised to believe he and the Red Legion should have received the Traveler's power, and that in choosing humanity, it made the wrong choice. At some point, Ghaul became a target of The Consul, a disgruntled member of the Cabal Praetorate who desired to influence and raise him as his pupil, in the hopes that he could overthrow Calus. Years later, Ghaul grew to become a prominent commander in the Empire, where under the Consul's direction, led a successful coup against Calus with the aid of a number of the Emperor's closest allies and advisors. Calus was exiled to his ship, The Leviathan, and left to wander the cosmos. In attacking the City, Ghaul sought to show the Traveler the error of its ways and establish a new order of Guardians from within the ranks of his own species.

Following the arrival of Oryx, the Taken King into the Solar System, Primus Ta'aun of the Skyburners legion sent a report to the Cabal High Command detailing the destruction of Fleetbase Korus. This report reached Ghaul who gave Ta'aun explicit orders to board the Dreadnaught and eliminate Oryx. Following the taking of Ta'aun and the deaths of Valus Mau'ual and Valus Tlu'urn, Cabal forces on the Dreadnaught sent a detailed distress signal to Ghaul. While a Guardian managed to stop the signal, Dead Orbit had evidence that the signal had reached its intended target. This was confirmed two years later, when Ghaul led his Red Legion in an invasion of the Last City, instigating the Red War.

Destiny 2 spoilers

After successfully attacking the city, sealing away the Traveler's Light and driving most of the surviving Guardians into hiding, Ghaul seeks to learn how to prove his worth to the Traveler using the Speaker, despite the advise of his old friend the Consul, to simply take the Light. In addition, he has sent his prized warship, The Almighty, to the systems sun to destabilize it and cause it to go supernova should the system resist any further. His remaining forces have been sent to the European Dead Zone to hunt the remaining Guardians, to Io to mine the remaining energy from the Traveler and to Nessus to study the Vex. After days of brutally interrogating the Speaker, Ghaul begins to accept that to earn the Traveler's favor he would need to learn devotion and self-sacrifice but his interrogation of the Speaker is interrupted by an furious Consul. His old adviser informed him of the Guardian's efforts that has humiliated the Red Legion's forces across the system, thanks to their restored Light and has even disabled the Almighty which allows the City's remaining forces to launch an attack to liberate the City and the Traveler. With this, the Consul angerly informs Ghaul that for the first time in the Red Legion's bloody history, they have failed, a tone which angers Ghaul. The Consul demands that Ghaul take the Light by force to defeat their enemies but Ghaul remains adamant that he should prove his worth which leads the angered Consul to kill the Speaker and reminds him of how he brought him in and had raised him from being a lowly runt to becoming the most powerful warlord in history that defeated the previous Emperor Calus and reshaped the Cabal's society and therefore he should take what is his, as the Cabal have always done. Convinced by the Consul's argument but angered by his insubordination, Ghaul throttles him to death and takes his warship to the center of the Traveler Suppressor device to drain the Light by force. At the top of his warship, Ghaul faces off against the Guardian he defeated before but this time infused with some of the Traveler's Light, giving him similar abilities to the Guardians. However, the Light that was bestowed upon him was corrupted. After a fierce battle between the two Light-infused warriors, Ghaul was nonetheless defeated. With his death, Ghaul attempts to use Radiance, and is resurrected as a massive ethereal figure due to his corrupted Light, and he declares himself immortal as he speaks to the Traveler directly. In doing so, the Traveler wakes from its slumber, destroying the device that was harvesting its power and then destroys Ghaul himself, sending a massive shockwave across the planet and system, restoring the Light and ending Ghaul's threat forever. For the first time in history, the Red Legion has known true defeat and the leader of their people, their strongest warrior and emperor, is now dead. Despite Ghaul's death and the liberation of the Last City, the Red Legion continue to carry on the Red War but have become seriously weakened and demoralized at the loss of their leader.

Traits

"Do you see all that I have done?"

— Dominus Ghaul

Ghaul is adorned in large white armor with red and gold detailing, and is often seen without a helmet, sporting a metal facemask instead. He may have albinism, given his pale skin and deep red eyes. Ghaul appears to be an adept strategist, choosing to launch his invasion during a severe thunderstorm that concealed his warships from visual detection until it was too late. Ghaul also managed to accomplish, in the span of several hours, what the other races could not do in centuries, to conquer the Last City and scattered the Guardians. Thousands of years prior, Ghaul also managed to lead a united military coup against Emperor Calus single-handedly, demonstrating his adept skills and charisma toward his people.

On the battlefield, Ghaul is a ruthless and domineering 8 foot tall warlord, going as far as to conquer an entire civilization at the behest of his people's benefit, demonstrating a cold lack of care and sympathy for other alien races outside of the Cabal, excluding the Psion and War Beast races. Ghaul is also incredibly physically strong for a member of his race, being able to effortlessly send a fully armored Titan flying into the air just by kneeing him. Ghaul is able to throw fully armored Guardians around as if they were mere toys, even putting a lone Titan onto the ground in seconds, a physical testament to his might.

Ghaul also views himself with high esteem to the point of arrogance, condescendingly calling The Guardian a "creature," telling them to not to look at him afterward. In addition, he believes that he alone is worthy of the Traveler's Light and its gifts. Therefore, he feels that the Guardians don't deserve the Traveler's Light as him and his people do, displaying traits of megalomania. Despite this, he originally wanted to prove that he was worthy of the Traveler's Light rather than simply take it. He states to the Speaker that in taking the Light by force, he would be admitting his own failure in proving his own worth.

However, Ghaul was not always like this, as Calus' journal revealed that Ghaul was once an innocent orphan, who was adopted by The Consul, meant to be used as a proxy to usurp Calus and the Empire. The Consul instilled ideals of hatred and rage into Ghaul and taught him to become a powerful warrior, one without mercy. However, though Ghaul was intended to be a puppet to the Consul's group, he proved to be far more strong-willed than anticipated. In time, the group that elevated and used him, the Consul included, learned to fear him and follow his creeds.

Destiny 2 spoilers

Ghaul seemingly went insane after the destruction of The Almighty, possibly due to mounting pressure upon him from his failures during the Red War, going as far as to kill his long-time teacher and friend, The Consul, after he simply questioned his objective. In his last moments, he displayed psychotic traits and tendencies, fervently yelling at The Guardian as he fought them.

Gameplay

Destiny 2 spoilers

Dominus Ghaul is the main boss of the Story mission Chosen. He mainly attacks with a one-handed Projection Rifle for long-ranged fire and will summon a Quake shockwave when faced up close, but will constantly shift through different Light-based attacks. The first is Solar Slicer, where, like a Dawnblade, he rises up into the air and throws flaming swords at the player, which inflict a burning effect upon a direct hit. The second is a Void shield, where he will be immune to damage as he charges up the attack shortly before releasing it, creating a giant dome that slows the player down when trapped inside. The third is Arc Wrath, where he hurls Arc energy spheres, which leave behind a shockwave that deals damage over time. This constant shift in attacks makes Ghaul a dangerous foe.

Quotes

• "Welcome to a world without Light."
• "Humanity never deserved power."
• "Do not look at me, Creature!"
• "I was born an outcast, left for dead."
• "Rejection. Ridicule. Torment. It made me stronger."
• "Your Light, is mine."
• "Your journey ends... here."

Spoiler warning: Plot and/or ending details follow.

"Look upon me. Dominus of the Red Legion. Annihilator of Suns. Razer of a thousands worlds. Slayer of gods and conqueror of the Light. I. AM. GHAUL.... And I have become legend."

Trivia

• The name "Gary", as Cayde calls him, has quickly evolved to a memetic status amongst the community.
• Ghaul is the first Cabal character to be observed fluently speaking English, and the fifth overall antagonist to do so. How he has learned a human language remains unknown.
• Luke Smith has compared Ghaul to Hans Gruber from the Die Hard series.
• Dominus Ghaul is voiced by Neil Kaplan.

Gallery

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  Concept art of Ghaul.

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  Ghaul observing the invasion from within his warship.

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  Ghaul standing within the hallway of his warship.

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  Ghaul confronts the Guardian who has infiltrated his warship.

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  Ghaul menaces about.

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  Ghaul marching toward a weakened Guardian.

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  Ghaul preparing to kill The Guardian.

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  Ghaul with his Bloodguard Centurions.

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  Ghaul speaking to The Guardian.

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  In a shocking display of his might, Ghaul kicks The Guardian off of his warship to their death.

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  Emperor Dominus Ghaul.

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  Ghaul glaring at The Guardian.

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  Close-up of Ghaul.

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  Ghaul faces off with The Speaker.

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  Ghaul seated on his throne.

Browse more images on this article's gallery page.

List of appearances

• Destiny 2 (First appearance)
• Cabal Booklet (Mentioned only)