Void

A Grimoire Card of Void

Void Symbol

"Did you know it used to be controversial to harness the Void? Maybe one day the Vanguard can move past the Light entirely. I'm not holdin' my breath."

— The Drifter^[1]

Void is one of several known manifestations of the Light, along with Arc and Solar. It is associated with gravity and the distortion of spacetime, and allows its wielders to generate black holes, gravity waves and other spacetime-warping effects. It is also a class of elemental damage.

Overview

Void energy is related to dark energy/matter and gravitational attraction, and can be wielded by Guardians to generate black holes, spatial warps, and other distortions of spacetime. It is also associated with the concepts of death, negation^[2] and the unknown.^[3]. It was once considered taboo to use Void powers, as some viewed the Void to be "dark"; however, the Void itself is defined as being absent of Light or Darkness, and Void Light is merely a means to manipulate it.^[4]

According to Osiris, Void is the element of cosmic distortion; the pull of gravity and the promise of entropy. That the vacuum of space and the gravitational forces that shape it show that emptiness is not nothingness. According to Ikora, to use Void is to draw power from both the immeasurably small and the unfathomably massive, and with it bend the very fabric of space-time.^[5]

Gameplay

Guardians

Guardian subclasses that wield Void energy focus on disabling enemies and protecting allies.

Subclasses

A void Titan

Defender Titans use Void Light to create an indestructible dome of Light known as Ward of Dawn.

In Destiny 2, Defender Titans were renamed to Sentinel Titans, keeping the ability to summon a Ward of Dawn, while also gaining the ability to condense the Void Light into a small, hand-held, throwable shield known as a Sentinel Shield. In The Final Shape, Titans can wield Twilight Arsenal, which tosses them up into the air and allows them to throw 3 massive Void Axes that, upon impact, suck in nearby foes and detonate, damaging enemies. The Axes can then be picked up by you or allies to wield as a melee weapon.

Nightstalker Hunters manifest Void Light to create a bow of Void energy known as a Dusk Bow; to shoot Shadowshot arrows that tethers enemies to it making them slower and weakens them to damage. As of Destiny 2, Nightstalker Hunters also gain the ability to summon dual blades made from Void Light known as Spectral Blades and cloak themselves in invisibility.

Voidwalker Warlocks use Void Light to hurl out a dying star known as Nova Bomb. In Destiny 2, they can instead channel the Void Light through themselves and choose to cast Nova Warp instead, a close-range super that consecutively condenses Void Light into an explosive blast that damages surrounding enemies.

Verbs

Common effects of Void subclasses, as defined in the Light 3.0 update, are:^[6]

Overshield - You are armored with a protective barrier of Void Light. Reduces damage taken from combatants.
Invisibility - You vanish from sight, and do not appear on enemy radar. Performing offensive actions will end Invisibility.
Devour - Feast on the energy of your defeated foes. Kills restore you to full health, grant grenade energy, and extend Devour.
Weaken - The target takes increased damage, and has its movement speed slowed. Afflicted combatants have difficulty firing accurately.
Suppression - The target is taken out of any active abilities, and cannot activate any abilities or movement modes while Suppression persists. Afflicted combatants cannot fire their weapons. Suppression stuns Overload Champions.
- A weakened player has their screen turn greyer.
Volatile - The target is afflicted with unstable Void energy, and will explode upon taking additional damage. Volatile Rounds from your Void weapons pierce the shields of Barrier Champions and stuns them
Void Breach - A dimensional breach teeming with Void energy. When picked up, Void Breaches grant class ability energy.

Grenades

As of the Void 3.0 update, all grenades are accessible to all classes.

Axion Bolt: A bolt of Void Light that forks on impact into smaller bolts that seek out targets.
Magnetic Grenade: A grenade that attaches to targets and explodes twice.
Suppressor Grenade: An explosive grenade that suppresses, preventing targets from using abilities for a short time.
Scatter Grenade: A grenade that splits into multiple submunitions and covers a large area with multiple explosions.
Void Spike: A grenade that attaches to any surface and emits a torrent of damaging Void Light.
Void Wall: A grenade that creates a horizontal wall of burning Void Light.
Vortex Grenade: A grenade that creates a vortex that pulls targets inward and continuously damages those trapped inside.

Fragments

Shared effects that can be exchanged to customize the powers of a subclass.

Echo of Cessation: Finisher final blows create a burst of Void damage that causes nearby enemies to become volatile. Defeating volatile targets create a Void Breach.
Echo of Dilation: When crouched, you sneak faster and gain enhanced radar resolution; +10 Mobility. +10 Intellect.
Echo of Domineering: After suppressing a target, you gain greatly increased Mobility for a short duration and your equipped weapon is reloaded from reserves. Defeating a suppressed target creates a Void Breach. +10 Discipline.
Echo of Exchange: Melee final blows grant grenade energy.
Echo of Expulsion: Void ability final blows cause targets to explode. +10 Intellect.
Echo of Harvest: Defeating weakened targets with precision final blows will create an Orb of Power and a Void Breach. -10 Intellect.
Echo of Instability: Defeating targets with grenades grants Volatile Rounds to your Void weapons. +10 Strength.
Echo of Leeching: Melee final blows start health regeneration for you and nearby allies. +10 Resilience.
Echo of Obscurity: Finisher final blows grant Invisibility. +10 Recovery.
Echo of Persistence: Void buffs applied to you (Invisibility, Overshield, and Devour) have increased duration. -10 Mobility.
Echo of Provision: Damaging targets with grenades grants melee energy. -10 Strength.
Echo of Remnants: Your lingering grenade effects (Vortex Grenade, Void Wall, Void Spike, and Axion Bolt) have increased duration.
Echo of Reprisal: Final blows while surrounded by combatants grant Super Energy.
Echo of Starvation: Picking up an Orb of Power or a Void Breach grants Devour. -10 Recovery.
Echo of Undermining: Your Void grenades weaken targets. -20 Discipline.
Echo of Vigilance: Defeating a target when your shields are depleted grants you a temporary Void Overshield. -10 Recovery.

Enemies

Scorn and Taken of all ranks can be encountered with Void weapons and abilities. Vex heavy weapons are Void powered, as well as their Grenades and some melee attacks. While not possessing any such damage in Destiny, the Cabal have adopted Cabal Bronto Cannons, and Psions mainly use Void abilities in Destiny 2. The Shadow Legion's Tormentors also employ Void attacks, and are also capable of causing Suppression. The Hive have Void damage in their Shredders and Soulfire Rifles as well as the rapid-fire bolts of Ogres and Shriekers. Fallen only show Void damage in the blasts of Servitors and the turrets of Heavy Shanks and Brigs.