Fikrul, the Fanatic

This article is about the Fallen Archon. For the Vex unit, see Fanatic.

Fikrul, the Fanatic
Biographical information
Other name(s):	The Fanatic Fikrul, Master of Souls Fikrul, Shadow Priest The Heretic VIP #4503
Homeworld:	Riis
Species:	Fallen
Race:	Scorn
Faction:	House of Wolves (formerly) House of Exile (formerly)
Rank:	Archon Ultra
Class:	Chieftain
Gender:	Male
Combat information
Mission:	Scorned Nothing Left to Say The Hollowed Lair
Weapon(s):	Fanatic's Staff
Abilities:	Wrath of the Scorned Shocking Effect Ether Immunity Shield Displacement Tethered Debuff Summon Scorn High Durability Teleportation Temporary Absorption Shield ( or or ) Ultra Smash

"I will pay any price... to be there when you die!"

— Fikrul

Fikrul, the Fanatic is the leader of the Scorned Barons, and the Archon of the Scorn. As the only member of the group to escape capture, he fled into hiding while his comrades were imprisoned within the Prison of Elders. Fikrul believes that the Scorn are the natural evolution of the Eliksni, and that through his leadership, the race can find immortality. He is a Chieftain class Scorn leader and the boss of the Nothing Left to Say Story Mission as well as the Hollowed Lair Strike.

Due to the nature of his resurrection abilities, Fikrul can seemingly never truly be killed and has retorted that he will continue to return to seek vengeance upon the Guardian. Fikrul has the ability to corrupt the ether inside Eliksni, turning them into Scorn.

Biography

Fallen Archon

Fikrul was once a well-regarded Archon Priest of Kaliks Prime within the House of Wolves but was soon cast out after speaking against the Great Machine and lamenting his species' dependence on Servitors for survival and would be replaced by Aksor, Archon Priest. His words would later influence others like the techno-deviant Devil Splicers of the Plaguelands, while Fikrul himself explored his own darker interpretations of faith.

Following the Taken War, Fikrul would go on to lead a group of lowly Dregs cast out from the House of Exile, who collectively titled themselves the Scorned Barons. Together, they unleashed havoc amongst the Reefborn Awoken and various Fallen Houses in the Reef, ultimately leading to the demise of the House of Wolves through the destruction of all their Servitors. They would later be captured after a final standoff with Petra Venj, Cayde-6 and his Six. At the start of the fight, Fikrul would take three Golden Gun shots to the chest and was presumed dead.

Rise of the Scorn

Fikrul alongside Uldren, his "kindred spirit"

At some point following the Taken War, Prince Uldren allied with the House of Kings, and in his search for Mara Sov he discovered a mortally wounded Fikrul. Uldren wished that he could save the dying Fallen; his wish was heard by Riven, the Taken Ahamkara residing in the Dreaming City, who Uldren had long ago brought to the Reef as a hatchling. Riven granted Uldren's wish by infusing some of Uldren's Darkness into Fikrul's Ether, creating Dark Ether and raising him as the first Scorn. Fikrul thereafter treated Uldren with devotion and reverence, calling him "Father" and believing that Uldren had granted him his new life and powers.

In gratitude, Fikrul would assist Uldren in taking out the House of Kings, usurping Craask, Kell of Kings who conflicted with his ambitions. In a grand betrayal, Uldren summoned Fikrul to dock Craask of all four of his arms and reduce the former Kell to the rank of a Dreg. Rumors later circulated among the Fallen that Uldren and Fikrul had slain Craask outright, along with the entire House which Fikrul then raised as the first undead Scorn with his Dark Ether.

A year after the Red War, both Uldren and Fikrul were caught by Cayde-6 and taken to the Prison of Elders. When Variks, the Loyal imprisoned Fikrul, he attempted to extract his Ether via extraction Servitors, only for Fikrul to laugh and unnerve Variks. As Variks observed Uldren looking to corner of the room for his sister, the extraction Servitors exploded due to Fikrul's Dark Ether. Afterwards, Variks accused him of his twisted Ether coming from betraying Kaliks Prime to the Taken, to which Fikrul replied that Kaliks had abandoned the Eliksni altogether and stated that he had been freed from the need of Servitors thanks to Uldren.

Over time, thanks in part to Riven's manipulation, Uldren and Fikrul took advantage of Variks's waning loyalty and tricked him into releasing all of the prison's inmates. This would allow Fikrul, Uldren, the other Barons and the Scorn to escape, and get Cayde-6 killed as he attempted to stop them.

Prison Escape

Fikrul the Fanatic fighting in the Awoken Watchtower

"Kill a Fallen, I claim it as Scorn. Kill a Scorn, I raise ten more!"

— Fikrul, the Fanatic

With the Scorned Barons now freed, Fikrul and the other Barons were offered the bounty of the Tangled Shore by Uldren as a reward for their loyalty, bringing chaos to the local Fallen under The Spider's command. As a result, their hideout was tipped off to a vengeance-seeking Guardian causing the Barons to flee whilst Fikrul raises a powerful Scorn to face the Guardian, all while mocking them over his necromantic mastery of Dark Ether before fleeing.

When the Guardian finished The Machinist and the other six Scorned Barons, Fikrul and the remaining Scorn accompanied Uldren on his travels to unseal the Dreaming City, warning him of the immediate danger that posed beyond the point of entry. Fikrul offered to go into The Watchtower in Uldren's stead but was told to defend it from the Guardian. Accepting his orders, Fikrul challenges the Guardian themselves to avenge his Scorned brethren only to die by their hands instead, avenging Cayde-6 of the Barons who slew him.

Unlike the other Scorn that died to the Guardian, however, Fikrul can resurrect himself thanks to the Dark Ether within. Recognizing his resurrecting abilities were similar to that of a Guardian, the Vanguard assigned multiple Strike teams to continuously put him down to suppress the Fanatic and put a stop to his plans to resurrect the other Barons, and claiming Uldren Sov's remains from the Dreaming City. The Praxic Order reached out to Cryptarchs and Gensym Scribes for ways to permanently destroy him.

Nightmare Legacy

The Nightmare of Fikrul

"In the depths of the Prison of Elders, the Fanatic found his calling. With his fellow Barons by his side, the Fanatic murdered Cayde-6 on the orders of former Prince of the Reef, Uldren Sov. The Fanatic was able to resurrect the dead. It's only fitting the Pyramid would do the same for him."

— Eris Morn

A year after the defeat of the Barons, the Guardian would encounter a Nightmare - a Darkness-created phantom - in the shape of the Fanatic after they attempted to enter the Lunar Pyramid beneath the Moon's surface but would be forced to retreat after being nearly overwhelmed by the Nightmare of Crota after the Nightmares of the Fanatic and Dominus Ghaul joined it. But, with help from Eris Morn, the Guardian would attempt to enter the Pyramid again, now armed with the knowledge and armor needed to combat the Nightmares. After entering the Pyramid, the Guardian battled with the Darkness-fueled image of Fikrul but the Nightmare of one of the Guardian's more personal foes is defeated, the Guardian overcoming the Darkness's attempts at tormenting them.

At a later date, the Guardians would conduct Nightmare Hunts to push back the Pyramid's influence which often results in the creation of more Nightmares. One such hunt had Guardians face the Nightmare of the Fanatic, representing the Essence of Insanity. After a struggle that led the Guardians to the ruined Shrine of Oryx, the Guardians succeeded in putting the Nightmare down.. The Nightmare of the Fanatic would return to haunt the Guardians years later, aboard the Derelict Leviathan, under the control of Emperor Calus.

In Hiding

"These Eliksni, they speak of Scorn risen on Earth, where dead things will hunt them, or Darkness claims them. We serve only Scorn!"

— Fikrul, the Fanatic

Sometime after the Exorcism of Savathûn's Worm from the Witch Queen's body, but before the appearance of The Lure over the returned Mars, the Fanatic was said to have been driven from the Tangled Shore, though his exact whereabouts were unknown. In his absence, the majority of the Scorn raised in the system would fall under the control of the Witness, where they would be used as mindless vessels and cannon fodder to further its goals. Conversely, Fikrul would remain independent of the Witness and sought to unite the Scorn under his rule again.

Prior to the Hunt for Riven's Clutch, aboard a commandeered Ketch, Fikrul would address a crew of Scorn loyal to him of rumors he had heard of Scorn being raised on Earth near an old ruined castle in the European Dead Zone. It was soon revealed that the Scorn that roamed this castle were former Eliksni members from the House of Kings that were resurrected via a wish granted by a Dead Ahamkara. Fikrul would task five of his knights led by Rathil to infiltrate the castle and recruit the Scorn there to join their cause before the Guardians could kill them or the Witness could claim them. Unfortunately for Fikrul, the Ahamkara within the ruins took advantage of this and used its influence to bend all of Fikrul's forces to its will, pairing them up with the Taken who were also under its control. Furthermore, Petra Venj and Uldren Sov, now reborn as the Hunter Crow, took notice of this movement and called in the Guardian to investigate. Fikrul's secret operation would ultimately fail with the Guardian and their fireteam clearing the Scorn out of the ruins, killing all of Fikrul's Knights, slaying the Ahamkara's Avatar, and securing its remains.

Fikrul's plans of finding Ahamkara power were not over, however, as he would later task his Scorn with trying to secure one of Riven's eggs. Osiris and Mara Sov observed the Scorn sent in and realized they were not under The Witness's control, as they bore Fikrul's mark. It was there that they knew that Fikrul's goal was to make a wish, although the nature of this wish is currently unknown. Regardless, the Guardian would storm into the location of Riven's last remaining egg, where they would fight and slay Fikrul's Champion Elikaa, the Pale Rot before he could enact Fikrul's wish.

Despite his failure to claim the last of Riven's eggs, Fikrul would remain in hiding, outside of the Vanguard's sight, not taking part in the Coalition's final battle with the Witness as the Guardian managed to successfully enter the Traveler's Pale Heart. After much sacrifice and tremendous struggle, the Coalition's united efforts succeeded in destroying the Witness forever, thwarting the Final Shape. Though the people rejoiced at the fall of their great enemy, there was still much work to be done with Crow, now fully risen as the new Hunter Vanguard, making it his mission to track down Fikrul's whereabouts, with Spider and Variks aiding him in this endeavor.

Personality and traits

Fikrul alongside his fellow Barons

Like all Scorn, Fikrul displays a degree of insanity, though he is more coherent than many of his Scorn underlings or some of the other Barons. Fikrul appears to see the Scorn as a family, as he refers to Uldren as "Father", calls the other Scorn Barons his siblings, and calls his Scorn underlings his children. This is further supported by his genuine outrage at the other Barons' death at the hand of The Guardian, as well as his willingness to resurrect his inferiors, as well as any deceased Fallen as Scorn (although the latter could easily be more driven by his goals and his need of an army to complete them). He also doesn't believe in killing without purpose (he only kills to "immortalize" an Eliksni or further his sense of righteousness), and as such berates The Guardian for murdering the Scorn Barons just to pursue revenge. It also seems that he genuinely cares for the Eliksni species, as he howls at The Guardian for murdering countless Fallen, who have done nothing but try to survive. Overall, it seems Fikrul is more of an anti-villain; he has sympathetic intentions and is far from truly evil or immoral, but he is still willing to commit dark acts to carry out what he perceives as good or just.

Gameplay

Nothing Left to Say/The Hollowed Lair

Fikrul engages the player with his signature lightning staff, which fires charged Arc projectiles that can break a Guardian's shield in just a few hits, akin to a Wire Rifle. He will also use his staff to summon large electric circles known as Wrath of the Scorned, which can summon lesser Scorn units; these circles take up a large space and can deal heavy shocking damage over time to anyone that stands within it. Occasionally, whenever his health reaches a certain threshold, Fikrul will surround himself with Void energy to render him immune to all damage shortly before teleporting the player into the air, surrounding himself with a random elemental shield, and tethering them to his staff, dragging them towards him so he can smash the ground to break their shields and knock them back. To keep up his attack, he will teleport towards the player and overwhelm them with high-impact electric staff projectiles. Fikrul's powerful attacks and tether ability make him quite possibly the most dangerous Scorn Baron to engage, for the only safe way to engage him is keeping as much distance between him and oneself as possible.

Quotes

• "Kill a Fallen, I claim it as Scorn. Kill a Scorn I raise ten more!"
• "I hope you give my children a better fight than your friend Cayde…"
• "Yes yes yes! Killing is what you do! Killing is ALL you do!"
• "You enjoyed killing them? You enjoyed putting them in dirt - where you belong? Did it make you feel good? Kaniks… Reksis Vahn… Yaviks… Pirrha… Araskes… Hiraks… Elykris… Tell me that killing my friends made you feel good. TELL ME!"
• "Tell me… I wish to know how I feel when I kill you."
• "I will pay any price… to be there when you die!"
• "The Scorn… are… forever…"
• "Hello, dead thing. Come to slaughter MY children? Perhaps you die in exchange!"
• "It brought pleasure, killing my friends, I'm sure! Uncontrollable bloodlust, taken out on all held dear…"
• You die, the Scorn Barons rise again! Take back the Shore…"
• "Face me! Show me what you are…"
• "Dead thing… Murderer… Killer… Come, killer! I return the favor…"
• "We… are alike. Trapped in death… a never-ending dance."
• "You lack purpose, dead thing. Killing just to kill. I will show you your end when I return…"

Gallery

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  Front render.

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  3/4 render.

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  Concept art of the Fanatic in Episode: Revenant.

Trivia

• Fikrul is voiced by Matthew Mercer.
• Fikrul is the third English-speaking Fallen observed, behind Variks, The Loyal and the Spider, but is the first Fallen antagonist to speak the language.
• Fikrul refers to Uldren Sov as Father, likely out of gratitude under the belief that Uldren gifted him with his powers.
• Fikrul's helmet design bears a strong resemblance to the Scorn's faction symbol.
• For some reason, he appears to not be able to just revive all his brothers and sisters. Only Elykris has returned as the heroic public event boss.
  • It could be that some of the Scorns bodies were destroyed by the Guardians leaving nothing to resurrect. An example of this would be Reksis Vahn, the Hangman whose body was incinerated after he was killed and Hiraks, the Mindbender whose body was lost when his Ascendant Realm collapsed after he died. However, resurrecting them all at once is still possible, as in the Strike, he said that the "Scorn Barons Rise Again" implying he was attempting to do just that.
• In his dialogue, Fikrul will often refer to the Guardian as "dead thing". This is most likely a reference to the Grimoire card Legend: The Black Garden, in which the Thanatonaut Pujari is called this by a flower in the shape of a Ghost within his vision of the Black Garden.
  • Fikrul's statements of "Killing is ALL you do!" and "Killing just to kill" are also similar to this.
• Fikrul's rebellion against the Traveler could be the reason why Kaliks Prime abandoned the Eliksni.
• While it is currently unknown if this trick works in the Nothing Left to Say mission, breaking Fikrul's elemental shield while being tethered in the Hollowed Lair strike causes Fikrul to be momentarily staggered, negating his Ultra Smash and granting you a few-second window to do free damage. Whether this is a bug or an intentional weakness is unknown.
  • However, if the strike modifier, "Iron" is on, he can not be staggered, and will still swing.

List of appearances

• Destiny 2: Forsaken (First appearance)
  • Season of the Drifter (Mentioned only)
  • Shadowkeep (Nightmare)
  • Season of the Chosen (Mentioned only)
  • Season of the Splicer (Mentioned only)
  • The Witch Queen (Mentioned only)
  • Season of the Haunted (Nightmare)
  • Season of the Wish (Mentioned only)
  • The Final Shape (Mentioned only)
  • Episode: Echoes (Mentioned only)
  • Episode: Revenant
• Destiny: Cayde's Six