Shaxx

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Shaxx
Biographical information
Species:	Human
Gender:	Male
Political and military information
Affiliation:	Crucible BRAVE Arsenal Vanguard
Rank:	Crucible Handler
Class:	Titan (Striker, Sunbreaker, Defender)
Notable info:	Hero of Twilight Gap Master Swordsmith Lord of War

"I am no "follower" of anything. I believe thanatology is just an excuse for insomnia and that Ahamkaras are for cheaters. I find the Acataleptic belief that Darkness is incomprehensible to be pessimistic nihilism, and its opposite—the Osirian position that Darkness must be understood—to be misanthropic narcissism. But I will also take good ideas where I can get them. And Osiris's belief that Guardian minds and bodies can be sharpened as one sharpens a sword is a good idea. You've seen the results in the Crucible. Do I really have to say any more?"

— Lord Shaxx

Lord Shaxx is the Titan manager of the Crucible and a vendor for Crucible-related items. He is found in the Tower near the Vanguard. However, in Destiny 2 he is located in the Courtyard, behind the vaults. He is assisted in his duties by Arcite 99-40, the Crucible Quartermaster. He does serve as a vendor in Destiny 2. Lord Shaxx also serves as the announcer in the Crucible, with the exception of the monthly Iron Banner tournament, which is hosted by Lord Saladin Forge and Trials of Osiris, which is hosted by Saint-14.

Biography

Warlord

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During the Dark Age, Shaxx was a Warlord, but unlike the others, he was kind and met Felwinter, who challenged him countless times, he didn't trust the Iron Lords since their wars had left his people homeless. He stopped an Army of Warlords who went to attack the Iron Lords before his peoples without light would die. He did eventually decide to submit to the Iron Lords and join his people with the rest of humanity, but kept his title of Lord Shaxx.

Defender Of The Last City

A Growing City

Shaxx watching Zavala enter the camp.

"I forget you used to be a Warlord."
"What do you mean 'used to?'"
"I thought you'd thrown in with Saladin and Felwinter."
"I did. But I never stopped being me."

— Drifter and Lord Shaxx

During the first years of the City Age, Shaxx led his people to the famous camp that would eventually become the Last City, helping to build the city alongside people such as a younger Speaker and Zavala. Shaxx also fought alongside Zavala and Lord Saladin Forge during the Battle of Six Fronts and participated in the construction of the Last City's Wall and the Towers. He and Zavala became students of Saladin, although they did not join the Iron Lords.

The Crucible handler was also present during the schism between the infamous exile, Osiris, and his former teacher, the Speaker. While Shaxx didn't have an opinion on Osiris at the time, he grew irritated that his "messages" began to spread and cause strife among the Guardians and the City itself. Shaxx even had to personally break up a few fights before they got out of hand.

Shaxx aiding the early city construction of the wall.

While exploring a terraformed asteroid within the Reef, Shaxx was shot by three arrows that pierced through his armor like paper in both his shoulders and one of his thighs. Impressed with the accuracy and the shooter's ability to sneak up on him, Shaxx pinpointed the most likely hiding spot of his attacker and began limping there despite both his arms being useless and being unwilling to bring out his Ghost to heal himself out of fear it could be targeted. As he approached the treeline he guessed that a ballista had fired the arrows, reasoning that nothing else could fire so hard, and was astonished when a camouflaged Awoken woman emerged wielding a bow larger than she was. She demanded he identify himself and accused him of trespassing upon Awoken territory, but Shaxx only managed to ask who she was in his amazement. She declared herself to be Queen's Wrath and demanded once more that he declare himself, drawing back another arrow and warning that she would not ask again. Ignoring the danger, Shaxx declared the women to be a tempest and was struck dead by her arrow in response. Despite this violent first encounter with Sjur Eido, upon being revived by his Ghost Shaxx struck up a friendship with the Awoken warrior.

The Battle of Twilight Gap

Shaxx punching the Fallen alongside Zavala and Saladin.

"I faced an impossible choice: disobey my superior or let the City burn. I relive it every day. There are some who have never forgiven me."

— Shaxx, recounting his decision at the Battle of Twilight Gap to Redrix-3 and Josef

When the Fallen Houses united and laid siege to the Last City, Shaxx fought in the Battle of the Twilight Gap to break the Fallen assault. He was given command of a fireteam that consisted of Anastasia Bray, Liu Feng, Nkechi-32, Idil Abdi, and Truce. As the battle turned against the Vanguard and they were forced off of the Wall, Shaxx was breaking the neck of a Vandal when he heard Saladin over the comms order a full retreat to the Ridgeback District and declared the Last City lost. Shaxx was stunned by the order and glanced around the battlefield, noting the hundreds of dead Fallen and Guardians alike scattered around Twilight Gap. As he reloaded, he looked back upon the City and saw that it was not under direct assault yet, and as Saladin yelled at him to comply with the retreat order Shaxx noticed a gap within the Fallen ranks that would allow them to reach the Wall. Disregarding Saladin, Shaxx ordered Nkechi to take Adbi and Truce while Liu Feng came with him and Ana provided both teams covering fire. His team followed his orders, and as they leapt upon the Wall Shaxx cut off his radio feed with Saladin. The six of them held the Wall long enough for Saladin and Zavala to regroup the rest of the Guardians and launch a counterattack, which allowed the Vanguard to emerge victorious and save the Last City.

The loss of so many Guardians at Twilight Gap caused Shaxx to fear that the Last City could not withstand another full-scale assault. He decided that he would mentor young Guardians in the Crucible in order to ensure the next generation of Guardians would be forged into the best warriors possible and would only return to the war outside of the City once his task was accomplished. Shaxx ignoring the commands of Saladin during the battle resulted in a falling out between the two Titans, while Zavala was left with issues against both of them due to the battle. Others have attempted to get the three Titans to sort out their differences after the battle, but their stubborn nature prevented those efforts from working. Due to their disputes, Shaxx has little to do with Saladin's Iron Banner event, despite having been given oversight of the matches.

Terrors in the Darkness

An Ahamkara skull kept as a trophy by Shaxx

"What madness is this!"
"Lord Shaxx! The Consensus did not—"
"We barely eked out victory at Burning Lake. And now you think we're ready to attack the Moon?"

— Shaxx

Despite his focus on the Crucible, Shaxx did serve in several battles for the Vanguard. When the Great Ahamkara Hunt began, Shaxx travelled to Venus and fought alongside Zavala and the Hunter Eris Morn one year into the Hunt. After the three of them defeated an Ahamkara, Shaxx sat beside the dying creature and rested his hand on its snout, much to the confusion of his two comrades. The Ahamkara's corpse exploded into green fire, leaving behind a crater in which Shaxx continued to sit despite being aflame. As Zavala and Eris began to speak, Shaxx quieted them, and they listened to the whispering voice of the slain Ahamkara, which they had all grown used to over the course of the Hunt. Afterward, Shaxx mounted an Ahamkara skull above his balcony in the Tower, to serve as a reminder to new Guardians that there were always bigger and more dangerous threats to be faced.

Shaxx was present at the Battle of Burning Lake, the first battle with the Hive. The Vanguard barely won the battle, and Shaxx submitted a report to the Consensus detailing the Hive Knight's Light-stealing swords and began looking into developing countermeasures against their weapons. He was shocked to discover that despite how close they came to defeat at Burning Lake, the Consensus was preparing for an assault on Hive's moon fortresses. Boldly barging into the Consensus Hall, Shaxx demanded to know what madness had taken ahold of them and questioned if they had even read his report about Burning Lake. He appealed to Zavala to see reason and prevent the assault so they could learn more about the swords and train against them, but he informed Shaxx that this was for the Consensus to decide, not him. Shaxx's fears proved well-founded, as the resulting battle to reclaim the Moon ended in complete failure, eventually coming to be referred to as the Great Disaster, as thousands of Guardians perished by the swords of Crota and his spawn.

Master of the Crucible

Lord Shaxx as the head of the Crucible

"The tactics and techniques that will save us in wars to come are birthed in the Crucible, during live-fire training. The Vanguard are so preoccupied with their own agendas they're missing the Vanguard of tomorrow rising right before their eyes. Ghosts find Guardians. The Crucible forges them."

— Lord Shaxx

As the head of the Crucible, Shaxx often had to deal with the politics of the City's Consensus and weapons foundries. He was approached by Modris Wyndham and Sya Droysen, two representatives of Tex Mechanica who wanted him to fix Crucible fights to make their weapons look good. Pretending to consider their offer, he asked them to meet him in an abandoned district of the City. However, he instead had Arcite 99-40 contact them with a message declaring that they were not the first to try and subvert the integrity of the Crucible and that he did not care if the Consensus did not believe their actions illegal. Shaxx then had them presented a choice: either ten Titans could crash through their factory on "business", or Tex Mechanica could find a way to make up their mistake to him.

While talking with Cayde-6 about the greatest Titans who had ever lived, Shaxx expressed his belief that Saint-14 was dead. Cayde noted they had no idea what the former Titan Vanguard's status was, but Shaxx doubted that the Exo had simply disappeared. They then discussed Saint's eccentric nature, which Shaxx believed was his strength, although Cayde mocked Saint's claim that he had seen the future and saw a Guardian savior who would one day arrive. Shaxx stated that belief was a hell of thing, and then left to watch a Crucible match in which a new recruit from Old Russia that he had his eye on was debuting in.

Around the time of Crota's defeat, rumors abounded in the Tower regarding Shaxx's connections to Osiris, which caused the Speaker to launch a formal investigation. Shaxx was outraged by this, and sent a letter to the Speaker declaring that he followed no one and found most ideologies espoused by Guardians like Osiris or Ulan-Tan to be flawed, but that he did think that Osiris' belief that the minds and bodies of Guardians could be sharpened like one sharpens a sword correct, and that the results in the Crucible spoke for themselves.

A Redjack belonging to Shaxx.

Shaxx began to desire new Crucible arenas, and personally led a unit of Redjacks to the Cosmodrome and secured a section of the wall there which was dubbed Sector 618 by the Vanguard. He believed that the location had the spirit of war about it and liked the extra challenges the chaotic terrain added to Crucible matches. He also worked with Holborn's Host to discover the existence of Fleetbase Korus on the Martian moon of Phobos, and they reported to the Vanguard that it was under the command of Primus Ta'aun of the Skyburners. After creating another new arena in the midst of the European Dead Zone, Shaxx responded to worries about how it would be kept secure by noting that very little remained dead now and that they must be ready for anything. He also aided Amanda Holliday in finding new tracks for the Sparrow Racing League, ordering his Redjacks to create a track on Venus in the heart of Vex territory so that the bravery of Guardians could be tested alongside their speed.

While in the midst of drinking coffee and having a heated argument, Shaxx suddenly found himself teleported before Queen Mara Sov of the Reef. Startled by his sudden change in surroundings, Shaxx demanded to know where he was, but the Queen merely knocked the coffee cup out of his hand and handed him a copy of William Shakesphere's The Tempest and demanded he read it aloud to pay back the debt owed to her for aiding the Last City during the Reef Wars. Insulted, Shaxx used his Arc abilities to incinerate the text and declared that no one told him what to do and that he knew the entirety of The Tempest by heart. He proceeded to recite the famous play to Mara over the next several hours, although he never removed his helmet during the "performance".

The Taken War

After the Guardian secured a landing zone on the Dreadnaught of Oryx, Shaxx ordered his Redjacks to board the massive Hive warship, determined to carve out new Crucible arenas there as revenge upon the Hive God for his invasion of the Solar System. He boasted that by the end of the Taken War, they would be holding Crucible matches atop Oryx's throne.

Shaxx's interest in Hive swords was rekindled by Oryx's invasion, and he set out to learn how to craft swords for Guardians to wield against the Hive. After Oryx's death, Shaxx was approached by the Guardian, who had been given a shard of Oryx's sword Willbreaker by Eris Morn. Shaxx was fascinated by the shard and questioned what the Guardian intended to do with it. He offered to reforge the blade into a new weapon for the Guardian, but needed Hadium Flakes from the Dreadnaught to repair the blade. After the Guardian gathered the necessary materials and returned, Shaxx explained that he could craft the blade with any of the three elements to make the Arc Edge, Sol Edge, or Void Edge and asked which the Guardian would prefer. After the Guardian improved upon the sword, Shaxx had them return to him and noted that he could increase its power even more. He asked the Guardian to test the sword's strength against powerful Hive and Guardians in the Crucible. Once that was accomplished, Shaxx explained to them that the sword now hovered between the Light and the Darkness, and that they must ensure it was sealed into the light by using it to slay Ecthar, Sword of Oryx. While working on the swords, Shaxx turned to the Cryptarchy for aid and utilized Ikora's notes to ensure that the swords were forged in Light.

After the war, mysterious technological mites began infecting Guardians. The mites granted Guardians enhanced abilities, angering Shaxx as he wanted the Crucible to be a fair and balanced space.

Age of Triumph

Shaxx wearing a Tiger Mask

After the emergence of a group of Guardians known as the Shadows of Yor who utilized copies of Thorn, the dreaded weapon of the murderous Guardian Dredgen Yor, Shaxx met with Ikora to discuss the situation after the Shadows participated in a match on Blind Watch. Ikora was worried that Yor's corruption was starting again in the Crucible among the Shadows and believed they should monitor the situation. Shaxx agreed with her, although he believed that Zyre Orsa, one of the leaders of the Shadows, and his friends were managing to overcome the Darkness of Thorn and succeed where Yor had failed. His former pupil disagreed with him and asserted that the Thorn was becoming a far too common pestilence in the Crucible.

During The Dawning, Cayde-6 conned him into loosening up to mingle with the City's children after Shaxx failed to outrun his Golden Gun in a bet, a feat that Shaxx grudgingly accepted once he started training two kids in the ways of the Crucible. He was vindicated when one of those kids discreetly hit Cayde with a ball. On the way back to the Tower, he once again bet that he could beat the Golden Gun, and Cayde happily accepted.

The Red War

Shaxx opening the door for The Guardian

"If the Cabal want war, give them war."

— Shaxx

On the anniversary of the Battle of Six Fronts, the Last City and its Guardians were preparing to celebrate the unity of the City and foundation of the Vanguard. However, the City was suddenly assaulted by the Cabal's Red Legion, and the Tower suffered heavy damage during the initial stages of the battle. Shaxx and his Redjacks immediately began aiding in the defense of the Tower, and he made it his priority to assist civilians in escaping the Cabal assault. In a cargo bay near the North Tower, he saved a group of civilians from a group of Red Legion soldiers. Spotting Eva Levante amongst the group, Shaxx helped her to her feet and asked for her help to organize the civilians to follow him to safety.

Leading them through the burning Tower, he escorted the group to a trio of waiting Hawks. Before leaving to find more civilians, Shaxx bid farewell to Eva, calling her comrade, and then charged back into the wreckage of the Tower. Shaxx began gathering civilians for evacuation outside of his personal armory. The Young Wolf eventually arrived, and Shaxx gave them access to his armory to take whatever weapons they needed from it and gave them directions to reach the hanger. He remained behind to continue guarding the civilians, but urged the Young Wolf to wage war upon the Cabal. Upon the fall of the Last City, an enraged Lord Shaxx retaliated by hijacking some of the Cabal's capital ships and converted them into Crucible arenas.

Shaxx and Arcite 99-40 cut off by the Cabal barrier

Shaxx and Arcite 99-40 relocated to The Farm, where he continued to organize Crucible matches. He was reunited with the Young Wolf there, who had managed to restore their connection to the Light thanks to the Shard of the Traveler within the European Dead Zone. Shaxx told them that only their Light could forge a path to victory for them, and that his Crucible would help prepare them for their future battles.

After the resistance had gathered at the Farm under the leadership of the Vanguard and Suraya Hawthorne, Shaxx was a part of the strike team led by Zavala that participated in the assault on the occupied Last City to free the Traveler from the Cabal. As they fought their way through the City, Shaxx was separated along with Arcite and other Guardians from Zavala and Hawthorne when the Cabal blocked their path with an energy barrier. As Zavala advanced, Shaxx and his team waited for Hawthorne to disable the barrier so they could rejoin the battle. The Last City was liberated from the Red Legion and the Traveler awakened during the Young Wolf's battle against Dominus Ghaul, which restored the Light to Shaxx and the rest of the Guardians. Shaxx relocated from the Farm and began to once again organize Crucible matches from the Last City in the new Tower. When he met with the Young Wolf in the aftermath of the battle, Shaxx commented on how glorious the fight had been, and that the Young Wolf's rage had brought tears to his eyes. He thanked them for liberating their home, and Shaxx admitted he could not have done it better himself before suggesting they celebrate their victory by fighting in the Crucible.

Evolving the Crucible

Lord Shaxx monitoring the Crucible.

"Spread the word. Starting today, the Crucible is ranked. And you've all just been seeded. Go make history."

— Shaxx

Several months after the reclamation of the Last City, Shaxx decided that he would institute a ranking system into the Crucible. He decided to announce this during an ongoing Crucible match by dropping down with his Fist of Havoc onto one of the participating fireteams. Standing in the middle of a fresh crater, Shaxx beckoned the Guardians to gather around him as they were revived by their Ghosts. One of the Guardians, Redrix-3, attempted to question Shaxx, but was only able to stutter at him. Shaxx watched as Redrix's Ghost quickly healed his chest again, allowing the Exo to speak and inquire how many more tests Shaxx was going to make them take. He informed Redrix and the others that there would not be anymore tests, but that the Crucible was now going to be ranked and that they were all the first to be seeded, and asked that they spread the word among the other Crucible contenders.

Reunion with Old Friends

Over the next few years, as the Guardians handle one threat after another, from the crises on Mars, Mercury to losing a comrade in Cayde-6 and handling a Taken insurgence in the Reef, Shaxx continues to operate his Crucible diligently. As the Crucible Handler oversees his arenas, he soon notices that the Guardian is in the Twilight Gap arena even though there are no scheduled matches today. As he makes radio contact, Shaxx reunites with his old friends Osiris and Saint-14, who was saved from his fate with the Vex thanks to the Guardian. Shaxx is surprised to hear from Saint-14, having believed he was dead, and the two old warriors begin to banter as they catch up, from learning the fates of old comrades to about weapons Shaxx has designed. During this time, the Guardian was scavenging Redjacks for pieces of a weapon.

As the Guardian finishes up in gathering the materials, Saint-14 commends Shaxx for building the Crucible it is today though the former Warlord merely states that what he has done pales in comparison to the Guardian which leads Saint to state he predicted the Guardian's rise long ago which Shaxx scoffs at. Shaxx makes it clear to Saint that the Guardian is not a divine protector which leads Saint to offer a bet, to Shaxx's amusement but mentions he doesn't make that much these days as Crucible Handler. Though Saint-14 mentions he already owes him a good deal of glimmer, Saint believes he can pay him back by going with him to the City and sing to the children, an offer Shaxx quickly refuses. When reminded on how much he owes to Saint, Shaxx makes a lackluster attempt at singing a song Eris told him, which Saint-14 finds awful. Regardless of their banter, the Guardian succeeds in creating the weapons from the data and materials in the Gap, the Devil's Ruin.

Arrival of the Black Fleet

It was later revealed that the song sung by Shaxx to Saint-14 had not, in fact, been sung to him by Eris Morn. This is revealed in a spot of dialogue between the Drifter and Eris Morn while the Guardian makes their way through the Prophecy dungeon. Here, the Drifter pokes fun at Eris for singing "Shaxx a little ditty" to which Eris responds bluntly and asks Drifter to stay off the channel. Eris then quickly tells the Drifter to wait and asks if Shaxx still keeps the Ahamkara skull near him at the Tower. Drifter confirms this suspicion and Eris then hums the tune of the Shaxx's "I'm on the moon, it's made of cheese" song, asking if this was the tune sung by Shaxx. Drifter confirms that it is and asks what the tune is, curious as to why Eris would know it if she did not sing it to Shaxx. With a foreboding tone, Eris explains that the tune is known as "Savathûn's Song," a viral chant which cannot be unheard and demands that Drifter tell Shaxx to remove the Ahamkara skull. Drifter says he already tried to get Shaxx to remove it, but only got a stern "No." from the former Warlord. No further explanation to the song is given regarding its effects or uses.

A Changing City

Shaxx would later be present as a great number of changes befell the Last City, from the Vanguard's armistice with Empress Caiatl, the rise of the House of Salvation, some of the Guardians wielding the power of Stasis to more dangerous situations such as the Endless Night. With the City gripped with fear and uncertainty, Ikora Rey reached out to the one figure who would have the knowledge to combat the Vex simulation: Mithrax of the House of Light. After saving his people and offering Mithrax's house sanctuary within the Last City, the Kell agreed to lend his aid. However, the decision angered a few, mostly the Consensus Factions, but Shaxx was among the included. However, thinking back on his days during the Dark Ages to the Battle of Six Fronts, made him think differently. Shaxx would actually meet Mithrax as the Kell gazed upon the Traveler. The interaction between Warlord and Kell would be tense as Shaxx asked Mithrax if he was there during the Battle of Six Fronts and how many he had killed in the past. The question made Mithrax uncomfortable but he maintained his composure as Shaxx admitted that some of his victims were human too, the scavengers who had stole food to perhaps feed their families, thoughts he didn't have when he killed them. Mithrax then admitted how ruthless he had been in the past, such as sending innocents out the airlock before ultimately taking his leave.

The meeting between Shaxx and Mithrax was ultimately one that taught them both a lesson: the concept of mercy and the choice to make such a decision even after a lifetime of experience telling them otherwise.

Ultimately, Mithrax and his splicers proved instrumental in lifting the Endless Night, allowing daylight to return, but the Factions remained paranoid of them and wished to see the House of Light expelled from the Last City, even attempting to influence new leadership in the Vanguard, but their attempts were rebuffed. The Guardians themselves wished to stay neutral but would be angered by Lakshmi-2's broadcasts denouncing Ikora's alliance with the House of Light. Driven to extremes and supposedly aided by Osiris, Lakshmi and the other factions would begin a conspiracy to oust the Vanguard, assume full control over the Consensus and forcibly expel the Eliksni from the Last City using a Vex portal. Unfortunately for the factions, the attempt ended in tragedy as the Vex began to pour through the portal and slaughter anyone in their path, Lakshmi-2 being among the victims. The Guardians, however, would be able to close the portal and save the House of Light. With their coup exposed, Dead Orbit and New Monarchy gathered what supplies and supporters they could and fled the Last City upon Dead Orbit's fleet while Future War Cult was disbanded.

It would be months later that the Last City would learn that the Osiris who aided Lakshmi in her coup attempt was in fact Savathûn herself, having assumed his form to hide from Xivu Arath, after he had lost his light to the High Celebrant of Xivu Arath. The Witch Queen had been living amongst the Guardians to sow division and aiding Lakshmi in her conspiracy was one such scheme.

Truth of the Witch Queen

Shaxx attending the Vanguard meeting in Zavala's office.

Shaxx attended an emergency meeting of Vanguard leadership in Commander Zavala's office shortly after the sudden reappearance of Mars and the revelation that Savathûn and members of her Lucent Brood possessed the Light. The Young Wolf and their Ghost revealed that they had learned during the course of their investigation that Savathûn had not stolen the Light as initially believed but had been in fact judged worthy of resurrection by the Traveler after her death and that she now planned to offer it safety within her throne world from the Black Fleet and The Witness. Shaxx and the other Guardians were stunned, confused, and angered by this revelation and unsure what it meant for the Traveler's relationship to humanity. However, they turned their attention to Ikora when she declared it did not matter what the Traveler's intentions were and that as defenders of humanity, they had to stop the Witch Queen and secure their connection to the Light by stopping the ritual.

Assault on Earth

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Preventing the Final Shape

Shaxx joined the Coalition forces for the final stand against the Witness. The army attacked the Witness, severing its hold over the Traveler's Light and in a direct attack, struck at the Witness directly, unmaking it with a tremendous surge of Light. At last, the War against the Witness was over, with the Coalition and the people of the Last City rejoicing.

Personality and traits

Lord Shaxx

Bold, proud and fierce are the words that could best define Lord Shaxx. Next to Zavala, Shaxx is a perfect exemplar of the Titan Guardian. The Crucible handler is completely dedicated to the mission in preparing the Guardians for whatever force the Darkness brings, acting as a tough but encouraging mentor to them. He praises those who perform admirably or put up a decent fight while being harsh to those who fall short, normally berating them to do better. Despite this, Shaxx doesn't see a match lost as failure but as a lesson to learn from, as he explained to the children he trained during the Dawning. In addition, Shaxx normally looks for ways to create new challenges in the Crucible, either in new maps or match types, as he doesn't want the Guardians to grow complacent in the regular matches.

Shaxx takes his responsibilities in the Crucible very seriously but is aware of how most look upon the Crucible as a glorified arena and how the Consensus factions and Weapons Foundries use it to further their agendas. For this reason, he is uncompromising on how he runs it, refusing to let others try to influence it or even cheat. For example, when Tex Mechanica sought to bribe him to make their weapons look better, an unimpressed Shaxx threatened to send squads of Titans on the representatives unless they changed their offer. Another reason he's distrustful of the Consensus is how they launched the mission to reclaim the moon from the Hive, despite his loud protests on learning more about their enemies, resulting in nothing but the slaughter of countless Guardians.

In addition, Shaxx doesn't have a high opinion on the philosophies and religions that have taken form in the City. In his opinion, he is no "follower" of anything but the forging of better Guardians. Shaxx believes that thanatology is just an excuse for insomnia, that Ahamkaras are for cheaters, the Acataleptic belief that the Darkness is incomprehensible to be pessimistic nihilism, and its opposite—the Osirian position that the Darkness must be understood—to be misanthropic narcissism.

Lord Shaxx also possess a nearly unbreakable will, as he simply refuses to give up on any obstacle, whether it is in battle or researching a difficult weapon like the Swords. Even when the Last City fell and Zavala began to lose faith, Shaxx never faltered in their chances in defeating the Red Legion and reclaiming the Last City. Saint-14 later mentioned that he has never known Shaxx to give up.

At times, Shaxx can be prideful, as he refuses to back down from a challenge and rarely accepts defeat, even from Cayde-6, which led to him losing a bet. Even so, he honors his end of a bet, as Shaxx agreed, albeit grudgingly, to train a few children in a game of dodge ball, in a manner similar to the Crucible. Further, he made quite a few bets with Saint-14 in the past and, as a result, Shaxx owes Saint a great deal of glimmer. In addition, his falling out with Saladin left both refusing to apologize for the events of the Twilight Gap. Regardless, he has worked with Saladin in operating the Iron Banner, albeit with little interaction.

While most of the other individuals in the Tower have respect for at least one class of Guardian, Lord Shaxx respects them all, normally finding the best qualities in each and never favoring one over the others.

Though Lord Shaxx was a Warlord, he had "thrown in" with Lord Saladin Forge and Lord Felwinter, yet he states he's still himself. This shows he still thinks of himself as a Warlord, suggesting he takes pride in his identity. Even Saint-14 would call the Crucible handler "Warlord Shaxx" on at least one occasion.

Quotes

Destiny 1

• "That Hunter's got a big mouth. Guess he can back it up though."
• "Would love to get Zavala back in the Crucible. Teach the new breed how it's done."
• "Warlocks might be thinkers, but most I know can hold their own."
• "The Darkness might as well come right in and take the place if that's all we've got."
• "You think you can fight Fallen without training? They'll put your head on the spike."
• "Something bad's going down on the Moon."
• "You want to take on the Cabal? You've got to train, or they'll stomp you flat."
• "New Monarchy will have to wait."
• "Future War Cult's getting antsy. They must be preparing for something."
• "Ikora's gift from the Light is like few I've ever seen."
• "Dead Orbit's not in charge of the Crucible. I am."
• "You want the Crucible? I am the Crucible."
• "Cayde ran through the Crucible like as if it was a game...Sly Exo."
• "Let them burn in your Light"—when going on a 10-kill streak
• "I abhor sitting here while others fight my battles. But I wouldn't have missed that match for anything."—when going on a 10-kill streak.
• "Your strategy is working, keep it up"—when your team's points are significantly larger than the opponents
• "What I wouldn't give to fight again beyond the walls. I would tear out a Vex heart with my teeth, I would sear the Cabal with my burning light, challenge the Kells to personal combat and scatter them. I- I've been watching too many Crucible matches."
• "Your spirit is unrivaled. Show me more!"
• "Enough! This battle was one-sided! You've obliterated them! Love it!"—when invoking the Mercy Rule in the Crucible.
• "Do you like it better when Lord Saladin oversees these matches? Do I look like I care? Get back in there!"
• "Your legend grows."
• "This is amazing!"- When going on a 5-kill streak.
• "Fight forever Guardian!"
• "Get back out there."
• "Wipe. Them. Out."
• "Look at them fall!"
• "I can't believe what I'm seeing!"
• "I'm not gonna tell you how I lost the horn; you couldn't handle it."
• "I will tell you how I lost my horn, but it doesn't live up to slaying Oryx."
• "Securing the Crest is vital. Good work."
• "Heh. You're crushing them. Send them home crying."
• "I said take the Crests, and you took all the Crests. That's why I like you, Guardian."
• "SEVENTH! COLUMN!!" - When you attain seven Crucible kills in rapid succession

Destiny 2

• "If the Cabal want war, give them war" - meeting up with lord Shaxx in "HomeComing"
• "Ikora would be proud of you, Warlock!" - When getting a 5-kill streak as a Warlock
• "Fought like a Titan of the First Pillar!" - when getting a 5-kill streak as a Titan
• "Hunters like you blaze a path for the rest of us!" - when getting a 5-kill streak as a Hunter
• "Relax, Guardian, you're SCARING THEM! They'll never want to match with you again!" - When getting a 10-kill streak
• "Who says Warlocks are better with books than with guns? OK... it was me. I was lying. Rage is an excellent motivator." - When getting a 10-kill streak as a Warlock
• "Call the Praxic Order, call the Thanatonauts, the Gensym Scribes, call everyone, so they can witness... YOU!" - When getting a 10-kill streak as a Warlock
• "Some people think I don't like Hunters. I don't. I LOVE THEM!" - When getting a 10-kill streak as a Hunter
• "I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT [gasps] I don't have a medal for this! Hang on! I'm so proud of you Guardian, and I want... you to have this." - When getting a 50-kill streak
• "Enemies can't kill if they're dead!" - When interrupting an enemy's kill streak
• "Was that all of them? THAT WAS ALL OF THEM!" - When getting a "Leave None Standing" medal
• "YYEESS!" - When shutting down a Guardian using their Super with your own
• "I'm not sure who to be angry at..." - When a match ends in a tie
• "What? Where's my catharsis? Boo! Boooooooo!" - When tied in overtime
• "That can't be right. Really?" - When tied in overtime
• "Whether you killed Uldren or not, you crushed the Barons and avenged Cayde. He would never say the words, but he be proud of you." - On Tower
• "Given time Darkness will encroach again. We have to be ready" - On Tower
• "What i mean to say, is that her brother was a goon. But she (Mara Sov) is my Crimson Bond. On that day she asked me to read to her. I told her, no one tells me what to do, and i recited "The Tempest" from memory. All five acts. She didn't blink. I think she was trying to put me off." - On Tower
• "I can see it in your Light. You've made a bargain." - On Tower
• "What do you mean you can't relax when I'm screaming at you. RELAX!" - On Tower

Gameplay

Destiny 2

Shaxx serves as the Crucible Overseer. Reputation gained during matches will yield rewards on a track, and provide engrams on ranking up.

Year 1 Faction Armor

• Titan - Phoenix Strife Type 0 set
• Hunter - Swordflight 4.1 set
• Warlock - Ankaa Seeker IV set

Year 2 Faction Armor

• Titan - Wing Discipline Suit
• Hunter - Wing Contender Suit
• Warlock - Wing Theorem Suit

Year 1 Faction weapons

• Does Not Compute
• Better Devils
• Martyr's Make
• Last Perdition
• Retrofuturist
• Steel Sybil Z-14
• Gentleman Vagabond
• Critical Sass
• Play of the Game
• Autumn Wind
• Nature of the Beast
• Swift Solstice
• Tiebreaker
• The Marine
• Imminent Storm
• The Button
• Wishbringer

Year 1 Pinnacle Weapon

• Redrix's Claymore: Kinetic Pulse Rifle

Year 2 Faction weapons

• Better Devils
• Hard Truths
• Anonymous Autumn
• Play of the Game
• Fate Cries Foul
• Steel Sybil Z-14
• Last Perdition

Year 2 Pinnacle weapons

• Redrix's Broadsword: Kinetic Pulse Rifle
• Luna's Howl: Solar Hand Cannon
• Not Forgotten: Solar Hand Cannon
• The Mountaintop: Kinetic Grenade Launcher
• The Recluse: Void Veist Submachine Gun
• Revoker: Kinetic Sniper Rifle

Year 3 Ritual weapons

• Randy's Throwing Knife: Kinetic Scout Rifle
• Komodo-4FR: Solar Linear Fusion Rifle

Gallery

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  Shaxx and Arcite 99-40 banding together in the Red War.

Trivia

• Shaxx is voiced by Lennie James.
• Shaxx will get angry if the player's team is far behind on points in Control.
• Apparently, Lord Shaxx does not really care for the Festival of the Lost and its obligation for him to give Guardians candy, in his own words he says "This is ridiculous". Possibly, he believes Guardians should focus more on fighting the Darkness and less on festivities.
  • That being said, he wore a Tiger Man mask for the 2015 Festival.
• In contrast to the Festival, he respects the racing tournaments of the SRL, the Crimson Days tournaments and the heroes who partake in it, though this might have to do with the fact that both of these involve honing the field skills of Guardians, unlike with the Festival of the Lost.
• During the Destiny 2 cinematic trailer featuring Zavala, during the scenes with the founding of the Last City, Shaxx can be seen in the background with his helmet bearing both horns. How he lost the other horn is unknown.
  • The Pigeon and the Phoenix Lore book implies that it was lost during the Battle of Six Fronts.
• During the Destiny 2 mission Homecoming, while defending civilians, Lord Shaxx wields the exotic sword Raze-Lighter.
• According to Lord Saladin, Lord Shaxx is very shy. Though, this could just be Saladin jesting.
• In Destiny 2, the top of a Hydra chassis and an Ahamkara skull can be seen hanging above Shaxx's space in the Tower.
• A popular saying has spread amongst the inhabitants of the Tower: "It isn't over till Shaxx sings". Shaxx himself has taken the saying to heart, repeating the line to Crucible participants, but adding "And I never sing."
  • It would take until Season of Dawn for Shaxx to finally be heard singing, albeit poorly.
• If a Guardian is victorious in the Crucible, Shaxx sometimes admits that he regards them as his favorite Guardian, claiming, "You fight like an animal!"
• If a Guardian somehow gains a 50 kill streak, Shaxx will remark he doesn't have a medal and after a while, he returns with a crudely drawn smiling sun.
• A fun fan theory is that Shaxx, in his past life, was the legendary poet Shakespeare.
• Shaxx seems to have a secret crush on Mara Sov, and is implied to have slept with her once.
• The Ahamkara skull which Shaxx keeps is implied to have sung Savathûn's song to him.
• Shaxx seems to really love grenades, as he makes it a point on multiple occasions for the guardian to throw them.

Non-canon appearances

Rising Timeline

Main article: Shaxx/Rising

List of appearances

• Destiny (First appearance)
• Destiny 2
• Destiny: Fall of Osiris
• The Hidden Dossier (Mentioned only)