Shank

Shank
Biographical information
Species:	Fallen
Type:	Flying Drone
House:	House of Devils ; House of Dusk ; House of Exile ; House of Kings ; House of Winter ; House of Wolves ; Kell's Scourge ; House of Salvation ; House of Light
Rank:	Automaton ; Cannon Fodder
Combat information
Weapon(s):	Shank Turret (common) ; Shock Rifle (rare) ; Repeater Turret (Repeater) ; Wire Rifle (Tracer)
Abilities:	Levitation ; Solar Shield (Epic) ; Explosion (Exploder)

"Death flies on tarnished wings."

— Grimoire description

Shanks are small flying robotic drones used by the Fallen.^[1]

Overview

Shanks are small floating drones employed by the Fallen as scouts, fire support, or to serve as a distraction. They are propelled by a pair of vertical jet engines which allow them to both fly and hover in the air. Standard shanks are only equipped with a weak, rapid-fire, Arc-based weapon, and are rather fragile, in that they can be destroyed in only a few shots.^[2] Although, during Nightfall Strikes and certain Public Events, Shanks can have a Solar shield, making them more difficult to dispatch. Individually, they are little more than a nuisance, but they are often found in swarms, or as part of a larger group of Fallen, which makes them considerably more dangerous. They can also be spawned during battles with Fallen Walkers.^[3]

In addition to the standard Shanks, some Fallen Houses also employ different varieties which possess different characteristics. For example, the House of Wolves utilize Repeater Shanks, which act as fire support, Exploder Shanks, which act as a kamikaze unit, and Tracer Shanks, which act as snipers.

Known Shanks

Variants

Exploder Shank — Shank that detonates when in close proximity
Tracer Shank — Shank armed with a Wire Rifle. Employed frequently by House of Wolves and House of Dusk.
Repeater Shank — Also known as a Turret Shank, it has a larger weapon and a higher rate of fire
- Elder Repeater Shank
Heavy Shank— Large, heavily armored Shank equipped with dual machine guns. Mainly employed by House of Dusk.
- Fallen Rear Guard
- Golden Age Looter
- Graviton Burner
- Heavy Shank, House Salvation
- Hemolymph Repair Shank
- Phased Heavy Shank, Kell's Scourge
- Resilient Heavy Shank
- Uprooted Shank
- Vendetta Shank
- Voltage Eater
- Ransack Shank
Noble Shank — Epic Difficulty (Solar Shield)
Elder Shank
Reaver Shank— Major
Assault Shank
Brutal Shank, Kell's Scourge
Empyrean Shank
Fallen Rear Guard
Overcharge Shank
Pit Shank
- Elite Pit Shank
- Elder Pit Shank — Heroic Difficulty
- Noble Pit Shank
Resilient Shank
Resilient Homing Shank
Scavenged Shank
Sensor Shank
Sniper Shank
Splicer Shank
- Fused Shank
- Enhanced Shank
- Perfected Shank
- Splicer Exploder Shank
- Splicer Reaver Shank — Major
- Splicer Repeater Shank
- Splicer Sniper Shank — Major
- Splicer Tracer Shank
- Splicer Turret Shank — Major
Surveillance Shank
Turret Shank

Trivia

Barring Dregs, Servitors and Harpies, Shanks are the only enemy type to not get a Taken version.
Sekris, Baron of Shanks given his unique title might be the creator of Shanks.
The word "Shank" is a term used for a homemade knife made out of scrap of metal or glass found anywhere and sharpened like a knife.
An infamous Shank known by the community as "Hank the Shank" is a glitched Shank appearing in the original Destiny. It stands in the ranks of Rahndel the Vandal and Greg the Dreg.
The Ghost describes Overcharged Shanks as being the world's smallest Stormcallers due to their abundance of electricity.^[4]