Destiny and Destiny 2 are filled with extensive lore, characters, and stories. Even though they are multiplayer games, Bungie has done a great job of fleshing out their world-building and storytelling so that players can get invested in what is actually happening. With years of content to explore including two games, five different expansions, and a novel's worth of written lore, Destiny is filled with exciting and memorable moments.
While most of Destiny's story is an epic space adventure with action and gunfighting galore, sometimes it can be quite heartbreaking. Some of these moments can include a beloved character's death, a tragic backstory, or even just a small piece of lore written on a gun. Here's a look at some of the saddest moments found throughout Destiny and Destiny 2.
Warning: Spoilers Ahead
5 The Lore Of Luna's Howl
There are hundreds of pieces of weapons and armor throughout Destiny 2. A lot of which have their very own lore or backstory to give players a taste of where their equipment comes from. One interesting weapon that can be obtained through the crucible game mode in Destiny 2 is called Luna's Howl. If the player inspects the weapon closely they can read a short excerpt on the weapon's history.
This gun tells the story of a guardian named Josef who lost his dog Luna during a battle with the Hive on Mars. It shows a conversion between him and Lord Shaxx where Shaxx offers a grieving Josef his condolences by gifting him this specially crafted gun. It's moments like this that remind players how characters like Shaxx care for other guardians and how every weapon has a story.
4 Eris Morn's Backstory
One of the most iconic characters in the story of Destiny is Eris Morn. This creepy guardian made her first appearance in the original Destiny expansion, The Dark Below. Since then, she's served an important role in many of Destiny's future expansions, but it's her tragic backstory that lands her on this list. She was once a typical hunter working alongside other guardians like Ikora to help humanity's efforts. She developed a fascination with the Hive that led her to lead a team of six guardians to the moon to try and defeat the Hive god Crota.
In the battle, the Hive slaughtered all five of her allies and drained the light from her and her ghost. Eris also lost both of her eyes to the Hive and was forced to implement a set of Hive eyes into her own body which gives her the now iconic and unsettling look she's known for. She eventually escaped in a ship made from scrap and now works as a spy. She's plagued with nightmares of the horror she experienced in this raid, but it serves as her fuel to keep fighting.
3 Elisabeth Bray
Elisabeth Bray is another tragic character with a history of pain and hardship. She was one of the first Exos to prevent her death from the genetic disease caused by her grandfather Clovis Bray's experiments. She was forced to turn on her grandfather after learning of these experiments but was defeated and rebooted, wiping her memories.
Elisabeth then lived through a dark future where her sister Ana was corrupted by the Darkness. In this future, she became trapped in a time loop where she endlessly searches for a way to save her sister. Now seen as the mythical figure known as the Exo Stranger, Elisabeth works with the guardians to ensure that her future's timeline never comes true for them. From growing up with a manipulative and corrupt family, to suffering through an endless fight with the Darkness, her existence brings nothing but sadness.
2 Savathun's First Death
Savathun is the infamous Witch Queen from Destiny 2's 2022 expansion. She is one of the prominent members of the race known as the Hive. Once known as the Krill, Savathun's father was their king who was driven mad by an apocalyptic prophecy. After his death, Savathun took his seemingly harmless pet worm. It turned out this worm was actually a parasite that was telling him of the upcoming doomsday. After fleeing with her siblings and the worm, they could've been chosen by the Light. Unfortunately, they were deceived by the worms into siding with the dark and transforming themselves into the Hive.
Years later, the guardians learn that she is capable of their power of resurrection. Throughout the campaign, players are led to believe she stole the Light which gives her these powers. However, in a cutscene towards the story's end, it is revealed that after her first death, she was chosen by the Traveler and given the Light willingly. Savathun worked hard to separate herself from the worm, knowing that it would kill her, to forge a new fate. She sacrificed her power, immortality, and even her memories for a chance to be chosen by the Traveler and wield the Light. This cutscene is definitely one of the most poetic and shocking moments that Destiny has delivered.
1 Cayde-6's Death
Cayde-6 is without a doubt the most beloved character in Destiny. Cayde was an Exo guardian and famous adventurer who became a close friend of the player's guardian, Zavala, Ikora, and the other Vanguards. He had a special love for operating outside standard protocol and a hate for being stuck doing paperwork at the Tower. His incredible sense of humor and bravado along with being voiced by popular actor Nathan Fillion made him a fan favorite. In the Forsaken expansion, Cayde traveled with the player's guardian to the Prison of Elders in response to a breakout.
They aid Petra in reactivating the prison's security as well as stopping prisoners. Cayde is then alerted to the escape of the Scorn Barons. Dedicated to stopping them, Cayde knocks out the suspension of one of the control stations and rides the falling wreckage to their escape route. After a tough fight against eight barons at once, Cayde's ghost is destroyed, and he knows his end is near. After being knocked through a wall, he encounters Uldren who takes Cayde's iconic hand cannon The Ace of Spades, and shoots him right as Cayde speaks his final words "How's your sister?" Cayde was never fearful of death, though because he knew it would grant him all he ever wanted, a reunion with his lost son Ace.