Horizon Zero Dawn and Horizon Forbidden West are both heavily driven by their characters. As Aloy travels around post-apocalyptic North America, she develops powerful bonds with members of just about every tribe, and in both games, those bonds make it possible for her to overcome the odds against enormous threats in the end. However, Guerrilla Games' work to get fans attached to key Horizon characters results in some sad moments alongside the triumphant ones. Rost's death at the start of Horizon Zero Dawn is one example, as is another major death in Horizon Forbidden West, which may establish a pattern in this RPG series.
Forbidden West's major death is notably distinct from Rost's, since it happens near the final hours of the story, but they're tied together by their treatment. Both deaths place a grave on the map that Aloy can visit to pay her respects and reflect on what's happened since their death. Guerrilla Games seems to like giving players a place to mourn a character, which is somewhat worrisome, since it means a major character could die in the next Horizon game too. If that's the case, a couple major Horizon characters seem the most likely to lose their lives in the upcoming battle.
Warning: Major spoilers for Horizon Forbidden West ahead
Comparing Zero Dawn and Forbidden West's Graves
Rost's grave in Horizon Zero Dawn is easy to miss. Naturally he's buried in Nora territory, near the home he once shared with Aloy. However, nostalgic players who go home can find the grave without much trouble and sit to talk with Rost. Aloy will share a number of Horizon Zero Dawn's biggest story beats with Rost as players progress, which serves as a good way to reflect both how far Aloy has come and how important Rost is to her even after death.
Horizon Forbidden West's grave is a little different. After Varl gives his life trying to protect Beta from Erik Visser, Zo buries him just outside the base. The story leads players directly to the grave in a scene where Aloy mourns with Zo. Aloy doesn't have much to tell Varl at first, but after beating the game, Forbidden West players can visit Varl to tell him about the team's victory against Far Zenith. As different as Varl's death and burial is from Rost's, it ultimately serves a similar purpose: it makes Aloy reflect on all the progress that she made with Varl's help and how his legacy continues to affect her mission.
Horizon 3 will likely involve a significant period of growth for Aloy, since she'll be working together with a team on the regular, rather than acting as a lone wolf. The closer Aloy gets with her team, the more losses would sting. Unfortunate as it may be, this could be Guerrilla Games' plan. The new team's struggle against Nemesis is a strong opportunity to introduce a devastating loss that weighs on Aloy throughout the rest of the game. The story so far makes a couple team members have a particularly high chance to die.
Characters At Risk in Horizon 3
Sylens seems like one of the most likely characters to die in Horizon 3. He's been elusive throughout the last few entries, but now he's part of Aloy's team. Notably, Sylens' decision to stay with Aloy's team rather than abandon Earth at the end of Horizon Forbidden West suggests a new spark of empathy for Aloy and her team, in spite of Sylens' usual disdainful disposition. Horizon 3 might be when Aloy and Sylens finally become real friends by collaborating as equals, and Guerrilla Games might conclude that character arc with a heroic sacrifice on Sylens' part. His grave could help Aloy contemplate all kinds of complicated people: Sylens, Elisabet, and even herself.
Beta isn't safe either. Horizon Forbidden West does well to develop Aloy and Beta's relationship, turning them from rival clones to loving sisters, but she may not survive Nemesis' onslaught. Of all the team members, Beta is the most vulnerable, lacking any combat or survival skills. Her special bond with Aloy also mean she would have one of the most narratively impactful deaths, and her grave could host some of Aloy's rawest emotional moments. Hopefully Beta will train with Aloy and her team between games so that she can better protect herself when facing whatever threats lie ahead in the Horizon universe.
Zo's relationship with Varl could lead to her untimely death too. Depending on how much time passes between Forbidden West and Horizon 3, Zo might give birth to her child during the events of the new game. If that's the case, Guerrilla Games might write Zo's death into the game afterwards so that she can be buried with Varl while leaving Aloy to raise their child -- or at least bring the baby to the Nora lands and its grandmother Sona. Family is often a theme in Horizon subplots, so Zo's life could be sacrificed to complicate the narrative of the family she and Varl started while helping Aloy.
Other Ways Guerrila Games Might Use Graves in Horizon
There's a chance that none of Aloy's current allies will die in the next game, since there are other ways Guerrilla could explore deaths in Aloy's life. For instance, Aloy might mourn Tilda in the next game. Even though Tilda van der Meer betrayed Aloy over a selfish, guilt-driven plan, her complicated relationship with Elisabet Sobeck might compel Aloy to pay her respects to Tilda regularly. Even Regalla could earn a visit from Aloy, reminding Aloy that she is fighting to save enemies and allies alike from a new apocalypse.
Ultimately, it's hard to say how many lives might be lost in the fight against Nemesis. Horizon Forbidden West's ending implies that a lot of old and new faces will come together in the third game, which means many lives may be at risk. At the same time, it's unclear what exactly the game's plot will be; Nemesis could take quite some time to reach Earth still, meaning most Horizon characters could be safe for now. Regardless, Guerrilla's two-time use of graves to permanently mark Aloy's losses makes it seem likely that the third game will involve a third grave.
Horizon Forbidden West is available now for PS4 and PS5.
