Who is the Witness in Destiny 2? The Darkness-wielding villain explained

❘ Updated: 2023-07-20T15:53:05

A screenshot of The Witness in Destiny 2

Bungie

During the Witch Queen DLC, Destiny 2 revealed that the core enemy that players have been chasing for the past 8 years is called The Witness. However, not a lot of people are aware of who this entity is and what their motives are.

Destiny is a massive game and apart from its core plot which revolves around the struggle between the forces of Light and Dark, there are several sub-plots as well. However, if you take a close look into everything and think deeply then all of it will end up pointing to The Witness.

This entity believes in the Darkness and is against the principles and philosophies of the Light. However, its origin and its motives are much more complicated and convoluted and it will take more than just a line or two to explain it.

Therefore, here is a discussion on who exactly is The Witness and what they want in Destiny 2.

The Witness was originally born from the Light in Destiny 2

A screenshot of the Traveler in Destiny 2

The Witness’ original race was born from The Light

The Witness during the Witch Queen DLC revealed itself as an entity of the Darkness. It almost felt as if The Witness is Darkness. However, as the seasons progressed, it became clear that Darkness is not the enemy, but The Witness simply uses it to fight against the Light.

This led to the question of where did The Witness come from. The answer was not revealed during the Witch Queen DLC and it took more than a year- all the way to Season 21 where we finally got the answer. The Witness even though it uses the Darkness, was originally a follower of the Light similar to the Guardians.

This story dates back to ancient times, to a place that nobody even remembers. There was a race that was blessed by the Traveler and its Light. This race named The Traveler as The Gardener and they prospered under its Light into a Golden Age.

The power of Light allowed this race to travel into space and during their research they came across an entity called the Veil. They brought the Veil to their planet and wanted to use it to find the secrets of the Traveler and the Light.

However, this race came to a realization that the Light is not a beacon of hope, but a harbinger of chaos. Therefore, they soon began to doubt The Traveler and eventually while studying the Veil came to know about The Darkness.

A screenshot of The Winnower in Destiny 2

The ancient race discovered The Winnower while studying The Veil

This race termed The Darkness as The Winnower, a force that dealt with the mind, dreams, and consciousness in contrast to the physical aspects of the Light. Through the Darkness, the race eventually found the means to attain The Final Shape.

Thus, this ancient race tried to merge the Veil with the Traveler to deepen their connection and obtain the power to shape reality. The Traveler refused and fled this world.

The race, however, did not give up and used the Darkness’s power to merge their consciousness into one. They created an entity, a being that was birthed in Light but re-forged in the Darkness- The Witness.

What does the Witness hope to achieve in Destiny 2

The Witness wants to attain The Final Shape by any possible means

The goal of The Witness in Destiny 2 is to achieve the Final Shape. It wants to reach Finality, a state where nothing exists and there is absolute order. However, with the Traveler alive, it cannot do it as where there is life, there is chaos.

Nobody knows what The Final Shape is, not even the emissaries of The Witness. However, an idea can be made based on its actions and beliefs which are quite clear at this point.

This, however, does not end the story of The Witness, as more will be revealed in the coming days of Destiny 2 as well as when The Final Shape DLC officially launches next year.

In the meantime, do not forget to check out some of our guides surrounding Destiny 2 at Dexerto.