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In Destiny, players assume the role of a Guardian, a resurrected Light bearer who can wield Arc, Void, and Solar energy. However, the world is actually filled with hundreds of Guardians, all of whom are powerful. With that being said, there are certain Guardians in the game and the lore who stand above the rest in terms of strength, and this list will attempt to rank the strongest of them all.
Updated May 30, 2021, by George Voutiritsas: The Destiny franchise has been criticized for not having much content, for locking certain items behind pay walls, and for recycling old content. Still, none of those issues have stopped it from arguably becoming the best FPS MMO of the last decade. The game’s universe is home to thousands of Guardians, including our own. Certain Guardians have made names for themselves because of their skill and powerful Light. Since 2014, Bungie has introduced fans to quite a few non-playable Guardians. Although they are all strong, some are undeniably stronger than others.
Updated July 25, 2022, by George Voutiritsas: From a narrative and gameplay perspective, The Witch Queen is one of the best Destiny expansions Bungie has ever released. It has managed to bring the franchise’s overarching story together, and fans are seeing certain characters getting more involved in major events. Most of these characters are in fact Guardians, and they all possess a great deal of power because of their connection to the Light. Some of the most powerful Destiny characters are in fact Guardians, and some like Saint-14, Saladin, and Osiris are considered legends because of their strength. That being said, Destiny’s lore is quite vast, and there are a number of other Guardians who deserve to be recognized for their power.
17 Shaw Han
Appears In: Destiny 2: Beyond Light
Shaw Han is considered a very skilled Hunter, which is why the Vanguard appointed him to be their representative in the Cosmodrome. Shaw’s fireteam was attacked by a Hive sect commanded by Navôta, Eir Spawn. He was the only survivor.
Of all the NPCs, only Shaw possesses armor that players can acquire, and it shows what he has accomplished. The armor indicates that Shaw helped to hold off the Hive on Mars, and that he has helped Failsafe on Nesus. His boots also prove that he has survived the Last Wish raid in the Dreaming City.
16 Sloane
Appears In: Destiny 2 Rank: Deputy Commander of the Vanguard
Destiny 2 has a massive file size, and it is the reason why Bungie vaulted destinations like Titan, and in doing so, they killed off a relatively high-ranking guardian. Sloane was a Titan, and she was resurrected a long time ago, in fact she helped build the walls of the Last City.
Sloane rose through the ranks of the Vanguard until she became Deputy Commander, which means that she could have become the Titan Vanguard if Zavala died or stepped down. She fought the Hive when they first appeared in the Sol system, and she fought at Twilight Gap. She secured Titan for the Vanguard, and when the Pyramid came, she took on a Hive army by herself.
15 Shiro-4
Appears In: Destiny: Rise of Iron
Players first encountered Shiro-4 in 2016’s Rise of Iron expansion, where he served as an NPC in the Felwinter Peak public space. Shiro is an Exo Hunter. The Vanguard consider him to be a vital part of their operation because of his ability to track and eliminate Fallen threats on earth and the moon.
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Shiro defended The Last City during the infamous Fallen assault known as Six Fronts. It is thanks to him that the Outbreak Perfected pulse rifle exists. He was the protégé of Cayde-6, which explains why his combat skills are held in such high regard.
14 Eris Morn
Appears In: Destiny: The Dark Below, The Taken King, Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, Beyond Light & The Witch Queen Rank: Member of the Hidden
Eris may have lost her Ghost, but she is still a Guardian, and she still serves as one of the Vanguard’s Hidden Hunters. The Hidden are deep-infiltration scouts under the command of Ikora Rey. It is their job to gather intelligence on the Darkness and its subordinates.
Eris was part of the unsanctioned fireteam that attempted to kill the Hive Prince, Crota, but every single member died except for her. She managed to survive in the Hellmouth surrounded by Hive for years. In doing so, she learned a great deal about them. She now wields the Darkness power of Stasis, and she is one of only a few Guardians who have seemingly not been corrupted by it.
13 The Drifter
Appears In: Destiny 2: Forsaken & Beyond Light Rank: Rogue Lightbearer
The man who runs Gambit has gone by many names over the centuries, but for the time being, he prefers to be called Drifter. He was revived during the Dark Age, which means he is one of the oldest lightbearers. From the very beginning, Drifter was not a fan of the Light, in fact he kept his powers and Ghost hidden for as long as he could.
During the City Age, he and his crew left the Sol system to search for something greater. They found something old and menacing instead, and Drifter was the only survivor. When he returned to the system, the Nine gifted him an item (the unknown object attached to his ship), and with the help of motes, he can use it to control a small army of Taken.
12 Cayde-6
Appears In: Destiny, The Taken King, Destiny 2 & Forsaken. Rank: Former Hunter Vanguard
Every MMO has at least one character who is beloved by the vast majority of players. In Destiny, that character is without a doubt the Exo known as Cayde-6. The former Hunter Vanguard met his end in the opening mission of the Forsaken expansion, where he showcased his strength by taking on a small army of Skorn alone.
Cayde managed to survive the events of The Great Disaster, which saw thousands of Guardians perish to Crota and the Hive on the moon. When Ghaul stole the Traveler’s Light, Cayde took on a large number of Cabal alongside his fire team before eventually getting too injured to move.
11 Zavala
Appears In: Destiny, The Taken King, Destiny 2, Warmind, Forsaken, Shadowkeep, Beyond Light & The Witch Queen. Rank: Current Titan Vanguard
Many players are not fond of Zavala, but the Vanguard commander is simply trying to protect the remnants of humanity as best he can. No matter what subclass they use, Titans are insanely powerful, and Zavala is capable of using both Void and Ark energy.
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Shortly after being named to the Vanguard, Zavala led his fellow Guardians into battle against a massive Fallen army, a battle that is famously known as Twilight Gap. Prior to the return of Saint-14, many considered him to be the strongest Titan alive. Seeing as his Titan bubble was strong enough to block a missile barrage from multiple Cabal ships, he might have been.
10 Ana Bray
Appears In: Destiny 2: Warmind & Seasons of the Worthy & Hunt
The Warmind expansion finally introduced fans to Ana Bray, a hunter who is both intelligent and exceptionally skilled. Based on what she has done since her debut, Ana does not seem all that strong, but she is in fact quite powerful. In fact, she may even be the strongest Gunslinger alive.
Ana fought at Twilight Gap. When she ran out of ammo while trying to save a fellow Guardian, she activated her Golden Gun and incinerated a Fallen Captain and Baroness with two shots. This battle took place over 100 years ago, and the Light from her super is still present to this day.
9 Shin Malphur
Mentioned In: Destiny & Destiny 2
The name Dredgen Yor is despised within the Last City because it was the name of a Guardian who turned away from the Light and created a weapon which he used to permanently kill other Guardians. Yor was eventually killed by Shin Malphur, a human who had been blessed by the Traveler’s light, which is why he became a Guardian without ever dying his first death.
Shin was a rogue Hunter who dedicated his life to eradicating Yor’s followers, all of whom were former Guardians who were armed with the same Guardian killing weapon. After many years, he finally completed his quest. Guardians do not fear dying, but these Shadow’s of Yor were terrified of Shin, and their fear is a testament to his power.
8 Jolder
Appears In: Destiny: Rise of Iron Rank: Iron Lord
Jolder and Saladin were very close friends, and she was one of the original four Iron Lords who began the campaign against the risen Warlords who controlled various parts of Earth. She was a Titan, and she was known for her beauty, but she was a talented fighter as well.
She did not possess any Titan armor Exotics, but she was still able to defeat a number of Warlords by herself. When the Warlords were gone, Jolder and her order went after SIVA, and she was one of the nine who made it to the replication chamber. She ended up sacrificing herself to stop SIVA’s spread after it infected her.
7 Saladin Forge
Appears In: Destiny, Rise of Iron, Destiny 2, Season of the Chosen. Beyond Light & The Witch Queen Rank: The Last True Iron Lord
Thanks to SIVA the Iron Lords are all but extinct, but Saladin Forge continues to honor his fallen brethren by regularly holding the Iron Banner event in the Crucible. Being an Iron Lord means that Saladin is one of the oldest Risen/Guardians alive. He helped to put down many of the original Risen who chose to become Warlords.
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Saladin was a pillar during the Battle of Six Fronts, where he prevented the Fallen from breaching the Last City’s southern walls. He served as the top commander during Twilight Gap. He also defeated an Ahamkara in a one-on-one fight, and based on how powerful Riven was in the Last Wish raid, only a truly powerful Guardian could beat one of her kind single-handedly.
6 Lady Efrideet
Appears In: Destiny: Rise of Iron
Lady Efrideet is the only other remaining Iron Lord. By all accounts, she is likely the oldest and most powerful of the Hunters. Once the Warlords were put down, Efrideet decided to leave Earth to join a group of pacifist Guardians who lived beyond Saturn.
When SIVA was defeated for good in Rise of Iron, she decided to come visit Earth more often. One of those visits occurred when the Red Legion attacked. It was then that Efrideet chose to become a fighter again, and she went on to single-handedly kill more than 200 Cabal without her Light. She did this without sustaining a single injury.
5 Radegast
Appears In: Destiny: Rise of Iron (as a statue) Rank: The First Iron Lord
Radegast was a legendary Titan who was revived during the Dark Age, but more importantly, he was the very first Iron Lord. He assembled the first group himself, and led them against the Warlords. He fought Five Warlords at once with his team, and the battle left the area completely unrecognizable.
He personally led the defense against Warlord Segoth, who was exploiting and terrorizing a village. During the SIVA crisis, he was one of the nine Iron Lords to make it to the replication chamber, and he died after being overwhelmed by the vicious nanotechnology. Only a truly powerful Guardian could lead such a legendary group of warriors.
4 Shaxx
Appears In: Destiny & Destiny 2
Shaxx may have once been Lord Saladin’s student, but he was by no means weaker than his teacher. Shaxx was one of the first Guardians to be resurrected, and he went on to become a Warlord. Unlike the other Warlords, though, he actually cared for his people.
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He was such a formidable foe that the Iron Lords sent Saladin, Efrideet, and Felwinter to slay him. Shaxx slew Felwinter every day for weeks, until he finally agreed to bring his people to the Last City. If it was not for Shaxx’s quick thinking and ferocity on the battlefield, the Guardians would have lost the Battle of Twilight Gap, as he led the defensive charge through the Fallen ranks.
3 Ikora
Appears In: Destiny, The Taken King, Destiny 2, Curse of Osiris, Forsaken, Shadowkeep, Beyond Light & The Witch Queen Rank: Current Warlock Vanguard
Ikora is the Warlock Vanguard, a position she has held for over a century. As far as the lore is concerned, she may be the strongest Voldwalker alive. She learned everything she knew from her teacher Osiris, who saw something in her during her days in the Crucible. She also led a successful raid deep into Hive territory on the Moon , where she rescued a fragment of the Traveler.
Shaxx is one of the strongest Guardians alive, and has proven his strength time and time again in the Crucible where he has suffered just a single loss, and that loss was at the hands of Ikora.
2 Osiris
Appears In: Destiny 2: Curse of Osiris, Shadowkeep & Beyond Light Rank: Former Warlock Vanguard
Every Guardian considers Osiris to be the strongest Warlock alive, and based on his accomplishments, it is hard to disagree. During the Battle of Six Fronts, Osiris used his echoes to fend off Fallen at each wall, and this act alone made him a hero and the first Vanguard Commander.
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Osiris was so strong that he managed to survive inside the Infinite Forest when the Red Legion stole the Traveler’s Light. He also managed to go up against Panoptes, the powerful Vex Mind who controlled the Forest, while he did not have his Ghost to heal and resurrect him.
1 Saint-14
Appears In: Destiny 2: Curse of Osiris, Shadowkeep & Beyond Light Rank: Former Titan Vanguard
As powerful as Osiris is, he is nothing compared to Saint-14, whom many believe to be the strongest Titan to have ever lived. Saint was the original Titan Vanguard. He rose to prominence by fighting several Fallen Houses, and he took down the Kell of the House of Devils in a one-on-one fight.
During Curse of Osiris, players learn that Saint-14 had ventured into the Infinite Forest in search of his friend, and in doing so got trapped fighting the Vex for centuries. When it was all said and done, Saint had killed thousands of Vex by himself. They were only able to put him down after they created a Mind specifically to drain him of his Light.
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