They appear at every corner in Destiny 2 – triangles. Are they a symbol of evil?
Triangles can be found everywhere in the Destiny universe, which we can somehow associate with the Vex, the Hive, or a mysterious threat, the Darkness. What do they mean?
Mandatory spoiler warning: If you haven’t completed the main quest yet, read on at your own risk, as spoilers follow!
The Darkness as a contrast to the Traveler?
How can the Darkness, the mysterious enemy of the Traveler, best be described?Even Bungie does not have an answer to this question. But there is a theory that the Darkness represents the exact opposite of the Traveler:
- The Traveler is a small point of light in the universe, the Darkness is all-encompassing emptiness
- The Traveler exists in a physical form, the Darkness is immaterial
- The Traveler creates and uplifts cultures from their stagnation, the Darkness consumes and equalizes
In short: The Darkness is supposed to be a contrast to the Traveler, to maintain cosmic balance.
However, with the completion of the main campaign, there are news. Because the Darkness does not seem to be immaterial, but consists of angular shapes, as suggested by the post-credits cutscene: The Darkness as triangles, which were activated with the awakening of the Traveler – presumably to restore balance in the universe.
We have seen the flying triangles before
Do the angular structures in the last game sequence actually represent the Darkness? This theory is plausible, as we have at least seen the two-dimensional shape of these ships before.
Your Ghost describes the first attack of the Darkness on humanity at the beginning of the game. This scene is accompanied by a passing, triangular shadow on the surface of the Traveler. There is no doubt that this triangle symbolizes the Darkness.
Hostile races also have a fondness for triangles
The ominous triangles can be found in many places in the game and can be attributed to several hostile races. Is there a connection between the races and the strange objects from the last story sequence?
Most prominently, the triangles are associated with the Vex. They can be found in many locations. The most famous triangular structure is undoubtedly located in the Glass Throne:
Triangles also appear more frequently in connection with the Vex. In Destiny 2, some can be found here on Nessus:
With the Curse of Osiris, the Vex make their big appearance in Destiny 2 – and bring along plenty of triangles:
With a bit of imagination, triangles can also be found with the Hive. Because the Hive creatures have three eyes that form the shape of a triangle, as can be seen well with Oryx:
The Fallen as a contrast
One might put forward the theory that in Destiny 2 everything evil has to do with triangles. Evil as a triangle, good – in the form of the Traveler – as a sphere. This creates a nice symbolism.
However, this theory also has certain weaknesses. The symbolism of the Fallen is completely different. Not only do the characters exhibit rather round shapes, as seen here…
… round shapes dominate otherwise. Whether it’s landing ships, the Walkers, or the Servitors – round is hip among the Fallen.
The Cabals also have nothing to do with triangles.
However: As Bungie confirmed a few months ago, the Cabals have nothing to do with the Darkness at all.
The Vex and the Hive, on the other hand, do:
- The Hive worship the Darkness and serve it directly. They hate the Light and do everything to consume it so that the Darkness can reclaim the universe.
- The Vex are also said to serve the Darkness. A prime example is the Black Garden in the campaign of Destiny 1. Inside it is a Black Heart, which is a fragment of the Darkness. The Vex worship this fragment of the Darkness as a god.
Additionally, Osiris speculated that some Vex technology only activates in the presence of the Darkness.
Thus, one might propose the theory that the triangle symbolism connects the Darkness with its “servants.” Everything related to the Darkness features triangle symbols.
Perhaps the Hive and the Vex belong more to the Darkness than the Cabals and the Fallen, who stand in a different relationship to it. There’s a lot of potential for future story developments!
However, it could also be that this theory, though intriguing, ultimately turns out to be untrue. We will see what the triangles in the last story cutscene mean.
What do you think of this triangle theory? A logical consequence of past events or just a figment of the imagination? Let us know in the comments!
