In Destiny 2, Season 18 revealed the likely return of a familiar yet terrifying character from Destiny lore named Nezarek. His name has been mentioned repeatedly in the game for many years. MeinMMO takes you through the Destiny story and explains why Nezarek represents what the end signifies and what he whispers to you.
For many players in Destiny 2, following the story remains quite challenging. Terms often come up that they’ve never heard before. Just this week in the seasonal story quest from Season 18, the name “Nezarek” was mentioned.
While long-time and hardcore Destiny fans immediately perked up at the mention, new players were left clueless about this name. They largely only know him through a few exotic and legendary items that have been around in the game for quite some time. However, the background of his character and what he once was remains largely unknown to them.
It’s time we change that. Nezarek could become a crucial figure in Destiny 2 in the coming weeks, emerging from a 5-year-old mystery that content creators, lore experts, and Destiny players have been speculating about for a long time.
As much as this indicates, the comment from player Cephalogrom on reddit illustrates:
If the next season is tied to Nezarek, I will cry. I have had the [exotic] helmet [“Nezarek’s Sin”] since Year 1. I have also insisted since Season 1 that [his character] is relevant.
Our article includes spoilers from Season 18 below. If you haven’t reached the current week yet or prefer to be surprised, it’s better not to read any further from here.
Nezarek is what the end signifies
His latest expansion, the “Lightfall” DLC, was announced by Bungie as the “beginning of the end.” Following the current developments in Season 18, the connections leading up to this are starting to paint a clearer picture of what it might mean.
But let’s start at the beginning.
Most Guardians will recognize the name “Nezarek” from the exotic Warlock helmet “Nezarek’s Sin.” This helmet has been in the game since Season 1. That’s a long time. And since then, there has been a significant oversized prophecy from Bungie hanging over:
He is the end. And He will rise again.
In the current Season 18, the Guardians experienced the unfreezing of Eramis, as predicted in the Exo mission “Vox Obscura”. Her character had only been able to be admired as a living icicle in Europe since the end of the campaign from “Beyond Light”.
However, the Darkness made its next move and thawed her back into the story at the start. For this, however, she expects a counter-performance from Eramis. She must fulfill a special task. Why and for what purpose is still unknown.
The Darkness seeks something very old
What is known is that the Darkness seeks something very old. And Eramis is once again part of the main story in Season 18 because of this. Since then, she has been working as an appointed agent for the Darkness, tasked with recovering long-lost “Eliksni treasures,” referred to as relics.
After the Guardians snatched the first relic from her, it turned out that these so-called relics are vessels in various forms. There seemed to be no Guardian who didn’t ask after the third vessel: “Why?” and “What is actually in these vessels?”
Eido, the daughter of Mithrax, speculated during the story that these relics might be artifacts of potentially religious significance, containing organic material.
When the players also learned from the Vagabond that he had discovered such relics long ago, which are said to contain “something powerful, something … different,” curiosity only grew.
This week, a new story video provided an answer. For anyone who hasn’t seen it or clicked away, here’s the powerful story cutscene in full length, posted online by YouTuber Wysorr.
After this revelation, it’s no wonder that Mithrax, the leader of the Fallen from the House of Light, was so nervous at the beginning of Season 18. He knew that once the Guardians began searching for the relics, his dark side would also be exposed. The killer within him, who was once called Misraaks, is simply not something he can be proud of.
But his past was important. It brought the Guardians the realization of what once happened to Nezarek. And that his name is now mentioned signifies a strong development in the story of Destiny 2.
The Eliksni had found Nezarek’s corpse, chopped into pieces, and used it because they could no longer hope on the Traveler. This, however, corrupted them, and thus the relics were banished into vessels. They were essentially “jarred” and then scattered and hidden throughout the solar system, perhaps even beyond.
If one had to find a comparison here, it would surely be the Horcruxes from Harry Potter in which Lord Voldemort kept a portion of his soul outside his body, as player McFlyy suggested via twitter.
Those who listen closely in solitary moments on the H.E.L.M can indeed find that the vessels are growing louder in their whispers. A faint whisper that calls to us.
Furthermore, the Guardians now certainly know that the ancient, sunken pyramid on the Moon was about Nezarek. Information that will certainly be important for the future development of the story.
If you follow the theory, then apparently the dead body of Nezarek is soaked in dark power and split into multiple pieces. This dark power comes from the Witness, which he grants to his students.
For this reason, it seems there are multiple graves known as the “Seven Graves of Nezarek.” The Vagabond has already visited Grave Number 4 some time ago, and the relics are known to him as well.
A 7-Part Puzzle of Nezarek
At this point, it becomes interesting. If Guardians are truly facing the remains of Nezarek here, then one should recall the first “prophecy” from the Season 1 lore of the exotic helmet “Nezarek’s Sin”.
It states not only, “He is the end. And He will rise again.” but continues:
[…] The desirer of sin. The last god of pain. The purest light. The darkest hour.[…] When the guiding ray fades and all seems lost, He will call you. Fear not. What He offers is not as dark as it seems. […] He is a path and a way, one of many. And His sin, so cruel, so divine, is that He will never lay down when dusk falls, but remains standing while old stars die and new lights send forth their first rays in this celebrated eternity.
Excerpt from the lore of the Exo helmet “Nezarek’s Sin”
We have seen organic material from beings used as powerful objects in Destiny 2 before. The Exo weapons “Bad Karma” and “Malicious Touch” are just two examples.
Soon all relics will be united: The Guardians are already not far away from possessing all relics and thereby reviving Nezarek’s dark, perhaps paracausal power.
However, we likely won’t be able to “piece him back together” ourselves. More like what he possessed: his power. Misraaks gained part of this power through the relic and thus became deeply evil.
But for the Fallen, this power from Nezarek apparently was not meant for them.
They confuse the vessel with its content. They confuse the parts with the whole. They see their imprisonment as empowerment. They are prisoners of their flesh, who cannot see without sight, cannot hear without sound. Their thirst, out of fear of drowning, they cannot quench. Their ignorance is their only hope. And yet one of them understands it in their limited way.
it says in the lore of the exotic Season weapon “Tender Grasp”
[…]
They rush from one vessel to the next. A welcome change. A new form. Another method to grant death. I am of finite nature. Personal. Clear and delicate, to hide my true form. An intimacy. They believe I am contained within, yet instead, I am everywhere, like smoke in the wind. And once again, I will be shaped.
Perhaps it takes a special being, a special Guardian, who can truly make Nezarek’s dark power usable. Someone who becomes Nezarek, as the German lore expert Andy Edition speculated in his latest video. This is something that the Darkness will, of course, strive to prevent at all costs.
In this context, you can view three characters as potentially involved in an interesting theory from Andy Edition:
- Savathun, apparently an ally or supporter of Nezarek.
- Nezarek, as a light-converted student of the Witness and perhaps a traitor to the Darkness.
- Eris Morn, as the key person for Nezarek’s future.
We know that the great moth Savathun was drawn to the light and that she enjoys applying cunning. Even after her death, at the end of Witch Queen, it is not really clear which side she was on.
It’s quite possible that she deceived the Witness instead of submitting to him. Perhaps she cooperated with Nezarek, manipulated him, and saw him as another option to secure the Traveler’s survival. In a way, serving as an advantage for her own plan. Subsequently, the Moon pyramid was likely buried, and Savathun had the Hive guard it, undiscovered for years.
Could it have been her who even killed Nezarek? Or manipulated his death through her cunning, placing the blame on the Traveler?
Nezarek himself was apparently once a being of light but turned to darkness. This could certainly be seen as a reference to “his first betrayal.” In his original form, as mentioned, he will not be able to return.
One can observe that he indeed presents a strong possibility of bringing about the end that the Witness seeks.
Bungie needs, if the shredded Nezarek cannot return, an essential third option. Someone who, like Nezarek once did, emerges from both light and darkness.
This could be the Guardians or perhaps a very special Guardian who has long been portrayed as a key figure.
This is how Eris Morn fits into the Nezarek equation: Many lore-interested players had already suspected that Eris could be evil or may become so.
She not only used Stasis as one of the first. In the DLC “Beyond Light,” it is revealed by Elisabeth Bray, a.k.a. “The Stranger Exo,” about a powerful witch in another future who summons the end. A future the Stranger Exo has always tried to prevent.
This was further fueled by Eris Morn’s terribly creepy laugh during the Season 17 events on the Leviathan, which only intensified this assumption of the “evil witch”.
Eris long explored the Pyramid of Darkness alone and dissected Savathun. She found Nezarek’s glaive (“Nezarek’s Whisper”), of which she was unaware. Yet she sensed a particular “presence” and called out, “Where are you?”.
She is also the NPC who helped the Guardians use Stasis. Thus, she knows the powers of darkness better than anyone else.
According to the theory by Andy Edition, which we also see as a possible option, not only Nezarek but also Eris Morn could still play an important Guardian role in Destiny 2.
Nezarek could be the source of the new ability “Strand”
Bungie stated in the showcase for Lightfall that we Guardians would use the ability “Strand” as the first. We do not learn it from the Cloudstriders in Neomuna, the new location, and it is also a power that even the Witness doesn’t know about. Therefore, the players must receive it from another source.
It would thus be conceivable that if Guardians are the first to use this ability, it comes from a special Guardian, in this case Eris Morn, who through her experience can either absorb Nezarek’s abilities or somehow manifest them to pass on to the players. Eris has always had a green aura.
This could mean three theoretical things for Eris Morn’s future:
- Either she turns evil due to Nezarek’s influence, like the Eliksni once did. Then, she could fight against the Guardians as a resurrected student of the Witness, and the battle would be rather hopeless.
- The second alternative is that she takes on this special burden of power and continues to fight alongside the players against the Darkness, teaching them Strand.
- The third alternative is somewhat far-fetched and a combination of both options. Eris takes Nezarek’s power but initially cannot control it. The Guardians then must fight her and later help her create the Final Form or become the “End” themselves.
All of this is, of course, just beautifully woven story options that Guardians can talk about for hours. However, Bungie could have completely different plans. It should be noted, however, that many thought Nezarek would not return. Destiny 2 is thus always good for an unexpected story plot keeping it exciting.
At the end, Andy Edition even takes his lore theory a step further. He believes he knows the secret of the covered statues in the pyramids and that they also involve the powerful witch Eris Morn. However, this raises the question of why Eris is still present in the pyramids as an evil witch. Especially when one considers that Elsie Bray has supposedly prevented this future.
What do you think of the story and the resulting theories? Do you trust Eris Morn with such a fate as a major key figure? And do you believe Bungie might have planned all this from the beginning, as the lore has already predicted since Season 1?
Or do you think Nezarek is just an old, decayed myth in jars and therefore will play no role in the future of the end in Destiny 2? Feel free to discuss your story theory in the comments and let us know if you find these topics engaging on MeinMMO.
If you’re intrigued now and want to learn more about the Destiny universe, or if you could use a refresher course on the Destiny 2 story, feel free to check this out:
She is also the NPC who helped the Guardians use Stasis. Thus, she knows the powers of darkness better than anyone else.
According to the theory by Andy Edition, which we also see as a possible option, not only Nezarek but also Eris Morn could still play an important Guardian role in Destiny 2.
Nezarek could be the source of the new ability “Strand”
Bungie stated in the showcase for Lightfall that we Guardians would use the ability “Strand” as the first. We do not learn it from the Cloudstriders in Neomuna, the new location, and it is also a power that even the Witness doesn’t know about. Therefore, the players must receive it from another source.
It would thus be conceivable that if Guardians are the first to use this ability, it comes from a special Guardian, in this case Eris Morn, who through her experience can either absorb Nezarek’s abilities or somehow manifest them to pass on to the players. Eris has always had a green aura.
This could mean three theoretical things for Eris Morn’s future:
- Either she turns evil due to Nezarek’s influence, like the Eliksni once did. Then, she could fight against the Guardians as a resurrected student of the Witness, and the battle would be rather hopeless.
- The second alternative is that she takes on this special burden of power and continues to fight alongside the players against the Darkness, teaching them Strand.
- The third alternative is somewhat far-fetched and a combination of both options. Eris takes Nezarek’s power but initially cannot control it. The Guardians then must fight her and later help her create the Final Form or become the “End” themselves.
All of this is, of course, just beautifully woven story options that Guardians can talk about for hours. However, Bungie could have completely different plans. It should be noted, however, that many thought Nezarek would not return. Destiny 2 is thus always good for an unexpected story plot keeping it exciting.
At the end, Andy Edition even takes his lore theory a step further. He believes he knows the secret of the covered statues in the pyramids and that they also involve the powerful witch Eris Morn. However, this raises the question of why Eris is still present in the pyramids as an evil witch. Especially when one considers that Elsie Bray has supposedly prevented this future.
What do you think of the story and the resulting theories? Do you trust Eris Morn with such a fate as a major key figure? And do you believe Bungie might have planned all this from the beginning, as the lore has already predicted since Season 1?
Or do you think Nezarek is just an old, decayed myth in jars and therefore will play no role in the future of the end in Destiny 2? Feel free to discuss your story theory in the comments and let us know if you find these topics engaging on MeinMMO.
If you’re intrigued now and want to learn more about the Destiny universe, or if you could use a refresher course on the Destiny 2 story, feel free to check this out:
