Ghosts (Destiny)
Ghosts are machines that feature in Destiny.
Contents |
History
The Ghosts were small roughly spherical constructs that were created by the Traveler shortly after the Collapse and charged by its Light. In is dying breath, the Traveler shed pieces of itself thus creating the Ghosts who were tasked with finding those who could wield the Light as a weapon. These Guardians were tasked with protecting mankind as the Traveler could no longer perform this duty.
In the era of the Warlords, various Risen came to power where they used their newfound might to become tyrants. They came to rule Earth during the Dark Age as a patchwork of petty kingdoms where the villages whom they protected with their powers were forced to pay tribute to them, and failing to submit resulted in harsh punishments. The Warlords were never united under a single banner and frequently fought among themselves over territory. At least one was petty to the point of using a nuclear weapon against a settlement in a raid to steal livestock. Their reign would come to an end when an alliance of Risen named the Iron Lords formed who were dedicated to eliminating the tyranny of the Warlords. In battle, the Iron Lords defeated the Warlords by targeting their Ghosts for destruction to prevent their resurrection after which those Risen were executed permanently for their actions. Some of the Warlords came to defect to the ranks of the Iron Lords such as Felwinter though the majority were destroyed.
Ghosts scoured the solar system for centuries seeking out deceased individuals who could be resurrected and infused with Light to become Guardians. This widespread search marked the earliest major activity of the Ghosts, occurring before the events of the game itself. During the Red War, and throughout the battles against the Hive, Fallen, Vex, and Cabal, Ghosts acted as essential companions to Guardians, providing constant communication, information, battlefield analysis, and Light-infused resurrection. They served as a vital interface between the Guardian and various Golden Age technologies, including decoding engrams, interfacing with ancient systems, and reactivating dormant infrastructure. Ghosts also offered strategic intelligence from orbit and compiled data from field missions, facilitating the Vanguard’s planning efforts. Although each Guardian had their own Ghost, the collective efforts of the Ghosts can be seen in the reawakening of humanity’s strength during this era—particularly through their widespread role in maintaining Guardian operations, guiding Fireteams, and recovering lost knowledge and artifacts to further humanity’s cause against the Darkness.
After the Red War, Ghosts continued their search for people to make into Guardians.
Later on, Savathûn escaped her imprisonment by the Awoken Queen Mara Sov and died after the separation of her Worm. It was during this time that the 'First Ghost' Immaru located her body on a precipice overlooking the Traveler and the Last City. He scanned her remains and resurrected the Witch Queen as his chosen Lightbearer. From then on, Immaru and Savathûn worked together rallying the Hive under the Witch Queen's banner and managing the growing number of Hive Lightbearers being risen by Ghosts flocking to her court now resplendent in Light. Once the Lucent Brood was established, Immaru began serving as its field commander. Relaying orders through a patrol network in the Throne World, he led the Lucent Hive to defend the Witch Queen's domain from intrusions of Scorn and the Guardians.
Overview
In appearance, the Ghost was a small, floating, mechanical entity composed of four tetrahedral shell pieces that formed a symmetrical, star-like shape centered around a glowing, single blue eye. The shell, often customizable in color and design, was metallic with subtle engravings and paneling that gave each Ghost a sleek yet ancient look. The central core emitted a gentle white-blue light, pulsating softly as the Ghost communicated or engaged with technology. The Ghost hovered by use of silent, almost imperceptible anti-gravity mechanics, allowing for agile movement and stability in any environment, whether zero-G in space or storm-lashed terrain on Earth. When scanning or accessing systems, the shell pieces often shifted subtly or rotated, giving the impression of thought or calculation. Despite their mechanical construction, their design conveyed a sense of sentience and alertness. Each Ghost's physical form, while uniform in basic design, could be visually customized with different shaders and shells, often symbolizing their bond with the Guardian or their past missions.
They were composed of pieces of the Traveler who deliberately shed parts of itself after it was wounded. Thus, they were built from machinery and the Traveler's Light. Every Ghost had a unique personality and identity, though not necessarily a name. This personality may be intended to complement that of the Chosen they're meant to eventually revive, and often they have a name coined by their Chosen, whilst others may take names they were given by others. Ghosts exhibited a remarkably wide range of personalities, reflecting not only their deep connection to the Light but also their extended time observing humanity and other species across the solar system. Some Ghosts were pragmatic and analytical, preferring logic and efficiency when dealing with threats or navigating missions. Others were more curious and adventurous, constantly fascinated by the mysteries of the Golden Age or the cultures of the various alien races. Still others displayed sarcasm, dry wit, or even frustration, often shaped by the personalities of the Guardians they had bonded with or the centuries they had spent searching for one. While all Ghosts shared a core directive to protect and aid their chosen Guardian, many showed traits such as loyalty, caution, ambition, idealism, or skepticism. This wide emotional spectrum was not only a product of individual experience but also suggested that the Traveler granted them not just sentience but free will—allowing them to form meaningful bonds, question their purpose, and make decisions independently of strict programming. This variability added a layer of humanity to the Ghosts, making them far more than simple AI assistants.
All Ghosts were born knowing that they had to find their Guardian. However, they were not born with knowledge on their Chosen from the outside but rather had to scan bodies until they found the right person. Upon reviving a Chosen, the Ghost was not capable of reviving anyone else. So long as the Ghost remained, they were able to revive their Guardian infinitely thus making them immortal. When a Ghost revived their Chosen, they were bonded together from that point forward. A form of 'neural symbiosis' thus began between them. Every Ghost had one specific person they were meant to revive. For some, their Chosen was a sort of 'soul mate' and they know instinctively when the right remains had been found.
For a Guardian, their Ghost served as a companion, scout, librarian, and mechanic, waking ancient machinery and cracking ancient codes. Ghosts could support Guardians by performing certain actions such as illuminating darkened areas, repairing technology from the Golden Age, hacking into machines, informing Guardians of incoming hostile threats, calculating complex enemy behaviors, determine combat outcomes, mapping numerous projectiles and their myriad of trajectories, and providing communications. Most importantly, Ghosts may revive Guardians from death. As long as the Ghost survives, and barring special circumstances, Guardians are effectively immortal and may be resurrected fully intact from any death without consequences. The death does not have to be immediate, nor do they have to be revived in the same place they died. Ghosts may also repair any injury a Guardian suffers in a matter of seconds, though can sometimes have such difficulty repairing Exo Guardians that it is easier to resurrect from scratch.
Ghosts have no special control over their Guardians' actions, other than talking to them, or potentially withholding the resurrection of a Guardian who becomes dangerously erratic or monstrous.
Despite their power, Ghosts were not immortal with them capable of being killed and every loss being irreplaceable.
Ghosts entered a temporary catatonic state when the Light is cut off from them. Much like their Guardians, the Lightless Ghosts are severely weakened and damaged. Worse, should the Guardians be killed, then they will be unable to resurrect them.
Members
- The Ghost :
- Akasha : an unpartnered Ghost who had for years been scanning the Awoken territory for a Chosen.
- Balthazar :
- Brya :
- Euloch : a Ghost who resurrected and partnered with the Hive Lightbearer, Luzaku.
- Fynch : a Ghost that formerly served the Lucent Brood and became an ally to the Guardians within Savathûn's Throne World, now trying to help reveal Savathûn's plan involving the Light.
- Geppetto :
- Gilgamesh :
- Glint :
- Immaru : among the oldest of Ghosts to the point that he was referred to as the 'First Ghost'. Immaru was noted to had often bullied his younger kin. In an unprecedented act, he was noted to had bonded to the recently slain Hive Witch Queen Savathûn. Resurrecting her as a Lightbearer, he helped oversee the creation of similar Hive able to wield the Light which became the Lucent Brood.
- Jinju : a female Ghost belonging to the Hunter Ana Bray.
- Obsidian :
- Ophiuchus :
- Sagira : a female Ghost who belonged to the legendary Warlock Osiris. When Osiris encountered and was nearly killed by the High Celebrant of Xivu Arath, God of War, Sagira had sacrificed herself to save Osiris, leaving him Ghostless.
- Sundance : a female Ghost who was bonded to Cayde-6. She was killed by Pirrha, the Rifleman during the Scorn's breakout from the Prison of Elders using a Devourer Bullet like those of a Weapon of Sorrow.
- Targe :
Notes
- Ghosts were created by Bungie where they featured in the setting of the Destiny universe.
Appearances
- Destiny:
- Destiny 2:
External Links
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