Aside from looting and shooting,Destiny 2provides players with an overarching narrative. As Guardians, players must protect an extraterrestrial entity called The Traveler from its sworn enemy The Darkness. The stories, characters, and naming conventions ofDestiny 2can be hit or miss sometimes, but amidst this sea of change are the ever-present Vanguards.
Vanguards are elite Guardians that aid other Guardians in carrying out The Traveler’s will while protecting both it and other planets. The current Vanguards are Commander Zavala for the Titans and Ikora Rey for the Warlocks. The Exo Cayde-6 used to be the Hunter Vanguard but after his death at the hands of Uldren Sov and The Scorn Barons,the Hunters have since been leaderless. But withThe Final Shapeexpansion being announced at the recent PlayStation Showcase, Cayde-6 will finally be making his inevitable return.
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Destiny 2 Isn’t The Same Without Cayde-6
Every sinceCayde-6 died in theForsakenexpansion, there has been a massive hole at the core ofDestiny 2. Aside from his role as the Hunter Vanguard, Cayde-6 brought an air of levity with his quick wit and laid-back attitude. Voiced by none other than Nathan Fillion, Cayde-6 was the antithesis of the typical Guardian. Compared to the overly-serious Zavala and knowledge-seeking Ikora Rey, Cayde-6’s dislike for decorum and rules made him unpredictable, funny, and easily likable.
Many characters and players were saddened by Cayde-6’s death. He is talked about fondly by Tower residents like Amanda Holliday, Zavala, and Ikora. Even his pet chicken The Colonel misses its former master and currently occupies Cayde-6’s former position in The Tower. With the release of theLightfallexpansion,Bungie finally added a memorialin The Tower to pay tribute to the fallen Hunter Vanguard.
Cayde-6’s Return Would Fill The Missing Pieces Left By His Death
This touching memorial would serve as a red herring, however, asThe Final Shapeannouncement trailer showcased Cayde-6’s returnto action. While the details regarding his resurrection are still unknown (it probably has something to do with his new white outline and where he and Ikora Rey are seen talking), fans were unsurprisingly happy that the character would be coming back. Seeing Cayde-6 interact with Ikora Rey after so long shows that he still has the wit and determination to get things done his way.
Considering how much the story ofDestiny 2has evolved in Cayde-6’s absence, it would be interesting to see how he interacts with the changed world. Not only can he tell players details of what happened to him after his death, but he can also give his opinions about post-mortem revelations about him. This includes all the entries in the lore book titled “The Man They Called Cayde”, the pre-recorded messages he left around Titan which hold his musings, as well as any lore entries tied to his iconic gear such asthe Ace of Spades hand cannonand Queen of Hearts jumpship.
Most interesting of all is how Cayde-6 will interact withadversaries turned allies like Empress Caitl, The Spider, and Crow. The latter two characters not only played indirect roles in Cayde-6’s death, but the Exo himself wasn’t too fond of them. Having to work with them would be a true test of Cayde-6’s easygoing personality and his ability to forgive those who wronged him.
Now that Cayde-6 will be rejoining the Guardians inThe Final Shape, this final expansion for The Light and Darkness saga is shaping up to be quite the conclusion indeed. With old enemies turned friends, Darkness-wielding Guardians, and resurrected allies in the mix, players will need to catch up onDestiny 2’s lore if they want to understand everything that happens. It may take some a while to understand it all, but seeing asCayde-6 needs some catching up to do, he might be just the Vanguard players need for this grand finale.
Destiny 2is currently available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
