Bungie’s Destiny 2 is a Showcase of Excellence in Equity due to Its Diverse Star-Studded Voice Cast
Actors from all over the world have lent their voices to Bungie's hugely successful online multiplayer shooter.
From The Wire and Firefly to The Walking Dead and Dragonball the following list of celebs are a small part of a celebrated cast in the trailblazing looter shooter video game, Destiny 2. The brainchild of former Halo developer and creator, Bungie, Destiny launched in 2014 and spawned a sequel, Destiny 2 in 2017. Since their inception, the popular online games have received praise for skillfully blending elements of an MMO, RPG, and first-person shooter together into a one-of-a-kind video game experience.
I’m not going to get into the intricacies of the story here but, suffice it to say there is a lot to sort through. For more details on the Destiny world and story, I recommend YouTube creator My name is Byf to lead you through the slightly complex and convoluted narrative. The story is essentially a light versus darkness, good guys vs bad guys trope, but the interesting and dynamic characters are what makes the Destiny franchise truly stand out. Join me as I shine a light on the 5 most talented voice actors who brought to life those characters who represent the last hope for mankind in the world of Destiny.
Jamie Chung as Anastasia “Ana” Bray
Joining the cast in 2018 with the launch of the Warmind expansion for Destiny 2, Jamie Chung brought guardian of legend Ana Bray to life after years of the character being shrouded in mystery. The first mention of Ana came in the original Destiny game during a mission to the red planet, Mars. At which point we knew very little about her character. It wasn’t long before Ana become a fully realized NPC that players would need to help solve a crisis on Mars involving a race of Spartan-like space rhinos and a Russian-voiced artificial intelligence known as Rasputin. Ana is intelligent, headstrong, and a skilled warrior. She has been a fan favorite since her debut in Destiny 2 due in no small part due to the wonderful performance by Jamie Chung.
First-generation Korean-American actress from San Francisco, Chung has been acting since the early 2000s appearing in many television series including Gotham, Once Upon a Time, and most recently the HBO horror/mystery series Lovecraft Country. She has spent some time on the big screen as well starring in films such as Dragonball Evolution, The Hangover Part III, and the Disney Pixar superhero animated feature Big Hero 6. Unfortunately, in 2020 the role of Ana Bray was recast and is currently played by actress Erika Ishii. Even though she no longer plays the part, Jamie Chung will always be the original voice of the iconic Ana Bray and for that, we thank her.
Lennie James as Lord Shaxx
Hero of Twilight Gap, Crucible manager, and lover of Queen Mara Sov (kind of) Lord Shaxx has been a constant in the world of Destiny since its 2014 launch. A titan in charge of keeping the guardians of the Last City combat-ready, Lord Shaxx acts as the announcer for the player-versus-player portion of the game commonly known as the Crucible. A fast-paced, high stakes, white knuckle ice fest currently, the crucible is where guardians seek valor and glory in competition against other players. Lord Shaxx calls the games often announcing changes to the battlefield, commenting on big plays, and even, occasionally, screaming at the top of his lungs when a player does something truly extraordinary. Destiny history tells us that Shaxx helped to rebuild the last city with a younger Speaker and Commander Zavala, who we’ll get to later. The helmet-clad hero of the last city was and still is, voiced by the longtime star of tv and film, Lennie James.
With over 79 acting credits to his name whether or not you know it, you’ve probably seen some of Lennie James' previous works. James is probably best known for his standout role in AMC’s “The Walking Dead” where he played a survivor named Morgan Jones. Appearing in more than 30 episodes of the series he was so beloved in his role that he was reportedly stopped by a police officer who only wanted to talk about the show with him. He was once asked during an interview what his favorite voice line from Destiny is and his response was on par with what an English-born actor might say, “ But soft! What light through yonder window breaks? It is the east, and I — I am the Crucible.” Although the voice line never made it into the game, we can all try to imagine the iconic Lord Shaxx reciting one of the Bard’s most famous lines while gunfire from the crucible can be heard in the background.
Gina Torres as Ikora Rey
Osiris’ most gifted pupil and one of the strongest guardians in the Last City, Ikora Rey is genuinely in a league of her own. There is no one more knowledgeable about the threat facing mankind, and nobody better equipped to handle said threat than Ikora Rey. She serves as the Warlock Vanguard and has been a leader and teacher for incoming guardians since the days of Destiny 1. On Mercury, when her former teacher was in trouble, she opened the gateway to the infinite forest and helped Osiris defeat Panoptes, the Infinite Mind. Long story short, she's a badass. And who better to voice a virtual badass than a real-life one?
Gina Torres has been acting since the ’90s and has appeared in all manner of film and television roles. Torres has credits on some of the largest names in entertainment today including Star Wars: Rebels and the Matrix sequels. She is best known for her role as Zoë Washburne in the short-lived tv series, Firefly. She appeared in all 14 episodes of the show along with fellow Destiny cast member Nathan Fillion who voiced the now deceased Cayde-6 in the game. Most recently she appeared in the HBO series Westworld and continues to voice Ikora Rey in Destiny for the time being. Due to reasons unknown, she has not appeared in recent expansions of the game and Ikora’s role in the world of Destiny has been steadily shrinking for the last year. Torres did however send one lucky group of Destiny players a special holiday greeting reminding them that the voice behind everyone's favorite warlock hasn’t forgotten about her fans.
Oded Fehr as Osiris
Speaking of Osiris, it wouldn't be a list about Destiny characters if we didn’t include the legendary, Osiris in the mix somehow. Lost in time until recently, Osiris has been of interest to guardians before he was given an in-game presence. The first expansion for Destiny 2 bore his name and was the first time players had any real interaction with the legendary warlock whose obsession with the ancient evil machines known as the Vex almost lead to his demise. The voice behind the character is Israeli-born actor, Oded Fehr.
You might know him for his role in the Mummy franchise of films where he starred alongside Brendan Fraiser and Rachel Weiss as a skilled warrior determined to silence an ancient evil. More recently he has appeared in the CBS space odyssey Star Trek: Discovery and also lent his voice to iconic Batman Villan Ra’s al Ghul in the animated series Young Justice. Currently, he is still the voice of the legendary warlock who also happens to be one of the gay characters in the game after it was confirmed that Osiris and another guardian of renown, Saint 14, are a couple by one of the game’s narrative designers. While in-game text makes mention of other gay characters in the world of Destiny, Osiris and Saint 14 are the first confirmed gay couple who both appear as NPCs in the game.
Lance Reddick as Commander Zavala
Whether we wanted it or not, we’ve arrived at the final name on our list. Commander Zavala led the construction of the Last City alongside the Speaker long before players ever started their own Destiny stories. The iconic voice, the unwavering leadership, and an almost binding allegiance to the Traveler, Commander Zavala is a pillar of the Last City and every guardian who calls it home owes him a debt of gratitude. Making his first appearance in the original 2014 title, Zavala is the face of the Destiny franchise now that Cayde 6 has been killed. He has led the Vanguard through the Red War with Dominus Ghaul, oversees all Strike operations, and even saved the lives of Ikora Rey and Cayde 6 during an attack on the tower in the aforementioned Red War. If Destiny has a father, it is without a doubt commander Zavala.
Played by the incomparable Lance Reddick, the tv and movie veteran brings more than just a stellar performance to the world of Destiny. His love of the franchise is well known among players and there is even a video of Reddick seen playing Destiny in his home during his free time. Yes, he was incredible in The Wire and Fringe and is currently garnering acclaim for his role in the tv show Bosch. To say that Reddick is a talented actor is an understatement. However, while his talent is of no debate, neither is his love for the Destiny franchise.
When Covid prevented Bungie from having voice actors record new lines for new in-game content, Reddick set up a makeshift recording space in his home to deliver his performance to players in the midst of the devastating pandemic.
Lance Reddick, much like Commander Zavala, is a treasure and we are lucky to have such a talented man lend his gifts to this incredible franchise.
