‘Destiny 2’ Where Are The Nine?
Trying to understand and chase the enigmatic forces within the ‘Destiny’ universe
In Destiny, the universe is vast, full of mysteries and puzzles that could keep your mind occupied for days. I have spent many hours in thought about one mystery in particular: The Nine and their subtle and obvious influences in the paths walked by each character in Destiny.
The Nine are a group of enigmatic entities that control a mysterious realm dubbed Unknown Space. They are unknown beings wrapped up further in the unknown, but their actions hold an incredible weight in the games.
“I cannot explain what the Nine are. They are…very large. I cannot explain.” — Xur
The very last time we heard or saw a reference of them was in Season of Arrivals when the question “What is the nature of the Darkness?” was brought up. There The Nine answered by showing visions of events yet to come. Think of it as a hunch, but I do believe that as long as the dungeon exists within Destiny the question is still being answered and has yet to be concluded.
Destiny 2 has been giving players bits and pieces of lore since Season of the Drifter, sharing just enough to keep us guessing and absolutely curious. Week after week players could engage in challenges to earn rewards and new cutscenes and dialogue surrounding The Nine and the Emissary — the liaison to The Nine.
In the Beyond Light expansion, you can find a redacted report addressed to Ikora Rey regarding Europa, one of the new world introduced in the game, and The Nine. Here we see The Nine hinted at once more :
“Europa is interpenetrated with dark matter loops. Which could be a sign or attention of the Nine. Their power and influence depends on the mass of nearby stellar bodies, and Europa falls within the sphere of Jupiter — as mighty a gravitational gatherer as anything outside the Sun itself.”
This instantly grabbed my attention. Does this mean then that we can expect an appearance from The Nine? Or is this implying they are watching and waiting?
Historically, The Nine are always ahead of us. They released Skolas, resulting in the battle at Twilight Gap. They disabled The Last City’s communication array to blind us from Ghaul’s attack on the city. Let’s not forget how they emboldened Variks to open the Prison of Elders and kill Cayde-6, leading to the release of Riven.
So not only are they interfering with the narrative road we walk along, these unknowns have been the cause of our most tragic history in Destiny. But when, or where they are, remains to be seen.
But not everything is cohesive within The Nine, which may end up playing a larger role in future installments.
Within the very ranks of The Nine, there is a division. Two factions exist, one that believes in life and the power of the Light, the other wishing to free themselves from their dependence on life and the Light, wanting to do as they wish. The latter has already begun experimenting with creating a life form through dark matter, although it's unstable.
This fracture has led to disagreements, the end result leaving us with fragmented lore entries that make it difficult to determine the difference between light and dark.
The truth behind these fractures and The Nine as a whole remains unclear and buried. All we have are snippets and theories, only adding to The Nine’s mystery. One thing is for certain, we will see more of them.
For now, we will have to bide our time and wait for our sentient unknowns to reveal their twisted hands of fate.
