Why Destiny 2’s Renegades Brought Me Back to Play Again (Pt. 2)
Welcome back to HB Theory! I hope the holidays treated you well!
Today’s article finishes the two-part series of Why Destiny 2’s Renegades Brought Me Back to Play Again. In part two, we’ll dive into some of the lore, and I’ll share some of the reasons Renegades has piqued my interest.
If Destiny isn’t your forte don’t worry! There is more to see on HB Theory besides videogames, and I’m stoked to share my experiences with all of pop and creative culture with you!
Introductions aside, let’s get it started.
The Call Back
The decision to spend $40 on Destiny may sound crazy in 2025. As previously mentioned in part one, the game was on the decline and Guardians1 around the world were vaulting their guns and armor in somber acceptance. Admittedly, I was about to do the same. I hadn’t touched the game in some time and nothing I saw within Renegades prompted my return.
On first glance, Renegades reeked of a cash grab. And to be very honest, I can’t say for certain the cross-over wasn’t, but I can appreciate the expansion’s storyline and how it affects Destiny’s lore.
When Bungie dropped the name of the lightsaber, I knew I had heard it before. Praxic.
I scoured my brain for answers. I didn’t grow up watching 3-hour Destiny lore videos for nothing and sure enough, It clicked.
I recalled seeing that name on one of my favorite exotics2 in Destiny 1 called Heart of the Praxic Fire.
You’re telling me that Bungie inadvertently named the poster child of Renegades after a piece of armor from over ten years ago?
Nah, I knew this wasn’t a coincidence.
In both Destiny and Destiny 2, there are infrequent whispers of a group called The Praxic Order. Before I walk you through the rabbit hole of why this connection is game breaking, let me explain some much-needed background information to catch you up to speed.
Good Versus Evil…Or is it?
Just like any other fictional work, Destiny has forces within the universe, or “powers” (for lack of a better word). Think like DragonBall’s Ki, or better yet, Star Wars’s Force.
These powers are split between Light and Dark. With light subclasses, we can refer to them as electricity, fire, and space energy (arc, solar, and void respectively). And for darkness we have ice (stasis) and green spider webs (strand). I know that last one may leave you scratching your chin, but stay with me.
As the “good guys”, we utilize the forces of light. Inversely, the “bad guys” use the darkness. A bit predictable right?
Well, for the longest time, the darkness didn’t have a tangible reference. We (as characters) held the perspective that the “darkness” was our enemies embodied, but with a losing war on the horizon in Destiny 2’s Beyond Light (2020), that perspective shifts.
During the expansion, we encounter, battle, and harness the power of stasis. To make a very long story short, we learn that the “darkness” isn’t innately evil, it’s just another force within the universe.
In other words, what’s light and dark is a matter of perspective. For example, in Star Wars, both the Jedi AND the Sith use the force. The way they interact, treat, and utilize the force determines the way it’s represented. It’s the same concept over here in Destiny.
Beyond Light was nearly six years ago, and the concept of what is good, evil, or anything in between is still affecting our story today.
For simplicity’s sake, I’ll skip the in-depth explanation of the light and dark subclasses. As understanding what they actually are would require you to be reading for a while. So, for now, the loose interpretations above will have to suffice.
The point is —not everyone jumped on these shiny new ideas of darkness. And in that group of people, guess who still believed in the ol’ “light vs. dark” ideology?
You guessed it! The Praxic Order!
Ironic Space Geezers
Remember that blade up there? The Praxic one? Yea, it’s powered by darkness. Or at the very least, a relic that’s adjacent to it.
The irony in the situation lies in the fact that these guys believed Guardians should refrain from interacting with the darkness and instead, fight it. But we’re also talking about the same individuals that stored darkness relics and did so in the name of “safety”. Right…
Now the claim of safety isn’t completely invalid. There have been artifacts in the past that have tainted even the brightest individuals *cough cough.. Thorn3* -but the fact that we are uncovering major plot points this far into the journey is why I came back.
Especially when teasers reference the name of an order that has had a direct effect on the story line thus far. And by direct, I mean the events that transpire in both Destiny and Destiny 2 would not and could not have happened without their involvement. Seeing the Praxic Order’s influence in front of us as opposed to hearing it in off-handed lore tabs is why I came back.
While I do understand that not everyone that plays Destiny is up to date on the lore, or even if they care at all, I will say is that it’s a win-win situation. Lore-enthusiasts (like me) get mysteries solved and more evidence towards new theories and pure-game enjoyers (also me) get to swing a lightsaber.
So hell yea I spent $40 to discover the truth about the lightsaber’s name. And I’d do it again.
- Guardians are revived and chosen by the Light to fight the darkness. (It’s who you play as when playing Destiny)
- Exotics are the highest tier rarity in Destiny. A player can only equip a total of two on their character at a time. One in their gear slot and the other in their armor slot.
- Thorn is an exotic hand-cannon (big revolver-like gun) that was originally called “Rose” but its wielder, Rezyl Azzir, was corrupted by Hive magic, went crazy, and transformed his weapon into a light-devouring weapon of sorrow.
This has been the second article on HB Theory!
I hope you found it interesting and even if you clicked and mindlessly scrolled, I appreciate the time you took out of your day to read what I had to say!
More to come -HB
Title Image © Bungie, Inc. All rights reserved. This artwork is the property of Bungie, Inc. and is used here for informational and editorial purposes.
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