Players have been pulling on the threads of Destiny 2’s narrative and realized that Bungie has been building to Savathun for years. The Witch Queen is a major part of the Hive lore and serves as one of their three ascendant gods. Recently, Savathun has also become a major part of Season of the Lost, which is building up to the Witch Queen expansion in 2022. While she has framed her story for this season as a tragedy of sorts, players must remember who she is moving forward.
Savathun and her subset of Hive are not antiheroes or tragic characters in Destiny 2. They are not beings to be redeemed in the future and shouldn’t be hopeful allies either. The Witch Queen is notorious for her powers of manipulation and deceit, something that she’s used against friend and foe alike. The closer she is to being freed from her Worm god, the more players should be ready for her to become a greater threat.
Forsaken
As much as Savathun may be trying to escape the Hive God of War and her dark master, she is also to blame for many of the problems that Guardians have run into. While Savathun has been a great source of lore for Destiny 2, she also is largely responsible for the predicament in the Dreaming City. Without Savathun’s help, Riven likely would not have trapped the Awoken dimension within a time loop.
On top of this, Savathun watched from the shadows as Uldren Sov was led astray, leading to the death of Cayde-6, and acted as the aforementioned Riven’s new master following Oryx’s death. Her demeanor and ferocity frightened the immensely powerful Ahamkara, who hoped that she would only continue to play her games. With such a strong entity concerned about Savathun’s true intentions, even as the Witch Queen continued to orchestrate calamities and wreak havoc from the shadows, there doesn’t seem to be much good that the Hive Goddess could offer.
Shadowkeep and Savathun's Quest for Power
Savathun’s methods were also precise and ruthless when she meticulously worked to turn the Vanguard’s sights back to the Moon and on the Hidden Swarm in Shadowkeep. She ruthlessly aimed to wipe out the remnants of her brother’s bloodline and keep everyone’s eyes away. Even in recent seasons as the Cabal have shown honor and the Eliksni have grown to become allies, Savathun has only continued to devise ways to gain power through the Hive, culminating with the perversions of Light that are her Hive Guardians.
With the powers of both Light and Dark, she could pose a threat that Guardians can’t even begin to imagine. The Hive Gods fit an interesting pattern, but Savathun’s character has consistently shown her to be an enemy that cannot be underestimated. Offering the Witch Queen the benefit of the doubt could bring about major consequences.
On top of this, she has only continued to be questionable at best, and nefarious at worst in Season of the Lost. Even though she expects help from the player, she shares responsibility for the Taken being able to spread throughout the Ascendant Plane and Dreaming City. Mara Sov removing Savathun’s Worm might be necessary, but it could also lead to the Witch Queen wreaking even more havoc on the system.
Beyond Light
Destiny 2’s current problems being blamed on the Witch Queen isn’t the only reason that Savathun shouldn’t be redeemed. She has done a great job at deceiving both players and major characters alike. Even her current actions show that Savathun is not trustworthy.
Despite needing the aid of both the Guardians and Mara Sov, Savathun continues to hold Osiris hostage. This is after she spent several seasons impersonating the Warlock and acting as Crow’s mentor. While fans suspected something was up, this came to a head in Season of the Splicer, and is a good example of why she continues to be untrustworthy.
Savathun insists that she will return Osiris, but not until she gets what she wants. Thus, she has once again worked herself into a corner where she can’t be seen outside of her negative actions. The longer the season goes on, the more the Warlock’s future seems unsure. With Savathun being marketed as the big bad of the Witch Queen expansion fans of Osiris should probably be prepared for the worst.
Osiris might be dead, or he may not be the only one in the Witch Queen’s clutches. It’s entirely possible Savathun might have already taken other Guardians. If she was able to get ahold of someone as powerful and resilient as Osiris, there is nothing to say that she can’t also capture and corrupt others.
Season of the Lost
In the end, Savathun might have a sob story that she is ready to tell others, but that doesn’t mean she is a victim in the grand scheme of Destiny's story. While she may be seeking refuge from Xivu Arath and the Darkness, it is clear that her intentions are only to continue her reign. She is drawn to power and feeds off the confusion that she causes. Savathun putting herself in a vulnerable position while her enemies continue to try and figure out her next move is likely only part of a larger scheme.
While the Witch Queen and the Hive may want to break away from the restrictions of the Darkness and the tribute to their Worm gods, it seems clear that they won't become allies in The Witch Queen expansion. The Light is likely just a tool for them. Savathun has no interest in serving the Traveler or the Pyramids. Instead, she wants to usurp both forces. Like the player’s character, she is a paracausal entity, and she doesn’t see herself restrained by ideas of bad or good.
Destiny 2 is now available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.