The Witch Queen will soon be the main enemy that players have to face in Destiny 2. Savathun has spent years slowly revealing herself to Guardians while pulling the strings of certain events from the shadows. In recent memory, this has meant exploiting Crow and the Vanguard's trust for Osiris while scheming to free herself of her worm. Once The Witch Queen expansion releases in February, Savathun will finally have her full debut and bring significant changes for Destiny 2.

Getting to The Witch Queen has been a long journey for the Hive Goddess. While the new Lucent Brood is a show of Savathun’s power, the Hive God was not always as fearsome a foe. Before the events of even the first Destiny game, Savathun led a different life, one that molded her into the Witch Queen and saw her devastate entire civilizations. This life centered around her own survival and the shared experiences Savathun and her siblings Oryx and Xivu Arath had before becoming Hive.

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Savathun, the Witch Queen

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Born on Fundament, the Hive God that became Savathun was originally named Sathona. After the assassination of her father and failed attempts on her and her sisters, Xi Ro and Aurash, Sathona took charge of the worm that their father had adopted. This worm lead the sisters to the depths of Fundament’s oceans where they would commune with the Worm Gods. While not as powerful as the Darkness and its pyramid ships, the Worm Gods provided the Hive Gods with individual morphs alongside immortality and the power to lay siege to worlds.

Sathona and her siblings become Savathun, Auryx, and Xivu Arath. As the first Hive, they set the rules for their species and continued to use the power of their worms and the tribute system to grow. While this was sustainable for a time, they ultimately understood that the tributes their worms needed were becoming too much. In response, the Hive Gods plotted against their worms, with Auryx killing his sisters for their power. This led to Auryx gaining the power to Take and completed his transformation into Oryx, the Taken King. He would eventually resurrect his sisters through acts of war and cunning, and Savathun tried to seal her brother in his throne world to cut him off from tribute.

While Savathun failed and Oryx responded by crippling her tribute, it helped teach her how to scheme. She deceived his son and had Crota open a portal for the Vex to enter Oryx’s throne world. The ensuing war was long, but Oryx ultimately prevailed and was able to Take the Vex Mind, Quria, whom he gifted to Savathun. All of this was part of the Witch Queen’s plans and Quria, Blade Transform became the key Savathun needed to disappear in a black hole and progress.

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Savathun's Development in Destiny 2

Savathun, the Witch Queen, stands in front of the black Pyramid that resides in her throne world in Destiny 2.

Savathun’s experiences while in the black hole are relatively unknown, but her return pits her against the Last City and the Reef simultaneously. Following Oryx’s demise, Savathun reached out to the Dreaming City’s Taken and the last Ahamkara, Riven. She manipulated the Awoken Prince, Uldren Sov, and used proxies in the Reef to engage her enemies leading to the death of Cayde-6. While Savathun’s ultimate goal in this situation has yet to be realized, she has been able to make a frighteningly successful play.

The Shattered Throne, one of the dungeons in Destiny 2, is both Savathun’s failure and enduring effort. Here her daughter Dul Incaru provides unlimited tribute for Savathun while acting as an agent hoping to discover the location of the Distributary. This well-guarded original home of the Awoken would provide Savathun with considerable power, but remains lost to her. While Dul Incaru can be killed in The Shattered Throne, the last wish that Riven grants before dying creates a three-week time loop to curse the Dreaming City. In this loop, Dul Incaru has an unlimited number of opportunities to discover the entrance to the Distributary, as each time she dies she comes back with new knowledge.

This level of cunning is something that remains consistent with Savathun. Her Crown of Sorrows was a trap laid for Emperor Calus, and ultimately gave the Hive access to his ship. While players defeated Ghalran, Savathun is still able to infect Calus’ Loyalists, an act that may have led to his obsession and demise - as hinted in Season of the Splicer.

In the Shadowkeep expansion, Savathun also influenced the Hidden Swarm to gain the attention of the Guardians, which led to the elimination of Oryx’s bloodline. While this expansion was the major introduction of the Darkness and its pyramids, it was also a key point in Savathun’s plots. She meticulously eliminated other Hive that might one day oppose her, and gave the Tower a place to focus on apart from her schemes.

Savathun’s Song

The Lucent Brood of Savathun's Hive from the upcoming Witch Queen expansions for Destiny 2.

Savathun’s skills when it comes to manipulating her enemies are impressive, but the possible foundation for them is her viral language. Savathun’s Song has been described as an infection; a melody to be passed from person to person. Its exact uses are unknown, but she has been able to influence those who have heard it, and even used it to corrupt the leadership of the Future War Cult during her time impersonating Osiris.

Right now, the song has infected several key members of the Tower as well as other allies of the Last City. Crow, Eris Morn, Osiris, Lord Shaxx, and Saint-14 are all confirmed to have heard Savathun’s song, and the player’s Guardian has too. This means the Witch Queen could have substantial influence over some of the most important characters in Destiny 2 before being free of the Worm Gods.

This could become a major problem in The Witch Queen expansion, as the true nature of Savathun’s Song is still unknown. Players are already worried about Savathun keeping her promise to return Osiris, and another advantage over the Last City is an obstacle the Vanguard probably isn’t prepared for. If Savathun’s Song does come into play during the expansion’s campaign, it will only add to the threats that players will face.

Destiny 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.

MORE: The Role Xivu Arath Might Play in Destiny 2: The Witch Queen