While it isn't unusual for some characters in the same universe to have similar character arcs, a Destiny 2 player points out that Calus and The Traveler's narratives have been seemingly building to the same place ahead of the release of Lightfall. The Traveler and Calus have both been prominent characters within the game's universe for years now, with The Traveler being a constant above The Last City up until recently, while Calus' influence has grown since his introduction in the original Leviathan raid. Whether it was Bungie's plan or a complete coincidence, it appears these two are heading for the same point in their respective stories despite standing on opposite sides.
Narratively, The Traveler has been a constant in humanity's existence for centuries as it helped usher in humanity's golden age long before the beginning of Destiny and Destiny 2. Players have seen it hang above The Last City since 2014, though the ending of Season of the Seraph has seen it take a new place in high orbit above Earth and leave the space above The Last City empty. Calus, by contrast, became a presence in players' lives starting with the Leviathan raid before serving as the focal point of Season of Opulence and Season of the Haunted along with various bits of lore talking about his history as Cabal emperor.
Bungie has made it clear both characters will serve major roles in Lightfall, with The Witness arriving at the Sol System for its long-awaited confrontation with The Traveler while Calus invades Neomuna on The Witness' behalf. However, Reddit user WaterDrinkerUltimate noticed the two beings' arcs have landed them at similar points at the end of Season of the Seraph, with the only difference being which side they are on. WaterDrinkerUltimate points to a line by The Witness during the season finale cinematic where it says The Traveler has "nowhere left to run," and how it can also be applied to Calus. To see the full post on Reddit, click here.
The confrontation between The Traveler and The Witness has been building for years now, with the lore talking about the many races The Traveler gifted with The Light before fleeing and abandoning them to The Witness before the latter continues its chase. WaterDrinkerUltimate argues the same could be said of how guardians have pursued Calus after learning the Calus they faced in the Leviathan raid was a giant robotic stand-in for the deposed emperor. However, Calus becoming The Witness' newest disciple has seemingly put him in a position where he will not be able to avoid a direct confrontation with the guardians.
It creates an interesting narrative link between The Traveler and Calus heading into Lightfall, where both appear to be focal points of the expansion's narrative. Bungie has been working to blur the lines between good and evil in Destiny 2's story for years now, as seen most prominently with characters such as Eramis, Savathun, and Crow. While this link could have just been a happy accident, it does further blur those lines and open the door for further player speculation about where the Destiny universe is heading.
Destiny 2 is currently available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.