Destiny 2 is a sprawling universe and Bungie is committed to evolve the storyline for years to come. As stated by the game director, the narrative team is now focusing on nurturing the already existing roster of characters instead of introducing new ones. None of that is more evident than in the case of Uldren Sov, or the Crow. Here is how Bungie completely transformed this Awoken royalty.
Uldren Sov was an Awoken prince and acted as the right hand of, and advisor to, Mara Sov. Players first met him during the vanilla campaign of Destiny in which Uldren acted irritable and cynical towards the player due to his disdain for all Guardians. He reluctantly helped The Guardian find the Black Garden, enter it, and kill the Heart of Darkness.
Before Destiny 2, the last major appearance of Uldren would be during the opening cinematic of The Taken King. In it, many Awoken higher ups, including Uldren and Queen Mara Sov, would supposedly become casualties to serve a higher cause. After his bombastic exit, Uldren's deeds were delivered through lore entries until Destiny 2. During his time as a loner, Uldren relentlessly searched for his sister Mara, whom he believed to also be alive.
His pursuit to unite with his sister led him to commit treacherous acts, turning him into a controversial if not infamous figure. However, he reached new lows in Forsaken, during which he instigated a prison riot, swarmed the Reef with Scorn, and most importantly, killed Cayde-6, leaving the Vanguard in disarray. These also garnered much hate from the Reef's enforcers such as Petra Venj and the Spider. Uldren then stole a splinter of the Traveler and let the Scorn break into the sacred Awoken world of the Dreaming City.
The prince's madness culminated with him unleashing a Taken Chimera, called the Voice of Riven, which devoured him immediately. Players killed the abomination and freed Uldren from its belly. Petra Venj arrived shortly after to question the prince as he defended his heinous acts by stating that he only did them to save Mara. Considered irredeemable by The Guardian and Petra, Uldren was executed on the spot. However, no one to this day knows who pulled the trigger.
Soon after, it became clear that Uldren's desire to free Mara was being manipulated by an almighty dragon. This creature, Riven, had forced the Prince to commit the acts that he did. Uldren was laid to rest in an Awoken terrace despite his disloyalty to his people. Months later, he was unexpectedly resurrected by a Ghost, a process that wipes the memory of the risen, including their name. Now a Guardian with a fresh start, Uldren journeyed through the wilds and tried to settle.
However, most people he met treated Uldren with animosity as they never forgot that he murdered Cayde-6. Uldren could never understand the source of this hatred because he had no recollection of it. He tried to use his powers for good as much as he could and eventually found himself at the doorstep of the Spider, who took advantage of Uldren's amnesia and naivety. The Fallen mob boss gave Uldren an ultimatum, struck a contract, and renamed him the Crow. Despite essentially being a captive, the Crow served as an honorable guard of the Spider's Reef and befriended multiple Fallen.
It became clear that the Crow was a far cry from his former self, Uldren Sov. He was now a kind, earnest, and noble person. As another plague sprang in the Reef, the Crow saved Osiris, the most powerful and knowledgeable Lightbearer alive, from certain death. Then, stunned in disbelief, The Guardian met the Crow and learned about his predicament with the Spider. The Fallen baron urged The Guardian to not refer to the Crow by his original name or to bring up his past for his sake.
Accepting that the Crow is a completely different person than Uldren, The Guardian decided to be gentle towards him. The Crow demonstrated his compassion and knowledge quite quickly, earning the respect of his new allies. After multiple excursions, The Guardian and Crow grew close together as the Crow shared some of his closest secrets. Convinced that the former prince is deserving of a second chance and a better life, The Guardian freed him by exploiting a hole in the Spider's contract. The Fallen crime lord hesitantly agreed as he doesn't enjoy breaking his word.
Season of the Hunt ended in a cliffhanger as the Crow left the clutches of the Spider with nowhere particular to go or do. The Crow is now a free Guardian with valuable knowledge and has a powerful ally in the player-controlled Guardian. It will be very interesting to see how The City receives him or how the Crow will receive them. There are rumors that he'll visit the Tower, whatever form that takes.
Destiny 2 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.