Bungie will forever be known as the developer who gave the world Halo, but for the past seven years, they have put all their focus into Destiny, an FPS MMO which has had a troubled history. Even with all of its issues, Destiny maintains a hardcore fanbase filled with players who log in at least once a week, and they do this because they love the gameplay, the lore, and the characters who fill the world.

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In Destiny, players assume the role of a Guardian, a resurrected Lightbearer who can wield Arc, Void, and Solar energy. However, the world is actually filled with hundreds of Guardians, all of whom are powerful. With that being said, there are certain Guardians in the game and the lore who stand above the rest in terms of strength, and this list will attempt to rank the strongest of them all.

Updated on May 6, 2023, by George Voutiritsas: From a narrative and gameplay perspective, Lightfall may not be the best Destiny expansion that Bungie has ever released, but it has set up the end of the Light and Darkness Saga pretty well. Lightfall may have its issues, but certain characters have gotten more involved in major events. Most of these characters are in fact Guardians, and they all possess a great deal of power because of their connection to the Light. Some of the most powerful Destiny characters are in fact Guardians, and some like Saint-14, Saladin, and Osiris are considered legends because of their strength. That being said, Destiny's lore is quite vast, and there are a number of characters considered the strongest guardians in Destiny.

22 Asher Mir

asher mir with a vex arm in destiny 2
  • Appears In: Destiny 2, Lightfall

In order for Bungie to bring in new locations like Neomuna, other locations needed to be vaulted. Io was one of them, but there was a logical explanation given for its disappearance. The moon was taken by The Witness, and Asher Mir was presumed to be dead. During Season of Defiance's Avalon Exotic quest, it was revealed that Asher integrated himself into the Vex Network. He managed to extract all the Vex's data about the Witness and the Veil, but doing so cost him his life. He is now a permanent part of the Vex Network, so he may reappear during Season of the Deep.

Asher was the local vendor, and he is a Warlock who cared for Eris Morn after she escaped from the Hellmouth. He studied the Hive and the Taken, but the Vex were the main focus of his research, which is why he explored the Pyramidion. After a terrifying encounter, Asher's right arm was replaced with a Vex's arm, which slowly poisons him, and his Ghost was augmented with Vex aesthetics.

21 Shaw Han

Shaw Han Offering Bounties In The Cosmodrome
  • Appears In: Destiny 2: Beyond Light

Shaw Han is considered a very skilled Hunter, which is why the Vanguard appointed him to be their representative in the Cosmodrome. Shaw's fireteam was attacked by a Hive sect commanded by Navôta, Eir Spawn. He was the only survivor.

Of all the NPCs, only Shaw possesses armor that players can acquire, and it shows what he has accomplished. The armor indicates that Shaw helped to hold off the Hive on Mars and that he has helped Failsafe on Nesus. His boots also prove that he has survived the Last Wish raid in the Dreaming City.

20 Crow

Crow from Destiny 2 alongside the crystal that Mara Sov imprisoned Savathun in.
  • Appears In: Destiny, The Taken King, Destiny 2: Forsaken, Shadowkeep, The Witch Queen & Lightfall

Uldren Sov was the Prince of the Awoken, and he has become one of Destiny's most unforgettable characters. He fought against Oryx's fleet when the Hive God invaded Sol, and when his sister "died," he did everything he could to bring her back. Unfortunately, he was corrupted and fooled by Riven.

He will forever be remembered as the man who killed Cayde-6, and many fans were shocked when a Ghost revived him as a Guardian. As Crow, he is a Hunter who works as a scout for the Vanguard, and he saved Osiris from a Hive Knight on the Moon. Since regaining the memories of his past life, Crow has struggled with his identity, which has created the best character arc in Destiny.

19 Sloane

Vanguard Deputy Commander Sloane
  • Appears In: Destiny 2
  • Rank: Deputy Commander of the Vanguard

Destiny 2 has a massive file size, and it is the reason why Bungie vaulted destinations like Titan, and in doing so, they killed off a relatively high-ranking guardian. Sloane was a Titan, and she was resurrected a long time ago. In fact, she helped build the walls of the Last City.

Sloane rose through the ranks of the Vanguard until she became Deputy Commander, which means that she could have become the Titan Vanguard if Zavala died or stepped down. She fought the Hive when they first appeared in the Sol system, and she fought at Twilight Gap. She secured Titan for the Vanguard, and when the Pyramid came, she took on a Hive army by herself.

18 Shiro-4

Shiro-4 At Felwinter Peak
  • Appears In: Destiny: Rise of Iron

Players first encountered Shiro-4 in 2016's Rise of Iron expansion, where he served as an NPC in the Felwinter Peak public space. Shiro is an Exo Hunter. The Vanguard consider him to be a vital part of their operation because of his ability to track and eliminate Fallen threats on Earth and the moon.

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Shiro defended The Last City during the infamous Fallen assault known as Six Fronts. It is thanks to him that the Outbreak Perfected pulse rifle exists. He was the protégé of Cayde-6, which explains why his combat skills are held in such high regard.

17 Eris Morn

Eris Discovering A Darkness Pyramid On The Moon
  • Appears In: Destiny: The Dark Below, The Taken King, Destiny 2: Shadowkeep, Beyond Light, and Season of the Haunted.
  • Rank: Member of the Hidden

Eris may have lost her Ghost, but she is still a Guardian, and she still serves as one of the Vanguard's Hidden Hunters. The Hidden are deep-infiltration scouts under the command of Ikora Rey. It is their job to gather intelligence on the Darkness and its subordinates.

Eris was part of the unsanctioned fireteam that attempted to kill the Hive Prince, Crota, but every single member died except for her. She managed to survive in the Hellmouth surrounded by Hive for years. In doing so, she learned a great deal about them. She now wields the Darkness power of Stasis, and she is one of only a few Guardians who have seemingly not been corrupted by it.

16 Kabr

A Titan Wearing Kabr's Armor Set
  • Appears In: Destiny

Kabr the Legionless was a legendary Titan who took part in the Great Ahamkara Hunt, and he was great friends with the Warlock Praedyth and the Hunter Pahanin. Together, they formed a formidable three-person Fireteam. Kabr was strong, but he was obsessed with the Vault of Glass.

He managed to survive being wiped from existence when his Fireteam encountered the Oracles, and he eventually became the sole member to reach the Vault. He lost his Ghost during the encounter, but in an effort to make his death mean something, he forged his Light into the Aegis, a powerful shield capable of changing fate itself.

15 The Drifter

Drifter The Rogue Lightbearer Holding A Gambit Coin
  • Appears In: Destiny 2: Forsaken, Beyond Light, and Season of the Plunder.
  • Rank: Rogue Lightbearer

The man who runs Gambit has gone by many names over the centuries, but for the time being, he prefers to be called Drifter. He was revived during the Dark Age, which means he is one of the oldest lightbearers. From the very beginning, Drifter was not a fan of the Light. In fact, he kept his powers and Ghost hidden for as long as he could.

During the City Age, he and his crew left the Sol system to search for something greater. They found something old and menacing instead, and Drifter was the only survivor. When he returned to the system, the Nine gifted him an item (the unknown object attached to his ship), and with the help of motes, he can use it to control a small army of Taken.

14 Andal Brask

Concept Art For Andal Brask-The Former Hunter Vanguard
  • Appears In: Destiny Lore
  • Rank: Former Hunter Vanguard

For most Destiny fans, Cayde-6 is the only Hunter Vanguard that they know, but there were others. Andal Brask was the Hunter Vanguard before Cayde, and they were very good friends. In fact, Cayde's hood was originally Andal's, and he wore it so he could remember and honor him.

Andal was Ana Bray's mentor, and he fought alongside other Guardians during the battle of Twilight Gap. At the start, Andal was not that serious about his position, to the point that he would leak information to his friends so that they could get the first crack at loot. He eventually took the role seriously, and he was ultimately killed by Taniks, the Scarred.

13 Cayde-6

Cayde-6 Using Golden Gun Against The Skorn in the Prison of Elders
  • Appears In: Destiny, The Taken King, Destiny 2, and Forsaken.
  • Rank: Former Hunter Vanguard

Every MMO has at least one character who is beloved by the vast majority of players. In Destiny, that character is without a doubt the Exo known as Cayde-6. The former Hunter Vanguard met his end in the opening mission of the Forsaken expansion, where he showcased his strength by taking on a small army of Skorn alone.

Cayde managed to survive the events of The Great Disaster, which saw thousands of Guardians perish to Crota and the Hive on the moon. When Ghaul stole the Traveler's Light, Cayde took on a large number of Cabal alongside his fire team before eventually getting too injured to move.

12 Zavala

Zavala In The Tower Just Before The Cabal Attack
  • Appears In: Destiny, The Taken King, Destiny 2, Warmind, Forsaken, Shadowkeep, Beyond Light, The Witch Queen, and Lightfall.
  • Rank: Current Titan Vanguard

Zavala is an iconic, though stoic character in Destiny 2 lore that received significant story depth during Season of the Haunted. As a Vanguard member, he holds remarkable skill. No matter what subclass they use, Titans are insanely powerful, and Zavala is capable of using both Void and Ark energy.

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Shortly after being named to the Vanguard, Zavala led his fellow Guardians into battle against a massive Fallen army, a battle that is famously known as Twilight Gap. Prior to the return of Saint-14, many considered him to be the strongest Titan alive. Seeing as his Titan bubble was strong enough to block a missile barrage from multiple Cabal ships, he might have been.

11 Ana Bray

Ana Bray & Her Ghost Finding Rasputin On Mars
  • Appears In: Destiny 2: Warmind, Seasons of the Worthy, Hunt, and Seraph.

The Warmind expansion finally introduced fans to Ana Bray, a hunter who is both intelligent and exceptionally skilled. Based on what she has done since her debut, Ana does not seem all that strong, but she is in fact quite powerful. In fact, she may even be the strongest Gunslinger alive.

Ana fought at Twilight Gap. When she ran out of ammo while trying to save a fellow Guardian, she activated her Golden Gun and incinerated a Fallen Captain and Baroness with two shots. This battle took place over 100 years ago, and the Light from her super is still present to this day.

10 Shin Malphur

Shin Malphur As Depicted in The Destiny Lore Book
  • Mentioned In: Destiny and Destiny 2

The name Dredgen Yor is despised within the Last City because it was the name of a Guardian who turned away from the Light and created a weapon that he used to permanently kill other Guardians. Yor was eventually killed by Shin Malphur, a human who had been blessed by the Traveler's light, which is why he became a Guardian without ever dying his first death.

Shin was a rogue Hunter who dedicated his life to eradicating Yor's followers, all of whom were former Guardians who were armed with the same Guardian killing weapon. After many years, he finally completed his quest. Guardians do not fear death, but these Shadows of Yor were terrified of Shin, and their fear is a testament to his power.

9 Felwinter

A Warlock Wearing Felwinter's Helmet
  • Appears In: Destiny: Rise of Iron
  • Rank: Iron Lord

Felwinter was one of the first Risen to be revived after the Collapse, but his story is unique because he was originally an Exo who was activated by Rasputin. He was tasked with collecting information and delivering it to humanity.

He claimed a territory for himself and became a Warlord, but he was not as violent as the others. When the Iron Lords came, he sided with them, and his mountain home became their base of operations. As a Warlock and master Voidwalker, Felwinter showed very little mercy to other Warlords, mainly because he wished to bring peace to the world. He was also one of the nine who made it to the SIVA replication chamber.

8 Jolder

Jolder Battling Siva in Rise of Iron
  • Appears In: Destiny: Rise of Iron
  • Rank: Iron Lord

Jolder and Saladin were very close friends, and she was one of the original four Iron Lords who began the campaign against the risen Warlords who controlled various parts of Earth. She was a Titan, and she was known for her beauty, but she was a talented fighter as well.

She did not possess any Titan armor Exotics, but she was still able to defeat a number of Warlords by herself. When the Warlords were gone, Jolder and her order went after SIVA, and she was one of the nine who made it to the replication chamber. She ended up sacrificing herself to stop SIVA's spread after it infected her.

7 Saladin Forge

Saladin Weilding His Machine Gun On Felwinter's Peak
  • Appears In: Destiny, Rise of Iron, Destiny 2, Season of the Chosen, Beyond Light, Season of the Risen, and Lightfall (briefly).
  • Rank: The Last True Iron Lord

Thanks to SIVA the Iron Lords are all but extinct, but Saladin Forge continues to honor his fallen brethren by regularly holding the Iron Banner event in the Crucible. Being an Iron Lord means that Saladin is one of the oldest Risen/Guardians alive. He helped to put down many of the original Risen who chose to become Warlords.

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Saladin was a pillar during the Battle of Six Fronts, where he prevented the Fallen from breaching the Last City's southern walls. He served as the top commander during Twilight Gap. He also defeated an Ahamkara in a one-on-one fight, and based on how powerful Riven was in the Last Wish raid, only a truly powerful Guardian could beat one of her kind single-handedly.

6 Lady Efrideet

Lady Efrideet Watching Over The Iron Banner
  • Appears In: Destiny: Rise of Iron

Lady Efrideet is the only other remaining Iron Lord. By all accounts, she is likely the oldest and most powerful of the Hunters. Once the Warlords were put down, Efrideet decided to leave Earth to join a group of pacifist Guardians who lived beyond Saturn.

When SIVA was defeated for good in Rise of Iron, she decided to come visit Earth more often. One of those visits occurred when the Red Legion attacked. It was then that Efrideet chose to become a fighter again, and she went on to single-handedly kill more than 200 Cabal without her Light. She did this without sustaining a single injury.

5 Radegast

A Statue Of Radagast
  • Appears In: Destiny: Rise of Iron (as a statue)
  • Rank: The First Iron Lord

Radegast was a legendary Titan who was revived during the Dark Age, but more importantly, he was the very first Iron Lord. He assembled the first group himself and led them against the Warlords. He fought Five Warlords at once with his team, and the battle left the area completely unrecognizable.

He personally led the defense against Warlord Segoth, who was exploiting and terrorizing a village. During the SIVA crisis, he was one of the nine Iron Lords to make it to the replication chamber, and he died after being overwhelmed by vicious nanotechnology. Only a truly powerful Guardian could lead such a legendary group of warriors.

4 Shaxx

Lord Shaxx Keeping An Eye on the Crucible From His Spot In The Tower
  • Appears In: Destiny and Destiny 2

Shaxx may have once been Lord Saladin's student, but he was by no means weaker than his teacher. Shaxx was one of the first Guardians to be resurrected, and he went on to become a Warlord. Unlike the other Warlords, though, he actually cared for his people.

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He was such a formidable foe that the Iron Lords sent Saladin, Efrideet, and Felwinter to slay him. Shaxx slew Felwinter every day for weeks until he finally agreed to bring his people to the Last City. If it was not for Shaxx's quick thinking and ferocity on the battlefield, the Guardians would have lost the Battle of Twilight Gap, as he led the defensive charge through the Fallen ranks.

3 Ikora

Ikora At Her Spot In tHE Tower Overlooking The City
  • Appears In: Destiny, The Taken King, Destiny 2, Curse of Osiris, Forsaken, Shadowkeep, Beyond Light, The Witch Queen, and Lightfall.
  • Rank: Current Warlock Vanguard

Ikora is the Warlock Vanguard, a position she has held for over a century. As far as the lore is concerned, she may be the strongest Voldwalker alive. She learned everything she knew from her teacher Osiris, who saw something in her during her days in the Crucible. She also led a successful raid deep into Hive territory on the Moon, where she rescued a fragment of the Traveler.

Shaxx is one of the strongest Guardians alive and has proven his strength time and time again in the Crucible where he has suffered just a single loss, and that loss was at the hands of Ikora.