Perfect Paradox

"A tale that's different from the rest: the thread unfurls against the clocks. The one the Speaker loved the best must have a perfect paradox."

- Weapon Description

Perfect Paradox is a Legendary Shotgun in Destiny 2 introduced in the Curse of Osiris expansion. It is obtained after completing the Legends Lost world quest on Mercury, as part of a series of weapons created using the Infinite Forge. It is also obtainable after completing Recovering the Past in Season of Dawn.

The Perfect Paradox is the signature weapon of the legendary Saint-14, a Titan thought long lost after venturing through the Infinite Forest in search of the notorious Warlock, Osiris. True to the weapon's name, the Perfect Paradox is subject to myth in its own right; The weapon was supposedly in the possession of the Guardian before being given to Saint-14 at an unspecified point in the past, having been forged in the present day. To forge the weapon, the Guardian traveled to the Simulant Future to visit the Titan's grave and recover his personal effects. After the weapon was reforged using the Infinite Forge, it was then bestowed back to him as it had originally. However, unable to navigate or escape the timelines of the Infinite Forest like Osiris could, Saint-14 remained stuck in his timeline and proceeds through the events leading to his death while holding the Perfect Paradox. The timeline eventually progresses to the Simulant Future where the weapon is recovered by the Guardian, thus repeating the cycle of its lifespan.

This cycle was broken through the events of Season of Dawn, where Osiris and the Guardian finally manage to free Saint-14 from the loop and allow him to exit the Infinite Forest.

Lore
''I never found Osiris, but I've killed enough Vex to end a war. And they, in turn, struck a fatal blow: they completed a Mind with the sole function to drain the Light from me. It worked very well.'' ''Don't worry (not that you worry much). It took them centuries to build, keyed to the unique frequency of my Light. And I sit atop its shattered husk.'' ''I mourn that I will never reach the heights you have. To me, you represent everything a Guardian can become. Yours is a thriving City. So different from mine. My whole fourteenth life I fought to make my City yours. I never finished.'' ''All I have left is this weapon. The Cryptarchs say you crafted it yourself, built it out of scraps and Light and sheer will, inside the Infinite Forge. I'll make sure it finds its way back to you. When you gave it to me, I swore I would make it my duty to follow your example.'' I'm still trying. -Saint-14

Trivia

 * Interestingly, when aiming down sights with Perfect Paradox, the weapon lacks a holographic reticule. Instead, the player needs to rely on the weapon's physical iron sight, a feature not dissimilar to weapons such as the No Land Beyond exotic sniper rifle.
 * There is a golden fleur-de-lis symbol stamped onto the underside of the shotgun, located on the magazine loading port. Historically, the fleur-de-lis is often used to signify royalty or sainthood.

List of appearances

 * Destiny 2
 * Curse of Osiris
 * Season of Dawn