Editing Malok, Pride of Oryx

{{Boss infobox
|nameBG=black
|BG=black
|sectionBG=black
|lineBG=black
|name= Malok, Pride of Oryx
|image= [[File:Grimoire Malok Pride of Oryx.jpg|300px]]
|species=[[Hive]] {{C|formerly}}<br>[[Taken]]
|othernames= Taken Prince <br> Prince Malok
|faction= [[Savathûn's Brood]] {{C|formerly}}<br>[[Blood of Oryx]]
|rank= [[Prince]] <br> [[Ultra]]
|class= [[Taken Knight]]
|mission= [[Pretender to the Throne]] <br> [[The Blighted Chalice]]
|gender= Male
|weapon= {{Icon|Arc}} [[Boomer]]
|ability= {{Icon|Kinetic}} Fist of Darkness <br> High Durability <br> Rapid Movement <br> Summon Taken <br> Summon [[Blight]]s <br> Shadow Touched <br> {{Icon|Solar}} Burn Projectiles <br> {{Icon|Void}} Axion Darts
}}
{{Quote|Malok! Listen — I took you from your mother, my sister / Your shape is new / This shape is poison — the shape of secrets / I name you Malok, which means My Poison / A prize to taunt sister [[Savathûn]] / Steal now for me.|[[Oryx, the Taken King]]}}<ref name="Malok"/>

'''Malok, Pride of Oryx''' is a [[Taken]] [[Prince]] and a son of [[Savathûn|Savathûn, the Witch-Queen]] who rose to power in the aftermath of the defeat of [[Oryx, the Taken King]], becoming a prime candidate to seize Oryx's vacant throne and become the new Taken King. He is first encountered in the [[Story]] Mission [[Pretender to the Throne]], where the [[The Guardian|Guardian]] tries to stop Malok from occupying the throne. He is met again in the [[Blighted Chalice]] [[Strike]], where he plans to roost a nest of Taken within the [[Shrine of Oryx]] and lead them on a full-scale assault on [[the Last City]]. 

==Biography==
{{Quote|Malok has lived with his power for many, many years, His hideous skin is a sign of his age, his cruelty.|Eris Morn}}<ref name="BC"/>
Originally an unnamed [[Thrall]], Malok was begat by his mother to turn against the Taken King himself by tithing upon his tribute to fuel hers under the cloak of deceit and cunning. Her ploy failed as he selfishly took Oryx's tribute for himself instead and grew in strength till he became a [[Knight]] and eventually a [[Prince]]. Unfortunately, Malok's thievery would be noticed by Oryx, who Took the Prince and name him Malok (meaning My Poison in the Hive tongue) in mockery of Savathûn's failed machination.<ref name="Malok">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''[[Destiny]]: [[April Update]] - [[Grimoire]]:[[Grimoire:Enemies|Enemies]]/[[Grimoire:Enemies/The Taken|The Taken]], [[Grimoire:Enemies/The Taken#Malok, Pride of Oryx|Malok, Pride of Oryx]]''</ref> Malok was sworn into servitude to his uncle, albeit retaining some of his will until the latter's demise by the [[Guardian]]s.

Unlike most Taken, which exude blights wherever they go, Malok was able to control the [[Taken Blight|Taken Blights]] at his disposal; empowering them at his command and becoming formidable enough to take claim of the Osmium Throne.<ref name="BC"/> However, before he could perfect his work with the blights, [[Variks]] summoned the Guardians to capture Malok for his Prison but [[Eris Morn]] pressed that Malok had to be killed to prevent anyone from claiming Oryx's throne.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''Destiny: April Update - [[At The Gates]]''</ref> Malok was driven out of the Dreadnaught<ref>'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''Destiny: April Update - [[Pretender to the Throne]]''</ref> and into the Hellmouth, to the Shrine of Oryx. There he was cornered and killed by the Guardians, which put an end to all possible contenders for the vacant Osmium throne.<ref name="BC">'''Bungie (2015/9/15)''', ''Destiny: April Update - [[Blighted Chalice]]''</ref>

===Legacy===
{{Quote|Malok was one of the only Taken to retain their will. They were a unique being, now reduce to an — albeit powerful — artifact.|Eris Morn}}<ref name="Malok's Head"/>
Many years after Malok's death, it would be revealed his mother had taken possession of his head and kept it in her [[Court of Savathûn|Throne World]]. She attempted to use it to excise the [[Echo of Navigation]] from the [[High Heresy]] and trap it in her own court. Eris Morn and the Guardian put a stop to this plan and stole Malok's head, prompting an outburst from the Witch Queen. Upon securing the artifact, Eris wondered whether they could use it to procure a panacea for [[Sloane]]'s Taken affliction.<ref name="Malok's Head">'''Bungie (2025/4/1)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Episode: Heresy]] - [[Act_III:_Crossed_Blades#Step_8|Act III: Crossed Blades: Step 8]]''</ref>

==Gameplay==
===Pretender to the Throne===
Malok is encountered twice in the [[April Update]]. He is first met in the mission [[Pretender to the Throne]] on the [[Dreadnaught]], where he plans to threaten the [[Guardian]] upon their arrival. To show his might, he sends forth a wave of Taken to fend off the Guardian. The Guardian succeeds, but Malok teleports to the [[Shrine of Oryx]] to secure his power. 

===Blighted Chalice===
The Guardian confronts him again in the [[Blighted Chalice]] strike, and he has some deadly tricks up his sleeve. His mere presence covers the floor in a dark mist that disables recovery and agility, and throughout the fight, he will continue to summon [[Taken Blight]]s. These blights will bring forth waves of [[Taken]] minions that should be disposed of quickly. Destroying the blights will also clear up space for Guardians to gain a foothold on the battlefield.

Like most Knights, Malok is armed with a [[Boomer]] that rapidly fires fast-traveling [[Arc]] Bolts that deal high explosive damage, so he can constantly siege and overtake your position even when you're hiding in cover, and if a Guardian gets too close, he will pound the ground with his fist to create a gigantic shockwave that will instantly kill them. He is capable of moving blindingly fast as well, making it tricky for the player to keep their reticle on target. However, after sustaining enough damage (approximately 75% of his health), Malok drops his Boomer, thus signifying a change in his tactics.

His first attack is an ability typical of [[Taken Knight]]s: sending forth a barrage of Solar projectiles that linger on the ground, creating a fiery trap that rapidly drains the health of Guardians who step in them. He uses this attack very often; it has a very long reach, and the "Shadow Touched" debuff he casts on the floor makes it all the more difficult to avoid. The best defense from this attack is to find adequate cover.

After reaching a certain health threshold (approximately 45% to 50%), Malok will begin sending out Axion Darts like those of [[Taken Centurion]]s. They are quickly and constantly fired in different directions and can unpredictably bounce off of and move around corners to track their targets, and should they all manage to home in on your fireteam, they will quickly cause a team wipe considering that Malok sends them in clusters of four. These darts must be destroyed to reduce or, better yet, eliminate the chances of dying from homing, long-ranged attacks. This change in tactics makes Malok a very dangerous foe and therefore should be engaged with caution, as he doesn't even need to get close to score a kill.

==Family==
{{Hive Pantheon}}

==Trivia==
*Malok is one of the few [[Taken]] who possess [[Quria|independent]] [[Riven of a Thousand Voices|thought]] and the first the player fights.<ref name="Malok's Head"/>
*Malok was first identified by two items added to ''[[Destiny]]'s'' database by ''[[The Taken King]]'': the [[Pulse Rifle]] [[Grasp of Malok]], which drops from the [[Will of Crota]] [[Strike]], and the Strike-exclusive [[Hunter]] Helmet [[Hood of Malok]].
*The killcam shows that Malok belongs to the Hive sect [[Blood of Oryx]] even though he is Taken. This may be a developer oversight.
**But since he is a son of [[Savathûn]], he also used to belong to the [[Savathûn's Brood]] before he was Taken.
*After losing his Boomer and being dealt enough critical damage, Malok's gel-like head will swell and eventually burst.
*Malok is the second [[Strike]] boss in the ''[[Destiny]]'' universe to have changing tactics in-game, the first being [[S.A.B.E.R.-2]].
*Malok underwent two changes in [[Episode: Heresy]]. Firstly, the pronunciation of his name, which Eris pronounces more like 'Moh-lock' instead of the 'Mah-lock' she and Variks pronounce his name as in Destiny. The other is his appearance, where his head is similar to that of [[Kelgorath, Risen from Bones|Kelgorath, Taken from Bones]] and his [[Disciple of Malok|Disciples]], in which they use shrunken [[Barrier Knight]] horns on the sides.
*In Episode: Heresy, Eris refers to Malok by they/them pronouns.<ref name="Malok's Head/>

==Gallery==
<gallery>
File:Malok_destiny.jpg|Malok readies his [[Boomer]] to face his assassins
File:Malok 1.jpg|Malok unarmed
File:Malok 2.jpg|Malok performing a Fist of Darkness
File:Malok head collect.jpg|Malok's head as seen in [[Episode: Heresy]]

</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Destiny]]: [[The Taken King]]'' {{fm}}
**''[[April Update]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Episode:  Heresy]]''

==References==
<references/>

{{Bosses|D1}}

[[Category:Enemies]]
[[Category:Taken characters]]
[[Category:Main antagonists]]