Subjugator

Subjugator
Biographical information
Faction:	Dread ; Psion Conclave ; Revenant Scorn
Purpose:	Strand and Stasis leader units

"With tools of subjugation, you shall teach them. Until all Light bends toward the finality of our horizon."

— The Witness to two newly created Subjugators^[1]

Subjugators are powerful Dread commanders that serve the Witness; utilizing the Darkness powers of Stasis and Strand at their disposal. They were first encountered within the Traveler's Pale Heart.

Overview

Subjugators are tall, lean, black-skinned humanoid beings that bear a resemblance to Rhulk, Disciple of the Witness. Like the Tormentors, their heads are metallic and faceless, with only a small yellow light emanating from their heads. They lead the forces of the Witness on the battlefield, using their glaives to channel either Stasis or Strand powers. Subjugators who control Stasis are called "Omens", and Subjugators who wield Strand are called "Harbingers."

Subjugators were among the first Dread to be created by the Witness using the Traveler's Light, with the first of their number, Keit'Ehr, being created by the Witness from memories preserved in Resonance.^[2] Later Subjugators appear to have been derived from a variety of sources; in one instance, the Witness created two Subjugators by splitting a Tormentor in half and reshaping the pieces using the Light, with one half being imbued with a memory of Europa and becoming the Omen Selin, and the other half receiving a memory of Neomuna and becoming the Harbinger Yemiq.^[1]

Subjugators are observed to be far more composed and refined than their Dread counterparts. With most foot soldiers being little more than fragmented pieces of their origin species and Tormentors acting akin to brutes. Meanwhile Subjugators bow, challenge, and brandish their weapon respectfully upon eliminating the current threat. Though this act can be quickly dropped and become just as fierce as their Tormentor partners.

Gameplay

Subjugators will prefer to stay at mid-range, using their ranged glaive attacks to harass players while empowering their allies. Occasionally they will launch a special attack that can leave players vulnerable if hit. When in melee range they will swing their glaives at players, and occasionally perform a kick reminiscent of Rhulk. After losing about 60% of their health, they will enrage, doubling the amount of projectiles fired from their glaives and granting them 30% damage resistance.

Known Subjugators

Harbinger of the Witness

Omen of the Witness

Variants

Harbinger of the Witness - Subjugators that use Strand attacks

Omen of the Witness - Subjugators that use Stasis attacks

Trivia

Due to Tormentors bearing a similar appearance to Nezarec, and the Subjugators bearing a similar appearance to Rhulk, it can be inferred that the Witness models its personal enforcers after its Disciples.
- This would be alluded to previously by Quinn Laghari during her idle dialogue.^[3]
- Additionally, several Subjugators share a similar name format to Lubraeans mentioned in the Shattered Suns Lorebook.
Both Omens and Harbingers have a golden left hand, similar in appearance to the Stasis gauntlet wielded by Eramis, Kell of Darkness on her upper left hand.
According to a now-deleted post on X by former Bungie employee Jeff Robison, most if not all Subjugators are female.^[4]^[5] Consistent with this, Subjugators speak in a feminine voice, unlike their Tormentor allies, who have a more masculine voice. Further, in the Sundered Doctrine questline, Savathûn mentions participating in "girl talk" with Subjugators, implying that they are indeed female.^[6] The lore book Songs of Descent additionally refers to Subjugators as "sisters" and Tormentors as "brothers", while in one of the Lore Tabs for the Flain Suit armor, the Subjugators Selin and Yemiq are described using both feminine and gender-neutral pronouns.^[1]
Some Subjugators have been seen spawning in as either variant, most notably Qeilumn, Subjugator of Wilderness and Nhlas, Subjugator of Relics.