Editing The Nine

{{New content|[[Renegades]]}}
{{Faction infobox
|variant=
|image= [[File:Nine.png|300px|Insignia of the Nine as it appears in Destiny 2: three circles divided into nine pieces.]]
|domain(s)= [[Unknown Space]] <br> Solar System Planetary Bodies <br> Milky Way
|type=
|functions=
|othernames= IX <br> Ennead
|leadership= Collective consensus
|
|notable= Released [[Skolas, Kell of Kells]] <br> Hosted the [[Trials of the Nine]], [[The Reckoning]], and [[Rite of the Nine]]
}}
{{Quote|The Nine are the flesh of dust.|Xûr<ref name="RedBox">'''Bungie (2019/03/4)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Drifter]] - [[Lore]]:[[Lore:Dust|Dust]], [[Lore:Dust#The Red Box|The Red Box]]''</ref>}}
'''The Nine''' (often represented as the '''IX'''), also known as the '''Ennead''',<ref name="Ennead">'''Bungie (2018/8/5)''', ''Destiny 2: [[Warmind (expansion)|Warmind]] - Item Description: [[Equitis Shade Armor#Equitis Shade Rig|Equitis Shade Rig]]''</ref>  are a group of enigmatic entities affiliated with the Sun and planets of the [[Sol System]]. They control [[Unknown Space]], a mysterious realm whose nature is poorly understood.<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfmh3HDlGNg '''YouTube''' - ''Destiny 2: The Third Spire Social Space'']</ref>

==Overview==
The Nine are intelligent beings composed of [[Dark matter]], which developed cognition after being pulled into loops by the gravity of Sol and its planets. Their existence is predicated on the existence of those celestial bodies, as well as on life within the Sol System, as the motions of lifeforms cause gravitational perturbations that drive the Nine's ability to think. The Nine's primary concern is sustaining their own existence, whether by protecting the life on which they depend or by finding a way to end their reliance on it.<ref name="TheNine">'''Bungie (2019/3/5)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter - Lore:Dust, [[Lore:Dust#The Nine|The Nine]]''</ref>

Whereas baryonic matter-based lifeforms exist in three spatial dimensions and one temporal dimension, the Nine exist in a fourth dimension inaccessible to baryonic life, which allows them to experience the past, present, and future simultaneously.<ref name="SunIX">'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: [[The Edge of Fate]] - Lore:[[Lore:Epochs & Orbits|Epochs & Orbits]], [[Lore:Epochs & Orbits#The Sun - IX|The Sun - IX]]''</ref> To lower-dimensional lifeforms, this gives the Nine the appearance of being able to foretell the future; perhaps the earliest known demonstration of this may be seen in the [[Prophecy]] [[Dungeon]], which included symbolic representations of future events such as the rise of [[Eramis, Kell of Darkness|Eramis]], the disappearance of [[Io]], [[Mars]], [[Mercury]] and [[Titan (moon)|Titan]] following the arrival of the [[Black Fleet]] and later arrival of [[Empress Caiatl]] in the Sol System.<ref name="Prophecy">'''Bungie (2020/6/9)''', ''Destiny 2: [[Season of Arrivals]] - [[Prophecy]]''</ref> The Nine are additionally capable of a limited form of time travel, as shown when they transported [[Lodi|Louis Yero]] hundreds of years into the future from the Space Age;<ref name="Phone">'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - [[The Edge of Fate (quest)#Step 12|The Edge of Fate: Step 12]]''</ref> however, they can only send objects forward in time, not backwards.<ref name="Message"/>

As described by the Nine to [[Lavinia Garcia Umr Tawil]], the "bodies" of the Nine consist of looping formations of dark matter centered on the gravity wells of the celestial bodies of the Sol System. However, when III was encountered on Kepler after [[Maya Sundaresh]] forced it into three-dimensional space using the [[Echo of Command]], it took the form of a gargantuan tentacled entity with a massive central "eye", in the center of which was what appeared to be a gravitational singularity or black hole.<ref name="Message"/> It is unclear to what degree this form resembles the "true" forms of the Nine in their native higher-dimensional environment.

Despite the Nine's virtual omnipresence within the Sol System, the scope of their power over the world of "normal" matter is limited, and so they primarily act through a handful of agents, emissaries, and associates. They appear to be capable of freely manipulating the dark matter that composes themselves.<ref name="TheWitch">'''Bungie (2019/3/5)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter - Lore:Dust, [[Lore:Dust#The Witch|The Witch]]''</ref> They are also able to manipulate and even synthesize regular matter under certain circumstances, such as through the portals of [[Cocytus]].<ref>'''Bungie (2019/3/5)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter - Lore:Dust, [[Lore:Dust#The Gate|The Gate]]''</ref>

==History==
===Origins===
As revealed by the Nine to Lavinia Garcia Umr Tawil, the Nine originated from streams of dark matter particles passing through the galaxy and the solar system, long before the [[The Traveler|Traveler]] arrived in the Sol System. As dark matter only interacts with normal matter through gravity, these streams were drawn to the cores of the Sun and its orbiting planets. The infalling dark matter was then flung back into space, before being pulled in again to form endless loops. These loops formed the basis of emergent consciousnesses that would become the Nine.<ref name="TheNine"/>

The Nine did not truly awaken until life evolved within the solar system. The movements of lifeforms resulted in perturbations to the loops of dark matter particles cycling through each celestial body, creating waves that formed the basis of complex thoughts. According to Lavinia, the dark matter of the Nine passes through every living thing and every iota of matter in the solar system.<ref name="TheNine"/>

The Nine were cognizant of their dependence on all life and the worlds of the Sol System: if that life ended, so too would the Nine as thinking entities. They began searching for a way to end that dependence and sustain their existence independent of it. Two factions emerged after the arrival of the Traveler to Sol: one faction sought to harness the paracausal properties of [[Light]] to construct living bodies for themselves out of regular matter, the other seeking to create a pocket universe with physical laws that could accommodate them.<ref name="TheWitch"/>

===Space Age===
At some point during the Space Age, circa the late 20th-early 21st century, the Nine murdered [[Ikora Rey|Nella Davis]], a mathematician working under the United States [[Department of External Observation]] on [[Project Graviton]], by teleporting a train to an empty intersection as she was racing home from work in response to an urgent matter concerning her daughter,<ref name="DOTP">'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - [[The Edge of Fate (quest)#Step 19|The Edge of Fate: Step 19]]''</ref> sending her body forward in time to when [[Ophiuchus]] would find her.<ref>[https://m.twitch.tv/videos/2552086576 Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate: Destiny Lore Q&A w/ Bungie Devs & Lore Creators], '''Nikko Stevens''': ''"[…]When they hit her, when the Nine hit her with this inter-dimensional train, Ikora, and the car she was in basically got displaced from that position in time and moved forward to where she needed to be for Ophiuchus to find her."''</ref> The Nine claim to have done this in order to ensure that Nella would die and be reborn as Ikora Rey centuries later after the Collapse, as Ikora would play a pivotal role in the Nine's plans.<ref name="DOTP"/>

Around the same time, the Nine abducted [[Lodi|Louis Yero]], another DEO employee, by pulling him forward through time into the City Age,<ref name="Phone"/> shortly after [[Orin]] had left her position as their [[Emissary of the Nine|Emissary]].{{Citation needed}}

===Golden Age===
According to II in a communication to the Guardian while the latter was exploring [[Kepler]], the Traveler did not flee to Sol, but rather arrived with the intent to meet the Nine specifically.<ref name="VenusII">'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - Lore:Epochs & Orbits, [[Lore:Epochs & Orbits#Venus - II|Venus - II]]''</ref>

===City Age===
{{Quote|[[Osiris|He]] says the Nine are vulnerable every moment they touch our world.|[[Brother Vance]]}}
For most of the City Age, little of the Nine was known outside of the cryptic sayings of Xûr, their mysterious agent and the first known Emissary employed in their service.<ref name="RedBox"/><ref>'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''[[Destiny]] - [[Grimoire]]:[[Grimoire:Allies|Allies]]/[[Grimoire:Allies/Tower Allies|Tower Allies]], [[Grimoire:Allies/Tower Allies#Agent of the Nine|Agent of the Nine]]''</ref> Xûr himself first appeared in the Tower after the end of the [[Great Ahamkara Hunt]]; [[Cryptarch]] Lavinia speculated that the Nine had previously made use of the [[Ahamkara]] for their paracausal abilities and had sent Xûr to interact with the Guardians for similar reasons.<ref>'''Bungie (2019/3/8)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter - Lore:Dust, [[Lore:Dust#The Bone|The Bone]]''</ref> He is a member of the [[Jovian]]s, a mysterious race that exist beyond the [[The Reef|Reef]].<ref>'''Bungie (11/12/2018)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Season of the Forge]] - [[Lore]]:[[Lore:Dawning Delights|Dawning Delights]], [[Lore:Dawning Delights#You Get Used to Him|You Get Used to Him]]''</ref> According to him, his kind were originally a creation of the Nine that willfully chose their purpose given to them, unlike the [[Awoken]].<ref>'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''Destiny - [[Xûr, Agent of the Nine|Xûr]]: [[Xûr, Agent of the Nine#Destiny|"But it was the Nine who gave us purpose, and it was the Nine who keep us whole."]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''Destiny - Xûr: [[Xûr, Agent of the Nine#Destiny|"The Awoken did not have a choice. We did."]]''</ref>

[[Osiris]] is said to have met with the Nine on [[Europa]],<ref>'''Bungie (2015/5/19)''', ''Destiny: [[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]] - [[Brother Vance]]: [[Brother Vance#Quotes|"Osiris stood before the Nine on the ice fields of Europa, but the time wasn't right."]]''</ref> and before his exile had an obsessive interest in them to the exclusion of his duties as the [[Warlock]] [[Vanguard]].<ref>'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''Destiny: House of Wolves - Grimoire:Allies/[[Grimoire:Allies/Osiris|Osiris]], [[Grimoire:Allies/Osiris#Osiris|Osiris]]''</ref> Nonetheless, the Nine had a vested interest in helping the City, tasking Xûr to sell powerful weapons and lucrative rewards to Guardians. The Nine additionally formed an alliance of sorts with the [[Reef]], but their loyalty fell into doubt following the release of [[Skolas, Kell of Kells|Skolas]] at their command.<ref>'''Bungie (2015/5/19)''', ''Destiny: House of Wolves - Grimoire:Allies/[[Grimoire:Allies/Legends & Mysteries|Legends & Mysteries]], [[Grimoire:Allies/Legends & Mysteries#Mystery: The Fate of Skolas|Mystery: The Fate of Skolas]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2015/5/19)''', ''Destiny: House of Wolves - Grimoire:[[Grimoire:Activities|Activities]]/[[Grimoire:Activities/House of Wolves|House of Wolves]], [[Grimoire:Activities/House of Wolves#Prison of Elders|Prison of Elders]]''</ref> The [[Cabal]] in the Sol System were aware of the Nine, referring to them as the Ennead.<ref name="Ennead"/>

The Nine also arranged for a copper box to be recovered from the [[Ishtar Sink]] on [[Venus]] for examination, although those who studied it were uncertain as to its purpose or meaning, as it contained exceedingly fine dust that in actuality were miniscule representations of every habitable planet in the Milky Way galaxy.<ref>'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''Destiny - Grimoire:[[Grimoire:Places|Places]]/[[Grimoire:Places/Venus|Venus]], [[Grimoire:Places/Venus#Ghost Fragment: Ishtar Sink|Ghost Fragment: Ishtar Sink]]''</ref>

===Reef Wars===
During the [[Reef Wars]], the [[Queen's Wrath]] [[Sjur Eido]] was killed by an unknown party, and her [[Wish-Ender|bow]] stolen. A [[strange coin]] was left on her body as "weregild", suggesting that the Nine were in some way involved with her death.<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''Destiny 2: [[Forsaken]] - Item Description: [[Wish-Ender#Lore|Wish-Ender]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''Destiny 2: Forsaken - Item Description: [[Oathkeeper#Lore|Oathkeeper]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2019/3/5)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter - Lore:[[Lore:Ecdysis|Ecdysis]], [[Lore:Ecdysis#Debt|Debt]]''</ref>

===Fall of Crota===
Following the death of [[Crota, Son of Oryx|Crota]] at the hands of the Guardian, the Nine took control of the ancient space station known as [[Cocytus]], which contained inter-dimensional portals that had formerly been redirected to lead to Crota's [[Oversoul Throne]]. The Nine began using Cocytus as a laboratory, using the station's third portal to convert their dark matter into regular matter,  with the ultimate goal of producing living organisms from scratch. While the Nine could create, with increasing sophistication, basic atoms, crystals, and organic precursors, their two attempts at viable life failed almost immediately, and the portal fell mostly into disuse. Each sending was recorded by the Awoken forces still containing the station. Their own probes, sent through the same portal, immediately ceased to exist on crossing, presumably transmuted likewise into dark matter.<ref name = "JWC">'''Bungie (2019/3/8)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter - Lore:[[Lore:Stolen Intelligence|Stolen Intelligence]], [[Lore:Stolen Intelligence#Cocytus|Cocytus]]''</ref>

===Arrival of the Taken King===
Shortly after the battle of Saturn, when [[Oryx, the Taken King|Oryx]] invaded the [[Dreaming City]], the Nine debated about what to do regarding Oryx's incursion, as he threatened all life in the Sol System. I and IV seemed to blame either [[Mara Sov]] or [[Riven of a Thousand Voices|Riven]] for worsening the situation, with IV claiming that their actions had "ruined everything." When Oryx subsequently Took [[Riven of a Thousand Voices|Riven]], the Nine were driven into a frenzy, arguing amongst themselves about how to prevent Oryx from seizing more Ahamkara to bolster his army. Against the protests of I and IV, the other members of the Nine reached out with the apparent intent of killing all of the remaining Ahamkara in the Sol System.<ref name="Reextinction">'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''Destiny 2: Forsaken - Lore:[[Lore:The Dreaming City|The Dreaming City]], [[Lore:The Dreaming City#Reextinction|Reextinction]]''</ref><ref group=note>The ''Reextinction'' Lore entry contains statements by certain members of the Nine which do not conform to the established typographic conventions of any of the Nine's members; one member writes similarly to V, i.e. no breaks between words, spaces between all letters, no punctuation, but in lower case, while another writes similarly to I, i.e. normal casing and spacing, but without punctuation. The significance of this is unknown.</ref>

===The Red War===
Sometime during or before the [[Red War]],<ref>'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''Destiny 2 - Item Description: [[The End#Lore|The End]]''</ref> an Awoken agent of Mara Sov named Orin<ref name="Suppress">'''Bungie (2018/8/5)''', ''Destiny 2: Warmind - Item Description: [[Motion to Suppress#Lore|Motion to Suppress]]''</ref> sought out nine [[Ghost]]s who had gone beyond the Solar System and inquired after their findings. Receiving only a set of coordinates, she left them.<ref name="Long Walk">'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''Destiny 2 - Item Description: [[The Long Walk#Lore|The Long Walk]]''</ref> She also found several deep-orbit minds during her search.<ref name="Sudden Death">'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''Destiny 2 - Item Description: [[A Sudden Death#Lore|A Sudden Death]]''</ref> Orin soon encountered some of the Nine herself.<ref>'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''Destiny 2 - Item Description: [[Judgment#Lore|Judgment]]''</ref> After warning her of the possibility of going mad from the conversation<ref>'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''Destiny 2 - Item Description: [[Trials Focusing Suit#Bond Relentless|Bond Relentless]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''Destiny 2 - Item Description: [[A Swift Verdict#Lore|A Swift Verdict]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''Destiny 2 - Item Description: [[Trials Annihilating Suit#Mark Relentless|Mark Relentless]]''</ref> and of a potential price to be paid for her curiosity,<ref>'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''Destiny 2 - Item Description: [[Trials Flowing Suit#Cloak Judgment|Cloak Judgment]]''</ref> they tasked her with finding three worthy keys.<ref name="Relentless">'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''Destiny 2 - Item Description: [[Relentless#Lore|Relentless]]''</ref> They then commended her for seeking them out, for her resourcefulness in acquiring a ship and her decision to avoid "[[Emperor Calus|a golden snake who poses as a god]]".<ref name="Adjudicator">'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''Destiny 2 - Item Description: [[Adjudicator#Lore|Adjudicator]]''</ref>

The Nine would also be indirectly responsible for the [[Red War]], with one member blinding the Guardians to the arrival of the [[Red Legion]], allowing [[Dominus Ghaul|Ghaul]] to successfully attack and occupy the City. This member of the Nine did so to learn how to take the Light, but they would be severely punished, as Ghaul's success led to the deployment of the [[The Almighty|Almighty]], which would have destroyed the Sol system along with the Nine had it not been disabled.<ref name="TheWitch"/><ref>'''Bungie (03/06/2019)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter - Lore:Stolen Intelligence, [[Lore:Stolen Intelligence#Ringer|Ringer]]''</ref> Orin later revealed that the war was also the result of the Nine orchestrating events to kill Orin's Ghost, [[Gol]], when Ghaul caged the Traveler after Orin had told him to go to the City to warn them.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - [[Sacred Emergence#Step 3|Sacred Emergence: Step 3]]''</ref> As such, without her Light, Orin would become the Nine's second Emissary,{{Citation needed}} allowing them to use her as a proxy in hosting the [[Trials of the Nine]].<ref>'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''Destiny 2 - [[Trials of the Nine]]''</ref>

Whether before or after Orin visited them, the Nine spoke amongst themselves regarding two significant events. The first event was regarded with anticipation, and appeared to be Mara Sov's plan involving her Techeuns; the Nine were confident that her fall was inevitable, for the odds she played with had been weighted by them.<ref>'''Bungie (2018/8/5)''', ''Destiny 2: Warmind - Item Description: [[Motion to Compel#Lore|Motion to Compel]]''</ref> The discussion of the second event was tinged with overtones of regret and sadness; I, IV, and V appeared to be lamenting the Nine's slaughter of the remaining Ahamkara after Riven was taken by Oryx.<ref group=note>The Great Ahamkara Hunt: "''Remember the slaughter? it was no slaughter T E N T H O U S A N D D Y I N G W I S H E S''" — The Collapse: "''the dreamer survived O N L Y T O F A L L''"</ref> In response to the others' remorse, III reminded them that the Ahamkara were merely "stolen constructs" and that killing them was a mercy, and urged the rest of the Nine to "rid [themselves] of regret".<ref>'''Bungie (2018/8/5)''', ''Destiny 2: Warmind - Item Description: [[Motion to Vacate#Lore|Motion to Vacate]]''</ref>

===Forsaken===
During the Guardian's third visit to Mara Sov's throne, the Queen was seen talking to the Emissary, saying that she agreed with the Nine's terms regarding an asset to be stationed beyond the grave of the [[First Fleet]]. She then told the Emissary to remind the Nine that she had shown enough patience regarding the matter. The Emissary leaves and Sov warns the Guardian not to get involved in the Nine's schemes, claiming that they never end.<ref name="AwtQ">'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''Destiny 2: Forsaken - [[Queen's Court#3rd Visit|Queen's Court Dialogue: 3rd Visit]]''</ref>

At an unknown time after the curse was unleashed upon the [[Dreaming City]], the Nine argued with the Emissary regarding her status as a pawn of the Nine, Mara Sov's plan, and an [[Black Fleet|oncoming storm]]. During the conversation, the Emissary pointed out the fact that seemingly only five of the Nine were present, which the Nine admitted was true.<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''Destiny 2: Forsaken - [[Lore]]:[[Lore:The Awoken of the Reef|The Awoken of the Reef]], [[Lore:The Awoken of the Reef#Emissary|Emissary]]''</ref>

===Season of the Drifter===
During her surveillance of the [[Drifter]], the [[Praxic Order|Praxic]] [[Warlock]] [[Aunor Mahal]] recorded at least one conversation between the Nine and the Drifter. The Drifter appeared to be speaking aloud to empty air and remarked upon the Nine showing him visions of a future universe consumed by Darkness, as well as another vision of a universe suffused with Light. The Drifter rebuked the Nine for trying to sway him to their cause, upon which they apparently attempted to kill him by overheating his brain. The Drifter responded by using his Light to counter their attack.<ref>'''Bungie (2019/3/5)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter - Lore:Stolen Intelligence, [[Lore:Stolen Intelligence#Potential|Potential]]''</ref>

In addition, one can hear different members of the Nine speak directly to the Emissary during several invitations of the Nine.<ref>'''Bungie (2019/3/5)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter - [[Invitations of the Nine]]''</ref> They would also test the Guardian once more through the [[The Reckoning|Reckoning]], which took place in the [[The Haul|Haul]] that the Nine gifted to the Drifter and now is attached to Drifter's ship, the [[Derelict]].<ref>'''Bungie (2019/3/5)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of the Drifter - [https://youtu.be/wFtmr___dSw Gift]''</ref>

===The Arrival===
During [[Season of Arrivals]], the [[Prophecy]] [[Dungeon]] was released. Here, Guardians accomplish various tasks given by the Nine in hopes of receiving an audience with them. In this audience, Guardians seek to understand the nature of the [[Darkness]], to the best of the Nine's ability in describing it. The answer to this question is given by the Emissary on behalf of the Nine.<ref name="Prophecy"/>

The answer was interpreted by the Drifter as the Nine stating that the difference between the Light and Dark was ultimately meaningless. Along with their answer to the player's question, they also foretold of the use and balance of Darkness in [[Stasis]], the disappearance of [[Mars]], [[Mercury]], [[Io]], and [[Titan (moon)|Titan]], [[The Guardian|the Guardian's]] inevitable clash with [[Eramis, Kell of Darkness]], and at the time [[Empress Caiatl|unknown Cabal threat]].<ref name="Prophecy"/> After asking them about the nature of the Darkness, the Nine would show them visions of a world of too much darkness,<ref>'''Bungie (2020/6/9)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of Arrivals - Item Description: [[Crushing Suit]]''</ref> a world of too much light,<ref>'''Bungie (2020/6/9)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of Arrivals - Item Description: [[Flowing Suit]]''</ref> and a world of the balance between the forces.<ref>'''Bungie (2020/6/9)''', ''Destiny 2: Season of Arrivals - Item Description: [[Channeling Suit]]''</ref>

===The Witness's Death===
While the Nine remained neutral in the formation of the [[The Coalition|Coalition]] brought about by [[Empress Caiatl]]'s presence in the Sol System, the [[Endless Night]], and Mara Sov's return to the Dreaming City and the [[War against the Witness]], they would soon discover that the [[The Witness|Witness]] was defeated and its [[Final Shape]] was stopped by the Guardians. 

III expressed relief that the threat posed by the Witness was gone, while VI lamented the Witness' defeat as a "wasted opportunity" for the Nine to escape their dependence on baryonic matter-based life. I, V and II rebuked VI, with I chiding VI for exaggerating their situation, V claiming that the "useful idiocy" of the Witness had not been a viable means of escape, and II  calling their viewpoint childish while claiming that the Nine should accept the status quo. VII then called out the Inner Orbits for being complacent, urging their compatriots to "look beyond the chains of matter" and have faith in their ability to reshape reality to their will; III responded by saying that the Nine's strength lay in the bonds of solidarity, matter and love that connected them all. IX declared that they found the solution proffered by VII insufficient, causing VIII and V to muse on the division in the Nine's ranks. VI ended the discussion by stating that they mourned the loss of the Nine's former unity of purpose, and warned their opponents that they risked the future of the Nine as a whole if they continued on their current path.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/03/11)''', ''Destiny 2: [[Episode: Heresy]] - Item Description: [[Division#Lore|Division]]''</ref>

After the Guardian solved a chess puzzle within the Unknown Antechamber, the Nine would begin issuing a challenge to Guardians called the [[Rite of the Nine]].<ref>'''Bungie (2025/5/6)''', ''Destiny 2: Episode: Heresy - [[The Third Spire#The Emissary: Introduction|Introduction]]''</ref> It was in that time the Nine told the Emissary of Theia's demise long ago and since then began fearing for their death as well.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/5/6)''', ''Destiny 2: Episode: Heresy - Lore:[[Lore:Anamórphōsis|Anamórphōsis]], [[Lore:Anamórphōsis#Aítion|Aítion]]''</ref> The Nine would remind the Emissary of their division as some sought transformation and others sought escape.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/5/6)''', ''Destiny 2: Episode: Heresy - Lore:Anamórphōsis, [[Lore:Anamórphōsis#Theomakhía|Theomakhía]]''</ref> The Nine would see the Emissary beginning to rebel against them when they refused to grant the Emissary freedom and put her plans of escape into action.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/5/6)''', ''Destiny 2: Episode: Heresy - Lore:Anamórphōsis, [[Lore:Anamórphōsis#Khrēsmoí|Khrēsmoí]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2025/5/6)''', ''Destiny 2: Episode: Heresy - Lore:Anamórphōsis, [[Lore:Anamórphōsis#Katasterismós|Katasterismós]]''</ref> Whilst the Guardian was able to find various golden engrams with engravings, they would gain insight into which member of the Nine was speaking in Roman numerals.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/5/6)''', ''Destiny 2: Episode: Heresy - [[The Third Spire#Rite of the Nine Cutscenes|Rite of the Nine Cutscenes]]''</ref> When the Rite was completed, the Nine would reach out to the Guardian through the Emissary again, telling them that they would reach out again in time.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/5/6)''', ''Destiny 2: Episode: Heresy - [[The Third Spire#The Emissary: Conclusion|Conclusion]]''</ref>

===Skirmish on Kepler===
{{quote|what follows light and shadow is silence<br>that silence breaks<br>i am summoning you as a new age begins|III}}
Several weeks prior to the incident on Kepler, the Outer Orbits of the Nine convened with each other by orders of V, explaining that it had found that [[Maya Sundaresh]] possessed a "[[Echo of Command|tool of schisms]]" and attempt to draw her into Nine Space to bring the Echo closer to them. VIII would claim that she would have to face either III or IV as VI would send an invitation to Maya through their Emissary Orin, VII and VIII suggested that they have a weapon for reassurance. V would disagree, to which VI asked them to change their position to gain the assurance of the weapon, as they were necessary for their future plans.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/19)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - Item Description: [[Soloist Shell#Lore|Soloist Shell]]''</ref>

Shortly after, III would speak through Orin on Kepler, declaring that humanity had forgotten that they needed the Nine and that the Nine would send a message to remind them. In response, Orin broke free of the Nine's hold on her, announcing that she was resigning her position as Emissary and that the Nine would need to find someone else to send their message.<ref name="Invitation"/> Shortly after this, Maya would find III on Kepler before the [[The Singularity|Singularity]] and would attempt to trade the places of Golden Age Earth with present day Earth. III would refuse and in retaliation, Maya would pull III into physical space, killing it and destabilizing the Singularity tied to it.<ref name="Gloria mundi">'''Bungie (2025/7/19)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - Lore:[[Lore:The Immanent|The Immanent]], [[Lore:The Immanent#VIII. Gloria mundi|VIII. Gloria mundi]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/19)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - [[Maya Sundaresh]]: [[The Desert Perpetual#Transcript|"This one was commanded to trade the places of today's Earth with the Earth of my time. It failed and was punished. The Conductor will not accept a second failure."]]''</ref>

Afterwards, the Nine began looking for a candidate to replace Orin as Emissary, and provisionally settled on Lodi, a human from the Space Age that the Nine had pulled through time into the present day.<ref name="Phone"/> He subsequently arrived on Kepler, where he met the local human inhabitants, the Aionians, and later after several weeks, Ikora Rey and the Guardian, who had traveled to Kepler in response to an "invitation" sent by the Nine. Orin herself would also meet with the Guardian, Lodi and Ikora, supporting them in their mission to investigate a gravitational singularity on the surface of Kepler that threatened to wipe out the Sol System.<ref name="Invitation">'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - [[Mission: The Invitation]]''</ref> 

During the events that followed, Lodi began experiencing visions and messages from the Nine, and would also be used as a mouthpiece in a similar fashion to Orin.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - [[Vessel of the Nine]]''</ref>  Through Lodi, the Nine revealed that they were responsible for the death of Dr. Nella Davis, the woman who would later be revived as Ikora Rey.<ref name="DOTP"/> Orin also shared some of her knowledge of the Nine with Ikora and the Guardian, revealing that the Nine were capable of sending objects forward in time, but that they could not send anything back in time.<ref name="Message"/>

Later, when the Guardian collected enough [[Strangelet Capsule]]s to pass through the singularity safely, the Nine used Lodi and Orin as their mouthpieces as they held a council with the Guardian, stating their intent to vote on two issues: the Guardian being named as the Nine's Weapon, and Lodi being appointed as Emissary. Though the votes were unanimous in the former, they were evenly divided in the latter, as III was evidently unavailable for comment. The Guardian was tasked by the Nine to seek the final vote from III on the Emissary issue.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - [[The Edge of Fate (quest)#Step 25|The Edge of Fate: Step 25]]''</ref> 

As the Guardian fought past the [[Nessian Schism]] and [[House of Exile]] to find and confront [[Archon]] [[Archon Levaszk, Prophet of the Giver|Levaszk]], they discovered that III had died, and that dark matter was being siphoned from its massive corpse by the Exiles to feed the Kepler singularity. After Levaszk was defeated, III would be temporarily revived by the Drifter using the collected [[Mote of Dark|Motes of Dark]] stored within the Haul, causing its body to vanish. III showed the Guardian and Ikora a vision of Maya Sundaresh pulling III into three-dimensional space using the Echo of Command.<ref name="Gloria mundi"/> III used Lodi to deliver its message to the Guardian and Ikora, stating that its death would lead to a mass extinction event, and that humanity must "bind the Nine" in order to survive. III voted in favor of appointing Lodi as the next Emissary as it died once again, its corpse reappearing where it had lain previously.<ref name="Message">'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - [[The Message]]''</ref>

Afterwards, the Guardian would attempt to stop the Nessian Schism from converting the [[Unknown Periphery]] of the Nine Realms into a pocket of the [[Vex Network]]. They were successful and they would learn from the 50th copy of [[Chioma Esi]] and the 87th copy of Maya the [[Vex]] were looking for the other members of the Nine.<ref name="Desert">'''Bungie (2025/7/19)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - [[The Desert Perpetual]]''</ref>

===The Barant Imperium Strikes===
The next move made by the Nine involved the rise of an upstart Cabal faction which defected from Empress Caiatl's [[Imperial Cabal|forces]]: the [[Barant Imperium]]. In response to the Guardian being anointed the Weapon, VI anointed the son of the [[Tex Mechanica]] magnate [[Cesar Bizat]];<ref>'''Bungie (2025/12/2)''', ''[[Destiny 2]]: [[Renegades]] - [[Renegades (Quest)#Step 55|Renegades: Step 55]]''</ref> a [[Shadows of Yor|Shadow of Yor]] follower named [[Dredgen Bael]], as the Guardian's foil. The Outer Orbits then gifted Bael the anti-paracausal technology that powered the superweapon called [[Nightfall Station]] which uses Eclipse energy.<ref name="Plan">'''Bungie (2025/12/2)''', ''Destiny 2: Renegades - [[Renegades (Quest)#Step 30|Renegades: Step 30]]''</ref> In addition, VI began to learn from [[Hive]] and [[The Dread|Dread]] arcana to achieve its goal of [[Ascendant Realm|Ascendancy]] through the [[Sword Logic]].<ref name="Saturn">'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - Lore:Epochs & Orbits, [[Lore:Epochs & Orbits#Saturn - VI|Saturn - VI]]''</ref> VII saw the suffering that came from Drifter's choice of either aligning himself with Bael or refusing,<ref>'''Bungie (2025/12/2)''', ''Destiny 2: Renegades - Item Description: [[Shrewd Survivor Suit#Shrewd Survivor Strides/Greaves/Boots|Shrewd Survivor Strides/Greaves/Boots]]''</ref> while IX was aware of VI's rebellion in its latest interaction with the Guardian.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/12/2)''', ''Destiny 2: Renegades - Item Description: [[Shrewd Survivor Suit#Shrewd Survivor Cowl/Helm/Cover|Shrewd Survivor Cowl/Helm/Cover]]''</ref> VII also saw the events that occurred on Mars before the Guardian met the syndicates at the [[Tharsis Junction|Tharsis Outpost]]. <ref>'''Bungie (2025/12/02)''', ''Destiny 2: Renegades - Item Description: [[Static Data Shell#Lore|Static Data Shell]]''</ref>

Meanwhile, III's death affected Earth through the changes in its chemical compositions, which then cascaded into its ecology and geology.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: [[Reclamation]] - Lore:[[Lore:As Without|As Without]], [[Lore:As Without#Warped Mirror|Warped Mirror]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: Reclamation - Lore:As Without, [[Lore:As Without#Reconciliatiobs|Reconciliations]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: Reclamation - Lore:As Without, [[Lore:As Without#Other Side|Other Side]]''</ref> The Vanguard and the [[Praxic Order]] have decided to classify the information they learned from III on Kepler to avoid hysteria,<ref>'''Bungie (2025/12/2)''', ''Destiny 2: Renegades - Item Description: [[Praxic Blade#Lore|Praxic Blade]]''</ref> but the denizens of the Last City notice the effects anyway.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/12/2)''', ''Destiny 2: Renegades - Item Description: [[Compact Defender#Lore|Compact Defender]]''</ref> The Drifter assembled a crew which included Aunor Mahal to learn how the Nine is connected to the Barant Imperium,<ref name="Imperium">'''Bungie (2025/12/2)''', ''Destiny 2: Renegades - [[Imperium]]''</ref> which first emerged when they mugged Xûr for information related to them.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: Reclamation - Lore:As Without, [[Lore:As Without#Treacherous Contacts|Treacherous Contacts]]''</ref> They learned that the Barant Imperium made breakthroughs in the technologies that were considered prototypes by Caiatl. Then, VI possesses Bael to speak to the Guardian with contempt and empowers Bael with Darkness despite being a human.<ref name="Imperium"/> After the test of [[Eclipse]] energy on Guardians stationed in Tharsis Outpost,<ref>'''Bungie (2025/12/2)''', ''Destiny 2: Renegades - [[Renegades (quest)#Step_11_2|Renegades: Step 11]]''</ref> the Vanguard declared the event the Tharsis Ghost Massacre,{{Citation needed}} Eris would attempt to get answers from VI by tithing to it. After over 35 failed attempts to open a line of communication to VI on her own,{{Citation needed}} she consulted with Lodi to get the answers she needed. Lodi reveals that Xûr was the last one to channel VI and changed him afterwards. VI then told the Guardian that it had chosen Bael as its champion before shutting Eris and Lodi out of the communication.<ref name="Plan"/>

Bael eventually began to regret his loyalty to VI and began to convince Drifter to join him in the coup against the Vanguard. However, it was later revealed to be a setup by Bael to lure the Guardian to them once they destroyed the defenses protecting Nightfall Station on Venus.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/12/2)''', ''Destiny 2: Renegades - [[The Long Con]]''</ref> Lodi would begin consulting with IV on a potential solution to bind the Nine. IV gave the coordinates of the solution to Lodi, which he recognizes is located in a subterranean network beneath Chicago, Illinois.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/12/2)''', ''Destiny 2: Renegades - [[The Territory War Begins]]''</ref> IV would also attempt to reason with VI, but fail. <ref>'''Bungie (2025/12/2)''', ''Destiny 2: Renegades - [[Lawless Frontier]] dialogue''</ref>

==Identity==
As their name suggests, the Nine consist of nine members, each associated with one of the nine largest celestial bodies of the Sol System. Each member is also referred to by their number, typically rendered in text using Roman numerals.

;Inner Orbits
*[[Sun|Sun (IX)]]
*[[Mercury|Mercury (I)]]
*[[Venus|Venus (II)]]
*[[Mars|Mars (IV)]]

;Outer Orbits
*[[Jupiter|Jupiter (V)]]
*[[Saturn|Saturn (VI)]]
*[[Uranus|Uranus (VII)]]
*[[Neptune|Neptune (VIII)]]

;Deceased Members
*[[Earth|Earth (III)]]
*Theia<ref>'''Bungie (2025/5/6)''', ''Destiny 2: Episode: Heresy - Lore:Anamórphōsis, [[Lore:Anamórphōsis#Aítion|Aítion]]''</ref>

;Agents and Emissaries
*[[Xûr, Agent of the Nine|Xûr]]
*[[Starhorse]]
*[[Lodi]]
;Former Emissary
*[[Orin]]

===Speech Patterns===
Each of the Nine exhibit distinct speech patterns, which are also transcribed using unique styles that can be used to tell them apart.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/5/6)''', ''Destiny 2: Episode: Heresy - Lore:Anamórphōsis''</ref><ref group=note>As mentioned previously, certain Lore entries contain statements by members of the Nine which do not conform to the typographic styles established to be associated with the Nine's members; this is most notable in the Lore entry [[Lore:The Dreaming City#Reextinction|Reextinction]] and the Lore tab for [[Relentless]]. It is unclear whether these instances represent typos or oversights, or whether they are intentional and hold some unknown significance.</ref> The table below lists the members of the Nine alongside their associated speech patterns:

{| cellpadding="5" border="1" style="clear: both;"
! '''I''': Mercury
! '''II''': Venus
! '''III''': Earth
! '''IV''': Mars
! '''V''': Jupiter
! '''VI''': Saturn
! '''VII''': Uranus
! '''VIII''': Neptune
! '''IX''': The Sun
|-
| Proper punctuation. || Phrase 1 - phrase 2. || lower case || UPPER CASE, PUNCTUATION. || U P P E R C A S E A L L S P A C E || UPPER CASE || phrase 1 + phrase 2 || phrase 1 = phrase 2 || .sent <nowiki>|</nowiki> ence.
|-
| Most well-spoken and neutral in personality. || Straightforward and robotic in speech. || Almost whisperlike and cautious. || Well-spoken but straight to the point; emotive and forceful. || Contrariwise and sarcastic; emphatic and forceful. || Pragmatic and straight to the point; emphatic. ||  || To the point. || |A sense of superiority and arrogance.
|-
|}

===Factions===
At present, the Nine are divided into two factions: the Inner Orbits, associated with the Sun, Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, and the Outer Orbits, associated with Jupiter, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus.<ref name="IVO"/>

The Inner Orbits seek to study the [[Light]] and use it for their own purposes, and are responsible for sending [[Xûr, Agent of the Nine|Xûr]] and [[Orin|the Emissary]] to interact with the [[Guardian]]s.<ref name="TheWitch"/> According to Orin after her resignation as Emissary, the Inner Orbits are more willing to communicate with other beings than their Outer Orbits counterparts.<ref name="IVO">'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - [[The Gorge Strangelet#Step 2|The Gorge Strangelet: Step 2]]''</ref> However, in a message to the Guardian, VII cautioned them that while the Inner Orbits were ''"very polite"'', this politeness was insincere.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - Lore:Epochs & Orbits, [[Lore:Epochs & Orbits#Uranus - VII|Uranus - VII]]''</ref>

The Outer Orbits seek to free themselves from their dependence on matter-based life and the Light, and to that end have experimented with creating their own realms through spacetime engineering and the creation of dark matter-based black holes, which would serve as gravitational foci independent from those provided by the realm of normal matter.<ref name="TheWitch"/> One of their number, VI, has also learned to draw upon the arcane power of the Hive and Dread within the influence of [[Saturn]]'s gravity well, seemingly with the intent to achieve Ascendance.<ref name="Saturn"/>

With III's death, the council of the Nine became evenly split between the two factions.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/09/27)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - Item Description: [[Cusp Sempiternal#Lore|Cusp Sempiternal]]''</ref>

===Legends and Theories===
For most of the time humanity has been aware of their existence, little was known about the Nine due to their enigmatic and secretive nature. The [[Grimoire]] Card ''Ghost Fragment: Legends 2'' presents nine legends offering different possibilities as to what the Nine truly are;<ref name="Legends 2">'''Bungie (2014/9/9)''', ''Destiny - Grimoire:Allies/Legends & Mysteries, [[Grimoire:Allies/Legends & Mysteries#Ghost Fragment: Legends 2| Ghost Fragment: Legends 2]]''</ref> while these legends do not accurately describe the Nine, many of them accurately describe entities or concepts related to the Nine. The listed possibilities include:

*The Nine are survivors of the cis-Jovian colonies who made a compact with an alien force to ensure their own survival.<ref name="Legends 2"/> This fairly accurately describes the inhabitants of [[Neomuna]],<ref>'''Bungie (2023/5/22)''', ''Destiny 2: [[Season of the Deep]] - [[Parting the Veil (Mission)#Transcript|Parting the Veil]]''</ref> as well as the [[Aionian]]s.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - Lore:[[Lore:Tenets of AION|Tenets of AION]], [[Lore:Tenets of AION#Notes On Observation|Notes On Observation]]''</ref><ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - Item Description: [[Ulterior Observation#Lore|Ulterior Observation]]''</ref>
*The Nine are deep-orbit warminds who weathered the Collapse in hardened stealth platforms.<ref name="Legends 2"/> Orin found and questioned "deep-orbit minds" on her search for the Nine, who asked her in turn about the location of the "lying robot" who "no longer lies with others."<ref name="Sudden Death"/>
*The Nine are ancient leviathan intelligences from the seas of Europa or the hydrocarbon pits of Titan.<ref name="Legends 2"/> The Emissary names "the hydrocarbon pits of distant moons" as one possible place worthy Guardians may find the Nine.<ref name="Worthy">'''Bungie (2017/9/8)''', ''Destiny 2 - [[Orin|The Emissary]]: [[Orin#The Third Spire dialogue|"You… are worthy. When the time comes, seek us out. Watch for us on the filaments of dark matter. In the hydrocarbon pits of distant moons. Listen. In the direction of the Corona-Borealis supercluster. Pierce the Lightless void beyond the northern skies and meditate in the hissing silence. Or do nothing. We are everywhere and nowhere at once. If you don't see us, you're not thinking small enough."]]''</ref>
*The Nine arrived in a mysterious transmission from the direction of the Corona-Borealis supercluster.<ref name="Legends 2"/><ref group=note>The Corona Borealis is a constellation and known as the "Northern Crown". Additionally, it is made up of seven stars, one of Bungie's many [[halopedia:Seven|references to the number seven]].</ref> The Emissary advises worthy Guardians to listen for the Nine in its direction.<ref name="Worthy"/>
*The Nine are the firstborn Awoken and their minds now race down the field lines of the Jupiter-Io flux tube.<ref name="Legends 2"/><ref group=note>The Jupiter-Io flux tube is a cylindrical section of Jupiter's magnetic field line which passes between Jupiter and Io. If it were able to be seen by the naked eye, it would resemble a tube of electromagnetic force between the two. Electrical current passes along this flux tube, forming a circuit between the planet and moon, which ionizes the cloud of volcanic sulfur, oxygen, sodium and chlorine into a ring of plasma which surrounds the planet, boosting its already powerful magnetic field even further. The flux tube itself boosts radio emissions from Jupiter, making them increase considerably when Io's orbit brings it closer to Earth.</ref> When the Awoken were reborn in the [[Distributary]], nine of the 900 crew of [[Yang Liwei]] were not accounted for.<ref>'''Bungie (2018/9/4)''', ''Destiny 2: Forsaken - [[Lore]]:[[Lore:Marasenna|Marasenna]], [[Lore:Marasenna#Ecstasiate III|Ecstasiate III]]''</ref>
*The Nine are Ghosts who pierced the Deep Black without a ship and meditated on the hissing silence of the heliopause.<ref name="Legends 2"/><ref group=note>Heliopause (also known as heliosphere) is the boundary between solar wind and external cosmic rays, effectively the outer boundary of the Solar System. Therefore, the "Deep Black" is outside of the reach of the Sun's influence.</ref> A group of Ghosts apparently made contact with the Nine by meditating on the heliopause,<ref name="Adjudicator"/> and were sought out by Orin.<ref name="Long Walk"/>
*The Nine are the aspects of the Darkness, broken by the Traveler's rebuke, working to destroy us from within.<ref name="Legends 2"/><ref group=note>This would conflict with their indirect assistance to the Last City and the Guardians, such as Xûr providing rare weapons to them.</ref>
*The Nine is a viral language of pure meaning.<ref name="Legends 2"/> Xûr claims that "to do what you say, is to speak in a language of pure meaning".<ref>'''Bungie (2017/8/9)''', ''Destiny 2 - Xûr: [[Xûr, Agent of the Nine#Destiny 2|"To do what you say, is to speak in a language of pure meaning."]]''</ref> 
*The Nine are the shadows left by the annihilation of a transcendent shape, burned into the weft of what is.<ref name="Legends 2"/><ref group=note>This is likely a reference to [[wikipedia:Plato|Plato]]'s [[wikipedia:Allegory_of_the_Cave|Allegory of the Cave]].<br/>
 
:In this allegory, Plato explains that the inhabitants of the cave are prisoners, trapped inside with no knowledge of, nor have any desire to escape to, the outside world. Behind them, a fire burns; objects passed through its light cast a shadow on the cave wall. A prisoner one day escapes their shackles and leaves the cave to find the sun, which shines more brightly than a campfire and overwhelms him; armed with this knowledge of the new reality, he returns to try and convince his fellow men to escape, but they steadfastly refuse.<br/>
 
:The objects which pass between the flames and the wall are what Plato calls the "Theory of Forms" or "Ideas". These objects are the true, metaphysical essence of what the prisoners perceive on the wall. Because the prisoners are shackled, they lack knowledge of the "reality" of these shapes and presume the "shadows" are what's real when, in fact, they are not. The true reality, or higher reality, is what Plato called the "Good", and those who have discovered the "Good" must not remain there alone but return to release their brethren and perceive the Good.<br/>
 
:''Destiny'' inverts this by having the Nine be the remnants of the Forms, the shadows "''burned into the weft of what is''" are the only remains of the Forms. Something, like the Darkness or even the Light, destroyed the transcendent Forms and recreated them into a new metaphysical archetype. To put it more bluntly, the Nine are the ghosts of dead gods, whose bodies were slain and now endure as wisps of what they once were.</ref>

==Trivia==
*The Nine are a homage to Bungie's ''[[wikipedia:Myth_(series)|Myth]]'' series, where a similar group also known as the Nine lead the forces of Light against the forces of Darkness. Five members are named: Alric, Rabican, Maeldun, Murgen and Cu Roi.
*The identity of at least five Nine was originally put together in a Reddit post by u/jeckal_died on May 10, 2018, and served as the basis for some of this article, minus the speculation, until the release of ''[[The Edge of Fate]]''.<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/DestinyLore/comments/8idjao/trials_lore_tabs_and_the_personalities_of_the_nine/ '''reddit''' - ''Trials Lore Tabs and the personalities of the Nine.'']</ref>
*The Nine are referred to in the Lore tab for the [[Equitis Shade Suit|Equitis Shade Rig]] as the "''ennead''"; the term "ennead" refers to any group of nine entities.
**The use of this term may also be a reference to the [[wikipedia:Ennead|Ennead]], a group of nine deities in Egyptian mythology worshipped at Heliopolis: the sun god Atum; his children Shu and Tefnut; their children Geb and Nut; and their children Osiris, Isis, Set, and Nephthys.
*With the exception of IX or the Sun, the symbols of the Nine each contain a number of line segments equal to the number of the associated member.
**Additionally, the symbols for members of the Inner Orbits all contain a semicircle with the opening facing down, while those of the Outer Orbits all contain a semicircle with the opening facing up.
*According to II, despite there being countless other solar systems in the universe, the Nine have never encountered or heard from other similar dark-matter based beings in other systems.<ref name="VenusII"/>
*The ability of the Nine to experience the past, present and future all at once is reminiscent of the Heptapods featured in the novella ''[[Wikipedia:Story_of_Your_Life|Story of your Life]]'' by Ted Chiang (adapted into the film ''[[Wikipedia:Arrival_(film)|Arrival]]'' in 2016), which were also tentacled or cephalopod-like alien beings capable of perceiving all events in time simultaneously.
**Additionally, the Heptapods depicted in ''Arrival'' use a visual language consisting mainly of rounded or circular shapes, somewhat reminiscent of the symbols used to represent the Nine as a whole as well as individual members.
*The limitations on the Nine's ability to send objects through time (i.e. being able to send objects forward through time, but not backward in time) parallels the limited form of "time travel" offered by real-world black holes: an observer approaching the event horizon of a black hole will experience time dilation, with time passing more slowly for them relative to the outside universe, such that upon returning to the outside universe the observer will find that a greater length of time has elapsed outside than they experienced while close to the event horizon. However, it is fundamentally impossible for gravitational time dilation to reverse the flow of time - it can only affect the rate at which time passes.
*The Lore book ''Epochs and Orbits'' contains an entry entitled ''Asteroid Belt - 0'', describing a "stillborn" dark matter-based entity tied to the Sol System's Asteroid Belt.<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - Lore:Epochs & Orbits, [[Lore:Epochs & Orbits#Asteroid Belt - 0|Asteroid Belt - 0]]''</ref> The entry ''Mars - IV'' also has IV stating that they are charged with tending the ''"grave"'' of the Nine's ''"stillborn sister",''<ref>'''Bungie (2025/7/15)''', ''Destiny 2: The Edge of Fate - Lore:Epochs & Orbits, [[Lore:Epochs & Orbits#Mars - IV|Mars - IV]]''</ref> which likely also refers to the Asteroid Belt, as it is located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. It is unclear if this "stillborn" entity is Theia, the ancient planet which was destroyed after a collision with the Earth that resulted in the formation of the Moon or simply another dark matter-based "sibling" of the Nine that never achieved intelligence by virtue of the Asteroid Belt never having coalesced into a larger celestial body. It may also refer to the dwarf planet Ceres, one of the Solar System's only surviving planetary embryos that neither developed into a planet proper nor disintegrated into smaller fragments.

==Gallery==
;Symbols
<gallery>
Nine Symbol I.jpg|The symbol for I
Nine Symbol II.jpg|The symbol for II
Nine Symbol III.jpg|The symbol for III
Nine Symbol IV.jpg|The symbol for IV
Nine Symbol V.jpg|The symbol for V
Nine Symbol VI.jpg|The symbol for VI
Nine Symbol VII.jpg|The symbol for VII
Nine Symbol VIII.jpg|The symbol for VIII
Nine Symbol IX.jpg|The symbol for IX
Nine Symbols Chart.jpg|A chart for the Nine symbols
</gallery>
;III
<gallery>
File:Mayas Deicide.jpg|Maya looking at III's appearance within the third dimension
III's Corpse.jpg|Ikora, Lodi, and the Guardian observing III
</gallery>
;III Concept Art
<gallery>
Nine Concept 1.jpg
Nine Concept 2.jpg
Nine Concept 3.jpg
Nine Concept 4.jpg
Nine Concept 5.jpg
Nine Concept 6.jpg
Nine Concept 7.jpg
Nine Concept 8.jpg
Nine Concept 9.jpg
Nine Concept 10.jpg
Nine Concept 11.jpg
Nine Concept 12.jpg
Nine Concept 13.jpg
Nine Concept 14.jpg
Nine Concept 15.jpg
Nine Concept 16.jpg
Nine Concept 17.jpg
Nine Concept 18.jpg
Nine Concept 19.jpg
Nine Concept 20.jpg
Nine Concept 21.jpg
Nine Concept 22.jpg
Nine Concept 23.jpg
Nine Concept 24.jpg
Nine Concept 25.jpg
Nine Concept 26.jpg
Nine Concept 27.jpg
Nine Concept 28.jpg
Nine Concept 29.jpg
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Destiny]]'' {{Fm}}
**''[[The Dark Below]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[House of Wolves (expansion)|House of Wolves]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[The Taken King]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Rise of Iron]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Destiny 2]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Curse of Osiris]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Warmind (expansion)|Warmind]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Forsaken]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Season of the Forge]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Season of the Drifter]]'' {{1st}}
**''[[Season of Dawn]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Season of Arrivals]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Season of the Seraph]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Lightfall]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Season of the Deep]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Season of the Witch]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Season of the Wish]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[The Final Shape]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Episode: Revenant]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Episode: Heresy]]''
**''[[The Edge of Fate]]''
**''[[Reclamation]]'' {{Mo}}
**''[[Renegades]]''
**''[[Lawless]]'' {{mo}}
*''[[Mysterious Logbook]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[The Hidden Dossier]]'' {{Mo}}

==References==
<references/>

==Notes==
<references group="note"/>

[[Category:Organizations]]
[[Category:The Nine|*]]