Zavala

"A veteran Titan who coordinates the defense of the City, Zavala helps to outfit and mentor other Titans."

- In-game description

Commander Zavala is an Awoken and the Vanguard for the Titan class, located within the Tower. Commander Zavala sells Titan armor and emblems.

Biography
"The first time I met Zavala, I was really intimidated. He's kind of a lot to take in, you know? But then we got to talking about the City and the Walls and how we're all going to die and the nine hundred things that want to wipe us out. And I realized he's actually much scarier than most people give him credit for."

- Amanda Holliday

Zavala was born sometime before the Collapse, and was revived by a Ghost into a Guardian. He traveled to the famous camp that would eventually become The Last City, helping to build the city alongside people such as a younger Speaker.

Zavala eventually became a student of Lord Saladin, and fought in the Battle of the Twilight Gap. Later, after parting ways with Lord Saladin, he was a competitor in the Crucible. As Commander, multiple factions have approached him to try and gain his support. In particular, he was approached by New Monarchy via Executor Hideo, and was offered to be made king of the City if he had joined their faction, but he refused, likely not wanting to reignite the Faction Wars (see quote below). He also turned away Arach Jalaal when he pleaded with him for support. However, he did vouch for Future War Cult's inclusion into the Consensus, considering their focus on combat more useful to the City than dangerous.

Zavala's role in the Vanguard is the overall Defense of the City and military strategy against enemy forces, both on Earth and abroad. He tasks Guardians with a preemptive strike against the House of Devils by killing Sepiks Prime, as well as recapturing Freehold by eliminating the Cabal chain of command.

Zavala helped the Guardians fend off the Red Legion during their massive invasion, eventually fleeing Earth. He flew his ship to Titan, where he began to panic and have an existential crisis in the light of his failure in protecting The Last City.

Quotes

 * "The Scout's reporting from Mumbai."
 * "There is a difference between victory and invincibility."
 * "Tell me, about their light."
 * "What's wrong with these people?"
 * "Didn't we have enough Kings after the Collapse? Have we forgotten our history?"
 * "Still, the walls stand."
 * "Despite it all, here we are."
 * "What do they think of us? Do they think of us?"
 * "One victory is not enough. Regard your soldiers as your children, and they will follow you into the dark."
 * "Deploy the Fifth. The North West wall is weak."
 * "The Traveler weakens while we remain idle."
 * "What sort of game does Shaxx think he's playing?"
 * "Every second we waste in idleness is a second lost to Darkness."

Trivia

 * He is voiced by Lance Reddick.
 * He seems to be familiar with the works of the ancient Chinese war general Sun Tzu, as he is heard paraphrasing The Art of War.
 * His armor is the Jovian Guard, a PlayStation exclusive Armor set, although the symbols are different denoting his status as the Titan Vanguard.
 * Zavala is a Mexican surname.
 * Zavala has a hidden soft spot for knitting and crocheting, and got visibly excited when he was presented with a homemade sweater courtesy of Eva Levante.

List of appearances

 * Destiny
 * Destiny 2