Wizard

"Wizards, lead your followers in battle. Take enough devastation to feed your worm, and a little more to grow, and take the tithe of your followers. Then take another portion, as much as you dare, and use it for your own purposes. But if it is too much, your peers will kill you and take it. Then tithe the remainder to the Ascendant you serve."

- Oryx, the Taken King

Wizards are a powerful caste of Hive. They wear long, crumbling robes and fly overhead to unleash their spells, drawing on the power of the Darkness to fuel their powers.

Overview
"The only word for what we saw is sorcery."

- Grimoire description.

While the lesser Hive monsters carry out the Hive's will through overwhelming force, the Wizards plan the Hive's conquests and carry out the unspeakable rituals that create its menagerie of abominations. In addition to fueling the Hive's might through sorcery, the Wizards also serve as its reproductive caste. A Wizard becomes fertile either from a mate or on her own, whereupon she will produce the pupae that give rise to the Hive's legions of Thralls. In Destiny 2, Wizards gain a new look as well, appearing to have more armor on their bodies, and sporting a helmet with two glowing lines on either side of their helmets. They can possibly cast illusions upon others as well.

Gameplay
Wizards are often frustrating opponents on the battlefield, being able to unleash long range darkness blasts in rapid succession while swiftly flying around. The higher the Wizard is ranked, the faster they fire them. In addition, they can plant down poison clouds that deal damage over time, blur the player's vision, and slow them down. The vast majority of wizards come with Solar shields, except for Omnigul, who comes with an Arc shield. But once the shield of any Wizard is picked apart through concentrated fire, their defenses are effectively shut down, leaving them fully vulnerable to Guardian attacks.

In Destiny 2, Wizards on Titan appear largely the same along with their abilities. Most appear with Solar Shields but a special few, such as Savathûn's Handmaiden, have Void Shields.

Blood of Oryx Wizards

 * Alzok Däl
 * Balwûr
 * Gornuk Däl
 * In Anânh, Brood Queen
 * Ir Anûk, Deathsinger
 * Ir Halak, Deathsinger
 * Lokaar
 * Zyrok Däl

Hidden Swarm Wizards

 * Ayriax
 * Besurith, Daughter of Crota
 * Devoted of Ir Yût
 * Gotra, Eir Spawn
 * Hashladûn, Daughter of Crota
 * Ir Absuul, First Aria
 * Ir Airâm, Deathsinger
 * Ir Nagash, Second Aria
 * Ir Sûfra, Third Aria
 * Kinox
 * Lisknis, the Devils Executor
 * Malura, the Fated
 * Mormu, Xol Spawn
 * Oxiith, Abandoned Spawn
 * Räkta, the Mournful
 * Sulmâkta, High Conductor
 * Umra, Xol Spawn
 * Volmâr, the Tempted
 * Voshyr
 * Vurok, Eir Spawn
 * Xyor, the Unwed
 * Yishra

Spawn of Crota Wizards

 * Heart of Crota
 * Ir Yût, the Deathsinger
 * Omnigul, Will of Crota

Savathûn's Brood Wizards

 * Azyrax, Exalted Conjurer
 * Dûl Incaru, the Eternal Return
 * Exhara, Ambassador of Savathûn
 * Gravetide Summoner
 * Karugul
 * Kudazad, Binder of Savathûn

Xivu Arath's Horde Wizards

 * Hasaak, Venom of Xivu Arath
 * Ir Yun, Cult of Megor
 * Soulfire Hierarch

Grasp of Nokris

 * Devoted of Nokris
 * Ilheru Xolborne
 * Nokris, Herald of Xol
 * Šimmumah ur-Nokru
 * Sulhava, Vassal to Xol
 * Thanatologist Ir'Handi
 * Thanatologist Merga

Lucent Brood Wizards

 * Ei Arat, Trespasser
 * Hadragal, Keeper of Memory
 * Hathrek, the Glasweard
 * Ir Akraht, Light Harvester
 * Ir Olena, Moth Keeper
 * Korosek, Thronebringer
 * Naaruz, Third Seeker of Silence
 * Savathûn's Right Hand

Wrathborn Wizards

 * Xillox, Oppression of Xivu Arath

Unknown affiliation

 * Ir Abassin, Broodlost
 * Navôta, Eir Spawn
 * Osmium Traitor
 * Verok

Proxy Wizards

 * Hazboor, Proxy
 * Herald of Savathûn, Proxy

Nightmare Wizards

 * Nightmare of Navôta, Eir-Spawn
 * Nightmare of Omnigul, Will of Crota
 * Nightmare of Val Sinu, Hellbringer

Variants

 * Abyssal Sorcerer
 * Apprentice of the Cryptoglyph
 * Ascendant Wizard — Epic difficulty Wizard
 * Blistered Wizard
 * Brood Mother
 * Brood Queen — High ranking Wizards, known for birthing entire broods or sects.
 * Chosen Wizard — Heroic difficulty Wizard
 * Conjurer
 * Deathsinger — these Ultra wizards are encountered exclusively in Raids (apart from Story mission Last Rites), and will kill the entire party after a certain time limit if they are not killed beforehand.
 * Deceived Wizard
 * Dread Unhallowed Wizard
 * Drenched Sorceress
 * Envoy of Savathûn
 * Hallowed Wizard — Major Wizard
 * Hollow Wizard
 * Ignition Carrier
 * Kamus Wizard
 * Lamplighter Wizard
 * Lightbearer Wizard
 * Lunar Scavenger
 * Malevolent Ritualist
 * Namuš Wizard
 * Necromantis
 * Null Conjurer
 * Omen of the Broken Blade
 * Paraversal Contender
 * Profane Wizard
 * Ravagers of Xivu Arath
 * Revenant Wizard
 * Renewal Wizard
 * Rite Wizard
 * Ritualist of Xivu Arath
 * Ritual Hierarch
 * Ritual Wizard
 * Scholar of the Cryptoglyph
 * Siphon Witch
 * Sky-Eater Wizard
 * Soaring Keen
 * Soulfire Exarch
 * Soulfire Hierarch
 * Waker of Crota — encountered exclusively in Siege of the Warmind and The Wakening. Wakers of Crota glow green and are capable of summoning traps called Vestiges. Vestiges damage players who walk over them. Killing Wakers will prevent more Vestiges from appearing.
 * Watcher of Crota
 * Wizard Pillager of Xivu Arath
 * Worm Keeper
 * Unhallowed Wizard

Trivia

 * The phrase "That Wizard came from the Moon!" (as uttered by the Ghost) has become an infamous line among the Destiny community. Bungie has released a shirt and a poster in recognition of the meme.
 * All Wizards are females capable of reproduction, either sexually or asexually through parthenogenesis, besides Nokris, who is the only known male Wizard.

List of appearances

 * Destiny
 * Destiny 2
 * Curse of Osiris
 * Warmind
 * Forsaken
 * Season of Opulence
 * Shadowkeep
 * Season of the Worthy
 * Season of Arrivals
 * Beyond Light
 * Season of the Hunt
 * Season of the Chosen
 * Season of the Splicer
 * Season of the Lost
 * The Witch Queen
 * Season of the Risen
 * Season of Plunder