Taken

"The process is simple: an aperture opens, like a jaw, and swallows a living thing. It passes into — another place. Later, it returns. What returns is... I try to use the word ‘shadow’ but Eris hisses at me [...] insists that these Taken are more real, somehow. She uses words like inhabited, exalted, rendered final... [...] My Hidden tell me that the Taken shine with seething, negative light. As if the universe is curling up around them. As if they radiate some pathology that decays into our world as nothingness... The Taken serve Oryx. But I think those jaws lead elsewhere."

- Ikora Rey

The Taken are the personal army of Oryx, the Taken King and possibly his siblings. The Taken are formed from the ranks of the other enemy races in the game; they are ripped out of our dimension and then sent back, wholly possessed by the Darkness and have been twisted and corrupted, mind and body, by Oryx's power and the power of other Hive gods that can commune with the Darkness.

Overview
"IMPERATIVE CORRUPTED. SEEK LIGHT. DESTROY LIGHT. OBEY THE COLLECTIVE MIND, OBEY THE #$422*! ORYX. OBEY ORYX."

- Recovered from Simulation Core of Corrupted Minotaur

The process of Taking has been described by some as a blight or open aperture ripping the individual out of this realm, and returning them infused with the power of the Darkness, and in effect transforming the victim into an animate vessel of the wielder's power. Taken resemble their former selves for the most part, but are both shadowed and eerily glowing, with a blindingly bright orb typically obscuring their facial features. Many Taken are seen to shiver or twitch in a disturbing manner, and their vocalizations are warped into shrieks and howls. Over time, exceptionally powerful Taken have been seen to grow pairs of black, curving spikes from their bodies.

Taken versions of enemies have radically different behaviors from their standard counterparts, including new abilities designed to counter Guardian abilities. Groups of Taken can be mixed with members of different species, and can appear on Earth, Venus, Mars, Dreadnaught and Io in most activities; on the Moon, in select Destiny Story missions and certain Patrol activites in both Destiny and Destiny 2.

Taken are unwaveringly loyal to their master, and will turn on their former allies without hesitation. Even powerful enemies such as Vex Axis Minds or Cabal commanders are incapable of resisting this change; furthermore, the Taken are viral enough that Praedyth directly states to the Guardian that in one timeline (presumably one where Oryx's presence on Venus was not removed), they were able to overrun the Vex and drive them to extermination or perhaps even nigh-extinction, an outcome once thought to be impossible. More frightening is that although only Oryx can produce new Taken and they are tied to his power, any existing Taken will not simply dissipate with Oryx's defeat; according to Eris Morn, the Taken stagnate and decay without a master, but will linger indefinitely until they are thoroughly exterminated. The most horrifying possibility, however, is that other members of the Hive pantheon can possibly seize the Tablets of Ruin or otherwise commune with the Deep and claim the power to Take for themselves.

While all Taken are enslaved to their master's will, more powerful Taken retain a degree of independent thought and initiative, mostly at the discretion of the master themselves, to "keep them interesting." After Oryx's defeat, the Taken Knight Malok, Pride of Oryx, attempted to seize the vacant throne for himself. Other Taken, such as Noru'usk, Servant of Oryx, have aspirations to ascend while many, like Keksis, the Betrayed, are lost and leaderless. With the advent of the Red War, Taken activity spiked and was more coordinated. Ikora hypothesized that the Taken were no longer leaderless, with signs pointing to Savathûn being the one controlling the Taken, possibly claiming the power to Take for herself.

History
"Oryx wields this power. But Oryx did not make it. We face the same flower we met in the Black Garden."

- Ikora Rey

The power to create the Taken is an ability granted by the Darkness and wielded only by Oryx, the most powerful of the Hive pantheon. However, with the Red War, signs continually point to Savathûn having claimed the power to create Taken.

He first gained the ability to Take when he was still Auryx. Seeking for a power that would help him defeat the Ecumene, he killed his two sisters to gain an audience with Akka the Worm god of Secrets. After slaying it, Auryx stole the secrets from its flesh and wrote them upon a set of tablets he named the Tablets of Ruin. After speaking to the Deep directly, he returned, mantled as Oryx, the Taken King.

With this new power Oryx waged war upon the Ecumene and defeated them utterly over a period of one thousand, one hundred and forty years, in the process conjuring back his two sisters in the same way he had killed them.

During the Golden Amputation Oryx Took the Emperor Raven and assured the defeat of the Taishibethi When the Vex invaded his Ascendant Realm Oryx Took and turned them against one another, eventually expelling the cybernetic machines from his domain. Later, aboard the Nicha Thought-ship Oryx encountered and Took Quria, Blade Transform, the Vex mind which had orchestrated the organized invasion of his Throne, and later gifted it to his sister Savathûn as a present.

With Oryx's death, his surviving Taken were released from his control and rendered independent but directionless. Oryx was assumed to be the only known entity to date to have possessed the power to Take, but following the Taken War, others such as Malok developed the ability to manipulate Taken and their blights. In particular, with assistance from the Techeuns and Variks, the Reef was able to capture a large number of Taken within their Prison of Elders and developed a reliable method for infusing Taken energy into their arms and armor.

Resurgence
Two years later, during the events of the Red War, the Taken invaded the European Dead Zone and corrupted a forest outside of the Traveler's shard. Certain Taken had also mutated physically, developing two large, curving spikes on their backs. A Red Legion commander was also somehow converted into a Taken, even though Oryx had been killed prior to the invasion. Ikora commented that these Taken were no longer leaderless, but had to be acting under a new higher power. Evidence points to Savathûn, sister of Oryx and Witch-Queen of the Hive, as she is referenced by name through both artifacts and some of the named Taken. Numerous Taken found on Io are also named after Quria, Blade Transform, who had been given as a gift to Savathûn by Oryx.

During the events of the Dark Alliance Adventure, Red Legion Psions successfully used their powers to steal and infuse Taken energy into themselves and their superiors, empowering them with Taken-powered weapons and shielding. However, this effort was stopped by The Guardian.

On Io, it was discovered by Ikora and Asher Mir that the Taken had established a foothold after being drawn there by remnants of the Traveler's Light. When they attempted to summon a large number of Taken to overtake the moon, The Guardian intervened and disable the portal they had conjured. They also found a way to turn the local Vex into more Taken with the intention to take a Vex mind and breach the Vex's network to control the Vex as a whole. This plan, however, was discovered and stopped by The Guardian also.

Fallen

 * Taken Vandal—summons a spherical shield similar to Ward of Dawn. This shield heals enemies inside and allows them to shoot out but not in. They armed with Solar Wire Rifles and Arc Shrapnel Launchers.
 * Consumed Vandal
 * Devoured Vandal
 * Ravenous Taken Vandal
 * Taken Blightblazer
 * Tortured Vandal
 * Taken Captain—sends out moving balls of Darkness to blind Guardians and are armed with Arc-damage Shrapnel Launcher or Arc Blades are used and Solar-shielded.
 * Blightmaker
 * Consumed Captain
 * Devoured Captain
 * Ravenous Taken Captain
 * Scavenging Crew Leader
 * Taken Blightblazer
 * Taken Exsanguinator
 * Tortured Captain

Hive

 * Taken Thrall—ability to teleport short distances in an instant, and do Solar-damage with their melee.
 * Consumed Thrall
 * Devoured Thrall
 * Ravenous Taken Thrall
 * Shadow Thrall—a shadowy imitation of a Thrall summoned by Taken Wizards, and do Solar-damage with their melee.
 * Consumed Shadow
 * Devoured Shadow
 * Tortured Thrall
 * Taken Acolyte—deploys Acolyte's Eye turrets and are armed with Arc Shredders.
 * Consumed Acolyte
 * Devoured Acolyte
 * Tortured Acolyte
 * Taken Wizard—can summon Shadow Thralls. They fire Solar Darkness Blasts, and are Void-shielded. In certain cases they can use "Necromantic Gaze", firing three Solar projectiles much faster than their usual Darkness blasts
 * Consumed Wizard
 * Devoured Wizard
 * Ensnaring Wizard
 * Ravenous Taken Wizard
 * Taken Asphyxiator
 * Taken Virologist
 * Tortured Wizard
 * Taken Knight—fires explosive, lingering Solar jets in a wave for area denial, teleports short distances to evade attacks. They are armed with Void Boomers, which fire bolts with higher velocity and do not suffer gravitational drop.
 * Consumed Knight
 * Devoured Knight
 * Ravenous Taken Knight
 * Taken Executioner
 * Taken Polarizer
 * Tortured Knight
 * Taken Ogre
 * Light-Eater Ogre

Vex

 * Taken Goblin—when in close proximity to an ally, they can generate an invincible shield for it. Armed with either a Void Slap Rifle or a Solar Torch Hammer.
 * Consumed Goblin
 * Devoured Goblin
 * Ravenous Taken Goblin
 * Tortured Goblin
 * Taken Hobgoblin—fires a fast-moving, Shrieker-like projectile when struck in self-defense. Equipped with a Void Line Rifle.
 * Consumed Hobgoblin
 * Devoured Hobgoblin
 * Tortured Hobgoblin
 * Taken Minotaur—always cloaked unless shot at enough. Equipped with a Solar Torch Hammer.
 * Consumed Minotaur
 * Devoured Minotaur
 * Tortured Minotaur

Cabal

 * Taken Psion—has the ability to multiply itself, splitting and creating another Taken Psion with full health and wield an Arc Slug Rifle. Taken Psions fire their Slug Rifles very rapidly.
 * Consumed Psion
 * Devoured Psion
 * Ravenous Taken Psion
 * Tortured Psion
 * Taken Phalanx—Can fire Arc blasts from their shield that can push Guardians, much like the physical shields themselves, and are armed with an Arc Slug Rifle.
 * Consumed Phalanx
 * Devoured Phalanx
 * Ravenous Taken Phalanx
 * Tortured Phalanx
 * Taken Centurion—has an Arc-shield, can teleport short distances, and is armed with a Void Projection Rifle. Fires slower moving Axion Darts, much like the Voidwalker's Axion bolt, that tracks targets and deals Void-damage—these can reach enemies around corners easily and can be shot and detonated to avoid damage.
 * Blighted Centurion
 * Blightmaker
 * Consumed Centurion
 * Devoured Centurion
 * Ravenous Taken Centurion
 * Taken Blightblazer
 * Taken Forerunner
 * Taken Fracturer
 * Tortured Centurion

Unique

 * Taken Blight—a sphere of Darkness that can appear procedurally in the world. The Blight can summon Taken ambushes, which can include named characters that drop runes.
 * Acolyte's Eye—a stationary unit deployed by Taken Acolytes. It is an orb of Darkness energy that fires Arc energy at enemies, and detonates in an Arc blast when destroyed. They survive the death of their summoner.

Named Taken
"[T]hat dying Thrall was no monster. It was in ecstasy. I felt the power as my knife bit home. I heard their song, for just a moment. I will hear it again. Oryx is the Truth. And I will have it."

- Unknown Hunter


 * '''Taken Prince
 * Malok, Pride of Oryx—Taken Knight: Pretender to the Throne mission and Blighted Chalice Strike
 * Taken Lieutenants in Patrol encounters
 * Agonarch Rune Taken
 * Aarta—Taken Knight: Hull Breach, Dreadnaught
 * Dakkadi—Taken Knight: Hull Breach, Dreadnaught
 * Gornith—Taken Knight: Hull Breach, Dreadnaught
 * Gurroth—Taken Knight: Hull Breach, Dreadnaught
 * Purtra, the False Tongue—Taken Wizard: Hull Breach, Dreadnaught
 * Surnon, Darksong—Taken Wizard: Hall of Souls, Dreadnaught
 * Dumuzod—Taken Knight: summoned with a Charged Agonarch Rune at The Founts, Dreadnaught
 * Relic Chest Taken
 * Disrok—Taken Wizard: Hall of Souls, Dreadnaught
 * Dumuz-Nuna—Taken Knight: Hall of Souls, Dreadnaught
 * Kilulu—Taken Knight: Hall of Souls, Dreadnaught
 * Mishkara—Taken Knight: Hall of Souls, Dreadnaught
 * Taken Zealots
 * Bracus Dru'urng—Taken Centurion: The Legion's Keep, Mars
 * Blighted Chord—Taken Minotaur: Endless Steps, Venus
 * Blighted Descendant—Taken Minotaur: The Hollows, Mars
 * Darnu, Horn of Oryx—Taken Knight: The Divide, Earth
 * Grayris, Baroness—Taken Captain: The Shattered Coast, Venus
 * Falsek, Lost to Oryx—Taken Captain: Dock 13, Earth
 * Irxori, Lost to Oryx—Taken Captain: Skywatch, Earth
 * Lhoks, Exile Baron—Taken Captain: The Cinders, Venus
 * Krathoor—Taken Knight: Shrine of Oryx, Moon
 * Sho'oulth, Horror of Oryx—Taken Centurion: The Barrens, Mars
 * Stirok, Banner of Oryx—Taken Knight: Rocketyard, Earth
 * Taken Lieutenants in Court of Oryx (Hall of Souls, Dreadnaught)
 * Bracus Horu'usk—Taken Centurion
 * Mengoor—Taken Knight
 * Kagoor—Taken Wizard


 * Taken Lieutenants in Lost Sectors
 * Pandrok, Pillar of Nothing—Taken Knight: Sanctum of Bones, Io
 * Varghul, Fragment of Oryx—Taken Knight: Cavern of Souls, European Dead Zone
 * Vendraxis, Shadow of Oryx—Taken Captain: Hallowed Grove, European Dead Zone


 * Taken Lieutenants in Flashpoints
 * Ereshkel, Insight of Savathûn - Taken Wizard: Giant's Scar, Io
 * Viadion, Transformed Mind - Taken Minotaur: The Rupture, Io


 * Taken Lieutenants in Story missions
 * Baxx, Hand of Oryx—Taken Ogre: Regicide mission
 * Bracus Sho'ogurn—Taken Centurion: Tenebrous Tunnels mission
 * Bracus—Taken Centurion: appears in The Promethean Code mission (Heroic)
 * Driviks, the Chosen—Taken Captain: Lost to Light mission (Heroic Daily Story version only)
 * Erruk, the Taken—Taken Wizard: Sacrilege mission
 * Irausk, Herald of Savathûn—Taken Centurion: Sacrilege mission
 * Modular Sigma—Taken Goblin: Fury mission
 * Modular Upsilon—Taken Minotaur: Fury mission
 * Morphon, Blighted Mind—Taken Hydra: Paradox mission
 * Norr, the Taken—Taken Wizard: Sacrilege mission
 * Sarkoor—Taken Wizard: Lost to Light mission
 * Syrok, Word of Oryx —Taken Knight: The Coming War mission
 * Ta'aun, Hand of Oryx—Taken Colossus: Regicide mission
 * Vro'ourn, Fist of Oryx—Taken Centurion: Outbound Signal mission
 * Wyr, the Taken—Taken Wizard: Sacrilege mission


 * Taken Lieutenants in Quests and Adventures
 * Balvog, Shield of Oryx—Taken Knight: Dread Patrol
 * Drensik, Venom of Oryx-Taken Captain: Sunbreaker quest
 * Elatiox, Beloved of Quria—Taken Minotaur: Kings Shadow quest
 * Erosus, Spawn of Quria— Taken Hydra: Kings Shadow quest
 * Gu'urc, Venom of Oryx-Taken Centurion: Stormcaller quest
 * Haraal, Venom of Oryx—Taken Wizard: Nightstalker quest
 * Ir Arok, Tongue of Quria—Taken Knight: Kings Shadow quest
 * Iraz, Eye of Savathûn—Taken Wizard: Unexpected Guests adventure
 * Mar-Zik, the Blightcaller—Taken Wizard: Fear's Embrace
 * Mysik, Daughter of Oryx—Taken Wizard: Blighted Coven
 * Thyshik, Matron of Oryx—Taken Wizard: Blighted Coven
 * Tsugoth, Gauntlet of Oryx—Taken Knight: Kings of Decay
 * Zyrak, Daughter of Oryx—Taken Wizard: Blighted Coven


 * Taken Lieutenants in Strikes
 * Adleg, Warden of Oryx—Taken Knight: encountered in a special variant of The Sunless Cell Strike during the quest A Sword Reforged
 * Agrax, the Rotted—Taken Knight: sometimes encountered in The Sunless Cell Strike
 * Blighted Chord—Taken Minotaur: sometimes encountered in the Dust Palace Strike
 * Bracus Mu'urrn—Taken Centurion: sometimes encountered in the Cerberus Vae III Strike
 * Bracus Tra'aull—Taken Centurion: sometimes encountered in The Undying Mind Strike
 * Drarok, the Watching—Taken Wizard: sometimes encountered in The Sunless Cell Strike
 * Gamoth, the Consumed—Taken Wizard: sometimes encountered in Fallen S.A.B.E.R. Strike
 * Gralk, Gauntlet of Savathûn--Taken Centurion: sometimes encountered in The Pyramidion Strike
 * Grask, the Consumed—Taken Phalanx: Lake of Shadows Strike
 * Hephone, Corruption Mind—Taken Hydra: sometimes encountered in the Cerberus Vae III Strike
 * Kalboh, the Unclaimed—Taken Knight: sometimes encountered in The Sunless Cell Strike
 * Khendiss, World Corruptor—Taken Wizard: sometimes encountered in The Undying Mind Strike
 * Kiphoris, Devil Captain—Taken Captain: sometimes encountered in the Fallen S.A.B.E.R. Strike
 * Lharkiss, Wolf Bane—Taken Vandal: sometime encountered in the Dust Palace Strike
 * Morgath, Lore-Keeper—Taken Knight: encountered in The Undying Mind Strike during the quest Hunger Pangs
 * Nixis, Hunger of Oryx—Taken Captain: Winter's Run (Taken version) Strike
 * Nolthok, the Withering—Taken Wizard: sometimes encountered in the The Sunless Cell Strike
 * Sekrion, Subverted Mind—Taken Hydra: The Nexus: Revisited Strike
 * Urlot, the Trampler—Taken Knight: encountered in The Sunless Cell Strike
 * Xarthra—Taken Knight: sometimes encountered in the Fallen S.A.B.E.R. Strike


 * Taken Lieutenants in Arenas
 * Keksis, the Betrayed—Taken Captain: Prison of Elders arena
 * Noru'usk, Servant of Oryx—Taken Centurion: Prison of Elders arena
 * Seditious Mind—Taken Hydra: Prison of Elders arena
 * Sylok, the Defiled—Taken Knight: Prison of Elders arena


 * Mentioned Taken
 * Quria, Blade Transform-Taken Vex Hydra
 * The Perfect Raven—Taken Taishibethi Empress

Trivia

 * Based on Grimoire analysis it can be assumed that the victim willingly chooses to be enslaved. It is unknown if any victims have ever rejected the Darkness.
 * This power is described by the Ecumene as an "ontopathogenic" weapon, infecting and subverting soldiers and giving them "physically illegal" abilities, not unlike the Superpower Wiki's description of "infect[ing] the very nature of the subject's existence". Moreover, in the same article, Ontopathogenesis is described as also infecting the metaphysical reality of a creature, matching the language of The Taken Grimoire cards.
 * In Destiny 2 while most of the Taken remain largely the same in appearance, some Major and Ultra Taken appear with the trademark black bodies but their white eyes and glow is gold rather than the standard white.
 * Some concept art of the Taken shows them being able to Take other enemies although this is never seen in game.

List of appearances

 * Destiny
 * The Taken King
 * Rise of Iron
 * The Dawning
 * Destiny 2