The Final Shape answers one of Destiny 2’s oldest lingering questions

This article contains spoilers for Destiny 2: The Final Shape.

If players have spent some time combing through Destiny 2‘s endgame content, there’s little doubt they’ve encountered one of the mysterious shrouded statues. These fixtures have been an enigma since their first appearance in-game, with little to no explanation about the origin or purpose of the identical structures. However, in The Final Shape, Guardians finally get some answers about these creepy statues.

The shrouded statues first appeared in the Shadowkeep expansion, found throughout the campaign and at the very end of the Garden of Salvation Raid. Since then, they have sporadically popped up wherever Darkness gathers, like the Deep Stone Crypt Raid. While an apparent connection to the Darkness, as The Witness uses it to speak to players, the statues have literally remained shrouded in mystery until now.

What are Destiny 2’s shrouded statues?

During The Final Shape’s campaign, the shrouded statues take a bit of a spotlight. After Commander Zavala’s past is dredged up and his resolve tested, the character notices the statues trying to speak with him. The Commander believes they’re trying to help. While Zavala’s abrupt change in demeanor and the clear connection between the statues and The Witness cause alarm for Ikora Rey and our allies, he’s ultimately right.

Investigating the statues deeper, players and Zavala discover that they are indeed trying to communicate with us — and they’re not overtly hostile. However, at first, the most Guardians can get out of the entities is their desire to see us give ourselves to Darkness. When Zavala briefly gives in to the influence of The Witness, the statues show him what they really are: dissenters.

The Witness is an entity created from the mass sacrifice of an entire species. And we learn that not every one of those progenitor people shares the same vision as The Witness. The shrouded statues are still part of The Witness, but these individual conscious objectors have been suppressed and excised from the greater collective that’s unified in purpose. Some of the voices from these statues note that time has twisted the intent of The Witness, while others seem to never have been on board with the endeavor.

What do the shrouded statues want?

As dissenters, the individuals within the shrouded statues are aghast to see The Witness so close to enacting its Final Shape. Physically trapped and separated within statues, they’re almost powerless to stop The Witness. However, as they still are a part of The Witness, the shrouded statues are an unguarded weakpoint.

When we finally discover the statue’s intent, Guardians realize they must embrace Darkness to sequester their help. This comes to pass in the Iconoclasm mission, where we’re gifted a sword forged of Light and embrace Darkness while engaging The Witness. From within the Darkness, Guardians find themselves surrounded by the shrouded statues, with many more dissenters than initially imagined. They have a simple ask: to die.

The dissenters within the shrouded statues are in a perpetual state of undeath as they watch The Witness carry out its heinous acts. They beg for Guardians to use the Light sword to destroy them, severing their connection to The Witness and ending their existence. While individually helpless in undying life, their collective dissection and death make The Witness vulnerable.