Understanding the Final Shape and the Witness

I explore the lore of the final shape, its many understandings, and its herald, the Witness, who players fight in Destiny 2’s Final Shape Expansion.

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“The concept of the final shape has worn many faces. From your encounters with the Disciples of the Witness, we know that they all had their own understanding of this concept–that they all saw what they wished to see in it.” (Entelechy)

There’s an idea in Destiny’s lore so fundamental that it has influenced the way most of the franchise’s villains see the universe. It explains the nature of reality and influences the actions and philosophies of those who encounter it even if they disagree. This is a story about the final shape, and the Witness.
The phrase “the final shape” first appears in the lore of the Taken King released in 2015. Initially it was explained as a core concept to the philosophy that drove the expansion’s main antagonist, Oryx, The Taken King. Since then, the final shape has grown and evolved until now, where it’s the title of the expansion that serves as the climax of the first 10 years of Destiny. This video is primarily concerned not with the expansion called the Final Shape, but the philosophical concept that reached its apotheosis during the battle against the Witness.
What I find most interesting is the way the final shape has been portrayed over the years. The final shape has never truly been nailed down until now. We’ve seen it interpreted by numerous characters who each have a slightly different view of what the final shape means to them. A key piece of information about the final shape comes in the title of the aforementioned campaign’s third mission: Exegesis. The Final Shape is an idea steeped in religious iconography because its foremost herald: the Witness, sees the final shape as a divine mission and purpose. Thus in order to understand the final shape, we need to understand that each time we see a character reference it, they are not explaining an objective truth about the concept, but a subjective interpretation of what amounts to a religious concept or text, an Exegesis. Join me on a journey witnessing the final shape and its many understandings.

Bibliography: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S...

Video Chapters:
The Final Shape - 0:00:00
Oryx’s Understanding - 0:02:39
Calus’ Understanding - 0:22:56
Nezarec’s Understanding - 0:35:27
The Sol Divisive’s Understanding - 0:51:21
Xivu Arath’s Understanding - 1:00:25
Savathûn’s Understanding - 1:10:23
Rhulk’s Understanding - 1:26:44
Unveiling - 2:06:47
The Exuviation - 3:00:41
The Precursors - 3:15:44
The First Knife - 3:47:52
The Dissenters - 3:59:34
Salvation’s Edge and The Rubicon - 4:09:23
The Witness’ Understanding - 5:05:20
The Vanguard’s Understanding - 5:32:02
My Understanding of the Final Shape - 5:49:28
Announcements - 6:15:33