Destiny 2 Narrative Designer Settles Debate About Osiris and Saint-14
"Shipping" is a term thrown around in video game communities quite often and Destiny 2 is no stranger to that. Bungie's notably left romantic relationships out of the Destiny franchise for some time, leaving fans to consider and speculate on the subject on their own. That hasn't changed, as no relationships appear within Destiny 2 itself. However, it's now been canonically confirmed by Bungie narrative director Robert Brookes that a relationship exists between Osiris and Saint-14.
Brookes confirmed the relationship in a lengthy Twitter thread on Saturday in which he discussed his own experiences understanding his sexual orientation while growing up. He talked about what it was like not understanding the concept of bisexuality due to a lack of LGBTQI+ education and representation. And further, he acknowledges that he was treated in "less friendly" ways as a result of his questioning and confusion.
Using his personal experiences as a foundation for his message, Brookes goes on to say this is why representation matters so much. He notes that it helps others explore and understand their own identity, as well as "feel seen." Brookes also acknowledges the realities of queerbaiting, which hints at but does not embrace queer representation. Brookes says that such practices are "actively damaging" marginalized communities.
With all that in mind, Brookes felt it necessary to confirm the relationship between Osiris and Saint-14 rather than leave it a matter of speculation and confusion. This subject is not a secret, according to Brookes. It's not a matter of speculation or a Destiny 2 puzzle to be solved. "It's them," characterizes Brookes, who makes clear that he's been writing Osiris and Saint-14 as gay characters ever since he started working at Bungie. Brookes says that he gave them the nuance that represented them as gay men, but that "nuance is lost in an age of queerbaiting."
As for why the relationship between Osiris and Saint-14 wasn't clearly shown in Destiny or Destiny 2, Brookes explains that there "was never a space in which to unequivocally state their identities." Osiris is a rarely seen character, after all, and Saint-14 has been lost/dead until just recently. And it's worth repeating that Bungie simply doesn't write relationships into the ongoing story in the first place.
"Clarification matters" is how Brookes wraps up his decision to confirm the Osiris and Saint-14 relationship. He also acknowledges those who were surprised by the revelation or thought it was a random decision. Brookes points to the Festival of the Lost and the "generally smoldering nature of their appreciation toward one-another." He also says that they're not, as people, "very overt." It's probably safe to say that Brookes, and hopefully Bungie, will be much more comfortable being overt in the future.
Destiny 2 is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
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