Known as the Vanguard of the Titans and military Commander of The Last City, Zavala is a fierce warrior and a tremendous ally of mankind. Throughout the Destiny franchise, he has fought tirelessly to safeguard humanity, protect the Traveler, and defend the Last City no matter what the cost.
Although the player interacts with this man frequently throughout Destiny and Destiny 2, there are some things the average fan may not be aware of. Whether it’s his mysterious background, political maneuverings, or impressive displays of heroics, here are 10 more things you may not know about this titan of Titans.
10 He Was Reborn In The Fires Of Combat
Nothing is known about Zavala’s life prior to becoming a Guardian. But the events surrounding his rebirth is quite the tale. His Ghost found him in the ruins of a spaceship on an unknown shore on Earth. He immediately set out to locate the Traveler and suffered through quite the journey.
Attacked by Fallen on numerous occasions and constantly revived by his Ghost, Zavala fought his way to the remnants of mankind holed up beneath the Traveler. Zavala has no interest in learning his previous life and chooses to focus on the here and now and what may come.
9 He Helped Found The Last City
After finding the remnants of humanity, Zavala coordinated with the Speaker, Cayde-6 and other the heroes to fight off Fallen invaders on multiple occasions and began organizing the populace to defend and grow.
Over time, they built the massive walls that protect The Last City and worked to get functioning vehicles, spaceships, and advanced weaponry to further defend against hostiles. This hard work has paid off as The Last City has become a bastion of safety against the evils of the universe.
8 He Is The Strongest Titan
Part of what makes Zavala a capable leader is that he is, arguably, the strongest Titan in existence… barring the player’s character, of course. His raw strength is unparalleled and even without his Ghost, he’s managed to survive injuries that would kill anyone else.
In addition to his physical prowess, Zavala has a strong bond with the Light and wields it with devastating efficiency. Few enemies have been able to match his might on the battlefield and many Guardians look to him as a role model for pushing themselves to improve their own limits.
7 He Saved Cayde-6
During the fight to defend the beginnings of The Last City, Fallen were swarming the settlement and killing everyone in their wake. As Zavala scrambled to rally the Guardians and mount a coordinated defense Cayde-6 was attempting to rescue a group of civilians from Vandals.
Seeing their plight, Zavala rushed in and leapt into the fray using his Fist Of Havoc to obliterate the threat. He saved not only the civilians’ lives but Cayde-6’s as well. Since then Zavala and Cayde-6 have become fast friends, in spite of their differences.
6 He Refused To Be King
As The Last City’s walls went up and factions were seeking to gain power and influence, Zavala was approached by many seeking his alliance in order to secure their position ass rulers. However, Zavala remained neutral and refused them outright.
One faction, the New Monarchy, offered to make him King of The Last City if he joined. Zavala quickly rejected them, proving he couldn’t be bought or corrupted by power. The only faction he has ever shown support for is the Future War Cult, who believe Darkness is coming and mankind needs to be prepared for that conflict.
5 He Staged A Coup
Zavala’s zeal to do what’s best for mankind and The Last City has often forced his hand in politics. When it became apparent that the Fallen Houses were preparing for a major assault, the council determined how to prepare when then Vanguard Commander Osiris revealed his obsession with Vex technology and wanted to use it against the invaders.
Siding with the Speaker who opposed this notion, Zavala quickly ousted Osiris by having Ikora appointed in his stead, permanently. After he was replaced, Zavala exiled him from The Last City. The Speaker then appointed Zavala to be the new Vanguard Commander.
4 Mankind Is His Priority
Zavala’s greatest allegiance is to mankind and he constantly seeks their safety and security even at great personal cost. While he would never sacrifice his morals to ensure their safety, he is more than willing to put his and others’ lives on the line if it means survival of the human race.
This is why he outright refused to send forces after Uldren for killing Cayde-6. Even though it was his friend and he wanted revenge as much as anyone else, he knew the Guardians were stretched too thin and couldn’t afford losing any more soldiers.
3 He Saved The Council
During the Red War, Zavala put himself in harm’s way to ensure the safety of the Council. As the hellfire rained down on the Last City he put up a Ward Of Dawn to protect those in the Command Center. It was an impressive display of strength and willpower, as he managed to prevent any harm from coming to them.
After the barrage he fought long and hard to get as many civilians evacuated from the city before fleeing himself. There’s no telling how many lives were spared because of this man’s actions on that tragic day.
2 He Led The Retaking Of The Last City
Even though humanity was badly broken following the fall of The Last City after the Red Legion’s invasion, Zavala never gave up hope that the city could be retaken.
Working with the remaining Guardians and the player, Zavala launched the attack committed to securing the City against all odds. Sure enough, his efforts proved victorious as Dominus Ghaul fell, the Almighty was destroyed, and the Traveler awakened.
1 He Is Constantly On The Offensive
If there’s one thing that Zavala learned, it’s that there will always be something that threatens humanity. This put Zavala on constant offense when it comes to military strategy. After defending an attack, he immediately gives chase or launches a counter-strike rather than let his foes regroup and attack later.
Even during peacetime, he seeks out threats preparing to invade and preemptively disrupts their schemes. Zavala knows the Darkness is coming and he wants as many allies on his side and as few enemies as possible when that day arrives.
NEXT: What Are Destiny 2’s Plans For The Future?
