Destiny 2 Class Guide: All Classes and Subclasses Explained

Destiny 2’s sci-fi elements are fully ingrained into its character design, world-building, and class system. The blend of space magic and shooter elements creates the perfect harmony of classes and synergies, and a Destiny 2 class guide will help you understand the strengths and unique elements of each class in the game.

As a player, you can always switch between classes and subclasses, but sticking to one can reap several benefits in the long haul. Everything from cosmetics to gameplay changes will adapt to the time you’ve spent playing, so it’s essential to pick a character that fits your playstyle. 

What Are Destiny 2 Classes and Subclasses?

Destiny 2’s classes are divided into three main types: Titans, Hunters, and Warlocks. 

• Titans are armored fighters, functioning as a typical tank or frontline bruiser. 
• Hunters are agile scouts and assassins, focusing on mobility and stealth. 
• Warlocks are the spellcasters who utilize raw ability regeneration and healing. 

Each of these classes wield elemental powers known as subclasses. At the time of writing, there are five primary elemental subclasses — split between “Light” and “Dark” — and one hybrid subclass available for each class. The Light subclasses consist of Solar, Arc, and Void, while the Darkness subclasses feature Stasis and Strand. 

These subclasses grant you Aspects and Fragments, which open up customization options. Aspects are class-specific items that grant buffs, while Fragments are smaller enhancements that work across classes. Keywords like “Scorch” or “Restoration” indicate how your character interacts during combat scenarios, depending on your loadout. 

Finally, mechanics like jumping, throwing grenades, and melee abilities can gain unique properties depending on your subclass. These directly tie in to the game’s movement and combat mechanics, and will affect how you use different weapons in the game, or explore Destiny 2’s open-world gameplay. 

Hunter Class

Ability	• Marksman’s Dodge: A directional dodge that automatically reloads your currently equipped weapon. • Gambler’s Dodge: A directional dodge that fully recharges your melee ability when performed near enemies. • Acrobat’s Dodge: This has your character performing a leap that makes you and nearby allies Radiant (Solar or Prismatic only).
Jump ability	• High Jump: While mid-air, jump a second time to reach tricky heights. • Strafe Jump: While mid-air, jump a second time with greater directional control. • Triple Jump: While in the air, sustain air control with a second and third jump. • Blink: Jump, and then teleport to a short distance (Arc or Prismatic only).
Strengths	• Highest single-target damage Supers in the game that can completely overhaul a fight. • Through the Void subclass, Hunters are masters of stealth. They can vanish to safely revive teammates or reposition. • Their unique vertical movement and instant dodge ability turn your gameplay into something inspired by the best PvP games.
Role	• Agile Skirmisher or Burst DPS capable of flanking enemies, debuffing targets, and delivering high damage spikes during boss phases.

The Hunter is Destiny 2’s take on the classic rogue or gunslinger archetype. They focus on stylish movements, speed, and precision. You can easily spot a Hunter; they typically wear an outfit with a hood and cape, and harness agile movements like dodging and getting to places quicker than others. 

A Hunter’s core gameplay loop revolves around their Class Ability: Dodge. It’s an active movement tool that offers immediate utility. Gambler’s Dodge is a popular class ability choice, allowing a player to create a powerful rhythm where they can dive near an enemy to refresh their melee attack. 

Gunslinger Hunter

Super	• Golden Gun – Marksman: Summon a flaming hand cannon with three shots that deal massive precision damage, over-penetrates targets, and generates Orbs of Power. • Golden Gun – Deadshot: Summons a rapid-fire flaming hand cannon with six shots, which is great for clearing groups. • Blade Barrage: Vault into the air and unleash a large volley of explosive solar knives that deal immense burst damage to a single area or boss.
Melee	• Proximity Explosive Knife: A knife that attaches to surfaces and explodes when enemies pass by. • Weighted Throwing Knife: A high-damage knife with a cooldown timer. Precision kills instantly recharge your class ability, and cause scorched targets to ignite. • Knife Trick: Throw a fan of three flaming knives that apply Scorch (flame damage) to targets. • Lightweight Knife: Fast-throwing knife, with precision hits that make you “Radiant” (weapon damage buff).
Grenades	• Tripmine Grenade: Sticks to surfaces, detonating a laser trigger when enemies pass through it. • Swarm Grenade: Detonates on impact, releasing seeking drones that Scorch foes. • Solar Grenade: Creates an ongoing flare of solar light that continuously damages and Scorches enemies inside the zone. • Incendiary Grenade: Explodes after a short bounce, heavily Scorching enemies in its blast radius. • Healing Grenade: Cures allies on impact and creates an orb of restoration that heals over time. • Fusion / Firebolt / Thermite: Sticky explosives, seeking bolts, or lines of fire that are shared across all Solar classes.
Aspects	• Knock ‘Em Down: Enhances your Solar Supers so that you have more knives for Blade Barrage and longer duration/damage for Golden Gun. When Radiant, powered melee kills instantly refund your melee energy. • Gunpowder Gamble: Defeating foes with Solar abilities or debuffs charges a customized explosive. When charged, you will throw a stick of dynamite that can be shot in mid-air for a massive explosion. • On Your Mark: Precision final blows grant you and nearby allies increased reload speed and handling. Dodging immediately grants the maximum number of stacks of this buff.

The Gunslinger is a high-risk, high-reward subclass that fills every fantasy you may have as a sharpshooting outlaw. It excels in Radiant uptime, increasing your weapon’s damage by 25%. As you cycle your throwing knives and dodges, you can keep this damage buff active almost permanently. 

To make the best of this subclass, you need to master the “Infinite Knife” loop. Equip the Knock ‘Em Down Aspect and the Ember of Torches Fragment, and become Radiant every time you land a powered melee kill. If you miss, just use Gambler’s Dodge to get your melee back instantly.

Maybe this will impress Lord Shaxx, right? 

Nightstalker Hunter

Super	• Shadowshot: Deadfall: Fire a Void Anchor that tethers enemies to it. This will slow and suppress them while increasing the damage they take (Weaken). It lasts a long time and is great for trapping groups. • Shadowshot: Moebius Quiver: Fires two volleys of three seeking Void arrows. Stuck targets are Volatile and take massive damage. Excellent for high burst damage on bosses during endgame PvE fights. • Spectral Blades: Summon void daggers and roam the battlefield. Light attacks deal damage, and heavy attacks make you vanish. While invisible, you have true sight, allowing you to see enemies through walls.
Melee	• Snare Bomb: Throw a smoke bomb that attaches to the surface and detonates when enemies are near, weakening them and clouding their vision.
Grenades	• Vortex Grenade: Creates a singularity that pulls enemies in and damages them over time. • Voidwall Grenade: Creates a horizontal wall of burning Void light. • Spike Grenade: Attaches to a surface, emitting a damaging Void light. • Suppressor Grenade: Explodes and prevents enemies from using abilities. • Magnetic/Axion Bolt/Scatter: Sticky explosives, seeking bolts, or submunitions that are shared across all Void classes.
Aspects	• Vanishing Step: Dodging turns you invisible. • Stylish Executioner: Defeating a Void-debuffed target grants Invisibility and Truesight. The next melee attack, while invisible, weakens the target. • Trapper’s Ambush: You can activate “Quickfall” in the air to dive down, and create a smoke cloud that makes you and allies invisible. Your Snare Bomb melee also grants invisibility to allies on impact.

The Nightstalker is the master of prioritizing survival and utility over raw aggression. While other classes are busy with face-to-face combat, Nightstalkers take control of their visibility, as their core trait lies in Invisibility and Debuffs. So, feel free to spam that Vanishing Step or Trapper’s Ambush whenever you can. 

To master this playstyle, you must lean into the “Weaken” debuff. Your tether (Shadowshot) and Snare Bomb apply a 15-30% damage debuff to foes, making it essential for you to maximize the team’s DPS. A powerful gameplay loop involves the Stylish Executioner aspect: apply a debuff, eliminate an enemy to turn invisible, reposition, and strike again. 

Arcstrider Hunter

Super	• Gathering Storm: Hurl your Arc Staff into the ground or an enemy, dealing impact damage, and then emit damaging lightning bolts to nearby foes for a duration. • Arc Staff: A roaming super where you wield the staff for acrobatic, stylish melee attacks. You can dodge infinitely and deflect incoming projectiles while doing so. • Storm’s Edge: Hurl a dagger to teleport to its location, performing a whirling strike upon arriving. You can do this three times in quick succession.
Melee	• Combination Blow: A quick strike that heals you on eliminations and boosts your melee damage for a short time. This effect stacks up to three times, turning your melees into weapons of high DPS. • Disorienting Blow: A devastating strike that Blinds the target and makes you Amplified (better movespeed/handling).
Grenades	• Skip Grenade: Splits into multiple seeking drones upon impact, chasing targets aggressively. • Flux Grenade: A sticky grenade that deals massive single-target damage if attached to an enemy. • Pulse Grenade: Periodically damages enemies within its radius. • Arcbolt Grenade: Chains bolts of lightning to nearby foes. • Flashbang / Storm / Lightning: Blinding explosives, lightning storms, or wall-sticking cones of damage that are shared across all Arc classes.
Aspects	• Flow State: Defeating a Jolted or Blinded target makes you Amplified, so that your dodge recharges faster, you reload much quicker, and you have higher damage resistance while dodging. • Lethal Current: After dodging, your next melee jump has increased range and Jolts the target. Hitting a Jolted target creates a damaging aftershock. • Tempest Strike: Lets you activate a sliding uppercut melee that launches a wave of Arc energy. • Ascension: While airborne, you can consume your class ability to move upwards, damaging nearby enemies and making you and your nearby allies Amplified.

Arcstriders excel in the thick of the fight. This subclass encourages momentum and aggression, with the “Amplified” buff making you run faster, slide further, and handle weapons better, so you never stop moving. 

To make the best of this subclass, try perfecting the “Punch-Dodge-Punch” rhythm. Equip Combination Blow and the Gambler’s Dodge. Punch an enemy to eliminate them, dodge near another foe to instantly recharge the punch, and repeat this cycle. 

Revenant Hunter

Super	• Silence and Squall: This is a two-part Super: First, you throw the “Silence” Kama, which creates a flash-freeze explosion that freezes enemies in a wide zone. Second, you throw the “Squall” Kama, which creates a roaming Stasis Storm that tracks enemies, slowing and damaging them gradually.
Melee	• Withering Blade: You throw a Stasis Shuriken that bounces off walls and multiple targets. Each hit damages and applies Slow to enemies. Hitting a foe with two shurikens will instantly Freeze them. By default, you hold two charges of this ability.
Grenades	• Glacier Grenade: Creates a wall of Stasis crystals on impact. Useful for blocking damage, creating platforms, or freezing enemies caught in the attack. • Duskfield Grenade: Creates a dome of cold energy that pulls enemies in and Slows them. If they stay inside too long, they Freeze. • Coldsnap Grenade: Upon impact, a seeker of ice follows along the ground toward the nearest enemy and instantly Freezes them.
Aspects	• Shatterdive: While in the air, you can dive to the ground, shattering any frozen targets or Stasis crystals nearby. This also grants damage resistance while the animation is active. • Winter’s Shroud: Dodging slows nearby foes. This is great for escaping close-quarters combat or setting up a freeze. • Touch of Winter: Enhances your grenades. Glacier adds more crystals, Duskfield becomes larger and spawns a crystal in the center, while Coldsnap chains to more targets. • Grim Harvest: Defeating Slowed or Frozen foes creates Stasis Shards. Collecting these shards grants melee energy and can grant defensive buffs (Frost Armor) via Fragments.

The Revenant, out of the classes, stands out as the master of Crowd Control. You can also fulfill a Ninja fantasy, using shurikens and ice walls to manipulate the geometry of the battle. Slow and Freeze status effects are a major part of this playstyle, which gives you time to think and strategize. 

To make the best of this subclass, focus on Area Denial. The blend of the Touch of Winter Aspect and Duskfield Grenades lets you lock down entire spawn points or choke points. This is a great strategy for PvE situations where hordes of enemies are engaging from limited points of origin. 

Threadrunner Hunter

Super	• Silkstrike: A roaming Super where you wield a rope dart that lets you grapple infinitely while active. The light attack whips the dart forward, dealing bonus damage if you hit with the tip, while the heavy attack performs a wide, 360-degree swing to clear surrounding enemies. Hitting enemies applies the Unravel debuff.
Melee	• Threaded Spike: Throw a rope dart that bounces between multiple targets, damaging and applying Sever, which reduces the damage enemies deal. The dart returns to you; if you press the melee button just as it arrives, you catch it to gain significant melee energy back.
Grenades	• Grapple: Replaces your grenade with a grappling hook, so you can grapple to points in the air, moving objects, or enemies. Grappling to a Tangle refunds the ability. Pressing melee at the end of a grapple performs a “Grapple Melee” that deals massive damage and Unravels any targets. • Shackle Grenade: A projectile that detonates to suspend enemies in the air, disabling them. • Threadling Grenade: Splits into three Threadlings (small green creatures) that seek out enemies and explode.
Aspects	• Widow’s Silk: Grants you a second grenade charge. When you grapple, you create a persistent “Grapple Tangle” at that spot that your allies can use for free, allowing for infinite aerial movement loops.

If you’ve ever wanted to play as Spider-Man in Destiny 2, this is your moment. This subclass excels at mobility, and the number of actions you can perform in a minute, perfect for Destiny 2’s open-world gameplay style and zone-based exploration. 

Consider mastering the “Grapple Melee” and Whirling Maelstrom techniques. While the Grapple is a movement tool, it’s also your strongest weapon! Grapple into swarms of enemies, and use your melee to finish them off to create a Tangle status effect. When Whirling Maelstrom is equipped, shooting the Tangle turns it into a seeking, swirling entity of destruction. 

Prismatic Hunter

Super	• Storm’s Edge: Hurl an Arc dagger and teleport to it, performing a spinning strike. Can be used three times. • Golden Gun – Marksman: High-precision Solar shots. • Silence and Squall: A two-part Stasis super that freezes targets and creates a roaming storm. • Silkstrike: A roaming Strand Super with a rope dart and near-constant grappling. • Shadowshot: Deadfall: A Void tether that traps and weakens large groups of enemies.
Melee	• Combination Blow: Arc strike that heals and stacks damage. • Threaded Spike: Strand rope dart that severs and returns energy. • Withering Blade: Stasis shuriken that slows and bounces between targets. • Knife Trick: Solar fan of knives that applies Scorch. • Snare Bomb: Void smoke that weakens enemies and obscures vision.
Grenades	• Hailfire Spike (Prismatic Only): Throw a device charged with Stasis and Solar energy that sticks to surfaces or targets, erupts into a slowing storm, then ignites into a scorching cyclone. • Swarm / Arcbolt / Duskfield / Grapple / Magnetic: A selection of grenades pulled from each elemental subclass.
Aspects	• Ascension: Leap upward, jolting nearby enemies and making you and nearby allies Amplified. • Gunpowder Gamble: Build up a charge to throw a powerful Solar explosive. • Stylish Executioner: Defeating debuffed targets grants Invisibility and Truesight. • Winter’s Shroud: Dodging slows nearby enemies. • Threaded Specter: Dodging leaves behind a Strand decoy that explodes.

If you’ve been playing for a while and waiting for Destiny 2’s new subclasses, perhaps it’s time to switch to the Prismatic subclass. It represents the ultimate evolution of a Guardian’s power, breaking the barriers between Light and Darkness to allow for endless customization. 

The defining mechanic here is Transcendence. As you deal damage with Light and Darkness sources, you fill two separate meters below the Super bar. Once both are full, you can activate Transcendence to enter a heightened state of power, which lets you refresh your melee and grenade energy, eventually unlocking a unique prismatic grenade. 

Titan Class

Ability	• Towering Barricade: Creates a large barrier of Light that can be used as cover. It blocks enemy fire but allows you to pass through it. Enemies passing through are blinded/slowed. • Rally Barricade: Creates a waist-high barrier, letting you peek over it to shoot while standing behind it. You gain increased weapon reload speed, stability, and range. • Thruster: A quick, grounded lateral dash that evades enemy attacks (Arc/Prismatic only).
Jump ability	• High Lift: Jump while airborne to activate Lift, launching yourself into the air at greater heights. • Strafe Lift: Jump while airborne to activate Lift and launch into the air with strong directional control. • Catapult Lift: Jump while airborne to activate Lift and launch into the air with an intense initial burst of momentum.
Strengths	• Best for locking down a location, fighting head-on, and absorbing high amounts of damage.
Role	• An armored soldier who controls the battlefield with defensive walls, breaking enemy lines with devastating physical attacks.

The Titan is the “tank” archetype of Destiny 2, marking the role of a super-soldier encased in heavy power armor. If Hunters are rogues and Warlocks are the wizards, then Titans are the Spartans; disciplined engines of war who believe that the best defense is an unbreakable wall, and the best offense is a punch to the face.

A Titan’s core gameplay revolves around the Barricade. This ability allows them to reshape the geometry of an encounter almost immediately. Aggressive players tend to use a Titan’s physical strength, while others play it safer and build layers of defense to protect the team from PvE and PvP encounters. 

Sunbreaker Titan

Super	• Hammer of Sol: A roaming Super that lets you throw flaming hammers at enemies. Upon impact, they shatter into explosive embers. • Burning Maul: Summons a giant flaming maul. You can spin (light attack) to damage enemies in a wide radius or slam (heavy attack) to create a flaming tornado that tracks foes.
Melee	• Throwing Hammer: You throw a small hammer at an enemy. If you pick it up after it hits, your melee ability is instantly recharged, and you gain health (Cure). If left on the ground, it explodes after a short time. • Hammer Strike: While sprinting, unleash a blazing shoulder charge that damages and Scorches enemies. If it eliminates a target, it creates an Ignition (explosion).
Grenades	• Thermite Grenade: Sends a line of fire that pulses damage. Great for blocking hallways. • Fusion Grenade: A sticky grenade that attaches to targets and detonates for serious single-target damage. • Incendiary Grenade: Explodes and heavily Scorches nearby targets. • Healing Grenade: Heals allies on impact and creates an orb of restoration. • Solar / Swarm / Firebolt / Tripmine: Flares, seekers, bolts, or traps that are shared across all Solar classes.
Aspects	• Sol Invictus: Solar ability kills, Hammer of Sol impacts, and killing Scorched targets create Sunspots. Standing in a Sunspot grants you Restoration (healing over time) and faster ability regeneration. Enemies inside Sunspots take damage. • Roaring Flames: Solar ability kills increase the damage of your Solar abilities, stacking up to three times. At max stacks, your uncharged melee attacks apply Scorch. • Consecration: While sliding, activating your melee launches you into the air with a solar uppercut (scorching enemies). Activating melee again while airborne slams you down, creating a massive Ignition.

Out of all the Destiny 2 class abilities, a Sunbreaker’s ability to survive through most situations remains remarkable. They are quite the masters of Restoration and Cure, the core of which lies in the Sol Invictus Aspect. By simply eliminating a foe with a grenade or hammer, you create a Sunspot. Standing in this pool of fire heals you and recharges your abilities.

You can also use the Sunspot as a trap for enemies, since it vaporizes them. Overall, the subclass is ideal for solo dungeon hunts or challenging endgame content where staying alive is crucial. Try pairing this with a playstyle involving the Throwing Hammer and Roaring Flames to ramp up damage. 

Sentinel Titan

Super	• Twilight Arsenal: Summons three massive Void axes. You throw them one by one, and upon impact, they pull enemies in and explode, weakening anything that survives. Once thrown, the axes remain on the ground as relics that you or your allies can pick up and use as heavy melee weapons. • Ward of Dawn: Creates an indestructible bubble of Void Light. Allies inside gain a potent Void Overshield and damage resistance. It is the ultimate defensive fortress. • Sentinel Shield: Summon a shield of Void Light. You can attack with it (like Captain America), throw it to ricochet between enemies, or hold the block button to create a massive wall that protects allies behind you and boosts their weapon damage.
Melee	• Shield Throw: Hurl your shield at a target, and witness it ricochet off enemies and walls, tracking multiple targets. Each hit grants you a chunk of Void Overshield. Excellent for ranged survivability! • Shield Bash: After sprinting, unleash a devastating shield slam that prevents foes from using abilities and grants you a full Void Overshield on a kill.
Grenades	• Voidwall Grenade: Creates a horizontal wall of burning Void light. • Magnetic / Spike / Axion Bolt / Scatter: Sticky explosives, wall-mounted torrents, seekers, or submunitions that are shared across all Void classes.
Aspects	• Bastion: Casting your Barricade generates a Void Overshield for you and nearby allies. The Overshield slowly regenerates while you stand behind the barricade. • Controlled Demolition: Hitting a target with a Void ability or Volatile explosion makes them Volatile. When a Volatile target takes further damage, they explode, healing you and nearby allies. • Offensive Bulwark: While you have an Overshield, your grenade recharges significantly faster, your melee range/damage is increased, and melee kills extend your Overshield’s duration. • Unbreakable: Hold the grenade button to summon a frontal Void shield that blocks incoming damage. Releasing the button (or running out of energy) unleashes a blast that deals damage based on how much you blocked.

The Sentinel is the commander of the battlefield. While other Titans focus on aggression, Sentinels win by holding the ground. Their entire kit revolves around Void Overshield, which adds an extra layer of health that sits on top of your shield bar. By cycling your abilities effectively, you can maintain the Overshield permanently. 

To get the best use out of a Sentinel playstyle, you need to embrace the role of an aggressive defender. The Controlled Demolition Aspect heals your entire team every time a Volatile enemy explodes. Pair Offensive Bulwark with Bastion; your barricade gets an instant Overshield, which then activates Offensive Bulwark to let you spam grenades and melees. 

Striker Titan

Super	• Thundercrash: You hurl yourself through the air like a missile. On impact, you deal massive amounts of damage. • Fists of Havoc: A roaming Super where you supercharge your fists. You can slam the ground (AoE damage) or shoulder charge through enemies.
Melee	• Thunderclap: You stand still and charge a massive punch. Releasing the button unleashes a cone of lightning. The longer you hold it, the more damage it deals. • Seismic Strike: After sprinting, launch a shoulder charge that damages and Blinds enemies. Being Amplified increases the blind radius. • Ballistic Slam: While sprinting and airborne, you dive into the ground, damaging enemies in a radius and gaining Super energy on hits.
Grenades	• Pulse Grenade: Periodically damages enemies within its zone. • Storm Grenade: Calls down a lightning storm that strikes enemies within the radius. • Lightning Grenade: Sticks to a surface and blasts cones of lightning. • Flashbang Grenade: Bounces and detonates to Blind enemies. • Skip / Flux / Arcbolt: Seekers, sticky bombs, or chaining bolts that are shared across all Arc classes.
Aspects	• Touch of Thunder: significantly enhances specific grenades. Flashbangs blind on the first bounce, Pulses create Ionic Traces (ability energy), Lightning grenades gain a second charge, while Storm grenades track enemies and last longer. • Knockout: Critically wounding a target or breaking their shield increases your melee range and damage. Defeating targets with melee attacks triggers health regeneration and makes you Amplified. • Juggernaut: While sprinting with full class ability energy, you gain a frontal shield that blocks damage. When the shield breaks, your class ability energy is consumed.

If shock and awe had a name in Destiny 2, the Striker would be it. This one’s built for pure aggression, always up in the enemy’s face. Utilizing the Amplified buff to move at high speeds and excelling at Grenade spam and Burst damage is what you’ll do best with this playstyle. 

For added effectiveness, use the Touch of Thunder Aspect paired with Pulse Grenades. With the right Fragments, your Pulse Grenades will constantly generate Ionic Traces. These are little sparks of energy that track to you and refill your ability energy, creating a loop where throwing a grenade gives you the energy to throw another one almost immediately. 

Behemoth Titan

Super	• Glacial Quake: A roaming Super where your fists become weapons of heavy ice. The heavy attack slams the ground, sending out a massive wave of Stasis crystals that freeze targets. The light attack is a shoulder charge that shatters those crystals (and frozen enemies) for massive Area of Effect damage.
Melee	• Shiver Strike: You launch yourself forward using stasis to strike a target. It knocks enemies backward significantly and Slows them. It can also be used as a movement tool to save yourself from falling off the map.
Grenades	• Glacier Grenade: Creates a wall of Stasis crystals, making it easy to shatter these crystals for damage. • Duskfield Grenade: Creates a dome of cold energy that Slows and eventually Freezes foes. • Coldsnap Grenade: A seeking bolt of ice that freezes targets on impact.
Aspects	• Cryoclasm: Significantly improves your slide. You slide much further and faster. Sliding into Stasis crystals or frozen targets instantly shatters them. • Howl of the Storm: While sliding, activating your charged melee launches a wave of Stasis energy forward that freezes enemies and creates Stasis crystals. • Tectonic Harvest: Shattering a Stasis crystal creates a Stasis Shard. Collecting these shards grants melee energy to you and your allies. • Diamond Lance: Shattering a target or eliminating them with a Stasis ability creates a “Diamond Lance” weapon at their location. You can pick it up to throw it (freezing enemies on impact) or slam it (freezing enemies in a radius).

The Behemoth can physically alter the battlefield, excelling at creating Statis Crystals. These are physical pillars of ice that block enemy fire and can trigger violent explosions when destroyed. Behemoths remain a versatile pick across different subclasses, seasons, and console generations of Destiny 2. 

To maximize a Behemoth’s potential, you should master a “Create and Break” loop. The most powerful build usually involves the Glacier Grenade and the Cryoclasm aspect. Throw your grenade at a boss (or group of enemies), to encase the targets in a wall of ice. Immediately sprint and slide through the wall (Cryoclasm), and repeat this cycle. 

Berserker Titan

Super	• Bladefury: A roaming Super where you wield dual blades of Strand matter. The Light Attack is a slash that increases in attack speed with each hit. The Heavy Attack sends out two seeking projectiles that Suspend enemies on impact.
Melee	• Frenzied Blade: You dash forward and slash enemies with arm blades, applying Sever, reducing enemy damage output. You hold three charges of this ability by default, allowing for rapid-fire usage or chaining movement across gaps.
Grenades	• Shackle Grenade: Detonates to Suspend enemies in the air, completely disabling them. • Grapple: Replaces your grenade with a grappling hook. Pressing melee at the end of a grapple performs a heavy-damage punch that Unravels targets. • Threadling Grenade: Splits into seeking creatures that attack enemies.
Aspects	• Banner of War: Defeating a target with a melee attack, finisher, or sword raises a “Banner of War” on your back. This banner does periodic healing for you and nearby allies and increases melee and Sword damage. Kills by you or your team charge the banner, making the pulses faster. • Into the Fray: Destroying a Tangle weaves Woven Mail (significant damage resistance) for you and nearby allies. While you have Woven Mail, your melee ability recharges much faster. • Drengr’s Lash: Activating your Class Ability creates a shockwave that travels along the ground and Suspends enemies caught in it. • Flechette Storm: While sliding, activating your charged melee launches you into the air, knocking targets back. Activating melee again fires a barrage of Unraveling projectiles.

The Berserker is the premier “brawler” of Destiny 2, blending fast-paced aggression with arguably the best team utility in the game. With the Banner of War Aspect and Suspend ability, you can sever an enemy’s damage output, while passively healing the entire fireteam just by punching things.

To play this subclass at a higher level, you’ll be focusing on maintaining the Woven Mail and Banner of War at the same time. Equip the Into the Fray Aspect and make use of the Banner of War. Get a melee kill to start the healing pulses, and then stick with your team. 

Prismatic Titan

Super	• Twilight Arsenal: Throw three Void axes that pull in nearby targets and detonate in a weakening explosion. The axes can be picked up as weapons. • Thundercrash: Hurl yourself as an Arc missile for massive impact damage. • Hammer of Sol: Roaming Solar Super that throws explosive hammers. • Bladefury: Roaming Strand Super with dual blades that slash and Sever targets. • Glacial Quake: Roaming Stasis Super that creates and shatters Stasis crystals.
Melee	• Thunderclap: Charged Arc punch that unleashes a blast of lightning. • Hammer Strike: Solar shoulder charge that applies Scorch. Can trigger Ignitions once enough Scorch stacks build up. • Shield Throw: Ricocheting Void shield that grants a Void Overshield on hits. • Frenzied Blade: Strand dash-and-slash that Severs targets. • Shiver Strike: Stasis lunge that launches and knocks back enemies.
Grenades	• Electrified Snare (Prismatic Only): Throw a device charged with Strand matter and Arc energy that detonates in a suspending burst. • Shackle / Pulse / Glacier / Thermite / Suppressor: A mix of grenades pulled from all five elemental types.
Aspects	• Unbreakable: Consume grenade energy to create a frontal shield that absorbs damage and releases a blast. • Consecration: Sliding Solar melee that sends out a wave that Scorches, then Ignites on the follow-up. • Knockout: Breaking shields or critically wounding targets empowers your melee. Melee final blows make you Amplified and restore health. • Drengr’s Lash: Using your class ability sends out a wave that Suspends foes. • Diamond Lance: Stasis kills create a throwable lance that can freeze targets.

The Prismatic Titan is precisely a “Disabler” and “Combo-Brawler.” By combining the hard crowd control of Stasis and Strand with the raw aggression of Arc and Solar, this subclass allows you to lock down a room of foes and eliminate them with a single move. During endgame scenarios, Destiny 2’s MMO and MMORPG mechanics amplify this playstyle. 

Raids and dungeons can feel smoother if you lean into a crowd control loop with a setup around Drengr’s Lash and Consecration. Simply pop your barricade to Suspend a group of enemies in the air, then slide and use Consecration to ignite and explode entire swarms of enemies. If you’re thinking of switching things up as a Titan main, this one’s a good choice.

Warlock Class

Ability	• Healing Rift: Conjure a well of Light that continuously heals those inside it. If you are at full health, it grants an Overshield. • Empowering Rift: Conjure a well of Light that increases the weapon damage of those inside it. • Phoenix Dive: Mid-air dive that heals you and nearby allies upon landing. (Solar/Prismatic only).
Jump ability	• Strafe Glide: Jump while airborne to activate a floating animation with strong directional control. • Burst Glide: Jump while airborne to activate floating with a strong initial burst of speed. (Best for “Warlock Skating” and general speed). • Balanced Glide: A hybrid of Strafe and Burst glides. • Blink: Jump to teleport a short distance forward.
Strengths	• Ability cooldown is tied to the Recovery stat, naturally regenerating health faster than any other class. Excellent at healing and amping up the team’s DPS.
Role	• Support class that controls the fight with AoE spells and keeps the team alive with powerful healing buffs.

Wizards of Destiny 2 find their home within the Warlock subclasses. When Titans are defending the team, and Hunters are busy building DPS, Warlocks are focusing on raw forms of destruction and restoration. As the most versatile units in the game, they’re capable of being the team’s designated healer in one moment, and a destructive force in another. 

A Warlock’s playstyle revolves around the Rift. This ability encourages you to find a strategic position and fortify it. Dropping a Healing Rift lets you peek out of cover and deal some damage, or anchor a choke point for your team so they can heal up. Many Warlock subclasses let you hold down the grenade button to consume it for a buff.

Dawnblade Warlock

Super	• Well of Radiance: Thrusts your Daybreak sword into the ground. Creates a massive aura that rapidly heals and boosts damage for allies inside it. Exceptionally important Super for raid boss encounters. • Daybreak: A roaming Super where you fly and throw flaming swords. The swords track targets and cause massive explosions on impact. • Song of Flame: A first-person roaming mode. You radiate Solar energy that Scorches nearby enemies. Your abilities recharge incredibly fast, and your allies gain increased ability regeneration and Scorch rounds for their weapons.
Melee	• Celestial Fire: Sends out a spiral of three tracking fireballs. • Incinerator Snap: You snap your fingers to create a fan of burning sparks. If enough sparks hit a target (close range), they instantly Ignite.
Grenades	• Solar Grenade: Creates a lingering flare of solar light. • Fusion Grenade: Sticky explosive, deals double damage with Touch of Flame. • Healing Grenade: Cures allies on impact and creates an orb of restoration. • Firebolt / Thermite / Swarm / Tripmine / Incendiary: Seekers, waves, drones, traps, or bouncers that are shared across all Solar classes.
Aspects	• Touch of Flame: Massively buffs four specific grenades: Healing (stronger heals), Solar (lasts longer and spits lava), Fusion (explodes twice), and Firebolt (larger range/target cap). • Heat Rises: You can fire weapons, melee, and throw grenades while gliding. Hold the grenade button to consume your grenade, healing you and granting extended glide time. • Icarus Dash: Double-tap crouch while mid-air to dodge. • Hellion: Activating your class ability summons a floating Solar mortar that shoots fireballs at your enemies, scorching them.

Dawnblades are a popular pick simply for their Well of Radiance ability. This keeps the team alive through almost any challenge imaginable. However, this class is also quite powerful as an offensive unit. Through the Heat Rises Aspect, you can attack through angles no other class can, raining down fire from the ceiling of a map.

To make the most of this one, decide between a “Healer” or “Bomber” role. As a healing unit, you can turn your grenades into mini-supers that grant strong Restoration to anyone you hit. As a bomber, you can use Touch of Flame with Solar or Fusion Grenades and turn the room into a floor of lava.

Voidwalker Warlock

Super	• Nova Bomb: Cataclysm: Hurls a massive, slow-moving ball of Void energy. It seeks enemies and splits into smaller seeker projectiles upon detonation. • Nova Bomb: Vortex: Hurls a singularity that pulls enemies in and deals continuous damage inside the vortex field. • Nova Warp: A roaming Super where you teleport and release explosive Void eruptions. You can charge the eruption for a wider blast radius.
Melee	• Pocket Singularity: You launch a ball of unstable Void energy. It tracks targets and detonates near them, pushing them away and making them Volatile. Note that this is currently the only Void melee option.
Grenades	• Vortex Grenade: Creates a damaging singularity. • Scatter Grenade: Splits into submunitions. • Magnetic Grenade: Sticky explosive. • Axion Bolt: Spawns seekers. • Suppressor / Voidwall / Spike: Silence, walls, or cones of damage.
Aspects	• Feed the Void: Defeating a target with a Void ability activates Devour. While Devour is active, any final blow restores your health to full and grants grenade energy. • Chaos Accelerant: You can hold the grenade button to overcharge your grenade, increasing its damage, radius, or adding effects. • Child of the Old Gods: Casting your Rift summons a “Void Soul.” When you shoot an enemy, the Soul flies to them and drains their life, weakening them and refunding your grenade/melee energy.

Voidwalkers are the masters of solo survivability and raw ability uptime. The entire subclass is built around the Devour buff. They consume enemies to heal themselves, and creepy as that may sound, it’s quite useful. Once you trigger this, you become a self-sustaining engine of destruction. 

In Destiny 2, all classes have key synergies that make them unique, and Voidwalkers are no different. Pairing multiple abilities like Feed the Void Aspect and Contraverse Hold exotic gauntlets along with Chaos Accelerant can keep you alive through some of the trickiest encounters. 

Stormcaller Warlock

Super	• Chaos Reach: Levitate and channel a long-range beam of powerful Arc energy. You can cancel the Super early to save energy. • Stormtrance: A roaming Super where you float and fire chain lightning from your hands. By default, casting it creates a shockwave underneath you (Landfall), and you can teleport short distances (Ion Blink) to close gaps when needed.
Melee	• Chain Lightning: An extended-range melee strike that chains lightning to nearby enemies and makes you Amplified. • Ball Lightning: You fire a ball of Arc energy that travels forward and then fires a lightning bolt downward.
Grenades	• Storm Grenade: Calls down a lightning storm that strikes enemies within the radius. • Pulse Grenade: Periodically damages enemies within its sphere. • Arcbolt Grenade: Chains bolts of lightning to nearby enemies. • Flashbang / Skip / Flux: Blinding explosives, trackers, or sticky bombs that are shared across all Arc classes.
Aspects	• Arc Soul: Casting your Rift creates an “Arc Soul” (a floating lightning turret) that follows you and shoots enemies automatically. Allies who pass through your Rift also get their own Arc Soul. • Electrostatic Mind: Defeating targets with Arc abilities, or defeating Jolted/Blinded targets, creates Ionic Traces. Collecting a trace makes you Amplified and gives you ability energy. • Lightning Surge: While sliding, activating your melee turns you into a ball of lightning. You teleport forward and materialize in a massive AoE strike that Jolts targets.

The Stormcaller subclass is your “Conductor” who specializes in chain damage and passive DPS. They fill the air with so much electricity that enemies around might as well die just by being near them. Their core identity is tied to the Arc Soul Aspect. It grants you and your team a little buddy (turret) that floats around and shoots anyone who gets in your way.

To play the Stormcaller well, you’ll need to focus on the Ionic Trace Engine. Equip the Electrostatic Mind Aspect, so it’s ensured that almost everything you do spawns Ionic Traces. These little sparks of energy crawl along the ground to you and recharge your abilities rapidly. The Fallen Sunstar exotic helmet pairs well with this by giving you extra energy. 

Shadebinder Warlock

Super	• Winter’s Wrath: A roaming Super where you wield a Stasis staff. The light attack fires projectiles that instantly Freeze targets. The heavy attack releases a shockwave that Shatters all frozen targets in a massive radius.
Melee	• Penumbral Blast: Fire a short-range burst of Stasis energy from your staff. It detonates on impact and instantly Freezes enemies.
Grenades	• Coldsnap Grenade: A seeking bolt of ice that freezes targets. • Glacier Grenade: Creates a wall of Stasis crystals. • Duskfield Grenade: Creates a dome of cold energy that Slows and eventually Freezes enemies.
Aspects	• Bleak Watcher: Allows you to hold the grenade button to convert your grenade into a Stasis Turret. This turret fires slowing projectiles at enemies automatically, eventually freezing them. You can have multiple active at once. • Iceflare Bolts: Shattering a frozen target spawns seekers that track other nearby enemies and freeze them, creating a chain reaction of freezing. • Glacial Harvest: Freezing targets creates Stasis Shards. Collecting these shards grants melee energy to you and your allies. • Frostpulse: Casting your Rift generates a shockwave that instantly freezes any enemies nearby. Excellent for panic situations.

The Shadebinder is an unrivalled master of Crowd Control for Warlock fans. Their ability to freeze an entire room of enemies means your team can breathe for a while, reload, and strategize. To make the best of this one, try becoming the Turret Engineer.

Equip the Bleak Watcher Aspect and the Osmiomancy Gloves exotic. You can then throw a grenade that spawns a turret, and throw another one to freeze enemies. This is the kind of action you usually find in MMOFPS games, especially when Shadebinders can use Iceflare Bolts to clean up entire battlefields. 

Broodweaver Warlock

Super	• Needlestorm: You conjure hardened Strand spikes and launch them forward. They stick to targets and the environment before detonating for massive damage. Surviving enemies are hunted down by a swarm of Threadlings spawned from the explosions.
Melee	• Arcane Needle: You conjure a woven needle and fling it at a target. It has high tracking, deals serious damage, and applies Unravel. You hold three charges by default, allowing you to chain attacks or quickly debuff multiple high-health targets.
Grenades	• Threadling Grenade: Splits into three Threadlings that seek out enemies. • Shackle Grenade: A bola that detonates to Suspend enemies in the air. • Grapple: Replaces your grenade with a grappling hook for movement and grapple-melee attacks.
Aspects	• Mindspun Invocation: Consuming Shackle grants “Weaver’s Trance” (kills suspend nearby foes). Consuming Threadling instantly creates a full set of “Perched” Threadlings. Consuming Grapple spawns Threadlings on your grapple melee. • Weaver’s Call: Casting your Rift weaves three Threadlings that seek out nearby targets. Any Threadlings you spawn that can’t find a target will return and perch on you, waiting to attack when you shoot an enemy. • The Wanderer: Tangles you throw attach to enemies and detonate into a Suspending burst. Threadling kills can also create Tangles. • Weavewalk: Dodge while mid-air to enter the weave. You become invisible and highly resistant to damage, but cannot shoot. While in this state, you passively generate perched Threadlings over the course of time.

Broodweavers are the true “Summoners” of Destiny 2. They have a unique mechanic called Perched Threadlings. If you spawn minions and there are no enemies to defeat, they jump back onto your character and orbit you. As soon as you fire your weapon, they launch off and attack your target.  

To make the most of this playstyle, consider switching between a Minion Master and a Controller role. As a minion master, you’ll be using threading grenades and Weaver’s Call paired with Swarmers exotic boots. As a controller, you’ll use Shackle Grenade and the Mindspun Invocation Aspect. 

Prismatic Warlock

Super	• Song of Flame: Make your weapons Radiant and enhance your abilities. • Nova Bomb: Cataclysm: Large Void projectile that travels slowly and seeks targets. • Stormtrance: Roaming Arc Super that chains lightning from your hands. • Winter’s Wrath: Summon a Stasis staff to freeze targets, then shatter frozen targets with a shockwave. • Needlestorm: Launch Strand needles that re-weave into Threadlings.
Melee	• Pocket Singularity: Void blast that detonates near targets, pushes them back, and makes them Volatile. • Incinerator Snap: Solar finger snap that creates a fan of burning sparks that explode and Scorch targets. • Chain Lightning: Extended-range Arc melee that Jolts your target and chains lightning to nearby targets. While Amplified, it creates extra chains. • Penumbral Blast: Raise your Stasis staff and send a blast forward to freeze targets. • Arcane Needle: Strand needle that embeds in targets and unravels them. Can chain additional attacks.
Grenades	• Freezing Singularity (Prismatic Only): Throw Void energy and Stasis matter. On impact, deploys a miniature black hole with a slowing field. After a short duration, it implodes, suppressing and dealing heavy damage to nearby targets. • Vortex / Healing / Storm / Coldsnap / Threadling: A curated selection of grenades from the elemental subclasses.
Aspects	• Feed the Void: Defeat a target with any ability to activate Devour. Improved Devour restores additional health and grenade energy. • Hellion: Activate your class ability to summon a Solar mortar that lobs flaming projectiles. Targets hit are Scorched. • Lightning Surge: While sliding, activate your charged melee to blink forward and call down lightning strikes that Jolt targets. • Bleak Watcher: Convert your grenade into a Stasis turret that fires slowing projectiles. • Weaver’s Call: Cast your Rift to weave three Threadlings and deploy any perched Threadlings.

If you’re willing to become the ultimate “Archmage” archetype, give the Prismatic Warlock a chance. You can equip Feed the Void and pair it with Bleak Watcher to throw a turret that freezes the room while you kill enemies to instantly heal up. It’s arguably the most complete and powerful kit for general viability, if you’re not playing as a Titan or Hunter.

For this playstyle, keep your focus on ability spams and minion spawns. A popular pairing between Hellion (Solar Soul) and Weaver’s Call (Threadlings) with the Getaway Artist exotic (Arc Soul) is recommended. Mix, match, and experiment with different mechanics to make the most of your Prismatic Warlock. 

How To Choose the Best Destiny 2 Class For You

Since Destiny 2’s launch, a significant amount of its content has been vaulted to maintain the game’s file size. However, given the current meta and a power fantasy that most gamers crave, the Hunter is a natural fit for most players. However, if you’re a strategist and wish to protect your team, then a Titan should do the job. Alternatively, Warlocks give you minions and spells. 

Each class has powerful subclasses that excel at one mechanic or another. Your choice of platform can also matter sometimes. Certain subclasses like Dawnblade Warlock and Threadrunner Hunter are great for mouse and keyboard, while Sunbreaker Titans and Voidwalker Warlocks work well even if you’re playing on controller (or cloud gaming). 

Customize Your Abilities in Other Action-Packed MMORPGs

Some players can make the best of a Destiny 2 class guide, while others find joy in experimenting as they like! It truly comes down to how you wish to shape your MMORPG experience, so feel free to build a character who matches your style and gameplay preference. 

Also, remember that the game’s weapons synergize with your build, so choose wisely. Alternatively, if Destiny 2’s shooting mechanics have inspired you to try other games in the genre, do check out the best shooter games you can play at the moment.

Destiny 2 Classes FAQ

Here are some frequently asked questions that can improve your Destiny 2 experience.

What Are the Best PvE Classes in Destiny 2?

For endgame PvE content, we recommend Solar Warlocks for their Well of Radiance Super. Solar Hunters or Prismatic Hunters are also great for burst DPS, using Golden Gun to melt bosses.

What Are the Best PvP Builds in Destiny 2?

Prismatic Hunters and Solar Hunters are generally considered to be the strongest PvP choices due to their jump and dodge abilities.

Which Class is Best Suited for Solo Playthroughs?

The Void Warlock is an amazing pick for solo gameplay, once you trigger the Devour buff. Every single kill fully restores your health and grenade energy, letting you stay aggressive.

How Do You Unlock Abilities in Destiny 2?

For Light subclasses, you can visit Ikora Rey in the Tower and obtain Aspects, Fragments, and Grenades in exchange for Glimmer. For the Darkness subclasses, you must own and complete campaigns from expansions like Beyond Light, Lightfall, and The Final Shape.