While the two may be on opposing sides, a Destiny 2 player points out that the narrative arcs of The Traveler and Calus are more similar than some may think.
While it's not uncommon for some characters in the same universe to have similar character arcs, a Destiny 2 player notes that Calus and The Traveler's narratives appear to be building to the same point ahead of the release of Lightfall. Both The Traveler and Calus have been prominent characters in the game's universe for years, with The Traveler being a constant above The Last City until recently, and Calus' influence growing since his introduction in the original Leviathan raid. Whether it was Bungie's plan or a complete coincidence, it appears that despite being on opposing sides, these two are heading in the same direction in their respective stories.
Narratively, The Traveler has been a constant in human history for centuries, helping to usher in humanity's golden age long before Destiny and Destiny 2. Since 2014, players have seen it hover above The Last City, but with the end of Season of the Seraph, it has moved to a new location in high orbit above Earth, leaving the space above The Last City empty. Calus, on the other hand, became a presence in the lives of players beginning with the Leviathan raid before serving as the focal point of Season of Opulence and Season of the Haunted, as well as various bits of lore discussing his history as Cabal emperor.
Bungie has stated that both characters will play significant roles in Lightfall, with The Witness arriving in the Sol System for its long-awaited confrontation with The Traveler, and Calus invading Neomuna on The Witness' behalf. The two beings' arcs, however, have landed them at similar points at the end of Season of the Seraph, with the only difference being which side they are on, according to Reddit user WaterDrinkerUltimate. WaterDrinkerUltimate mentions a line from The Witness in the season finale cinematic in which he says The Traveler has "nowhere left to run," and how it can also be applied to Calus. Click here to read the entire Reddit post.
For years, the conflict between The Traveler and The Witness has been building, with the lore mentioning the many races The Traveler gifted with The Light before fleeing and abandoning them to The Witness before the latter continued its pursuit. WaterDrinkerUltimate contends that the same could be said of guardians' pursuit of Calus after discovering that the Calus they encountered in the Leviathan raid was a giant robotic stand-in for the deposed emperor. However, Calus becoming The Witness' newest disciple appears to have put him in a position where he will be forced to confront the guardians.
It establishes an intriguing narrative link between The Traveler and Calus as they approach Lightfall, where both appear to be focal points of the expansion's narrative. Bungie has been working for years to blur the lines between good and evil in Destiny 2's story, most notably with characters like Eramis, Savathun, and Crow. While this link could simply be a coincidence, it blurs the lines further and opens the door for more player speculation about where the Destiny universe is heading.
Destiny 2 is currently available for PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
Source: Kevin James Billings