With Beyond Light two months away, the Destiny 2 community is full of questions. How will the new Stasis powers work? How is Bungie going to fill the content gap until the new expansion? What does the Drifter smell like?
Well, that last question may not be front and center in many people’s minds, but it is in mine. You can only run the Interference event so many times before you start to wonder about things like this. Like, did the Vanguard put the Drifter down in the basement of the Tower because he smells bad? And once you ask what one Destiny character smells like, well, you’re just a half hour away from having written a post on the video game website you work at reflecting on the rest of them.
1. Zavala
The embattled leader of the Tower doesn’t seem to place much stock in aesthetics. He has a no-nonsense shorn head, wears simple armor, and favors a bold and straightforward design in Vanguard equipment. I imagine he smells clean and pure, fresh, with a hint of the Tower air clinging to him from all that time he spends staring off into the horizon.
Steal the scent: With notes of white roses, pink pepper, and aldehydes, Byredo’s Blanche is an archetypal “clean” fragrance. It’s a popular fragrance, though it’s not for everyone — some find it a little too aggressively bubbly. But given the possibility that Zavala is about to do a heel turn, that overzealous purity fits perfectly.
2. Ikora
When she isn’t carrying out grossly irresponsible building projects in the Tower or kicking ass in the Crucible, Ikora is studying the Traveler and the Light. She probably spends a lot of time in her office surrounded by the smell of old books and the crackle of Void energy. Did you know that “old book smell” is caused by the release of volatile organic compounds found in the paper, glue, and ink that makes up books?
Steal the scent: Bruno Fazzolari’s Lampblack recalls ink on paper, its top notes of black pepper and orange eventually giving way to grapefruit, cypriol, and vetiver and making for a fragrance that’s fascinating yet down to earth, just like the Warlock Vanguard herself.
3. Eris Morn
Eris has seen some shit. She’s been around the galaxy, lost her light, and practices what seems to be straight-up magic in her pursuit of understanding the Darkness. With her lack of a Ghost, her omnipresent Ahamkara bone, and her weeping Hive eyes, her presence must be unnerving and somewhat alien to other Guardians. I imagine she would smell smoky, dark, and unfamiliar to denizens of the Tower.
Steal the scent: If you’re looking for dark and smoky, Nasomatto’s Black Afghano is a good choice. Inspired by the scent of hashish, the fragrance is deep, enveloping, and hypnotic — perfect for Destiny 2‘s resident scholar of the Deep.
4. Banshee-44
As a gunsmith, Banshee-44 spends his days working on the weaponry Guardians use to fight the enemies of the Traveler. His little stall is basically a mechanic’s shop, so he probably smells like an auto body place would, with the additional notes of gunpowder and ozone lingering in the air.
Steal the scent: Believe it or not, there are fragrances out there that can help you smell like you just stepped out of a garage. Comme Des Garçons actually has a scent called “Garage” under their Olfactory Library line. Tires, kerosene, and even car leather notes come together to produce a fragrance that smells like a futuristic auto shop — there’s really nothing else like it. CDG’s “Tar,” also in their Olfactory Library line, is another option.
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5. Calus
Luxury — that’s Calus summed up in a word. The Leviathan itself is probably an assault on the olfactory senses, luring in Guardians with floral and spice scents towards whatever “amusements” Calus has planned. The exiled emperor of the Cabal — or at least his robotic stand-ins — would smell seductive, rich, and magnificent.
Steal the scent: Patchouli, sandalwood, coriander, and more mingle in Serge Lutens’ Ambre Sultan, a fragrance luxurious and graceful but unpretentious enough to be worn by those of us who aren’t exiled space emperors. Oh, and if you want to smell like the flower room where you fight the dogs in the Leviathan Raid, try Mugler’s Alien.
6. Saint-14
Saint-14 is the closest thing to a medieval knight that Destiny has, so I imagine him smelling of various incenses and unguents. Coming into the hangar, one catches the strong scent of engines and grease, but also a warm, spicy aroma that becomes stronger as you approach Saint’s ship, whereupon it blossoms into a woody, smoky field, mysterious and powerful. It’s enough to make you forget your terrible record in Trials of Osiris.
Steal the scent: CDG has the quintessential “smell like an old church” fragrance in Incense Avignon, a perfume that was inspired by gothic cathedrals. It’s absolutely gorgeous and one of my all-time favorites. The only problem? You’ll have to share it with Morrissey — it’s his signature scent.
7. Drifter
The Drifter probably smells like a wet dog, but I’d prefer to think of him as having a strong (non wet) animalic scent. Like, I don’t think he actually smells bad, just intense. He’s probably rocking a COD (cologne over dirt) situation and the odor is almost certainly noticeable as soon as you come down the stairs into the Annex.
Steal the scent: Aoud Cuir d’Arabie by Montale is an overwhelmingly powerful oud with leather and tobacco notes. Ouds tend to smell differently on different people, so like with the Drifter’s Gambit, you might love it or you might hate it. It’s raw, bestial, and a little monstrous — just like our favorite rogue lightbearer.
