As you dig into the world of Destiny, you’re going to discover that there’s a lot of story going on. And that means there’s a lot of talking going on. Fortunately, Bungie hasn’t skimped on the talent in this regard, drafting some top-tier stars to voice the characters you’ll meet as you play the game. Here are eight of the most recognizable actors lending their voices to Destiny.
Peter Dinklage: Ghost
Your Ghost – the artificially intelligent construct that serves as Guardians’ support and companion – is the voice you’re going to hear most often in the game. It comes courtesy of Peter Dinklage, who has been wowing audiences as Tyrion Lannister in Game of Thrones. He also recently appeared as Dr. Bolivar Trask in X-Men: Days of Future Past. Also, he was Miles Finch in Elf. Destiny isn’t his first video game role, but it’s the first not adapted from a film he starred in (specifically, Ice Age: Continental Drift and The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian).
Bill Nighy: The Speaker
Not to be confused with Bill Nye the Science Guy, Bill Nighy is a celebrated character actor who’s made appearances in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and Shaun of the Dead, to name but a few. He was also the face behind Davy Jones’ tentacles in the Pirates of the Caribbean films. Aside from games based on movies he’s been in, Nighy has also contributed his voice to the eventually-coming-to-consoles Elder Scrolls Online. In Destiny, he plays the Speaker, the voice of (and advocate for) the Traveler.
Lauren Cohan: The Stranger
You know her face as Maggie in The Walking Dead, you know her voice as Juliana in Archer, and Lauren Cohan can be seen in a variety of other well-known TV series – including The Vampire Diaries and Supernatural. Destiny is her first video game role; she plays the mysterious Stranger, who follows your character around… mysteriously.
Nathan Fillion: Cayde-6, Hunter Vanguard
Ol’ Captain Tightpants can’t seem to keep himself out of space. Known among discerning viewers as Malcolm Reynolds in the criminally short-lived Firefly, Nathan Fillion currently stars in ABC’s police comedy-drama Castle. In Destiny, he takes on the role of the Vanguard of the Hunter class, a sort of guild leader. This isn’t the first time he’s been heard in a Bungie game: Fillion also appeared in Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, and Halo Reach.
Gina Torres: Ikora Rey, Warlock Vanguard
Fillion isn’t the only Firefly alum to appear in the game: His first mate makes an appearance too, also as a Vanguard. Gina Torres played Zoe Washburne in Firefly, and appeared more recently as Bella Crawford in Hannibal and Jessica Pearson in Suits. Though she’s lent her voice to a handful of games in the past, her portrayal of the Warlock Vanguard here is arguably her biggest in-game role.
Lance Reddick: Commander Zavala, Titan Vanguard
Rounding out the Vanguard contingent is Lance Reddick, marking his first video game role as the Titans’ big cheese. Though we haven’t heard him in games before, we’ve seen him in some pretty serious TV roles. He was Cedric Daniels in the legendary drama The Wire, Matthew Abaddon in Lost, and Phillip Broyles in Fringe.
Peter Stormare: Arach Jalaal, Dead Orbit Merchant
Peter Stormare is a character actor who chewed up the scenery as Satan in the very underrated Constantine. He’s played small roles in films like Fargo, The Big Lebowski, and Armageddon, and has lent his voice to a handful of video games – including the Mercenaries series and The Elder Scrolls Online. In Destiny, he takes on the role of a merchant for one of the game’s factions.
Claudia Black: Tess Everis, Special Orders
Claudia Black has played a number of significant roles, both in-person and in games. You’ve seen her face in sci-fi series like Farscape and Stargate SG-1, and heard her voice in games like Crysis, Mass Effect 3, and Gears of War 3 – but her biggest role may be as Morrigan in the Dragon Age series. Here, she plays a merchant who deals in unique items not found anywhere else.
Want to see if you recognize any other voices? Be our guest; Destiny is currently available for both Xbox One and Xbox 360.
