Upon its release, Destiny follows Guardians, resurrected warriors imbued with the power of the Traveler, defending the last city on Earth against various alien threats. Players confront the Fallen, the Hive, and the Vex while uncovering the mysteries of the Traveler and the Darkness. The Guardians' Ghost aids them in their journey, guided by the Speaker and the Vanguard leaders. As they battle through Earth, the Moon, Venus, and Mars, they learn about the Collapse and the Traveler's sacrifice to protect humanity.

Culminating in the Vault of Glass raid on Venus, Guardians confront the Vex and their time-manipulating abilities. Atheon, the raid's final boss, is a threat to the fabric of reality, and players must coordinate their efforts to overcome its challenges. The Vault of Glass holds significant lore, shedding light on the nature of the Vex and the broader cosmic struggle between Light and Darkness. The raid's completion marks a pivotal moment in the Guardians' ongoing battle to safeguard the solar system and uncover the truth behind their existence.

In the "Dark Below" expansion of Destiny 1, players delve into the story of Eris Morn, a survivor of a disastrous Hive mission on the Moon. The expansion introduces the malevolent Hive deity Crota, Son of Oryx, and his plan to invade Earth using a ritual known as the "Sword Logic." Guardians face the Hive's resurgence, combatting their forces in the Hellmouth on the Moon and uncovering Eris's harrowing experience. Players ultimately confront Crota in a raid, thwarting his attempts to manifest in the physical realm and preventing the Hive's Earthbound invasion.

In the "House of Wolves" expansion of Destiny 1, players deal with the aftermath of the Reef Wars as they confront a rebellion within the Fallen ranks led by Skolas, Kell of Kells. Guardians work alongside the Queen of the Awoken and her advisor Petra Venj to track down Skolas and dismantle his attempt to unite the Fallen houses under his rule. Players engage in missions across Venus and the Reef, battling the House of Wolves and their allies, the mercenary group known as the "The Silent Fang." The expansion culminates in a showdown with Skolas, preventing his plans to manipulate Vex technology and establishing the Queen's dominance over the Reef.

In the "Taken King" expansion of Destiny 1, players confront Oryx, the Taken King, who seeks revenge for his slain son Crota. Oryx, a powerful Hive deity, arrives in the solar system with his Taken army, a corrupted force of various alien races. Players work with Eris Morn, Cayde-6, and Ikora Rey to thwart Oryx's attempts to consume the Light and bring about the annihilation of the Guardians. The expansion introduces the Dreadnaught, Oryx's massive ship, as a new destination, where players uncover secrets, challenge his court, and eventually face Oryx himself in a challenging raid. Through strategic efforts, Guardians prevent Oryx's dark designs and restore stability to the solar system, ending his threat and securing their place as defenders of humanity.

In the "Rise of Iron" expansion of Destiny 1, players confront the resurgence of the SIVA, a self-replicating nanotechnology that led to the downfall of the Iron Lords, ancient Guardians who sacrificed themselves to contain its threat. The expansion centers around Lord Saladin and his efforts to reclaim the Iron Temple from the Fallen, who have come into possession of SIVA. Guardians battle through new missions, a revamped Cosmodrome, and the Plaguelands to thwart the Fallen's attempt to wield SIVA's destructive power. The expansion delves into the tragic history of the Iron Lords and their final stand, culminating in a showdown with the monstrous SIVA-infused Fallen Archon, Aksis, in a raid activity. By defeating Aksis, Guardians extinguish the threat of SIVA and honor the legacy of the Iron Lords.

In the original Destiny 2 storyline, the Red War conflict unfolds as the Guardians face a devastating assault by the Cabal Red Legion, led by Dominus Ghaul. Ghaul seeks the Traveler's power for himself, believing that the Guardians are unworthy of the Light it grants. The Tower falls, and the Guardians are stripped of their powers and forced to flee. Players embark on a journey to regain their strength, reconnect with surviving allies like Ikora, Zavala, and Cayde-6, and ultimately confront Ghaul on his ship, the Almighty. Through a hard-fought battle, Guardians succeed in thwarting Ghaul's attempt to steal the Traveler's Light, reclaim their powers, and restore hope to the solar system, ending the Red War and setting the stage for their ongoing battles against new threats.

In the "Curse of Osiris" expansion of Destiny 2, players investigate the mysterious disappearance of the legendary Warlock Osiris on Mercury. As they delve into the Infinite Forest, a reality-simulating Vex construct, Guardians discover that Osiris is trapped in a simulated future where the Vex have successfully rewritten reality to their advantage. Working with Osiris's disciple Sagira and uncovering the Vex's plans, players thwart their attempt to manipulate time and prevent a dark future from becoming reality. The expansion explores Osiris's past, his rivalry with the Vanguard, and his role in combating the Vex's ambitions, ultimately restoring Mercury and thwarting the Curse of Osiris.

In the "Warmind" expansion of Destiny 2, players return to Mars to assist Ana Bray, a Guardian seeking information about her past and the enigmatic Warmind Rasputin. As Guardians uncover ancient Hive threats reawakened by the Warmind's activities, they battle through new missions and activities, including the Hellas Basin. Ana Bray's connection to Rasputin and the mysteries of the Warmind's actions are revealed as players confront the powerful Hive entity Xol, Will of the Thousands, in a high-stakes battle. By defeating Xol, Guardians prevent the Hive from utilizing the Warmind's power and reassert Rasputin's influence, securing the solar system from the renewed Hive threat.

In the Year 2 "Forsaken" expansion of Destiny 2, players embark on a revenge-driven journey as they hunt down Uldren Sov, the traitorous Awoken prince responsible for the death of Cayde-6. Guided by Petra Venj and the Spider, players venture to the Tangled Shore and the Dreaming City, uncovering the machinations of the Scorn, a twisted faction of resurrected Fallen, and the powerful Taken forces led by Riven, Ahamkara of the Dreaming City. As players dismantle Uldren Sov's alliance with these malevolent entities, they confront him within the Watchtower and avenge Cayde-6's death. The expansion explores themes of vengeance, loyalty, and the impact of the Guardians' actions, culminating in the Dreaming City's ongoing curse and the continuous struggle against the Taken curse's influence.

In the Year 3 "Shadowkeep" expansion of Destiny 2, players return to the Moon to investigate unsettling nightmares plaguing Guardians. Guided by Eris Morn, players uncover the return of the Hive's ancient god, Crota, who seeks to use Nightmares to feed on Guardian fears. As Guardians delve deeper into the Scarlet Keep, they discover a hidden threat tied to the pyramid ships of the Darkness, leading them to the unsettling Garden of Salvation raid on the Black Garden. The expansion delves into Eris Morn's history, her connection to the Hive, and the looming confrontation between Light and Darkness, setting the stage for the unfolding cosmic conflict in Destiny 2.

In the Year 4 "Beyond Light" expansion of Destiny 2, players journey to the ice-covered moon of Europa, aiding the Exo Stranger, Elsie Bray, in confronting the Fallen Kell Eramis and her plan to wield the power of the Darkness through the mysterious element known as Stasis. Guardians uncover secrets of the past, including the creation of the Exos and the Deep Stone Crypt. As they dismantle Eramis's operations and face her in a final battle, players also harness Stasis as a new elemental power. The expansion explores the moral dilemmas of wielding Darkness, teases the looming threat of the pyramid ships, and sets the stage for the ongoing conflict between Light and Darkness in the Destiny universe.

In the Year 5 “The Witch Queen” expansion of Destiny 2, players are in conflict with Savathûn, the Witch Queen, who is the sister of Oryx, the Taken King. In this expansion, Savathûn has managed to harness Light to build an army of Hive Guardians with Ghosts of their own to fight against the Guardians of the Last City. The Guardian enters Savathûn's Throne World within the Ascendant Realm to fight back against her Lucent Brood. The Guardian’s learn that Savathûn intends to move the Traveler to her throne world and seal it away. The campaign culminates in a final battle where Savathûn is killed and her plan is thwarted. With the defeat of Savathûn, a disciple of the Witness named Rhulk seeks to take control of the throne world from his pyramid ship. The guardians enter the pyramid and defeat Rhulk in the Vow of the Disciple raid.

The Witness, who is the overarching enemy of Darkness in the light and dark saga, has arrived to the Sol system. The Witness, his new Disciple Calus, and their shadow legion of cabal assault the city of Neomuna on the planet Neptune. Their intent is to use a device known as “The Veil” to attack the Traveler. The Guardian’s attempt to stop The Witness and end up killing Calus. However, The Witness is able to use the Veil to gain access to The Traveler, and The Witness enters The Traveler. Post Lightfall campaign, another Disciple of The Witness named Nezarec has been causing widespread nightmares in Neomuna. The Guardians enter his broken Pyramid ship to confront and destroy Nezarec.

The Witness is terraforming the inside of the Traveler and attempting to change the universe into “The Final Shape”. The guardians must find a way to enter the Traveler and confront The Witness. It is believed that the final confrontation will take place in the raid that will come with the expansion, and the defeat of The Witness will bring a close to the 10 year long light and dark saga that has been going on since Destiny 1 released in 2014.