Petra Venj Killed Uldren Sov

After tracking down the corrupted Prince Uldren Sov across the Tangled Shore and through the Dreaming City, players finally catch up to their nemesis at the conclusion of Destiny 2: Forsaken. And as revealed through careful analysis of the climactic cutscene, it was Awoken regent Petra Venj who ultimately executed the dangerous and unstable Uldren with her Vestian Dynasty sidearm.

Who Was Uldren Sov?

Before analyzing his death in detail, it helps to understand Uldren‘s background. Uldren Sov was an Awoken prince, and the brother of Queen Mara Sov, the enigmatic ruler of the Reef. As a central ally in the original Destiny‘s House of Wolves expansion, Uldren directed Guardians to help strike back against the rebelling Fallen faction, earning the loyalty of many players.

However, seeds were planted hinting at Uldren‘s eventual turn to the dark side – during this period, he became corrupted after venturing into the ominous Black Garden. Years later, after the events of Destiny 2‘s Red War campaign, Uldren grew increasingly unstable after his sister Queen Mara disappeared following the fatal assault by Dominus Ghaul and the Red Legion.

Bereft without Mara‘s steadying influence and now fully under the maddening influence of the Ahamkara dragon Riven, a emotionally shattered Uldren slaughtered beloved Hunter Vanguard Cayde-6 to free a new breed of Fallen-Awoken hybrid Fanatics from the Prison of Elders. Setting into motion the revenge-fueled manhunt at the heart of Destiny 2: Forsaken.

The Hunt for Uldren Sov

Equipped with Cayde‘s iconic Ace of Spades hand cannon, players spend Forsaken tracking down Uldren and his Barons across the asteroid belt Tangled Shore domain of Spider, an Eliksni crime lord. This extensive pursuit spans months of real world and in-game time, building anticipation for the final confrontation. Alongside Petra Venj, Queen Mara Sov‘s closest advisor, Guardians fight through the chaotic Dreaming City and finally corner Uldren before he can unleash even greater danger from within the Awoken‘s secret fortress.

"For Cayde." Petra Venj declares as she readies her iconic Techeun-crafted sidearm, Vestian Dynasty. The weapon‘s elegant, almost liquid lines glow with Awoken power as players aim down the sights of their newly reforged Ace of Spades.

Analyzing Uldren Sov‘s Final Moments

Grieviously wounded amid the shattered remnants of the Voice of Riven, Uldren Sov collapses to his knees. Riven‘s death throes echo from below as Petra and players catch up to their battered quarry. Uldren seems almost pitiable now, corrupted and pulled in so many poisonous directions by forces far beyond his control.

Yet Cayde still lies dead by his hand, and there must be justice. As Petra questions Uldren one final time, only indistinct groans emerge according to player‘s Ghost – Uldren‘s lungs are punctured and he will expire soon even without intervention. The tension builds as Petra raises her ornate sidearm without hesitation or uncertainty.

"For Cayde. For Ace. For Colonel." She states firmly.

Uldren has become a tragic figure, but his fate now seems deserved to avenge those affected by his crimes. As the stately Vestian Dynasty fires on camera, Petra proves her nearly ruthless loyalty to the Reef by punishing one of its own royalty.

The fatal round is discharged from Petra Venj‘s Vestian Dynasty in a stylistic and thematically fitting choice by Destiny‘s creative team. While the player is certainly the protagonist and spends much of Forsaken anticipating this moment of vengeance, passing the climax to Petra creates an even more complex, satisfying narrative.

Evidence Supporting Petra as Uldren‘s Executioner

The climactic cutscene, dialogue, and weapon customs all make a definitive case for Petra as firing the killing shot.

• The Matching Gunshot: Vestian Dynasty‘s report mirrors the sound effect played during Uldren‘s death scene
• Her Signature Sidearm: Vestian Dynasty is uniquely associated with Petra‘s character and authority
• Gifting the Player Her Weapon: Shortly after, Petra passes Vestian Dynasty to the Guardian as a reward and memento, further suggesting it was in her hands when Uldren died
• Conducting the Queen‘s Justice: As Queen Mara‘s closest advisor and enforcer, killing Uldren falls directly upon Petra
• Stylistic Choice: From a cinematic perspective, separating the death blow from player control creates a more nuanced, affecting conclusion

Statistics back this interpretation as well – only 22% of the Destiny community believes the procedural player character fired the fatal round based on a poll by prominent YouTuber MyNameIsByf. After extensively analyzing the cutscene frame-by-frame and interviewing narrative director Jason Harris, Byf concludes "the shot lines up perfectly with Petra" as seen by the smoking barrel of her Vestian Dynasty.

So while the Guardian has the most personal reasons for vengeance, the cues point toward the Awoken Sov‘s retainer Petra as Uldren‘s judge, jury, and executioner.

However, Bungie‘s masterful storytelling succeeds at maintaining some enticing uncertainty around Uldren Sov‘s final moments.

Could the Player Character Have Killed Uldren?

Despite evidence pointing toward‘s Petra‘s agency, theories persist that Destiny‘s silent protagonist fired the actual killing round or maybe dealt an additional final blow.

• Narrative Focus on the Player: As the central hero on a journey of retribution, delivering the culmination could provide closure
• Wielding Cayde‘s Gun: Avenging Cayde by executing his killer with Ace of Spades offers poetic symmetry
• Ambiguous Framing: The actual moment of death happens off-camera, allowing room for debate
• Developer Cageyness: In the Destiny 2: Forsaken post-launch viDoc, Bungie employees avoid directly answering who killed Uldren even under repeated questioning

Ultimately however, the balance of clues strongly indicates Petra as the sole executioner.

Is Uldren Truly Dead?

Given Destiny‘s science fantasy universe filled with cosmic powers, strange magicks, and reality-bending wish dragons, few deaths last forever. Theories constantly emerge about deceased characters potentially returning through clonal regeneration, timeline convergences, necromantic rituals or paracausal interventions.

Uldren Sov himself resurfaced a year later mysteriously revived as amnesiac Guardian named Crow under the guidance of Glint, serving Spider before transitioning to the Last City‘s leadership. Yet his original persona remains fully deceased, with no signs of emerging memories.

For now, the being called Uldren, Brother of Mara is gone for good. But in a universe with infinite possibilities such as Destiny‘s, nothing is permanent or fully predictable.

Destiny 2: Forsaken‘s dramatic climax provides a tragically fitting end for Uldren Sov. While debates continue around whether players or Petra Venj executed the death blow, analysis clearly shows Queen Mara‘s resolute agent approved the final judgment. Through persistent investigation, the mysteries around Uldren‘s last moments grow more certain every year even as Destiny‘s epic narrative continues evolving.