The Eclipse, also known as Eclipse Cultists or simply the Cultists, are the main antagonists of Horizon Zero Dawn and the minor antagonists of Horizon Forbidden West.
The group is a militaristic religious cult led by hardline members of the Shadow Carja under the command of its true leader HADES, with Helis serving as the organisation's commander. In reality HADES only manipulates the Eclipse into targetting Meridian in order for the rogue AI to use the Spire and activate a second Faro Plague to eradicate all life.
History[]
The Eclipse was founded by a Banuk named Sylens in order to use its Shadow Carja followers to serve HADES's own ends. A splinter tribe known as the Shadow Carja were chosen to form the Eclipse due to them being easily manipulated through religion and nationalism following their defeat in the Carja Civil War, and were made into believing HADES was the "Buried Shadow" god from Carja mythology. The Eclipse follow HADES in the belief that it will help them to control the Machines, and plan to use them to retake the Carja Capital Meridian and conquer the world. But, the Eclipse remained unaware of HADES' true intentions: to reawaken the Faro Swarm and destroy the world. Sylens was forced to flee from the Eclipse after learning HADES had no use for him and had marked him for death. The Shadow Carja champion Helis replaced Sylens as HADES's trusted follower.
The Eclipse kept their existence unknown to the world, killing any witnesses. At some point, The Eclipse had forced an Oseram scout known as Olin to work for them after they had captured and threatened to kill his family. The cultists explored the Old Ones ruins and dug up and reactivated Faro machines, which they used to corrupt and control other machines.
Horizon Zero Dawn[]
Some years later, HADES ordered Eclipse to kill a Nora Tribe warrior Aloy, whom HADES had deemed a threat to Eclipse's so-called god. The cultists led by Helis attacked the Nora during a rite of passage ritual known as The Proving. Despite killing many Nora in their carnage, they failed to kill Aloy. This event, however, forced Aloy into a personal war against the Eclipse. After Aloy thwarted Eclipse operations throughout her journey, including their various machine-digging operations within Rockwreath, Maker's End, the Grave-Hoard and Zero Dawn Project Facility. The Eclipse eventually captured her at their capital city of Sunfall and threw her into their arena, The Sun-Ring, where she was only saved by the arrival of Sylens, who has been aiding her to foil the Eclipse and HADES' goals.
The Eclipse ultimately launched a full-scale assault on Meridian with their armies of corrupted machines, and HADES was directly taken to the Spire, a MINERVA broadcasting tower that HADES required in order to send a signal to reawaken the Faro Swarm. The defenders of Meridian, Carja, Oseram, Nora, and Banuk alike, fiercely defended the city. The battle resolutely ended in the Eclipse's defeat, as Helis lost his life at the hands of Aloy, who then managed to stop HADES's signal from destroying the world, ending their reign of terror.
Horizon Forbidden West[]
After the final battle at Meridian and HADES' defeat, some of the remaining members of the Eclipse who survived the war retreated to the Forbidden West where they along with their new shortly-lived leader Vezreh plans to rebuild the Eclipse.
Vezreh and his Eclipse would kidnap unsuspecting Utaru across the border in No Man's Land and use them as slaves to unearth Old World bombs in his goals to bomb the capital cities across the Forbidden West. However a rogue Carja soldier informant would tell Aloy of their plans. They were all defeated with Vezreh destroying his lair with him in it and planning to take Aloy along with him. However Aloy managed to escape and thus the Eclipse were officially no more.
Known members[]
Former Members[]
- Sylens (Founder and Ex-Leader)
- Olin Delverson (forced, scout and spy)
- Vezreh
Enemy archtypes[]
Melee[]
- Cultist Dredger
- Cultist Priest
- Elite Cultist Dredger
Ranged[]
- Cultist Punisher
- Cultist Thug
- Elite Cultist Archer
- Elite Cultist Punisher
- Elite Cultist Sniper
Heavy[]
- Cultist Heavy
- Elite Cultist Heavy
Gallery[]
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 Villains
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Artificial Intelligences Organisations Carja Shadow Carja Banuk Oseram Tenakth Londra's Devotees Far Zenith | ||