(*UPDATE 3*) My ideas on how DE could reintroduce Hayden Tenno from darkSector in the 1999 Update next year! [Minor Spoilers from The New War and beyond...]

[(XBOX)SkarodexTTM]

(Please note: This is my very first topic posted on the Warframe Forums, and I generally get extremely anxious sharing any ideas I may have to public places because of a couple bad experiences, so please be kind. Not only that, but I don't completely know how this format works, with the use of the SPOILERS and QUOTES. So if I failed to correspond with the rules of the forums, please notify me immediately to know what I did wrong so I can correct it, and hopefully give me some tips on how to improve. I'm probably gonna get a lot of backlash on this considering what my main topic is about... Oh! And if you ever see me do this: {Sample Text} I'm making a side note, like I'm talking to someone off-screen.)

Greetings fellow Tenno and everyone over at Digital Extremes! I come to you with these suggestions so I can finally get them off my chest and share my ideas with DE {here's hoping that [DE]Megan, [DE]Rebecca, or anybody over at DE sees this}, in which, as the title says, relates mostly on Hayden Tenno from DE's "spiritual" predecessor Dark Sector and how the character himself could make a reappearance in more ways than just a skin for the upcoming 1999 Update in 2024. This year's TennoCon was absolutely AWESOME, and it has really inspired me to finally have the courage to share these ideas which have been cooking up in my brain for a while! I watched the whole entire stream on Twitch from start to finish and I loved every bit of it! I went completely nuts every time someone mentioned darkSector, whether it was the 'never-before-seen' concept art or chat going bonkers when bringing up the topic.

You see, it took two of my best friends to introduce me to Warframe, but what really settled my interest was the history of darkSector and everything having to do with it. This was before I started playing back in 2020 and it began when my friend was having me customize one of his warframes (to no-one's surprise, Excalibur Umbra) where I wanted to have a more "modern" look and the closest skin that satisfied me was the "Proto-Armor Excalibur" skin, yet I questioned "what is up with his arm?" Then, from that point onward with extensive research, I've become obsessed with darkSector and its protagonist: Hayden Tenno. I know about all the controversy of whether darkSector is canon to Warframe or not, and I choose to believe that it is. So much so that I've even been coming up with my own creative stories and semi-original characters based from these two games!

While I've been playing through the entire story of Warframe, I imagine that I'm playing as an alternate version of Hayden Tenno who wakes up from Cryo Sleep and (unbeknownst to him) is actually from a different timeline* [keep that in mind for later] and must face off against new enemies while adjusting to this 'new evolution' of survival. I'm not going to get into details about that, maybe for another time. What I wish to share first are some weird ideas that I originally thought could be put into consideration however, it wouldn't make sense for what I have in mind of what could be an "official" return in the 1999 Update. At first, I thought he could become a vendor after some kind of special Tenno Alert where he just chills over by the Mastery Rank 30 Test corner in any of the Relays down where Cephalon Simaris is at (if you have any interest, I could share some ideas for dialogue and interactions in the comments below; just let me know). However, the way his store works is actually REALLY UNFAIR now that I think about it... or not.

Here's what I mean: Players under the Mastery Rank of 15 are unable to view his wares; they can interact with him, but they'll just get told off to come back once they've reached the half-way point. If players are above MR 15, they can browse the items he has in stock, which I'm thinking could be the Protokol Primary Skins from darkSector (with the original firing sounds like the Protokol Pistol skins and unique animations) including some old designs of weapons once used in Warframe back in its youth as skins (particularly ones that haven't seen the light of day in a long time, such as the Grineer Burston Design used in the 2005 Demo Concept Trailer for Dark Sector and in Warframe before getting a complete design change). These would be available to buy either as the skins themselves or as blueprints (which would require resources from the 1999 timeline to build; which I've only thought up of it now since TennoCon) for a "hefty" price. He also could sell artifacts from his time as decorations (basically assets from darkSector that have been polished up to fit the graphics in Warframe); such as an exact replica of his own Glaive both in decoration and as a separate weapon (original throw, flight, catch, and attack sounds from the previous game, although my ideas for how to craft the weapon is totally ridiculous and would never work or be accepted by Digital Extremes by how stupidly overpowered it would be, at least coming from me) for purchase by anyone who has reached MR 30 and beyond! Lastly, before I get on to his involvement with 1999, I'd like to share my visual interpretation of a reworked Hayden Tenno model which I use in my imaginative stories.

I imagine him wearing his "Excalibur" Proto-Armor Suit with the helmet retracted showing a face that looks just like the original game model from darkSector but given a massive upgrade (considering the way of how the graphics and visuals have changed throughout the years), you'd be able to see the scars along his right cheek where the T-Cyte Virus decided to stop spreading..... for now. For his infected arm and upper body, I would really like it if his arm looked more 'monstrous' like in the old promotional screenshots used to tease the released version of the Dark Sector game back in the late 2000's, here are my top 3 images I like to use as reference for some of my drawings:

Spoiler

This first example is of 'Excalibur' Hayden facing off against the 'Nyx' Nemesis. Notice how his arm doesn't look as streamlined as it does in the official release.

Here's another one where Hayden is taking out an Agency Trooper.

And finally, this image of Hayden wielding a Cybersuit-Trooper's Gatling Gun!

I also took screenshots from old teaser trailers found on the web, but unfortunately, I can't find a way to share them in this topic post because.... well, I don't think you can. But I did thankfully manage to find the short trailer which uses the same bumpy texture as seen in the images and shows Hayden's face. The video quality is absolute garbage (240p or 360p) and the trailer itself in the video is only 45 seconds, but you should be able to see how mutated his arm looks, especially near the end when it fades to black, if you look closely. {Hey, DE, I have a couple ideas on how you could affix the modeled lights on his arm with its corresponding pattern onto the more rough and scaly version of Proto-Armor Hayden; let me know if you wish to hear any of it!} There is also an idea for him to be wearing the fingerless glove for his right hand that he wore before getting infected but that wouldn't make sense because I'm pretty sure it got "burned" off when the infection was spreading through his arm.

Lastly, his suit. It still looks the same between the Warframe skin and the darkSector suit however, I picture him with the two ammo pouches attached to his belt near the lower back that he wore before obtaining the suit and have one of the "Excalibur Proto-Armor Skin"'s hip holsters (preferably on his right hip where the original drop-leg holster is). The reason why I mention that is because, in darkSector, whatever sidearm you have chosen, as soon as you switch to your Primary Weapon (if equipped), Hayden holsters the sidearm by having half of the model clip into his leg, leaving the grip poking out to resemble the handgun being 'holstered' which is pretty neat considering how DE was going for "realism" at the time of this game, but it did kind of bother me. Which is why I would make it practical by adding one of the Excalibur holsters on top of where the suit's holster decal is at. Now, this could be up for debate but, isn't the Proto-Armor suit that Hayden wears like highly advanced? It makes him more powerful, stronger, faster, and deadlier with the technology and his new biology combined. So, why not have a holster that can fit any type of sidearm in it (no matter the size) that adds to the 'realism' of a pistol in a holster instead of just clipping into the actual model? {I hope DE will be able to recover those old models and refurbish them in the way of their liking but hopefully take some of my ideas into consideration, who knows what the future holds?}

But enough about how he should look if he were to return, let's talk about how he could possibly return in the 1999 Update... In which case, some SPOILERS ahead for those who have yet to complete The New War, The Duviri Paradox, and beyond. I'll be listing spoilers as [REDACTED] and in a separate tab close to the paragraph so everyone can read this topic! 🙂

Now, I see this update as the perfect opportunity to not only finish closing the psychological wound of the original concept of Dark Sector, but also to move on from regretful choices in the past, if any exist, and to finally connect the bizarre discontinuity between Warframe and darkSector. To explain how Hayden Tenno could appear in this update, I must mention the topic in Warframe-Lore that helps finalize my concept/theory which is [REDACTED]¹. Since the update will be taking place in 1999/2000, it would be approximately between 7-9 years before the events of darkSector would take place and Hayden Tenno gets infected with the Technocyte Virus, granting him the inhumane evolutionary powers he has in the game and becoming the rumored "First Tenno". Now let me ask you something, how could he possibly appear in his Proto-Armor suit to aid Arthur in 1999 with his "Proto" Glaive in hand if these events haven't even occurred yet in this timeline*? Remember [REDACTED]¹ that I mentioned? (Obviously you do if you know or if you looked at the Spoiler.)

Well, from the way of how I interpret [REDACTED]¹, which could be total misconjecture, and from what little known facts we can grasp about the powers and mysteries of the Void, the answer should seem relatively simple, right? As from what we've seen in [REDACTED]² how [REDACTED]³, what if the Void existed even way back when but it never properly manifested until much later on? If it isn't obvious, this explanation would need a LOT of work done to understand coherently and frankly I just want to get to the point that I'm sure everyone reading this has been dying/waiting to hear. So, let me spare a lot of the details that even I don't understand {probably because I don't know it} and skip to the good part. Here is what I imagine could happen...

Spoiler

¹ The Theories of Time. {Which was, in my opinion, vaguely introduced by Quill Onkko in Cetus and then later officially introduced during The New War.}

² The Duviri Paradox.

³ Different timelines and dimensions can intersect with ours in-game.

From what little we've seen in the playthrough demo of 1999 during TennoCon, I'd like to theorize/imagine that at some point when Arthur is surrounded by enemies and he is struggling to harness or recover from his "powers" that a flying disc cuts and slices through the advancing enemies leaving him shocked and confused when the disc flies back to an outstretched hand in the darkness. A voice is heard from that direction, "Struggling with your powers?", then Hayden Tenno emerges from the shadows in his suit with his helmet on saying "I've been there before." Then he walks over to Arthur, who is trying to move away from him, until Hayden stops and sheathes his Glaive under his forearm while his helmet retracts back to show his face (proving he is still human) and extends his right hand towards Arthur saying "My name is Hayden, Hayden Tenno. I'm going to need you to trust me if you want to make it through this nightmare." {or something like that, he basically introduces himself so DE can just have him say whatever as long as he tells Arthur who he is} Arthur will always be the primary focus in 1999, obviously, but players would be able to see Hayden from time to time either in-game or cutscenes and could possibly even fight alongside him but never play as him. Hayden would be equipped with one of the Primary weapons from his game but he "needs" to have his original Tekna 9mm Handgun with the laser-dot sight that was once used in the early days of Warframe as placeholders (hopefully a bit polished up) however, if DE is unable to find that model again then they could just use the Tekna Protokol Pistol Skin Model instead or something else entirely {preferably one of the other Protokol pistols or even the Tekna Burst} because it'll be totally up to them!

At some point during the quest, Hayden should make a massive impact in/on the storyline proclaiming once and for all that he was "The First Tenno" but in the end (whether he lives or dies by passing through a Void Portal back to his own timeline or sacrificing himself; TBD by DE) he should pass the torch, title, and name "Tenno" to Arthur who would then become the canon "First Tenno" of the Warframe Timeline. I think that would be the best and most fitting end to Hayden Tenno's legendary saga and leaves his legacy in the hands of Arthur, making Hayden nothing more than a memory but a memory that won't be so easily forgotten like darkSector was unfortunately (at least so I've heard, and I won't be forgetting it ANYTIME SOON!)... Everything that happens in between Hayden's introduction to his departure will be all up to DE {unless they would like more suggestions from fans such as this, then I won't mind, because I have a TON of them} if they choose to include Hayden Tenno with the 1999 Update. I should probably mention, just in case, that Hayden would/should have all of his original evolutionary powers from darkSector: Steal, Energy Trap, Power Throw, After Touch, Shield, Energy Pulse, and Shift. And I would really appreciate it if he had all of his original animations from darkSector reused and redone for his possible NPC, but this leads me to the number one most important detail that NEEDS to happen if he's added, in which I plead to DE tenfold, PLEASE bring back the original voice actor of Hayden Tenno: Michael Rosenbaum (I honestly cannot picture anybody else other than Michael to voice this character, he even said it himself that it was "bad ACE")!!! {Not risking getting kicked over a censored swear word so I replaced it with something that sounds slightly similar but isn't a curse word.}

And that concludes my fan concept on "How DE could reintroduce Hayden Tenno from darkSector in 1999"! I hope everyone here {tried} to enjoy it and can give either constructive criticism or praise {dunno if that is the right word for this sentence} in any form of the comments down below. Thank you to Digital Extremes for creating such an epic game with engaging story to keep me hanging on and congratulations on 10 years of Warframe! I really do hope that one day somebody from [DE] will read this, even if they totally shut down any of these ideas, I would be at least satisfied knowing they looked at this elaborate topic that I've been trying to write for the past 3 weeks but time and motivation hasn't been with me until just this last Saturday. And thank you, the reader(s), for having the interest to read these ideas, it does mean a lot to me because like I said in the beginning, I have a hard time building confidence in myself to share what's on my mind with complete strangers on the web.

However, I do have one last small idea to consider. If players are able to go back to 1999 as themselves and meet Arthur himself, it would be cool to see if Arthur is the one to sell some of the items I mentioned in one of my earlier ideas. Or even his own Syndicate, I don't know. Either way, I am so incredibly excited for what's next coming to Warframe later this year and in 2024! Hope you have a lovely day/evening, and I might make another topic like this if people are interested. Anyway, this is (XBOX)SkarodexTTM signing off...

---

Update: Saturday, September 23rd, 2023.
So, I met the Michael Rosenbaum yesterday at my local Comic Convention for a Photo-Op. I've been working on a Hayden Tenno cosplay for the past 3 months and the final result was "pretty decent" according to my perfectionism. A total of 3 or 4 people recognized who I was supposed to be (which really made my day besides the photo opportunity), and I got to see some rad cosplays at the Con. One of the last people to recognize was a Warframe Fan who actually went to the physical TennoCon this year and met with people at DE because he was one of those "Creators" that partner with DE and such, he wanted a picture of me in that cosplay! I don't think I got his name, all I can remember is that he had red hair with a long beard. Anyway, my interaction with the actor (more notably remembered for his role in the TV Series known as SmallVille) goes something like this: I walk up to him and say "I bet this is a blast from the past for you." He responds "Whoa, DUDE! That's awesome! Yeah, it is." (judging from his tone of voice and enthusiasm, he was not at ALL expecting someone to cosplay as Hayden freaking Tenno from a project he was in so long ago and barely anyone remembers it!) I told him he could hold the fake M23 Pistol that I had with me (I made it look like the Protokol Tekna Pistol Skin with a few additional elements) while I held the Glaive (3D Printed, btw) and I had my picture taken with him. Then, just before any of the Event Staff could shoo me away for the next person in line, I asked him "If you were given the chance to play as Hayden Tenno again, would you do it?" He replied... "Oh definitely, yeah!" Then I walked out with such glee in my soul while saying "That is so AWESOME! Thank you, Mr. Rosenbaum!" Once I got my picture, my dad pointed out that we were wearing the exact color of clothing! I swear, if this isn't destiny talking, I don't know what is!!

---

Update: Thursday, February 1st, 2024.

A Warframe Friend discussed some of his thoughts about my topic through this conversation we had late one night before the release of Whispers In The Walls (I'm gonna leave out anything irrelevant to the topic):

"So Eternalism is your basic nonlinear time theory. Anyone who knows about the doctor knows about that. And the Void is the substrata between realities, combining to form a slightly janky multiverse. Because of the Void, all choices that lead to differing outcomes simply have their own path in some reality on the other side of the Void, right? So even though DE said forever ago that darkSector lore isn't canon to Warframe, with Void+Eternalism, it becomes: darkSector was never canon. Dark Sector was always canon. Or if you prefer, "it's always been Wankershim". Anywho, I don't think it would make sense for Hayden to meet Arthur. It's perfectly reasonable that both of these could have been a "First Tenno" in their realities, but Hayden wasn't ever exposed to the Void, only to the infestation… so with DS taking place after 1999, it wouldn’t make sense if they met. In another reality, there could be some robot from a mining corporation hosting a deathmatch tournament on a prison planet in 1999, but that doesn’t mean I’m runnin around w/ a 3-barrel rocket launcher.”

We got talking about Unreal Tournament, well he did anyway, along with skins before getting back on topic, which was fun to learn.

“But I think for Hayden to appear there would have to be a good plot reason. A good reason he’s not only in the wrong universe, but the wrong time as well. Maybe something related to the Murmur? IDK. Duviri already brought Hayden into Warframe though since the Drifter in the trailers is just an older Hayden. {I had to mention that the lookalike was just a coincidence, according to the fandom wiki.} I do kinda wish we could fully re-slot warframes kits though, maybe with some balancing mechanic so people don’t just stack up ults or something…. mostly for aesthetic reasons. I want to give my excal invis, shield, navigator, and marked for death. I think DE already knows proto-excal’s true kit is invis, shield, navigator, and mfd. They made it, after all! And all that would do is make modern excal play like DS excal, but he could jump. Now, if he had a passive that gave 100% dmg and status of a matching type when using melee on elemental hazards, then it would 100% could be fun with Warframe. Ground slam into an acid pit on Ceres, comes up with Corrosive gauntlets. Or use it with the glaive for that oldSchool feel. Mechanically, it’s the same as Zephyr’s Tornado’s Inheritance, but apply to self like Volt/Frost/Ember/Saryn/Oberon’s one augment, it could be done.”

Then, I had this to say: I would like to defend myself for a few points you brought up… First, I was mostly thinking of the Void as a type of mischievous entity that had the power to create some kind of portal to another realm in a different timeline and/or place…

“I think that’s closer to what Wally is, almost like the Void personified. Early on in the game, they always described the Void as being the space between realities, and while DE has dropped it since, Wayfinder has enough direct parallels in its story that I think their official definition of the Gloom actually perfectly fits the Void. The Gloom’s element is chaos, and the Gloom is defined as the substrata between universes. There’s a few points in dialogue they flubbed and even called it the void.” {Both of us have ADHD, so I had to redirect the topic back to what it originally was again. xD}

…anyway, to me, I would imagine Hayden thinking nothing more of said “portal” than another crazy Lasrian/USA experiment.

“Oh, I didn’t think the Lasrians were doing much of anything anymore after DS, but even if, the condition of the mission was retiement. He takes care of the SNAFU in Lasria and he’s done or good.”

And because the early Infestation is quite similar to the T-Cyte Virus, the Void conn–wha, huh? Oh that… {I had actually said this during our conversation}

“But having the AD direct him into a portal would be the most likely way, but they’d have to be doing some kind of experiment, something along the lines of void-diving… i think there’s a couple points in the game where pre J-3 Infestation are still called technocytes. But at this point, there’s technocytes at launch, Helminth (the frames), J-3 (there’s been 3 J-3 Golems, Jordas is the only one still in the game), the derelict strain, mutalist, Myconia, the grey strain (Deimos depths), and Arlo’s strain. We’ve gotten a whole new breed of infested for almost every year of the game!”

Plus the “ancient” strain that Nidus Prime is made up of, which I like to think of being the T-Cyte.

“Oh, I thought Nidus was like patient zero for helminth?”

I continue on with: I’d like to imagine that he stumbles upon some device in Vozro after killing Mezner or some place during “The Great Purge” since he failed to stop the transmission from spreading the virus…

“It could be that he stumbles across a portal, maybe doesn’t even realize he’s in a different world at first, from killing zombies to killing zombies, it’s not like the view would be any different.”

One last thought….

“One last thought? We all lift goes hard from the first beat.”

His (Hayden’s) view would be slightly different because he finds a survivor <like him> and wants to help instead of killing everything in sight.

Edited February 1 by (XBOX)SkarodexTTM
Added short discussion about topic with a Warframe friend. Added pages.