History Awesome / Stellaris

'''The Great Khan:''' Ha! That shall never come to pass. Your fate will be decided on the field of battle then, human. It makes no difference to me - your worlds will be claimed by the Horde, one way or another.

** The Aquatics DLC adds the "Here There Be Dragons" origin, which introduced the Sky Dragon, effectively a PaletteSwap of the Ether Drake. Unlike the Ether Drake, Sky Dragons are friendly so long as you keep them fed and will even help defend your home system from invaders. Eventually, if you build enough of a rapport with it, it will ask that your empire help it hatch and raise its young, allowing you to build **dragon hatcheries** on your starbases allowing you to breed [[SerialEscalation entire]] **[[SerialEscalation fleets]]** [[SerialEscalation of Fledgling Dragons]].

* As Egalitarians with the Liberation Wars policy, you can use [[FinalSolution purges]] or other forms of tyranny as [[ThisMeansWar casus belli for war]]. Imagine, and [[TheEmpire interstellar empire]] is enacting ruthless subjugation and extermination campaigns against species they deem inferior to their own, slaughtering them wholesale, [[MadeASlave enslaving them]], or even [[ToServeMan processing them into food]]. They cry for aid, begging for someone, **anyone** to hear their cries. At first it seems no one will answer their plea for aid. [[AccompliceByInaction Everyone turns their backs]] as TheEmpire continues their campaign of genocide. Everyone except you that is. Suddenly, saviors descend from the skies, bearing the colors of your nation. An army consisting of aliens from countless species emerges from the landing craft, crushing the imperial armies and slaughtering their death squads. As the tide begins to turn, it becomes clear TheEmpire is failing, and has no choice but to flee the system. Their genocide is thwarted, their armies and fleets are in ruins, and their victims are safe at last from their wrath, now under the fierce guardianship of their saviors.

** The Aquatics DLC adds the "Here There Be Dragons" origin, which introduced the Sky Dragon, effectively a PaletteSwap of the Ether Drake. Unlike the Ether Drake, Sky Dragons are friendly so long as you keep them fed and will even help defend your home system from invaders. Eventually, if you build enough of a rapport with it, it will ask that your empire help it hatch and raise its young, allowing you to build *dragon hatcheries* on your starbases allowing you to breed [[SerialEscalation entire]] *[[SerialEscalation fleets]]* [[SerialEscalation of Fledgling Dragons]].

* As Egalitarians with the Liberation Wars policy, you can use [[FinalSolution purges]] or other forms of tyranny as [[ThisMeansWar casus belli for war]]. Imagine, and [[TheEmpire interstellar empire]] is enacting ruthless subjugation and extermination campaigns against species they deem inferior to their own, slaughtering them wholesale, [[MadeASlave enslaving them]], or even [[ToServeMan processing them into food]]. They cry for aid, begging for someone, *anyone* to hear their cries. At first it seems no one will answer their plea for aid. [[AccompliceByInaction Everyone turns their backs]] as TheEmpire continues their campaign of genocide. Everyone except you that is. Suddenly, saviors descend from the skies, bearing the colors of your nation. An army consisting of aliens from countless species emerges from the landing craft, crushing the imperial armies and slaughtering their death squads. As the tide begins to turn, it becomes clear TheEmpire is failing, and has no choice but to flee the system. Their genocide is thwarted, their armies and fleets are in ruins, and their victims are safe at last from their wrath, now under the fierce guardianship of their saviors.

*** Or a project to hatch the Drake's egg, ''giving you a badass little baby space dragon to help destroy your enemies!'' This might veer into FridgeHorror if you look at it [[ChildSoldiers from a]] [[TykeBomb certain perspective...]]

* Establishing the AI Accord, an act which ''permanently'' enshrines rights into the laws of your empire for your Synthetic Pops so they can never be outlawed, enslaved or destroyed. If the Machine Consciousness arises somewhere else in the galaxy then [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe your Synths will want nothing to do with the wannabe annihilators of their liberators]] [[UndyingLoyalty and will fight alongside your organic Pops against it]].

* Winning as Crisis Aspirant. Sure, it's both [[NightmareFuel utterly horrific]] and [[MoralEventHorizon repugnant]], but you destroyed entire galaxy and made ''Shroud'' afraid of your civilization. And then your empire become gods and ascends to conquer it!

* The ''Inward Perfection'' Isolationists is one of the game's most DifficultButAwesome playstyles. With Xenophobia and Pacifist ethos, you can take the ''Inward Perfection'' civic. This prevents you from performing most kinds of diplomacy, including joining federations, and the Pacifist ethos prevents you from going to war, but it gives pretty big bonuses. If you play your cards right, you can hulker down and stay in your own little oasis of peace in a galaxy of conflict. If you're ''really'' successful, you can hold out against even the end game crises single-handedly.

** Egalitarians being invaded by Authoritarians: A power-hungry despot sees your government as an institution run by ignorant rabble and decides to conquer your star nation to reestablish their idea of decency and to put your citizens back in their "proper" stations. Taking exception to this, your citizens fill the enlistment offices and boot camps ready to defend their precious freedom and liberty from this invading empire until you finally crush their fleet against all odds. Now on a patriotic high, your fleets and armies turn their attention to the invaders' planets, doubtlessly teeming with people robbed of their inalienable rights and enslaved to cruel masters, and decide that now is the time to liberate them. After a swift but brutal counterattack, you freed the oppressors' planets from their tyrannical system and emancipated their slaves, granting them a new life full of liberty and opportunity.

** Xenophiles being invaded by Xenophobes: For an insane reason only apparent to them, a species shackled by systemic bigotry against everyone who are not them decides to invade your empire to snuff out the candle of fellowship forever. Propelled by the dream of a galaxy whose inhabitants coexist peacefully with each other, you and the other aliens under your authority unleashed yourselves upon the forces of ignorance and hatred and crushed them, proving their belief in their own racial superiority to be a mass delusion and your species' acceptance of others to be vindicated. However, as long as the invaders' evil government continues to exist, their citizens will still believe their lies, so you decided to counter invade them, for their own good of course. Despite being beleaguered by defenders who believe their empire's lies about what horrible fates you will inflict upon them should they lose, you finally put an end to their institutionalized bigotry and one id kickstarted the conquered's long and hard road to interspecies acceptance.

** Egalitarians being invaded by Authoritarians: A power-hungry despot sees your government as an institution run by ignorant rabble and decides to conquer your star nation to reestablish their idea of decency and to put your citizens back in their "proper" stations. Taking exception to this, your citizens fill the enlistment offices and boot camps ready to defend their precious freedom and liberty from this invading empire until you finally crush their fleet against all odds. Now on a patriotic high, your fleets and armies turn their attention to the invaders' planets, doubtlessly teeming with people robbed of their inalienable rights and enslaved to cruel masters, and decide that noises is the time to liberate them. After a swift but brutal counterattack, you freed the oppressors' planets from their tyrannical system and emancipated their slaves, granting them a new life full of liberty and opportunity.

** Pacifists being invaded by Militarists: A barbaric species that worshipped war sees you as an easy prey and martial their fleets to punish you for your weakness. To an outsider, your empire is doomed to be devoured by a stronger belligerent like so many before you. However, rather than give in to despair, your species take to the stars and ''utterly crush them''. Not only have you proved to them that your species had long since [[MartialPacifist earned the right to lay down their arms]] but [[AwakeningTheSleepingGiant the militarists shouldn't have made you angry. ]] Sick of their BS, you decided to give them a humiliation they won't forget and invaded their world. Sure your ground troops aren't as versed in combat as the militarists' warriors but you still win in the end, showing the galaxy that even you can bite hard.

** Xenophiles being invaded by Xenophobes: For an insane reason only apparent to them, a species shackled by systemic bigotry against everyone who are not them decides to invade your empire to snuff out the candle of fellowship forever. Propelled by the dream of a galaxy whose inhabitants coexist peacefully with each other, you and the other aliens under your authority unleashed yourselves upon the forces of ignorance and hatred and crushed them, proving their belief in their own racial superiority to be a mass delusion and your species' acceptance of others to be vindicated. However, as long as the invaders' evil government continues to exist, their citizens will still believe their lies so you decided to counter invade them, for their own good of course. Despite being beleaguered by defenders who believe their empire's lies about what horrible fates you will inflict upon them should they lose, you finally put an end to their institutionalized bigotry and one id kickstarted the conquered's long and hard road to interspecies acceptance.

* The Clarke(1.1) patch added vassal greetings depending on their AI Personality. Some of them are pretty awesome:

-->'''Crisis Empire to an Autoritarian Empire:''' A pity, that even someone so purportedly blessed with talent as your [Ruler Title] cannot save you from your fate. We are coming for you, [Species].

** Pacifists being invaded by Militarists: A barbaric species that worshipped war sees you as an easy prey and martial their fleets to punish you for your weakness. To an outsider, your empire is doomed to be devoured by a stronger belligerent like so many before you. However, rather than give in to despair, your species take to the stars and ''utterly crush them''. Not only have you proved to them that your species had long since [[BadassPacifist earned the right to lay down their arms]] but [[AwakeningTheSleepingGiant the militarists shouldn't have made you angry. ]] Sick of their BS, you decided to give them a humiliation they won't forget and invaded their world. Sure your ground troops aren't as versed in combat as the militarists' warriors but you still win in the end, showing the galaxy that even you can bite hard.

*** This is especially satisfying if the invaders had recently undone a synthetic ascension. Inhabiting their new robotic bodies and overconfident in their superiority, they invaded your empire, only to get turned into scrap metal by unaugmented people whose weapons include sheer faith, literally of they'd also underwent transcendence. Showing those blind, arrogant fools that their "science" amounts to nothing before the will of the divine never gets old.

** Pacifists being invaded by Militarists: A barbaric species that worshipped war sees you as an easy prey and martial their fleets to punish you for your weakness. To an outsider, your empire is doomed to be devoured by a stronger belligerent like so many before you. However, rather than give in to despair, your species take to the stars and ''utterly crush them''. Not only have you proved to them that your species had long since [[BadassPacifist earned the right to lay down their arms]] but [[AwakeningTheSleepingGiant the militarists shouldn't have made you angry. ]] Sick of their BS, you decided to give them a humiliation they won't forget and invaded their world. Sure your ground troops aren't as versed in combat as the militarists' warriors but you still will in the end, showing the galaxy that even you can bite hard.

* Past a given point in the "Become the Crisis" path, opening the diplomatic screen changes from the given empire addressing you, to ''you'' addressing ''them'' in delightfully evil ways. You got to exterminate them before, but you rarely got to rub their faces in it so thoroughly before... especially with empire styles that have annoyed you before.
-->'''Player Empire to a Spiritualist one:''' Tell us, [Species] - when an empire dies, do they take their gods with them? Shall we find out together?
-->'''Player to Militarist:''' Your saber-rattling is but the pointless posturing of an empire doomed to fall. Raise your weapons one last time, [Species], and give your lives for our new beginning.
-->'''Player to Hive Mind:''' A single being, in myriad bodies. We wonder, [Species], what will the suffering of your millions of vessels do to your mind?

* Ending a Crisis event is also considered this in-game, as whoever deals the finishing blow gets a positive opinion modifier for a some time from the rest of the galaxy.

*** This is even more satisfying if you were being attacked by a Democratic Crusader; not only have you managed to shut these pea-brained, wide-eyed neoconservatives up but you'd ended their naive dream of a democratic galaxy, showing them that a government by the ruler, for the people is the ultimate government. They wished to give you liberty or give you death but you gave them ''authority and order'' instead!

* War in Heaven. An event so metal it has a biblical name!

* If you're playing a "Militarist" empire when/if [[spoiler: the Extradimensional Invaders]] show up, you get a great unique dialogue choice:
--> '''[[spoiler: The Unbidden]]:''' "This galaxy... so much prey... we feast..."

** Spiritualists get to show off their ReligiousBruiser side when [[spoiler: the Prethoryn Scourge]] come calling:

* Even if someone brought forth [[spoiler: The End of the Cycle]], hope is not entirely lost. Its hull does not regenerate, and its weapons have low tracking rate, meaning a powerful Federation (especially with Guardian of the Galaxy support) can eventually destroy it through attrition. If you thought taking down a conventional Crisis Event was a feat, defeating [[spoiler: the physical avatar of the apocalypse and its satellite units]] will be a miracle. And all that remains now is finding [[spoiler: Exile]] to deliver final, righteous vengeance for all the lives lost against the violent, decadent race that nearly doomed everyone.
** Ironically, ''Apocalypse'' gives the vengeful galaxy a new tool for finishing things off in the form of the Colossus: [[spoiler: Exile]] can be dealt with by either wiping it clean with radiation, stuffing it in a shield so the inhabitants can never harm anyone ever again, or (if perhaps the former empire was a Fanatic Purifier and thus too dangerous to let live) end their existence entirely with a planet-cracking bullet point.

* If the Contingency manages to claim a fifth of the galaxy, help comes from an unlikely source: [[spoiler: the [[AbusivePrecursors Cybrex]], thought completely destroyed, return to the galactic stage, and will fight alongside you [[TheAtoner as penance for their xenophobic past]], even gifting you an entire fleet of their powerful autonomous vessels if they judge your fleet power to be insufficient. Between these ancient synthetics, your Federation, and maybe a Guardian of the Galaxy or two, you can make short work of the hostile AI. And once the deed is done, [[ButNowIMustGo they will bid the free peoples farewell]], leaving their new {{Ring World|Planet}} behind for anyone to claim as their own.]]
** The Contingency's activation is also the trigger moment for [[spoiler: the Ancient Caretakers to Awaken. About 1 in 3 times, they fall prey to the Ghost Signal and go berserk. Otherwise, they manage to successfully firewall themselves off from it and remember that ''this'' is the very thing their Custodian Project was meant to fight against, revitalizing like any other Awakened Empire and going full Guardian of the Galaxy. If you already have the Benevolent Interventionists or Watchful Regulators on the field, hope will ''swell'' among the free peoples to see another precursor rise to action.]]
*** Let's talk about when [[spoiler: the Ancient Caretakers Awaken because of the Contingency. When it does, it's government description changes from "Custodian Matrix" to "[[FinalBattle Final Defense Unit]]". Emphasis on the word ''final''; the Ancient Caretakers aren't just going to stop the Contingency this once, they're going stop them forever. If the galaxy's population succeeds then this enemy will never return and the Ancient Caretakers will have at long last fulfilled their mission.]]

* A Psionic empire that manages to communicate with the Prethoryn (and then learn their exact motivations) can invoke a little Heartwarming if they capture and tame a queen, since they [[spoiler: just saved a species of InvadingRefugees from extinction]] by taming the last hive leader in known space, adopting the creature into their own psychic community. Segues into Awesome when that queen repays her debt by fighting alongside you with her brood.

* The ''Inward Perfection'' Isolationists is one of the game's most DifficultButAwesome playstyles. With Xenophobia and Pacifist ethos, you can take the ''Inward Perfection'' civic. This prevents you from performing most kinds of diplomacy, including joining federations, and the Pacifist ethos prevents you from going to war, but it gives pretty big bonuses. If you play your cards right, you can hulker down and stay in your own little oasis of peace in a galaxy of conflict. If you're ''really'' successful, you can hold out against even the end game crisises single-handedly.
** For additional points you could take the ''Mind Over Matter'' and ''Transcendence'' ascension perks then get the [[spoiler: the Chosen One event from the Shroud]] and either choose anyone if you are not an imperial government or one that is not the ruler if you are. This will lead to [[spoiler: the A Divine Sovereign event where your empire shifts to imperial government with ''Imperial Cult'', ''Philosopher King'', and ''Aristocratic Elite'' replacing all your previous ones including locked civics such as ''Inward Perfection'' and the chosen one leader will become the new ruler if not already the ruler.]] Even more so if this happens when the galaxy is facing a crisis as you have built up heavily from the bonus of ''Inward Perfection'', sometimes putting you in the same place as an Awakened Empire if sufficient technological and industrial capability have been achieved.