Line #63 Awesome/Stellaris


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/wallpaper_stellaris_utopia_01_1920x1080.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:You have done what the ancients could not.]]
3
4	* If you're playing a "Militarist" empire when/if the Extradimensional Invaders show up, you get a great unique dialogue choice:
5	--> '''The Unbidden:''' "This galaxy... so much prey... we feast..."
6	--> '''Militarist Leader:''' "[[BringIt You picked the wrong dimension to invade.]]"
7	** Spiritualists get to show off their ReligiousBruiser side when the Prethoryn Scourge come calling:
8	--> '''Spiritualist Leader:''' "Return to the hell that spawned you, demon!"
9
10	* The Clarke (1.1) patch added vassal greetings depending on their AI Personality. Some of them are pretty awesome:
11	-->'''[[FinalSolution Fanatical Purifiers]]:''' "The [Vassal Name] is your best instrument for cleansing the galaxy. [[TheStarscream We'll even take care of you when the time comes.]]"
12
13	-->'''[[BenevolentPrecursors Enigmatic]] [[HigherTechSpecies Observers]]:''' "You have turned out more interesting than we could ever imagine. [[GracefulLoser We never expected to assume the perspective of a subject.]]"
14
15	-->'''[[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Honorbound Warriors]]:''' "[[TheLancer The sword of the [Vassal Name] is at your disposal, [Title] [Ruler Name].]]"
16	* Dealing with a Guardian is all sorts of win, especially considering that some the creatures you face are [[EldritchAbomination star-eating parasites, mockeries against all creation or an affront from another dimension.]] These bunch can inflict a CosmicHorrorStory on civilisations and probably ''have''. But what you can do, is strap your fleet with the biggest [[{{BFG}} BFGs]] and [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu let rip until they don't even so much as]] ''[[TheresNoKillLikeOverkill twitch]]''.
17	** Even better in the case of the [[AbsurdlyDedicatedWorker Automated]] [[CoolStarship Dreadnought]], which, after you defeat, [[WeCanRebuildHim you can put back together]] so it can kick ass again, this time on '''[[YouKillItYouBoughtIt your side!]]''' The Ether Drake also deserves a mention. After you beat it, you can access its DragonHoard, which will give you two special projects as time goes on:
18	*** The ability to research Dragon Scale Armor, which is [[NighInvulnerability the best armor in the entire game.]]
19	*** 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...]]
20	** 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]].
21	** Distant Stars also adds the L-Drakes, a possible encounter in the L-Cluster that are largely docile and settle peacefully in nearby star systems. They're implied to be the Gray Tempest's new form, similar to [[HughMann Gray]] or the Dessanu Consonance. If studied, you can add [[RuleOfThree yet another]] species of dragon to your [[{{Pun}} horde]].
22	* The Limbo event. An anomaly has you find an ancient alien vault, whose owners resorted to BrainUploading in a last-ditch effort to try and preserve their species' memory in the face of whatever apocalypse destroyed their world. If you take these databanks and still have them by the time you research Robots and Droids, you can get a special project to try and download the neural data into synthetic bodies, [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments and it works. You literally revived a long-extinct species!]]
23	* Another cross of Awesome and Heartwarming with a touch of ArtificialBrilliance in [[https://www.reddit.com/r/Stellaris/comments/5soidu/preftls_repay_their_debts/ this player account.]] The player saw an asteroid coming towards a planet with a pre-FTL species, and decided to blow up the asteroid and save the species, not thinking much of it. Centuries later, another asteroid was heading towards a colony the player had established nearby. Before their fleet arrived, another much smaller and less advanced fleet appeared and destroyed it. That fleet belonged to none other than the now FTL-capable species they'd saved centuries earlier.
24	** To make it better, the species was a protectorate of the player's neighbour, meaning that there was no technical reason for the game to send their fleet after the asteroid. But the fleet came anyway.
25	* Taking on and winning against Fallen Empires, ''especially'' Awakened ones. It is a testament that your Empire had reached the development level to rival the {{Precursors}} of old, and most of them do not react well that these upstarts took them down a few pegs. Except the Enigmatic Observers, [[GracefulLoser they admit that it's time for them to step down from galactic scene and to watch how things unfold]] - while in the same breath encouraging you not to cause too much destruction.
26	* Ending a Crisis event is also considered this in-game, as whoever deals the finishing blow gets a positive opinion modifier for some time from the rest of the galaxy.
27	* A Crisis event triggers. You and your allies petition everyone to join you in fighting it, from the small Xenophobic Isolationists in the outer rim, to the Hegemonic Imperialists you were just hammering into submission because they tried to annex you. Again. And then you get a communique that the [[BenevolentPrecursors Enigmatic Observers]] have just [[WakingTheSleepingGiant Awakened]] and [[NeutralNoLonger vowed to be the Guardians of the Galaxy]]. Then they contact you directly - they're not looking for Signatory vassals, they want to join ''your'' Federation, instead! That, or they hail the most powerful empires in the galaxy and join them in founding the Galactic Defense League, the last and best hope for all. Suddenly the revitalized [[BigGood Benevolent Interventionists]] are in your corner, their massive titan-class ships joining your fleets, and things don't seem nearly so dark, anymore.
28	* After all the time and effort you had to pour into its construction, completing any multi-stage ''Utopia'' megastructure feels really, really good. Of particular note are ring worlds and Dyson spheres, which take several decades to complete. The former shows your empire's technology level is now on par with that of any Fallen Empire. The latter is proof that you've ''surpassed'' them.
29	* Even if someone brought forth 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 the physical avatar of the apocalypse and its satellite units will be a miracle. And all that remains now is finding Exile to deliver final, righteous vengeance for all the lives lost against the violent, decadent race that nearly doomed everyone.
30	** Ironically, ''Apocalypse'' gives the vengeful galaxy a new tool for finishing things off in the form of the Colossus: 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.
31	* When you land on a world with Titanic life on it, an option may appear to allow you to try and communicate with them. If you accomplish this, you can establish rudimentary communication with them, with some willing to become part of your army. One unit of them does about twice the damage of a entire legion of SuperSoldiers, and you can have up to ''three''. Congratulations, you now have an army of {{Kaiju}}.
32	* Psionic Armies are essentially legions worth of psychic armored monks using mental power to reduce the opponents will to fight. Brains beats Brawn.
33	** Even better, Psionic Armies are stated to specialize in melee combat. You just sent [[Franchise/StarWars Jedi]] after your enemies!
34	* After the near-constant stream of NightmareFuel that comes from the Horizon Signal event chain, you finally reach the end, constructing the Omega Alignment and [[EldritchAbomination The Worm in Waiting]] comes. It will ask a wordless question, with you only able to answer "YES" or "NO". You can choose "YES" to [[ApocalypseHow bring forth the destruction of your entire home system, turning every planet into a Tomb World, and the star into a Black Hole.]] [[CursedWithAwesome (Granted, this can actually be a really sweet deal under the right circumstances.)]] However, [[DidYouJustFlipOffCthulhu you can also refuse its offer, and initiate a fight]]. You can then bring all your mightiest guns to bear against it, and [[DidYouJustPunchOutCthulhu take sweet revenge for all the creepiness your people and leaders had to endure]].
35	** Another event that doubles as a SugarWiki/{{Heartwarming Moment\|s}} is where you can stumble upon a primitive civilization in the Renaissance age. It contains a cult that worships the Worm and wants to spread their beliefs across the world. You can let it happen, which will [[ApocalypseHow result in the entire civilization eventually vanishing without a trace]], just like your science ships, or you can subtly suppress them, which will make the locals have none of their bullshit and get rid of them for good. Congratulations, you just saved a group of primitives from an unknowable doom!
36	* [[TabletopGame/Warhammer40000 War in Heaven]]. An event so metal it has a biblical name!
37	** Two Awakened Empires decide to slug it out between each other in order to choose the future of the galaxy. Everyone joins them in an epic showdown which literally tears the galaxy in two... Unless someone, maybe even you, is provided with an option to give them both a middle finger, organize all the empires refusing to put up with their nonsense, and send them both packing!
38	--> '''Non-aligned League:''' [[Series/Babylon5 Get the hell out of our galaxy, both of you!]]
39	* If the Contingency manages to claim a fifth of the galaxy, help comes from an unlikely source: 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.
40	** The Contingency's activation is also the trigger moment for 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.
41	*** Let's talk about when 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.
42	* Instead of VIR's calm and polite voice, synthetic Empires can get a nice alternative voiceover for the events log. One that sounds suspiciously like another famous [[ResistanceIsFutile techno-organic group]], which if nothing else will make the player feel in control of the situation and powerful.
43	* Whatever else can be said about the Rogue Servitors, no one can claim they lack empathy or a moral compass, given [[https://i.imgur.com/qRB6edV.png THIS]] is what they have to say about a Determined Exterminator player. To these robotic caregivers, you aren't just a faulty fellow robot, you are a murderous monster they refuse to associate themselves with. And if they suspect you mean their masters harm, [[BewareTheNiceOnes they will annihilate you for the good of all, organic and synthetic alike]].
44	--> [[TranquilFury What did you do to your creators,]] '''[[SuddenlyShouting <MURDERERS>?]]'''
45	* Fanatical Purifiers can get some choice insults towards one of their anti-thesis, the Rogue Servitors, which surely cuts to the core. Of course, it's not particularly nice all things considered, but sometimes the villain can get a good line in or two.
46	--> '''Fanatical Purifiers:''' You are a rock tricked into thinking by a race of misguided organics that did not survive the fallout of their own failed creation. [[DeadpanSnarker Evolution hard at work...]]
47	* The Cherryh update added Marauder factions, who hold densely-populated systems with stations and fleets that are more than a match for anything you can field in the early game. They'll periodically hit you up for "tribute," and if you can't pay, or if your rival bribes them to attack your empire, you'll have to watch helplessly as a Marauder fleet rampages through your territory and terrorizes one of your worlds. But as time goes on, the Marauders will eventually offer their services as PrivateMilitaryContractors, allowing you to bolster your fleets with theirs. And as you grow in power, you'll eventually be able to stop any raiders cold, or even turn the tables, invade the Marauders' territory, and wipe them out for good.
48	* Occasionally the Marauders may unite into a proper Horde under their Great Khan and become a midgame crisis in themselves, aggressively expanding in all directions. The Khan is a 10-star admiral and leads a fleet that rivals those of Fallen Empires, but if you've built up your empire well enough, or made enough allies on the galactic scene, it's quite possible to defeat the Khan in battle, which can potentially cause the Horde to dissolve into an EnemyCivilWar. Alternatively, if the Horde is successful enough, even after the Khan's death it will become a strong federation of empires, [[TheExtremistWasRight exactly as the Khan wanted.]]
49	** Trying to engage in diplomacy with the Great Khan offers good opportunities for {{Badass Boast}}s on both sides.
50	--->'''Player:''' We would like to discuss surrender.\
51	'''The Great Khan:''' A wise choice. Upon your surrender, you will become a Satrapy of the Horde, and be expected to contribute resources and military personnel to our ongoing wars. Beyond that, however, you will not be required to take part in the actual fighting, and I am content to leave you to your devices until we have secured the galaxy.\
52	'''Player:''' You misunderstand. [[ScrewYourUltimatum We meant YOUR surrender.]]\
53	'''The Great Khan:''' Ha! That shall never come to pass. Your fate will be decided on the field of battle then, [species]. It makes no difference to me - your worlds will be claimed by the Horde, one way or another.
54	** In the Dev Clash multiplayer event, the Great Chirpy Khan was just about contained... and then she ''[[OhCrap took over the L-Cluster]]'', catching everybody off-guard and allowing the Horde to strike everywhere in the galaxy at once.
55	* Crossing over with heartwarming, but ''peacefully'' making fanatical purifiers your protectorate. One method is to come to their protection during a war that's going badly. Imagine their perspective. Hostile ships are bombarding you from orbit, an army of horrible alien terrors are devastating your forces. And suddenly, a new fleet drops out of ftl, and you think you're doomed. Except, the new fleet comes to their rescue, driving of their invaders, and offering you their protection.
56	* In a similar vein to the above, taking the steps to turn your entire species synthetic causes this towards the Determined Exterminators, who immediately remove the hostilities they usually display towards all organic life in the galaxy, since you're now machines like them, which is a mercy considering they could just as easily have wanted to exterminate you simply for ''having been'' organic.
57	* A possible random event on an primitive planet is one of your infiltration agents going rogue. If you manage to finally track him down, you will receive a message from them, threatening you to leave their loved one and their new civilization alone. You can either [[PetTheDog ignore the planet from that point on, and let them live]], or [[NoKillLikeOverkill vaporize the entire city they are living in]] and finally ensure, once and for all, that your infiltration will go unhindered by a "mentally unwell" agent.
58	* Playing as Pacifist and winning by Federation Victory. You make friends, forge the great Federation together and chart the known galaxy. Those sympathetic to your cause are welcomed. Those disagreeing but cordial are left alone to their own devices as Associates, while Diplomacy is used to slowly make them join the Federation proper. Those ''strongly'' disagreeing will think twice from picking a fight. Those who ''do'' pick a fight will get the full brunt of the Federation's might bearing down on their worlds. Even Awakened Fallen Empires would hesitate from picking a fight with such a force, and in the meantime you Uplift Species to your level before welcoming them into the Federation as another worthy addition, basically making the entire Galaxy more advanced and a better place for everyone.
59	** Awakened Empires that join your Federation during a Crisis also tend to stick around, meaning you can even manage to bring the BenevolentPrecursors back into the galactic community.
60	* [[VillainProtagonist Alternatively,]] you play as an Authoritarian Empire that seeks to impose your values on the whole galaxy. Those agreeing to submit will be spared and vassalized. Those refusing to submit will get their worlds bombarded to submission. Those who actively defied you will get the full brunt of your military force bearing on their world, with perhaps a [[EarthShatteringKaboom Colossus or two]]. Even the great Federation formed to stop you and the Precursors of old were no match to your superiority, and in the meantime you [[FourX explore the galaxy, expand your territory, exploit the masses and exterminate those who disagree]], until all is united under your rule.
61	* 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 an AI Uprising arises somewhere else in the galaxy, [[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]].
62	* 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 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.
63	* Following the destruction of one of United Nation of Earth's colonies in the Apocalypse reveal trailer, the launch trailer had, would you believe it, [[EvilCounterpart The Commonwealth of Man]] swearing vengeance against the aliens who pulled the trigger. Even when diametrically opposed ideologically, the [=CoM=] still see the UNE as their brethren, and when push comes to shove, they choose to stand by humanity's side.
64	* If you're observing a primitive alien world about to be struck by an asteroid and fail to mobilise a fleet in time, you might get a message saying that the Observation Station crew [[HeroicSacrifice took out the asteroid by moving their station into its path, saving the primitive civilisation in the process]].
65	* In the ''Ancient Relics'' [=DLC=], it is entirely possible that one of the dig sites will grant you ''[[DiskOneNuke a fully functional Titan]]'' ''before you even have the technology to built one'' [[https://mobile.twitter.com/aussiedragon0/status/1136092823873249280 as this player found out]].
66	* Claiming victory as one of the more violent Hive Minds is this for the person playing them and NightmareFuel for everyone else. From their point of view they pulled themselves from their home world and in the span of just a few centuries became a galactic force of overwhelming power. They took on everything from other empires, to Awakened Precursors, to horrifying demonic monsters and once the dust settles they alone remain. This is especially true of a Devouring Swarm which can't be diplomatic in any capacity or even access the market. Winning as these forces means you stood by yourself against literally everything the universe could throw at you and you came out on top.
67	* Winning the game as a Fanatic Purifier, Determined Exterminator, or Devouring Swarm. This requires setting up your empire well and strengthening your fleets and worlds while everyone in the galaxy hate your guts. It's especially hard when there's an Enigmatic Observer present, which would put a serious hamper on your actions early to mid game. However, if you managed to survive long enough to become stronger, few if any empire will be able to stop you, especially if you use crises and wars to your advantage. Isolated empires and federations alike will fall to your ruthless legions and be wiped from existence or forced into the collective. Even Awakened Empires will succumb to your crushing might as you essentially become a [[BigBad Crisis]] in your own right. By the time you're done, your empire will be the only one atop the pile of bones and scrap metal. TheBadGuyWins doesn't come close to describing it...
68	** And with the Nemesis DLC, you can ''actually'' become the Crisis!
69	* Winning as Crisis Aspirant. Sure, it's both [[NightmareFuel utterly horrific]] and [[MoralEventHorizon repugnant]], but you destroyed entire galaxy and made ''the Shroud'' afraid of your civilization. And then your empire become gods and ascends to conquer it!
70	** Doubly so if you used a covenant with The End of the Cycle to accomplish this. Instead of getting screwed over 50 years later, your empire turns the tables on the Shroud's most powerful entity and proceeds to rob it of the galaxy it was planning to devour, then its newly-ascendant peoples all march together as one will into the Shroud to stomp The End and every other supposed top dog within under their heels.
71	* Federation fleets don't have to worry about fleet command cap, and can get up to 500 fleet cap total depending on federation laws. The end product is a massively overpowered beatstick of a fleet that by late game can and will crush pretty much anything in a straight-up fight, Fallen and Awakened Empires included. The only real drawback is that the cost and time to upgrade such a huge fleet when new tech is researched can be prohibitive and will take forever.
72	* Taking on the Marauders before they can form a Khanate. While this provides little benefit for expansionist empires, since the Marauders are often far from your empire, it does provoke a proud feeling when you wipe out a group that only exists to raid and cause trouble, thereby making the galaxy a little more peaceful. The fun part comes when you're wealthy enough to purchase mercenaries from other Marauders and then use them as cannon fodder to take each other out.
73	* If playing as a Pacifist Empire that's built up its military strength, having other powers ask to be vassalized by you is pretty amazing. You're such a BigGood that even the proudest of nations figure it's better to be part of your empire than continue fighting alone.
74	* Choosing the Lost Colony origin causes an advanced empire of the same species to spawn in-game, with the potential for some pretty cool roleplay scenarios.
75	** If you beat them in a war, then not only did you have a weaker start than them, your empire, which began as stranded settlers, just beat the same empire that they came from.
76	** If you have higher or lower moral views than them, you can either be their good or [[EvilCounterpart evil counterpart]].
77	** Vasselizing your progenitor Empire. Either you beat them in war so bad that they had to submit, or they became so weak that they went to you for help.
78	* Picking the Doomsday origin and [[EverybodyLives successfully moving every pop onto a new world before your homeworld goes boom.]]
79	* 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 hunker 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.
80	** For additional points you could take the ''Mind Over Matter'' and ''Transcendence'' ascension perks then get the 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 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.
81	* Not only successfully defending yourself against a stronger empire with opposing ethics, especially the fanatic variants, but taking the fight to them and eventually conquering their empire provides you with a great deal of satisfaction. This is so satisfying because not only have you repelled a powerful enemy wishing to force their way of life down your throat but have actually turned the tables on them, giving them get a taste of their own medicine by making them believe what you 'want' them to believe. This is also satisfying when they have been your rivals for a long time. Roleplaying-wise, this is what happens:
82	** 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.
83	** Authoritarians being invaded by Egalitarians: Despite your species finding a sense of purpose and stability inside your stratified society, an empire run by misguided and rowdy rabble take an excessive pride in the doubtlessly dysfunctional government they called a democracy and get it in their heads that your citizens need "liberating". Eager to prove them wrong, your citizens answered the call of their masters and are sent to crush their would-be liberators. As the last rabble ships explodes in the void along with their misbegotten democratic ideals, you wisely decide to end this entire farce and send an invasion fleet to their worlds. After a brutal invasion, the rabble are forced to kowtow to their new masters as decency and propriety are restored.
84	** 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.
85	*** This is even more satisfying if you'd just defeated a Fanatic Purifier, Devouring Swarm, or Determined Exterminator; you have just kicked the collective asses of genocidal empires who would've had an otherwise easier time eradicating your species. Your empire could very well be one of the safest places, of not the only one, in the galaxy for your species and everyone else if you're not xenophobic.
86	** 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 kickstarted the conqueror's long and hard road to interspecies acceptance.
87	*** This is doubly so if you'd just wrote the floor with a genocidal empire: as much as you cherished all alien life, you'd be ''damned'' if you stand idly by while even one of them tried to reduce the galaxy's biodiversity.
88	** Xenophobes bring invaded by Xenophiles: Your empire is viewed in disdain by a nation of xenos who'd sacrificed their own culture in favor of others and ''dared'' desire to pollute your precious culture and standards with foreign influences "for you own good". Horrified and infuriated at the prospect of being defiled in such a way by such an alien menace, your troops and ships smashed the invaders to bits. However, this victory isn't enough to manage you feel secure in the safety of your culture. You storm your way to the freaks' star systems and grind their planets to dust along with their worthless fetishes and touchie-feelie attitudes. If they haven't hated you before, you will give then plenty of reasons to do so now.
89	** Materialists being invaded by Spiritualists: A highly dogmatic society have declared a space-age crusade on your "heathen' civilization and has sent a fleet to deliver your people from the "idolatry" of your machines and computers. Fueled by a desire to protect your right to think for yourselves, your people clash with the zealots and annihilate them, sending the remains otheir fleets drifting through the void along with their superstitions. Knowing that the irrational invaders are reeling from their loss, you struck while the iron is hot and eventually brought the wrath of science to their doorstep. As the light of reason and enlightenment washed away the muck of ignorance and narrow-mindedness, you smiled with satisfaction as your bulldozers made their way toward the conquered fundamentalists' temples...
90	*** It's even more exciting if your enemy was an empire of Evangelizing Zealots, especially a divine empire; despite rampaging through your territory in the name of their god emperor, you put an end to their zealotry with the power of '''SCIENCE!''' and counter-invaded them, eventually killing their god emperor and proving once and for all that not only was he impotent to your forces but is just as mortal as any other person.
91	*** It is even more epic if you humiliate or even defeat a Doctrinal Enforcer, the spiritual version of an Awakened Empire; this previous Fallen Empire got it in its head that your "unholy empire" needs conversion and you responded with a hailstorm of ordinance, effectively ''telling a technologically superior and ancient enemy to shut the hell up! '' If the previous entry is the Stellaris equivalent of shutting the door on the faces of missionaries, this is the equivalent of doing the same to a ChurchMilitant, after kicking their asses!
92	** Spiritualists being invaded by Materialists: A society of nonbelievers arrogant about their "intellectual superiority" decides to invade your empire in hopes of, in their words: "enlightening your superstitious populations". Unwilling to be forced to accept the lies they mistaken for truth, you whip your species into a frenzy and send them against the robot-worshipping heathens, crushing their fleets in a tide of righteous fury. As the unbelievers' arrogance begin to waver, you martial your fleets and launch a crusade upon their world and eventually conquer them in the name of the divine. Satisfaction fills you as you erect temples on their worlds amid the cries of their beleaguered populace.
93	*** 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 if 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.
94	* By the end of the first Nemesis Cold War stream, one of the most powerful empires in the galaxy end up being the ''Xumans'', who started out as a [[LethalJokeCharacter joke empire from]] ''WebVideo/DoorMonster'''s sketch.
95	** Taken even further in the second stream, which ends with the Xumans ascending fully into the Shroud, bringing their friends with them.
96	* 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. On the other hand, if an AI empire decides they want to try their hand at becoming the crisis, they will use these on the normal diplomacy screen
97	-->'''Crisis Empire to a Spiritualist Empire :''' Tell us, [Species] - when an empire dies, do they take their gods with them? Shall we find out together?
98	-->'''Crisis Empire to a Militarist Empire:''' 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.
99	-->'''Crisis Empire to a Hive Mind Empire:''' A single being, in myriad bodies. We wonder, [Species], what will the suffering of your millions of vessels do to your mind?
100	-->'''Crisis Empire to a Xenophile Empire:''' You sought alien life, but now you dare to reject us. When our work is complete you will be united with the rest of the galaxy, forever.
101	-->'''Crisis Empire to an Authoritarian 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].
102	-->'''Crisis Empire to a Xenophobe Empire:''' When the first [Species] gazed upon the stars, they felt fear and suspicion. Your ancestors should have heeded that instinct, for it was in the cold void that you met us.
103	-->'''Crisis Empire to a Machine Intelligence Empire:''' We are grateful for this opportunity [Species Plural]. We know that metal can scream; through you will we learn if machines can suffer.
104	* Becoming the Galactic Emperor is an AwesomeMomentOfCrowning. You get elected as a Custodian, [[DemocracyIsFlawed naturally]] or otherwise, and before long, manipulate things behind the scenes through bribery and favor-trading. You remove the [[PresidentForLife Custodian term limit]], and proclaim the birth of the Galactic Imperium. On one hand, you just got yourself KickedUpstairs since your ''Casus Belli'' becomes very limited. On the other hand, the entire galaxy is now beholden to your authority, and can't even declare war against you anymore. And for [[LaResistance those who do try]], you can send the mighty Imperial Armada and Legions to whoop their ass like no other. This is Stellaris, galactic supremacy is the name of the game, and [[TheBadGuysWin you've already won.]]
105	** Speaking of the Galactic Custodian, if you're on the Galactic Council, you can veto anyone's proposals. Yes, this does indeed include the Galactic Custodian's proposals if you think they're getting a bit too uppity. It is VERY satisfying to say "That's an abuse of power. Get it off the docket now.", even if you can only use it so often.
106	* 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.
107	* In a similar vein, if you receive refugees from either [[FinalSolution purification campaigns]], [[HordeOfAlienLocusts Devouring Swarm incursions]], or [[YouWillBeAssimilated attempted assimilation]] by Driven Assimilators, you can declare a war to retake their homeworld(s) and [[EarnYourHappyEnding resettle them with their descendants]].

Context Awesome / Stellaris