History of Major

Major is an enemy rank above standard combatants and below Ultra. Major enemies are high-value, sometimes carry a unique name, and often appear as mini-bosses. Destiny Game Wiki describes them with a yellow health bar, called Mini-Boss in Destiny 2.

Destinypedia says Elite enemies took over the role Majors had in Destiny 1, and that Destiny 2's Majors are closer to mini-bosses. Elites have an orange three-segment health bar and are tougher than Minor enemies, with more powerful weapons and more dodging.

Majors appear selectively across activities, and some enemy types only appear at this tier or higher. The top tier is the Boss.