Let's see...First Guardian to ever set foot within the Traveler, blazing a trail for every Guardian to follow. The greatest honor a Hunter can earn is charting a path out of the Darkness and into the Light. He also saved Zavala from a final death and stepped up bound himself to the Crown of Sorrows when no one else had the stones to do it. Even Saint was scared he'd see Osiris as a nightmare and be consumed by it. I should also mention that Crow has been doing Vanguard work since season of the Chosen, while every other hunter left the city and stopped reporting in because they were afraid they'd be asked to take the seat of hunter Vanguard. He got Caydes approval and forgiveness, is one of the 'Travelers Chosen' Guardians that can receive visions from the Traveler, and is a natural at tracking enemy movements and running tactical. He also has a degree of compassion that's absent in most hunters. He's overqualified. Hunters like Ana Bray and Micah-10 are held back by their obsessions with gods and machines and Shaw Han is dunning kreuger incarnate. Crow will be a great Hunter Vanguard and even Cayde knew it.

He already is, and Cayde's bet was whatever kills him to become Hunter Vanguard, which was Uldren, Uldren dies by us and comes back as a Guardian and took a path of redemption even having to relearn what he did to Cayde. Uldren won, Cayde died, then he came back due to Crow's final accidental wish to Riven, allowing Crow to apologize for his actions and Cayde basically handing him the mantle (also cloak). Whether we wanted it or not...we stepped into a war with th...wait no, Crow is Vanguard now, Shiro-4 never would want that title anyway.

Keep in mind, being the hunter vanguard is a sh!tty job, so having that job is basically his punishment for killing Cayde.

Name checks out.

He literally already is.

Helped us with multiple crisis check Been on the front line while vanguard leaders are in tower check Saves zavala check Finally forgiven himself check Proved cabable check Is not uldran so check (he has his body not personality) Cayde handed the torch down to him check Only one that was willing to take the job check Ummm yer he is hunter vanguard now go get your new boss a cake or something lol