We know that the first Risens, the first Lightbearers resurrected by the Ghosts soon after the Collapse (during the Dark Age), used their Light in a sort of a "primitive way". There were no Classes, at least that's what the Drifter says. From the Lore Books "The Warlock Aunor" - Surveillance Transcript: [quote]TYPE: Survelliance Transcript PARTIES: Two [2]. [b]One Guardian-type, Class Multi [/b][u.1]. One Guardian-type, Class Titan [u.2] ASSOCIATIONS: Drifter, the; Derelict, the; Dark Ages; possible explosives link //AUDIO STORED// //TRANSCRIPT FOLLOWS.../ [u.2:0.1] You finish your project? [u.1:0.1] Yes, ma'am. Planted 'em all this morning. [u.2:0.2] Tss. [u.1:0.2] Don't look at me like that. Why you lookin' at me like that? [u.2:0.3] There are simpler ways— [u.1:0.3] Not everything's got to be simple, darlin'. [u.2:0.4] I think you're a coward. Just look 'em in the eye when you do it. [u.1:0.4] Heh. And if it goes wrong? [u.2:0.5] Then it goes wrong! Blows up in your face. Who cares! You're immortal. Not like it's gonna kill you. [b][u.1:0.5] This is some real Titan braggadocio right here. You know, back in the Dark Ages— [u.2:0.6] "There were no classes," blah blah "dogma" blah blah. Save it for the rookies.[/b] You get tired of this City or your bomb shelter up in the Derelict, the frontier's always waitin'. [u.1:0.6] It surely is, sister. It surely is.[/quote] (source: https://www.light.gg/db/legend/lore/2425043764/surveillance-transcript/) You can also read that the Drifter is classified as "Class Multi", which suggests that he himself is probably not connected to the ordinary Classes that we know, or maybe that he is able, somehow, to use capacities that comes from more then one single Class. This is not an isolated case. The Iron Lord Fellwinter was a Warlock, still he learned how to "Shoulder Charge" (it seems, at least) which is a Titan Ability (source: https://www.destinypedia.com/Grimoire:Allies/Iron_Lords#Lord_Felwinter). So, by this, we could say: no, a Lightbearer doesn't resurrect as member of a Class by default. However... few days ago I wrote a thread about Tallulah Fairwind and while I was doing my researchs about her, I red also about Mica-10. Mica-10 was an Exo Hunter known to be a sort of "mother of Ghosts". She helped many Ghosts to find their Guardians protecting them during her travels. One of these Ghosts was the one of Andal Brask, one of the future Hunter Vanguard. In the message she had sent to Tallulah (who at that time was the current Hunter Vanguard), she wrote: [quote]From: Micah-10 To: Tallulah Fairwind Category: 5-sat bounce Priority: 3 Hello, old friend: [b]I have a knack for finding Hunters[/b]. Another of my little pack has found her partner, a Human male, and now the two of them are coming to you by watercraft over the Pacific. Keep an eye on this one, Tallu. He has taken the name Andal Brask, and I believe he will be trouble.[/quote] (source: https://www.destinypedia.com/Lore:Ghost_Stories#Protector_of_Ghosts=) By reading this it seems that Andal was resurrected as a Hunter just like that. However, we don't know this for sure. I couldn't find something about how much time she spent with him (maybe there is something more about this in the comics but I've never red them), so maybe she sensed that Andal was a possible Hunter Guardian during that time. This seems somehow contraddictory but I could be wrong [i](Archival Mind, KSeth27, feel free to correct me here if I've got something wrong!)[/i]. Anyway... except for this, I think that a Lightbearer, when is resurrected, doesn't get a Class by default, but somehow has already some kind of alignment towards it. This was much clearer for me by reading the lore of Orin, the "Ecdysis" Lore Book. [quote] 11. On the day her Ghost resurrects her, she asks him for a name and he calls her Orin. He asks her for a name and she calls him Gol. Marrow-deep instinct drives that decision; she could not declare its etymology if someone held a knife to her throat. Gol explains that there is a settlement a few days' walk to the east, that there is no road, and that the wilderness is regularly patrolled by roving aliens who will try to kill them both. As he speaks, Orin looks around. They are surrounded by a young forest vivacious with birds and clouds of gnats. It is impossible to imagine that a deadly alien might be lurking somewhere nearby. But Gol found her. Gol knows more about the world than she does. She trusts him. [b]She scavenges the leaf litter until she finds a fallen tree limb.[/b] "Will this help?" she asks him, testing its heft. He twists his wings, puzzled. "...Against the aliens," she elaborates. "Oh." Courteous, he pretends to consider it, then, "No. Probably not. They have guns." "I see," she says, though she doesn't. She breaks off the smaller branches, using her foot for leverage. [b]Soon, she has a crude mace. It is heavy, slow, and does not break when she tests it against a tree trunk.[/b] She doesn't know what the aliens look like. She does not know what guns are. She does trust Gol. But, she can't help thinking, if an alien tried to attack her while[b] she was armed with a stick like this, she would have no trouble crushing its skull.[/b][/quote] (source: https://www.light.gg/db/legend/lore/3088324086/risen/) Orin was just resurrected and already manifested some traits of a classic Titan. The mace/hammer thing, the alignment to use the physical strenght, the tendency for a hand-to-hand combat. Later, she became a Sunbreaker. I think that Classes are just ways to use the Light. The Light is focalized in a given trait in order to generate different effects. Physical strenght and endurance for Titans, stealth and accuracy for Hunters, mental power and control of energies for Warlocks. The three Classes are just macro-groups of different ways to use the Light and those ways are strictly connected to the way of think and act of the Lightbearer. The Vanguard Mentors help the new Guardians/Lightbeares to understand how to use their Light in the best way following these paths.

Warlocks, Titans, and Hunters are just the 3 traditions of wielding Light that the Vangaurd teaches. Quite frankly I feel Bungie should add new classes to the game.

Well if you go off the opening cut scene in D1, then your class is chosen by what armor you wake up in. Ghost "wake up guardian" Guardian "why are my shoulders so big?" Ghost "that's because your a titan, so you like to punch things" Guardian "Oh, okay."

They move the cursor over to name and click the "A" button.

Because even in lore hunters are easymode. Laziness is spreading like the plague. 😈

They take an online quiz.

The idea of Classes was created in the Last City to organize Guardians. Risen do not start with a Class (except in-game, because of game mechanics). After joining the Guardians of the Last City, they choose what faction to join based on their way of thinking, beliefs, interests, goals, and personality. Instantly being revived with a Class is a game mechanic, but its also slightly reasonable because the way a Guardian uses their Light reflects their mindset, though the way they use their Light is also learned from other Guardians. Really, use of the Light shouldn’t be so heavily Class-based, but game mechanics make it very rigid.

Because Bungie could not take the time or effort to get creative. They defaulted to the classic D&D classes: Knight - Titan Mage - Warlock Thief - Hunter

Supposedly each class had its own storyline but that got scrapped late in development leading up to d1. There was lots of speculation and rumors flying about who left bungie/destiny and why. There was an ama on reddit that got "debunked" way after it started.

If you're a total b1tchboi you're a hunter. If you're a badass you're a Titan. If you can fit your hand in your mouth you're a warlock.

They kinda just pick whatever sounds beat for them. If a Guardian get's really into the golden age and wants to explore rather then kill he'll probably call himself a warlock. If a Guardian prefers to be quick and silent and believes precision is better the brute force she's probably gonna call herself a Hunter And if it's big fat stupid and punches shit it's probably a Titan