Why the Banished are Halo’s best idea in years | Halo Infinite’s Covenant Successors

The Banished are beautiful. Seeing as Halo is a series that gets new installments every few years, its wise to introduce new villains and conflicts for the heroes of the universe to fight. The Banished are Halo's best villain in a very long time and here is why Halo Infinite is strengthened by their inclusion!
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[@DonEddy75]

The Banished make me think of the evolution of Halo from an allegory for fighting religiously-charged terrorism to a perpetual war fought by mercenaries taking advantage of a war that has been waged by rigid factions fighting a cold war that had no meaning in the end,

[@armorfrogentertainment]

So, the difference in geopolitics in 2000 vs 2020.

[@stefanwalicord2512]

Bruh, nice

[@khamulthewack4732]

That was incredibly profound, I hadn't thought about that. I'm going to ponder on this more as I continue to evaluate my stance on The Banished and the state of Halo as a whole.

[@samfire3067]

Phantom thieves.

[@Hubert_Cumberdale_]

I would like your comment but it's currently on 343 likes.

[@NoName......]

Banished: A badass name, based on the backstory of Atriox Storm Covenant: It's just covenant with an extra word in front.

[@JPmax4ever]

lol

[@evanrussell2172]

And like with the Storm Rifle, the original was better.

[@BoisegangGaming]

I think if you took away the Covenant part of the name you might have a neat name. They don't have a vision, or a goal, or anything aside from plundering technology and relics. It would have been interesting if they left worlds alone if they were of no interest to them. There's good ideas in here, but not a good execution at all.

[@horrifyingapple2883]

They should have been called, the storm instead of storm covenant

[@halofan1253]

The Storm Covenant was basically the First Order.

[@darthvader4594]

One thing i like about banished is that it's unique in a sense that it is a mercenary enemy faction rather than a government or a race

[@narrowstone5363]

Its basically a corporate-nation. Its not technically a government, but it's alot more than a mere mercenary group. Best connection I could make would be corpos in cyberpunk

[@kjj26k]

@@narrowstone5363 But the main drive of The Banished's economy is raiding not mercantilism?

[@iwannamcdie1524]

Id say more pirates than mercenaries, they arent guns for hire. They gain power through raids and stealing from their enemy.

[@217adaptiveperspective]

Atriox is Venom Snake, complete with a robot hand.

[@icantthinkofagoodusername4464]

Problem with that is it makes them becoming a threat to the entirety of humanity a bit unbelievable. They're comparatively small, gain most of their firepower by raiding others to steal theirs, and their leader is smart enough to not be bothered with picking fights for the sake of it. The most intimidating thing they did until now was taking over the Ark, a remote place with a few research outposts that could easily be taken without alerting the rest of the UNSC if they interrupted communications. What would they gain in attacking humanity? How the hell did they pull off wiping out all nearby UNSC forces including the Infinity? It feels like an ass pull unless it's explained properly.

[@Spud1189]

I was honestly confused by Atriox’s seemingly honorable nature in the comics and his cold hearted and arrogant attitude in the game but now it makes sense. He’s an angry spirit who is becoming what he hates. While the Atriox in the early years of the Banished probably wouldn’t have even considered using engineers as slaves or wiping out all the humans on the Ark the fall of the Covenant has left him a power vacuum he can strive to fill and now that power is corrupting him.

[@shadowofhawk55]

I would argue slightly differently. As an example I will use Daar from the Deathworlders. Daar is the self proclaimed worst sapient being in existence. He personally ordered the genocide of hundreds of billions and nearly brought his own species to near extinction. That said, he had every reason to. The war he is fighting required those decisions or not only will his species be exterminated, but all races like his throughout the galaxy's future would suffer the same. What does this have to do with Atriox? Easy. He is a being who has been pushed into the role of a dictator in order to keep his people alive. He has to do monsterous things to make sure they can survive. He is Stalin, Caesar, Leopold II wrapped in the body of a zenith of his violent and murderous race. Why would anyone expect a good man from that?

[@lenkagamine4145]

@@shadowofhawk55 because he absolutely *didnt* need to attack the humans on the Ark to accomplish that. He probably could have got along with them if the thought had even crossed his mind, they really didnt have any need to fight.

[@shadowofhawk55]

@@lenkagamine4145 It's been a while since I played Halo Wars 2, but wasn't he trying to keep his movements secret from the UNSC?

[@atlas4733]

I see a fellow reader of The Deathworlders. I think the parallels between Daar and Atriox are very strong; both of them are leaders of a huge faction seeking the revenge and destruction of their oppressors, both men where changed by their role. The only real difference is that Daar had the position forced on him, and he actively recognizes the changes he had to do to himself to do his duty, going as far as saying that "Daar" died when he received the role, and how he can never go back from being "the great father".

[@shadowofhawk55]

@@atlas4733 Yes. Side note, what are your thoughts on him becoming effectively a deity in power? It may be cause this new power is what let him kill the best character in the series, but it kinda rubbed me the wrong way.

[@warrioroflight6872]

One thing I like about the Banished is how the Elites and Brutes can actually work together rather than being too hateful of each other to fight on the same battlefield.

[@fumarc4501]

I like to think the Prophets encouraged infighting as a means of control. Grunts vs jackals, elites vs brutes, etc…

[@ShawndaPrawn]

As I understand, a big selling point for the Banished is that despite being a mostly Jiralhanae faction, they had nothing to do with the Great Schism. Hell, Atriox even scoffed at the feud between the Jiralhanae and Sangheili and often encouraged his followers to leave it behind. Of course, since much of the Banished’s leadership are Covenant veterans, old habits can die hard.

[@TheKsalad]

"Mdama was a chump" is all you really needed to say

[@KeltonTitan]

Hell! He died in the first mission of Halo 5 😆

[@the_corvid97]

Mdama had so much potential that they botched completely.

[@JoshEastham]

I'm the books I've read he was very smart and interesting to follow

[@retroicdescent]

@@JoshEastham I really hope they don't put Naomi or the rest of Kilo-5 in Infinite. She or all of them would probably be killed off as lamely as 'Mdama. "But hey look Halo book fans, it's a cameo! Oh btw they're dead now, you're welcome."

[@Stryfe52]

RetroicDescent WHO IS THAT GUY AS YOUR AVATAR

[@donaldsterling1631]

I find it very compelling that the banished wear their "Banishing" as a mark of pride and freedom from the covenant in an almost identical way to how the arbiter and the sangheili used the mark of shame as their symbol in the same way.

[@weik-2936]

Hence why we need a Halo game with Arbiter as the protagonist, especially if the Banished will be taking greater prominence in the years to come

[@WhyTho525]

@@weik-2936 Imagine a Banished invasion on Sangheilios

[@flametitan100]

@@weik-2936 I've said before that Infinite's campaign would be immediately more interesting if the Arbiter took the place of the Chief, and as a newer fan to the franchise I hope 343 makes good on the potential there is of an Arbiter/Banished conflict

[@granmastersword]

the funny thing is that the Arbiter didn't exactly become a symbol for the Sangheli but rather reclaimed and restored its status as such. The Arbiters were once recognized as the greatest warriors and leaders of the Sangheli, their best of the best to do what's right for their specie. It's only after an Arbiter betrayed the Covenant once, illustrated in one of the shorts from Halo Legends, that it became a mark of shame

[@wafflingmean4477]

Something I love about the Banished is that while functionally they are taking similar actions to the Covenant, they have completely different and unique aims. The Banished want control of the Halo Array. Now we've all seen end of the world storylines over and over, and the Covenant was a very well written use of that trope. But it would just be generic and uninteresting for the Banished to be after the exact same thing. They want something arguably more terrifying than all of humanity being wiped out in an instant. Atriox is a conqueror. He wants the Halos so he can scale down their range and therefore force the galaxy into submission, since his army is not big enough to hold it by conventional means. To be honest, I find the idea of humans being subjected to the rule of the Brutes to be more terrifying than all of us dying with the flick of a switch.

[@WhyTho525]

1 year later but whatever Considering Escharum and the fact that he was Atriox's mentor, what you said might make sense. Escharum was born before the Covenant have found and indoctrinated the Jiralhanae race and likely witnessed the Jiralhanae nuking themselves back to their Stone Age during the First Immolation. While training Atriox, it is possible that Escharum told some of stories of these old glorious days and inspired Atriox to have thoughts independent from the Covenant's false beliefs in the Great Journey and godhood, and eventually began to despise the San'Shyuum and the Covenant Religion. Eventually this motivated Atriox to rebel against the Covenant, and soon other Jiralhanae, even Escharum joined his rebellion. My theory is that Atriox's main goal is to create a powerful Galactic Jiralhanae Empire, restoring the glory his race once had and elevating it to newer status. Using the Halo Array to force the galaxy into submission under the Jiralhanae's heel is a good strategy to accomplish this in the most efficient way possible as a prolonged war against Humanity and their allies would make things worse for the Banished.

[@crosshair9907]

"The future belongs to Atriox" - Atriox's chosen

[@MopMcBingus]

"the banished are beautiful." yes craig is beautiful indeed.

[@clifisboring]

We love Craig, and we love that Craig is canon

[@i24kpandamonium26]

Craig was not the intention as 343i had stated, but they will fix that issue, I do hope there is an Easter egg about craig

[@clifisboring]

@@i24kpandamonium26 he’s canon now

[@craigthebrute8658]

Hell yeah

[@lemonke1709]

He cute wait wut

[@KingOfFoolz]

I miss this era. Before Infinite came out there was so much hype and positivity. It was the best time to be a Halo fan in recent memory. I hope we can reach this point again someday

[@nathanpierce6819]

the bigger and stronger your villains are, the inevitably more powerfull your hero will be i love this because for all the big scary things the banished is, we all have a single thing that echoes in our minds and give us hope "They haven't fought the chief yet."

[@elijahnajera5425]

What I like about the Banished is that it has character in everything. The troops, vehicles, and structures all have the rugged, sharp, and industrial look to them showing that it is a brute dominated faction. It shows that they're survivors that are not afraid to take whatever is in front of them to further thier own goals. They do not fight for religious fervor, they fight for themselves, and for Atriox. "The future belongs to Atriox."- Atriox's chosen.

[@tannerbarnes7392]

"They do not fight for religious fervor. They fight for themselves and Atriox." That's a very Griffith-esque vibe. So thanks, I hate it

[@cooperchance7720]

Shame in the Halo Infinite trailer they literally just look like The Covenant 2.0

[@PANCAKEMINEZZ]

Except they don't fit the Brute aesthetic at all. Halo 3 nailed the brutes primitive yet futuristic design to perfection. All the art team did in Halo wars 2 was just slap a coat of steel paint on covenant vehicles and added spikes and plates. How about new brute vehicles that look like they've been field forged. The only one that looks halfway decent is the Banished scarab, and I'm partially only saying that because they finally got rid of that ugly Halo 3 scarab.

[@aqgarts3024]

Screw just the Banished. HW2 was the best game 343 has ever made. It was unique and well characterized. This is what we need in Infinite.

[@MasterHall117]

I mean, they took UNSC equipment and made it their own...

[@randomizerteleviewage307]

The Banished have actaully grown on me to the point to where they've become my favorite faction throughout all of Halo. Due to their unique take on the different Covenant species with leaders like Colony and YapYap, not to mention the fact that it's been said they accept humans into their ranks as well. Which for me sounds like an awesome opportunity maybe add some stories featuring disgruntled Spartans that don MJOLNIR suits with that Banished flair to them. That'd look sick. I know that's just wishful thinking, but it'd still be cool to see nonetheless.

[@thehonorguard8986]

Pretty sure they have nothing against humans as a whole and as long as one can be seen as useful maybe like a Rouge Spartan Edit just saw what you said about them accepting useful people

[@bombomos]

That works of be an amazing DLC for Infinte. Chief has to hunt down turned Spartans. Fucking awesome

[@nunsluna8107]

We have had spartan 4 turncoats to the insurrectionist faction shown in the book new blood so it’s not completely impossible

[@VainerCactus0]

I highly doubt the Banished would have the infrastructure to maintain MJOLNIR armour. Maybe a simplified form of the armour that is closer to the armour the Banished soldiers wear.

[@JohnPeacekeeper]

Banished Spartans would be both terrifying but also so badass to fight

[@didle6]

2:40 feels like the exact same issue I have with the First Order in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Feels like they just wanted to have the empire back

[@jeremiahwise2076]

I also felt like Bungie knowingly wrote themselves into a corner and jumped ship to Destiny because of it. The danger of talking about "the great ancient people that ruled everything" is that eventually they will have to show us who they are, and it will ALWAYS be disappointing. 343 did the most honorable thing they could, they went forward with the story. They gave us the forrunners, and they made the bold decision to turn humanity's greatest ally (Cortana) into it's destroyer. These aren't the consequences of poor decisions from 343, they're the consequences of the plot threads that Bungie left them. Cortana reading the secret terminal where she talks about the universe ending "not with a bang, but a wimper" becomes so much more vvaluable when looking back and realizing that if the universe ends it will be her doing. Having said all that, The Banished are dope!

[@Maxxisblitz]

I think bringing back Halo Wars as a way to experiment was such a great idea. Low stakes, but it paid off for 343. Now we've got something great to fight.

[@NoName......]

I would LOVE a Halo Wars 3.

[@Maxxisblitz]

@@NoName...... You're definitely not alone. I'd be pretty surprised if we didn't, especially if the Spirit of Fire doesn't make an appearance for Infinite.

[@tommycriton9758]

I just wish I could've played halo wars 2 but couldn't because I'm am offline player so I'm hoping the series x allows me to play games and make a profile offline like the Xbox 360 days not force me into a update and make profile online or password all that shit gives me nightmares in how I missed awesome games from the one

[@ZergS4uc3]

its hilarious that all the games people liked from 343 havent been mainline games, 2 top down twin stick shooters, an rts and an arcade shooter had better reception then halo4 or 5 could ever wish to have and thats with all the gripes people have about those, personally all my issues lie with how they made cutter and anders not look like their halo wars 1 look, also the inclusion of a microtransaction game mode pissed me off to where i still havent touched my copy regardless of all the things i know it did right. the other game i have a gripe with deals less with the game and more so the ability to play it, fireteam raven is either spend 16k to buy a machine(full experience requires two of them) or never play it for most of us, even before covid arcades and pizzacades have been a dying thing, the one place that would have got it in a 100mile radius closed down over a decade ago

[@dibshadibs]

@@Maxxisblitz the game isnt out yet and professor anders gets teleported to instillation 04c which has her encounter a guardian as well as 04c pulsing blue. I wouldn't count cutter and the boys out of the story just yet as they may have a surprise part to play.

[@wetbread4790]

“That whole area is honeycombed with explosive power, If we can start the salvage drills use we can use them to cause a chain reaction and burn the parasite away” - pavium. These brutes are smart and fast thinking and are focused on solutions. That is what makes them dangerousn

[@ferretforrent1144]

Which makes their name ironic

[@h4xe7reac75]

Banished Brute: 5×4^7+5/557÷986= Covie Brute : Brute Smash! Brute Kill?

[@wetbread4790]

Kaboom? Yes Voridus, Kaboom

[@h4xe7reac75]

@@wetbread4790 Kaboom

[@MachineMan-mj4gj]

They have protagonist powers.

[@TeenageMutantZuckerTurtle]

I honestly love the banished aesthetic. It’s like they took the brute vehicle aesthetic from Halo 3 and ran with it, applying it to everything. I think it’s also cool that there’s “normal” looking Covenant in Infinite, known as conscripts. They’re supposed to look like the Covenant we fought in the original trilogy, not just for nostalgia, but to show the power of the banished. Those enemies that were so imposing and threatening to us back then, are now conscripts, enslaved and forced to fight for a new enemy. The idea that the Banished are powerful enough to basically enslave what’s left of the once-mighty old Covenant and force them to fight for them, makes them that much more badass. The difference between Banished and Conscripts will hopefully be more than just looks, I think it would be cool if the Conscripts were treated as disposable foot soldiers (the role of the lowly grunt), getting thrown at you haphazardly, while the true Banished enemies, like the red Brutes we see in the trailer, are treated as the higher-tier of the enemies, with more shield strength and better weapons, deployed more strategically in the right locations at the right time to serve as a more challenging obstacle. The way that it’s mostly Conscripts in the reveal, and the true Banished literally drop in in flaming pods and charge you like berserkers, it looks like there will be at least some difference, at least in how they’re deployed.

[@shingen012]

An issue with Jul M'damas Covenant is that they gave up writing them especially when you take their book origins into account. Initially known as "The Storm" these Covenant were propped up and funded by ONI to cause chaos in Covenant space and fuel infighting against the Arbiter simply to keep either end from becoming too powerful. But then their ONI selected leader was killed and replaced by Jul who took them from a few disorganized rebels to having a number of fleets by inspiring Covenant factions that still had issues of faith. He WAS supposed to be capable and going somewhere. But when the new writer for Halo 5 decided to drop the Didact in favor of Cortana for a new villain, M'Dama was given the boot as well, without even the slightest alnowledgement that ONI were the ones that made his Covenant possible. The Banished are interesting and show a lot of potential. I just hope that they don't also get sidelined by a writer coming in a new installment believing they have a better idea and shoddily writing them out of the story.

[@CMTechnica]

I liked 5, but I'll never not hate the writer for it. The idjit threw out years worth of storytelling in a matter of seconds

[@granmastersword]

the funny thing is that new writer for Halo 5 wasn't all that new. He was in charge to writing some ancillary media, most prominently Halo Escalation. And it's from that comic series that many of the interesting plotlines left by Spartan Ops were disappointingly rushed to finish

[@Chewberto]

Honestly, this is the big problem with modern Halo games: the writers are seemingly incapable of working together. It's to the point that it feels like each game's plot was written in a vacuum. Halo 4 killed off Cortana, leaving Chief alone to ponder his own humanity, which was certainly not what Bungie had intended for him (they explicitly stated that he was meant to be a blank slate) it was still a worthwhile direction. It introduced the Storm Covenant (though it failed to adequately distinguish them from the OG Covenant, making it seem like their designs were a retcon of the original art style) and set up Jul M'Dama as the next big bad guy who kidnapped Halsey and would be leading a war against the UNSC. This was all controversial, but it definitely had the intrigue and stakes needed to make it work so long as the next games' plots were carefully written to build off of Halo 4's. In the meantime, Halo 5's writer came along with the idea of the Chief reuniting with Blue Team and going rogue, causing the UNSC to send another team of Spartans after them, ultimately concluding with Cortana becoming evil and leading an AI uprising. Unfortunately for him, Halo 4 and all of Spartan Ops' plotlines happened, so he was required to integrate that game's story into his own ideas, which was a task he approached like a kid moving through a check list of chores. "Halsey has defected to this new insurgent group of Covenant led by a charismatic leader? But I don't care about that! I'll just have my OC Spartan group rescue Halsey and kill the bad guy in a cutscene in the first mission. People will prefer Cortana as the villain to whoever this juul guy is- Wait what? She died at the end of Halo 4?? That's stupid! She's alive now due to Forerunner BS." So Halo 4 is effectively retconned and so much of its good ideas are discarded for no real reason. But whatever. Halo 5 has, at least, introduced a new group of protagonists who will unite with Blue Team to take on this big AI civil war. We can work with this. Halo 5 is utterly despised, to the point that the guy who directed the game quit his job from the sheer sadness of seeing his work being trashed by the community. Suffice to say that only a small fraction of the community really wanted to actually see the conclusion to Halo 5's events. Most people just wanted the Halo that we all know and love to come back Then Halo Infinite is started, and everything that can go wrong does go wrong. Instead of one writer who doesn't care for the previous plotline leading the game, we get multiple shuffling through over the course of six years who each have their own, completely different, idea than the one that was being worked on before they arrived. Finally, Microsoft sees that Halo Infinite is going through complete and utter pandemonium, so they tighten the leash and get someone to stitch everything together so they can get a somewhat functioning product. By the time Halo Infinite comes out, the entire thing is held up exclusively by duct tape, Elmer's glue, and prayers, and the story is no exception. "Forget the AI uprising, that was stupid anyway, let's just kill Cortana offscreen before the first level to wrap everything up. I like these Banished guys from Halo Wars 2, but I'm not a big fan of that Atriox guy. We'll just say that he and Cortana killed each other before the start of the game. Oh, and forget the Prometheans, they're dumb. I have a ancient alien species that we can set up as the big bad guys of the next game. N-no! They're not the Forerunners, I swear!" This is the cycle that the 343 Halo games have been following. An idea is introduced, it gets some backlash for being new, the studio panics and hires a new writer to backtrack and make something different, the new idea is even clumsier than the last one, and the cycle repeats. They don't seem to understand how to iterate off of what came before to make something better.

[@Jedi_Spartan_38]

Why did Jul 'Mdama have a respawn point on his helmet?

[@quinn8599]

YO WTF I JUST NOTICED THAT

[@DerCharacter]

That’s his secret. He isn’t actually dead forever, he is just waiting a few years for his respawn counter to go down.

[@CaptainBlack47]

@@DerCharacter The amount of Tk's he must have done to earn that timer... He *is* the real final enemy

[@scareditymays6yearsago477]

I just noticed that wth

[@DARamosYT]

I'm sure this is poking fun. But I can see it being a sort of symbolism of the Covenant coming back by his leadership. Kinda presumptuous of him.

[@maraudershields283]

Jul’s end stung more for those who were fans of the extended universe. His origins begin in the novel Glasslands, and continue in The Thursday War. Then 343 lifted him into the games, only to drop him 10 seconds in to Guardians. If 343 were so set on killing them off, they could have at least saved it for later in the game. Imagine him getting captured by Osiris, his interrogation aboard the Infinity, and the UNSC using him as a bargaining chip to get their boots on Sanghelios. Maybe he escapes the Arbiter’s elites and winds up as a mini boss in the Sunaion mission? He end would coincide with the end of that Covenant splinter faction. Far more satisfying.

[@ThaLoser]

Or if you HAVE to end him in a cutscene have him get schooled by the Arbiter for a satisfying end to a fool clinging to the past, killed by the harbinger of better times. This could've served as Arbiter's intro to the story rather than retcon the Halo 2 Anniversary one for no reason

[@dupymercier6244]

Chalk it up as 343 yet mishandling beloved characters up until seemingly Halo Wars 2.

[@maraudershields283]

Andrew Holmes if he doesn’t have to die, i think he could have gone on an great redemption arc.

[@gamma2589]

@@ThaLoser ..Halo 2 was retconned??

[@ThaLoser]

@@gamma2589 H2A had an extra scene at the start and end showing Locke meeting the Arbiter and telling him he's hunting chief

[@diegodevars4618]

I think "The fall of the covenant" (3:05) isnt meant to say that you are destroying the covenant, instead, witnessing the aftermath of the fall. You are watching it all finally cumble, you see them at their lowest, not while they are going down (Truth) but on the ground, this is how bad they fell. How bad the covenant fell

[@eternity7040]

For me personally, the reason that the OG Covenant (and Flood) were great villians is that they felt like they were genuine threats. All 5 of Bungie's Halo games framed mankind as fighting a desperate battle for survival that they were losing badly. We were constantly shown in-game how much Covenant ships and technology outclassed that of humanity, and by the time we got to Halo 3 Bungie's version of the lore had Earth's total population reduced from 10 billion down to just 200 million - i.e. basically the entire planet had been glassed/utterly destroyed and the vast majority our of our population wiped out. It's one of the reasons that Halo 3's ending is so bittersweet - a victory at enormous cost. Reach and ODST give a very similar vibe - fighting desperately against heavily stacked odds. But when 343 took over they recast humankind as being in a new golden age (just 4 years after the events of Halo 3) with the most powerful tech and military in the universe. They retconned that 200 million people on Earth surviving to fit this new take (implying that Bungie's 9.8 billion dead people were instead evacuated from Earth and returned shortly thereafter - however this is obscene as the battle of Earth didn't go for anywhere near long enough for that to be even remotely feasible). The Covenant Remnant are never for a single moment given a serious moment where they feel like a genuine threat. They were just scavengers, dust and echoes of something greater. We don't even know that they HAD a leader, let alone hear any dialogue from him, in Halo 4's campaign. If you're anything like me (and I suspect a great deal of others) and didn't care enough about 343's new vision of the universe to bother with Spartan Ops, Jul M'Dama's assassination scene in Halo 5 was literally the first time you would have seen or heard of him. And since he is taken out as the first thing that happens in Halo 5, it leaves the 'Remnant of the Remnant' that you fight for the rest of that game feeling even more completely pointless. I guess the Promethians were supposed to truly take on the role of 'big new galactic threat' in Halo 4 - but when push comes to shove all they manage to achieve is destroying a space station and one city that nobody even seemed to care about (the event was so unnoteworthy that the Earth Government supposedly covered it up as a 'local pandemic'). It's not good enough to TELL us how (theoretically) powerful a villain is - good storytelling requires it to be SHOWN. This is one of the reasons that Atriox smashing that Spartan helmet is such a powerful visual - that scene, without needing to involve a giant fleet burning cities, makes Atriox feel like a genuine threat. I too am very excited for the Banished - I hope that 343 finds a way to make them a serious threat to mankind, and not just by relying on a Deus Ex Machina (they could fire a ring and wipe us all out!)

[@ForgeGames_]

I'm so early that the covenant haven't even attacked reach yet.

[@monke1982]

same bro it’s sad that I have to wait 532 years

[@poonyapthegrunt3423]

It's just insurrectionists

[@seandenby2304]

@@poonyapthegrunt3423 Rebels don't leave plasma burns...

[@liquidgarfield8523]

But the invasion of reach happened pretty late in the war. Perhaps saying harvest would be more apt

[@MasterHall117]

Jake Mcdonald Considering I’m late, I don’t see harvest as an option anymore

[@JaelaOrdo]

The banished make me cry tears of joy. Storm covenant make me go “Oh yeah, those guys were a thing.”

[@alexbrown7708]

I just want a mission where you rescue engineers. The interactions with Virgil was a highlight in Odst for me and given how the banished treat the engineers it would fit.

[@elijahriegert9531]

I can’t wait to fight elites and brutes at the same time. I also love how their main color is red and gray!

[@eproductions8792]

I forgot about the created uprising 😂😂😂

[@TheJRDProductions]

*skynet

[@trooperodst6880]

343 massive bs

[@johnfuller1303]

Bro you got 117 likes! ha get it??? 117!? Never mind...

[@eproductions8792]

@@johnfuller1303 lol

[@MoosterChief]

FALL OF THE STORM would make more sense

[@kjj26k]

Or THE BREAKING OF THE STORM

[@MoosterChief]

The MetaGamer yeah that sounds great too I wish after halo infinite they try and re do everything in halo five but still have a plot with the same outcome of the of infinite

[@space_racc]

I'd like one like "Cleanup job" since its mopping up the covenants last remnants

[@Luke_SkyWalker2187]

See I thought “stamping the rebellion”

[@space_racc]

@@Luke_SkyWalker2187 Thats a good one too

[@lukasoccer]

I like how this game will retroactively make Halo 5's story greater. It elevates it while simultaneously going a different direction. It's what should have been done with Rise of Skywalker after The Last Jedi.

[@chickensox8318]

Another issue with the "new" covenant was the lack of an aesthetic change. They just looked like the covenant

[@Primaltreeman]

I like how they used the Banished, because then it means Halo Wars 2 actually mattered to 343

[@Peanut83176]

It really makes me happy, beacuse I LOVE the Banished and HW2

[@celestialspartan1176]

The Banished are basically the wild card in the Halo universe now. Yes, we don’t know why they’ve taken Zeta Halo, but that’s the beauty of it. It’s that sense of mystery that’s bringing long time Halo fans back to the franchise. The Banished, as of Halo Wars 2, are officially my favorite faction in the Halo franchise, and with Halo Infinite now releasing next year, it makes me even more hyped to see them in action. Also, am I the only one who got goosebumps when Escharum mentioned Atriox at the end of the gameplay reveal?

[@aloser8703]

Halo 1-3 I loved. I remember playing through on legendary with a friend. Slowly we figured out how to get through the hardest parts. I went to college and kind of missed 4. Then 5 I saw a youtuber I liked was playing it, decided to watch his playthrough. I hated how 5 looked, the story, everything. It wasn't halo in any way to me. Glad they are kind of getting back to basics without simply rehashing.

[@PurpleIsALetter]

"Confusing and underwhelming" what a perfect way to sum up Halo 4 and 5

[@s-1348]

Hope they act like the banished, insted of a "red covie".

[@orlando9666]

Welcome! Keep right. ->

[@BR-bn1mz]

I honestly don’t like how blue some of the brutes and elites are, but still, il wait to judge

[@ryanad2000]

@@BR-bn1mz I think this is smart. While people are a fan of the new banished, it's only a matter of time before people start crying for the classic covenant art style. I don't think anyone will miss the old brute art style, but I think they will miss the blue elites, orange grunts as well as covenant aesthetics quickly if they did just completely ditch it.

[@collincaperton6718]

@@ryanad2000 I think it should be a mix of old covenant armor and banished armor and one way they could explain why some aliens look covenant while the others look banished is maybe they haven't earned the armor of the banished yet (aka lower rank)

[@rigby_rich3650]

B R I think some of them are blue because they mentioned another faction working with the banished

[@thegamingcazador8295]

I seriously love the Banished. They feel so refreshing, especially to me, as I was very opposed to the Prometheans (just didn't feel like they did the forerunners justice) and very opposed to the Storm Covenant (just felt like they were thrown in as a generic covenant filler). The design of the Banished is soooo nice, it's not just another covenant, it's new! And we don't even know what the Harbinger is yet.

[@xxminecrafthype443]

Harbinger most likely means forerunner, I mean in a literal sense that is what it means.

[@thesocialistsarecoming8565]

@@xxminecrafthype443 or the precursors.

[@xxminecrafthype443]

@@thesocialistsarecoming8565 Well, coming back after having read the leaks, I don’t want to spoil a single thing.

[@thesocialistsarecoming8565]

@@xxminecrafthype443 fair, but is it good? Just yes or no, no spoilers lol

[@xxminecrafthype443]

@@thesocialistsarecoming8565 I definitely thought it was promising for the most part, although there are a few questionable things; I’d say that deals more with the world rather than the story writing. So, I think it’s good. :)

[@rexxsaur]

I wanna see the banished scarab in game! That freakin thing has an Op armor design.

[@rytlocknroll]

You wanna know what else would be an amazing idea? *Playable Elites in Infinite.*

[@InceyWincey]

Playable Brutes?

[@why8298]

@@InceyWincey playable grunts?

[@calcuimconsumer6980]

@@why8298 playable Moa’s?

[@helagrow]

@@calcuimconsumer6980 Playable Players?

[@josiahteller7556]

P l a y a b l e J a c k a l S n i p e r s ?

[@seawind930]

I like the fact that the Banished have become a real enemy. The UNSC as we've seen them in the newer games have just brushed aside enemies. Insurrectionists, ignored, Covenent remnants smashed apart, Reborn Forerunner douchebags stomped. It seems giving humanity a few new gadgets and some extra Spartans have made them unstoppable. Which wasn't the case in the first games and now were back to a faction that brings humanity down to size and says you can't handle the vast unknown of the galaxy.

[@wolfiecascade9589]

"Cleaning up the leftovers" would've fit much better as the title card

[@Enpex]

Literally bought the campaign after watching this video. I really loved your ability to story tell, changing pitch to captivate your audience. As someone who felt the same kind of discontent with the more recent Halo stories, this was a breath of fresh air that gave me hope for this next installment! Thank you for the wonderful video!

[@IBrowneeI]

All those things you said about Atriox being at risk of is exactly what makes him an interesting villain. A guy you know any minute could decide to put himself at risk and go all in just because he's pissed off, yet doesn't because he knows full well that could be his downfall. Sure as hell a trait that you just don't see from the Brutes. Everything encapsulating the Banished is exactly what 343 need to keep in mind. They're the perfect faction they can just keep re-using, not as a main threat all the time. In the main series, they can always be a lingering threat kept in their back pocket. As Infinite progresses in ways anyone can really guess with Chief and/or Humanity starting to come out ontop, Atriox can and should cut his losses and pull out. They will be absolute FOOLS to kill him off. He hasn't had quite the legacy to be a viable comparison, but his current position in the series is reminding me of Wesker in the Resident Evil series, which is really worrying. Capcom made the mistake of finally bringing Wesker front and center for everything he'd been planning through all the games to come full circle in RE5, and then having him die at the end of it in a way that kinda also went against his character last minute just because they wanted to give this false satisfaction of 'finally killing him'. His involvement wasn't bad, killing him off was. 343 can absolutely screw everything if Atriox is killed off in the Banished's first outing in the main Halo games. Sure they could just have another leader replace him, but who the hell wants that. If he ever has to go down, which he doesn't, but if he eventually does, it should be in the series that brought him life. It should be in a future Halo Wars game, with his last stand against a large UNSC force that was forced to focus an entire armies worth of attention on him, culminating in Jerome, Alice and Douglas getting their personal rematch.

[@crimpycook3273]

Damn they killed atriox off

[@WhyTho525]

@@crimpycook3273 *SPOILERS* He's still alive

[@NASTAR01]

Personally, I interpreted 'Fall of the Covenant' as simply ending any and all that remained of the Covenant, our once greatest threat. It didn't come across as anything else. With regards to the Banished, they're great 'cause they feel different in the same way that the (short lived) Heretics in Halo 2 did. They're both composed of familiar enemies, but they're not Covenant. The Storm was kind of an attempt to keep the Covenant of old alive, but the Banished are certainly not them and have their own goals and motivations to look forward to unraveling. The Banished also exudes presence and feels like a true threat to be feared as the Covenant were at their height.

[@robertrovias2607]

The elite designs in halo 4 were so similar that I couldn't tell the ranks apart

[@SypherSam]

Is it just me who thought that spartan Locke killed Jul 'Mdama way to quickely, it should of been a harder fight for Locke but they made Locke way to OP in Halo 5 it was kinda cringe.

[@eternalfox1714]

Agreed locke is nothing but a glorified odst I mean there is a power gap between the spartan 2's and 3's and a even larger power gap between the 2's and 4's the only non spartan 2 that would have a fighting chance against a spartan 2 would be noble 6 a spartan 3 as he is a hyper-lethal just like master chief

[@armouredco6935]

When I was younger I always remember drawing the enemy characters and ODST's. All up until halo 4... witch I spent about a year to beat its campaign. Simply because it didn't feel like halo at all. Then halo wars 2. And halo 6. I suddenly got motivation to draw again. And see how halo might come back to its former glory brings back memories I thought I lost or would never get the same feeling again. I'm looking forward to the new games. Even tho the grappling hook is a thing. I still see it as a very human like upgrade. I probably just won't use it like if was to be playing DOOM. But its still cool

[@BaronLickilicky]

I'd never really thought about how the Banished retroactively make the Reclaimer Saga better, but you're right. As you've pointed out, the story of Halo 4 - and especially Halo 5 - now makes a lot more sense, as this is what enabled the Banished to apparently rise to power. I really appreciated your take on this - it makes me more excited for Halo Infinite!

[@bird1687]

I had an idea where Cortana's AI uprising sort of "shattered" the UNSC. After all, UNSC had been dealing with insurrectionist issues for a while now. I can definitely see many insurrectionists join the Created for the promised resources that would be provided by Cortana. This in combination with many UNSC AIs joining the Created, could have weakened the UNSC to the point where the Banished could take on the UNSC and win.

[@the_corvid97]

The Created have been attacking Covenant species as well so I'm trying to figure out why the Created haven't gone after the Banished yet.

[@Dr.Oofers]

the_ corvid I think it’s because the Created is after those who threaten the ‘galactic peace’ and all that. Either the banished have gone under the radar, or they aren’t actively attacking planet to be considered a ‘threat.’

[@the_corvid97]

@@Dr.Oofers That sort of makes sense, my only issue is that the Created's Guardians have been going from world to world forcing peace on everyone.

[@spawnofmutran5198]

I think most Insurrectionists would probably find Cortana's authoritative claims too similar to how they view the UNSC.

[@thegrapethief5514]

I *theorize* that there may have been some sort of failsafe for the guardians on either the Lesser Ark or Zeta Halo. When the Banished found it, they activated this failsafe, and it destroyed or otherwise disabled the Guardians, removing Cortana’s trump cards from the equation. Following this, they went about eliminating the Created and the UNSC due to the UNSC being partially responsible for Cortana’s rise to power and the Created. The Banished then managed to capture Cortana, and the UNSC sent the Weapon to destroy her without the Banished realizing that the UNSC had been involved. However, the Weapon was discovered midway through the process, and a battle ensued between the UNSC forces and the Banished, with the Master Chief eventually finding the ship in the new trailer.

[@musictorin]

It's a shame that the banished were just kinda shoved into infinite and not properly realized. If you hadn't played Halo wars 2, you'd have no idea where these guys came from or who they were. Their leader is also noticably missing, and they don't really do much except fight the UNSC

[@andrewsever4651]

I love how you’re able to take something I already love more than anything on earth, and talk about it in a way that makes me love it 100 times more

[@MakutaOfficial]

The way you explained Jul Mdama's death makes me like Halo 5's story more.

[@actually-will1606]

Watching this late at night in the uk.

[@HexAyed]

Same lol

[@francis3372]

UK poggg

[@Joseph-md3is]

1:40am :)

[@truthfulpurpose]

10:00 pm on the east coast of the states here. Cheers man.

[@hazelalexander9579]

This was an incredible video, haven't been able to put this into works myself so this video has been very helpful to explain things to friends and colleagues as to why I am hopeful about infinite. Thank you!

[@porpus99]

I love the idea of the Banished, because they are not inherently the galactic force seeking to destroy humanity. Atriox's absolute goal is to keep his people from ever becoming slaves again. Honestly, had Humanity learned about the Banished sooner i would not have been surprised if ONI made a real effort to try to form an alliance with the Banished against the Covenant. After all, Atriox does not hate humans. In later years after the war, Humans just kept getting in the way more than anything.

[@applesaurusrex8075]

When I first saw the Banished in Halo Wars 2 I thought “it would be cool if these guys show up in a spin off FPS.” I never would have guessed that they would be the main enemy of Halo Infinite, but now that they are I am beyond excited to see what happens.

[@superassassin1000]

Great vid! Do you ever plan on doing videos like “Arbiter being the most human character” again? Those types of video essays made me subscribe to your channel

[@LateNightHalo]

Yes :)

[@MagnusTonitrum117]

Late Night Gaming noice

[@donaldsterling1631]

Atriox is the most kig yar character

[@SuperGoose42]

I was excited for Infinite as soon as the demo started playing. I didn't notice the graphical bugs, I was just hyped about all the mechanics I was seeing and the return to a traditional art style. The graphics never concerned me.

[@Jarithor]

How would you feel if they included the characters from Halo Wars 2 in Infinite, and even allowed for players to spawn into the campaign As Red Teams 3 Members to Join whoever played the master chief? I think it is an interesting idea that should be explored a bit in conversation at the very least. I'd love to hear your thoughts either in comment or video format.

[@akush42069]

I think a better title card would’ve been either “The last storm” “End of the Storm

[@aarushlal3702]

“Break of the Storm” or BOTS

[@D77tcPelican]

After playing Halo 5, I was very hopeless after realizing how Halo Infinite would have to make a story from it. Then later, I saw the Banished in Halo wars 2 and it filled my heart with joy! Like you said it gave me a feel of nostalgia. I can now say I have hope, and a lot of it, for Halo Infinite! I’m very excited to see what’s next. I’m new to your channel and I really like your content. It helps keep me updated with Halo. Your videos are in joy able watch.

[@h4xe7reac75]

Halo 5 was like injecting a broken spartan augmentation into someone but halo wars 2 was overidin3that injection and making you immortal

[@Dynoids]

This video made me appreciate the banished even more to be honest, halo wars 2 did a good job of presenting a new adversary after the fall of the covenant.

[@Norther1y]

Great video Taras! I feel the exact same way about the Banished being in Infinite.

[@ToaOfFusion]

The more I watch these kinds of videos, the more I realize how much early 343 Halo was just a bunch of missed opportunities. They had some really cool and interesting ideas to work with to really revitalize Halo but the execution is so poor that it hurts.

[@forrestdalpiaz284]

Halo 4 was the best Halo

[@Matanumi]

@@forrestdalpiaz284 except it wasn't. They screwed and killed a lot of plot ideas

[@tuckerjohnston1844]

I’m so excited for Halo Infinite story! The Banished is my number 1 favorite faction in Halo.

[@SprikSprak]

This was really well written and reasoned - well done!

[@iamjp2876]

I don't know why I ever stopped watching you, I feel bad about it, as soon as I opened the video and beard your voice it brought back so many memories

[@samm.8052]

I never thought of it like that. You singlehandedly made Halo 5 go from "ok" to "decent."

[@dbehnia2351]

Jul sounds cool, but the storm covenant was done really poorly, they seemed clumsy and incompetent, they constantly lost and where only there to make the new Spartans seem badass. As an enemy they were realy shitty. The original covenant were established as an unstoppable onslaught of monsterous aliens who ahnilated halos humans and were only slowed down by the Spartans who still lost on battlefields like reach. Every fight against them seemed uphill.

[@Dr.Montante]

Agreed!

[@gino14]

My favorite detail about Banished is how they seem to carry themselves as... _equals_ to you. They are not some eldritch unknowable danger like the flood/forerunners or a vastly advanced galactic empire like the Covenant. Ultimately they are just like us, just trying to get by in the universe. And when they beat us, it feels... _different._ They didn't beat you because of vastly advanced technology or power beyond your comprehension - they beat you because they were just _better_ than you. They are the very definition of a "worthy foe."

[@XLMacaroni]

I love your take and I think it actually clarifies where the game is going with its direction.

[@michaelfino27]

what you said about recontextualizing halo 5 as a galactic cold war and an obvious endpoint for a post halo-3 galaxy really have me a lot of hope for the banished as primary villains. I was already super hype for them but now I see them as a kind of savior of the series, just by existing as they are they show that halo deserves the spot it has in my heart

[@gsamalot]

ONI made the mistake in thinking that once the covenant was done for there be nothing to worry about, the fact that Atriox not only attacks covenant stockpiles. There were accounts of many UNSC outpost and human colonies who encounter him and did not make it out alive. He was a dangerous and smart brute who knew when the time for the attack was needed, and when to wait. His words made those who were faithful to the covenant join his side. Unlike the Arbiter who cut a path through the UNSC, I fear he would not be able to stand a chance if him and Atriox cross path.

[@chaggy90]

I wasnt exited about halo infinite, but you got me on the hype train with how you narrated this!

[@Dynoids]

The halo 5 phantom and spirits were pretty god damn neat to be honest, id love to see that design continue. Im glad the Halo infinite elites went back to being more sleek and agile in appearance again as well.

[@irishempire9811]

I feel that instead of having the exact same weapons as the covenent, the storm covenant should have had partly destroyed weapons or promethean combined covenant weapons, and they should have had combined promethean and covenant armor in spartan ops to go with thier story and goals.

[@AdrianArmbruster]

I mean their boss eats Spartans as part of a balanced breakfast while Ju'ul M'dama's job was to die in a cutscene.

[@fugit1vegaming397]

Yeah...

[@Xiones11]

God i was so into halo when i was younger. Reach was the last one I played and i still think of it as a "new" halo. Then i see your vids and how much more stuff there has been since then. Its been 11 years lol.

[@mycroft942]

bro your videos are amazing man! Thank you

[@sqildo9916]

The Banished do what the Covedon't

[@fugit1vegaming397]

👑 here you go. You are now ruler of the internet.

[@CKATNISS]

This is my first time seeing one of your videos, I'm very impressed, your ability to empathize and understand to this point, makes your videos alluring and entertaining to watch. I hope you go big.

[@LateNightHalo]

[@djmir4]

you sum up my views on recent halo titles and very apparent tonal shift coming into infinite. Im beyond excited for story of this game compared to last 2 games.

[@Stealthful_]

Awesome! I recently got into the Halo series and I am loving it.

[@Creepin_Jesus]

Like yourself I've been very alienated by H5 and even parts of 4 to an extent so when I saw everyone's hype and interest for the banished I kinda unfairly brushed them off as another patch job faction to replace the covenant, but your analysis and breakdown of them has me a little excited I must admit. Not a lot to add to the conversation other than thanks for making great videos that resonate with someone who was kinda jaded with the franchise that have genuinely re-sparked interest in something pretty important to my younger self

[@thereptiledurppy6703]

Q&A: Do you think the new soundtrack for halo infinite is Marty O’Donnell tier, higher, or lower?

[@chickennuggies7159]

I don’t think it is, but it’s still really great

[@scribeofalara6259]

The soundtrack has been fundamentally based on the groundwork Marty made for halo 1. Marty was a master composer with like 20 years of experience when CE was being developed, so he put together a set of melodies with a set of sounds that are pretty damn timeless. Through the Trees is exactly what I hope Infinite will be: a spiritual reboot of the seed that we all loved back when we killed everyone on 04 except Dustin Echoes.

[@Peanut83176]

Its not as good, but best one from 343 So far.

[@woundedhealer8575]

You have a very nice way of putting words together and making sentences. You sir have earned a subscriber

[@elidarling1300]

Tbh I thought I was watching Halo Follower because of how great this guy is, and his surprising knowledge in his subjects. This is the guy to get info from.

[@Ravenous1369]

I am so hyped for Infinite primarily because of its setting and fantastic new foes, which makes this an especially nice video to hear/see since I'm not super active in the community or pay much attention to things I see posted on the 'main' subreddit that usually only have negative things to say about Halo's future. Without a doubt the future of Halo looks rather bright with the looming shadows of the Banished covering the fractured remains of the UNSC's forces at Installation 07.

[@ImGrim2JZ]

*Latenightgaming uploads* Ahhhh Classy guy with good detail and execution *I love it*

[@World3rdYoYo]

Idk how, but you made me even more hyped for Halo Infinite. I'm excited to see the Banished, great video

[@sardinesammiches4600]

Almost done and I agree with you so effing hard man.

[@ToastedToastyToaster]

Excellent video! I thought that the Storm Covenant was cool and that they just threw it out too early. My hopes for 5 was that they would get in contact with the composed Didact, and not just be killed off in thr first level while we mopped up the remains for the rest of the game.

[@poonyapthegrunt3423]

I hope we do get insurrectionists in Infinite, maybe even spartan IVs that survived and were offered a place in the Banished

[@fruitylerlups530]

Insurrectionists who aligned with the Banished sounds really badass, and the idea of banished style human armor seems cool.. though human enemies arent suoer interesting as a concept and seem strange for a halo game, I love it in theory, though you'd have to make them a genuinely interesting and fun to fight against enemy type, and visually distinct enough that they dont feel like "generic human bad guys" from a lot of other games (titanfall, call of duty, etc.)

[@fiammaorsmth9840]

@@fruitylerlups530 Did... did you just call Titanfall 2's Apex Predators generic?

[@LAV-III]

Game play wise humans might not be too fun to fight but from a narrative stand point I’d love to see them

[@Fr3k3]

@@fruitylerlups530 putting humans in banished armor, wielding banished weaponry, and fighting alongside banished troops, already puts them leagues above games like call of duty. idk what you're on about lmao

[@bandit3019]

@@Fr3k3 plus they mentioned fucking Titanfalls Apex predators as just a boring other faction, seems like they never faught viper

[@hooley1174]

Love your thoughts man! Thank you for making this content!

[@harrywaltersR18]

Awesome video bro - really made me look at Halo 5 differently - can’t wait for Infinite

[@deepism]

I've been waiting a long time for someone to talk about this. This is a big deal and a very good subject.

[@educationaleel4446]

I always wanted to fight other humans after how the elites wanted the Humans in the Covenant. It would be cool to see Banished Humans.

[@TheJoppemin]

coming back to halo after the rough patch that was halo 4 and a lot of my friends are too, this is such a strange feeling because this feels like halo 2/3/Reach nostalgia in a brand new game. hanging with friends, playing CTF and Slayer on voice comms. really exciting

[@phatdog]

I absolutely loved the banished storyline in Halo Wars 2 it felt amazing to learn about these characters, and the cutscenes were astonishing. I just hope the Halo Infinite team doesnt screw this up :( I really hope they go for cinematic cutscenes over in game generated scenes because I need 4k brutes, not 720p from the reveal trailer lol