The Life, Impact, and Potential Future of Halo’s Atriox

On May 28th, 2510, 485 years from now on the faraway brutal world of Doisac, a Jiralhanae would be born into the Covenant Empire to a currently unknown clan but for most Halo fans, this imposing alien would come to be known as Atriox. Since first appearing in a brief cinematic trailer for Halo Wars 2 at Gamescom 2015, Atriox has gone on to become one of the most successful and popular antagonists the Halo franchise has ever seen. While Atriox has only appeared in two Halo games so far, the Brute has been featured in numerous books, comics, Waypoint Chronicles, and even a television series. With Atriox turning -485 years old this year, here’s an in-depth look at his life, impact, and potential future in the Halo universe.

The Arbiter from Halo deserves his own game

Arbiter is one of the most interesting characters in the franchise. He offers a compelling perspective of the Covenant and the galaxy as a whole. His story of redemption, honor, and struggle against his own people offers a richness of emotion that is largely missing in the Spartan-focused games. A game based on the Arbiter would open doors to previously untapped lore, offer a new type of gameplay (Similar to what may have been seen in Halo 2), and give fans a new, darker aspect of Halo to become involved in, which is something the franchise desperately needs.

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Atriox’s Covenant Servitude and Revolt Explained

When Atriox was born, Doisac and the rest of the Jiralhanae species had only recently joined the Covenant Empire with the multi-alien species religious hegemony discovering the ape-like race 18 years prior in 2492. While many Jiralhanae serving in the Covenant still remembered their species' time as an independent warring planet with their own distinct cultures and customs, Atriox’s life was completely involved with Covenant doctrine. This was until he met the old warrior Escharum. Seeing potential in Atriox, Escharum taught the young Brute as his daskalo or mentor in the ways of Jiralhanae and how to be a lethal combatant. It was thanks to Escharum’s teachings that Atriox quickly climbed the ranks of the Covenant military.

Following the beginning of the Human-Covenant War in 2525, Atriox served as an elite stealth warrior known as a Brute Stalker in the unit known as the Bloodstars. Despite his expertise in combat, Atriox and his fellow Brute Stalkers were never given full autonomy by the Covenant and were instead subservient to the orders of a Sangheili Silent Shadow, another elite stealth warrior. This was common for many Brutes serving in the Covenant as most Sangheili distrusted the Jiralhanae and were upset over the San'Shyuum’s eagerness to incorporate the species into powerful positions they once exclusively held. In spite of this distrust, Atriox served in the Bloodstars for years with the primary goal of hunting down Spartans and other UNSC special forces.

Atirox’s Disillusionment with the Covenant

By 2549, Atriox had been relieved of his duty in the Bloodstars and was forced to join his clan on the frontlines as Sangheili and San'Shyuum leadership began using several Brute clans as cannon fodder against the UNSC. 40 at a time, Atriox and his clansmen were sent into battle for supposed glory and acceleration towards The Great Journey. Battle after battle, Atriox’s clan brought chaos and destruction to human outposts, but only Atriox survived the conflicts. This began to inspire members of several Brute clans and the High Prophet of Truth saw this as a threat to the Jiralhanae’s loyalty to the Covenant as Atriox increasingly began to express disdain towards Covenant faith, especially with how carelessly his fellow Brutes were deployed into battle.

The Rise of the Banished

On the recently conquered human colony world of Algolis, Truth ordered Atriox’s commanding Sangheili Itho 'Hesiikee to accuse the Brute of heresy and subsequently execute him to prevent him from becoming a martyr. However, when Atriox returned alone once more from battle and just as 'Hesiikee was about to cut the Brute down with a bloodblade, Atriox caught the energy sword and killed the executioner. As nearby Elites began to attack in protest, Jiralhanae onlookers, including Decimus and En'Geddon, slayed the Elites and cheered in support of Atriox. Together, these Brutes, along with Escharum, would found a new faction known as the Banished where beings of all kinds could join for personal glory, wealth, and freedom so long as all swore loyalty to Atriox and his ideals.

For the next few decades, Atriox would recruit legions of species to join the Banished, including Jiralhanae, Sangheili, Kig-Yar, Unggoy, Huragok, Lekgolo, and even humans such as the rogue Spartan-IV Ilsa Zane. While the early years of the Banished were centered primarily on raids on Covenant and human planets, the faction quickly became a force to reckon with, eventually turning into the most powerful force in the galaxy following The Great Schism and the fall of Cortana. Many joined the Banished for ensured glory in battle, while others saw the Banished as an inspiring unifying force in the chaotic wake of the Covenant’s fall in 2552. By 2559, Atriox and the Banished had assumed control over several former Covenant and human worlds, including his homeworld of Doisac.

Atriox’s Conquest of the Ark

The Banished’s raids were not limited to just Covenant and human installations, however, as Atriox eventually set his eyes on Forerunner treasures. In 2558, Atriox and a legion of Banished troops aboard the flagship Enduring Conviction arrived at the Ark, the forge of Halo rings, for control of Installation 00 and its Halo-producing power. While Atriox and the Banished quickly slew all human researchers on the Installation, he would face continued resistance from the appearance of the long-lost UNSC Spirit of Fire. Despite this ongoing conflict and the loss of Decimus and Enduring Conviction, Atriox eventually found coordinates to a powerful ancient race known as the Endless on Zeta Halo and journeyed back to the Milky Way Galaxy to seek Zeta Halo out.

The Banished symbol, the Mark of Atriox, is based on Atriox’s gravity mace Chainbreaker, which was built by combining elements of Atriox’s gravity hammer with the bloodblade of Itho 'Hesiikee.

The Creation and Many Depictions of Atriox

When the primary antagonist of Halo Wars 2 was being first developed, 343 Industries and Creative Assembly sought to create a villain who was both powerful and intelligent. This led to the developers choosing to go with a Brute as the antagonist, but they sought to make him akin to the Arbiter in a way that he was an exception to his species’ norms and stereotypes. Atriox was made to be as smart and menacing as his innate Jiralhanae strength, in contrast to the dumb Brutes commonly seen in prior Halo games. His design and initial performance by John DiMaggio and Damion Poitier instantly captivated the entire Halo community and 343 Industries was quick to build on that momentum.

Since his first debut in 2017’s Halo Wars 2, Atriox has gone on to appear in several books and comics, including:

Halo: Tales from Slipspace
Halo: Rise of Atriox
Halo: Shadows of Reach
Halo: Outcasts
Halo: Epitaph
Halo: Empty Throne

Atriox’s popularity even led to him receiving a starring role in the first season of Paramount’s Halo show. Set in 2552 of the alternate Silver Timeline, Paramount’s Atriox is shown to still be loyal to the Covenant as he is deployed on Eridanus II to confront Master Chief and steal a Forerunner keystone. In the final episode of the first season, Atriox and a troop of Brutes defend the High Prophets of Truth, Mercy, and Regret on Raas Kkhotskha until his presumed death at the hands of Master Chief.

Atriox is portrayed by four people in the Halo franchise: in Halo Wars 2, Atriox was voiced by John DiMaggio but was performed in motion capture by Damion Poitier, while Halo Infinite’s Atriox was voiced by Ike Amadi but was performed in motion capture by Bruce Thomas.

Atriox’s “Death” and Fate in Halo Infinite

When the artificial intelligence Cortana assumed control of the Forerunner Domain and unleashed her collective of Guardians, Prometheans, and rogue human A.I. In 2558, most military forces were immediately subdued and were forced to live under Cortana’s iron fist of peace. One of the few factions to successfully rebuke Cortana’s advances were the Banished. This enraged Cortana and, seeking to make an example of the Banished, she ordered her Guardians to destroy Doisac and its moons, instantly killing a majority of the Jiralhanae race. Furious by this genocidal act, Atriox ordered most of the Banished to attack any and all UNSC outposts and began planning to assassinate Cortana. He further planned on establishing Zeta Halo as the Jiralhanaes new home and headquarters of the Banished.

After subduing the UNSC Infinity and seemingly killing Master Chief, Atriox confronted Cortana in the bowels of Zeta Halo. Following a brief conversation where Atriox claimed he would change nothing in his life if he knew how he would die, Cortana sacrificed herself and destroyed a chunk of Zeta Halo with her, seemingly killing Atriox. This caused Zeta Halo to make an emergency slipspace jump, trapping anished forces on the ring and forcing War Chief Escharum to assume control of the Banished. However, after the death of Escharum and the Harbinger by Master Chief at the end of Halo Infinite, Atriox is shown to be alive somewhere within Zeta Halo, awakening the rest of the Endless.

Atriox’s Potential Future in Halo 7

It’s currently unknown why Atriox remained absent for six months after his presumed death, but he is expected to play a much larger role in Halo’s future. Based on Halo Infinite’s ending, Atriox will likely be the main antagonist of Halo 7, leading the Endless against Master Chief and UNSC remnants on Installation 07. This would likely result in Master Chief facing off against Atriox and his gravity mace in a boss battle akin to Escharum. Additionally, Halo 7 may lead to Atriox’s definitive death, as he would be the biggest threat to humanity left standing after Cortana’s death. However, even if Atriox does perish in Halo 7, his legacy will likely live on through the Banished and War Chief Severan, ensuring the might and defiance of Atriox is never forgotten.

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