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The Covenant is a fictional militaristic and theocratic alliance of alien races who serve as the main antagonist body of the Halo science-fiction video game series. They are composed of a variety of diverse species, united under the religious worship of the Forerunners and their belief that the Halos will provide a path to salvation. Seen as technically superior to humans, they are fighting a war of attrition against the human United Nations Space Command; the Hierarchs declared humanity an affront to the Forerunners and ordered their destruction.

The Covenant were first introduced in Halo: Combat Evolved as the protagonist Master Chief and the AI Cortana are escaping from the UNSC ship Pillar of Autumn in orbit over Halo; the Covenant disable the ship and board it via landing craft. On Halo, the player encounters the Covenant in force all over the ring, and they are the primary enemies until the Covenant release the Flood from stasis. The player later encounters new Covenant races and plays as a Covenant character, the Arbiter, during the events of Halo 2.

Game development

Like most of the other characters and species in the Halo universe, the Covenant were slowly developed during the initial concept phase and refined as Halo: Combat Evolved progressed. To design the various races of the Covenant, Bungie's artists looked at live animals and movies for inspiration; as a result, the species within the Covenant bear simian, reptilian, avian and ursine characteristics.

During the course of development of Halo, the designers decided upon three "schools" of architecture, for each of the races represented — the humans, Covenant, and Forerunners. For the Covenant, the team decided on "sleek and shiny", with reflective surfaces, organic shapes, and use of purples. According to art director Marcus Lehto, the principle designs for the race came from environmental artist Paul Russell.

Like the character designs, Covenant technology, architecture, and design continually changed throughout development, occasionally for practical reasons as well as aesthetics. According to Eric Arroyo, the Covenant cruiser Truth and Reconciliation, which plays a major role in Halo: Combat Evolved, was to be boarded by the player by a long ramp. However due to technical considerations of having a fully textured ship so close to the player, the designers came up with a "gravity lift", which allowed the ship to be farther away (thus not requiring as much processing power for detail) as well as adding a "visually interesting" component of Covenant technology.

The art team also spent a large amount of time on Covenant weaponry, in order to make them suitably alien yet still recognizable to players. At the same time, the designers wants all aspects of Covenant technology, especially the vehicles, to act plausibly. The designers ended up looking at movies and other media for inspiration on almost every aspect of the race.

Belief system

The central component of the Covenant's beliefs is the "Great Journey", the spiritual equivalent of a pilgrimage and the ultimate goal of the Covenant. The Covenant believe that their forebears, the Forerunners, used the Sacred Rings to cleanse the universe of all that was unworthy, and led them to salvation. The Covenant wish to wipe out humanity and the Flood, and follow the Forerunners to their mysterious destination. The Covenant's execution of the Great Journey consists of the activation of at least one Halo installation, the "divine wind" of which will sweep all those who are worthy on the path to the beyond.

Such radical devotion is a large portion of dramatic irony in the story's plot. As the plot develops, the player and in-game characters are informed by the AI Cortana that the rings are not the spiritual, transcendent vessels the Covenant seek, but superweapons designed to wipe out all life in the galaxy in an effort to starve the Flood, a highly infectious alien parasite, into defeat. Additionally, the Covenant's belief that the Forerunners transcended is also revealed as false. The Forerunners were forced to activate the ring network to eradicate the Flood, wiping themselves out in the process. In Halo 3, a log written by one of the few Forerunners to survive the events describes going on a "great journey", thus explaining the source of the Covenant's belief.

Most of the Covenant is ignorant of the true purpose of Halo, and almost everyone that becomes aware ends up dying during the events of Halo 2. A group of Elites learn of the truth from 343 Guilty Spark, but are killed by the Arbiter. Guilty Spark also reveals this to the Arbiter and Tartarus when the former asks him to explain it, but Tartarus chooses to deny the truth. He is killed, but the Arbiter survives. The High Prophet of Truth, having had ample time to interrogate 343 Guilty Spark, is also suggested to be aware of the purpose of Halo, but his description in Bungie's profile puts him the same vein as Tartarus, making him unlikely to accept it as fact. He is killed while trying to trigger the activation of the Halos.

Appearances

The events in Halo 2 occur during the "Ninth Age of Reclamation." The Covenant's organization of time and dates is not elaborated in detail in the game or during any of the novelizations. Joe Staten, in an interview on halo.bungie.org, stated explicitly that the Covenant's date system is split into seven epochs, detailed as follows: the Age of Abandonment, followed by the ages of Conflict, Discovery, Reconciliation, Conversion, Doubt, and Reclamation. The Ninth Age of Reclamation takes place during the events of the war between the humans and the Covenant. The Covenant efficiently devastate human colonies, sparking the Covenant-Human War.

The Fall of Reach

The Covenant first encounter humanity on the outer colony Harvest, where a lone Covenant ship "glassed" the world, turning its surface into molten glass, and presumably killing all its inhabitants. The lone ship, broadcasting the Covenant edict, "Your destruction is the will of the Gods... and we are their instrument", destroys the UNSC ship Argo, as well as several other human ships before being destroyed itself.

The Covenant's superior technology allow them to decimate the human Outer Colonies within four years; the Covenant begin to destroy the Inner Colonies in short order as well. However their efforts are stymied by the Cole Protocol, which stops UNSC ships from directly traveling to inhabited human worlds and which authorizes destruction of navigational databases by captured ships.

In 2552, the Covenant assault the human colony Sigma Octanus IV in an effort to recover an ancient artifact with Forerunner glyphs on it, but are repelled by a UNSC battlegroup. Victorious, the Iroquois departs the system; unbeknownst to its crew or the UNSC, a Covenant transmitter attaches to the Iroquois and reveals the location of Reach, Earth's best defended colony, to the Covenant.

The Covenant are quick to attack; despite taking heavy losses from Reach's Magnetic Accelerator Cannons, Covenant ground forces destroy the MAC guns' planet-side generators. With the majority of UNSC forces destroyed, the Covenant begin glassing the planet, but do not totally destroy the surface as usual; instead, Covenant ground forces search for a space-warping crystal hidden on the surface.

Halo: Combat Evolved

Meanwhile, a sizable detachment of Covenant follow the human vessel Pillar of Autumn to Alpha Halo. Wary of accidentally damaging the sacred ring, which the Covenant recognize as Forerunner, the Covenant are forced to fight the humans on foot. At some point, the Covenant accidentally release the Flood, a virulent parasite, from stasis; the Flood infect many human and Covenant, and board the damaged Truth and Reconciliation, as well as the Infinite Succor, in attempts to escape the ring. The Covenant know of the Flood from their religious texts, and recognize the threat of the parasite. They send in a strike team to retake the Truth and Reconciliation and divert their attention to stopping the Flood. In the meantime, the Master Chief, whom the Covenant view as a "Demon", detonates the Pillar of Autumn's engines, destroying the ring and much of the Covenant fleet. Not soon after this serious loss, the Master Chief and his fellow SPARTAN-IIs destroy the Unyielding Heirophant, taking a significant portion of a Covenant attack fleet with it.

Halo 2

Halo 2 sees the beginnings of civil war throughout the Covenant. At the start of the game, the Covenant High Prophet of Regret arrives at Earth with a small escort fleet. Having not known that Earth was the human home world, his escorts are destroyed by the network of MAC guns orbiting the planet. With his fleet gone, Regret jumps to Delta Halo with the human ship In Amber Clad riding their jump. The Master Chief is sent to assassinate Regret, succeeding despite the arrival of High Charity and the largest Covenant fleet ever seen.

Concurrently, a group led by Sesa 'Refumee, an Elite, briefly controls a Forerunner station on the gas giant planet of Threshold (the planet which Alpha Halo orbited). 'Refumee, having learned of the true purpose of Halo from 343 Guilty Spark, the "Oracle" in the Covenant faith, planned on turning all Elites to his cause. The commander of the fleet in the first game, blamed for the destruction of the ring, is given the position of Arbiter and sent to eliminate them. 'Refumee is ultimately killed by the Arbiter, but sows the seeds of doubt by presenting 343 Guilty Spark. 343 Guilty Spark is captured by Tartarus afterwards.

343 Guilty Spark is interrogated at length by the Prophets and reveals the key to activate Halo: the Index, known to the Covenant as the "Sacred Icon". The Arbiter is sent to retrieve this item, and Tartarus is given orders to kill him should he succeed without getting himself killed. Once the Arbiter succeeds, Tartarus takes the Index and knocks the Arbiter into a chasm, though the Arbiter is rescued from his fate by Gravemind.

Meanwhile, the Hierarchs use the assassination of the Prophet of Regret at the hands of Master Chief as a pretext to transfer the Brutes into the position of their Honor Guards, a job the Elites had previously held, claiming that Elites could no longer guarantee their safety. This sudden displacement severely angers the Elites, who had been in such a position since the founding of the Covenant, and they threaten to resign from the High Council.

Furthermore, once enough Brutes are in place, the Prophet of Truth secretly orders the Brutes to instigate a brutal genocide of the Elites, disguised as a Brute insurrection. This sparks a massive civil war between the Covenant. The loyalist forces are those primarily backing the Prophets' continuation of the search and following of the Great Journey; these include all seen Prophets (the Hierarchs and the lesser Prophets), Brutes, Jackals, Drones, and a handful of Grunts. The separatist Elites are joined by the Hunters and the majority of the Grunts.

Near the end of Halo 2, the Arbiter is sent by Gravemind to prevent Halo from firing. The Arbiter and the separatists on Installation 05 engage in a truce of necessity with the UNSC forces on the ring in order to stop Tartarus and his Brutes. They are ultimately successful, killing Tartarus in the process. Despite the peace on Installation 05, battles between the remainder of the UNSC and the entirety of the Covenant still continue on and around Earth and the Forerunner world of Onyx.

Halo 3

During the events of Halo 3, the Elites have split completely from the Covenant, though it becomes apparent during the course of the game that the Grunts and Hunters still remain loyal to the High Prophet of Truth. The war has taken a heavy toll on the Covenant so far, since the events of Halo 2, they have lost a large portion of their main fleet from the civil war space fight around High Charity, High Charity itself being invaded and assimilated by the Flood, and have lost the High Prophets of Regret and Mercy.

The Brutes seem to have effectively taken the place of the Elites, taking over as field commanders, ship officers, and the Prophet's Honor Guard. The Brutes' leadership seems to have fully shifted to the High Prophet of Truth, likely because of the death of Tartarus, the Brutes' deceased former leader. The Grunts follow them into battle as they once did for the Elites, and the rest of the Covenant forces seem to follow them as they would normally. Of note is the fact that the Grunts and the Hunters have sided with the Covenant instead of the Elites, as the Master Chief and the Arbiter encounter several of the hulking creatures throughout the game.

In a last ditch effort to make the Great Journey, the High Prophet of Truth has taken a Forerunner flagship to Earth and begins to activate the Ark Installation 00. Before the combined attempts of the remaining UNSC forces and the Arbiter's Elite forces are able to stop him, Truth activates the Ark just as a force of Earth ships open fire, opening a slipspace portal in the sky into which Truth and his Covenant Fleet flee from Earth.

The Prophet attempts to activate the core of the Ark, leaving his Fleet of Brutes to deal with the smaller Elite Fleet that follows them through the portal. The Brute Fleet is destroyed even with the odds of 3-1 against the Elites. Meanwhile, the Prophet of Truth uses his ground forces, which include an army of Grunts, Brutes and Jackals, along with an array of Wraiths, Ghosts, Scarabs and other assorted forces to slow down the incoming threat enough to activate the Ark. At some point it becomes apparent to him that he requires a human to activate the Ark. As the Master Chief, the Arbiter and Johnson attempt to reach the Ark's core by deactivating the shield surrounding it, Johnson's team is wiped out and he is kidnapped.

In a later cut scene, the Prophet is shown ordering a Brute not to kill Johnson, as he needs Johnson alive. After some taunting words from Johnson, he admits, "I do need your help, but that secret dies with the rest." At that moment, Miranda Keyes blows her way into the room with a Pelican dropship and attempts to save Johnson, but is shot in the back by the Prophet of Truth. Truth then forces Johnson to activate the Ark as a combined effort of the Master Chief, the Arbiter and a force of Flood fight their way to the control center.

Upon reaching the control panel, they find the Covenant forces around the center have already been killed, the Prophet of Truth lying in front of the control panel. The Arbiter grasps Truth by the neck, and they argue briefly about the Great Journey. It becomes apparent that Truth has been subtly infected by the Flood when the Gravemind begins to speak through Truth. Truth's last words are "I am Truth! The voice of the Covenant!". The Arbiter responds to this by saying "So you must be silenced!" just before he stabs Truth through the back with his energy sword.

It is difficult to say what happens to the Covenant after Truth's death, the majority of the game then focuses on the acts against the Flood and the activation of the newly formed Installation 04. In the end of the game Lord Hood makes a speech in commemoration of those lost in the war, and reveals that the war is over, apparently meaning that the Covenant has been repelled.

Technology

Technologically, the Covenant are shown to be mostly imitative rather than innovative — most of the time they weaponize technologies discovered rather than research them on their own. The technology the player is exposed to in-game and while reading mostly centers around the military weapons and deployment (guns, ships, and vehicles), while little seems to be commercial or domestic in nature. In addition, both the games and books note that since the Covenant has not researched the technologies they rely upon, they are incapable of utilizing them to their full potential. UNSC artificial intelligence units (Cortana in particular) have repeatedly been able to boost the efficiency and output of much of the Covenant's weaponry when given access to it, and likewise are able to easily infiltrate and overcome Covenant computer systems.

Infantry weaponry

The Covenant's arsenal in the games is comprised primarily of energy-based projectile weapons, often centered around plasma generation. Covenant weapons trade power for reliability in most cases: the standard Covenant plasma weapons (pistols and rifles) do not need to be reloaded, but neither can their ammo be replenished. They also overheat temporarily if excessively fired, and function erratically if their battery is low. Other specialized weapons function in the same manner as human weapons. In the first game, the selection of Covenant weapons is somewhat limited, but variants based on human weapons are added in the following games.

As revealed in Halo: First Strike, Covenant weapons are based on Forerunner technology. Plasma weapons are built around a battery that generates plasma and discharges it at a target. Frank O'Connor of the Halo Message Boards claims there may be something more to the Covenant's weaponry, saying: "The actual technology is not plasma as we know it, but something far more dangerous, arcane, and destructive."

Vehicles

It has been suggested that Covenant Vehicles in Halo be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since July 2007.

The player encounters numerous Covenant ground and air vehicles throughout the Halo series. Covenant vehicles predominantly use anti-gravity propulsion systems, causing them to hovers a few feet above the ground. They are also painted a deep, solid purple, a stark contrast to the more camouflage-oriented designs of human vehicles.

Vessels

The Covenant's space-faring navy consists of several classes of ships loosely related to wet navies of human origin. Specific ships mentioned in the game and novelizations are classed according to human standards. Several important vessels have been named over the course of the series.

Truth and Reconciliation

The Truth and Reconciliation is a fully-equipped cruiser capable of anti-ship and anti-ground attacks. It is boarded by the player twice during the campaign of Halo: Combat Evolved; both times are rescue missions to save Captain Jacob Keyes. At some point during the story, the ship is attacked by the Flood and largely disabled. The Covenant send in strike teams to prevent the Flood from leaving the ring by repairing the cruiser, and the last UNSC forces eventually liberate the cruiser, planning on piloting it back to Earth. It is eventually scuttled to prevent a Flood infestation from departing Halo.

Ascendant Justice

The Ascendant Justice is a Covenant flagship that is captured by the Master Chief and fellow survivors of Installation 04's destruction during the events of Halo: First Strike. The Chief and company use the ship to return to Reach, where they rescue human survivors on the planet. The ship is heavily damaged while fighting Covenant in slipspace. Danforth Whitcomb, along with an Office of Naval Intelligence officer, use the ship as a lure to draw the Covenant towards the Unyielding Hierophant. This ship is destroyed in the following explosion.

Unyielding Hierophant

The Unyielding Hierophant is a space station used as a staging area for forward deployed forces throughout Covenant space. The station is destroyed by the Master Chief, who with fellow SPARTAN-IIs, rigs the station to blow. Admiral Danforth Whitcomb uses the Ascendant Justice as a lure, drawing the Covenant towards the station, destroying the armada as the station explodes. This action delays the Covenant attack on Earth.

High Charity

High Charity is the Covenant Holy City and also serves as its capital. The ship is powered by a large Forerunner ship in the center of the city, which the Prophet of Truth takes to Earth. Using the In Amber Clad as a vector, Gravemind infests the city at the end of Halo 2.

Infinite Succor

The Infinite Succor is an agricultural support ship present at Installation 04 during Halo: Combat Evolved. It is taken over by Flood, who manage to board it using a Covenant dropship, "Brilliant Gift", scoured from the swamps of Halo. A Covenant strike force later neutralizes the threat by sending the ship into a nearby sun.

Species

Covenant society is a caste system composed of many races, some of which were forcibly incorporated. Each race is required to provide a specific number of battle-ready troops in order to remain within the Covenant. The races are identified by their common UNSC designation.

Prophets

Prophets (Covenant: San 'Shyuum) are the highest ranking species forming the Covenant, originally from a planet once inhabited by the Forerunners. They form the Covenant's political and spiritual leadership, and have absolute control over day-to-day operations. The primary executors of the Covenant's will is a theocratic triumvirate of Hierarchs, the Prophets of Truth, Mercy and Regret. Together, they form the core of power for the Covenant government. There are also lower-ranked Prophets who are responsible for individual aspects of Covenant culture, society, and military operations. While only making a very minor appearance, these lower Prophets are discussed in the series' novelizations.

Prophets can be seen in-game as physically frail yet mentally agile. While the Hierarchs are confined to levitating thrones, they are more than capable of defending themselves. Guarding them, depending on the player's progression through the series, are handfuls of Honor Guard Elites or Brutes. Should their guards fail, they also possess a high-powered energy weapon mounted on the underside of their thrones. The thrones themselves also have short-range teleporters and powerful shields.

Prior to the formation of the Covenant, the Prophets faced utter defeat by the Elites. It was not until the discovery of Forerunner artifacts on the Prophet home world that the two sides were able to form a peace treaty, thus laying the foundation for the Covenant. Since then the Prophets have put considerable effort into extending their own lifespans, as well as breeding to preserve specific genetic traits. After their home world was destroyed, the majority of the Prophet population began to reside within High Charity and its surrounding fleet. After the outbreak of the Flood within High Charity as well as the Elites' turning against the Prophets, their population has dwindled to near-extinction levels.

The Prophets were primarily designed by Shi Kai Wang and Eric Arroyo. Originally, the Prophets were designed in a more unified way, with their gravity thrones fused with the Prophet's organic structures. The characters were also designed to be feeble, yet sinister. The three Prophet Hierarchs were each individually designed.

Elites

The Elites (Covenant: Sangheili, their name for themselves as a species) were originally the core of the Covenant military before their eventual replacement by the Brutes. Standing 8'6", the Elites are excellent soldiers, brilliant tacticians, and disciplined, aggressive fighters. Faster, stronger, and tougher than any human (with the exception of the MJOLNIR-equipped Spartan II's) they fight in relatively small numbers but often lead squads of Grunts. All Elites, regardless of profession or rank, are fairly capable fighters. The most skilled swordsmen are forbidden to marry, instead being encouraged to breed as often as possible so as to preserve their "swordsman genes". Elites wear armor of varying color, which signifies their rank and relative strength.

The Elites were the first to join the Covenant when the Prophets discovered evidence of the Forerunners' "Great Journey" and called for a truce in the war between the two. Although the Elites were on the verge of defeating the Prophets, they settled for a subservient role within the Covenant. They were the guardians of the Prophets and the frontline troops for most of Covenant history. However, a combination of the Elites' apparent inability to guarantee the safety of the Prophets (specifically from the Master Chief), their growing skepticism of the Covenant religion, and the Brutes' greater devotion to the same eventually leads the Prophets to begin a genocide against their race. The Elites, in turn, left the Covenant so as to eradicate the Prophets, sparking a civil war and allowing them to combat the Brutes after years of mutual animosity. They side with the humans in this endeavor, though after the events of Halo 3 it is unknown if this alliance will last.

The Elite's standout feature is a four-part lower jaw. Early in Halo: Combat Evolved's game development, and in the E3 2000 promotional video, the Elites had more simple jaws and carried shields instead of the personal shields they came to use.

Brutes

Resembling gorillas, the Brutes (Covenant: Jiralhanae) are first introduced in the novel Halo: First Strike, and later as an enemy in Halo 2. Brutes stand 9' tall, possess immense strength, and have incredible endurance, putting them on the same level as the Elites. Brutes are organized tribally and are led by their chieftain; Tartarus is the first example of this, though numerous other chieftains are seen in Halo 3. Halo 3 also introduces a color-based ranking system for the Brutes, much like that of the Elites.

The Brutes have a long-standing rivalry with the Elites, due in great part to the Brutes' unquestioning loyalty to the Covenant religion and, in turn, the Prophets. This animosity eventually culminates into civil war between the two sides and splits the Covenant in two. Simultaneously the Brutes fill the void of the Elites' departure from the Covenant, assuming leadership roles within the Covenant military and becoming the sole protectors of the prophets.

Prior to their new position in the Covenant, the Brutes primarily acted as occupying muscle, and thus were rarely seen by humans prior to Halo 2. In battle, Brutes are normally deployed in packs and are able to work together and fight as such. When their pack is killed, a remaining Brute will often go berserk, abandoning its weapon and charging the enemy to deliver a succession of melee attacks. Though the Brutes rely on their heavy skin and strategically-positioned pieces of armor in Halo 2, Brutes in Halo 3 utilize shielding technology like the Elites, making them even more deadly. Brutes often utilize their own, less-sophisticated weaponry in Halo 3; in addition to the plasma and radiation-based weapons used by most of the Covenant, Brute-engineered weaponry relies on projectiles, chemical-based ammunition, or powerful gravity effects.

Grunts

Grunts (Covenant: Unggoy) serve as the primary infantry of the Covenant's military forces, yet are the lowest creatures in the caste system. Grunts do not breathe the same atmosphere as humans and the rest of the Covenant species. In order to survive in oxygen-based environments, they must wear an apparatus allowing them to breathe methane gases, which can be shot or knocked off their backs in Halo 3. Standing at approximately five feet tall, cowardly, and possessing little in the way of armor or relative endurance, a single Grunt is rarely a match for either the Master Chief or any standard Marine. If not being led by either an Elite or a Brute, Grunts will often panic and retreat at the sight of an enemy. Furthermore, in certain missions, players will often find Grunts sleeping on the job. Grunts, like the Elites, come in a variety of different colors, but in their case it only serves to dictate behavior.

Though not a significant threat to the player on their own, Grunts rarely fight by themselves. When in large groups and emboldened by a higher-ranking unit, such as an Elite, they can overwhelm any opponent with massed fire or through sheer numbers. The Covenant views Grunts as disposable in nature, and thus uses them as cannon fodder to either reveal enemy positions or take the brunt of more devastating attacks. In Halo 3, Grunts are shown exercising a kamikaze-like mentality by charging enemies with primed plasma grenades in hand. Before this, they are also one of the few enemies to actually utilize the plasma grenades they carry. Despite their small stature, Grunts are more than capable of wielding the more powerful Covenant weapons. In particular, Grunts often man stationary weapons such as plasma turrets, and in Halo 2 gain the ability to pilot vehicles. Because Grunts can take in knowledge more quickly than other members of the Covenant, they are often tasked with monitoring communications or radar for human activity. As a result, Grunts tend to be somewhat knowledgeable of one or more human languages.

During the Covenant Civil War, the Grunts opt to join both sides, with most being shown siding with the Elites. However, most Grunts are quick to think of self-preservation, and hence are rarely seen to engage the Brutes on their own. In Halo 3, the Grunts appear to have abandoned the Elites altogether, having sided with the Brutes; the Arbiter comments that this decision was born out of fear of the Brutes.

Jackals

Jackals (Covenant: Kig-Yar) were originally recruited as replacements for the Grunts, though their temperament made such a transition impossible. They are higher in status, if not necessarily rank, than the Grunts. They have superior senses compared to both humans and other Covenant races, resulting in their role as either scouts or snipers for the Covenant. Some Jackals in Halo: Combat Evolved wear armor that masks their features.

When deployed as ground troops, Jackals are equipped with arm-mounted energy shields and a plasma pistol. Their shields are more than capable of deflecting ballistic projectile weapons and Covenant needler rounds, but their strength fades considerably under sustained fire from plasma-based weaponry. Like other shields in the game, their arm-shields will recharge after a short period of inactivity. The shield color varies, and range from green to blue to orange, the latter being much tougher and indicating a higher rank. Orange-shield Jackals can also utilize the overcharge capacity (a supercharged plasma burst that depletes any shield instantly) of their plasma pistols. Jackals usually create defensive, dug-in positions with their large shields, using them to block all attacks while firing from a small hole on the side. In this position, only powerful attacks or explosives will dislodge a Jackal from their position, after which they tend to be easily killed.

In Halo 2, some Jackals begin carrying a high-powered particle beam rifle, the Covenant analog to the human sniper rifle. Snipers tend to fire from cover or elevated positions, often beyond the player's ability to effectively spot them without taking fire. Jackal snipers are capable of cutting down all but the hardest of targets with one or two well-placed rounds, particularly on the higher difficultly levels, and rarely miss thanks to the almost instantaneous travel time of the shots. In Halo 3, Jackal sharpshooters also appear, armed with carbines, and will often support other Covenant from concealed or elevated positions; these Jackals wear helmets equipped with blue-glowing optics to assist them in hunting for targets, but this also gives their position away to attentive players.

Jackals are mercenaries, paying only occasional lip service to the Covenant religion. As such, they interact with the Covenant leadership through the Ministry of Concert and express their dissent about something by limiting access to their services. Reflecting this, Jackals often use their fellow Covenant as a distraction in battle, typically attacking while the player is engaged with other targets.

Hunters

Hunters (Covenant: Lekgolo) are incredibly dangerous foes, deployed more like equipment than soldiers. They stand 12' tall or 8' while contracted, and are brought in for demolition or heavy defense. They always work in pairs, calling each other "bond brothers." Their massive size, near-impenetrable armor, large shields (which double as melee weapons), and arm-mounted plasma mortars essentially make them walking tanks in combat.

Hunters are the most populace member of the Covenant, nearing two trillion in number. This is because each Hunter entity is actually a conglomerate colony of sentient orange symbiotic eels, held together by their armor. Small breaches in the armor at their torso and necks reveal this, also serving as weak points for the creatures. This grouping allows the normally unintelligent eels to work together, dramatically increasing their overall intelligence and strength. These eels can be grouped into different "shells" for different purposes; the Hunters seen in the Halo series are specifically designed for use within the Covenant, and are provided in limited numbers.

Hunters usually show nothing but opprobrium towards the lesser Covenant races (even purposefully killing them if they become an obstruction during battles) and rarely communicate with any other race apart from the Elites. They are believed to have their own religion; it is noted in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx that some Hunters even recite poetry and meditate in their spare time. Hunters do not take part in Covenant activity outside of battle, as they only remain within the Covenant so as to utilize its space travel technology.

Hunters do not seem to have any particular loyalty to either of the warring parties in the Covenant civil war; they side with the Elites in Halo 2 and Ghosts of Onyx, but appear to have joined the Brutes in Halo 3.

Engineers

Engineers (Forerunner: Huragok) are the scientific engineering backbone of the Covenant and its economy. The name Huragok was given to them by the Forerunners themselves, indicating their Forerunner connection; most Engineers are found residing within Forerunner facilities, and, as indicated in Halo 3's Beastiarum, were created by the Forerunners. Despite this connection, they have been unhelpful in divulging the secrets of their creators, as they are more concerned with an item's repair than its function or purpose.

It is notable that Engineers are not actually biological creatures, but rather machines whose parts are so indistinguishable from their biological analogs that it would require medical technology on par with the Forerunners themselves to discern the difference. This also plays into their methods of reproduction; when enough raw material is available, one or more Engineers will work together to form it into a new Engineer. The creation's knowledge base is a direct result of how many "parents" it has (with a maximum of three), and thus it is more beneficial to use multiple Engineers for this process.

Engineers float via air sacs and their tentacles are able to split into many fine cilia, with which they are able to manipulate machinery. Their motivations are unknown, but they appear to draw no distinction between friend and foe, preferring to spend their time inspecting or repairing technology. They will, however, utter a high pitched keening sound when a Forerunner artifact is under any sort of threat. They are extremely apathetic to any sort of combat, and will just float along with their one desire: to fix things. Engineers can even repair themselves or others of their kind assuming there is no significant damage, allowing them to theoretically extend their lives indefinitely.

Engineers do not appear in any of the Halo games, though their character models are coded into Halo: Combat Evolved. They are only mentioned in the various spin-off media for the series.

Drones

Drones (Covenant: Yanme'e) are the only insectoid race within the Covenant. They talk in a chirpy, clicking noise, but it is not certain if this is a hive communication or individual conversation. Their exoskeleton is pale green and thick in texture. Because of their mobility, they can sometimes be difficult to kill, often flying in large groups and attacking from multiple angles with their plasma pistols or Needlers. However, their overall resistance to damage is quite low and they possess no energy shielding or other such defenses. They first appear in Halo 2, appearing to be new additions to the Covenant fighting force.

Drones are suited for aerial combat, and like most of the Covenant races breathe the same atmosphere as humans; however, Drones apparently do not require air and can withstand the vacuum of space, since they can maintain Covenant warships in space. They prefer to stay at a distance and use long-range tactics. They have the useful ability to cling to walls and ceilings, which does not impede their ability to attack. Despite their preference to attack from long-range, Drones are skilled close-range combatants if pushed, utilizing their climbing claws in close-quarters. Drones have been noted to land on vehicles and use their claws for vicious and surprisingly powerful attacks against the occupants.

The Drones, like the Grunts, are a conquered race that was forced into service by the Covenant. They strictly follow Covenant religion and obey unquestioningly, but do not take part in social norms due to a difficulty in communication with other species. They view the Prophets as their "queens", a remnant of their former hive lifestyle.

See also

• List of extraterrestrials in fiction

References

1. "The GameSpot Guide to Halo: Combat Evolved — The Covenant". GameSpot. October 17, 2003. Retrieved September 8. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help) Requires GameSpot registration.
2. ^ Mercy: Halo. Its divine wind will rush through the stars, propelling all who are worthy along the path to salvation. - Bungie Studios (2004). Halo 2 (Xbox). Microsoft. Level/area: Sacred Icon.
3. ^ Bungie, ed. (2001). Halo: Combat Evolved Instruction Manual - The Story So Far. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 4.
4. "The GameSpot Guide to Halo: Combat Evolved — The Flood". GameSpot. October 17,2003. Retrieved September 8. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= and |date= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help) Requires GameSpot registration.
5. ^ Trautmann, Eric (2004). The Art of Halo. New York: Del Ray Publishing. p. 51. ISBN 0-345-47586-0.
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9. Trautmann, Eric (2004). The Art of Halo. New York: Del Ray Publishing. p. 100. ISBN 0-345-47586-0.
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11. Trautmann, Eric (2004). The Art of Halo. New York: Del Ray Publishing. p. 143. ISBN 0-345-47586-0.
12. Trautmann, Eric (2004). The Art of Halo. New York: Del Ray Publishing. p. 120. ISBN 0-345-47586-0.
13. Cortana: You have no idea how this ring works, do you? Why the forerunners built it? Halo doesn't kill flood, it kills their food. Humans, covenant, whatever. We're all equally edible. The only way to stop the flood is to starve them to death. And that's exactly what Halo is designed to do; wipe the galaxy clean of all sentient life. - Bungie Studios (2001). Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox). Microsoft. Level/area: Two Betrayals.
14. 343 Guilty Spark: After exhausting every other strategic option, my creators activated the rings. They, and all additional sentient life in three radii of the galactic center, died ...as planned. - Bungie Studios (2004). Halo 2 (Xbox). Microsoft. Level/area: The Great Journey.
15. Arbiter: Tartarus. The Prophets have betrayed us. / Tartarus: No, Arbiter! The Great Journey has begun! And the Brutes, not the Elites, shall be the Prophets' escort! - Bungie Studios (2004). Halo 2 (Xbox). Microsoft. Level/area: The Great Journey.
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17. Fade up, to see the broken remnants of the Alpha Halo; a Covenant assault carrier flies into view, and camera tracks with it. A huge Covenant fleet has arrived at the wreckage of Halo, and with them a massive, incredibly complex hemisphere structure. Text reads, "Covenant Holy City, High Charity Ninth Age of Reclamation". - Bungie Studios (2004). Halo 2 (Xbox). Microsoft. Level/area: The Great Journey.
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27. Heretic Leader: The Elites are blind, Arbiter. But I... will make them see. - Bungie Studios (2004). Halo 2 (Xbox). Microsoft. Level/area: Oracle.
28. Truth: Re-commissioning the guard was a radical step, but recent events have made it abundantly clear that the Elites can no longer guarantee our safety. - Bungie Studios (2004). Halo 2 (Xbox). Microsoft. Level/area: Sacred Icon.
29. Arbiter: (to Prophets) We have always been your protectors. - Bungie Studios (2004). Halo 2 (Xbox). Microsoft. Level/area: Sacred Icon.
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33. O'Conner, Frank. "Frankie discusses the possibilities of the Covenant's weapons". bungie.org. Retrieved February 22. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |accessdate= (help); Unknown parameter |accessyear= ignored (|access-date= suggested) (help)
34. Cortana: From what I've been able to piece together, their leadership ordered all ships to abandon Halo when they found the Flood, but they were too late. The Flood overwhelmed this cruiser and disabled it. The Covenant are terrified the Flood will repair the ship and use it to escape from Halo. - Bungie Studios (2001). Halo: Combat Evolved (Xbox). Microsoft. Level/area: Keyes.
35. Dietz, William (2003). Halo: The Flood. New York: Ballantine Books. p. 292. ISBN 0-345-45921-0.
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38. See the Halo Graphic Novel story, "Last Voyages of the Infinite Succor".
39. ^ Halo 3 Essentials; disc 2' (DVD). Microsoft. 2007. {{cite AV media}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
40. ^ Bungie, ed. (2004). Halo 2 Instruction Manual: Breakdown of Known Covenant Units. Microsoft Game Studios. pp. 4–5.
41. Dietz, William (2003). Halo: The Flood. New York: Ballantine Books. p. 6. ISBN 0-345-45921-0.
42. ^ Trautmann, Eric (2004). The Art of Halo. New York: Del Ray Publishing. p. 55. ISBN 0-345-47586-0.
43. Trautmann, Eric (2004). The Art of Halo. New York: Del Ray Publishing. p. 56. ISBN 0-345-47586-0.
44. ^ Bungie, ed. (2001). Halo: Combat Evolved Instruction Manual. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 11.
45. Spec Ops. Leader: We are the arm of the prophets, Arbiter. And you are the blade. - Bungie Studios (2004). Halo 2 (Xbox). Microsoft. Level/area: The Arbiter.
46. Bungie (2006-02-10). "One Million Years B.X." bungie.net. Archived from the original on 2006-02-10.
47. Grunt: You have eyes, Mehmep, you've seen them bicker and fight. And you have ears, you've heard the disrespect the Jiralhanae show the Sangheili. They hate each other. Conversations from the Universe
48. Bungie, ed. (2001). Halo:Combat Evolved Instruction Manual: The Covenant. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 10.
49. Bungie, ed. (2004). Halo 2 Instruction Manual. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 4.
50. ^ Bungie, ed. (2001). Halo: Combat Evolved Instruction Manual: The Jackals. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 10.
51. Bungie, ed. (2001). Halo: Combat Evolved Instruction Manual: The Hunters. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 11.
52. Bungie, ed. (2004). Halo 2 Instruction Manual:Hunters. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 4.
53. Bungie, ed. (2004). Halo 2 Instruction Manual: Drones. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 5.

External links

• Halopedia - Halo Knowledge center
• Halo Story Page & Staten, Joe (2005). Joe Staten Interview. Retrieved January 9th, 2005.

• Articles to be merged from July 2007
• Fictional extraterrestrial species
• Fictional military organizations
• First-person shooter creatures
• The Covenant
• Halo