Summary
In 2021,Halo Infinitebrought back many fan-favorite classic elements to the long-beloved video game series, such as new Master Chief armor based on the iconic Mark 6 Gen 1 Mjolnir armor and the setting of an actual Halo ring. 343 Industries didn’t only cater to older fans, however, asInfiniteintroduced several new elements including brute-made voltaic weaponry and The Endless. Represented by The Harbinger, the Endless are said to be more dangerous than the zombie-like Flood, yet exact details on this new alien race are currently sparse. With The Endless expected to be the main antagonists ofHalo 7, 343 Industries needs to delve more into their history beyondHalo Infiniteto make the Endless a credible threat.
Halo Infinite: The Endless Explained
Through the discovery of audio logs as well as interaction with The Harbinger and Zeta Halo’s monitors, 343 Industries introduced players to the Endless, a subject that the Forerunners tried to keep secret for eternity. Followingthe activation of the Halo arraywhich wiped out all sentient life in the galaxy, Forerunner and ancilla remnants discovered that one species survived Halo’s activation: The Endless, also known as the Xalanyn. Forerunner remnants were perplexed by this species as they were never encountered before throughout their empire’s millennia, and they appeared to be immune to the Halo rings, suggesting that they too may be immune to the Flood as both entities target organisms’ immune systems.
The Endless, as a powerful, sentient species, put the Forerunner’s plan on restarting the galaxy and ushering humanity to claim the Mantle of Responsibility at risk. Due to this threat, Forerunner remnants ultimately sentenced the entire Xalanyn race to banishment within genetic repositories calledcylixes on Zeta Halo. To further protect emerging species and keep knowledge of the Endless a secret, Forerunner remnants attempted to destroy all records of the species’ existence, but few remained on the Ark and Zeta Halo itself. Installation 07’s monitor 117649 Despondent Pyre felt remorse for these actions and isolated herself from contact with the other Halo rings.
The Harbinger’s Resurrection and Fall
By the time of the late 26th century, Atriox discovered knowledge of the Endless on the Ark and ventured to Zeta Halo to recruit them in the newfound war against humanity after the destruction of his homeworld Doisac. With aid from War Chief Escharum and human prisoners,the Banished were able to revive the Harbinger, as well as a minor species called the gasgira or skimmers. The Harbinger allied herself with the Banished to revive the rest of her species but perished from Master Chief just as Atriox managed to gain access to the remainder of the Endless’ cylixes. InHalo Infinite’s legendary ending, it’s further revealed that the powerful Forerunner ancilla Offensive Bias was deployed to deal with the Xalanyn threat.
The skimmers aren’t Xalanyn but are suspected to be related to them in some way due to the gasgira sharing similar characteristics with the Harbinger and her support for enlisting them in the Banished’s military.
The Endless’ Potential in Halo 7
While the Endless are said to be, in Cortana’s words, “worse” than the Flood, nothing inHalo Infiniteor expanded media has shown how the Xalanyn are more of a threat than the all-consuming Flood parasite. If the skimmers are related to the Endless in some way, they aren’t a good representation ofthe lethality of the Endless, as they can easily be taken down with a single pistol shot and can’t seem to fly higher than five feet off the ground. The Harbinger herself appeared to be powerful with shock blasts and teleport abilities, but even she was easily taken down by Master Chief, the brute chieftain in the Silent Auditorium acting more of a deadly opponent than the Xalanyn.
Halo 7needs to illustrate whythe Endless are as threatening as the Floodor at least show their potential to become as dangerous as the parasite. Little is known about the Xalanyn’s culture before their banishment, but fans have suggested that they may be a variant of the Precursors, the alien race that was destroyed by the Forerunners and ultimately became the Flood. This could possibly explain their immunity to the Halo rings and the Flood. It may further explain how they can be a threat to the galaxy as the Precursors waged a galactic-scale war with the Forerunners millions of years ago.Halo Infinite’s new threat needs to be expanded upon in-game and not be regulated to books like the Didact.
Halo Infinite
WHERE TO PLAY
When all hope is lost and humanity’s fate hangs in the balance, the Master Chief is ready to confront the most ruthless foe he’s ever faced. Step inside the armor of humanity’s greatest hero to experience an epic open-world adventure and explore the massive scale of the Halo ring.With Network Campaign Co-Op and Mission Replay, you’re able to relive your favorite moments, rediscover collectibles and explore the wonders of Zeta Halo on your own or with up to three other fireteam members.Experience Halo’s celebrated multiplayer reimagined and free-to-play! With over 70 maps in matchmaking, billions of customization configurations, and countless community Forge creations to experience, Halo Infinite is the franchise’s most expansive multiplayer offering to date.Enjoy an unprecedented variety of gameplay experiences, ranging from fast-paced intense ranked modes to whimsical mayhem in Custom Games, or even co-operative coordination in the wave-based survival mode Firefight: King of the Hill. Assemble your Fireteam and conquer every mode – Halo offers endless opportunities for teamwork, strategy, and unforgettable victories.
