When it comes to the Covenant, no other race is more famous than the saurian-like Sangheili, better known as the Elites. They are tough, aggressive, smart, and they will stop at nothing to ensure that their enemies are taken down.
The Elites would have been the cause of humanity's downfall, but fortunate circumstances made them its greatest allies instead. To better understand how they transitioned from threat to unlikely partners in the Human-Covenant war, we must learn how they joined the alien empire.
Before helping to create the alien empire, the Elites were on their homeworld of Sanghelios, where they established a martial culture that focused primarily on strength and honor. While this makes them seem primitive, they were anything but, as they are intelligent beings that masterfully utilized Forerunner technology and their own, allowing them to take on anyone who thought they'd be easy prey.
But as amazing as they were, even they were no match for the invaders who waged war with them in their homeworld: the Prophets. These are the beings that sought the Forerunner technology the Elites had, as well as any artifacts they possessed. With the Prophets' superior firepower, they more than had the upper hand.
The reason for the invasion, to begin with, is that, much like the Elites, the Prophets worshipped the Forerunners as beings of divinity and would do absolutely everything to acquire the relics they left behind, even wiping out an entire race. To prevent such a cruel fate, the Elites tried and successfully formed a truce with the Prophets, under which the Prophets would be sworn protectors and the Elites would provide the military might of their new leaders.
This culminated in the creation of the Covenant, and it's here where things get really interesting. After successfully establishing the wisps of the alien empire, the Prophets made it clear to the Elites the purpose of finding more Forerunner technology and artifacts: to utilize them to locate and activate the Halo rings. In doing so, they believed they could attain the same state of divinity as their supposed gods, and this belief instilled religious fervor among the Elites, securing their loyalty and devotion to the cause.
With the alliance secured, the Prophets immediately used their new protectors to seek out planets that contained any traces of Forerunners. This resulted in many homes being destroyed, and races being subjugated to join the Covenant and aid in its glorious mission to enter the realm of divinity that their gods had gone to before them, which came to be known as The Great Journey.
The Elites used their superior might and intelligence to carry out every order without question, truly believing that their cause was noble and worth the travesties they had and would commit. However, this began to change upon waging war with humanity. The Prophets led the Covenant to believe that humans are heretics, a race that would oppose the activation of the Halo rings. The Elites, as always, carried out the will of their leaders that involved the extermination of all human life, taking part in a war that lasted nearly 30 years.
Within that time, however, the Prophets schemed to replace their established protectors with the more easily manipulated Brutes, as they discovered that humanity was actually meant to be favored by the Forerunners, and not the Covenant. They also learned that the Halo rings they once coveted were actual weapons of mass destruction, destroying all sentient life in the galaxy, with a few exceptions.
Such information would have caused the empire to crumble, and the Elites likely would have been the first to rise in power, which is why the dubious plot was formed. Following significant events, such as the death of a religious leader at the hands of the Master Chief and the Arbiter being put out of commission, the Prophets immediately set their plan in motion. This led to an immediate civil war within the Covenant, known as the Great Schism, and saw many of the Elites being hunted and killed by their former allies.
However, the catastrophe can actually be seen as a blessing. After the betrayal, the banished Elites were able to learn the truth that the Prophets kept hidden, thanks to a returning Arbiter, and sided with the humans in preventing the rings from being activated. While it was a shaky alliance, it achieved its goal of preventing The Great Journey from being fulfilled, resulting in the complete dissolution of the Covenant.
With the Prophets no longer clouding them with the delusional promise of divinity, the Elites returned to their home of Sanghelios, free to do whatever they wished. Some, like the Arbiter, continued their peace with humanity, while others chose the opposite and continued to fight.
But regardless of what the Elites decided to do next, they're now free to live the lives they've earned. Even though their story is over, they may still have a part to play in the Halo universe, but that's something we'll have to wait and see in the future.
For more like this, stick with us here at Gfinityesports.com, the best website for gaming features and opinions.