View source for Covenant (Halo)

{{Short description|Fictional alliance from the game Halo}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE: Covenant (''Halo'')}}
{{Sources exist|date=January 2022}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Infobox fictional race
| name                = Covenant
| series              = [[Halo (franchise)|''Halo'']]
| image               = Covenant Group.jpg
| alt                 = 
| caption             = Clockwise from left: a Covenant Mgalekgolo, Jiralhanae, Kig-Yar, and Unggoy as they appear in ''[[Halo 3]]'' (2007).
| first               = [[Halo: Combat Evolved]]
| last                = 
| creator             = [[Bungie]]
| genre               = [[First-person shooter]]
| other_names         = {{ubl|Elites (Sangheili)|Grunts (Unggoy)|Jackals (Kig-Yar)|Hunters (Mgalekgolo)|Prophets (San’Shyuum)|Brutes (Jiralhanae)}}
| sub_races           = {{ubl|'''Sangheili'''|'''Unggoy'''|'''Kig-Yar'''|'''Mgalekgolo'''|'''San’Shyuum'''|'''Jiralhanae'''}}
}}
The '''Covenant''' is a fictional military alliance of various [[extraterrestrials in fiction|extraterrestrial]] species and serves as one of the primary antagonists in the ''[[Halo (series)|Halo]]'' science fiction series. The Covenant are composed of a variety of diverse species, united under the religious worship of the enigmatic [[Forerunner (Halo)|Forerunners]] and their belief that Forerunner ringworlds, known as [[Halo (megastructure)|Halos]], will provide a path to salvation. After the Covenant leadership – the [[Characters of Halo#High Prophets|High Prophets]] – declare humanity an affront to their gods, the Covenant prosecute a lengthy genocidal campaign against the technologically inferior race.

The Covenant were first introduced in the 2001 video game ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' as enemies hunting the player character, a human supersoldier known as the [[Master Chief (Halo)|Master Chief]]. Unaware that the Halos were in fact intended to be weapons of ''mass destruction'' rather than salvation, the Covenant attempt to activate the rings on three separate occasions throughout the series, inadvertently releasing a virulent parasite known as the [[Flood (Halo)|Flood]] in the process.

To develop a distinctive look for the various races of the Covenant, Bungie artists drew inspiration from reptilian, ursine, and avian characteristics. A Covenant design scheme of purples and reflective surfaces was made to separate the aliens from human architecture.<!-- reception -->

==Overview==
In the primary [[26th century]] setting of ''Halo'', humanity and the Covenant clash for the first time in the year 2525. Searching for relics left behind by their gods, the [[Forerunners (Halo)|Forerunners]], the Covenant stumble across humans at the colony world of Harvest. The Covenant leadership discovers that the Forerunners designated humanity "reclaimers" of their legacy, and that the Covenant religion is built on falsehoods; to prevent the truth from being uncovered, they instigate a genocidal war against humanity.<ref>{{cite web|author=Lowry, Brendan|date=September 21, 2017|url=https://www.windowscentral.com/halo-timeline-beginning-human-covenant-war-and-downfall-harvest|title=Halo timeline: Beginning of the Human-Covenant War and the downfall of Harvest|website=Windows Central|access-date=October 12, 2021|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180720184058/https://www.windowscentral.com/halo-timeline-beginning-human-covenant-war-and-downfall-harvest |archive-date=July 20, 2018 }}</ref>

The Covenant's superior technology gives them a distinct advantage in the war. In 2552, the Covenant discover and destroy Reach, one of humanity's greatest military strongholds. A human ship fleeing the battle discovers a Forerunner ringworld, Alpha Halo. The Covenant believe the activation of these rings are key to bringing about salvation, but the ring is destroyed by the human supersoldier [[Master Chief (Halo)|Master Chief]]. Soon after, the Covenant falls into [[civil war]] as the truth of the Halo rings' purpose is revealed: they are actually [[Weapon of mass destruction|weapons of mass destruction]] built to stop the spread of the parasitic [[Flood (Halo)|Flood]]. The disgraced Covenant commander known as the [[Arbiter (Halo)|Arbiter]] ultimately allies with the Master Chief to stop the Covenant and Flood, ending the Human-Covenant War. In the post-war era, various factions replace the power vacuum left by the Covenant; these include the Banished, who feature as primary antagonists in ''[[Halo Infinite]]''.<ref>{{cite web|author=Lennox, Jesse|date=October 6, 2021|url=https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/halo-story/|title=The story of Halo so far: What you need to know before playing Halo Infinite|website=[[Digital Trends]]|access-date=October 12, 2021|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211007025709/https://www.digitaltrends.com/gaming/halo-story/ |archive-date=October 7, 2021 }}</ref>

==Game development==
Throughout much of the development of ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', very little concrete story details had been developed for the story campaign, and what trials the player character would face. Writer [[Joseph Staten]] and other Bungie staff came up with the idea of a coalition of alien races, subsequently deciding that the faction would be motivated by religion.<ref name="vice-untoldhistoryhalo">{{cite web|author=Haske, Steven|date=May 30, 2017|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-complete-untold-history-of-halo-an-oral-history/|title=The Complete, Untold History of Halo|work=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]|publisher=Vice Media|url-status=live|access-date=March 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315011247/https://waypoint.vice.com/en_us/article/xwqjg3/the-complete-untold-history-of-halo-an-oral-history|archive-date=March 15, 2018}}</ref> During the course of development of ''Halo'', the designers decided upon three "schools" of architecture, for each of the factions represented – 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 faction came from environmental artist Paul Russell,<ref name="trautmann_2004"/>{{rp|86}} while concept artist Shi Kai Wang was instrumental in developing the look of the various races within the Covenant. Armor color was used to denote ranks of enemies.<ref name="vice-untoldhistoryhalo"/>

Like the character designs, Covenant technology, architecture, and design continually changed throughout development, occasionally for practical reasons as well as aesthetics.<ref name="trautmann_2004"/>{{rp|98}} 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.<ref name="trautmann_2004"/>{{rp|100}}

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.<ref name="trautmann_2004"/>{{rp|125}} At the same time, the designers wanted all aspects of Covenant technology, especially the vehicles, to act plausibly.<ref name="trautmann_2004"/>{{rp|143}} In contrast to human weapons firing projectiles, many of the Covenant's weaponry are depicted as firing [[Directed-energy weapon|plasma]]. A few of the Covenant's weapons are not plasma-based, including the Needler, which fires razor-sharp pink needles capable of homing on organic foes. A weapons expert noted parallels between the Needler and ancient Greek Amazons painting their daggers pink as a psychological weapon.<ref name="egm-needler">{{cite magazine|author=Samoon, Evan|date=July 2008|title=Gun Show: A real military expert takes aim at videogame weaponry to reveal the good, the bad, and the just plain silly|magazine=[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]|volume=1|issue=230|pages=49}}</ref> Bungie designed the majority of Covenant technology to mirror the aesthetic of the Elites; the exteriors are sleek and graceful, with a more angular and complex core underneath hinting at the Forerunner origins of the technology.<ref name="boroumand_2008"/>{{rp|60}}

===Species===
Covenant society is depicted as a [[caste]] system composed of different species. Bungie's artists looked at live animals and films for inspiration; as a result, the species within the Covenant bear [[simian]], [[Reptile|reptilian]], [[Bird|avian]], and [[Bear|ursine]] characteristics.<ref name="trautmann_2004"/>{{rp|51}} Concept artist Shi Kai Wang focused on making each enemy seem appropriate to its role in gameplay.<ref name="robinson_2011"/>{{rp|47}} The species within the Covenant include:

*'''Sangheili''' (called "Elites" in Human language) who stand nearly 8'6{{'}}{{'}} (2.6 m) and feature recharging personal shields. The Sangheili initially had simple mouths, which developed into pairs of split mandibles substituting for the lower jaws. Bungie concept artist Shi Kai Wang noted that project lead [[Jason Jones (programmer)|Jason Jones]] had been insistent on giving the Sangheili a tail.<ref name="trautmann_2004"/>{{rp|37}} While Wang thought it made the aliens look too animalistic, the idea was dropped due to practical considerations, including where the tail would go when the Sangheili were driving vehicles.<ref name="trautmann_2004"/>{{rp|38}} According to Paul Russel, when Bungie was bought by Microsoft and ''Halo'' was turned into an Xbox launch title, Microsoft took issue with the design of the Sangheili, as they felt that the Sangheili had a resemblance to cats that might alienate [[Japan]]ese consumers.<ref name="podcast-russell">{{cite video |people=Jarrard, Brian; Smith, Luke, &c |date=August 21, 2008 |title=Bungie Podcast: With Paul Russell and Jerome Simpson |url=http://download.microsoft.com/download/4/d/c/4dcc4b82-fee5-4570-b28f-b573a1ad1631/Bungie_Podcast_082108.mp3 |format=MP3 |medium=Podcast |publisher=[[Bungie]] |location=Kirkland, Washington |access-date=August 27, 2008 |time= |quote= |archive-date=February 3, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090203173816/http://download.microsoft.com/download/4/d/c/4dcc4b82-fee5-4570-b28f-b573a1ad1631/Bungie_Podcast_082108.mp3 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Elites usually take command of a Grunt squad.
*'''Unggoy''' (Nicknamed "Grunts" by humans), are short, [[methane]]-breathing [[Bipedalism|bipeds]] commonly depicted as basic foot soldiers. Squat and cowardly fighters, Unggoy panic and flee if players kill their commanders<ref name="ign-halo-review1">{{cite web|author=Boulding, Aaron|date=November 9, 2001|url=http://xbox.ign.com/articles/165/165922p1.html|title=Halo: Combat Evolved Review|website=[[IGN]]|access-date=February 19, 2009|archive-date=August 21, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120821193904/http://xbox.ign.com/articles/165/165922p1.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> although they can pose a threat on higher [[Difficulty (video games)|difficulty]] settings, especially if encountered in groups.
*'''Kig-Yar''' (Nicknamed "Jackals" by humans) carry energy shields or long-ranged weaponry. In some cases, such as with the Kig-Yar, the overall design was honed once the enemy's role was clearly defined.<ref name="trautmann_2004"/>{{rp|28}} The Jackals are generally used as snipers and shock troops.
*'''Mgalekgolo''' (Nicknamed "Hunters" by humans) are collectives species of pseudo [[annelid]] creatures called Lekgolo worms that physically shape their colonies in both powerful and practical ways. They are encased in tough armor.<ref name="bungie_2004"/>{{rp|4–5}} Initial concepts were less humanoid-looking and softer than the final shape, with angular shields and razor-sharp spines.<ref name="trautmann_2004"/>{{rp|33}} Hunters are encountered in pairs, and if one is killed, the survivor becomes enraged.
*'''San’Shyuum''' (Nicknamed "Prophets" by humans) serve as the supreme commanders and administrators of the Covenant, and were primarily designed by Shi Kai Wang and Eric Arroyo. Originally, the San’Shyuum were built in a more unified way, with the gravity thrones they used for flotation and movement 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.<ref name="trautmann_2004"/>{{rp|55–56}}
*'''Jiralhanae''' (Nicknamed "Brutes" by humans) are even more physically imposing than the Sangheili, with their society organized around tribal chieftains. Inspired by the animators watching biker films, the Jiralhanae incorporated simian and ursine elements while retaining an alien look. Wang's final concept for the creatures in ''Halo 2'', replete with bandoliers and human skulls, was simplified for the game.<ref name="trautmann_2004"/>{{rp|37–38}} Jiralhanae were meant to typify the abusive alien menace of the Covenant and in the words of design lead Jaime Griesemer, to serve as "barbarians in Rome".<ref name="et tu brute"/>

Other members of the Covenant include insectoid Yanme'e (Drones); the animators found the creatures challenging, as they had to be animated to walk, run, crawl, or fly on multiple surfaces. Old concept art from ''Combat Evolved'' was repurposed in influencing the Yanme'e final shape, which took cues from [[Cockroach|cockroaches]], [[Grasshopper|grasshoppers]], and [[Wasp|wasps]].<ref name="trautmann_2004"/>{{rp|55}} Cut from ''Combat Evolved'' were floating support workers known as the Huragok (Engineers),<ref name="trautmann_2004"/> in fact constructed machines that closely resemble, but aren't, organic creatures. They were crafted by the Forerunners as natural mechanical engineers.<ref name="halowaypoint_huragok">{{cite web|url=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/species/huragok-engineers|title=Huragok : Species|website=Halo Waypoint|access-date=October 21, 2021|archive-date=March 29, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170329000851/https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/species/huragok-engineers|url-status=dead}}</ref> Huragok later made appearances in ''[[Halo Wars]]'', ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'', ''[[Halo Reach]]'' and ''[[Halo Wars 2]]'' as well as various novels.

With subsequent games, the Covenant and their look were changed or refined to account for increased graphic hardware or gameplay needs. In ''Halo 3'', the Jiralhanae became the primary enemy, and they were heavily redesigned. Concept artists took inspiration from rhinoceroses and gorillas, and armored them with buckles and clothing to represent a different aesthetic look compared to the Covenant. Weaponry was designed to reflect the Jiralhanae’s "souls" distilled to its purest form – conveyed by dangerous shapes, harsh colors, and objects that looked "dangerous to be around".<ref name="boroumand_2008"/>{{rp|47}} The more seasoned the Brute, the more ornate clothing and helmets; the armor was designed to convey a culture and tradition to the species, and emphasize their mass and power. Designs for ''Halo 3'' took cues from ancient Greek Spartans.<ref name="boroumand_2008"/>{{rp|22–25}} Character animators recorded intended actions for the new Jiralhanae in a padded room at Bungie. A new addition to the Jiralhanae artificial intelligence was a pack mentality; leader Brutes direct large-scale actions simultaneously, such as throwing grenades towards a player.<ref name="et tu brute">{{cite video |date=December 2006 |title=ViDoc: Et Tu, Brute? |url=http://www.bungie.net/News/Media.aspx?mid=13858&age_verify=1 |format= |medium= |publisher=[[Bungie]] |location= |access-date=February 15, 2009 }}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

''[[Halo: Reach]]'' served as a prequel to ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', and creative director Marcus Lehto pushed for the team to revamp the Covenant. The aliens' translated English was replaced with untranslated, guttural alien sounds, and their look and weaponry was redesigned. The goal was to make the Covenant intimidating and more alien to players.<ref name="sofge_2010">{{cite journal|last=Sofge|first=Erik|date=October 2010|title=The Halo Effect|journal=[[Popular Mechanics]]|volume=187|issue=10|issn=|page=88}}</ref>

==Analysis==
The Covenant serve as one of a number of religious allusions in ''Halo''. Their name refers to sacred agreements between the people of Israel and their God in Jewish and Christian tradition, and could be used to indicate the attitude of superiority complex the aliens have to the inferior and sacrilegious humans. The Covenant's ships bear names referring to elements of Judeo-Christian religion.<ref name="Paulissen_2018">{{cite journal|year=2018|author=Paulissen, P.C.J.M.|title=The Dark of the Covenant: Christian Imagery, Fundamentalism, and the Relationship between Science and Religion in the Halo Video Game Series|journal=Religions|volume=9|issue=4|page=126|doi=10.3390/rel9040126|doi-access=free|s2cid=62790164 |url=http://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3648/d6193da5f7db8278ae8003d73fecb88dc769.pdf}}</ref> A review of religions and religious material in video games noted that the Covenant's invented religion had many similarities to those in similar games, and would likely be called a [[cult]] in the real world.<ref name="bainbridge_2007">{{cite journal|author=Bainbridge, William; Wilma Alice Bainbridge|date=September 2007|title=Electronic Game Research Methodologies: Studying Religious Implications|journal=Review of Religious Research|volume=49|issue=1|issn=|page=41}}</ref> The thematic parallels of religious zealots fighting an American military metaphor was not lost on Microsoft's content review team, who forced a name change of the holy warrior "[[Dervish]]" to Arbiter before the release of ''[[Halo 2]]''.<ref name="vice-untoldhistoryhalo"/><ref name="Paulissen_2018"/> Theologian P.C.J.M. Paulissen notes that while on the surface the ''Halo'' games present a conflict between rational humans and religious alien fanaticism, the comparison is complicated by the technical superiority of the Covenant (they wield energy weapons compared to primitive human ballistics) and the games seem to reject the idea science and religion are rigidly disconnected.<ref name="Paulissen_2018"/>

==Cultural impact==
===Merchandise===
Microsoft has commissioned multiple sets of action figures and merchandise featuring Covenant characters for each video game. The ''Halo 3'' action figure sets have been made by [[McFarlane Toys]], and include Brutes and Jackals.<ref>{{cite magazine|author=Staff|date=April 2008|title=McFarlane 'Halo' Figures|magazine=[[Game Informer]]|volume=1|issue=180|pages=34}}</ref> The Covenant's weaponry has also been adapted into large-scale replicas.<ref>{{cite web|last=Luna|first=Kevin|date=October 1, 2021|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/consumer-reviews/sns-bestreviews-games-best-gifts-halo-fans-20211001-ed3axofqizdunnlceo62qxp2lq-story.html|title=The best gifts for Halo fans|website=[[Chicago Tribune]]|access-date=October 19, 2021|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211002163428/https://www.chicagotribune.com/consumer-reviews/sns-bestreviews-games-best-gifts-halo-fans-20211001-ed3axofqizdunnlceo62qxp2lq-story.html |archive-date=October 2, 2021 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Pearce|first=Alanah|date=April 15, 2016|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2016/04/14/11-coolest-halo-toys-ever-made|title=11 of the Coolest Halo Toys Ever Made|website=[[IGN]]|access-date=October 19, 2021|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160417191515/http://www.ign.com:80/articles/2016/04/14/11-coolest-halo-toys-ever-made |archive-date=April 17, 2016 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Makuch|first=Eddie|date=September 21, 2015|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/halo-5-gets-its-own-mega-bloks-toys/1100-6430709/|title=Halo 5 Gets Its Own Mega Bloks Toys|website=[[GameSpot]]|access-date=October 18, 2021|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150919231227/http://www.gamespot.com:80/articles/halo-5-gets-its-own-mega-bloks-toys/1100-6430709/ |archive-date=September 19, 2015 }}</ref><!-- http://news.teamxbox.com/xbox/6028/Halo-2-Action-Figures-New-Pictures -->

===Reception===
The Covenant were positively received in ''Combat Evolved'', with their artificial intelligence praised and the different tactics needed to defeat each enemy type commended.<ref name="edge_review">{{cite magazine | magazine=[[Edge (magazine)|Edge]] | title=Halo: Combat Evolved review | issue=105 | date=November 29, 2001 | url=http://www.edge-online.com/review/halo-review/ | publisher=[[Future plc|Future Publishing]] | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141014154037/http://www.edge-online.com/review/halo-review/ | archive-date=October 14, 2014 | url-status=dead}}</ref>

The ability to experience the storyline of ''Halo 2'' from the Covenant perspective was described as a "brilliant stroke of game design". Allowing the player to assume the role of a Sangheili who was described as providing an unexpected plot twist, and allowing the player to experience a "newfound complexity to the story".<ref>{{cite web|author=Kasavin, Greg|date=November 7, 2004|url=http://www.gamespot.com/xbox/action/halo2/review.html?page=2|title=''Halo 2'' for Xbox Review|publisher=GameSpot|access-date=October 25, 2007}}</ref> In addition, some reviewers thought that this provided the series with a significant plot element – [[IGN]] referred to it as the "intriguing side story of Thel 'Vadam and his Sangheili" – and its elimination in ''[[Halo 3]]'' was pointed to as responsible for reducing the role of the Arbiter within the series plot.<ref name="IGN">{{cite web| author=Goldstein, Hillary| url=http://xbox360.ign.com/articles/821/821911p1.html| title=''Halo 3'' Review|website=[[IGN]]| date=September 23, 2007| access-date=October 25, 2007}}</ref> ''[[Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition]]'' listed Covenant as 16th in their list of top 50 Villains.<ref>{{cite web|last=Nichols|first=Scott|date=January 24, 2013|url=https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/a453360/guinness-world-records-counts-down-top-50-video-game-villains/|title=Guinness World Records counts down top 50 video game villains|website=[[Digital Spy]]|access-date=October 19, 2021|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190819033537/https://www.digitalspy.com/videogames/a453360/guinness-world-records-counts-down-top-50-video-game-villains/ |archive-date=August 19, 2019 }}</ref>
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==References==
{{reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name="vice-untoldhistoryhalo">{{cite web|author=Haske, Steven|date=May 30, 2017|url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-complete-untold-history-of-halo-an-oral-history/|title=The Complete, Untold History of Halo|work=[[Vice (magazine)|Vice]]|publisher=Vice Media|url-status=live|access-date=March 27, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180315011247/https://waypoint.vice.com/en_us/article/xwqjg3/the-complete-untold-history-of-halo-an-oral-history|archive-date=March 15, 2018}}</ref>

*<ref name="robinson_2011">{{cite book|editor=Robinson, Martin|year=2011|title=The Great Journey—Halo: The Art of Building Worlds|publisher=Titan Books|isbn=978-08576-8562-9}}</ref>
*<ref name="boroumand_2008">{{cite book|editor=Boroumand, Shaida|year=2008|title=The Art of Halo 3|publisher=Random House|isbn=978-07615-6072-2}}</ref>
*<ref name="bungie_2004">{{cite book | year=2004 | author=[[Bungie]] | title=Halo 2 Instruction Manual | publisher=Microsoft Game Studios}}</ref>
*<ref name="trautmann_2004">{{cite book |last= Trautmann|first=Eric|title=The Art of Halo|year= 2004|publisher= Del Ray Books|location=New York |isbn=0-345-47586-0}}</ref>

}}

==External links==
* {{Halopedia|Covenant}}

{{Halo series|state=https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Covenant_(Halo)}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Covenant}}
[[Category:Fictional extraterrestrial species and races]]
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[[Category:Video game species and races]]