One of the things that Halo fans already know is the fact that the Covenant is composed of eight species of aliens that are grouped together to form one religious order. There are some Covenant aliens that are used as grunts, but some of them are mainly used as bodyguards or special warriors. In that regard, in the finale of season 1 of Halo, we saw a group of large Covenant aliens that gave some trouble to Silver Team. So, what are those large Covenant Aliens in the Halo season finale?
The large Covenant aliens that gave a lot of trouble to Silver Team on the Covenant planet are the Brutes or the Jiralhanae. These are bipedal ape-like aliens that are known for their strength and specialization in close combat. Brutes, with the exception of the Mgalekgolo, are physically the strongest Covenant aliens.
Brutes are known to be some of the most trusted Covenant aliens by the Prophets because they are very dangerous in combat and are loyal to them. As such, they served as the bodyguards of the Prophets in the Halo games and in the Halo series, as the Brutes were the ones blocking Silver Team’s way to the artifact. Now, let’s get to know more about the Jiralhanae.
What Are The Large Covenant Aliens In The Halo Season Finale?
Throughout the long history of the Halo video games, we know for a fact that it began with a war between humanity and the alien religious group known as the Covenant. Now, when it comes to the Covenant, this is a group that has a lot of different alien races that were indoctrinated into the religious order by the Prophets. And that is why there are eight alien races in the Covenant.
The Halo TV series took this element and made sure to include all of the different alien species in the live-action version of the Covenant. We have seen a few of them so far, such as the Elites, Unggoys, Jackals, and the Prophets. However, the alien race that has stood out so far was in action during the season 1 finale of Halo.
In that episode, Master Chief and the rest of Silver Team went to the Covenant planet to retrieve the artifacts that Makee had stolen from the UNSC. Their cover got blown when the artifacts were joined together as the Prophets summoned a huge army of Covenant soldiers to protect them from the four Spartans that were on their way to retrieve the artifacts.
Master Chief, Kai, Vannak, and Riz were able to do well against the waves of Elites and the other Covenant aliens sent their way. However, when they got closer to the temple-like structure where the Prophets, Makee, and the artifacts were, they got roadblocked by large Covenant warriors that looked like apes and were wielding hammer-like weapons.
These large Covenant aliens made life difficult for the Spartans as they struggled to take them down. But what made it worse was that an even larger alien appeared behind the others. And this guy looked like the leader of this alien race as he was the strongest of them all.
Take note that the Spartans didn’t find it difficult to handle any of the other Covenant aliens in the past, as one of them could take on multiple Elites. However, these axe-wielding aliens gave them a lot of trouble because they wore thick armor and were larger and stronger than any of the Spartans. So, what are these large Covenant aliens?
These aliens are called the Brutes or the Jiralhanae. The Brutes are large ape-like aliens that wield large axes or hammers in combat and wear thick armor that allow them to absorb damage from most of the weapons that the Spartans can throw at them.
Take note that this was not the first time that a Brute appeared on the Halo TV series. Back in episode 5, when the Covenant attacked the UNSC group that was recovering the larger artifact over at Eridanus II, a large Jiralhanae appeared and acted as a roadblock that prevented Master Chief from stopping the Covenant from obtaining the artifact. This Brute is the very same one that appeared as the last line of defense of the temple of the Prophets in the season 1 finale of Halo.
As savage and as brutal as the Jiralhanae may be, they were smart enough to learn spaceflight. However, because of their brutal nature, they were often at war with one another. It came to the point that the Brutes waged a civil war that pushed their technology back to the pre-industrial age. As such, when the Covenant found them, they were quickly defeated and absorbed into the religious order’s ranks.
In the Halo video games, the Brutes are the most trusted Covenant aliens by the Prophets. They took the place of the Elites, who were once the second only to the Prophets in the Covenant. However, after the Elites lost to the Spartans in the first Halo game, the Brutes took over.
Meanwhile, in the series, it seems like the Jiralhanae are also second only to the Prophets. That’s because the Prophets trusted them enough to act as the last line of defense against the Spartans. And this is going to be an interesting storyline to see, especially if the Halo TV series will adopt the Arbiter storyline in the Halo games.
Are Brutes The Strongest Covenant Aliens?
As mentioned, the Brutes are large and strong Covenant aliens that are larger and stronger than the Elites, who themselves are already quite big and powerful. Thanks to their size and strength, the Jiralhanae are capable of wielding massive close-quarter weapons and wear heavy armor. But does that mean that they are the strongest Covenant aliens?
In terms of their overall size and strength, the Brutes are the strongest Covenant aliens. But that is if we don’t count the Mgalekgolo or the Hunters, which are composed of several Lekgolos that bonded with one another to form a humanoid body. The Mgalekgolos are the strongest Covenant aliens, but they are only strong when the tentacle-like Lekgolos form a body. However, the Brutes are stronger individually.
While the Brutes may be the strongest Covenant aliens in terms of their overall strength levels, the Elites could still give them a run. Elites may not be stronger or bigger from a physical standpoint, but they are quicker and more skilled in combat. They could also use ranged weapons that could make a difference in a fight against the Brutes.
With that said, the Brutes are incredibly powerful, as seen in the Halo live-action series. But there are other Covenant aliens that could prove to be better than they are in battle. The only reason why the Brutes seem to perform better against the Spartans is that they are built to have the combat advantage over them. Still, the Hunters and the Elites are just as strong or even stronger.
