Theory: Why Atriox will hate Cortana

Games Halo Wars Series
1

So we’re starting to get a clearer sense of the Banished and Atriox as a faction.

Especially in the flashback scene you really feel the rage and venom that Atriox has against the Covenant. How his people are dying for a faith they don’t believe in. How they killed most of his clan and how he spent a few decades fighting the Covenant.

This hatred seems to be on the one hand personal, but also against the things the Covenant embodied. In particular its irrational worship of the Forerunners of Gods. Hence why his men dying to “speed their holy journey” would get him a little angry. This seems to not just be Atriox. The other commanders are noted as being hostile to the Covenant faith and his own faction are identified for being murderers and mercenaries. Apart from Jackals this is actually a huge contrast to how the Covenant has usually been portrayed as an army of Crusaders.

So, you’re a 12 foot monkey. You have taken over most of the former Covenant. Jul and his fanatics are gone. It looks like the Covenant is starting to forget the whole religious thing. Just need to kill the Arbiter and…

She shows up.

Firstly, this immediately threatens Atriox goal of, essentially Galactic Conquest. But I think its more personal than that.

I think he is worried that many of the Covenant races will regress into their old ways of worshipping Forerunner technology and enslave themselves to a flawed ideology that will ultimately make them weak.

Pretend you are a former Covenant Elite who earnestly believes in the old ways and just wants a cause to follow. Some proof of divine will, the way Jul did when he controlled the Prometheans. “Just send me a sign”. :smiley:

Then a Galactic AI with control of thousands of 2km mecha angels shows up and who pretty much acts like Old Testament God, says she will lift up her chosen people and will smite anyone who defies her. “Yep, that’s a pretty difficult sign to miss.”

Remember, to us humans, this is Skynet. But to a Covenant mentality its a totally different thing. Atriox, I think, understands that and sees a potential return of the old ways of the Covenant.

Think about it. These religious Covenant are Atriox mortal enemies. His lifes work has been to destroy them and cast down all they are. If they agree to serve Cortana then, like the Grunts in the canon fodder article, she will shower them with technology and supplies. This will give them the edge to reassert their dominance in the galaxy and their society. Even if Cortana plays no part in directly crushing those who oppose her this will by extension mean the return of everything Atriox fought to destroy.

2

i reckon Atriox is just a bad -Yoink- whos power hungry and hates being bossed around, he’s gone to the ark for a reason maybe he knows something even potentially about cortana and or some other threat.
He wants the brutes on top of the food chain.

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> i reckon Atriox is just a bad -Yoink- whos power hungry and hates being bossed around, he’s gone to the ark for a reason maybe he knows something even potentially about cortana and or some other threat.
> He wants the brutes on top of the food chain.

See heres the thing.

Whilst I do think that his core motivation is galactic conquest. 343 has said that his motives are a little more complex and so I think having him also have very good reasons for opposing Cortana (other than her being a big blue obstacle to him ruling the galaxy). Of course, I might be wrong, maybe they want the Banished to be so evil to point when Cortana does fight them and go “see, see, she is protecting the weak.”.

Also, I find it really odd that you would write your army of fanatical crusaders who worship Forerunner Tech out of the story at precisely the same instance as you have this Goddess show up. I mean that comparison of Cortana being a god is repeatedly made both in dialogue, appearance and mannerisms for both Halo 5 and Tales from Slipspace. If anything I would expect the Covenant to get even more crazy and religious; not less.

I did note at the San Diego comic con that in the same breath the dev referred to them as “Forerunners, Prometheans, Cortana’s forces”. Which implies a few things, but specifically that “Cortana’s forces” won’t just consist of Prometheans. So we might before Halo 6 see another Covenant spin off that are full on religious fanatics; if not the one which retains the name of the Covenant. They only change their religion to incorporate the Created as a kind of “new gods”. So we’ll get a Covenant faction with all this blue colored and chrome stuff. Maybe as HW2 DLC?

Plus, the ultimate evidence! :smiley:

Banished = Red armor

Cortana = Blue armor

So they must be mortal enemies.

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> > 2533274813946507;2:
> > i reckon Atriox is just a bad -Yoink- whos power hungry and hates being bossed around, he’s gone to the ark for a reason maybe he knows something even potentially about cortana and or some other threat.
> > He wants the brutes on top of the food chain.
>
> See heres the thing.
>
> Whilst I do think that his core motivation is galactic conquest. 343 has said that his motives are a little more complex and so I think having him also have very good reasons for opposing Cortana (other than her being a big blue obstacle to him ruling the galaxy). Of course, I might be wrong, maybe they want the Banished to be so evil to point when Cortana does fight them and go “see, see, she is protecting the weak.”.
>
> Also, I find it really odd that you would write your army of fanatical crusaders who worship Forerunner Tech out of the story at precisely the same instance as you have this Goddess show up. I mean that comparison of Cortana being a god is repeatedly made both in dialogue, appearance and mannerisms for both Halo 5 and Tales from Slipspace. If anything I would expect the Covenant to get even more crazy and religious; not less.
>
> I did note at the San Diego comic con that in the same breath the dev referred to them as “Forerunners, Prometheans, Cortana’s forces”. Which implies a few things, but specifically that “Cortana’s forces” won’t just consist of Prometheans. So we might before Halo 6 see another Covenant spin off that are full on religious fanatics; if not the one which retains the name of the Covenant. They only change their religion to incorporate the Created as a kind of “new gods”. So we’ll get a Covenant faction with all this blue colored and chrome stuff. Maybe as HW2 DLC?
>
> Plus, the ultimate evidence! :smiley:
>
> Banished = Red armor
>
> Cortana = Blue armor
>
> So they must be mortal enemies.

Hmm that’s interesting.

I assumed they wrote out Jul M’dama and the fanatics out because they killed off the didact. A lot of people didn’t like a halo 4 but I loved it the Didact was the ultimate bad guy for the series, sadly people hated the game. I thought they’d bring him back for halo 5 but maybe because of the hate they decided to change the plot line and Jul M’dama was only relevant because of the Didact.
Admittedly I’ve read the books so I obviously went into halo 4 knowing the history to all the characters and had a connection, for those that played the game not knowing what was happening and who everyone was is what makes me think all the hate was for.

The whole hype train before halo 5 had me excited for the change of direction for halo 5’s plot but it was poorly done “the whole chiefs betrayal” and lock was such a disappointment.

origanlly I had hoped for some big plot about the didact having good intentions but bad methods turning humans into promeathians because he was fearing and/or preparing for the flood to return on a massive scale.
It annoys me that they continue and end storytelling in comics away from the games leaving people in the dark.

Your points are pretty interesting and I do feel like there is some secret to atriox. How he got to the Ark and his capabilities to fend off the covenant at its prime. Maybe he’s encountered forunner technology or something that tech around his skull seems like something more then protective armour some implant possibly, but I think that’s it but of a stretch of thought.

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> > >
>
> Hmm that’s interesting.
>
> I assumed they wrote out Jul M’dama and the fanatics out because they killed off the didact. A lot of people didn’t like a halo 4 but I loved it the Didact was the ultimate bad guy for the series, sadly people hated the game. I thought they’d bring him back for halo 5 but maybe because of the hate they decided to change the plot line and Jul M’dama was only relevant because of the Didact.
> Admittedly I’ve read the books so I obviously went into halo 4 knowing the history to all the characters and had a connection, for those that played the game not knowing what was happening and who everyone was is what makes me think all the hate was for.
>
> The whole hype train before halo 5 had me excited for the change of direction for halo 5’s plot but it was poorly done “the whole chiefs betrayal” and lock was such a disappointment.
>
> origanlly I had hoped for some big plot about the didact having good intentions but bad methods turning humans into promeathians because he was fearing and/or preparing for the flood to return on a massive scale.
> It annoys me that they continue and end storytelling in comics away from the games leaving people in the dark.
>
> Your points are pretty interesting and I do feel like there is some secret to atriox. How he got to the Ark and his capabilities to fend off the covenant at its prime. Maybe he’s encountered forunner technology or something that tech around his skull seems like something more then protective armour some implant possibly, but I think that’s it but of a stretch of thought.

I wasn’t convinced the Didact was going to return because it wasn’t really my focus and none of the trailers seemed to be implying this.

My assumption from the trailers was that the Chief went off in search of Cortana and that the UNSC had it all wrong somehow. Shes a good AI! :smiley:

That actually bringing back Cortana would be a way of humanity claiming the Mantle and getting control over the Prometheans to fend off the Covenant, Flood, Didact etc. So I was pretty certain that Cortana was coming back through the Domain and taking over Forerunner Tech. But until I saw the first three missions in a preview I did not think 343 would make her the villain and have her takeover the galaxy. That completely blind sided me. I think that’s mostly because I assumed they would have the Chief actually win for a change. :smiley:

I have noticed the implants and face tattoos on Atriox. This could just be a Banished thing though. If it was some outside force I am not sure who it could be; lol if Guilty Spark is the one who led them to the Ark! :smiley:

In my head if I was imagining how Covenant loyal to Cortana would look, I am not picturing the Banished these “fighting Uruk Hai”. I’d expect them to make the armor much more tron and sleeker. Which isn’t really that far off the Bungie Covenant Ascetic. They’d also probably have lots more blue and eld symbols on their armor. They’d probably also have tattoos or war paint meant to resemble the patterning on Cortana’s hologram. I can maybe squint and see that sort of in Atriox tattoos, but everything else is at odds with that image.

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> > > >
> >
> > Hmm that’s interesting.
> >
> > I assumed they wrote out Jul M’dama and the fanatics out because they killed off the didact. A lot of people didn’t like a halo 4 but I loved it the Didact was the ultimate bad guy for the series, sadly people hated the game. I thought they’d bring him back for halo 5 but maybe because of the hate they decided to change the plot line and Jul M’dama was only relevant because of the Didact.
> > Admittedly I’ve read the books so I obviously went into halo 4 knowing the history to all the characters and had a connection, for those that played the game not knowing what was happening and who everyone was is what makes me think all the hate was for.
> >
> > The whole hype train before halo 5 had me excited for the change of direction for halo 5’s plot but it was poorly done “the whole chiefs betrayal” and lock was such a disappointment.
> >
> > origanlly I had hoped for some big plot about the didact having good intentions but bad methods turning humans into promeathians because he was fearing and/or preparing for the flood to return on a massive scale.
> > It annoys me that they continue and end storytelling in comics away from the games leaving people in the dark.
> >
> > Your points are pretty interesting and I do feel like there is some secret to atriox. How he got to the Ark and his capabilities to fend off the covenant at its prime. Maybe he’s encountered forunner technology or something that tech around his skull seems like something more then protective armour some implant possibly, but I think that’s it but of a stretch of thought.
>
> I wasn’t convinced the Didact was going to return because it wasn’t really my focus and none of the trailers seemed to be implying this.
>
> My assumption from the trailers was that the Chief went off in search of Cortana and that the UNSC had it all wrong somehow. Shes a good AI! :smiley:
>
> That actually bringing back Cortana would be a way of humanity claiming the Mantle and getting control over the Prometheans to fend off the Covenant, Flood, Didact etc. So I was pretty certain that Cortana was coming back through the Domain and taking over Forerunner Tech. But until I saw the first three missions in a preview I did not think 343 would make her the villain and have her takeover the galaxy. That completely blind sided me. I think that’s mostly because I assumed they would have the Chief actually win for a change. :smiley:
>
> I have noticed the implants and face tattoos on Atriox. This could just be a Banished thing though. If it was some outside force I am not sure who it could be; lol if Guilty Spark is the one who led them to the Ark! :smiley:
>
> In my head if I was imagining how Covenant loyal to Cortana would look, I am not picturing the Banished these “fighting Uruk Hai”. I’d expect them to make the armor much more tron and sleeker. Which isn’t really that far off the Bungie Covenant Ascetic. They’d also probably have lots more blue and eld symbols on their armor. They’d probably also have tattoos or war paint meant to resemble the patterning on Cortana’s hologram. I can maybe squint and see that sort of in Atriox tattoos, but everything else is at odds with that image.

Yeah I knew cortana would come back but not as the villain, but in halo 5 it also seemed as if Halsey new what cortana was planing and still is. I haven’t read tales from slipspace all this stuff you keep mentioning makes me think I need to hurry up and get it done. I believe some form of the librarian is out there and may play a role, I’m still not even 100% sure what she even did to Master chief with his brief encounter with her and I can’t remember but Halsey had one piece of the index someone else had the other so it seems like cortana can still be overridden she seems to be an interference with the whole “reclaimers” and humanity taking on the mantle.

In the forruner novels " the primordial " said that the furruners failed their test to be the ones to be care takers of the galaxy but humanity still had their test/trial to see if they are worthy. Potentially cortana could be this test, I had thought maybe it was the conflict with the covenant or the flood but not anymore.

i had also assumed the convent fully beaten in halo 5 didn’t realise cortana was now being worshipped. She’s probably still currupted by the gravemind. She had never been concerned with galactic peace, just doing her job and saving Humanity. But the librarian said that cortana was planned and implemented from humanity’s “re-seeding” she might have intended for this to all happen, or might not and plan on saving interfering.

God I hope they don’t -Yoink- up this storyline that they’re doing. Atriox may be a bad guy but I hope he isn’t killed off in halo wars 2 keep him going the potential for the storyline could be awesome with him playing a long term role, a new rival to the arbiter or even chief.

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> Yeah I knew cortana would come back but not as the villain, but in halo 5 it also seemed as if Halsey new what cortana was planing and still is. I haven’t read tales from slipspace all this stuff you keep mentioning makes me think I need to hurry up and get it done. I believe some form of the librarian is out there and may play a role, I’m still not even 100% sure what she even did to Master chief with his brief encounter with her and I can’t remember but Halsey had one piece of the index someone else had the other so it seems like cortana can still be overridden she seems to be an interference with the whole “reclaimers” and humanity taking on the mantle.
>
> In the forruner novels " the primordial " said that the furruners failed their test to be the ones to be care takers of the galaxy but humanity still had their test/trial to see if they are worthy. Potentially cortana could be this test, I had thought maybe it was the conflict with the covenant or the flood but not anymore.
>
> i had also assumed the convent fully beaten in halo 5 didn’t realise cortana was now being worshipped. She’s probably still currupted by the gravemind. She had never been concerned with galactic peace, just doing her job and saving Humanity. But the librarian said that cortana was planned and implemented from humanity’s “re-seeding” she might have intended for this to all happen, or might not and plan on saving interfering.
>
> God I hope they don’t -Yoink- up this storyline that they’re doing. Atriox may be a bad guy but I hope he isn’t killed off in halo wars 2 keep him going the potential for the storyline could be awesome with him playing a long term role, a new rival to the arbiter or even chief.

I remember reading somewhere they said they wanted to do more stories with him. So I am guessing he is going to survive.

If the stories tone and dialogue is on par with those first two cutscenes then you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. :wink:

Oh no, we know next to nothing about where Cortana stands with the various Covenant races. This is pure speculation on my part. I am just saying it would be quite likely given what we know of the Covenant.

Well, in Halo Fractures, the Librarian sends a message to Bornstellar saying that humanity will need the Domain. She doesn’t give a reason why but IMO, its probably for if the Flood return. So, I think she did envisage humans creating AI to help them access the Domain. But either something has gone wrong or they’re working out the kinks in that relationship.

8

Worst part is about all this, we have 2 week wait till we find out what’s really going down. :frowning:

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> Worst part is about all this, we have 2 week wait till we find out what’s really going down. :frowning:

Best part is about all this we just have 2 weeks left :wink: don`t be so mad because of some days xD

10

Atriox can crush Cortana’s little rebellion, he’ll show no mercy to her forces or her.

Probably won’t team up with humans, but he’ll destroy her if he gets the chance.

11

I feel that Atriox is the halo universe’s best villain. His goals and motives are understandable, he is smart, and tough, and commands an enormous new army of bloodthirsty brutes and elites. He should go against Cortana, not with humans with him but just by himself. And maybe the humans will also go against Cortana, then she has to fight a war on two fronts.

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> 2535428828618420;11:
> I feel that Atriox is the halo universe’s best villain. His goals and motives are understandable, he is smart, and tough, and commands an enormous new army of bloodthirsty brutes and elites. He should go against Cortana, not with humans with him but just by himself. And maybe the humans will also go against Cortana, then she has to fight a war on two fronts.

She has the Guardians and behind that an immortal and infinite army of Prometheans. This is the AI which destroyed the Covenant and Flood with just 1 Spartan. I wouldn’t write her off yet. ;D

Having seen the fight I really do wonder how a close combat fight between brutes and these Terminators Cortana controls would go.

13

Maybe Cortana and Atriox are allies and Cortana send Atrioc to the Ark, to protect the Ark from Cortanas enemies. Then just a month after Cortana take over the glalaxy >triox came to the Ark.

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> Maybe Cortana and Atriox are allies and Cortana send Atrioc to the Ark, to protect the Ark from Cortanas enemies. Then just a month after Cortana take over the glalaxy >triox came to the Ark.

I can’t see that happening.

They would be with Prometheans.

Why make the Banished a historical faction if they are immediately changed by Cortana?

Atriox and Cortana don’t seem like the sharing types.

15

You see I love this idea of the cycle somehow returning to it’s glory, despite Atriox’s clear singleminded nature against the humans, but Never do I want to see Cortana again, I like to pretend she stayed dead because that was a fantastic send off! You have a great idea but I cannot support her return in any way on my end, sorry! D:

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> > 2535413683069897;13:
> > Maybe Cortana and Atriox are allies and Cortana send Atrioc to the Ark, to protect the Ark from Cortanas enemies. Then just a month after Cortana take over the glalaxy >triox came to the Ark.
>
> I can’t see that happening.
>
> They would be with Prometheans.
>
> Why make the Banished a historical faction if they are immediately changed by Cortana?
>
> Atriox and Cortana don’t seem like the sharing types.

Or he would to fight against Cortana and think that the humans on Cortanas side because she is a human AI

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> > > Maybe Cortana and Atriox are allies and Cortana send Atrioc to the Ark, to protect the Ark from Cortanas enemies. Then just a month after Cortana take over the glalaxy >triox came to the Ark.
> >
> > I can’t see that happening.
> >
> > They would be with Prometheans.
> >
> > Why make the Banished a historical faction if they are immediately changed by Cortana?
> >
> > Atriox and Cortana don’t seem like the sharing types.
>
> Or he would to fight against Cortana and think that the humans on Cortanas side because she is a human AI

Surely he would know that Cortana attacked and conquered the UNSC? I mean she says in her speech that she’s wants to rule all organic life; human included. He has to be aware that humans would oppose Cortana as well.

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> > > > Maybe Cortana and Atriox are allies and Cortana send Atrioc to the Ark, to protect the Ark from Cortanas enemies. Then just a month after Cortana take over the glalaxy >triox came to the Ark.
> > >
> > > I can’t see that happening.
> > >
> > > They would be with Prometheans.
> > >
> > > Why make the Banished a historical faction if they are immediately changed by Cortana?
> > >
> > > Atriox and Cortana don’t seem like the sharing types.
> >
> > Or he would to fight against Cortana and think that the humans on Cortanas side because she is a human AI
>
> Surely he would know that Cortana attacked and conquered the UNSC? I mean she says in her speech that she’s wants to rule all organic life; human included. He has to be aware that humans would oppose Cortana as well.

In two weeks we know it ;D ;D nut its very funny to speculate what maybe happend ;D

19

Why some people portrait Atriox as bad… He has been humiliated and denigrated his whole live to server other people. He is just doing what anyone else with power could do, step to the front and fight against the oppressors. Cortana is a threat for everyone. Atriox will not allow that to happen. I feel Atriox just want to make Covenant to pay for what they did to his brothers and sisters. Once achieve this goal, I feel Atriox if he is as wise as they want to represent him, he will forge and empire to spread freedom along the galaxy. UNSC is an oppressor empire, they go all over the galaxy, and they don’t even try to create any sort of communion with races… UNSC just always try to divide people, like they did with the Arbiter and the Covenant taking part in the civil war and helping to one of the bands when they need most to exterminate Shangelios.

Sorry, but I only see in Atriox someone with a true faith in what he believes, and not another UNSC muppet.

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> 2553380145882876;19:
> Why some people portrait Atriox as bad… He has been humiliated and denigrated his whole live to server other people. He is just doing what anyone else with power could do, step to the front and fight against the oppressors. Cortana is a threat for everyone. Atriox will not allow that to happen. I feel Atriox just want to make Covenant to pay for what they did to his brothers and sisters. Once achieve this goal, I feel Atriox if he is as wise as they want to represent him, he will forge and empire to spread freedom along the galaxy. UNSC is an oppressor empire, they go all over the galaxy, and they don’t even try to create any sort of communion with races… UNSC just always try to divide people, like they did with the Arbiter and the Covenant taking part in the civil war and helping to one of the bands when they need most to exterminate Shangelios.
>
> Sorry, but I only see in Atriox someone with a true faith in what he believes, and not another UNSC muppet.

If I am not giving Cortana a pass on this why should I be okay with a Brute doing it?

In Tales from Slipspace Atriox relates most of his philosophy to us to convince these elites to join him. Basically, he has no interest in freedom for anyone other than himself. From what I could gather he is a bit like an honorless Mandalorian and believes that war for its own sake is a good thing and makes everybody stronger. Individuals thrive on conflict and society should be about no other ideology other than the pursuit of power and self interest. This is very much a “the weak suffer as they must” philosophy. I dd not read that and think that Atriox has some pretense of making the galaxy a better place or has any delusions that he has any sort of moral high ground.

So he isn’t fighting against his oppressors. He may personally despise them, but because he thinks they’re weak and irrational. But his hatred of Cortana is more likely to stem from “if you stop all war in the galaxy then you’ll only create weakness and rot in the galaxy”. Thats certainly not why most humans would object to Cortana, its the whole AI overlord thing; actually living in a peaceful utopia isn’t something people would object to. But to Atriox, might makes right and he would be angered at Cortana protecting the weak. So his hatred of Cortana is based on some pretty unsympathetic reasons.

Even with the Covenant. Atriox had no reason or proof that the Covenant religion was false. He is simply described as not believing in it. Remember, as far as everyone else in the Covenant is convinced, the Forerunners are gods and their great works are manifest tangible proof of the divine. So Atriox disbelief isn’t based on any sort of reason or evidence. The fact he turned out to be right is irrelevant. This suggests a cynicism and immorality to his character. That he is mentally incapable of believing in any cause other than his own. This is actually a character flaw. Atriox won’t count on the humans of the SoF pulling together out of belief in eachother and fighting beyond their means.

Plus theres also the way he has been portrayed so far which identifies him as a cruel villain:

  • He demonstrates a sadism in beating Red Team and those elites. Compare this to our first introduction to the noble Arbiter being scapegoated. This is not a sympathetic way to introduce him.
  • He massacres unarmed civilians at the Ark research outpost.
  • He is described as gathering “killers and mercenaries” to his cause.

Now I might be completely off the mark here! :smiley: But from what I know at this moment in time I don’t think they will pull the twist of Atriox being a good guy. Don’t get me wrong, having somebody hate Cortana for the wrong reasons is a neat idea and it adds variety to Atriox as a villain.