I mean they replaced the elites in halo 3 and then just poof?..like seriously wow…that’s kind of ridiculous…same with drones… and skirmisher jackals… the covenant now consists of elites(???wtf its not supposed to at least not in great numbers like what is shown in game)… grunts and shield/sniper jackals…oh and of course hunters I guess… lol that’s it…
I feel this question belonged in the Halo 4 forums 3 years ago…
NO where in the lore does it say brutes, drones, or skirmishers defected… and yet they are not in the game at all… SOME elites were supposed to have stayed with the covenant… extremists and the like, but just SOME.
The San Shyum (Prophets) went into hiding after the events of Halo 3. The Brutes followed the Prophets, and without them they have no reason to continue a fight against Humanity. As they betrayed the Elites in Halo 2, it makes sense that the Elites wouldn’t exactly welcome them into what remains of the terrorist group now called the Covenant.
Its likely that the Brutes returned to their home and continued their tribal disputes. As they did before the Covenant accepted them.
As the Covenant is no longer an Empire and has been reclassified as a Terrorist group.
The drones are a hive mind creature and where enslaved by the Covenant when they were an Empire. Now they no longer have the resources or ability to control hives of Drones.
The Jackals are Pirates who only care about cash. The ones in the Covenant were simply paid to fight. They didn’t care about the motives of the Covenant. Only what they got paid.
Like they explain in Halo 5. The covenant had one fleet and one stronghold left. Which the Arbiter has now destroyed.
Now wouldn’t it be an interesting addition to have the brutes reappear creating a new faction?. War of the elites and brutes to fill in the void left behind when the Covies were finally destroyed in H5.