Armor customization has remained one of the forefront aspects ofplayer expression and lore developments in theHalofranchise. SinceHalo 3introduced alternate armor sets for both Spartans and Elites, the history and innovations of armor development in theHalouniverse have expanded exponentially in subsequent games.
While many armor designs have been original concepts, many have been based on distinct characters and groups inside and outside theHalofranchise, such asNinja Gaiden’s Hayabusa,Marathon’s Security, and the ODST armor. That said, several new armor sets have been inspired by the aesthetics of Covenant species. WithHalo Infiniteintroducing Spartan armor based on Brutes, Grunts, Jackals, and Prophets, two more species still need armor inspiration: the Drones and Hunters.
Halo’s Covenant Armor Sets Explained
Beginning inHalo 4, 343 Industries started to develop armor based on designs from alien species within theHalouniverse. This first began with theHalo 4DLC Spartan Prefect armor based on Forerunner Prefects from the shield world Trevelyan. In terms of armor based on modern alien aesthetics, this first began inHalo 5: Guardianswith the Spartan Helioskrill armor designed by Elites and based on the original Arbiter armor. Within the lore ofHalo, Helioskrill, as well as several other Spartan armor, was developed in collaboration with the Arbiter’s Swords of Sanghelios as part ofthe ongoing Anvil Initiative with the Swords and the UNSC.
This exchange wasn’t one-sided asHalo: The Master Chief Collectionintroduced the human-designed Accord armor for Elites.
InHalo Infinite, Spartan armor inspired and even designed by Covenant species exploded in variety and number. While new armor developed from the Anvil Initiative has continuously been introduced, several new armor sets have been produced by the Banished and the independent colony world Venezia for rogue Spartans and newly created Janissary super-soldiers.
Still, many of these independently created armor sets have been recovered and subsequently reintroduced by Spartan IVs in the field, such asthe Elite-designed Assailer armor. The Brute, Grunt, Jackal, and Prophet-inspired armor sets introduced inHalo Infiniteso far include:
Drones and Hunters in Post-War Halo
While players can don several new armor sets based on Brutes, Grunts, Jackals, and Prophets, there are still two major Covenant species who haven’t had Spartan armor based on them: the insectoid Drones and the towering worm collective Hunters. Ever sinceHalo: Reach,Drones, otherwise known as the Yanme’e, have often been sidelined in Halo Studios games, with the species not appearing inHalo 4,Halo 5,Halo Wars 2, orHalo Infinite. They’re not even mentioned in Cortana’s domination speech at the end ofHalo 5. Drones have appeared in some expanded media, such as the comicHalo: Rise of Atriox, but their status in the post-war galaxy has primarily remained a mystery.
Hunters, otherwise known as the Lekgolo, have continued to prominently appear in most post-warHalogames and expanded media. During the Great Schism, Hunters primarily sided with the Elites and, as such, many Hunters can be found serving alongside Elites and humans within the Swords of Sanghelios. However, many other Hunter groups chose to side with Covenant remnants, such as Jul ‘Mdama’s Covenant and the Banished. Within the Banished, Hunters were granted far more autonomy and authority than ever before, with several new Lekgolo worms appearing—the Goliaths and Hunters even serving as prominent leaders, such asHalo Wars 2’s Colony andHalo Infinite’s Myriad.
Potential Drone and Hunter-inspired Spartan Armor Sets
Withthe Banished working closely with Venezia’s Janissaries, the two forces could easily produce a new armor set designed by Colony. This hypothetical Hunter Spartan armor could exhibit features similar to the Hunters’ iconic shields, back spikes, and Scarab armor. It could even feature wrist-mounted fuel cells similar to Hunters’ heavy assault cannons. In contrast, Venezia or even Anvil Station could produce Spartan armor mirroring the exoskeleton and antigravity devices of Drones.
This armor could be designed by either group to infiltrate the Drones’ homeworld of Palamok by emanating a signal mimicking Yanme’e Queen’s pheromones, for instance. Both of these armors could further shed light on the status of these species in post-warHaloand allow players to don armor from every single major Covenant species.
