With the release of Halo Infinite, the Halo story feels like it has finally shut the door on its prior storylines and is headed in a new direction. There are still Halo rings, UNSC allies, rogue AI, and Covenant foes, but new elements are slowly creeping in. A theme that permeates Halo Infinite’s story is Master Chief’s need to let go of the people and things he once knew and embrace a new family in the Pelican pilot and the Weapon. Open world singleplayer and free multiplayer is a bold new direction for the series, as is the ability to scale the environment and interact in new ways with the grappling hook. Still, there is a feeling that 343 Industries is starting this new era on a safe note.
Something large is looming behind all of Infinite’s events, however. A new enemy faction is being primed for release on the Zeta Halo, and Master Chief is directly in its path. The Covenant splinter group known as the Banished has stumbled upon a species the Forerunners were unnerved by, even more than the Flood, due to their inexplicable accomplishments. Only one member of the Xalanyn, more commonly called the Endless, has been encountered so far, but it seems that more are not far behind. This topic is key to the direction Halo is headed in, so expect Spoilers for Halo Infinite.
The Background of the Xalanyn
As most Halo players know, the titular Halo rings were the method the Forerunners used to wipe out virtually all of the Flood besetting the galaxy. By emitting a frequency that could destroy a living creature’s nervous system, the Halos wiped out almost all sentient life in the universe. Only a few Forerunners remained in specially shielded locations, and they emerged to ensure that the repopulation of the galaxy went as planned before exiling themselves. However, they encountered one snag: a species had survived their engineered apocalypse.
Currently, details are scarce on what the Xalanyn exactly are. They were an advanced civilization present at the same time as the Forerunners and were not indexed before the Halo Array was fired. During the century after the firing, the Forerunners were confused to discover the Xalanyn civilization alive and intact. The two groups arranged a parley, and the Zeta Halo was brought near the Xalanyn homeworld. This was a trap, as the Forerunners had deemed the Xalanyn a threat beyond even the Flood and sealed the whole species away in the Halo. The Grand Edict charged 117649 Despondent Pyre with guarding the Xalanyn's prison and assigned the dangerous Offensive Bias AI to the ring to aid them.
What The Endless Will Do In Halo
The Forerunners also subjugated some members of the species and studied them at the Silent Auditorium. The Xalanyn were probably already angry at Forerunners’ possibly unjustified treatment of them, and this extra indignity fueled their anger. The one member of the Endless in Halo Infinite, the Harbinger, is vague about her plans for the galaxy but seems intent on taking revenge on the Forerunners’ works. She allied with the Banished, who freed her and gave them access to Forerunner technology. They worked together to penetrate the Silent Auditorium and free the Xalanyn trapped there, but Master Chief killed Harbinger before she could succeed.
However, Halo Infinite’s post-credits scene indicates that more Endless are sealed elsewhere on the Zeta Halo, and the Banished’s founder Atriox is close to freeing them. The Endless will probably be the main enemy faction in the next Halo campaign, using a combination of Banished forces, Forerunner guardians, and their technology to seize control of the Halo. They also may have something to do with time travel based on the portal that opened to Master Chief during Infinite’s ending, but that is only speculation. Whatever the case, the Endless will certainly give players more of Halo’s great combat once they appear in the next game or a story update for Infinite.
Halo Infinite is available on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.