Atriox

"Yes. Run little demons! Hunt them down!"

- Atriox to Jiralhanae under his command, after encountering Red Team for the first time

Atriox is a powerful Jiralhanae warlord and the chief of the Banished. A deadly warrior and brilliant military leader, Atriox is the commander of the Banished's massive army. While attempting to take control of Installation 00, Atriox and the Banished encountered the crew of.

Creating the Banished
Atriox was once a member of the Covenant, but at some point during the Covenant's war against humanity, he refused the San'Shyuum's commands and rebelled against the empire, establishing his own faction known as the Banished. Another Jiralhanae, Decimus, admired Atriox's strength and became one of his generals, serving right beneath him. The Banished became a violent mercenary organization that waged war against the Covenant forcing the empire to fight two enemies at once.

With the demise of the Covenant Empire in 2552, Atriox acquired numerous weapons and soldiers once belonging to the Covenant's vast military. One of the most powerful assets he gained was the Enduring Conviction, along with her experienced Sangheili crew and warriors. Let 'Volir, the shipmaster of the assault carrier, reluctantly agreed to serve Atriox in exchange for fuel and supplies. Atriox's experience fighting against the Covenant gained he and the Banished a strong advantage amongst other factions in the post-Covenant War galactic environment, as Atriox consolidated a significant amount of power and influence from the fallen empire.

The Ark
By 2559, Atriox desired to gain more power. Turning his attention to the Forerunners' Installation 00 beyond the rim of the Milky Way, Atriox learned that the installation was capable of firing the entire Halo Array. Through unknown means, Atriox and the Banished arrived at the Ark and sought to take control of it. They slaughtered all of the humans at the Ark Research Outpost, leaving no survivors but the logistics artificial intelligence, Isabel. Not long after, the  arrived at the installation, with her crew finally awakening after sleeping in cryostasis since 2531. Spartan-II Red Team was deployed to the Ark's surface to investigate an emergency beacon being broadcast by Isabel from the Ark Research Outpost, and it was there that Atriox sprung his trap. He ambushed the Spartans, easily wounding Douglas-042 severely. Red Team was forced to retreat, and Atriox ordered Jiralhanae to hunt them down and capture them, since he wished to learn where they came from. It was not long before the team was in an M12 Warthog LRV and being pursued by Type-32 Ghosts. Red Team did manage to return to Spirit of Fire, and soon Captain James Cutter was spearheading a fight against the Banished to prevent the Ark from falling under their control.

Personality and traits
Cunning and brilliant, Atriox is a deadly warrior and a skilled military commander, leading the massive army of the Banished. Atriox is an intelligent and versatile soldier, collecting and re-purposing the Covenant military's former weapons, vehicles, and other equipment to allow the Banished to gain militaristic strength against other factions. After encountering the Spartans of Red Team, it amused him when he confirmed that they were indeed only humans beneath their armor. He subsequently mocked them by calling them "little demons".

Equipment
Atriox wears signature, unique black and white combat armor of United Nations Space Command origin made from various pieces, including an ODST chestplate, he has scavenged from his enemies. He dons an augmented power gauntlet that is melee focused and which artificially enhances his strength to a significant degree. He wields a customized energy mace called Chainbreaker, which he created from parts of a Type-2 gravity hammer.

Behind the scenes
Atriox is set to serve as the primary antagonist of Halo Wars 2, with Dan Ayoub of 343 Industries desiring to tell a deep story with the character in the game's cinematics. First being introduced in the announcement teaser for Halo Wars 2 as an unidentified Jiralhanae leader, Atriox's name and nature were expanded upon at the 2016 Electronic Entertainment Expo, where it was also revealed that Atriox would serve as one of the game's six playable leader characters at launch.

List of appearances

 * Know Your Enemy
 * Halo Wars 2