Master Chief is no stranger to having formidable foes trying to take him down from every turn, considering that’s been his occupation since before the events ofHalo: Combat Evolvedeven began. However nowadays, the Chief’s dealing with a new rogue threat even more ruthless than the Covenant itself, even if remnants of the alien civilization’s original goals still linger in the Banished’s ultimate endgame. There are tons of familiar enemies among the Banished for Master Chief to make humanity’s comeback against, as well as new foes, like Jega ‘Rdomnai. Among the other hunters after Master Chief, Jega seems to be the most interesting antagonists fromHalo Infinitethus far.
Among the ranks of the various “Spartan Killers” that 343 Industries has revealed in the lead up toHalo Infinite’s release, Jega ‘Rdomnai is a standout thanks to his striking character design. Jega’s unique backstory, being intrinsically tied to the Covenant’s former might, acts as an interesting bridge to previousHalohistory that’s unlike any other member of the Banished revealed thus far. Paired with his sadistic bloodlust and potentially disturbing personality, Jega being described as an “inverse of what you’d expect from the Arbiter,” means he may be an exceptional villain duringHalo Infinite’s campaign.
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One of the Banished’s Greatest Soldiers
Jega ‘Rdomnai is an Elite, but was more specifically one of the best Elites in the Covenant military, serving under the covert Silent Shadow unit before he was dismembered in battle. Sporting a prosthetic left arm, as well as prosthetic left mandibles, this hasn’t stopped Jega from maintaing a ferocity that’s made them one of the Banished’s best soldiers. Unlike the rank and file of Brutes, Grunts, Jackals, and other fellow Elites in the Banished’s militia, Jega ‘Rdomnai is one ofWar Chief Escharum’s most trusted soldiers. His spec-ops training, alongside his penchant for revenge and lust for combat, already make Jega one ofHalo’s most unique designs.
While it’s unclear under what context, the Master Chief will face off against Jega at some pointduringHalo Infinite’s campaignas a boss fight. Beyond that, he will more than likely show up several times throughoutHalo Infinite’s story, giving off a certain element of charming ruthlessness that makes him unlike other characters.Halo Infinite’s associate creative director Paul Crocker describes him as the inverse of the Arbiter, which is a degree of insanity that the Covenant’s Elites would generally never showcase in previousHalogames. Unrestrained from the Covenant’s strict disciplines, Jega is an intriguing enemy that hopefully gets more screentime than just a boss fight.
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Jega Deserves More Than a Boss Fight in Halo Infinite
Clearly Jega will show up at some point duringHalo Infinite’s campaign, but it should be for more than just a one-off boss fight and a few standalone scenes. Considering he is one of Escharum’s most trusted soldiers, Jega would presumably be a more prominent figurethroughoutInfinite’s story. However, given the character’s personality and disposition, it’d make sense that he’s a formidable foe that Master Chief tackles more than once. Jega’s character background as one of the strongest and most capable Elite killing machines from the Covenant would be cheapened by players beating him in one fight, regardless of the Master Chief’s reputation as a supersoldier.
An interesting concept would be to implement Jega as a sort-of random encounter that occurs at various times throughoutHalo Infinite’s sandbox. Having Jega show up as a randomly triggered combat encounter, as if he’s always hunting Master Chief in the background, would be an interesting way to mix up campaign gameplay. Several recent games have seen similar success with this dynamic boss encounter-like design,such asDeathloop’s Julianna invasionsor a patrolling Lady Dimitrescu/Mr. X fromResident Evil.
Granted this would be a very ambitious gameplay setup that would’ve presumably been talked about by 343 Industries already, so Jega’s inclusion inInfinitelikely won’t function this way. However, under the assumption that Jega’s inclusion inHalo Infiniteonly results in one or two boss fights, it’d be an unfortunate compromise for such a unique and seemingly formidable character. Jega ‘Rdomnai’s design represents an antithesis to all thatfans came to know about the Covenant in previousHalogames, and emphasizes just how different a threat the Banished is compared to the Covenant of the past.
Having a looming threat over the Master Chief’s head throughoutHalo Infinite, one that’s skill-wise on par with his combat capabilities, would makeHalo Infinite’s campaign far more interesting. In whatever way Jega fits intoInfinite’s campaign, it’ll be interesting to see his story play out.
Halo Infinitereleases on June 17, 2025, for PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
