"Kill me or release me, parasite. But do not waste my time with talk." I'm expecting some hate for putting the Arbiter this low in the list. But hear me out. Known by name as Thel 'Vadam, the Arbiter was introduced ten years ago this Autumn with the release of Halo 2. It marked the first time in the series that a member of the Covenant spoke English, or really, spoke at all. No, the grunts don't count. The Arbiter exists as the Covenant version of the Master Chief, showing that John isn't the only badass in the galaxy. As a character, we see him fruitfully develop from a Covenant zealot that would die for his Prophets, to the rebel and leader of the free Sangheili. He's pretty cool. This transformation marks the clever way in which you perceive the splitting of the Covenant from within. To just split this ancient alliance over a month would seem brash, but during your time as the Arbiter, you see this conflict is not so new. Similarly to Halsey, we've probably not seen the last of the Arbiter, who as of Halo 4 and beyond, is still top-dog amongst the Elites. For now.
Tom is a British writer residing in the south of England. A dystopian Sci-Fi fan, his interests range from movies and gaming, all the way through to the new journalism of Hunter S. Thompson, and everything crazy in-between.
