Thrallslayer

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Thrallslayer
Physical information
Species	Jiralhanae
Gender	Male
Height	2.56 metres (8 ft 5 in)
Weapon(s)	Type-2 Energy Weapon/Hammer
Equipment	Red armor
Hair color	White
Eye color	Red
Chronological and political information
Affiliation	Covenant Empire
Rank(s)	Jiralhanae Chieftain
Era(s)	Human-Covenant war Twenty-Third Age of Doubt Ninth Age of Reclamation

“I smell fear!”

— Thrallslayer, in combat.

“Thrallslayer” is the alias of a male Jiralhanae Chieftain who served the Covenant Empire during its war with Humanity. A capable commander and feared warrior, he was chosen by the Hierarchs to fight in the Harvest Campaign as part of the Fleet of Glorious Interdiction, where he answered to the Prophet of Regret. He and Arbiter Ripa 'Moramee were tasked with the destruction of the human presence on the planet Harvest, an Outer Colony world in the Epsilon Indi system. In ruthlessly engaging the humans in combat, Thrallslayer came to harbour respect for their incredible perseverance whilst simultaneously building up a reputation as a force to be reckoned with. His time in the Covenant was not without its troubles, however, as Thrallslayer and the Arbiter had developed a deep rivalry with one another.

After Glorious Interdiction left Harvest in pursuit of Forerunner Shield World Etran Harborage, the fleet engaged the UNSC Spirit of Fire on the planet. Thrallslayer was ordered by 'Moramee to evacuate the world alongside Regret, for the Prophet's protection. The Arbiter's ultimate intention was to prevent his rival from gaining any potential glory in battle, as he stayed behind to quell the human threat. However, in an ironic twist of fate, 'Moramee was killed on the Shield World and Thrallslayer survived because of his command. Later on in the war, in the midst of the Fall of Reach, Catherine Halsey would cite a hologram of Thrallslayer as an example of a Jiralhanae, in a speech to a group of SPARTAN-IIs.

Biography

Harvest Campaign

The Jiralhanae male known as “Thrallslayer” served the Covenant Empire during the Human-Covenant war, in which he held the rank of Jiralhanae Chieftain. During the Harvest Campaign, he was deployed to the human, Outer Colony planet Harvest in the Epsilon Indi system, as part of the Fleet of Glorious Interdiction. The Hierarchs assigned the Chieftain with the eradication of the human presence on the planet. Alongside Arbiter Ripa 'Moramee, he reported directly to the Prophet of Regret. Thrallslayer despised 'Moramee, and the Sangheili species as a whole, but the two nonetheless worked together in their mission. As a result of the campaign, Thrallslayer came into conflict with the United Nations Space Command, a factor that probably contributed to his respect of humans in combat, particularly surrounding their perseverance in the face of daunting odds. He was regarded as an enigmatic force on the battlefield, who was both feared and revered by all who witnessed him. At some point in the campaign, he was looking to regain some political clout within the Covenant.

In 2528, Thrallslayer violently murdered two Unggoy from Deck Four Kitchens and tore the door from its frame inside his quarters, on an unspecified ship. When investigated by a security team on the third bell of the second shift, he was calm and responsive. He stated that he had killed the duo because his Thorn Beast was overdone and his dipping sauce was insufficient. The two Unggoy were initially interpreted as five unidentified organic chunks, strewn about his quarters.

Battle of Shield 0459

In 2531, Thrallslayer was present on the Forerunner Shield World Etran Harborage for the battle that took place there between Glorious Interdiction and the UNSC Spirit of Fire. In a move intended to rob Thrallslayer of any potential war-glory, 'Moramee ordered him to accompany Regret in the Prophet's evacuation from the planet. Ironically, 'Moramee would be killed on the Shield World by Sergeant John Forge, while his orders ensured Thrallslayer's survival. Thrallslayer's status after his exit from the Shield World is largely unknown. During the Fall of Reach, a holographic image of Thrallslayer was used by Catherine Halsey as an example of a Jiralhanae, in her speech to a group of SPARTAN-IIs about the composition of the Covenant. Aside from this mention, it is reported that he continues to enjoy eating Thorn Beast and prefers it cooked rare. He is also fond of hearing exaggerated tales of his adventures, told by an overweight Unggoy who serves as his official scribe.

Personality and traits

“Into the fight!”

— Thrallslayer, in combat.

Thrallslayer is a male Jiralhanae with white hair and red eyes, who stands at 2.56 meters tall. Despite his relatively small stature, he is a dangerous combatant who possesses uncanny intelligence that compliments his violent nature. During the campaign on Harvest, he grew to respect humans for their savagery and incredible bravery in the face of difficult odds, and was contempt with dying honorably at the hands of a human. He was noted as being a feared commander and soldier by all he encountered. He passionately disliked the Sangheili species and Ripa 'Moramee in particular. Reveling in inflated stories of his adventures, he likes eating Thorn Beast cooked rare and is notably displeased when it is improperly prepared.

Equipment

While in service to the Covenant, Thrallslayer wore a set of thick red armor that was decorated with gold patterns. Black under-armor was also observed underneath his main set. In battle, he wields a specialized Type-2 Gravity Hammer.

Gameplay

Halo Wars

Thrallslayer in-game.

“Chieftain, ready to fight.”

— Thrallslayer, upon spawning in.

Thrallslayer first appeared as a leader in Ensemble Studios' 2009 video game Halo Wars, where he is identified only as "Brute Chieftain". He can be selected in Skirmish and Multiplayer. Like other Covenant leaders, he appears as a single physical unit on the battlefield that can be controlled by the player once they have constructed a Covenant temple. If he is defeated, he can be respawned at a temple for 400 resources. He is armed with his signature Gravity Hammer.

Leader ability

Vortex: When activated, a spiraling vortex appears, tearing everything apart in range and explodes when canceled, causing additional damage.

Ability upgrades

• "Tsunami": Additional enemies may be drawn into the vortex and potential damage increased. Requires a tech level of 1 and 300 resources.
• "Hurricane": Additional enemies may be drawn into the vortex and potential damage increased. Requires a tech level of 2 and 500 resources.
• "Singularity": Additional enemies may be drawn into the vortex and potential damage increased. Requires a tech level of 3 and 700 resources.

Combat upgrades

• "Inheritance": Adds a stun to the Gravity Hammer. Requires a tech level of 1 and 400 resources.
• "Birthright": When the Chieftain's hammer is charged up, the Chieftain will pull his enemies to him. Requires a tech level of 2 and 600 resources.
• "Destiny": Adds an area-effect stun to the gravity hammer, and inflicts fatalities on stunned enemy infantry. Requires a tech level of 3 and 900 resources.

Unique units

• Brute Chopper: Fast assault recon unit. It replaces the Ghost of the other two leaders. Requires a tech level of 2 and 200 resources.
• Brute Squad: A squad consisting of two Brute Minors armed with Brute Shots. Requires a tech level of 1 and 150 resources.
• Brute-led Grunt Squad: Grunt squads are led by a single Brute Minor armed with a Brute Shot, as opposed to the Elite Minors of the other two leaders. Requires a tech level of 1 and 100 resources.

Trivia

• Thrallslayer is voiced by Marc Worden in Halo Wars.
• He is the only playable leader unit in the game to not appear in any of the campaign cinematics and is the only leader character who went unnamed in-game. His nickname would later be given in a blog post on Halo Waypoint, which confirmed that he was present during the story, albeit unseen by the player.
• His limited edition leader card is the only one that has an image from any game besides Halo Wars. The image is of a Chopper in Halo 3.
• All of his ability upgrades are named after extremely dangerous natural phenomena. A tsunami is a massive tidal wave, a hurricane is a cylindrical storm with winds up to hundreds of miles per hour, and a singularity is a black hole.
• If the chieftain has the "Birthright" upgrade, he can pull his enemies straight to him. This is reminiscent of Tartarus and his Fist of Rukt in Halo 2.

Gallery

Front of Thrallslayer's leader card.

Back of Thrallslayer's leader card.

Clearer image of front art from Thrallslayer's leader card.

Concept art from Halo Wars: Definitive Edition that depicts Thrallslayer looking over volcanic terrain.

Appearances

• Halo Wars (First appearance)
• Halo: Fall of Reach - Invasion

Sources

• Halo Wars Limited Edition - Bonus Item: Brute Chieftain Leader Card
• Halo Waypoint - Canon Fodder: What Once Was Lost (First identified as Thrallslayer)
• Game Daily - Enjoys a good story
• Game Daily - Don't call him tiny.
• Game Daily - Not your average Brute