Halo Infinite campaign: Spartan Killer Jega is a 'disturbing' hunter

What you need to know

• In a new interview, 343 Industries developers have provided details about Jega 'Rdomnai, one of the Banished's "Spartan Killers" that players will encounter in-game.
• Jega has been designed from the ground up to be "creepy" and "disturbing," with an emphasis on his qualities as a deadly hunter.
• Jega will be encountered in a unique boss fight-type encounter with custom AI.

In addition to the standard rank-and-file Banished troops that will attack you throughout the Halo Infinite campaign, players can also expect to come across various boss-style enemies that have distinct personalities and appearances and will be more difficult to defeat. One of these adversaries is Jega 'Rdomnai, a Banished "Spartan Killer" that will hunt Master Chief during the campaign. In a recent interview with IGN, 343 Industries developers Paul Crocker and Jeff Easterling revealed some brand new details about this deadly Elite that gives us a better idea of what to expect from his pursuit as we fight our way across Zeta Halo.

"One of the things we tried to do with Jega was make him into the creepiest, most disturbing character that's been in Halo," said Associative Creative Director Paul Crocker. "Just every time you see him...he looks at things as prey. The whole experience of how he toys with Chief is just...how he is."

"We wanted to build a character up to be more like a kind of subtle sidekick to Escharum. They have the closest relationship; they've worked together the longest. (Jega) is his most respected soldier, his closest friend," added Narrative Writer Jeff Easterling. "The entire group (of Spartan Killers) is a showcase of The Banished's power. Not only are they furthering the cause of The Banished, they are also inspiring all of the troops that are beneath them."

Easterling then went on to provide details about Jega's background and history before he joined the Banished faction. "He was a member of the Silent Shadow (a group of stealthy Elite assassins)." While he was in the field and completing missions, "One of those endeavors left him in the state we see him in now, (where) his lust for battle and vengeance completely outweighs even his own pride in his own culture." Easterling is referring to Jega's mechanical arm and mandibles, which Elites have traditionally rejected due to what they feel is a loss of honor. "The Banished represent what the Covenant would've been like if you didn't have the (Covenant's) dogmatic restraint on things," he said.

Easterling continued, "He's almost like the inverse of what you'd expect from the Arbiter. Instead of the (taking the) high road, it's stripped down...we asked ourselves, 'What is the psycho element of the Arbiter?'" Easterling added, "I want (new fans) to feel like they're on the same even footing as an old-school fan when they play Infinite, and then when they get to the end of it, be so inspired that they want to maybe go play other games, or maybe dig in deeper and explore other parts of the universe. There are actually hooks into old storytelling, but it's something that you can come in absolutely cold and just want to know more about this character."

The interview also confirmed that there will be a direct confrontation between Master Chief and Jega during the campaign, and notably, it will feature custom AI. Overall, Jega 'Rdomnai sounds like he'll be one of the deadliest foes Master Chief has faced in a long time, and we can't wait to do battle with him when the Halo Infinite campaign launches on Dec. 8, 2021 for Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, Xbox One consoles, and Windows PCs. With any luck, it will end up being one of the best Xbox games ever released.