Forerunners Secretly Being The Good Guys All Along Is A Severus Snape-Level Twist We Aren’t Ready For

Halo Infinite left players with a cliffhanger of the threat of the Endless. While details on this new race remain scarce, that hasn’t stopped fans from rabidly speculating over who it could be.

While many believe that The Endless is a brand-new race, one of the most convincing theories on the topic suggests that the Endless might not be entirely new, but rather a terrifying echo of the past – the Flood, in a different form.

The Endless’ Genesis May Be All In The Name

Posted to the r/halo subreddit, the theory builds upon the established connection between the Flood and the Precursors in Halo lore. Precursors were god-like entities with immense power, while the Flood is a parasitic infestation consuming all life.

The theory proposes an interesting twist: the Precursors might not be entirely separate from the Flood. Perhaps, they are two sides of the same coin. Precursors, in their advanced state, could be susceptible to “devolving” into the Flood.

The Flood, then, consumes and assimilates, potentially striving to evolve back into a perfect being – a god-like form reminiscent of the Precursors. This cycle of destruction and potential “rebirth” could be the true nature of the Endless.

This theory aligns with the idea of the Endless being “endless.” Precursors transcended time, and the Flood’s relentless consumption could be seen as a never-ending cycle. The Harbinger’s motives also gain context.

Perhaps she represents a species wronged by the Forerunners, seeking revenge by releasing the imprisoned Precursors (the Endless). In her twisted logic, this would unleash the Flood once again, potentially fulfilling a warped sense of restoring balance to the galaxy.

Where The Halo 7 Theory Possibly Falters

However, the theory pitches a narrative challenge about how humanity could possibly defeat god-like beings that manipulate time, but offers a reasonable explanation: the Precursors are perhaps weakened by their imprisonment, hindering their full potential.

Maybe the time manipulation isn’t absolute, leaving room for a strategic advantage. Alternatively, the Flood could be released in a less evolved state, requiring humanity to combat the immediate threat while facing the potential for a greater evil to emerge later.

Among most of the other opinions on the enemy race, this theory looks at the Endless in a completely new light, leveraging existing lore while adding sensible evolutions. It also avoids the all-too-common trope of introducing a completely new, ever-more-powerful threat.

Nevertheless, integrating it seamlessly into the Halo lore requires addressing the immense power disparity between humanity and the potential god-tier beings they might face. It could be done, but it might be a long time until we find out definitively.

343i’s radio silence about future games or even DLCs is concerning, and with Microsoft now owning IP like Call of Duty and Elder Scrolls, it also might not consider Halo the marque IP it was at one point. For now, the upcoming Xbox Games Showcase is our only hope for potential Halo news.