There’s an issue with the lore and with some fans who I don't think quite understand it yet.
One thing that’s been bugging me is that a small part of the audience seems to think the Banished are basically an idealistic political force whose ultimate goal is peace. Seriously, there's actually a portion of the fanbase that believes this. I mean, where are they even getting this from? For example, I have a friend who literally said that Atriox’s philosophy—and everything the Brutes went through because of Cortana—brings them closer to being worthy of the Mantle of Responsibility. I was just like, wait, what?
The Brutes literally still allow the processing and eating of humans. Anyone who played Infinite and listened to the audio logs knows exactly what I’m talking about, where they separate the humans who will be eaten from those who won't. Anyone who’s read the books knows things are even worse.
On top of that, there are fans who think the Sangheili could assume the Mantle. Man, they literally used to let the lower-tier troops eat people in battle and didn't care at all. Not to mention their blind obedience at all costs. Even if they've changed now, that doesn't wipe away the stain—just seven years ago, they literally let the Unggoy and Kig-Yar go wild on people on the battlefield.
Another part of the story that bothers me is Buck calling the Elites 'comrades,' when he’s from Draco III. Anyone who knows a bit of history knows full well what happened on that planet.
Anyway, what do you guys think about this? Where do you think this comes from—people ignoring the story and believing that a single heroic act erases a race's past sins? Even the Librarian, who literally did everything to save all life in the galaxy, didn't have her species spared from the Flood and the judgment of the Precursors, let alone a lesser species like the Brutes, whose primary role right now is basically pillaging.
Do you think people's passion for certain characters makes them lose sight of the big picture? Like with many Arbiter fans, who forget that he must have killed between 1 to 5 billion people, making him, according to the game’s lore, easily one of the top 10 greatest genocidaires.
Anyway, I’m asking you this because I have friends who are fans of various characters—I’m a fan too, especially of characters like the Arbiter—but I know how to separate my personal fondness from the actual narrative and the context in which these characters appear. I’ve noticed that many people become so enamored with characters like Atriox—elevating them to such a high pedestal—that they completely overlook the actions those characters commit in the present. I mean, seriously, do you know people like that—people who go so far as to claim that the Brutes should have held the Mantle of Responsibility?