- " My Duty To The Emperor, My Life For Helghan."
- ―Helghast Soldier’s Oath Of Allegiance
The Helghan Empire was the totalitarian governing body on planet Helghan, ruling over the Helghast people. The founder and first ruler of the Empire was Autarch Scolar Visari.
The Empire was the instigator of the Second Extrasolar War in which they attempted to conquer the entire Alpha Centauri system and expanding its domination over Earth's colonies. They failed to achieve their goals and which lead to ISA retaliation, which in turn resulted in the death of Autarch Visari and a volatile power struggle amongst the Helghast leadership pursued. Ultimately, the Empire was utterly decimated in a planet-wide devastation, the Terracide, in 2360.
The survivors of planet Helghan were granted refuge on Vekta where they founded New Helghan, the official successor state of the Empire. Those that remained on Helghan were secretly united under Jorhan Stahl and slowly rebuilt Helghan's military might, and swearing revenge on their enemies.
Overview
The formation of the Helghan Empire occurred in 2347, more than a century after the First Extrasolar War against the Interplanetary Strategic Alliance and United Colonial Nations, but no more than a decade before the second war. Helghast leaders, including Scolar Visari, continue to impose the belief that the Helghast race is superior to humanity, creating not only intense distrust, but also an expanding hatred of UCN, ISA, or any other form of foreign rule. The Helghast think of themselves as a master race, who should be ruling the perceived "lesser" human race. They serve as the primary antagonists of the original Killzone trilogy.
History
The Exodus
Following the First Extrasolar War, the Helghan Corporation was dismantled and all its assets seized by the UCN. Vekta, once a planetary holding of the now-defunct Helghan Corporation, was turned over to direct ISA rule, and colonists from Earth were brought in to supplement Vekta's corporate-affiliated population. However, tensions soon rose between the Earth minority and Helghan corporate majority, resulting in Helghan resistance fighters targeting and killing many Earth-loyal citizens in terrorist attacks. The ISA governors' response was to enact more and more economic sanctions and military punishments on the Helghan-affiliated colonists in retribution for the Helghan persecution of Earth-loyal colonists.
By 2220, in the face of such persecution, all loyal Helghan corporate colonists had chosen voluntary relocation to planet Helghan, where years of hardship awaited them. In order to leave for Helghan, they purchased and refurbished the original colony ships they had used to reach Alpha Centauri. Since neither the UCN or ISA wanted to fund this new colonization attempt, they were then declared to be a sovereign nation, with Helghan being their territory in perpetuity and was subjected to ISA blockades and restrictions until "diplomatic relations" were normalized. The Helghan settlements recreated the former Helghan authority to rule over all affairs on Helghan, but this rule was often inefficient and corrupt. Their human bodies were ill prepared for the harsh environment of Helghan, resulting in most of the first generation dying only a short while after they arrived on the planet. However, by 2305, future generations had evolved an increased biological resistance to the harsh atmospheric conditions, some even discarding the common breathing masks that many colonists still relied upon.
Birth of the Helghast
From 2330 to 2350, due to incredibly unfair trade rates enforced by the ISA, Helghan was hit by a major economic depression, leading to widespread poverty and famine across the planet that was not seen for over a century. This grim situation gave rise to Scolar Visari, a highly charismatic politician, who capitalized on the economic crisis and the people's growing anger against the ISA and the Helghan Administration, in which millions from all segments of Helghan society fell under his sway.
In 2347, Visari staged a successful popular coup against the ruling Helghan Administration after feigning an attempt on his own life, and declared himself the "Autarch". Under Visari's rule, he reforged the Helghast into a true independent power in which he rebuilt Helghan's economy by breaking the ISA embargo to trade directly to off-world black-market suppliers and unaligned colonies before settling a contract with the ICSA for energy and materials, and drastically enlarging the Helghast Military.
Seeking to further transform the Helghast, Visari created his brand of Helghast culture based on Helghan superiority. He immediately instigated Helghan into a highly secretive militant state, and instigating a complete media takeover on Helghan. Eventually, Visari re-established hostilities with the ISA in his bid to conquer Vekta and exact revenge on the UCN, and this conflict became now known as the Second Extrasolar War.
Second Extrasolar War
In 2357, the Helghast attempted to conquer and subdue Vekta by utilizing two high-ranking traitors within the ISA in order to disable Vekta's Orbital Defense Network, allowing the Helghast Third Army to land on Vekta without any resistance in space before utilizing the Vektan defense platforms to be use against UCA reinforcements. Although they nearly conquered the planet, ultimately, the invasion failed in preventing the UCA from reinforcing the ISA and the Helghast were pushed off Vekta entirely, but managed to captured ISA nuclear weapons and other advanced weapons. By 2359 the ISA subsequently launched a retaliatory strike against Helghan, establishing a beachhead at Pyrrhus in a bid to capture Scolar Visari and dismantle the Helghast regime.
During the first hours of the ISA invasion, the Helghast forces fanatically defended the capital before utilizing Arc Pillars in destroying and delaying the bulk of the ISA ground forces under Avenger Convoy, preventing them from advancing further to Visari Palace and capture the Autarch. The ISA discovered the Petrusite Grid under the Maelstra Barrens and attempted to destroy it, but was beset by a surprise attack by Helghast forces in a daring raid to obtain the nuclear launch codes for several ISA nuclear warheads captured by the Helghast in their failed invasion of Vekta. During a pitched battle in the skies above Helghan, the Helghast successfully destroyed several ISA cruisers, including the ISA flagship, New Sun. However, the New Sun crashed itself into the Petrusite Grid as it came down, destroying it and deactivating almost all of Pyrrhus' defenses. Though the city was left vulnerable, the Helghast used the codes they had acquired to detonate a nuclear warhead in Pyrrhus, wiping out the vast majority of the ISA invasion force, and the remaining Helghast forces within the city.
The remaining ISA forces launched a desperate assault on Visari Palace during which they destroyed a massive Arc battery in Visari Square, fighting their way to the palace courtyard and front entrance in a relentless attack. Thereafter, ISA commandos Rico Velasquez and Tomas Sevchenko fought their way through the last of Visari's forces within Visari Palace itself, killing Colonel Mael Radec, military leader of the Helghast troops and personal bodyguard of Scolar Visari himself. Afterwards, Velasquez and Sevchenko stormed Visari's throne room to arrest him, but Visari was killed by an enraged Velasquez. Before he died, Visari swore that he would be seen as a martyr if he was to be killed and that "Helghan will dissolve into chaos", which is exactly what happened. Helghan fell into a power struggle as different political factions rose to claim power left vacant in the wake of Visari's death. The remaining ships of the ISA fleet were either destroyed or withdrew from Helghan entirely, while the ISA troops that weren't able to withdraw were left stranded on Helghan, with no way of receiving any further aid, and no other transportation off Helghan.
With Visari dead, the Helghast military and the main Helghast weapons manufacturer, Stahl Arms, began to wage a political struggle to take control of the Helghast government, while the stranded ISA troops were forced to battle for mere survival. Eventually, the political struggle for control of the Helghast government came to a climax, only made worse by successful operations conducted by the ISA remnants.
Helghan devastated in the Terracide.
In a meeting between the Helghast military leader (and recently crowned Autarch) Orlock and Stahl Arms chairman Jorhan Stahl, a skirmish erupted between forces led by the two leaders, resulting in the death of Autarch Orlock. This plunged the Helghast race into civil war, allowing the ISA forces to destroy Stahl's experimental cruiser before he could enact his plan to eradicate all life on Earth. The resulting Petrusite explosions set off from Stahl's cruiser destroyed a massive space station, the entire Helghast invasion fleet destined for Earth, and violently irradiated all unprotected life on planet Helghan in which this devastation is later known as the Terracide.
With the ISA forces having escaped Helghan onboard hijacked Helghast ships and currently en route home to Vekta, with at least one, or possibly two most capable successors to Visari's throne killed, and its own homeworld irrevocably devastated by energized Petrusite radiation, the Helghan Empire is totally destroyed.
Post-War Aftermath
The flight to Vekta
Following the destruction of Helghan, the empire's remaining population was forced to emigrate to Vekta after the ISA granted them refuge, and established the nation of New Helghan, which is led by Visari's daughter Chancellor Hera Visari. Though defeated, the Helghast bear resentment towards the Vektans, blaming them for causing the Terracide that destroyed their civilization and livelihood. As a result, the Helghast largely refused to assimilate into "human" culture, creating a societal divide between the native Vektans and embittered Helghast. Over the next thirty years this societal divide would continue to grow and widen, leading to a cold war between Vekta and New Helghan.
Unknown to the public, not every Helghast were evacuated from Helghan. Those that remained on Helghan were united by a still alive Jorhan Stahl, and under the guise of mining operations, prepared for 30 years to invade Vekta once again, amassing a vast armada of ships and war materiel hidden under the surface of the planet.
Government
The Helghan Empire was a militaristic totalitarian state. It was headed by the Autarch, the supreme leader of the Helghast with the power to create any law or pass any decision with no opposition to their rule. The Autarch was advised by the Helghast Senate, a council of supposedly ten individuals with ties to the Helghast military and other powerful organizations in the Empire's society. Admiral Orlock, commander-in-chief of the armed forces and second Autarch of the Empire served as a member of the Senate and was a close friend of Autarch Visari. Other forms of management beyond the Senate are currently unknown, and unlikely to be seen.
Military
The Helghast peoples' lives of extreme hardship naturally make them hardened soldiers. Most of Helghan's fiscal and natural resources go towards the military, leaving little for domestic development. The Helghan military's primary tactics primarily relate to the implementation of vicious, rapidly sweeping surgical strikes reliant on the element of surprise, focusing almost completely on offensive based strategies. However, the Second Extrasolar War has shown that the Helghast military is adept in defensive tactics as well, springing numerous traps and ambushes on unwary ISA forces.
Ideology and Society
The Helghan Empire's ultra-nationalistic ideals emphasize the superiority of the Helghast, a strong military, and total commitment to the Helghast government. Their ideals are symbolized by the Helghast Triad, which emphasizes duty, obedience, and loyalty. The filtration masks ubiquitously worn by the Helghast, once a badge of low station, is valued in the Helghan identity, as Visari regarded mask-wearing to be a testament to the Helghast's fortitude.
Helghast troops in formation.
Helghan brutality is widely accepted in their society. They do not hesitate to execute those who are not born up to standards or who sympathize with humanity. By the events of Killzone 3, Helghan atrocities are quite prevalent, mostly from Stahl Arms mercenaries, such as executing surrendering ISA troops on the spot, or even shooting them when their backs are turned.
Also, a notable example is shown when Jorhan Stahl casually shoots an ISA prisoner, causing a bound and startled Captain Narville (who was scheduled to be executed on live television) to shout "We are prisoners of war! We have rights! You have violated the Stockholm Treaty!" to which a cruelly bemused Stahl chuckles and replies "Stockholm? What planet do you think you're on?!" Prisoners of the Helghast are often tortured to death or even used as unwilling test subjects for a number of agonizingly fatal experiments, showing the sadistic habits of Stahl Arms affiliated personnel.
The military is above all the most prized element of the Helghan Empire. The vast majority of the Helghan Nation's resources are spent on the military and Visari's propaganda-related structures in Pyrrhus, leaving very little for the average Helghast civilian's well-being. Also, many high ranking officials in the Helghast military hold very little compassion for their own soldiers or even Helghast civilians in general, let alone any shown to the people of Vekta and anywhere else in the galaxy. The Helghast military's extensive damage inflicted towards Vekta, and the detonation of a nuke in their own capital of Pyrrhus shows their deep hatred for human life and complete disregard for collateral damage, only having a total commitment to their objectives no matter the cost.
Alphabet
The Helghast use their own form of a symbol alphabet, similar to Eastern Asian written languages. Visari implemented this system claiming it was an attempt to control speech by restricting the use of 'outmoded' Earth alphabets. This is actually a form of newspeak, designed to dissuade alternative thinking, as there is no symbol for 'surrender'.
Trivia
- Guerrilla Games have confirmed that the Helghast were inspired by many former empires and/or oppressive regimes throughout the twentieth century, which include the Soviet Union under Josef Stalin, China under Mao Zedong, and most especially Nazi Germany. Scolar Visari's cult of personality is based on Stalin; much of the Helghast's society, imagery, military doctrine and attire strongly evokes images of Nazi Germany. In fact the term "Space Nazis" is a Killzone fan-coined term referring to the Helghast. Guerrilla's Dutch key members in its visual design team based their creation of the Helghast from hearing stories about the Nazi-occupation of the Netherlands.[1]
- As a result, most, if not all Helghan weaponry are visually based on weapons made and used by the Nazi forces during World War II, an example of this is the MG-42-based StA-3 LMG.
The Special Armed Garrison from Kerberos Panzer Cop.
- There are similarities between the Helghast's attire and the Protect-Gear created by Japanese mechanical designer Yutaka Izubuchi from the Kerberos Saga. But there's no evidence to suggest they are a direct inspiration as Guerrilla Games stated nothing to confirm or deny it.
- Most Helghast speak with a multitude of different British accents. Regular troops have an east London or Welsh accent, Shock troops and a few commanding figures such as Colonel Armin Metrac speak in a central London dialect, while their Autarch Scolar Visari (voiced by Brian Cox) has a Scottish voice. There has been criticism from UK fans towards the Helghast seen in the titles prior to Killzone: Shadow Fall as the Helghast all have British accents and following similar ideas to the Nazi party.
The Helghast Soldier appears as a Minion in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale.
- Occasionally when the player is killed in Killzone 2, 3 and more often in Mercenary and Shadow Fall the Helghast soldier responsible will taunt the player's corpse as they die, provided the soldier is close by and facing the player.
- A Helghast Soldier appears as a unlockable minion in PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale as well other Helghast characters as icons.
- The Helghast Sackboy Costume was released on the PSN Store for LittleBigPlanet and included 32 Killzone-themed stickers.
- Interestingly, the Helghast soldiers had Dutch names in the multiplayer of Killzone, as did multiplayer bots in Killzone 2. This is likely because the game developers are Dutch.