Horizon Zero Dawn – Who is Helis?

Many of the characters in Horizon Zero Dawn are interesting, and no matter what side they find themselves on, their reasons for being there are usually explored in some way. Helis, one of the main bad guys in Horizon Zero Dawn, is more of a mystery than most, and in this article we wanted to touch on who is Helis in Horizon Zero Dawn, how he fits into the story, and how he got that way.

Helis is one of the main antagonists in Horizon Zero Dawn, and players first meet him early in the game, during The Proving. It is at this time that the thread of mystery begins to unravel, and the true story behind Horizon Zero Dawn starts to come to light.

Who is Helis?

Helis is the former champion of the 13^th Sun-King, Jiran. He is also the leader of the Shadow Carja, as well as the secret leader of the Eclipse, which are the group within the Shadow Carja that are dedicated to helping HADES enact his plan and revive the massive machines of the past. He is a highly devoted and religious man who believes that he was chosen to lead the Carja back to glory with HADES help.

During the early years of Sun-King Jiran’s reign, Helis was the first to survive the terrible sandstorms that once raged around Sunfall. This earned him the moniker of Terror of the Sun. When the Sun-King was killed during the Fall of Meridian, Helis took Prince Itamen, Bahavas, and the Queen to Sunfall to escape the Carja that had attacked them. From here he formed the Shadow Carja, which would later become one of the main enemies encountered throughout Aloy’s journey.

What Part Does He Play?

Helis is basically HADES right hand. Having been lied to and manipulated, Helis waged a crusade against the Carja in HADES name. What he believed to be a journey to bring glory back to the Carja, HADES planned to use as a staging ground to send out a signal and revive all of the massive machines that once plagued humanity in the past.

During the battle for Meridian, Helis and his best men faced off against Aloy, the main protagonist, and was defeated. After the battle, Aloy tried to convince Helis that HADES had been using him, but he was killed shortly after.

While he isn’t seen all that much throughout Aloy’s journey, Helis is still a vital part of the story that unfolds surrounding HADES and the original project that helped bring Aloy to life. You can learn more about Aloy and the other people in her story by checking out our Horizon Zero Dawn guide, where we have plenty of helpful articles like how to get unlimited fast travel, how to get the best weapons, and more.