The Banished are a multi-species confederation of pirates and raiding clans. Acting as mercenaries, the organization's goals have been described as attaining power in their raids across the Orion Arm, while their killers and mercenaries plunder treasure in the name of their own free will.
They were formed and led by the Jiralhanae warmaster Atriox after rebelling against the Covenant. The Banished are primarily composed of Jiralhanae and have incorporated Sangheili, Humans, Mgalekgolo, Unggoy, Huragok, and Kig-Yar, as Atriox denounced vengeance between species as a petty restriction in the way of gaining rewards and treasures.
The Banished exists as a confederation of clans and factions that seek to liberate themselves and have pledged to the fearsome might and will of Atriox. At its founding, the Banished was envisioned by Atriox as a means to free his people from the oppressive captivity of the Covenant, to pursue their own destinies and carve a path across the stars as the disparate Jiralhanae clans are unified under a single banner. The Banished have expanded to welcome any species or faction of prior affiliation, from human to Lekgolo, the lowly Unggoy thrall to the mighty Sangheili warrior so long as they further the prime directive of the Banished: to never bow again.
Those that join the Banished must unshackle themselves from ties to the past—unbind themselves from old masters, cast off their piety, and banish their sentimental devotion to honor to become a true vessel for victory. For that is what it means to be truly "Banished".
The overall goal of the Banished is to grow in power as to never have to bow to any of their "old masters" again. In order to do so, they seek out Forerunner technology and structures to grow more powerful.