: This is not true, the belief behind the Mantle doesn't actually state that
: the Mantle is to be upheld violently or through expressions of power. That
: was the Forerunner's bastardization of its core tenants of being peaceful
: caretakers for the races of the galaxy, and it's a large part of what led
: their society to fall.

: It's like religious extremists claiming they need to kill for God, when
: there's nothing in religious texts that says violence will solve the
: world's problems. Same sort of situation.

What do you have to do if you have it?

None of the species that we've met have the ability or presence to protect the universe. Is there a mantle species per galaxy? But even a single galaxy has ~300 billion stars in it. Exactly what could any mantle carrying species achieve?