List of Halo series characters
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This is a list of fictional characters from the Halo franchise, including the video games Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2.
[edit] United Nations Space Command
[edit] Master Chief Petty Officer SPARTAN-117 "John"
Appearances: all Halo media
One of the few remaining SPARTAN-IIs, Spartan-117, commonly referred to as "Master Chief", is the protagonist and main playable character in Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2. Assisted by the AI Cortana, he almost singlehandedly prevents the firing of Installation 04, an event which would have destroyed most sentient life in the galaxy.[citation needed]
[edit] Sergeant Major Avery Johnson
Appearances: Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo: The Fall of Reach, Halo: The Flood, Halo: First Strike, Halo Graphic Novel
Sergeant Major Avery J. Johnson (voiced by David Scully in both Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2) is a Marine who leads human marines against Covenant and Flood assaults throughout the first and second games. He is known best for his intimidating attitude and outrageous pep talks. In spite of his behavior, he is a highly capable sergeant, and has survived many battles with both the Covenant and the Flood. Johnson plays a larger role in Halo 2 by joining forces with the Arbiter, whereas in Halo, he a relatively minor role, as simply a sergeant. (In-game in Halo, Johnson can die, but survives in canon. In Halo 2 however, Johnson is invincible in normal game play.)
According to the novel, Halo: First Strike, Sergeant Johnson survived the explosion of the first Halo by escaping in a Pelican drop ship with 3 other soldiers. They hid in the debris of Halo before being found by Master Chief and Cortana, who were flying in a Longsword fighter. First Strike details the Sergeant's rare medical condition, Boren's Syndrome, which resulted from heavy exposure of his nervous system to the electromagnetic fields caused by plasma. Johnson contracted this condition by using a full crate of plasma grenades while he held off the Covenant during the Siege of Paris IV to allow his squad to be evacuated. This condition saved him from the Flood's ability to infest the minds and bodies of hosts; the abnormal frequencies in his nervous system served as a buffer, keeping the Flood out of his mind. Had the Master Chief submitted Johnson's survival report in the complete combat data of the Flood, Johnson would have been forced into ONI's experiments, and may have died there. However, the Master Chief omitted the reasons behind Johnson's survival in his report.
In Halo 2, he was awarded the Colonial Cross and led UNSC forces to drive the Covenant from New Mombasa and, later, from Delta Halo. He was captured with Miranda Keyes by the Brute chieftain Tartarus, of the Covenant. They escaped when the Arbiter arrived. Johnson took advantage of the distraction to commandeer a nearby Scarab, and requested the Arbiter's help to defeat Tartarus.
[edit] Captain Jacob Keyes
Appearances: Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo: The Fall of Reach
Captain Jacob Keyes was the commander of the UNSC ship Pillar of Autumn, which was supposed to undertake a mission along with a complement of SPARTAN-IIs to capture a Prophet and end the war with the Covenant. However, the Covenant attacked first, and the Autumn followed Cole Protocol and ultimately ended up at Installation 04, or Halo. There, Keyes led a guerilla insurgency against the Covenant until he was captured and assimilated by the Flood. He was posthumously awarded a medal for his bravery.[citation needed] In the book The Fall Of Reach, it is revealed that Captain Keyes was part of the original scouting mission that chose the candidates for the SPARTAN-II progam. Proving his discretion in this highly illegal action, he was personally chosen by Dr. Halsey to command the SPARTAN-II's incursion.
[edit] Commander Miranda Keyes
Appearances: Halo 2
Commander Miranda Keyes is the daughter of Captain Jacob Keyes and first appears in Halo 2. She was the commanding officer of UNSC frigate In Amber Clad, which was later taken over by the Flood. She is referred to by 343 Guilty Spark as a Reclaimer, like the Master Chief (making it is possible that a "Reclaimer" is any member of the human race). As with Sergeant Johnson, she is invincible for gameplay purposes.
At the beginning of Halo 2, Keyes was present at an awards ceremony onboard the Cairo defense platform above Earth to accept a medal (Colonial Cross) posthumously for her father, who had been consumed by the Flood during the events of Halo. Soon after, a Covenant fleet launched an attack on Earth, and Commander Keyes linked up with the rest of the fleet aboard the In Amber Clad. She was able to retrieve the Master Chief and deployed him, along with many of her marines, to assist in the defense of New Mombasa. When the High Prophet of Regret retreated from Earth by initiating a slipspace jump, Keyes ordered the pilots of In Amber Clad to follow Regret's ship, resulting in the ship's arrival near Delta Halo.
Keyes then decided to deploy two teams to the surface of the second Halo: one, led by the Master Chief, would locate and assassinate Regret, while Keyes and Sergeant Johnson would locate the Index before the Covenant. She and Johnson were able to reach the Index, but were captured by Tartarus. As a Reclaimer, only she could insert the Index into Halo's control panel, and Tartarus attempted to force her to do this. When the Arbiter attempted to stop this, Tartarus forced Keyes to insert the Index, initiating Halo's firing sequence. After the Arbiter and Johnson engaged and killed Tartarus, Keyes successfully removed the Index and prevented Halo from activating, but inadvertently caused all remaining Halo installations to enter standby mode, enabling the remote detonation of these installations from The Ark, likely located on Earth.
It is unclear what role Keyes will play in the upcoming Halo 3.
Miranda is voiced by Julie Benz in Halo 2, but Bungie has stated they are recasting Miranda's voice actress because they want someone with an accent.[citation needed]
[edit] Fleet Admiral Sir Terrence Hood
Appearances: Halo 2, Halo: First Strike
Fleet Admiral Sir Terrence Hood (voiced by Ron Perlman) first appears in the novel, Halo: First Strike. He is a member of the UNSC Security Committee and is the Chief of Naval Operations. He greatly respects the Spartans, not only because of their record, but on two occasions his life has been saved by the Spartans. Admiral Hood, alternatively known as "Lord Hood", is seen wearing the Medal of Honor, the Purple Heart, and the Navy and Marine Corps Medal along with a number of service ribbons and citations. During Halo: First Strike, he is only a Knight, earning the title of "Sir," but between the novel and Halo 2 he is apparently promoted to "Lord."
When Halo 2 begins Admiral Hood presents the Master Chief, Sergeant Johnson, and Miranda Keyes with medals aboard the Cairo Station. Captain Keyes' medal is posthumous and thus presented to his daughter, Miranda. Lord Hood was in overall command of the battle when Prophet of Regret's fleet attacked Earth (this is made clear when he orders Fleet Admiral Harper to defend the Cairo, Athens, and Malta stations instead of attacking the Covenant ships directly). Later, at the end of Halo 2, he is seen commanding the defense of Earth aboard the Cairo as he finds out that Master Chief is aboard the High Prophet of Truth's Forerunner flagship. In Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, Hood receives an urgent message by Dr. Halsey requesting for him to send Spartans to assist her, and obliges by ordering Fred-104, Will-043, and Linda-058 to Onyx. With the end of Halo 2 at this point in the story, it is very likely Admiral Hood will appear in Halo 3.
He is named after a series of famous Lord Hoods who were Admirals in the Royal Navy.[citation needed]
[edit] Captain Carol "Foehammer" Rawley
Appearances: Halo: Combat Evolved
Captain Carol Rawley (interchangeably known by the callsigns Foehammer or Echo 419) is the pilot of a Pelican dropship on the UNSC cruiser Pillar of Autumn. She has great talent in the way of hostile insertions and mounting rescues, and this makes her stand out among the Autumn's other pilots. Foehammer is voiced by Tanya Pettiford-Wates. Her co-pilot is named Frye. She is technically an unseen character, as players can only see her ship.
Not long after the Pillar of Autumn makes a blind jump to Threshold, Covenant forces descend once again upon the ship. Foehammer escapes in the ensuing battle, and descends to the surface of the ringworld, where many UNSC forces have landed. There, she helps Spartan-117 and Cortana pick up scattered Marines and get them out of the battlefield,also assisting in other various missions on the installation. Later, she tragically loses control of her ship and goes down after being hit by Covenant Banshees, as she attempts to aid the Chief in escaping the Autumn before its imminent detonation.
In addition, Foehammer is one of the few female characters of note in Halo. She, Cortana, the pilot of Keyes' Pelican in the Flood complex raid, and the pilot of Master Chief's escape pod are the only females in the original video game. The second game features two female marines, voiced by Michelle Rodriguez and Laura Prepon, and Commander Miranda Keyes, voiced by Julie Benz. The series of books provides a wider view of the soldiers, several of whom are female.
The nickname "Foehammer" comes from the fourteenth level of Marathon Infinity. "Foehammer" is also a literal translation of the name of Gandalf's sword, Glamdring as well as the name of the dragon slaying arrow in Stephen King's book The Eyes of the Dragon.
[edit] PFC Wallace A Jenkins
Appearances: Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo: The Fall of Reach, Halo: The Flood
Private Wallace A Jenkins assisted in defending the human stronghold under the command of Major Antonio Silva. Master Chief rescued him along with Johnson and two other Marines aboard the Commonwealth at Reach aboard a Pelican. He was also part of an assault team led by Sergeant Avery Johnson and Captain Jacob Keyes, sent to recover a Covenant arms cache during Halo: Combat Evolved. The team is overwhelmed by the Flood, leaving the entire squad except Sergeant Johnson infected and resulting in the eventual death of Captain Keyes. The Master Chief recovers Jenkins' helmet, and reviews the recording of the mission that it contained, introducing the Flood to the player through the soldier's eyes.
Jenkins was transformed into a Combat Form of the Flood along with the rest of his squad, but it appears that he was able to exercise a certain degree of control over the infection, due to the mind of the parasite using his body being weakened by its long hibernation. He uses this limited control in an attempt to end his own life, charging at UNSC Marines in the hope that they would shoot him. Instead he is captured, as a live specimen for study. He is soon brought aboard the Covenant cruiser, 'Truth and Reconciliation', as part of a mission under ODST Major Silva to capture a Covenant vessel and return it to Earth intact. Jenkins successfully convinces Silva's second-in-command, Lieutenant McKay, that such a mission would spread the Flood to Earth, and she destroys the conduit connecting the ship's controls to the engines, destroying the vessel as it crashed into Halo 04.
[edit] Fleet Admiral Harper
Appearances: Halo 2
Fleet Admiral Harper is in direct command of one of the fleets protecting Earth. He is most likely part of the Orbital Defense Grid over Africa, in charge of MAC Platform Cairo. Fleet Admiral Harper is not seen on screen, however is heard in two separate transmissions regarding the attack on Earth, by the Prophet of Regret's battle group.
[edit] Admiral Whitcomb
Vice Admiral Danforth Whitcomb was a high-ranking officer in the UNSC. He was known for his tactical brilliance, resembling that of Captain Keyes. When Reach fell under Covenant attack, he was rescued by Gamma Team, a division of the Spartans sent to defend Reach from the Covenant invasion. He was later picked up by the Master Chief and escaped in Gettysburg-Ascendant Justice. He met his untimely death when luring 500 Covenant warships into a tremendous explosion, caused by the destruction of the Covenant command-and-control center, the Unyielding Hierophant. The station exploded, destroying almost 500 Covenant ships (frigates, destroyers, cruisers, carriers, super-carriers, and ships bigger than the super-carriers) and Admiral Whitcomb and Lieutenant Elias Haverson. He had delayed the Covenant's supposed attack on Earth, though the Prophet of Regret's fleet still managed to stumble upon the planet when searching for the Ark.
[edit] Senior Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez
Appearances: Halo: The Fall of Reach, Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
Senior Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez was the SPARTAN-II's trainer on Reach. He provided them with excellent weapons and physical lessons, as well as tactical and mental training. He is not very talkative, but possesses a brilliant mind for warfare, and this shows through in the Master Chief's abilities. He is described as neither tall nor muscular, with close-cut hair that has a dash of gray at the temples. Also, he looks very ordinary for a man who has seen such extensive combat. His walk is described as being slow and graceful, as though he were not bound by gravity as much as others. He leaves after the discovery of the Covenant to train the next batch of Spartans. Before he leaves, he gives the Master Chief the quarter John won from Dr. Halsey during her original examination of him as a child on Eridanus Two.
Chief Mendez was recruited by Colonel Ackerson to assist Lieutenant Commander Kurt Ambrose with training the SPARTAN-III supersoldiers at the secret world of Onyx after a few years of combat duty (receiving two Purple Hearts in the process). He trained three companies of S-IIIs, and watched two of them be almost completely annihilated. He participated in the events that occurred on the planet between October 31st and November 4th, 2552 and was sealed inside the Forerunner structure at the heart of the planet, with the remaining human survivors.
[edit] Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey
Appearances: Halo: First Strike, Halo: The Fall of Reach, 'Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey is a civilian scientist in the UNSC, in which she holds a prominent position. A flash-clone of her brain tissue was the basis for the construction of the "smart" AI Cortana. As the creator of the SPARTAN-II Project, she was responsible for the kidnapping of the seventy-five Spartan children, along with their training and the subsequent death of thirty of them due to the dangerous augmentation process. She is viewed by the SPARTAN-IIs as almost a "mother" figure. Because of the overnight success of the project, she quickly rose through the ranks of the UNSC, despite quarrels with one or two members of the Admiralty.
In the story, Halsey enjoys the time she spends with her Spartans, each of whom she addresses by first name rather than designation. An example of her affection for the Spartans can be seen in the novel Halo: First Strike, when while trapped in the catacombs of the destroyed ONI base on Reach, she teaches simple games to the Spartans (such as twenty questions). Some fans of the story believe that Halsey views the Spartans as the children she never had. Little is known of her personal life, but it is implied that she is a lonely workaholic, and highly criticized for her involvement with the SPARTAN-II project. Halsey justifies her actions through her belief that the suffering of a few is acceptable for the benefit of many. Sergeant Johnson, however, unknowingly causes Halsey to rethink her position, and she decides to "save each and every member of humanity beginning with herself".
In addition to working within the UNSC and some areas of ONI, she also works on Covenant cryptology, usually aided by Cortana. Using her skills, she deciphers the glyphs on the artifact Fred uncovered in the ONI ruins and kidnaps Kelly to go on an unknown mission.
Halsey is a somewhat tragic character. The guilt she suffers as a result of her dedication to her career has a severe emotional and physical impact on her life.
Dr. Halsey was last seen in a hijacked Chiropetra class shuttle (formerly of rebel possession, which had Slipspace capabilities and could travel between systems) after kidnapping and drugging a Spartan, Kelly, for her own private mission to the planet Onyx. There, she assisted in deciphering the surrounding Forerunner ruins on the planet and led the surviving humans within a Forerunner-designed Dyson Sphere contained within the spatially compressed core of the planet, in actuality a "shield-world" construct left unused by the Forerunners. Her fate, along with the others who entered the Dyson Sphere, is unknown.
[edit] Colonel James Ackerson
A high ranking officer in the Office of Naval Intelligence, who has seen many years of service and has survived several battles with the Covenant, and currently sits on the UNSC Security Committee. He currently has a number of secret operations ongoing, including several secret weapons projects including one code named S-III that apparently compare with the SPARTAN-II project in their chances at protecting humanity from the Covenant. Such is his influence that he dominates the Security Committee and can talk down to even higher-ranking officers without fear of reprisal. Due to the competition between Ackerson and other departments, most notably Section three and the SPARTAN-II project, Ackerson harbors a strong resentment toward his opponents and toward the Spartans in particular. In Halo: The Fall of Reach, he attempted to sabotage the MJOLNIR Mark V testing process by using ordnance far above the established guidelines, including Lotus anti-tank mines, a full squad of ODSTs ordered to shoot to kill, automated gun turrets, and an airstrike with a Skyhawk jump jet fighter. However, Cortana soon got back at Ackerson by forging a letter requesting a reassignment to the front lines, following planting evidence of illicit activities in his bank records. In Halo: First Strike, it is revealed that Ackerson managed to weasel his way out of Cortana's mess, and is in charge of the SPARTAN-III program, that gives him enough clout to silence superior officers such as General Strauss. Ironically, in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, despite Ackerson's strong dislike of the SPARTAN-IIs, he recruits SPARTAN-II Kurt-051 into training the SPARTAN-IIIs under the guise of creating Spartans at a cheaper cost. Ackerson is mentioned by name throughout the novel.
[edit] Major Antonio Silva
Commander of the Marine Helljumper battalion on the Pillar of Autumn when it crashed on Halo in Halo: Combat Evolved. An Orbital Drop Shock Trooper, Silva harbors little love for the SPARTAN-II program, bearing a grudge from when several of his fellow Helljumpers were killed as a test of a Spartan's willingness to obey orders. Though a brilliant tactical commander, Silva is ambitious to a fault. At the end of Halo: The Flood, he led the assault and capture of the Covenant ship Truth and Reconciliation, and, blinded by his own ambitions, refused to exterminate the remaining Flood specimens on board, believing that humanity needed to see live specimens of the parasite. He is killed when his subordinate, Lieutenant McKay, destroys the cruiser rather than let the Flood escape.
[edit] Lieutenant Melissa McKay
Major Silva's executive officer during the events of Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo: The Flood. A brave and stalwart officer who fought in several battles on the Halo construct, McKay was driven close to the breaking point as the battle wore on and the Flood parasite began to emerge. At the end of the novel, McKay attempted to convince Silva that they could not leave Halo with live Flood specimens on board their captured ship, but Silva refused to listen to her. Taking matters into her own hands, McKay destroyed a critical control line to the cruiser's bridge, causing the ship to crash and killing everyone on board to contain the spread of the Flood.
[edit] Corporal Locklear
Corporal Locklear was an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper who was involved in the battle on Installation 04 in Halo: Combat Evolved. Not much is known of his efforts or achievements in the fight. In Halo: First Strike, it is revealed that he escaped Halo on a Pelican with Sergeant Major Avery Johnson, Lieutenant Elias Haverson, and Warrant Officer Shiela Polaski, who he seemed to have been attracted to. He met his death when he blew up Dr. Halsey's Slipspace-altering crystal in grief of the death of Polaski, destroying him and protecting the rest of the crew on the Gettysburg-Ascendant Justice from the Covenant, who would undoubtedly track the crystal's radioactive emissions in Slipspace.
[edit] Staff Sergeant Marcus Banks
Sergeant Banks originally appears in the E3 preview of Halo 2. In both the preview and Halo 2, Sergeant Banks is in command of "A" Company after their original commander (an unnamed Lieutenant) was killed when they dropped in (in the E3 preview, his unit is identified as "the 405th out of Diego Garcia").
In the E3 preview, Sergeant Banks is at a forward position that is under Covenant attack and is rescued by the Master Chief. He appears to be wounded and calls for an air strike on a nearby Covenant plasma artillery cannon, while the Master Chief protects him. He then gives the Master Chief his SMG in order to demonstrate the new dual-wielding feature. In Halo 2, Sergeant Banks is found on the roof of a building being held by the Marines of "A" Company. He is the only marine in Halo 2 with a radio or some other type of communications device attached to his back, this makes his appearance unique in the game. This time, he calls on the Master Chief to help him take out the Scarab that has been on a rampage in New Mombasa. Whether or not he survived the Slipspace damages at New Mombasa is unknown. In the E3 preview and in Halo 2, Sergeant Banks famously says, "When I asked for reinforcements, I didn't think they'd send a Spartan."
[edit] Gunnery Sergeant Pete Stacker
Sergeant Stacker (voiced by Pete Stacker) was a marine sergeant stationed on the Pillar of Autumn. He survived the crash and fought alongside Master Chief on Halo. It was said that Sgt. Stacker was killed when Halo was destroyed, as no other humans (apart from Sgt. Johnson and co. in the Pelican) were seen or heard. However, in the level "Outskirts" in Halo 2, he appeared in front of the hotel and told Chief that the Covenant were all over the hotel. Whether or not this was Sgt. Stacker was not identified. Sgt. Stacker is also a Halo action figure. He and his voice actor share the same name. Furthermore, in the Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack disc, he features in the mini-movie "A Day at the Beach" as the sergeant in command of second squad. Interestingly, he and his team are dressed in ODST armor, while in Halo 2 they are wearing normal combat armor. This is yet to be explained however it is most likely that Stacker and his team somehow managed to remove their outer armor.
[edit] SPARTAN-IIs
While the Master Chief is the only soldier of the SPARTAN-II Project seen in the game, many others are featured or mentioned in the Halo novels. In the books, all Spartans are recorded as MIA (Missing In Action) even if they are dead; this is because the UNSC High Command did not want civilians to think that Spartans could be killed, in an effort to boost morale.
Known SPARTAN-IIs:
Active and reserve forces
- John-117 (Active)
- Fhajad-084: LCDR
- Linda-058
- Kelly-087
- Frederic-104 (Lieutenant Junior Grade)
Missing or killed forces
- Kurt-051: Kurt Ambrose, LCDR
- Li-008
- Joshua-029
- Vinh-030
- Sam-034
- Isaac-039
- William-043
- Anton-044
- Malcolm-059
- Grace-093
- James
- Three Spartans labeled "Gray Team"
Retired forces
- Maria-062
Forces of unknown status
- Kirk
- Rene
[edit] Lieutenant Commander Kurt Ambrose/SPARTAN-051 Kurt
One of the primary characters of Ghosts of Onyx. Kurt graduated with the original class of SPARTAN-IIs. Kurt was much more social than the other Spartans, going to lengths to be friends with not only his fellow Spartans but also the support personnel who trained and aided them. Although some (particularly John-117, the leader of the Spartans) found this quality to be detrimental to his duties, he proved to be an able leader and often led the Green Team in training exercises. Furthermore, he had a honed talent of intuition, making him often seemingly able to predict impending danger. After the death of Sam-034 in 2531, Kurt was assigned to replace him as a member of Blue Team under the command of John-117. Later that year, on a mission in the Groombridge 34 system, his thruster pack apparently malfunctioned while EVA. He was recovered by the UNSC Prowler Point of No Return, unbeknownst to his teammates. In actuality, the "accident" had been elaborately staged by Colonel James Ackerson of the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) in order to recruit Kurt to head up the SPARTAN-III program without anyone else knowing. He was given a new name and an officer's commission, effectively starting a new life as "Lieutenant (j.g.) Kurt Ambrose."
He was assigned to head up the selection and training of the next generation of Spartans- Ackerson reasoned that Spartans could be best trained by another Spartan. In order to do this, he was given SCPO Mendez and three dozen other NCOs to assist him at Camp Currahee on the planet Onyx; since the SPARTAN-III program was the only function of the camp, Kurt was also billeted as the Camp Commandant. He helped train three companies of approximately 300 SPARTAN-IIIs each, and for his efforts and the success of the program, he was eventually promoted to Lieutenant Commander. Driven by the guilt of watching two generations of his SPARTAN-IIIs die in combat, he worked to protect them at any cost, taking extreme measures to ensure their survival. When the Forerunner Sentinels began attacking in Zone 67, Kurt withdrew to the camp armory and his house, where he retrieved his suit of SPI armor, consciously choosing it instead of his vastly superior MJOLNIR armor in a show of solidarity with his troops. After the arrival of Dr. Halsey and the SPARTAN-II Blue Team, Kurt along with the remaining 7 SPARTAN-IIIs of Gamma Company accompanied them to the center of Zone 67 - a recently unearthed Forerunner city - to protect the Forerunner technology from falling to the Covenant forces who had just entered orbit. Eventually, he realized that Dr. Halsey's actual plan was to take the remaining Spartans into the safety of the core of Onyx, an advanced Forerunner shelter which existed in slipspace. He led the Spartans in defending the core against the Covenant forces, but ordered the rest of the Spartans into the shelter along with Dr. Halsey and Chief Mendez when it was clear that they could no longer hold their position. Kurt was killed at the end of Halo: Ghosts of Onyx by detonating a series of FENRIS nuclear warheads to prevent the Covenant from pursuing his comrades.
[edit] Maria-062
A SPARTAN-II who chose to retire from the SPARTAN-II program to start a family. After doing so she had tested out a new model of MJOLNIR Mark VI armor before it was sent to be used by Master Chief Petty Officer Spartan John-117 in Halo 2. This event is depicted in the Halo Graphic Novel, entitled Armor Testing, by W. Andrew Robinson (pencils), Ed Lee (colors), and Jay Faerber (Story).
[edit] AIs
A common presence on UNSC worlds and fleets, advanced artificial intelligences serve as highly capable computerized assistants in everything from naval warfare and military planning to accounting. UNSC AIs come in two types, "dumb" and "smart." "Dumb" AIs are specialized in one specific field and cannot improve their knowledge in regards to any other field or grow in terms of processing power. "Smart" AIs are unlimited in their ability to expand and learn, though their rapid rate of self-advancement results in a cognitive "death" after roughly seven operational years, due to critical system functions being used up by the AI to think and process.
[edit] Cortana
Cortana is the AI who assists the Master Chief throughout Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2. Bungie has stated that as of Halo 3, Cortana is still in the clutches of Gravemind.[citation needed]
[edit] Kalmiya
Kalmiya was Dr. Catherine Halsey's "test" experiment, to see whether an AI could handle the code-breaking abilities that were required for the Spartan II's mission. Kalmiya is a "smart" AI - copied directly from the neural patterns of a human brain. She also contributes a portion of her core programming to the making of Cortana. She is erased according to UNSC protocol when the ONI Castle Base on Reach self-destructs to prevent the Covenant from discovering any human secrets, such as the location of Earth.
[edit] Toran
Toran was an AI who served on the diplomatic shuttle Han in 2517. Toran was the AI who assisted Dr. Halsey (escorted by Keyes during the time) in gathering the future Spartans. Toran was a 'dumb AI' in that it could only perform tasks it had been programmed to do, and could not learn new ones.
[edit] Wellsley
Wellsley was a Class-C Military A.I. who assisted ODST Major Silva and Lt. McKay on Halo to set up and operate Alpha Base, the centre of the human resistance on the ringworld. He was only mentioned in Halo: The Flood and was effectively erased when Lt. McKay destroyed the Truth and Reconciliation in an attempt to stop her superior's plans to capture and examine the Flood. He was also a "dumb" A.I. - meaning he was only created for one type of position, in this case being a military assistant. His name and personality came from the Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley (original, correct spelling), who won the Battle of Waterloo. The A.I. Wellsley often referred to victories that the Duke made as though he were the Duke and not an artificial recreation.
[edit] Déjà
Déjà was the AI for the SPARTAN-II project and had the appearance of a Greek goddess holding stone tablets. She was one of the main teachers for Master Chief and his fellow Spartans, and was the defacto AI of Dr. Catherine Halsey, presumably until the next batch of Spartans began training. Déjà was only exceptional in the one subject programmed for her - the education of the Spartan-IIs. In French, Déjà translates as "Already".
[edit] Beowulf
Beowulf was an AI attache for the Office of Naval Intelligence, presumably preparing briefings and the like for certain soldiers. His appearance was of a ghostly robed figure, its hands and face hidden in its sleeves and hood. Beowulf may have been destroyed when Reach fell to the Covenant in 2552.
[edit] Araqiel
Araqiel was the personal AI of Colonel James Ackerson, a rival of Dr. Halsey and strong critic of the Spartan-II program. Since the overnight success of the program threatened Ackerson, he deployed Araqiel to attack the files of Dr. Halsey, stealing data (such as every Spartan's DNA) for an unknown purpose. Araqiel was only mentioned in the book, Halo: First Strike, and is erased by Dr. Halsey and Kalmiya during the Covenant assault on the planet Reach after threatening to report Halsey to the ONI for treason. His appearance is that of an elongated skull with long, demon-like horns, fire-filled eyes and jagged teeth. His voice is a low bestial growl or rumble containing a trace of far-off thunder, probably evoking the demon for which he is named.
[edit] Eternal Spring
Eternal Spring was assigned to planet Onyx, the site of a survey team investigating alien ruins. When the Spartan III program began on Onyx, they asked Eternal Spring to offer assistance, of which it gave 9% of it's processing resources to.
[edit] Deep Winter
Deep Winter became the functioning A.I. for the training camp of the new Spartan III soldiers. He replaced Eternal Spring. Deep Winter became aware of illegal drugs being used on the new soldiers and tried to warn Spartan Kurt-051, even though Kurt-051 was the one responsible for them being used in the first place. Fortunately for Kurt, the A.I. was at the end of its lifespan. Deep Winter appeared as an old man with snow blowing around him. Deep Winter was only mentioned in the book Halo: Ghosts of Onyx.
[edit] Endless Summer
Endless Summer replaced the A.I Deep Winter on planet Onyx. He was able to transmit data to Earth to inform them of the new life forms found on Onyx. He appeared as a native American Indian. Endless Summer was only mentioned in the book Halo: Ghosts of Onyx. He was destroyed when the entire surface of Onyx crumbled, revealing that Onyx is a planet held together underneath by trillions of the Sentinels mentioned in the book.
[edit] The Covenant
[edit] The High Prophets
[edit] The Arbiter
[edit] Tartarus
In the fictional world of Bungie Studio's Halo games, Tartarus is the most prominent of the Jiralhanae (also known as Brute) commanders of the Covenant, easily recognized by his albinism and distinctive mohawk. He represents his entire species as their Chieftain: rough, arrogant and disdainful of the Covenant Elite, and totally dedicated to the Prophets' "Great Journey". Tartarus is the strongest and final boss in Halo 2.He is named for the deepest part of the Ancient Greek underworld, where the Titans are imprisoned.
Tartarus made his first chronological appearance in the novel Halo: First Strike, in the chamber of the High Prophet of Truth. Even back then Truth had trusted him enough to dismiss the Honor Guards in the chamber. He had scoured the wreckage of the Covenant attack coordination station Unyielding Hierophant after its destruction at the hands of the Master Chief. Tartarus reported the Covenant Fleet preparing to attack Earth largely destroyed, and an artifact almost entirely lost but for three small chips, which he presented to Truth. He was instructed to reward the surviving pilots well, then "execute them all. Quickly. Quietly." (p. 340)
In Halo 2, Tartarus branded the Elite that would later become the Arbiter with the Mark of Shame and took him to the Mausoleum for an execution. When that same Elite was given the role of the Arbiter, Tartarus was obviously displeased, but did not openly voice his objections to the Prophets. Tartarus interceded after the Heretic Leader was killed and seized 343 Guilty Spark, despite the Arbiter's objections. He also reappeared when the Arbiter tried to retrieve the Index of Delta Halo. On the Prophets' orders, Tartarus stole the Index and pushed the Arbiter to what was intended to be his death in the deep central chasm of the Library. The Brute then returned to High Charity with the Index and captives Commander Miranda Keyes and Sergeant Avery Johnson under his possession.
While trying to get the Reclaimer (Miranda Keyes) to activate Halo, Tartarus was confronted by the Arbiter. Blind to the Prophets' deception, he activated Delta Halo and prepared to guard the Index from all comers. In the final showdown, Tartarus put up a difficult fight with his frequently one-hit-kill electromagnetic Gravity Hammer, the "Fist of Rukt," and his unique fog-like energy shield that is almost impervious to damage, but ultimately was killed by the Arbiter when Sergeant Johnson temporarily disabled his shield with a particle beam rifle (although the player can do the same if he/she also has a particle beam rifle), successfully delaying/preventing the destruction of the galaxy.
Tartarus is voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.
[edit] Special Operations Commander Rtas 'Vadumee
Making his debut in Halo 2, the Spec Ops Commander was never named in the game itself, leading to the unofficial nickname of "Half-Jaw" by fans. With the release of the Halo graphic novel however, the character is finally named in the story Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor. His name is given as Rtas 'Vadumee (The font can be difficult to make out, making it look like Rtos but it is quoted as Rtas in an interview with the writers on Bungie.net).
The SpecOps Commander is a veteran Covenant Elite who is missing half of both his left mandibles, although this does not impair his ability to speak clearly. The Halo graphic novel explains how he incurred this injury; the mandibles were cut off by one of his best friends possessed by the Flood. He wears the white armor of a Special Operations (Spec Ops) commander. He frequently fights beside the Arbiter throughout Halo 2. However, he often leaves the Arbiter with lesser Elites to go fight other battles on his own throughout the game. At one point Tartarus references this pattern of behavior and calls the SpecOps Commander a coward.
In the beginning of Halo 2, he sees the Arbiter as servant of the Prophets, and at first he does not care for the Arbiter's life. Later, after the Heresy on Threshold is quelled and the events on Delta Halo begin to transpire, he starts to respect the Arbiter for his actions. Also, it seems that he does not share the suicidal tendencies of other Elites chosen for Spec Ops duties, as seen when he tells the Arbiter that "...These are my Elites. Their lives matter to me; yours does not." The Arbiter simply responds, "That makes two of us."
He is shown to be a messenger between the Hierarchs and the Elite Council, as he is seen relaying messages between the two parties in the Prophets' chamber. His final fate is unknown, it is probable that he survived the events of Halo 2, but was last seen leaving the Arbiter to confront Tartarus and going off to capture a Covenant cruiser which had been taken over by the Brutes.
The Spec Ops Commander is to the Arbiter what Sergeant Johnson is to the Master Chief. In the game, he cannot be killed, just like his human counterpart Johnson because he has an important role in the story and must survive to appear later on. He is always armed with either an energy sword or plasma rifle unless the player gives him a different weapon.
The Halo Graphic Novel story "The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor" shows his first experience with battling the Flood. On the level, "The Oracle" (Halo 2), in which the player first encounters the Flood in Halo 2, he remarks "That stench ... I've smelled it before … ", referring to the odor the Flood forms produce. His experience in regards to the Flood also calls him to question the Arbiter's judgement during the level "Quarantine Zone," where he warns the Arbiter "The Parasite is not to be trifled with. I hope you know what you're doing."
A small point of interest is the fact that he is the only character out of the whole cast (Human, Covenant or Flood) who holds his sword in his left hand. He does this at least once, during a cutscene in 'Quarantine Zone', when he leaves the Arbiter to distract the Flood from him. This may also be explained from the wounds he receives to his right arm and his jaw near the end of "The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor".
The SpecOps Commander is voiced by Robert Davi.
[edit] Heretic Leader Sesa ‘Refumee
The Heretic Leader Sesa ‘Refumee is an enemy and 'boss' present in Halo 2 and fought by the Arbiter. He commanded an Artifact Retrieval Group attached to the Covenant fleet at the first Halo ring. Busy investigating a retrofitted Forerunner mining facility in the upper atmosphere of the gas giant, Threshold, ‘Refumee was fortunate not to be on the ring when the Master Chief detonated the Pillar of Autumn's fusion engines, destroying the ring and everything on it.
The Heretic Leader first encountered Halo’s monitor, 343 Guilty Spark, a few days after Halo’s destruction. The Monitor informed him about the true nature of Halo, the fate of the Forerunners and the origins of the Flood. This knowledge inspired ‘Refumee and his Elites to rebel against the Prophets – a decision that led to outright civil war.
They established a heavily fortified base in the mining facility discovered on Threshold. Just before Covenant SpecOps units led by the Arbiter stormed the base, the Flood stored on the station millennia ago for study escaped and almost overran both the Heretics and the loyal Covenant.
The Heretic Leader and the elites under his command did not wear normal Elite armor, rather they wore a chest plate, a respirator, and rounded goggles. The Heretic Leader also had a jet-pack on his armor, similar to the equipment worn by Elites when deployed in space combat. The Grunts under his command did not wear the traditional armour of their Covenant counterparts - rather they wore a much smaller H-shaped backpack with several methane tanks attached.
'Refumee was fond of using holodrones to both communicate and serve as distractions in combat. However, the Arbiter managed to survive both drones and kill him, fulfilling the will of the Prophet Hierarchs and quelling his "heresy". In the course of his defeat, the Leader gave the Arbiter hints that Halo's purpose is destruction, not salvation, a truth the Arbiter finally confirms for himself upon meeting both Gravemind and the Master Chief
The Heretic Leader is voiced by Miguel Ferrer.
[edit] Ship Master Orna 'Fulsamee
According to the novel Halo: The Flood, Orna 'Fulsamee is a Covenant Elite Ship Master of an unnamed Covenant Destroyer, possibly the Truth and Reconciliation. His ship had a Minor Prophet onboard, and seemed to be the fleet's Flagship. He was ordered by the Prophet on board his ship not to fire on the Pillar of Autumn due to fear of damaging Halo, therefore letting the humans land on Halo. If he was the shipmaster of the Truth & Reconciliation, he was killed by the Master Chief during the first rescue of Captain Keyes.
[edit] SpecOps Major Zuka 'Zamamee
Appearing in the book Halo: The Flood, Zuka 'Zamamee is an Elite who has several run-ins with the Master Chief. First, during the battle on the Pillar of Autumn above the ring, Zamamee suffers a head injury from the Chief and is saved by Yayap the Grunt.
'Zamamee never really appears in Halo: Combat Evolved. He requests and is granted permission by the Prophets to hunt down and kill the Master Chief. In the book Halo: The Flood he attempts several assassinations on the Chief, a few of which are actually in the game. The first encounter between the Master Chief and the assassins, is in the level The Silent Cartographer. Before finding the crashed Pelican dropship, the Chief walks into a Forerunner construct. In this construct he encounters two Hunters and also two Elites with active camouflage. This was a trap laid out by 'Zamamee, who in the book Halo: The Flood is also camouflaged and looking from one of the sides of the room.
'Zamamee further also led an attack on the UNSC base on Halo. He had Yayap captured by the Human forces to find out when the Master Chief would be at the base. He attacked the base, but did not find the Master Chief. He then was forced by Yayap to flee the battle in a Banshee.
'Zamamee finally encounters the Master Chief in the Pillar of Autumn. This is the only time he is seen in the original game. After the Master Chief sets off the Autumn's engines, he prepares to take an elevator to a maintenance corridor. On this elevator are a few Grunts and one Spec Ops Elite, who is 'Zamamee. He is killed in the novel by a grenade thrown by the Master Chief.
[edit] Fleet Master Voro 'Mantakree
Voro 'Mantakree appears in the book "Halo: Ghosts of Onyx". He starts out as a Major Domo Covenant Elite who is forced to kill his Ship Master when the superior officer goes mad from the "glory" of the ring world known as Delta Halo.
When Voro assumes control of the Covenant destroyer, he engages several Brute vessels and narrowly escapes. Voro is then summoned to a meeting, along with his fellow Ship Masters. Once there, Xytan 'Jar Watinree, a high-ranking Elite, promotes him for his wisdom.
The newly promoted Voro assembles a Covenant armada, and invades the planet known as Onyx. Once he lands, Voro summons his ground troops and invades the entrance to the core of Onyx. There he encounters Lieutenant Commander Kurt Ambrose. Kurt is injured from previous fighting, and is on the verge of death. 'Mantakree treats him honorably and respectfully, commanding hime to "stand and fight one last time, and die a warrior's death". Ambrose, in self-sacrifice, stands and activates a pair of FENRIS warheads, to stop him and the rest of the Covenant from reaching Onyx's core, and gaining access to the surmised weaponry. Voro dies in the ensuing blast.
[edit] Yayap
A cowardly but skillful Grunt file leader, Yayap always tried to steer his squad away from danger by avoiding combat. After saving Zuka 'Zamamee aboard the Pillar of Autumn, the Elite conscripted Yayap to accompany him on a mission to assassinate the Master Chief. This event is described in Halo: The Flood.
Yayap infiltrated the UNSC base camp on Halo, posing as a wounded Grunt in order to be captured. During the ensuing Covenant assault on the camp, Yayap confronted 'Zamamee with a plasma pistol and forced him to commandeer a captured Banshee to escape.
Later, he deserted his post at the Pillar of Autumn's crash site, taking a Ghost, a days' worth of food and a spare methane tank. On the run, he finally discovered the sense of peace he'd sought. He died aboard Halo after the Master Chief detonated the Autumn's engines, shattering the ringworld.
[edit] Forerunner
[edit] 343 Guilty Spark
343 Guilty Spark is the Monitor of Installation 04. He escapes the ring's destruction, and informs the Covenant Hierarchs of how to access Installation 05.
[edit] 2401 Penitent Tangent
2401 Penitent Tangent, voiced by John Michael Higgins, first appears in Halo 2 as the Monitor of Installation 05, referred to by humans as "Delta" Halo. Although it is only shown briefly during the encounter with the Flood Gravemind deep in the bowels of Halo, 2401 Penitent Tangent (pronounced "twenty four-oh-one") is nearly identical to the 343 Guilty Spark, another Monitor from the original Halo. It appears to glow a dim red instead of bright blue, and its outer casing may be damaged. It speaks with the same upbeat, artificial voice that all Monitors appear to have, and in the same style as Guilty Spark. Penitent Tangent expresses excitement at the sight of the Master Chief, because a "Reclaimer" can activate the facility and contain the outbreak of the Flood. A short argument with the "deceased" (brought back to life through the Gravemind and unaware he's dead) High Prophet of Regret demonstrates that Penitent Tangent employs the same amount of regulation and protocol when it comes to dealing with the threat of the parasite. This is much to the dismay of Regret, who insists that "...of all the objects our lords [the Forerunners] left behind, there are none so worthless as these Oracles [Monitors]! They know nothing of The Great Journey!!"
Also revealed by Penitent Tangent is the fact that the ring(s) have been activated exactly once before, and are quite capable of being activated again. During the argument with Regret, it expresses dismay that the Flood have been able to spread throughout Delta Halo, saying: "and you know nothing about containment! You have demonstrated complete disregard for even the most basic protocols!". Before anything more can be said, 2401 Penitent Tangent and Regret are taken away, seeing as they were only a tool that Gravemind used to convince the Arbiter of the rings' true nature.
2401 Penitent Tangent is also seen in the multiplayer map "Backwash" which can be obtained via Xbox Live, or the Halo Multiplayer Map Pack. Here he simply flies around the sky, occasionally humming cheerily, and speaking a few phrases using stock recordings of Guilty Spark's dialogue. He is invincible to gunfire on this map and never ceases movement.
[edit] Flood
[edit] Gravemind
The Gravemind is a large sentient creature of Flood origin, introduced during the events of Halo 2 and speaks in iambic heptameter. Its motives remain unclear.
[edit] References
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Halo: Combat Evolved • Halo 2 • Halo 3 |
