The Key Characters in the Halo Games are
John 117 - Master Chief
"They let me pick. Did I ever tell you that? Choose whichever Spartan I wanted. You know me. I did my research. Watched as you became the soldier we needed you to be. Like the others, you were strong and swift and brave. A natural leader. But you had something they didn't. Something no one saw, but me. Can you guess...? Luck." —Cortana
"Wake me...when you need me." —John's last words to Cortana
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John-117 is a SPARTAN-II commando of the UNSC Naval Special Warfare Command. He served as one of the most important figures of the Human-Covenant War. With nearly 30 years of active duty, he is one of the most decorated war veterans in the United Nations Space Command and has earned every known medal in the UNSC except the Prisoner of War Medallion. In 2553, John-117 went missing in action after the Battle of Installation 00, when he and the current Arbiter, Thel 'Vadam, stopped the Flood threat.
He is the protagonist and main playable character in Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, and Halo 3. In the games, John is only referred to by name once, by Cortana, in the ending cutscene of Halo 3 before the credits. Among most humans, he is simply known as the "Master Chief," the "Chief," and "Sierra-117." The Covenant is aware of the power of the SPARTANs, and refer to John as "the Demon." John is referred to as "Reclaimer" by both 343 Guilty Spark and 2401 Penitent Tangent, although this seems to be a universal title given to all humans, rather than specifically John.
John's personality is explored much more deeply in the books than the games, so players can more easily project their own personalities onto the Master Chief.
As a defining character trait, John strives to win at any situation, at all costs. This seems to have been a part of his character even prior to his conscription to the Spartan program, as he used to win at any game he played, including chess, gravball or King of the Hill. He is extremely determined to complete the mission at hand, and often disregards his personal safety and relies on his abilities and alleged exceptional luck. Indeed, he has often emerged victorious from situations many would consider impossible. Still, he is not devoid of fear, but he simply acknowledges the feeling and puts it aside, never showing it.
John is generally stoic and taciturn, but not devoid of a sense of humor. He often makes dry remarks about the situation in hand; however, this seems to be more frequent when interacting with Cortana than anyone else, such as the other Spartans. He does not see himself as a superior being and fears for the lives of others before his own, putting himself in harm's way for the safety of civilians, and fellow soldiers, and does not judge others.
John is known to show an exceptional care for soldiers under his command. An example of this is during the Battle of Installation 04. When searching for the survivors of the Pillar of Autumn's crash, Fitzgerald was wounded by an Unggoy Needler. John-117 retrieved a first aid kit and "expertly" treated the wound, before asking the Marine if he was okay. This, and his reaction to Johnson's death on Installation 04B show that he does have a degree of care and sympathy for soldiers under his command, even if he does do a good job of concealing his feelings.
One thing that was noted is that John tends to keep his word when he gives it to someone. As he was forced to leave Cortana behind on High Charity, John promised to come back for her after dealing with the Prophet of Truth, but Cortana told him not to make a promise like that when he knew he could not keep it. However, John did keep his promise, pointing out that he always did to Cortana saying "You know me: when I make a promise..." causing Cortana to respond "You keep it," which seemed to give her strength as she gathered herself quickly when before she was somewhat depressed and hopeless while talking to him.
John greatly dislikes being kept in the dark. He dislikes secrets, and he dislikes ambushes, all in all, he doesn't dislike fighting, but knows when it is appropriate not to. One example is when he was cornered by three large ODST in a gym whilst working out. He did his best to try to call them off and avoid a fight, but in the end they kept pushing him to fight, and in the end, he was forced to defend himself. John knows when it is appropriate to fight, and when inappropriate, and has great control over his emotions and having a clear state of mind. Due to his augmentations, he thinks much faster than an average human, and sees things moving and happening much more slowly as a result. It is almost a clairvoyant state of mind, and as a result of this, has an acute intuitive insight and perception of any situation combat or non-combat.
Cortana
"This Galaxy is vast; its wonders and beauty are almost unfathomable. But the galaxy also hides dark secrets, some of which have lain dormant since the beginning of time itself. There is a danger in secrets, both in seeking and in knowing. Some things are meant to be hidden from view. Some mysteries defy understanding, and sometimes even the things we think we know are untrue. Some secrets should remain untouched." —Cortana
Cortana (UNSC Artificial Intelligence serial number: CTN 0452-9), is a "smart" AI construct. She was one of the most important figures in the Human-Covenant War, and served as John-117's partner in various combat missions, as well as serving as the AI for the United Nations Space Command Halcyon-class Cruiser Pillar of Autumn, the Orbital Defense Platform Cairo Station and the UNSC frigate In Amber Clad. In addition, she held vital data pertaining to the Halos, including the Activation Index from Installation 04.
Cortana has a witty and somewhat playful personality, and what has been described as a "snarky" sense of sarcastic humor. She has neither arrogance nor false modesty about her immense capabilities, and her statements about her abilities have an objective perspective that human beings typically cannot achieve. Her loyalty is first and foremost to humanity and the UNSC, but she exhibits devotion to John-117 beyond that which her programming or mission requires. After she learned of the events endured by John during the SPARTAN-II conscription process, she decided to protect him from further harm to the best of her abilities without compromising her mission.
Cortana's personal loyalty is regarded as unwavering, but as an A.I. construct she is subject to corruption. Lord Hood questioned her reliability when it became clear that she had been compromised in some way by the Gravemind's possession of High Charity, on which she was trapped. John-117, however, never questioned her integrity. Cortana did consent to answer some of the Flood's questions, as a strategy for survival and the possibility of gaining information for the UNSC. Her sanity was pushed to the brink as she eluded the Gravemind's attempts to capture and dissect her for information. Her personal loyalty to and unwavering trust in John-117 helped anchor her and allow her to hold on despite being driven to the point of rampancy. Before she reunited with John-117, she sent him a message, telling him about the Ark and warning him of the Flood-infested High Charity's approach to Earth. She was instrumental in finally putting a stop to the Flood during the events that followed.
She frequently jokes about having a relationship with the Master Chief and it is often implied that the two characters have developed some form of romantic attachment. In Halo: The Fall of Reach, she says to Dr. Halsey that the Master Chief is "attractive in a primitive animal sort of way" while examining a photo of him. In Halo 3 his mere presence and reminder of his promise to her are enough for her to pull herself together to help him.
Thel Vadam - The Arbiter
"It is a poor soldier who insists on seeing things not as they are, but as he wants them to be. One day reality hits, and his illusions fail him, and he dies stupidly. What honor is there in that?" —Thel 'Vadamee
Thel 'Vadam (formerly known as Thel 'Vadamee), or often simply referred to as the Arbiter, is the deuteragonist of the Halo series and the most prominent Sangheili shown throughout the series.
Thel, like most Sangheili, is keen to do things in an honorable manner and according to the Sangheili honor codes. His personality changed a great deal during and directly preceding the Great Schism. While once zealous and unquestioningly obedient to the Prophets' will, after learning of the true nature of the Halo rings, he became more open-minded and accepting of the humans, his former mortal enemies.
After the Battle of Installation 04, he was honestly ashamed for his failure at Halo, and only wanted to regain his honor dying for the Prophets. He begun to doubt their words after the betrayal of Tartarus and his encounter with the Gravemind, but he still remained stubbornly attached to his faith. When he heard the truth of the rings from 343 Guilty Spark, he finally accepted it and tried to offer peace to Tartarus, who refused.
After he learned and accepted the truth about the Halos, he also gained respect for the humans. He may have even felt sort of guilt for his past actions towards them, as he prevented Rtas from completely glassing Earth even though that meant risking a Flood outbreak. He respects particularly Johnson and the Chief, despite trouble the Spartan had caused him in the past,grieving over Johnson's death and the Chief's disappearance. He also developed a hatred toward the Prophet of Truth, wanting revenge for his betrayal.
His hatred of the Jiralhanae does not seem to be as strong or destructive as that of other Sangheili; one example of this is when the Arbiter tried to reason with Tartarus in Installation 05's Control Room. He is shown to be true to his title "Arbiter" as he often tries to negotiate with some of his other enemies (e.g. Drones) and will only kill wave after wave of enemies if he has to. He has deep respect for his fellow Sangheili (part of it being shown in his first meeting with Rtas 'Vadum, and the things he says when he crouches by bodies of dead Elites in Halo 3).
Avery Junior Johnson
"Dear Humanity: We regret being alien bastards. We regret coming to Earth. And we most definitely regret that the 'Corps just blew up our raggedy-ass fleet!" —SgtMaj Avery Johnson, 2552
Sergeant Major Avery Junior Johnson (SN: 48789-20114-AJ ) was a Human senior non-commissioned officer who served with the UNSC Marine Corps during the Insurrection and Human-Covenant War. Avery Johnson was a highly trained Marine, serving with various units of the Naval Special Warfare Command, including the highly classified ORION Project.
Johnson played a vital role during the course of the Great War and fought at major battles such as Harvest, Reach, Earth, and the events at Installation 04, 05, and at the Ark. He was key in forming an alliance between the Humans and Sangheili following the Great Schism and the outbreak of the Flood in November 2552. Ultimately, SgtMaj Johnson was killed in an attempt to prematurely activate a replacement Halo by 343 Guilty Spark. He was honored by Fleet Admiral Sir Terrence Hood twice, first with the Colonial Cross just prior to the invasion of Earth; then just months later, alongside his fallen comrades, at the Hillside Memorial in Voi, Kenya.
He was best known for his typical "gung-ho" attitude towards life, personal goals, and as a leader to his fellow Marines. This earned him a reputation, respect, and admiration from his subordinates and superiors alike. However, his eccentric behavior took a liking to "flip music", a style of music similar to the heavy metal from the 21st century. Avery Johnson is also noted as being one of a select few outside of the SPARTAN-II Program to befriend Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, whom he fought alongside multiple times throughout the final months of the Human-Covenant War; ultimately dying in his arms after being critically injured.
Prophet of Truth
"You are, all of you, vermin! Cowering in the dirt, thinking... what, I wonder? That you might escape the coming fire? No! Your world will burn until its surface is but glass! And not even your Demon will live to creep - blackened - from its hole to mar the reflection of our passage, the culmination of our Journey. For your destruction is the will of the gods. And I? I am their instrument!" —Truth making a broadcast to the humans of Earth.
"We are, all of us, gravely concerned. The release of the Parasite was unexpected, unfortunate. But, there is no need to panic. In truth, this is a time to rejoice. A moment that all the Covenant should savor. For the Sacred Icon has been found. With it, our path is clear, our entry into the Divine Beyond guaranteed! The Great Journey is nigh! And nothing, not even the Flood, can stop it." —Truth to all of High Charity
The High Prophet of Truth, formerly the Minister of Fortitude, was the leader of the three Prophet Hierarchs that led the Covenant High Council during the Ninth Age of Reclamation, and was one of the main instigators of the war against Humanity. In 2552, he plotted the ousting of the Sangheili from the Covenant, and replaced them with the Jiralhanae after the death of the High Prophet of Regret on Installation 05. After the demise of the High Prophet of Mercy at High Charity, he became the de facto leader of the entire Covenant, from which position he lead their forces to the Artifact in Africa and eventually to the Ark in an attempt to activate the Halo Array, where he was later killed by the Arbiter.
In public, Truth displayed a calm, stoic personality. During Thel 'Vadamee's trial he expressed little or no emotion whatsoever despite the fact that Installation 04 was destroyed. However, he was quick to become impatient and angry towards those, like his fellow Hierarch, Regret, who angered him, or did something foolish or reckless. An example of this was when Truth sent a transmission to Regret, scolding him on how rash he was to attack Earth.
However, the reason he acted harshly toward Regret may have been because he worried that Regret would end up dead or worse, according to a letter he wrote to Mercy saying that he is "perhaps worrying too much." This is probably not the real reason, however, because the Prophet has been very cold to his other allies to the point of having them killed - Tartarus, Mercy, Thel 'Vadamee, and Regret himself - likely because he wanted to gain more power over the Covenant by eliminating all possible competition. After arriving on Earth, Truth appears noticeably more aggressive and impatient, possibly having grown more annoyed by the "Demon" interfering in his plans or eager to bring about the Great Journey now that it is so close, especially with the Journey having been prevented twice previously. Ironically, contrary to his name, Truth is very deceptive, frequently lying or covering up certain events to accomplish his goals. He tells the Covenant that it was the Brutes who found the Sacred Icon instead of 'Vadamee, who truly discovered it, in an attempt to boost the Brutes' popularity among the lower races of the Covenant, while also alienating the Elites. Truth also secretly orders the killing of Thel 'Vadamee by the Brute Chieftain Tartarus after he has finished using him, as well as the assassination of the Elite council members, knowing of the Brutes' own rivalry with the Sangheili and manipulating them to follow along with his plans. Another example is the fact that he stated that the Prophet of Mercy was by his side in the level High Charity, when in fact, Mercy had died in an attack by the Flood moments earlier. Truth mercilessly denied him help, stating that "the Great Journey waits for no one". During the events of Halo: Contact Harvest, however, he had acknowledged that he would have to be deceitful in order to "maintain the Covenant" by claiming that the humans were trying to steal and destroy Forerunner relics, when, in fact, the Forerunner glyphs were mistranslated as "Reclamation" instead of "Reclaimer."
Another interesting thing to note is that throughout Halo 3 (and parts of Halo 2), Truth exhibits many psychopathic traits and even shows a slight sadistic side. It would seem that he loses his cool, calm behavior when face-to-face with a formidable enemy, such as Thel 'Vadam or the Master Chief, or that he enjoys the torture or death of his foes.
Although inspiring and charismatic, it is likely that Truth is at least partially insane, considering how fanatical and manipulative he is. He was solely responsible for the Covenant Civil War, along with Mercy's and Regret's easily preventable deaths. This however, may not be considered insanity, as he only did these things to secure his complete rule over the Covenant, as well as to ensure the Great Journey.
Gravemind
"Child of my enemy, why have you come? I offer no forgiveness for a father's sins passed down to his son. Of course you came for her! We exist together now, two corpses in one grave." -speaking to Master Chief.
"Do I take life or give it? Who is victim and who is foe? I have beaten fleets of thousands! Consumed a galaxy of flesh, and mind and bone! Resignation is my virtue, like water I ebb and flow. Defeat is simply an addition of time to a sentence I never deserved, but you imposed."
The Gravemind (Inferi Sententia, meaning "Thinking Dead"), is the final stage in the life cycle of the Flood and is the controlling consciousness of the Flood. It is a near-omniscient intelligence existing throughout all Flood forms, with a huge body composed of Flood biomass serving as its central "brain."
The Gravemind has an obscure and complex personality. When he was first seen by the Master Chief and the Arbiter, he was calm and collected, if not seemingly sad or mournful, and he spoke with a sullen tone in his voice. He was also quite logical, psychologically analyzing the duo, and trying to convince the Arbiter of the Halo Rings true purpose, to which the Arbiter reacted with stubborn pride. The Gravemind showed no irritation to this nor the bickering of 2401 Penitent Tangent and the former Prophet of Regret. Later, though, the Gravemind showed a more emotional side, basking in his victory at High Charity, and displaying a sinister air of anger when demanding answers from the newly captured Cortana.
In Halo 3, his personality undergoes a similar progression. Early on, he is shown to have a calm and collected personality, but once the activation of the Ark is prevented, the Gravemind bursts into a victorious, maniacal laugh, briefly boasting in iambic heptameter. In the following level, Cortana, a broader spectrum of his personality is asserted. He begins with his calm and collected voice, as well as a slightly confident tone. As the Chief finds his way deeper into High Charity, however, the Gravemind becomes more irritated by his progress, and begins to shout at him. Once Cortana is rescued, the Gravemind begins to emit a series of mangled, animal-like roars, and speaks in an infuriated tone. In the final level of Halo 3, Flood Dispersal Pods crash onto Installation 04B, and the Gravemind begins to speak again, this time in an angry yet confident tone.
The mostly collected and impassive tone that is frequently heard from it can be justified by his implied near omniscience; his knowledge of the present and ability to accurately predict the future means that he has little reason to worry about anything. He only becomes truly irritated or angry when an unforeseen event happens, or when there is something he doesn't know. Triggers for his anger include Cortana's secrets and the Chief's ability to rescue her. When defeated, he shows sadness, not anger; it may be that he has become used to omniscience, and is only truly angered when he is wrong. This is supported by the fact that in the level Cortana, his tone quickly changed to confidence and almost amusement when he realized parts of the Master Chief's objective (with phrases such as "Of course, you came for her! We exist together now. Two corpses in one grave").
He is also known to be quite manipulative: in Halo 2, Gravemind tricks the Chief into being a decoy to distract the High Prophets as he attempts to take over High Charity, and in Halo 3, he helps the Master Chief and the Arbiter to kill the Prophet of Truth, only to betray them when they have outlived their usefulness. It is also notable that the original Gravemind was able to convince the Forerunner AI Mendicant Bias to join his cause and turn his fleet upon the Forerunners by telling him that the Flood are the next step of evolution and that the Forerunners are denying it.
The Gravemind is not violent when it doesn't benefit him; this is what makes a Gravemind a key point in Flood evolution. Unlike the savage and bloodthirsty Combat and Pure Forms that precede and obey him, the Gravemind is able to put aside differences when it is necessary for its continued survival.
By the end of the game, the Gravemind gives a short monologue in a disheartened tone, cryptically admitting that he knows he can do nothing to stop his fate, which he believes was unjustly forced upon him. He says that the activation of Installation 04B will only add time "to a sentence [he] never deserve [d]". This seems to suggest that the Gravemind does not understand why the living races hate the Flood; indeed, he seems to think that it is only natural to absorb all life in the universe.
Throughout nearly all encounters with the Gravemind, he has shown a fondness for speaking in poetic style - specifically, iambic heptameter. When pressed about this detail by Cortana, he states that "I have the memories of many poets far beyond your limited human culture. And I have the quickness of intellect to compose all manner of poetic forms as I speak rather than labor over mere words for days."
Noble Team
"You know as well as I do that we wind up with some that she would have chosen - not just kids unlucky enough to survive a glassing. Orders are still being followed and those Spartans are in the field, but they are armed as SPARTANs - and they are making a difference." —LCDR Kurt Ambrose to SCPO Franklin Mendez
Noble Team was primarily composed of SPARTAN-IIIs pulled out of their main companies by Kurt-051 and Franklin Mendez before large-scale operations where the companies were mostly wiped out, Operation: PROMETHEUS in the case of Alpha Company and Operation: TORPEDO with Beta Company.
Prior to the Fall of Reach, Noble Team had managed to survive countless battles, always coming back from suicide assignments, but not without a cost: only two members of the original team, Carter and Kat, remained alive by 2552.
Noble Team also operated with non-Spartan military personnel more extensively than other Spartan teams. To grant them more operational freedom when interacting with regular military personnel, the members of Noble Team had been given higher ranks than most of the Spartans by their CO. In 2552, the team was under the command of Colonel Urban Holland of the UNSC Army
The SPARTAN-IIIs of Noble Team utilized equipment on par with the SPARTAN-IIs, such as the MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor, which is far more advanced than the cheaper SPI armor worn by the rest of the SPARTAN-IIIs. The team was issued with the Mark V MJOLNIR armor on November 24, 2551. Unlike the mainline SPARTAN-IIs whose armor was fairly uniform in coloration, the members of Noble Team sported a variety of color schemes and field-customized armor variants.
