@d21lewis
no your off on that. They DID give Chief a personality he's not a complete blank slate. Your given just enough to relate to him and understand him, but not enough to where it makes you lose your sense of immersion. The proof is right in front of you no one remembers the guy from Bioshock but EVERYONE remembers Master Chief. There's a reason for that its not just an accident. If you would like to learn more about him here's som info from my Halo Universe and Lore thread.
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.
and here's the link to the thread http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/thread.php?id=126445&page=1#
