List of Halo 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.
UNSC Humans
MCPO SPARTAN-117 "John"
The Master Chief (also Spartan-117) is a super-soldier, or Spartan, trained from the age of six in order to raise the morale of the human race and to prevent potential conflicts, as part of the UNSC. He serves as the main protagonist in the Halo series. His military designation is Spartan-117, although most people refer to him by his rank within the military, Master Chief Petty Officer. Master Chief's first name is John, but his last name is unknown, most likely even to himself. Instead, after being kidnapped by UNSC for the SPARTAN-II program, he (as with all Spartans) received in replacement to his last name a three digit number, forever renaming him as simply Spartan John-117. In both Halo titles, he is the last of a genetically, biologically, and mentally enhanced group of humans. However, readers of the Halo books will discover that in Halo: First Strike four other Spartans (Fred-104, Will-043, Linda-058, and Kelly-087) survived the genocide or "glassing" of Reach and the Master Chief goes back to Reach and rescues them and Dr. Halsey. In Halo: Combat Evolved, the Master Chief has to be awakened from a cryogenic sleep when the Pillar of Autumn is invaded by the Covenant.
His name is said to be inspired by the Bible. The Book of Revelation verse 1:17 (written by Saint John) is as follows: "When I saw Him, I fell at His feet as though dead. But He laid His right hand on upon me, saying unto me, 'Fear me not, for I am the First and the Last.'" According to Halo: The Fall of Reach, he was the first child selected by Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey, and is, (according to the games) the last living Spartan.
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 (who is now black instead of white like in the trailer and is voiced by Orlando Jones), is found on the roof a building being held by the Marines of "A" Company. This time, he calls on the Master Chief to help him take out the Scarab that has been on a rampage in New Mombasa. 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". In the Battle of Delta Halo, SSgt Banks helped Com. Keyes, SgtMaj Johnson, GySgt Stacker and The Arbiter take back the Scarab.
Also the COMM pack on his back shows a yellow shield with a black stripe, and horse in the top right corner (probably a reference to the U.S. 2nd Brigade, 1st Air Cavalry Division).
PFC Chips Dubbo
Private Chips Dubbo (voiced by Andrew McKaige) is an Australian Marine in Halo: Combat Evolved. His distinctive dialect, unmistakable smart remarks and laid-back attitude make him instantly recognizable. A similar Marine, voiced by the same actor, is present in Halo 2.
Observant players of Halo will notice that the character model for Private Dubbo is different between Halo and Halo 2.
Australian players of Halo are often critical of Dubbo's accent, often suggesting that it is that of an American attempting an Australian accent and failing[citation needed]. Dubbo's voice actor, Andrew McKaige, is actually an Australian actor, with many Australian acting credits to his name including dramas, such as The Secret Life of Us and All Saints, and soap operas such as Sons and Daughters, Neighbours, and Paradise Beach.
PFC Wallace A Jenkins
Private Wallace A Jenkins is part of the 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 warrior 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 an ODST commander in the hope that she 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 (Lt. 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.
Jenkins is also mentioned in Halo: The Fall of Reach as one of the marines that the Master Chief and Linda rescue in their successful attempt to destroy an unpurged nav-database. This is also where the Master Chief first encounters Sgt. Johnson.
Fleet Admiral Harper
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 (consisting of 15 Covenant Capital Ships: 13 Cruiser Class ships and 2 Assault Carriers). Harper's transmissions are as follows:
- Cortana: Slipspace rupture, directly off our battle cluster.
- Admiral (Lord) Hood: Show me.
- Cortana: Fifteen Covenant Capital Ships holding just outside the kill-zone.
In a separate transmission Harper can be heard announcing the following:
- Fleet Admiral Harper: This is Fleet Admiral Harper, We are engaging the enemy!
- Admiral (Lord) Hood: Negative Commander. Form a defensive perimeter around the cluster.
It is not known exactly how many ships are under the command of Fleet Admiral Harper; however he seems to have several Halcyon Class Cruisers, dozens of Frigates, and (apparently) Marathon Class Cruisers under his command, as well as a large number of fighter units.
It is often misunderstood why Fleet Admiral Harper is subordinate to Admiral (Lord) Hood. Lord Hood, as one of the surviving members of the UNSC High Command, is therefore Harper's superior and commands all of Earth's defensive forces. However, Hood's job appears to be more administrative, whereas Harper has a greater degree of control over the forces he commands. It should also be noted that Fleet Admiral Harper's fleet falls under the Orbital Defense Grid of Earth. Although he is the flagship for his fleet his orders come from either FLEET-COM planet-side or from a MAC station in charge of defense in a given grid, namely the Cairo.
Fleet Admiral Sir Terrence Hood
Lord Fleet Admiral 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.
When Halo 2 begins Admiral Hood presents the Master Chief, Sergeant Johnson, and Jacob Keyes with medals aboard the Cairo Station. 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. He asks the Chief what he is doing and the Chief replies, "finishing this fight." With the end of Halo 2 at this point in the story, it is very likely Admiral Hood will appear in Halo 3.
Sergeant Major A.J. Johnson
Sergeant Major Avery J. Johnson (voiced by David Scully in both Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2) is a Marine who leads a group of human marines against Covenant and Flood assaults throughout the first and second games. He is best known for his tough-guy attitude and outrageous pep talks. Yet, for all his talk, Johnson is the spitting image of what a UNSC Sergeant should be. He also has managed to live through many battles with the Covenant and an infection from the Flood. (In-game in Halo, Johnson can die in individual battles, but survives in canon. In Halo 2, whenever Johnson makes an appearance in normal gameplay, he is invincible).
Johnson's encounter with The Flood is seen by the Master Chief via recorded video. The encounter is yet to be chronicled in the Breaking Quarantine story of the Halo graphic novel, illustrated by Tsutomu Nihei. In the beginning of Halo 2, a Master Gunnery Sergeant on the orbital station Cairo asks him how he survived and made it back to Earth after the destruction of the first Halo. He answers that the information is classified.
In all actuality, according to the novel Halo: First Strike, Sergeant Johnson survived the explosion of the first Halo because he escaped the explosion in a Pelican drop ship with a small group of survivors. The Pelican hid in the debris of Halo before being found by Master Chief and Cortana whilst they were still flying in a Longsword fighter. As for how he survived his encounter with the Flood in the first game, First Strike details how the Sergeant has a rare medical condition called Boren's Syndrome, which results from a heavy exposure of the nervous system to the electromagnetic fields emitted by plasma. Sergeant Johnson obtained this condition when he used a crate full of plasma grenades in a past conflict against the Covenant during the Siege of Paris IV. This condition is what saved him from the Flood's ability to consume their hosts' minds and modify their bodies, as the abnormal frequencies in his nervous system served as a buffer to keep the Flood out of his mind. Johnson could have died from ONI's experimentations had the Master Chief given the complete combat data on the Flood, including Johnson's survival in the report. The Master Chief gave the regular combat data and omitted the reasoning behind Johnson's survival. This was later supported in Halo 2 when Master Guns asked Johnson how he survived. Johnson gave a simple "Classified information" since the Master Chief at one point swore Johnson to keep it a secret.
In Halo 2, he was awarded the Colonial Cross, led UNSC forces to drive the Covenant from New Mombasa and Delta Halo and was captured along with Miranda Keyes by the Covenant but managed to escape when the Arbiter arrived and attacked his captors. He took advantage of the distraction, allowing him to commandeer a nearby Scarab and request the Arbiter's help in defeating Tartarus.
At the end of the game, 343 Guilty Spark takes him to the floor of the Control Room and is about to argue with him when Keyes asks the Monitor about a place where all the Halo installations can be activated; the Ark.
He also has a thing for flip music (a term used to describe a genre of music descended from heavy metal) and is ferocious in battle. He is commonly seen with a sniper rifle, in command of a small unit of soldiers. Sergeant Johnson also frequently functions as comic relief.
Another note is that Sergeant Johnson is seen at the end of Halo: Combat Evolved on Legendary, hugging an Elite, and saying "Hold me" after realizing the Pillar of Autumn was about to explode in the vicinity. This ending was added as a humorous easter egg and is not considered canon by Bungie or Microsoft.
Also, in Halo 2, a sort of grudging companionship appears to be forming between Sergeant Johnson and the Arbiter, despite their natural inclination to despise each other.
He was heavily influenced by the character of Sergeant Apone from the film Aliens.
Captain Jacob Keyes
Captain Jacob Keyes (voiced by Pete Stacker) was the Captain of the UNSC ships Pillar of Autumn and the Iroquois that was supposed to find the Covenant home world and be crewed by the Spartans. Unfortunately, the fall of Reach on August 30th, 2552, cut the mission short (briefly until Halo), and Keyes was forced to use his ship to lead the Covenant Fleet away from Earth (in accordance with the Cole Protocol) - Cortana in fact lead them to Halo because rather than using random jump coordinates Cortana used the coordinates she found on the quartz stone the Master Chief found during the SPARTAN-II deployment on Sigma Octanus IV.
As a Lieutenant Junior Grade he helped Dr. Halsey to find the future Spartans, including John-117, the future Master Chief. He was later promoted from Commander to Captain after his actions during the Covenant invasion of the Sigma Octanus system in 2552 (July 17-18). Keyes was made most famous from his tactically magnificent "Keyes Loop", as it was dubbed, that was only performed at one time. This maneuver had Keyes loop around a Covenant vessel with a Shiva tactical nuke following. It is also believed that a Covenant tracking device that attached itself to Keyes' ship (The Iroquois) led the Covenant to Reach.
Soon after the Pillar of Autumn's arrival at Halo on September 19th, 2552, the PoA was abandoned and Keyes was captured by the Covenant and imprisoned in the Covenant ship Truth and Reconciliation. He was later rescued by the Master Chief on September 20th and became the leader of the human resistance on the ring. About two days later he was captured and assimilated by the Flood and absorbed into a "Brain Form"; his location on the bridge of the Covenant ship perhaps suggest his skills as a Captain were absorbed as a way to allow the Flood to leave Halo (he would have the knowledge to perhaps pilot the ship). Spartan John 117 was forced to kill Keyes in order to retrieve the Command Neural Interface stored within his brain, which contained codes critical to Cortana's planned destruction of Halo.
For his actions at Halo, Keyes was posthumously awarded a medal, received by his daughter Miranda Keyes, the commander of the ship In Amber Clad. Fleet Admiral Lord Hood remarked about Keyes that "the Navy has lost one of their best."
Unbeknownst to many, Keyes's name patch contains an easter egg: it actually reads "Hello my name Keyes," [sic] a reference to the "Hello my name is" stickers worn at conventions to identify oneself. It also contains the "circle and line" symbol from Marathon, a previous Bungie game that the programmers derived many ideas for the Halo series from. This symbol is also shown on the hull of the Pillar of Autumn.
Some fans have speculated that what was Keyes's personality or awareness may have already been "absorbed" by the Brain Form by the time the Master Chief killed him. This is supported by Cortana finding no human life signs present in the "Keyes Flood Form". If true, Keyes may yet play some role in future Halo games or novels, perhaps fighting on the side of Gravemind and the Flood, but it remains to be confirmed. (In the leaked (and probably fake) Halo 3 script the Gravemind claims to be using his body as a host)
LCDR Miranda Keyes
Lieutenant Commander Miranda Keyes is the daughter of Captain Jacob Keyes, and first appears in Halo 2. She is the commanding officer of the In Amber Clad in the UNSC Navy. She is later referred by 343 Guilty Spark to be a Reclaimer, like the Master Chief (making it is possible that "the Reclaimers" are the entirety of the human race, just as the "Forerunners" seem to be an entire race who built the Halo installations rather than a small group). She asks 343 Guilty Spark about the Halo Installations and he said that all of them would have to be activated from the Ark. There is speculation that she is the daughter of Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey, as a result of an implied romance between a young Lieutenant Commander Jacob Keyes and Dr. Halsey, due to her resemblance to Dr. Halsey which can be seen through Cortana's appearance. This is speculated because in the novel The Fall Of Reach Dr. Halsey designed Cortana in the likeness of herself, and Commander Keyes bears a strong resemblance to Cortana, even on her voice.
Miranda is voiced by Julie Benz.
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 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 jumpjet fighter.
Corporal Locklear
Corporal Locklear was an Orbital Drop Shock Trooper who was involved in the battle on Installation 04 in the first Halo. 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 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 (found on Reach by the Doctor and her Spartans), 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.
Corporal Perez
Corporal Perez is a character who originally appears in the 2003 E3 preview for the first-person shooter game Halo 2, and appears in Halo 2.
In preview he meets the Master Chief when his Pelican lands in the human controlled areas of New Mombasa. He serves as the Master Chief's guide until they reach Sergeant Banks' position, which is under attack. In Halo 2, the Master Chief meets Corporal Perez inside a building in New Mombasa where a bunch of Marines are holed up. He leads the Master Chief to Sergeant Bank's position on the roof, and then he simply becomes another background Marine. Based upon his use of the expletive "coño" during the trailer, he is presumed to be of Spanish nationality or descent.
According to both the E3 preview and dialogue in Halo 2, Corporal Perez is with "A" Company. The E3 preview states that his unit is the 405th out of Diego Garcia. Corporal Perez apparently escaped the destruction of New Mombasa by the Prophet of Regret.
In both the preview and game Perez greets the Chief with: "Sir, Corporal Perez, A Company, CP's this way."
Perez is mentioned, but not seen, in the in-game cut scene on the level "Quarantine Zone" in which the humans and the Arbiter race against each other and the Flood to gain possession of the Index, which the Covenant call the "Sacred Icon". The cut scene shows Miranda Keyes reaching for the Index with Sergeant Johnson saving her after the Flood tentacle fails to hold. He says a short comment to her, and then he yells out, "Mackenzie? Perez? How's our exit? [Do] you hear me, Marines?" That's the last link to them from the game. As the Arbiter approaches Keyes & Johnson's position within the Icon's chamber, he steps over the remains of two human marines, presumably Mackenzie and Perez. It is likely that the two were acting as sentries while Keyes and Johnson attempted to retrieve the Icon, but were eliminated by the Flood. This is not certain, however, and others have theorized that Perez and Mackenzie were among the marines rescued by the Master Chief on High Charity, or the two rescued by the Arbiter on Delta Halo.
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. Sgt. Stacker is also a Halo action figure.
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 a hundred 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 in a seemingly routine hunt for Forerunner artifacts.
Chief Petty Officer Mendez
Chief Petty Officer 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 as him. 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. It is unknown what happened to Mendez after the Fall of Reach, though as the planet was evacuated before the main attack he could have easily been moved to another ONI base. Also, the great period of time that passed between the SPARTAN-IIs' training and the events of 2552 means he would have most likely retired before that happened.
Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey
Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey is one of the few civilian scientists in the UNSC, in which she holds a prominent position. 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. 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 (much to the annoyance of most of the Spartans except a few ). 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 (which has Slipspace capabilities and could travel between systems) after kidnapping a drugged Spartan, Kelly, for her own private mission. It is unknown what part Dr. Halsey will play in future games or novels.
Captain Carol "Foehammer" Rawley
Captain Carol Rawley (alternatively known by the nickname Foehammer or the radio designation Echo 419- Pronounced Echo four-nineteen) is the pilot of a Pelican transport on the Pillar of Autumn. She has great talent in the way of hostile insertions and mounting rescues, and this makes her stand out among the Pillar's other pilots. Foe Hammer is voiced by Tanya Pettiford-Wates. Her copilot 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. She is tragically shot down later by Covenant Banshees, as she attempts to pick up the Chief one last time and escape Halo as the Pillar of Autumn explodes and destroys it.
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 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.
Corporal Lovik
Corporal Lovik was the second-in-command of Sergeant Johnson's squad in Halo. It is Lovik's scream you hear on Private Jenkins' video recording. He is mentioned in Halo: The Flood by William C. Dietz.
SPARTAN-IIs
The other Spartans of the SPARTAN-II project mentioned in the Halo novels. The 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. Except for Kelly, who after the events of Halo: First Strike is not dead, but is missing along with Dr. Catherine Elizabeth Halsey, all are dead.
Li-008 (MIA), Vinh-029 (MIA), Joshua-030 (MIA), Sam-034 (MIA), Isaac-039 (MIA), William-043 (Active), Anton-044 (MIA), Linda-058 (Active), Malcolm-059 (MIA), Fhajad-084 (?), Kelly-087 (Alive, but kidnapped for reasons unknown, therefore Inactive), Grace-093 (MIA), Frederic-104 (Active), John-117 (Active, known by the covenant as "The Demon"), James (MIA), Kirk (?), Rene (?)(since SPARTANs Fhajad, Kirk and Rene were disabled as part of the SPARTAN-II augumentation process, it is unclear what designation they should have)
Human and Forerunner constructs and machines
Cortana
Kalmiya
Kalmiya is Dr. Catherine Halsey's replacement for Cortana while the latter is working with the Master Chief. Since AI's are created in Halo by copying the neural patterns of cloned human brains, she is a copy of Dr. Halsey's neural patterns, in a sense being Cortana's older sister. She also contributes a portion of her core programming to the making of Cortana. She is erased according to UNSC protocol when ONI Castle Base self-destructs to prevent the Covenant from discovering any human secrets, such as the location of Earth.
343 Guilty Spark
Monitor of Installation 04. See the main article on 343 Guilty Spark.
2401 Penitent Tangent
Monitor of Installation 05. See the main article on 2401 Penitent Tangent.
Toran
Toran is an AI like Cortana and resides on the diplomatic shuttle Han. Toran was the AI who assisted Dr. Halsey (escorted by Keyes during the time) in gathering the Spartans.
Wellsley
Wellsley is an A.I. who helps Major Silva and Lt. McKay on Halo to set up and operate Alpha Base. He is only seen in Halo: The Flood and is consumed in the destruction of Halo. He also is 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 come from the Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellsley, who won the Battle of Waterloo. The A.I. Wellsley often refers to victories that the Duke made as though he were the Duke and not an artificial recreation.
Déjà
Déjà is the AI for the SPARTAN-II project and has the appearance of a Greek goddess. She was one of the main teachers for Master Chief and his fellow Spartans, and taught them in their youth. Déjà is known as a "dumb" A.I. in this, meaning that she was only exceptional in one subject. Déjà was an A.I. that followed Dr. Halsey in the first book for a long time even until after the first batch of Spartans graduated from training. In French, Déjà translates as "Already".
Beowulf
He is the AI who works with and possibly oversees the department of naval intelligence, ONI. His appearance is of a ghostly robed figure, its hands and face hidden in its sleeves and hood.
Araqiel
Araqiel is the personal AI of Colonel Ackerson. Since the overnight success of the SPARTAN-II programs threatened Ackerson, he deployed Araqiel to attack the files of Dr. Halsey. He is only mentioned in the book, Halo: First Strike, and is effectively erased by Dr. Halsey and Kalmiya during the Covenant assault on the planet Reach. 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.
Covenant and Flood
The High Prophets
See the main article on the High Prophets.
Three High Prophets serve as the Hierarchs, the highest leaders of the theocratic Covenant. Hierarchs are thin, hunched creatures with large craniums that rely on levitating chairs for mobility. The chairs are usually decorated with golden backs, equipped with energy shielding, are armed with upgraded Fuel Rod Guns, they have the ability to teleport short distances; they wear crowns adorned with small holographic projections of Halo. According to "Halo: The Flood," the Prophets evolved on a planet that was once dominated by the Forerunners.
The Arbiter
- Commander of the Fleet of Particular Justice {Formerly}
The rank of Arbiter is bestowed upon a Elite by the High Prophets during a time of need. The Arbiter acts as a sort of field commando, going on missions specifically dictated by the Prophets. During incidents such as the Taming of the Hunters, the Grunt Rebellion, and most recently, the threat of heresy, the Arbiter of the time has emerged to lead the Covenant to victory. Many, especially Grunts, see the Arbiter as their Savior or protector. It should be noted that his role is considered "The Will of the Prophets" or similarly "The Blade of the Prophets". As the normal strike forces of the Covenant are the Arm, the frontline Arbiters are seen as the manifestation of the Hierarchs' desire.
Every Arbiter was "created and consumed in times of extraordinary crisis", and each has been martyred in the undertaking of his momentous tasks. The corpses (or perhaps only memorials of some sort) are housed in identical caskets stacked upon each other in the great Mausoleum of the Arbiter, located on High Charity. In the center of this room a floating pod contains the sacred armor of the Arbiter, highly decorative and fully functional (although some subsystems are out-dated, such as the active camouflage) despite its apparent age. The mausoleum houses 168 visible caskets (and more may be set underground), reaching high into the air, and references of Arbiters settling the Grunt Rebellion and aiding the Taming of the Hunters would indicate that the office has existed for quite some time - before the Covenant as we know it was fully formed and its castes defined. The Arbiter can only be an Elite (the characteristic armor is tailored to the Elite anatomy), as they are traditionally seen as the guardians and protectors of the Covenant.
As a member of the Covenant, it is believed that the Arbiter is held in the capacity of maintaining the integrity of the Covenant, and his creation is necessitated only in momentous events like those mentioned above. Of course, he also serves as a political tool, an embodiment of the Hierarchs' power as well as an example of true faith, a warrior-martyr showing loyalty at times of division
At the end of the game, HALO 2, a sort of companionship seems to be forming between the Arbiter and Sergeant Johnson.
Rtos 'Vadumee
Note: He is unofficially known as "Half-Jaw" but this should not be considered his actual name until otherwise is stated by Bungie. However, in the Halo Graphic Novel, in the story Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor, his name is given as Rtos 'Vadumee, though this may not be 100% canon.
The SpecOps Commander is a veteran Covenant Elite who is missing half of both his left mandibles, although this does not seem to impair his ability to speak clearly. Some claim that his mandibles were removed during a fierce battle with 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 on his own or with lesser Elites to go fight other battles 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 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 Johnson because he has an important role in the story and must survive to appear later on. However, if enough Flood infection forms attach themselves to him, then he will run around in pain for a moment or so, then jump very high off-screen and disappear. This usually takes five or more infection forms. He is always armed with either an energy sword or plasma rifle unless you give him a different weapon.
It is also possible that the Spec Ops Commander fought on the first Halo. 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.
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.
The SpecOps Commander is voiced by Robert Davi.
Brute Chieftain Tartarus
Tartarus is the most prominent of the Brute commanders of the Covenant, easily recognized by his albinism and distinctive mohawk. He represents his entire species as their Chieftain: rough, arrogant, disdainful of the Covenant Elite, and totally dedicated to the Prophets' "Great Journey". 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) He was also requested to bring the future Arbiter, referred to as the "incompetent" who lost Ascendant Justice, before the Council to let "his fate match the magnitude of his failure".
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 eventually took action against the Arbiter, stealing the Index and pushing him 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, successfully delaying/preventing the destruction of the galaxy.
Some players draw allusions between Tartarus and The Monkey King from Chinese myth (in early renders of the Battle Rifle released by Bungie, the Chinese symbol for "Monkey King" was visible on the rifle's stock. It is unknown what the meaning of this symbol is, but the connection is there.) Tartarus's mighty Gravity Hammer, the "Fist of Rukt" resembles the Norse God Thor's Hammer, the Mjolnir, as well as the Monkey King's magical staff. "Rukt" means "Blood" in Sanskrit and Hindi. Also, Tartarus is the name of the Greek titan of the Underworld.
Tartarus is voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson.
Gravemind (Flood)
Gravemind appears in Halo 2 and seems to be a highly intelligent and extremely aware form of The Flood, possibly the collective intelligence of the Flood.(It was confirmed on the bungie website that he is in fact a leader intelligence of the Flood.) He resembles a large venus flytrap, but can move and talk. He also apparently has the ability to tap into Delta Halo's systems, taking advantage of the teleportation grid, though apparently is unable to teleport his own Flood minions. He speaks in rhyming verse and seems to be aware of what is happening throughout the Halo. Describing Master Chief and the Arbiter, he says:
- This one [Master Chief] is machine and nerve, and has its mind concluded.
- This one [the Arbiter] is but flesh and faith, and is the more deluded.
He speaks mostly in trochaic heptameter, which is an example of the frequent use of the number seven in Bungie games.
Gravemind revealed to the Arbiter that the Forerunners died when the Halo fired once before. But since the Arbiter does not accept the truth, Gravemind sends the Master Chief to High Charity and the Arbiter to the Control Room of Halo Installation 05. Gravemind uses this to his advantage; in the confusion of the Covenant civil war, he spreads the Flood on High Charity where it will have the opportunity to escape from the installation.
At the end of the game, after all the credits have rolled, it is shown that Gravemind is occupying High Charity. He says to Cortana who has been separated from Master Chief and stayed behind:
- Silence fills the empty grave now that I am gone,
- But my mind is not at rest, for questions linger on.
- Now I will ask and you will answer.
To which she answers "All right… shoot." This statement might mean that Cortana has fallen under its influence, or that she is using/learning from it, leaving the gamer not just with a cliffhanger but also with the sense that Gravemind may play a prominent role in Halo 3. When Microsoft showed the trailer for Halo 3 at E3 2006, many people claimed that Gravemind could be heard speaking with Cortana. "I have defied gods, and demons. I am your shield, I am your sword. I know you, your past, your future. This is the way the world ends." Gravemind is one of the six known Flood variants in the Halo universe.
Gravemind is voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.
Heretic leader
The heretic leader (Sese 'Refumee) and those around him learn the truth about the Halo network from 343 Guilty Spark, and rebel against the Covenant shortly prior to the Civil War phase of the Human-Covenant War. They establish their base, an independent faction on a Forerunner research station in the atmosphere of Threshold, the gas giant that Installation 04 orbited. Just before Covenant SpecOps units led by the Arbiter storm the base, the Flood stored on the station escape and almost overrun both the Heretics and the loyal Covenant.
The Heretic Leader and the elites under his command do not wear normal Elite armor, rather they wear a chest plate, a respirator in the mouth, and rounded goggles. The heretic leader also has a jet-pack on his armor. Also, the grunts under his command do not wear the large pointed air-tank that Covenant grunts normally wear; rather they wear a much smaller H-shaped backpack with several methane tanks attached.
The heretic leader is fond of using holodrones to both communicate and serve as distractions in combat. However, the Arbiter bests him regardless. In the course of his defeat, the heretic leader gives the Arbiter hints that Halo's purpose is destruction, not salvation, a truth Arbiter finally confirms for himself at the end of the game.
The Heretic Leader is voiced by Miguel Ferrer.
Orna 'Fulsamee
According to the novel Halo: The Flood, Orna 'Fulsamee is a Covenant Elite Shipmaster of an unnamed Covenant Destroyer, possibly the Ascendant Justice. His ship had a Minor Prophet onboard, and seemed to be the fleet's Flagship. He was ordered not to fire on the Pillar of Autumn, therefore letting the humans land on Halo. It seems that he is "2 full levels" below the minor prophet he had on board. This may be some indication of the Covenant's ranking system. It is presumed that this Elite is the future Arbiter but this has not been proven.
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. He then teams up with Yayap and sets a trap for the Master Chief while he is looking for the Silent Cartographer. This plan fails but Zamamee and Yayap escape and try once more on the Pillar of Autumn but fail again and Zamamee dies.
SpecOps Minor Yayap
Yayap was a cowardly Grunt squad leader that always tried to steer his squad away from combat to avoid danger. Yayap saved Zuka Zamamee on the Pillar of Autumn. As a consequence unintended by Yayap, Zuka Zamamee volunteered Yayap and himself for a quest to stop the Master Chief as described in Halo: The Flood. Zuka Zamamee had high expectations of Yayap, and Yayap would often talk his way out of difficult situations. He was used to infiltrate the UNSC base camp on Halo by posing as a wounded Grunt and getting captured. Upon the ensuing Covenant assault on the camp, Yayap confronted Zamamee with a plasma pistol and made him commandeer a captured Banshee to escape. Later, he escaped his post at the Pillar of Autumns crash site and fled on a Ghost, taking with him a day's worth of food plus a tank of methane. While he was steering away from the Pillar of Autumn, he found what he was looking for, a sense of peace. He is later killed by the Pillar of Autumn's engines going critical.
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