Gravemind

Gravemind
Halo series character
File:Gravemindcapture.jpg Leader Intelligence of The Flood
First game	Halo 2
In-universe information
Species	Flood

Gravemind is a fictional character featured in the video game Halo 2. Though its role is relatively minor in the game, Gravemind is identified as the leader form of the Flood parasite, a highly-infectious spore which serves as one of the two main antagonists in the series. Gravemind is voiced by Dee Bradley Baker.

Overview

Gravemind is a highly intelligent and extremely aware form of Flood, acting as a collective mind and leader for the parasite. Though this is only hinted in the game, Bungie's website profile for the creature is explicit about this fact. Gravemind resembles a large Venus Flytrap with many tentacles, but is capable of movement and linguistic communication. The Art of Halo: Creating a Virtual World states that Gravemind is "built from the bodies of its enemies and its own fallen warriors reassembled into a massive, tentacled, and intelligent entity." This is demonstrated a number of times in the game: it assimilates and reanimates the High Prophet of Regret, and claims to have done the same to the Prophet Mercy later on.

Gravemind is also shown to be in control of Delta Halo's systems, having captured the Monitor of the installation. However, he only seems to have access to a limited number of systems: he uses the teleportation grid, but not at length or directly on his Flood minions, and shows no control over the Sentinels.

Gravemind speaks in trochaic heptameter (an example of the frequent use of the number seven in Bungie games) and seems to be aware of what is happening throughout the Halo. Describing Master Chief and the Arbiter, respectively, it says:

This one is machine and nerve, and has its mind concluded.
This one is but flesh and faith, and is the more deluded.

Character history

Halo 2

File:Halo2cutscene masterchief a.jpg

The Master Chief and the Arbiter are held prisoner by the Gravemind

Gravemind resides in a pit underneath the Library of Delta Halo for a large part of the game, where the Master Chief and the Arbiter almost literally fall into his hands. It reveals to the Arbiter that the Forerunners died when the Halo fired once before. 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 to locate the Index of Installation 05, saying:

You will search one likely spot

and you will search another
Fate had us meet as foes but

this ring will make us brothers

Gravemind uses this to his advantage; in the confusion of the Covenant civil war, he commandeers the human ship In Amber Clad and makes a jump to inside High Charity itself, spreading the Flood throughout the station in order to take it over. The game concludes with a post-credits exchange between Gravemind and Cortana, who had remained behind on the station to destroy it should the Halo ring be activated:

Gravemind: Silence fills the empty grave, now that I have gone. But my mind is not at rest, for questions linger on. I will ask, and you will answer.
Cortana: Alright - shoot.