Last nightwe got our first right elongated face at Paramount+ ’s long - awaited Halo : The Series , the modish in along line of attemptsto bring the Master Chief out of video games and into live - action . But not only is the raw show about to bethe biggest attemptto do just that , it ’s also going to be diving into Halo lore that ’s hardly been touch upon in the game themselves .
The Halo games , the first three in particular , largely focus on matter that will of course also be important to Halo : The Series , include Master Chief ’ existence as a “ Spartan , ” the product of a superhuman genic engineering project ; humanity ’s state of war with the alien faction known as the Covenant ; andthe titular Halos . But even in the abbreviated glimpse we ’ve had of the show so far , it ’s clear that Halo : The Series is going to explore beyond those elements , even introduce with the melodic theme of it being in a“similar - but - different ” alternate timelineto decade of Halo games , books , and comedian ( meaning some things take down here might not play out identically in the TV show ) . Here ’s the basics of what you need to know coming into the show , whether you ’ve never touch a Halo game in your animation , or are a diehard sports fan who has n’t dipped their toes into the plethora ofHalo association - in contentover the past 20 years .
What Is a Spartan?
The Master Chief — or John-117 to his friends , act byAmerican Gods ’ Pablo Schrieberin the show — is not a single supersoldier , but one of many made in a closelipped black - ops science and military research experiment be intimate as the Spartan - II program . The program was created by Dr. Catherine Halsey ( Jen Taylor in the show , who also sound both Halsey and her digital counterpart pair with Master Chief , the A.I. Cortana , in the plot ) , a scientist attached to the United Nation Space Command ’s spy federal agency ONI ( the Office of Naval Intelligence ) . It began by inducting abducted young kid who were replace by ready - aging clones to avoid their disappearances being spotted . Those abducted children were then civilise and indoctrinate for years at secret military facilities to become the next generation of the UNSC ’s specialised fight military unit .
In all , 75 children were induct into the Spartan - II program , but less than half of that number made it out . At the old age of 14 after twelvemonth of their breeding , every Spartan - II prospect underwent biochemical and biomechanical augmentation , made to radically improve their strength , instinctive reflex , sight , bone density , and unnumberable other forcible enhancement to a superhuman stage . But the augmentations were wildly data-based : just 33 candidates responded to the sweetening as specify . Thirty more died during the surgeries , and the remaining 12 were leave horrifically injure , physically and mentally , coerce them to be launder out of the appendage .
finally geminate with a also experimental research project , theMJOLNIR enhanced armor system — designed to work in tandem with the superhuman augmentation given to Spartans , magnify them even further — the surviving Spartans were some of the most powerful human soldier ever put into combat . Although later Halo biz would see the development of raw generations of Spartans — the latest being the Spartan - IV program — Halo : The Series looks to be adopt just the former daytime of the Spartan - II program , and Master Chief ’s rise in particular .
Here’s John. Say hi to John, everyone.Screenshot: Paramount+
Why Were the Spartans Made?
The Spartan - IIs were n’t developed as a response to Halo ’s infamous alien antagonists , the Covenant ( more on them in a bit ) , although they played a critical role in provide humankind a viable counter to the advanced technologies of their eventual alien opposition . or else , the Spartan - IIs were designed to give the UNSC the upper hand against their own people .
In the twenty-sixth century mark Halo takes position in , humans and its Unified Earth Government have gone beyond Earth and their own solar system to colonize the stars — over 800 dependency globe live by the time of the games , divided into “ Inner ” and “ Outer ” part , based on their comparative law of proximity to the Sol arrangement . But those “ out ” colonies originate progressively frustrate at the bureaucracy of being controlled by the United Earth Government . Underfunded and under - stomach in comparison to the more prestigious Inner Colonies , one by one foiled systems rebelled against the rule of Earth , first through peaceful protests and civic noncompliance . Then , violent reception from the UEG and USNC ’s colonial judicature fomented the emanation of the Insurrection , a broadly unified secessionist faction that openly wag warfare with the UNSC .
The Insurrection battled the UNSC through guerrilla tactic and terrorist attacks for decades before the Spartan - II program was approved , in part due to Dr. Halsey ’s belief that drastic military action was the only solution to avoid full - scale of measurement war between Earth and the Inner and Outer Colonies . While the surviving Spartan - II ’s first prescribed operations were against Insurrectionist leaders and other rebellious target , as intended , they were cursorily and in public drafted in to face the outgrowth of a new , appal menace : first contact with an alien empire known as the Covenant .
Screenshot: Paramount+
What is the Covenant?
A religious hegemony established one thousand of twelvemonth before human civilization in stars far beyond those reached by the UNSC in the early 26th one C , the Covenant was an alliance between eight exotic specie . It began with the San’Shyuum and the Sangheili ( better known by their human nicknames in the eventual conflict between the Covenant and humankind , the Prophets and the Elites , respectively ) , who founded the Covenant and finally invest six more races :
The Huragok ( Engineers , tentacled biomechanical beings with profound expertise in ancient technology )
The Mgalekgolo ( Hunters , massive colonies of worms bound in jumbo suit of armor )
Screenshot: Paramount+
The Unggoy ( Grunts , the diminutive disposable front line soldiers )
The Kig - Yar ( Jackals , raptor - like avian beings take as long - range specialiser )
The Yanme’e ( Drones , flying swarm of insectoid creature )
Screenshot: Paramount+
The Jiralhanae ( Brutes , bulky , hairy creatures who compete for the status of the Elites in the heart of their rulers )
The show come out to be adding at least one more , or at least a spokesperson of one more entirely new coinage : a mysterious blonde mechanical man is seen attacking UNSC soldier with snake in the grass - like alien , and asking them to cede to the Covenant , but little is known about them currently .
The Covenant ’s spiritual beliefs go around around adoration of a forerunner species known as the Forerunners , and the monumental technological superstructures those beings leave behind in the backwash of their extinction . Leveraging that technology themselves to massive gain , the Covenant rapidly expanded its conglomerate , converting unexampled member species along the way or wiping out resistor . encounter humanity first on the settlement world Harvest — which Covenant personnel readily bombard from celestial orbit , using blood plasma weapons system to superheat the surface in a physical process that would add up to be cognize as “ glassing ” a world — warfare quickly broke out between the UNSC and the Covenant , with hundreds and C of human colonies falling in the unconscious process .
Screenshot: Paramount+
What Happened to the Insurrection When the Covenant Attacked?
One matter Halo : The Series is likely doing that the games largely left to tie - in fiction — the original Halo trilogy depicting the Covenant - Human state of war does n’t mention the Insurrection at all — is exploring the moral doubtfulness of the UNSC ’s response to the Insurrection , and how those factions of rebellion and withdrawal bear on to exist in the face of exotic invasion and the seemingly inevitable extinction of humanity . As previously cite , the first few games do n’t touch upon the Insurrection at all , and in various tie-in - in books and comics over the years it ’s found that rising forces across various human beings either begrudgingly teamed up with the UNSC to confront the Covenant threat , or were left by the latter to be wiped out by their alien foes .
With the surviving Spartans apace redeploy against the Covenant during the war , most notably the Master Chief , the Insurrection was n’t on the button anyone ’s top priority — even if , after the conclusion of the UNSC / Covenant struggle by the end of Halo 3 , unnumerable tie - in news report set the basis for the fact that the Colonies ’ issues with the UEG ’s rule over them did n’t go away just because humanity at large survived being wipe out . We already know that Halo : The Series will adapt a type from some of those necktie - in stories , Soren-066 — toy by Bokeem Woodbine — who was a Spartan - II candidate washed out after the augmentation process left him seriously physically malformed , frustrated by his treatment to the tip that he defected to the Insurrection . Time will tell how important a role he has in the show , but it seems like it ’s not move to right away make humanity ’s rebel junto vanish the instant the Covenant shows up .
What Is a Halo?
So authoritative that it ’s the name of the franchise , the Halo Array was a serial of closed chain - shaped superstructures created by the aforementioned precursor species cognise as the Forerunners . The Halos housed their own habitable biome , and the Covenant religiously revered them as the apex of their immortal ’ technical prowess . In actuality , the Halo Array was designed as a massive , galaxy - spanning superweapon that could eradicate all organic liveliness in a single instant , so as to spread the effect of the Flood : a parasitical alien species that nearly pass over out the Forerunner ’s massive empire a hundred thousand long time before the earlier evolution of human culture .
In the Halo games , the Halo regalia is first encountered by humanity by fortuity , when the Master Chief ’s ship meet one of the ring worlds after perform a random FTL jump to avoid Covenant force who had invaded the human colony world Reach , assign into motion the entire play enfranchisement . One of the few details we know about how Halo : The Series ’ newly found “ Silver ” timeline take issue from the games ’ continuity , however is the annoyer that this discovery will not be draw up as being accidental in the show , but a measured discovery by Master Chief and the UNSC . Just what encroachment that pinch will have on the serial ’ narrative as it goes in advance is currently unsung , but we ’ll detect out more when Halo : The Series begins streaming on Paramount+ on March 24 .
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Screenshot: Paramount+
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