Highlights
- It may be time for Master Chief to be retired, as it would make way for a new hero in the Halo franchise.
- The future of Halo is unclear, but exploring untapped lore and showing a different perspective would be one way to regain interest in the series, and it is hard to do such a thing with a character who is so loyal to the UNSC like Chief is.
- A reboot with a new protagonist that touches on the UNSC’s conflict with rebel groups could be the fresh start that Halo needs.
The Halo franchise has become one of the most well known series of games in the world. As the first major protagonist of Xbox, Halo‘s Master Chief and the Microsoft console go hand-in-hand. It’s hard to imagine one without the other, but a reboot of the Halo games may want to make that separation a reality.
Halo: Combat Evolved was the first game in the series, and its status as a launch title for the first Xbox solidified its place in video game history. The arrival of the Xbox was huge enough, but the introduction of Master Chief in the mix made the console launch that much more exciting. Master Chief has had a long history in gaming, but it may be time for the Spartan super soldier to retire and make way for a new hero.
Halo’s Future Might Lie in its Past
The Halo franchise is much more vast than many fans actually realize, and it’s about time some of the games explored all of that untapped lore.
A Halo Reboot Should Start Fresh
After 343 Industries announced a reset of the franchise last year, the future of Halo is up in the air. It’s currently unknown how far this franchise reset will go, but starting with its protagonist could prove to be the best start. Master Chief is now in the ranks of some of the greatest game protagonists of all time, but it may be best for a new main character to pick the series back up.
Master Chief’s Story Has Been Told
Outside the Master Chief moniker, the super soldier is known as John-117. His long history fighting for the UNSC has taken him far in the franchise, but it doesn’t seem like there’s much more to be told about the character. His backstory and personality remain fairly static, so it may be the best move to shine the spotlight on a new character who serves as a mirror image of Master Chief while being their own unique individual with a different backstory.
One of the biggest issues about Master Chief’s future in the franchise is with the character’s voice actor. The voice of Steve Downes has brought Master Chief to life in a beautiful way, but he sadly can’t play him forever. Recasting such a well known voice would be divisive, and it would be best to just let Master Chief take the sidelines than have someone else take on his role.
Halo Should Show a Different Perspective
Throughout the franchise’s history, Master Chief has been quite devout toward the UNSC and its mission. A fascinating approach to a reboot should display a completely different side of things. The Insurrectionists are one of many compelling details in Halo‘s lore. As rebels who oppose the UNSC and its influence, these factions were the main enemy of the UNSC before the war with the Covenant, but there are still occasional conflicts between the two parties. A reboot that reignited the conflict between the Insurrectionists and the UNSC could show the world of Halo from a completely different viewpoint.
Before the Human-Covenant War there were 12 known Insurrectionist factions.
A protagonist that was the polar opposite of Master Chief and his philosophy would be a bold choice, but it could be incredible if pulled off correctly. Exploring the Insurrectionist War or writing a second surge of the war into existence would be a huge subversion of expectations, and this may ultimately be what Halo needs. While Halo 5′s attempt at introducing another protagonist did not go well, past success with playable characters like The Arbiter show that it may be worth trying again.
