Misplaced Pages

Latest revision as of 19:51, 23 December 2024

John-117 Master Chief Petty Officer
Halo character
Master Chief as he appears in Halo Infinite (2021)
First appearance	Halo: The Fall of Reach (2001)
First game	Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
Created by	Bungie
Portrayed by	Daniel Cudmore Pablo Schreiber
Voiced by	Various Steve Downes David Wald Alex Puccinelli
Motion capture	Bruce Thomas

Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, colloquially known as Master Chief, is the protagonist of the Halo video game series and its spin-off media. The character first appeared in the 2001 video game Halo: Combat Evolved, a science fiction first-person shooter that became a long-running franchise. The character also appears in spin-off Halo media such as the 2012 film Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, the 2022 Halo television series, and several graphic novels and books.

The Master Chief is a towering supersoldier known as a "Spartan", trained from childhood for combat. The designers intended for players to be able to project their own intentions into the character and thus reduced his voiced lines and concealed his appearance under his armor. In the video games, the character is voiced by former disc jockey Steve Downes, who based his performance on Bungie's description calling for a man of few words, similar to Clint Eastwood. In spin-off media, he is portrayed by different voice and physical actors, most notably Pablo Schreiber on the 2022 live-action TV series.

A pop culture icon, Master Chief is widely regarded as one of the greatest video game characters of all time, with the character being seen as a mascot for Halo and the Xbox brand. His 2001 debut received a generally positive reception for his character design, with publications praising how the narrative allows players to inhabit the character, while others have criticized him as under characterized. In later Halo games developed by 343 Industries, the characterization of Master Chief earned praise for exploring his humanity and his relationship with Cortana.

Character design

Art direction

When game studio Bungie began developing Halo: Combat Evolved (2001), the design of Master Chief was led by art director Marcus Lehto with support from artist Robert McLees. Shi Kai Wang was later hired as a concept artist, who created a sketch that became the basis for Master Chief. When the sketch was translated into a three-dimensional model, the team felt that it looked too slim and anime-inspired, and Lehto asked for a bulkier character design that felt more like a walking tank. The Chief's armor went through various changes, such as green tint, and the addition (and later removal) of an antenna. The character's two-prong visor, intended to convey speed and agility, was inspired by BMX helmets.

For much of the game's development, the character had no name. Master Chief was always intended to be a soldier in a difficult war, and the team first referred to him as the "Future Soldier" or "The Cyborg". Eric Nylund established the character's birth name as "John" in the tie-novel Halo: The Fall of Reach, but Bungie preferred to avoid using this in the game. Looking to military ranks for inspiration, the developers were attracted to naval ranks as "different" from other game characters. McLees, insisting on accuracy, wanted to make sure the character still had a plausible rank for his role. "Master Chief" was the highest non-commissioned rank where the character would still be considered "expendable". McLees also felt the shortened "Chief" sounded more colloquial and less like a modern military designation. Though "Master Chief" was intended to be a placeholder, and drew some internal disagreement, the name ended up sticking.

Halo was considered a success. Writer Joseph Staten recalled that early on in Halo's development, they had not considered how to engage players in the world, and Master Chief's character was what drew people in. The success of the game led Bungie to develop Halo 2, with the developers deciding to "tone down" the character's design, according to Mclees. In the sequels, the character received a new design including upgraded armor, with residual damage illustrated in the high-definition graphics of Halo 3.

For Halo 4, Bungie bought their independence from Microsoft, with Microsoft assigning further Halo development to 343 Industries. Art director Kenneth Scott aimed to find a "sweet spot" where Master Chief's armor remained familiar but still new. The armor was redesigned to feel futuristic and heavy, weighing hundreds of pounds, with details inspired by real-world military vehicles. In contrast to newer characters, Master Chief and elder Spartan soldiers were designed with more utilitarian armor similar to a tank. Despite the visual differences between the character's armor in Halo 3 and Halo 4, the developers intended it to canonically be the same armor. Halo 4 also made extensive use of motion capture for character animation, with Bruce Thomas portraying Master Chief while interacting with multiple actors in studio. Even without his face or voice appearing in the game, Thomas was credited by creative director Josh Holmes for conveying Master Chief's physicality and emotions, and for influencing the other actors' performances. With the development of Halo Infinite, Thomas returned to provide motion capture for the character, as he had in Halo 4 and Halo 5. 343 Industries redesigned Master Chief's armor once again, drawing inspiration from the character's previous appearances.

Voice acting

Bungie designed Master Chief as a man of few words, similar to Clint Eastwood. The game designers crafted the first game's experience as lonely, to reinforce the backstory that Chief's friends had been largely killed. Master Chief rarely spoke in the early Halo games, making him an almost-silent protagonist. Joseph Staten felt that Master Chief was designed to promote immersion, as "the less players knew about the Chief, we believed, the more they would feel like the Chief." Even with the tie-in novel The Fall of Reach, some at Bungie were against its release because they felt that Master Chief should remain less characterized.

Bungie hired voice actor Steve Downes as the voice of Master Chief. Downes had begun his career as a Chicago disc jockey, and was recommended by Bungie musical director Martin O'Donnell, based on their rapport from working together on the game Septerra Core: Legacy of the Creator. Septerra was the first time Downes had performed as a voice actor for a game, and he had never played a video game until Halo. According to Downes, he was accepted for the part of Master Chief over the phone, without an interview or audition. Downes noted that he was given creative freedom to develop the Chief's personality during recording. Still, many of the character's lines in the first game were eventually cut, as Bungie felt that the more the character spoke, "the more chances there are that we’ll get it wrong for you, whoever you are." With the wide success of the Halo series, Bungie considered recasting a celebrity for the role before deciding against it.

343 Industries took over development of the series with Halo 4, which designed Master Chief as a more fully realized human being instead of just a vessel for the players. Downes felt that his audition for Halo 4 would need to demonstrate more emotional weight, and recalls that he felt like he could have lost the role. He became more involved throughout the development of Halo 4, giving input on advance scripts, and recording in longer sessions. Where Master Chief began the first game with an artificial intelligence companion named Cortana, designed as a gameplay tool to guide the player, Cortana also became a narrative tool to reveal the protagonist's humanity. As such, Halo 4 became the first game to have Downes interacting with actress Jen Taylor (Cortana) in the same space. Halo 4 creative director Josh Holmes cited the game Ico as an inspiration for the Chief-Cortana relationship, noting how the game told a story without dialogue, while also balancing the protagonist's character development with his stoic nature.

For years, Downes avoided appearances at Bungie or Microsoft events, believing that the character's identity "is really in the eye of the player." He has called the role the most rewarding of his voice acting career.

Appearances

In every Halo game, the Master Chief is rarely seen without his armor. Cutscenes were designed to avoid revealing the character's face in order to aid players in identifying with the character. Some games have teased a reveal, such as the first game ending with him removing his helmet or one of the endings of Halo 4 briefly showing the character's eyes. O'Connor said in an interview that revealing the character's face is not as important as the events happening around him.

The Master Chief's backstory is revealed in the 2001 novel The Fall of Reach. Born "John" in 2511, he is covertly taken from the human colony world of Eridanus as a child and conscripted into the SPARTAN-II super-soldier project by the United Nations Space Command (UNSC). John proves a natural leader and leads his peers over eight years of grueling training and dangerous physical augmentation. In the 2003 novel Halo: The Flood, the Master Chief is described as tall with short brown hair, serious eyes, and strong features. His skin is unnaturally pale as a consequence of spending most of his time in his armor. He stands about 7 feet (2.13 m) tall and weighs 1,000 pounds (450 kg) in armor; without it, he stands 6 feet, 10 inches (2.08 m) tall and weighs 287 pounds (130 kg).

Main game series

Master Chief first appears in Halo: Combat Evolved, the first game in the series. Master Chief and the crew of the UNSC ship Pillar of Autumn discover an alien ringworld, called Alpha Halo. Master Chief is entrusted with safeguarding Cortana, the ship's artificial intelligence, from capture to ensure that the Covenant don't learn about Earth and attack the human colony. While fighting the Covenant (a cult attempting to light the halo rings thinking it will give them the Mantle of Responsibility), Master Chief and Cortana learn that an ancient race known as the Forerunners created Halo as a last line of defense against an alien parasite called the Flood, which begins to spread across the ring. Learning that the Halo was designed to contain the Flood by killing all life in the galaxy, thus killing all potential hosts, Master Chief detonates the Pillar of Autumn in order to destroy Halo, escaping in a fighter spacecraft with Cortana.

Master Chief returns to Earth in Halo 2 (2004), defending the planet from a Covenant invasion. Pursuing a fleeing Covenant vessel, Master Chief and his crew discover another Halo ring. Master Chief is captured by a Flood intelligence known as a Gravemind, who forges an alliance between them and the disgraced Covenant commander known as the Arbiter. The Gravemind sends them to stop the Halo's activation, with Master Chief arriving at the Covenant space station High Charity, near the Halo's orbit. Cortana remains on the space station to ensure the ring is destroyed if activated. Master Chief pursues the remaining Covenant leader, the Prophet of Truth, who plans to activate the Halo Array from outside the galaxy.

The story continues in Halo 3 (2007), when Master Chief reunites with the Arbiter to stop the Prophet of Truth. Master Chief and Arbiter pursue the Prophet through a portal to the Ark, a place located beyond the Milky Way. On the Ark, the Flood-controlled High Charity crashes into the installation. Master Chief stops the Halo Array from firing and rescues Cortana by battling through the wreckage of High Charity. Together, they activate a replacement Halo being built on the Ark, stopping the Flood and sparing the galaxy at large. While the Arbiter reaches Earth, Master Chief and Cortana escape aboard the UNSC ship Forward Unto Dawn before setting adrift in space.

Master Chief returns as the playable protagonist in Halo 4 (2012) after his omission from Halo 3: ODST (2009) and a brief Easter egg in Halo: Reach (2010). Halo 4 begins with Cortana awakening Master Chief from cryonic sleep, both drifting toward a Forerunner installation called Requiem. Hoping to prevent the UNSC ship Infinity from also being drawn into Requiem, Master Chief and Cortana attempt to activate what they believe is a communications relay. Instead, Master Chief awakens the Didact, a Forerunner with a grudge against humanity. Master Chief and Cortana pursue the Didact, stopping his attack on Earth when Cortana sacrifices herself.

At the start of Halo 5: Guardians (2015), Master Chief is contacted by Cortana, presumed to be destroyed in the previous game. She directs him to the human colony of Meridian. By leading his Blue Team to the colony against UNSC orders, Master Chief provokes a rival group of Spartans, Fireteam Osiris. The Blue Team boards a buried Forerunner construct known as a Guardian, which transports them to the Forerunner planet Genesis. Cortana reveals that she survived thanks to the Domain, a repository of ancient Forerunner knowledge. A degenerating and thus newly evil Cortana reveals her authoritarian plans for the galaxy and imprisons Master Chief and his team in stasis. They are rescued through the efforts of Fireteams Osiris but forced to retreat as Cortana mobilizes the Forerunner Guardians and other human AIs as her enforcers.

Master Chief returns as the main protagonist in Halo Infinite (2021). The story has him work with the Weapon, an AI modeled after Cortana, to stop another Halo from being activated by space pirates known as the Banished.

Spin-off media

Initial plans for a Halo film were abandoned around 2008, which would have featured a faceless depiction of Master Chief. The character made his live-action debut in the 2012 film Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, portrayed physically by Daniel Cudmore, with voice acting from Alex Puccinelli. On the 2022 Halo television series, the character is played by Pablo Schreiber. Master Chief takes off his helmet in the series in an effort to make the audience empathize with the character.

Master Chief is a major character in the novels Silent Storm (2018), Oblivion (2019), and Shadows of Reach (2020), written by Troy Denning. The character also appears in the 2010 animated anthology Halo Legends, as well as the comics The Halo Graphic Novel, Halo: Uprising, Halo: Collateral Damage, and Halo: Tales from Slipspace. Peter David's graphic novel Helljumpers contains a cameo by Master Chief "before he actually was ".

The character also appears in games outside the Halo series. This includes a guest appearance as a playable character in Super Bomberman R for the Xbox One and a cosmetic outfit in the battle royale game Fortnite. Fable II includes a medieval variation of Master Chief's armor, worn by a legendary hero named "Hal". The character is also referenced in Halo-based machinima parody series Red vs. Blue, created by Rooster Teeth Productions. When Team Ninja approached Bungie to use Master Chief in Dead or Alive 4 (2006), they declined due to storyline restrictions, resulting in the inclusion of another Spartan super-soldier named Nicole (Spartan-458).

Marketing and merchandise

The Halo video games have emphasized Master Chief in their marketing. This includes campaigns such as "The Museum" and "Believe" for Halo 3, a trailer for Halo 4, the "Hunt the Truth" for Halo 5, and "Become" for Halo Infinite. The character has also been featured on several physical products, including Slurpees, Mountain Dew, branded controllers, and clothing. Several Master Chief action figures were marketed around the Halo series, including lines by McFarlane, Jazwares, 1000toys, and Mega Bloks. One2One collectibles also produced 1:2 scale busts of the Master Chief. Xbox marketing director Ed Ventura explained, "We want to be in the hearts and minds of our fans as much as we can."

Cultural impact

Reception

Master Chief has been described as "iconic" in multiple media outlets, including IGN, Kotaku, Glixel, GamesRadar, and The Sydney Morning Herald. The character has appeared on lists of the best video gaming characters by UGO, Empire, GamesRadar, Guinness World Records Gamer's Edition, Complex, and Time. IGN speculated that the dramatic death of the character would become one of the most powerful events in gaming. Voice actor Steve Downes realized the character was such a huge hit only after children lined up around the block for his autograph a year after the first game shipped. In 2024, a poll conducted by BAFTA with around 4,000 respondents named Master Chief as the eighth most iconic video-game character of all time.

In an article in Time, Lev Grossman called the Master Chief a "new kind of celebrity for a new and profoundly weird millennium", as well as a sign of video games becoming a more legitimate art form. The recognition of Master Chief has spread to mainstream culture; Madame Tussauds in Las Vegas has developed a wax sculpture of the Chief. At the ceremony, Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy called the Master Chief a hero of the times as much as characters like Spider-Man and Luke Skywalker were for previous generations. Master Chief has also been called the de facto symbol for Microsoft, their Xbox console, and a generation of gamers. BusinessWeek listed the Master Chief among several video game characters who have been branded beyond their respective video games, "helping them transcend the very medium in the process".

The faceless nature of the character has alternatively been praised and criticized. Writing for The Artifice, Sam Gray argued that the character's lack of conflict made him uninteresting, as he uncomfortably straddles the line between silent and active protagonist. O'Connor noted that players invest the character with much of his meaning, creating a conflict between players who prefer more personality and those who prefer "a sort of paragon of useful emptiness". Jesse Schedeen of IGN has called him gaming's most overrated character, due to his status as a "generic" action hero.

The more character-focused portrayal of Chief in Halo 4 was positively received. Todd Martens of the Los Angeles Times called Halo 4 a more introspective Halo game, and the first to explore the motivations and emotions of the Master Chief. While reviews found the game's story hard to follow, they praised efforts to flesh out Master Chief's personality and relationship with Cortana. Halo 5 received backlash from fans about Master Chief's reduced role in the story, as he appeared in fewer story missions compared to Fireteam Osiris. Kotaku's Stephen Totilo wrote that the confrontation between Locke and Master Chief felt "under-cooked", preferring how Hunt the Truth presented the story of a rogue Master Chief. O'Connor responded by promising to refocus on Master Chief in future media.

Analysis and comparisons

Reviewers have suggested that Master Chief's birth name John-117 could be a Biblical reference. Comparing Halo to the Christopher Rowley's novel Starhammer, IGN noted similar elements between Master Chief and the character Jon 6725416. Michael Nitsche of the Georgia Institute of Technology compared Master Chief to Half-Life protagonist Gordon Freeman, as both characters "are the independent, individualistic, and often lonely heroes that gain admiration by constantly proving their superiority ... in technology-driven, hostile, often closed spaces." Roger Travis, associate professor of classics at the University of Connecticut, compared Master Chief to the epic hero Aeneas, as both settings involve superhuman characters protecting civilization against militaristic enemies. Matthew Stover compared Halo to the Iliad, due to the shared theme that "war is the crucible of character". Stover also argues that the cyborg is an apt characterization for the Master Chief, since the character is more relatable than a pure machine, but still not fully characterized as a human being.

References

1. Rachel Weber (November 8, 2021). "The 50 most iconic video game characters of all time". gamesradar. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
2. Tricker, Cameron (March 12, 2023). "Master Chief Became More Than A Machine In 343's Halo". TheGamer. Archived from the original on March 18, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
3. Frum, Larry (November 6, 2012). "Review: 'Halo 4' is franchise's best yet | CNN Business". CNN. Archived from the original on December 11, 2023. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
4. ^ Trautmann, Eric (2004). The Art of Halo. New York: Del Ray Publishing. pp. 4–7. ISBN 0-345-47586-0.
5. Barnett, Brian (May 11, 2020). "Master Chief's Creator Talks About the Origins of the Iconic Character – IGN Unfiltered". IGN. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
6. "One Million Years B.X." Bungie.net. February 10, 2006. Archived from the original on February 10, 2006.
7. Robinson, Martin (2011). Halo: The Great Journey – The Art of Building Worlds. Titan Books. p. 148. ISBN 978-0857685629.
8. ^ Cullen, Johnny (February 2, 2011). "Bungie: 'Immersion was the main goal' in creating Master Chief". VG247. Archived from the original on February 5, 2011. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
9. ^ Haske, Steven (May 30, 2017). "The Complete, Untold History of Halo". Vice. Archived from the original on March 15, 2018. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
10. ^ Robinson, Martin (2011). Halo: The Great Journey – The Art of Building Worlds. Titan Books. p. 147. ISBN 978-0857685629.
11. ^ Bolton, Bill; Chris Micieli, Mark Turcotte (November 6, 2009). "Podcast Episode #54 – Joseph Staten". Adrenaline Vault. Archived from the original on October 31, 2009. Retrieved November 7, 2009. Around 0:17:00–0:19:00.
12. ^ Robinson, Martin (2011). Halo: The Great Journey – The Art of Building Worlds. Titan Books. p. 150. ISBN 978-0857685629.
13. Cifaldi, Frank (May 26, 2005). "E3 Report: Developing Better Characters, Better Stories". Gamasutra. Archived from the original on December 1, 2007. Retrieved August 14, 2007.
14. Claiborn, Samuel (May 5, 2012). "Master Chief: A Visual History of Halo's Hero". IGN. Archived from the original on July 29, 2012. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
15. ^ Carpenter, Nicole (August 6, 2020). "How Master Chief's iconic armor has changed over the last 19 years". Polygon. Archived from the original on August 9, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
16. ^ "Halo 4: A Hero Awakens Behind the Scenes". YouTube. September 2, 2012. Archived from the original on November 14, 2021. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
17. Davies, Paul (2013). "Master Chief". Awakening: The Art of Halo 4 (Enhanced ed.). Gallery Books. pp. 87–89. ISBN 978-1781163245.
18. The Art of Halo 5. Insight Editions. 2015. pp. 30, 112. ISBN 9781608876495.
19. Lowry, Brendan (July 24, 2020). "Halo Infinite: Bruce Thomas returns as Master Chief's motion capture actor". Windows Central. Archived from the original on October 1, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
20. Makuch, Eddie (December 21, 2018). "Halo Infinite Features The "Coolest" Looking Master Chief Design Yet, 343 Says". GameSpot. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
21. ^ XerxdeeJ (August 23, 2005). "A Visit from the Master Chief Himself". Tied The Leader. Archived from the original on August 15, 2007. Retrieved August 19, 2007.
22. ^ Kolan, Patrick (September 2, 2006). "IGN interview with Frankie O'connor". IGN. Archived from the original on February 28, 2016. Retrieved September 2, 2007.
23. Nylund, Eric (October 2, 2015). "Unsung Hero of the HALO Franchise". EricNylund.com. Archived from the original on February 25, 2022. Retrieved September 7, 2020.
24. ^ Berghammer, Billy; Tim Dadabo, Steve Downes (February 27, 2007). "Voicing Halo: The Steve Downes And Tim Dadabo Interview". Game Informer. Archived from the original on March 10, 2007. Retrieved September 10, 2008.
25. Gilliam, Ryan (December 11, 2021). "Master Chief's laconic nature makes him the perfect video game action hero". Polygon. Archived from the original on December 17, 2021. Retrieved December 16, 2021.
26. ^ Steinlage, Tate (February 14, 2014). "Interview: Talking Halo with the Chief himself, Steve Downes". GameZone. Archived from the original on January 7, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
27. Hanson, Ben (April 13, 2012). "The Creative Director's Vision For Halo 4". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on August 22, 2019. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
28. ^ Watts, Steve (August 13, 2012). "Interview: Master Chief's voice on a more personal story". Shacknews. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
29. Peckham, Matt (November 6, 2012). "Ico Influenced Chief-Cortana Bond in Halo 4, Says Director". Time. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
30. ^ Grossman, Lev (August 30, 2007). "The Man in the Mask". Time. Archived from the original on September 2, 2007. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
31. Makuch, Eddie (August 21, 2015). "Halo 5 Won't Reveal Master Chief's Face". GameSpot. Archived from the original on September 30, 2020. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
32. Dowsett, Elizabeth, ed. (2011). The Halo Encyclopedia (2nd ed.). Dorling Kindersley. ISBN 9780756688691.
33. Dietz, William (2003). Halo: The Flood. New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-345-45921-0.
34. Bungie (2004). Halo 2 Instruction Manual. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 8.
35. Nylund, Eric (2001). Halo: The Fall of Reach. New York: Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-345-45132-5.
36. Mark MacDonald, "Spartan Specs: Under the Chief's hood", Electronic Gaming Monthly 225 (February 2008): 26–27.
37. ^ Easterling, Jeff; Patenaude, Jeremy; Peters, Kenneth (2016). Fortune, Emil (ed.). Halo Mythos: A Guide to the Story of Halo. Bloomsbury. ISBN 9781681193564.
38. Elston, Brett (September 17, 2010). "Master Chief is in Halo: Reach". GamesRadar. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved October 30, 2010.
39. "Master Chief is coming to gaming PCs as a Halo Infinite AMD graphics card". PCGamesN. October 21, 2021. Archived from the original on October 24, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2021.
40. Croal, N'Gai (January 15, 2008). "Exclusive: And The Winner For Best Supporting Actor Is ... As Master Chief? Bungie Writing Director Joseph Staten Gives Level up Some Insight into the Stalled Halo Movie". Newsweek. Archived from the original on January 19, 2008. Retrieved January 21, 2008.
41. Hilliard, Kyle (October 12, 2012). "Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn's Daniel Cudmore Talks About Playing Master Chief". Game Informer. Archived from the original on June 28, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
42. Edwards, Cliff (October 5, 2012). "Microsoft skips cinemas with $10 million Halo film on YouTube". Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on March 29, 2013. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
43. Whitehead, Dan (May 23, 2013). "Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
44. Pettite, Omri (November 11, 2019). "Halo TV series: Everything we know so far". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
45. Goslin, Austen (March 24, 2022). "Master Chief had to take his helmet off early in the Halo TV series, according to the actor who plays him". Polygon. Archived from the original on April 15, 2022. Retrieved April 15, 2022.
46. updated, Tom Power last (March 16, 2022). "'It's the only choice': Halo TV star addresses Master Chief face reveal backlash". TechRadar. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 8, 2022.
47. Macgregor, Jody (March 30, 2022). "343 Industries spent hundreds of words explaining why Master Chief took his helmet off in the Halo show". PC Gamer. Archived from the original on April 16, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022 – via www.pcgamer.com.
48. Vary, Adam (March 16, 2022). "More Than $90 Million and 265 Script Drafts Later, 'Halo' Is Finally a TV Show". Variety. Archived from the original on May 11, 2022. Retrieved March 18, 2022.
49. Mäki, Jonas (March 11, 2020). "Master Chief returns to Reach in new Halo book". Gamereactor. Archived from the original on October 15, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
50. Easterling, Jeff (March 8, 2018). "Chief Concerns". Halo Waypoint. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
51. Strom, Marc (February 9, 2009). "NYCC '09: Two New Halo Series; Writers Peter David and Fred Van Lente delve into the Halo universe for two upcoming limited series". Marvel Comics. Archived from the original on November 26, 2010. Retrieved August 14, 2009.
52. McWhertor, Michael (March 15, 2018). "Super Bomberman R goes multiplatform with help from Ratchet and Master Chief". Polygon. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved May 9, 2020.
53. "'Fortnite' adds Halo's Master Chief and a playable Blood Gulch". Engadget. December 11, 2020. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
54. Ross Miller (August 7, 2008). "Master Chief crash lands into Fable 2". Joystiq. Archived from the original on August 8, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
55. Kelly, Kevin (June 17, 2007). "Watch the Exclusive RvB Content Without a Zune". Joystiq. Archived from the original on August 21, 2007. Retrieved September 11, 2007.
56. "Dead or Alive 4 Q&A". GameSpot. March 20, 2006. Archived from the original on November 7, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2007.
57. Swilinski, Alex (September 12, 2007). "Brankweek Talks Anatomy of Halo 3 Marketing Onslaught". Joystiq. Archived from the original on September 15, 2007. Retrieved September 18, 2007.
58. Reisinger, Don (October 19, 2012). "Halo 4 trailer 'Scanned' hits Web, courtesy of David Fincher". CNET. Archived from the original on October 15, 2020. Retrieved August 31, 2020.
59. Crouse, Megan (September 14, 2016). "How Hunt the Truth Enriched the Halo Universe". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on June 1, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
60. Jardine, Alexandra (July 27, 2020). "Xbox's Atmospheric Film For 'halo Infinite' Invites Players To 'step Inside' Master Chief's Iconic Armor". Ad Age. Archived from the original on October 26, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
61. Brudvig, Erik (July 31, 2007). "Halo 3 Box Arrives at IGN Offices". IGN. Archived from the original on February 28, 2016. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
62. "Reserve Halo 3 at 7–11 Today!". Xbox360Rally. August 6, 2007. Archived from the original on April 16, 2008. Retrieved August 22, 2007.
63. Pearce, Alanah (April 14, 2016). "11 of the Coolest Halo Toys Ever Made". IGN. Archived from the original on April 19, 2016. Retrieved March 28, 2018.
64. "These real-life Halo boots can be yours for $225 and a lot of luck". PC Gamer. March 25, 2022. Archived from the original on April 17, 2022. Retrieved April 16, 2022.
65. Plunkett, Luke (September 12, 2007). "McFarlane Halo 3 figures". Kotaku. Archived from the original on April 23, 2008. Retrieved September 12, 2007.
66. Plunkett, Luke (March 16, 2011). "This Halo Toy Is Bringing Back The Graphics Of 2001". Kotaku. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
67. Roberts, Tyler (August 2, 2020). "Halo Spartan Collection Pre-Orders Go Live on GameStop". Bleeding Cool. Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
68. Petite, Steven (August 11, 2020). "Master Chief Action Figure Is Detailed, Pricey, And Available To Pre-Order Now". GameSpot. Archived from the original on August 12, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
69. George, Richard (September 18, 2009). "Master Chief Gets Busty". IGN. Archived from the original on October 10, 2014. Retrieved September 24, 2009.
70. High, Kamau (December 9, 2004). "Play the game, buy the licensed consumer goods". Financial Times. Archived from the original on August 12, 2010. Retrieved September 17, 2007.
71. Moses, Asher (August 30, 2007). "Prepare for an All-Out War". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on November 6, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
72. "50 Most Iconic Video Game Characters of the 21st Century". Glixel. November 23, 2016. Archived from the original on November 23, 2016.
73. ^ Amini, Tina (November 6, 2012). "Halo 4: The Kotaku Review". Kotaku. Archived from the original on October 27, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
74. ^ Staff (October 22, 2015). "IGN Icons: Master Chief". IGN. Archived from the original on December 3, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
75. Weber, Rachel (November 8, 2021). "50 iconic video game characters". gamesradar. Archived from the original on November 30, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
76. Staff (September 24, 2007). "Best Heroes of All Time: Master Chief". Archived from the original on June 15, 2011. Retrieved August 5, 2009.
77. "The 50 Greatest Video Game Characters". Empire. Archived from the original on November 14, 2012. Retrieved February 28, 2013.
78. "The 25 best new characters of the decade". GamesRadar. December 29, 2009. p. 3. Archived from the original on July 26, 2012. Retrieved January 4, 2010.
79. Marchiafava, Jeff (February 16, 2011). "Guinness Names Top 50 Video Game Characters Of All Time". Game Informer. Archived from the original on February 1, 2012. Retrieved February 2, 2018.
80. Chad Hunter, Michael Rougeau, The 50 Greatest Soldiers In Video Games Archived June 27, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Complex.com, May 25, 2013.
81. Eadicicco, Lisa; Alex Fitzpatrick; Matt Peckham (June 30, 2017). "The 15 Most Influential Video Game Characters of All Time". Time. Archived from the original on December 6, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2020.
82. Moriarty, Colin (February 18, 2009). "Wednesday 10: Video Game Characters That Should Die". IGN. Archived from the original on October 26, 2012. Retrieved August 7, 2009.
83. Ollie Reynolds (April 3, 2024). "Random: BAFTA's 'Iconic Game Characters' Poll Has Us Scratching Our Heads". Nintendo Life. Retrieved April 8, 2024.
84. "Master Chief Invades Madame Tussauds". Xbox.com. September 10, 2007. Archived from the original on September 16, 2007. Retrieved September 21, 2007.
85. Electronic Gaming Monthly staff (November 28, 2005). "Top Ten Video Game Characters". 1UP.com. Archived from the original on July 19, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2007.
86. "50 Greatest Video Game Characters". Empire. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved June 8, 2010.
87. ^ Martens, Todd (November 6, 2012). "VIDEO GAME REVIEW; Master Chief needs armor; In 'Halo 4,' the hero must steel himself for enemies he hasn't faced before: loneliness and doubt". Los Angeles Times. p. D1.
88. Snow, Blake (August 3, 2007). "Game Icons We Love". Business Week. Archived from the original on October 24, 2012. Retrieved October 8, 2007.
89. Crecente, Brian (September 24, 2007). "Feature: Halo 3 Review". Kotaku. Archived from the original on February 13, 2009. Retrieved September 28, 2007.
90. Gray, Sam (December 15, 2013). "Halo: Is Master Chief a Good Protagonist?". The Artifice. Archived from the original on September 28, 2020. Retrieved September 8, 2020.
91. Peckham, Matt (October 29, 2015). "Halo's Frank O'Connor Reacts to Criticism of Halo 5". Time. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
92. Schedeen, Jesse (April 24, 2009). "Top 10 Most Overrated Videogame Characters". IGN. p. 5. Archived from the original on December 13, 2012. Retrieved April 25, 2009.
93. Parkin, Simon (November 9, 2012). "Halo 4 Review". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
94. Gies, Arthur (November 1, 2012). "Halo 4 review: the ghost in the machine". Polygon. Archived from the original on September 3, 2020. Retrieved September 10, 2020.
95. Totilo, Stephen (April 30, 2017). "The Lack Of Master Chief Was The Least Of Halo 5's Campaign Problems". Kotaku. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
96. Totilo, Stephen (October 27, 2015). "Halo 5 Day Zero Impressions: Mediocre Campaign, Promising Multiplayer". Kotaku. Archived from the original on October 15, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
97. Phillips, Tom (April 26, 2017). "Halo 5's lack of Master Chief was a "huge disappointment", 343 admits". Eurogamer. Archived from the original on October 16, 2020. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
98. Park, Gene (September 3, 2003). "Halo: The Fall Of Reach – Book Review". Game Critics. Archived from the original on January 20, 2007. Retrieved October 3, 2007.
99. ^ Perry, Douglass (May 16, 2006). "The Influence of Literature and Myth in Videogames". IGN. Archived from the original on February 3, 2009. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
100. Nitsche, Michael (2008). Video Game Spaces: Image, Play, and Structure in 3D Worlds. Cambridge, Massachusetts: MIT Press. p. 218. ISBN 978-0-262-14101-7.
101. Travis, Roger (October 10, 2006). "Bungie's Epic Achievement: Halo and the Aeneid". The Escapist. Archived from the original on November 21, 2007. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
102. ^ Stover, Matthew Woodring (2006). "You Are the Master Chief". In Yeffeth, Glenn (ed.). Halo Effect: An Unauthorized Look at the Most Successful Video Game of All Time. Dallas, Texas: BenBella Books. pp. 1–10.

External links

• The Master Chief's profile at Bungie.org
• The Master Chief's profile Archived November 12, 2020, at the Wayback Machine at Halowaypoint.com
• John-117’s profile at halopedia.org

• Cryonically preserved characters in video games
• Cyborg characters in video games
• Fictional chief petty officers
• Fictional gunfighters in video games
• Fictional special forces personnel
• Fictional super soldiers
• Halo (franchise) characters
• Male characters in video games
• Fictional military personnel in video games
• Fictional soldiers in video games
• Video game characters introduced in 2001
• Video game characters with superhuman strength
• Video game mascots
• First-person shooter characters
• Spike Video Game Award winners
• Fictional characters with superhuman strength
• Fictional child soldiers
• Fictional hostages and kidnapped people
• Military science fiction characters