The “Halo” TV series from Paramount+ has stayed fairly true to the franchise’s backstory, but one Master Chief modification might explain why he’s so unique.
This article contains “Halo” 2 episode 2 spoilers.
The Master Chief’s uniqueness may finally be explained thanks to “Halo”‘s plot modifications. Even among Spartans, John-117, the hero of the “Halo“ games, is a legend. The Master Chief has acquired every medal except Prisoner of War in the original “Halo” timeline, in part because he has personally played a crucial role in many battles over the Covenant. In the end, Master Chief is the one who brings the Human-Covenant War to a close.
Dr. Halsey has long suspected Spartan John-117 was unique. She found him when he was just six years old, using a genetic screening method to pinpoint qualities she thought would be desirable in a prospective supersoldier. Dr. Halsey, on the other hand, was particularly pleased by John’s luck when she visited his homeworld of Eridanus II. This was also why the artificial intelligence Cortana picked him to host her AI in the main timeline; she thought the Master Chief had something the other Spartans didn’t. Dr. Halsey and Cortana were both shown to be correct.
“Halo” 2 might expose the true cause for the Master Chief’s singularity, even among his fellow Spartans. Every human individual in the main “Halo” timeline is genetically hardwired with the ability to employ ancient Forerunner technology; however, this does not appear to be the case in the Paramount+ TV series. Only a few humans – sought after by the extraterrestrial Covenant – have the appropriate genetic information here; the Covenant’s Prophets refer to them as “Blessed Ones.” John-117 is one of just two Blessed Ones who have been discovered so far, and this might be the reason of his uncanny luck.
It’s likely that the genetic markers Dr. Halsey was looking for were those linked to the Forerunner gene; if so, then all Spartans may be Blessed Ones. Alternatively, John-117 might be unlike his brothers in that he is the only one who can utilise Forerunner technology, which is as significant to the UNSC as Blessed One Makee is to the Prophets, who have taken the extraordinary step of permitting a human to dwell among the Covenant. This would explain why this one individual is at the epicenter of the Human-Covenant conflict.
The Forerunners’ mysteries have only just begun to be unraveled by the UNSC. Dr. Halsey only knows that the Master Chief obtained an ancient item, which responded in unforeseen and unprecedented ways when he touched it. As “Halo” season 1 progresses, she’ll no certainly put in a lot of effort to figure out what’s going on.