| 1 | '''WARNING: UNMARKED SPOILERS BELOW. CONTINUE?'''\ |
| 2 | \ |
| 3 | '''ENCRYPTION CODE: [CLASSIFIED]'''\ |
| 4 | \ |
| 5 | '''CLASSIFICATION: TVTROPES'''\ |
| 6 | '''SUBJECT: UNSC NAVY'''\ |
| 7 | \ |
| 8 | |
| 9 | !Index |
| 10 | * [[Characters/{{Halo}} Main Index]] |
| 11 | * [[Characters/HaloUNSC UNSC (Miscellaneous Personnel)]] |
| 12 | ** [[Characters/HaloUNSCAIs Artificial Intelligences]] |
| 13 | ** [[Characters/HaloSpartanIProgram SPARTAN-I Program]] |
| 14 | ** [[Characters/HaloSpartanIIProgram SPARTAN-II Program]] |
| 15 | *** [[Characters/HaloMasterChief The Master Chief]] |
| 16 | ** [[Characters/HaloSpartanIIIProgram SPARTAN-III Program]] |
| 17 | ** [[Characters/HaloSpartanIVProgram SPARTAN-IV Program]] |
| 18 | ** Navy |
| 19 | ** [[Characters/HaloUNSCMarinesAndODST Marines and ODSTs]] |
| 20 | ** [[Characters/HaloUNSCOfficeOfNavalIntelligence ONI]] |
| 21 | * [[Characters/HaloTheCovenant The Covenant]] |
| 22 | ** [[Characters/HaloSangheili Sangheili/Elites]] |
| 23 | * [[Characters/HaloTheBanished The Banished]] |
| 24 | * [[Characters/HaloForerunners Forerunners]] |
| 25 | * [[Characters/HaloUEGCivilians UEG Civilians]] |
| 26 | * [[Characters/HaloOther Other Factions]] |
| 27 | |
| 28 | %% GENERAL RULE OF THUMB: Characters who appear in the games should be listed first, followed by live-action, full animation, novels, short stories, comics, and miscellaneous media, in that order. This isn't a hard and fast rule, so the occasional exception is okay. |
| 29 | %% |
| 30 | [[foldercontrol]] |
| 31 | |
| 32 | [[folder:In General]] |
| 33 | !!'''UNSC Navy''' |
| 34 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/navy.png]] |
| 35 | |
| 36 | The backbone of the UNSC military, the Navy is primarily responsible for spaceborne operations, making it the main line of defense for Earth's colonies. |
| 37 | ---- |
| 38 | * BadassNavy: They may have been far outmatched on a ship-to-ship level during the Human-Covenant War, with most of their weapons only able to deal ScratchDamage to most Covenant ships (which in return could one-shot most human ships), but the Navy's skilled commanders, pilots, and crews (plus nukes and [=MACs=]) meant that it often held its own even against overwhelming odds. |
| 39 | * CoolSpaceship: Many, but the [[StealthInSpace Prowlers]], the UNSC ''Pillar of Autumn'', and the ''Infinity'' are among the coolest. |
| 40 | * GlassCannon: All of their ships in comparison to the Covenant. Their kiloton-range [=MACs=] and megaton-range nukes were consistently capable of killing Covenant capital ships in one to a few hits, if they managed to connect. The problem was that their secondary and tertiary armaments (HE missiles and autocannons) were [[NoSell completely useless]] against Covenant energy shielding, while just about anything in the Covenant arsenal, even point-defense lasers, could blast through UNSC vessels like paper, as they were lacking both energy shielding and {{Unobtanium}} for armor (their armor is a rather mundane titanium alloy). This put them at quite a huge disadvantage: while it only took one or two MAC hits to knock out the shields of a large Covenant destroyer or cruiser, that's still one or two free hits that a UNSC ship could ill-afford against plasma torpedoes or an energy projector (which fire ''much'' faster to boot), and unlike the UNSC, Covenant ships didn't even ''need' their primary weapons to kill their opponents. |
| 41 | ** Prior to the war with the Covenant, the UNSC Navy didn't even bother putting [=MACs=] on their ships because it was unnecessary against their opponents, other humans with vessels similar to theirs; regular high-explosive missiles did the job fine, with a single Archer being able to cripple all but the most heavily armored ships, much less anything ''remotely'' nuclear-grade. In that regard their situation was pretty similar to modern naval warfare, where offense far exceeds defense and ships rely on active defenses (e.g. ECM, point-defense, maneuverability) to survive. They started mass-production of [=MACs=] in the 2520s because what used to be [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill pointless overkill]] suddenly became the only way to stand a chance at hurting the enemy. |
| 42 | ** The sequel trilogy era has downplayed this a bit, as the UNSC does have some shielded ships now, but it's noted to still be uncommon. |
| 43 | * MagneticWeapons: Outside of its nukes, the Navy's Magnetic Accelerator Cannons ([=MACs=]) are humanity's most powerful weapons, capable of potentially one-shotting unshielded Covenant ships and knocking out most shields in just one or two hits, with their main weakness being an incredibly long recharge time after each shot.[[note]]''The Fall of Reach'' has a sequence where two characters exchange several lines of dialogue that would last at least over thirty seconds, and the MAC has only charged up by 20% in that time. Another scene has a character explicitly say that a destroyer's [=MAC=] charges at 2% per minute, when the reactor is operating at half capacity (so presumably it's 4% per minute normally).[[/note]] The [=MACs=] equipped on Orbital Defense Platforms are even better, with enough power to one-shot ''shielded'' Covenant ''capital'' ships, and five second recharge times due to massive power generators located planetside. |
| 44 | * PyrrhicVictory: While the Navy certainly made the Covenant work for each planet taken, their own victories against the Covies tended to be this, with even military geniuses like Admiral Cole often taking far more casualties than they inflicted due to the aliens' superior tech. |
| 45 | * SpaceNavy |
| 46 | ** TheBattlestar: Most UNSC ships carry at least a small complement of fighters, and even dedicated carriers are armed to the teeth. The ''Infinity'' takes this even further by carrying not just fighters, but multiple ''frigates''. Almost all UNSC ships also have a very impressive array of point-defence guns in addition to their standard armament. |
| 47 | ** SpaceFighter: Several, with the Longsword being the most notable during the war. |
| 48 | ** StandardHumanSpaceship: Everything except for the ONI Prowlers. |
| 49 | ** StandardSciFiFleet: They are basically this. |
| 50 | * TookALevelInBadass: By the ''Halo 4''-era, due to tremendous technological advancements allowing them to close the gap with the Covenant. |
| 51 | -->'''Thomas Lasky:''' For too many years, humanity was on the backfoot. Reacting to threats, rather than preventing them. Rest of the galaxy was bigger than us. Stronger than us. We were mice, hiding in the shadows, hoping the giants would not see us. No more. Humanity is no longer on the defense. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zx-qlKb_Tvg We are the giants now.]] |
| 52 | * TheWorfBarrage: In the novels, Archer missiles are only ever used to show a Covenant ship's shields pulling a NoSell or (on rare occasions) to finish off an already damaged one. In one scene in ''The Fall of Reach'', a dozen of them struck the ''unshielded'' hull of the Covenant flagship and only caused minor scarring. The only truly effective missiles the UNSC uses are ones with nuclear warheads, which are comparatively rare (Keyes states in ''The Fall of Reach'' that a ship is considered heavily armed if it has even three nuclear warheads, and ''Reach'' has the entire UNSC fleet just running out on August 14) and liable to get shot down by point-defense lasers before they get in range. The UNSC's post-war anti-ship missiles are far more potent: a hundred Howlers takes out a shielded Covenant destroyer in ''Thursday War''.[[note]]These aren't nukes either, as while discussing collateral damage, none of the characters make mention of nuclear fallout. Nor do the missiles cause any harm to the Vadam complex less than two kilometers below (for context, a [[https://nuclearsecrecy.com/nukemap/ ~25 kiloton detonation]] would have killed 100% of people and collapsed most buildings within a radius of 2.06 kilometers, and caused 3rd degree radiation burns on everyone within 2.3 kilometers).[[/note]] |
| 53 | [[/folder]] |
| 54 | |
| 55 | [[folder:FADM. Lord Terrence Hood]] |
| 56 | !!'''Fleet Admiral Lord Terrence Hood''' (07960-48392-TH) |
| 57 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/9d8a13e90302e6f431594426ae8382a4.jpg]] |
| 58 | ->'''Homeworld: Earth'''\ |
| 59 | '''Birthdate: September 4, 2490'''\ |
| 60 | '''Debuted in: ''Literature/HaloFirstStrike'''''\ |
| 61 | '''Voiced by: Creator/RonPerlman''' |
| 62 | |
| 63 | -->''"We will take our city back. [[BadassBoast And drive our enemy into the grave they've been so happily digging.]]"'' |
| 64 | |
| 65 | The Chief of Naval Operations and commander of the Earth Home Fleet at the start of ''VideoGame/Halo2'' and ''de facto'' leader of humanity in ''VideoGame/Halo3''. |
| 66 | ---- |
| 67 | |
| 68 | * BigGood: By ''Halo 3'', he's effectively the ''de facto'' leader of what's left of humanity. His power has lessened in the post-war era, but he's still the most prominent individual among those opposing ONI's efforts to further dominate the UNSC, as he was the only person (besides Halsey) who stood up to '''[[TheDreaded Parangosky]]''' and got away with it. |
| 69 | * BlueBlood: He hails from British nobility, hence the "Lord" part of his title. |
| 70 | * {{Cincinnatus}}: Despite his political standing at the end of the Human-Covenant War, he's been a key figure in the effort to phase out the UNSC's emergency powers and cede power back to the civilians of the UEG. |
| 71 | * DespairEventHorizon: |
| 72 | ** He seems to almost reach it after the Battle of Earth, when Earth was saved from the Flood by sheer luck. |
| 73 | ** It happens to him again after he's forced to flee Earth when Cortana and the Created begin their takeover; after several weeks in hiding with only Osman for company, he starts to [[DrowningMySorrows drown his sorrows]] with liquor, as he blames himself for the whole disaster. |
| 74 | * DeterminedDefeatist: Still he's ready to fight to the bitter end against both the Covenant and the Flood. |
| 75 | * FourStarBadass: Like the other major UNSC admirals during the war. |
| 76 | * HeroOfAnotherStory: While Master Chief and crew are at [[{{VideoGame/Halo 2}} Delta Halo]] and [[{{VideoGame/Halo 3}} The Ark]], Hood is leading the defense of Earth. |
| 77 | * IOweYouMyLife: Spartans saved his life at least twice during the Covenant War. As a result, he's very loyal to the Spartans in general, and the Master Chief in particular whenever other officers criticize them. |
| 78 | * InkSuitActor: Was this back during the Bungie era (as seen [[http://www.halopedia.org/File:H3-LordAdmiralTerrenceHood.jpg here]]), but his ''[=H2A=]'' redesign got rid of the resemblance. |
| 79 | * MissionControl: Provides some of this for the Chief in the original trilogy. |
| 80 | * MeaningfulName: He's a British naval officer and nobleman named Hood. It's not specified if he's descended from [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Hood,_1st_Viscount_Hood Admiral Samuel Hood]], [[BlueBlood 1st Viscount Hood]] or [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samuel_Hood,_1st_Viscount_Hood#See_also any of several other Hoods in Royal Navy service]]. |
| 81 | * MyGreatestFailure: [[spoiler:''ComicBook/HaloEscalation'' reveals that Lord Hood's first command was to recover the log left by the ''Spirit of Fire'' at Arcadia without engaging Covenant forces. However, by that point a young Captain Hood was fed up with retreating from the Covenant, so he ordered his ship ''Roman Blue'' to attack a pair of Covenant destroyers. Hood was ultimately forced to retreat without recovering the log. Hood blamed himself and spent years supporting both Cutter's wife and daughter, and his mistress and illegitimate son.]] |
| 82 | * NotEvenBotheringWithTheAccent: Despite being a British nobleman, he has no trace of a British accent. |
| 83 | * OfficerAndAGentleman: He ''is'' a nobleman, after all. |
| 84 | * OldSoldier: As befitting of a Navy veteran who's seen the worst of the war. |
| 85 | * ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Willing to listen to Chief's advice to go into the Portal, even though he's personally very skeptical about it. |
| 86 | * SupportingLeader: Particularly in ''Halo 3'', where he's coordinating the last of Earth's defenses. |
| 87 | [[/folder]] |
| 88 | |
| 89 | [[folder:CAPT. Jacob Keyes]] |
| 90 | !!'''Captain Jacob Keyes''' (01928-19912-JK) |
| 91 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/750da2ec2b2b538fbfbb59676d02c5d2.jpg]] |
| 92 | ->'''Homeworld: Earth'''\ |
| 93 | '''Birthdate: February 8, 2495'''\ |
| 94 | '''Debuted in: ''Literature/HaloTheFallOfReach'''''\ |
| 95 | '''Voiced by: Pete Stacker (games), Creator/ToddHaberkorn (''Literature/HaloTheFallOfReach'')''' |
| 96 | |
| 97 | -->''"Men like him will save us, you know. We need more like Keyes."'' |
| 98 | --->--'''Admiral Preston Cole''' |
| 99 | |
| 100 | The captain of the ''Pillar of Autumn'', Keyes is legendary for his unorthodox tactics and skill. He assisted Dr. Halsey in selecting candidates for the Spartan-II program, and later had his daughter Miranda with her. In 2552, he was selected to transport the Spartan-[=IIs=] on a mission to capture the Prophets, but the mission is scrubbed by the Fall of Reach, with the ''Autumn'' forced to make a blind slipspace jump that sends it to Halo. |
| 101 | ---- |
| 102 | * AdaptationalAttractiveness: He's considerably more fresh-faced and handsome in ''Reach'' and ''Halo: Anniversary'', whereas in the original ''Combat Evolved'' he was more of a typical grizzled military guy. |
| 103 | * BecomingTheMask: The beginning of ''Literature/HaloTheFallOfReach'' has him and Halsey posing as husband and wife. Guess what happens later. |
| 104 | * BigGood: Of the first game, as he is the highest ranking officer available. |
| 105 | * BodyHorror: [[spoiler:When he gets infected by the Flood and turned into a proto-Gravemind.]] |
| 106 | * TheCaptain: Pretty much no one can match him in single-ship combat, even if they're commanding a ship much more powerful than his. |
| 107 | * CommandingCoolness: When he's introduced in ''The Fall of Reach''. |
| 108 | * DistinguishedGentlemansPipe: An heirloom of his grandfather. He often likes to hold it and put it between his lips as a kind of CharacterTic that helps him think. Regulations prevent him from lighting it on the ship, though he is known to bend them a bit when he is in command. |
| 109 | * FateWorseThanDeath: [[spoiler:Being mind-raped by the Flood, forced to forget everything whilst defiantly keeping the Gravemind from accessing memories privy to Earth's location. Luckily, Chief interrupts the process before the Flood can take Keyes fully, but damn...]] |
| 110 | * AFatherToHisMen: A caring man to those under his command. |
| 111 | * HeroicWillpower: [[spoiler:Part of how he resists being mind-raped by the Flood.]] |
| 112 | * MeaningfulName: His name is Keyes and [[spoiler: at the end of ''Combat Evolved'' you need to retrieve his cortical implants from his living corpse to access the Pillar of Autumn's computer system. In essence, his entire life boils down to becoming a set of keys.]] |
| 113 | * MercyKill: [[spoiler:Received one from the Master Chief.]] |
| 114 | * MilitaryMaverick: He comes up with tactics no one else can, and while he won't always follow orders and follow regulations, count on him to always do the right thing that will save the most lives. He does note at one point that if a student had proposed a maneuver like the Keyes Loop when he was a teacher at the Academy, he would have given it a C+ due to the sheer risk. |
| 115 | * MrExposition: In ''Combat Evolved''. |
| 116 | * OralFixation: Will chew on his grandfather's pipe. |
| 117 | * OutOfCharacterMoment: His execution-by-proxy of Dowski in ''Literature/HaloTheFlood'' is a total 180 from his earlier actions in ''The Fall of Reach'' when he finds that he doesn't have the heart to court-marshal Lieutenant Jaggers, even though both were guilty of A) insubordination and B) being morons (specifically, Dowski was continually trying to pester the rest of the crew into ''[[TooDumbToLive surrendering to the Covenant]]'', who are generally not the prisoner-taking sort). However, as he was extremely exhausted by the harrowing experience of the Fall of Reach and being forced to hide on foot from The Covenant for hours, he may have not wanted to see unnecessary death. |
| 118 | * ParentsAsPeople: Clearly cares about his daughter, but due to his job, he's unable to be as close to her as he'd like. |
| 119 | * PsychicStatic: Keyes recites his name, rank, and service number constantly to resist MindRape by the Flood, which is stripping away his memories systematically. It works for a while, but he eventually is forced to forget his own name. |
| 120 | * ReasonableAuthorityFigure: He's very much the type of commander who's more than willing to listen to his subordinates and give them a chance to change his mind, at least outside of the heat of battle. |
| 121 | * SouthernGentleman: Debatably, while it is established that Captain Keyes was born on Earth, his specific place of birth and where exactly on Earth he grew up or resided the most as an adult isn't explicitly stated, however he is obviously meant to be American, Keyes speaks with a slight southern accent and is very formal in the manner he presents himself. |
| 122 | * ScrewTheRulesIMakeThem: It's against regulations to smoke on a UNSC vessel, but Keyes does it anyway if he's in command of it. But he never does it on the bridge. |
| 123 | * TheStrategist: Possibly the best one in the UNSC Navy besides Admiral Cole. |
| 124 | * ViolationOfCommonSense: |
| 125 | ** The eponymous Keyes Loop weaponizes this, with two key elements revolving around firing a nuclear missile in the wrong direction and deliberately setting a collision course for an enemy ship. That the maneuver works is a testament to his skill as a ship captain. |
| 126 | ** As ''Combat Evolved'' shows, he owns a magnum and keeps it with him, and he provides it to the Master Chief as the Chief's very first weapon of the game. He then notes that he ''doesn't keep it loaded'', and so the Chief has to snag some ammo elsewhere before making use of it. ''Why'' Keyes doesn't have ammo on hand is anyone's guess, though it's probably because he's an officer and most likely to be taken hostage; it denies an enemy from appropriating more firepower. |
| 127 | * VeteranInstructor: After being injured during a Covenant ambush, he was temporarily reassigned to a military academy on Luna before being brought back to the frontline. |
| 128 | * YouAreInCommandNow: [[spoiler:Back when he was still a lieutenant, he was forced to take command of the UNSC ''Midsummer Night'' after his CO was killed by an Innie sympathizer among the bridge crew.]] |
| 129 | [[/folder]] |
| 130 | |
| 131 | [[folder:CDR. Miranda Keyes]] |
| 132 | !!'''Commander Miranda Keyes''' (15972-19891-MK) |
| 133 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/7269b18f9cf2665fce051755fb4ecde3.png]] |
| 134 | ->'''Homeworld: Reach'''\ |
| 135 | '''Birthdate: February 28, 2525'''\ |
| 136 | '''Debuted in: ''VideoGame/Halo2'''''\ |
| 137 | '''Voiced by: Creator/JulieBenz (''VideoGame/Halo2''), Justis Bolding (''VideoGame/Halo3'')''' |
| 138 | |
| 139 | -->''"Until we kill Truth, stop the Rings from firing... nothing else matters."'' |
| 140 | |
| 141 | The daughter of Jacob Keyes and Catherine Halsey, Miranda followed in her father's footsteps and joined the UNSC Navy, rising to the rank of Commander by 2552. When the Covenant attacked Earth, Miranda followed the Prophet of Regret's ship back to Delta Halo, where she forged an alliance with The Arbiter to stop the activation of the Halo Array. Upon returning to Earth, she joins the resistance against the occupying Covenant forces, leading a Human contingent through the portal at Voi to find the Ark. |
| 142 | ---- |
| 143 | * ActionGirl: Surprisingly good at handling herself in a firefight, and fairly athletic as well. |
| 144 | * AdaptationalAngstUpgrade: Despite being utterly stoic in the original cutscene, ''Halo 2 Anniversary'' shows her TryingNotToCry when receiving her father's medal posthumously. |
| 145 | * BadassNormal: Takes down two Brutes by herself and wounds several others with just a shotgun and a pistol, and even briefly holds her own against ''the Arbiter''. |
| 146 | * CallingTheOldWomanOut: One of her last letters to Halsey was basically this. |
| 147 | * CharacterDeath: [[spoiler:In ''Halo 3'', courtesy of Truth shooting five [[FlechetteStorm Spiker]] rounds [[InTheBack into her back]].]] |
| 148 | * ColdBloodedTorture: Tartarus, who is probably ''very'' good at it, threatens her with it to try and force her to activate Halo. She ignores him. |
| 149 | * CommandingCoolness: Her first engagement against the Covenant had her defeating a destroyer with an outdated and ''unarmed'' science vessel (though she was technically still a lieutenant back then). |
| 150 | * DualWielding: She wields two sub-machine guns against the Arbiter in ''Halo 2'', and a shotgun and a pistol against Brutes in ''Halo 3''. |
| 151 | * DiesWideOpen: [[spoiler:Johnson closes them.]] |
| 152 | * HeroicBastard: Is the result of Keyes's tryst with Halsey. |
| 153 | * IAmNotMyMother: Follows in her father's footsteps in large part to distance herself from Halsey, with whom her relationship is ''incredibly'' strained. |
| 154 | * LukeIAmYourFather: Though Miranda first appeared in 2004's ''Halo 2'', it wasn't until the release of [[VideoGame/HaloReach Halsey's journal]] in 2010 that we learned her mother is Catherine Halsey. |
| 155 | * MilitaryBrat: Which sometimes got her accusations of nepotism. |
| 156 | * MurderSuicide: [[spoiler:Subverted. She was ''about'' to give Johnson a MercyKill and then commit HeroicSuicide, in order to prevent the Covenant from forcing them to activate the Halos. However, Truth manages to kill her first.]] |
| 157 | * MostCommonSuperpower: [[GoodLookingPrivates Combined with a rather tight uniform]]... |
| 158 | * OverRankedSoldier: While an effective officer, she is way too young to have achieved her rank under normal circumstances. This can probably be chalked up to the UNSC being extremely low on manpower. |
| 159 | * ParentalIssues: Halsey mostly stopped being involved in Miranda's upbringing after sending her to live with Jacob when she was six; Miranda strongly resents her mother for this. For her part, Halsey kept her distance because she felt she wasn't fit to be the mother her daughter deserved. |
| 160 | * RammingAlwaysWorks: How did she defeat that destroyer with just an unarmed science vessel? By ramming it into the surface of a nearby planet through a fiery atmospheric descent while setting the engines to explode. |
| 161 | * ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Like any commander worth their salt, she's willing to listen to both Chief and Cortana. |
| 162 | * SenselessSacrifice: She attempts to rescue Sergeant Johnson before the Prophet of Truth can force him to activate the Halo Array, and finds herself outnumbered by his Brute escort. She then hesitates to kill Johnson and then herself when left with no other options, and is promptly shot in the back by Truth. |
| 163 | * ShedTheFamilyName: Changed her surname from Halsey to Keyes. |
| 164 | * StatuesqueStunner: Her official height is five-foot-ten. |
| 165 | * TheStrategist: Just like her dad. She even served on Lord Hood's strategy team before being given command of the UNSC ''In Amber Clad''. |
| 166 | * TurnOutLikeHisFather: Her father in this case. Halsey did her best to dissuade Miranda from following her father into the frontlines of the Human-Covenant War, even using her influence to forcibly assign her to a non-combat position. Obviously, that didn't quite work out. |
| 167 | * WellDoneDaughterGal: Halsey believes that she joined the UNSC Navy and changed her last name to Keyes to impress her father, who was one mostly responsible for raising her. On Jacob's end, we know relatively little about how he felt, save for a few glimpses of what seemed to have been a reasonably loving and respectful, if inevitably distant, relationship when she was ten in ''Literature/HaloTheColeProtocol''. |
| 168 | [[/folder]] |
| 169 | |
| 170 | [[folder:CAPT. Andrew Del Rio]] |
| 171 | !!'''Captain Andrew Del Rio''' (90302-75627-AD) |
| 172 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/57a6fc220da7d5c6b4f2f51415fc2d75.png]] |
| 173 | ->'''Homeworld: Earth'''\ |
| 174 | '''Birthdate: May 28, 2500'''\ |
| 175 | '''Debuted in: ''Literature/HaloGlasslands'' (Mentioned only), ''Literature/HaloTheThursdayWar'' (First direct appearance)'''\ |
| 176 | '''Played and voiced by: Creator/MarkRolston''' |
| 177 | |
| 178 | The captain of the UNSC ''Infinity'', the most powerful warship ever built by humanity. Del Rio is known as being a competent by-the-book captain, but not being very good at inspiring loyalty among his crew. In 2557, Del Rio commands the forces of the ''Infinity'' after it crash lands on the Forerunner shield world of Requiem and finds Spartan John-117 fighting a radical faction of the Covenant and Forerunner Prometheans. After returning to Earth, Del Rio retired from service and became a UEG Senator representing the Jovian colonies. |
| 179 | ---- |
| 180 | * ZeroPercentApprovalRating: ''None'' of his subordinates like him, to the point where [[spoiler:when the Master Chief straight-up ignores Del Rio's orders right to his face, the ''Infinity''[='s=] entire crew refuses to listen to their captain's order to detain the Spartan. As an added insult, when ''Infinity'' makes it back to Earth, Del Rio is instantly removed from command by the Security Council for picking a fight with a war hero]]. Even ''ONI'' doesn't think much of him, which is really saying something. Perhaps most notably, Admiral ''Margaret Parangosky herself'' was said to have had no faith in him as a commander. It makes one wonder how he was ever made commander of ''the'' most powerful warship in the UNSC fleet. |
| 181 | * ArmchairMilitary: He spent most of the Covenant War building the ''Infinity'' at a secret shipyard in the Sol system. During the Requiem mission, he preferred to stay aboard the ''Infinity'' and bark orders from the bridge, leaving ground command to Cmdr. Lasky and the Master Chief, unlike Jacob and Miranda Keyes who directly led missions on the Halos and the Ark. |
| 182 | * BadassBureaucrat: Despite his flaws as a field commander, he did do a solid job as project manager during ''Infinity''[='s=] construction, and is considered one of the UEG Senate's most competent bureaucrats. |
| 183 | ** While he spent the Human-Covenant War behind the desk he shows himself to be a technically competent, but not experienced Captain. |
| 184 | * BullyingADragon: Attempts to strong-arm and intimidate the Master Chief, arguably the most dangerous man alive. It does not work in the slightest. |
| 185 | * TheCaptain: A subversion of the typical type; he's an excellent administrator and bureaucrat, but not a particularly adept leader of men in battle. |
| 186 | * DirtyCoward: He's more focused on escaping Requiem than following John's words about the Didact's master plan, dismissing the SPARTAN's warnings as a result of PTSD-induced hallucinations. |
| 187 | ** Averted at the beginning of the game [[spoiler: he risks getting UNSC ''Infinity'' closer to Requiem to try and rescue the Master Chief and for his troubles his ship is sucked into the planet's gravity well. Afterwards he just wants to get off the planet ASAP.]] |
| 188 | * EvilIsPetty: One gets the very strong feeling that his [[spoiler: FantasticRacism speeches against Spartans after trading in his position of captain as one of a senator were less because he was genuinely convinced the older models were obsolete, and as a whole comes off more as a protracted hissy fit at Chief for upstaging him.]] |
| 189 | * FantasticRacism: [[spoiler: According to his political speech, Spartan-[=IIs=] are pieces of obsolete, malfunctioning, clanking relics that should be all executed immediately, while Spartan-[=IVs=] are direct upgrades and amazing super soldiers. He obviously has not heard of the [=IVs=] that have actually joined the Insurrection.]] |
| 190 | * GeneralFailure: Cortana and Chief not only repeatedly question his tactical decisions even before they meet the guy, but are proven right at every turn as Del Rio's orders continually are shortsighted as he makes technically competent, but inexperienced decisions. He does not pay attention to the expertise and experience of Master Chief and Cortana in dealing with [[spoiler:the Forerunners and their motivations]]. This culminates with [[spoiler:his decision to flee Requiem, which lets the Didact reach the Composer and use it to wipe out the entire population of both a UNSC research station and later the city of [[{{UsefulNotes/Arizona}} Phoenix, Arizona]]]]. |
| 191 | * HateSink: Is very much this in ''Halo 4'', where he's presented as a far more hatable figure than the actual BigBad. He retains this role after becoming a senator by the time of ''ARG/HuntTheTruth'', where he launches an [[spoiler: anti-Chief campaign following Chief's alleged attack on the Biko peace conference; just listen to his speech, which had the whole fanbase frothing in rage]]. |
| 192 | * HoistByHisOwnPetard: He immediately loses his command of the ''Infinity'' once FLEETCOM learns of his decision to abandon the Master Chief on Requiem, and is replaced by his Executive Officer Thomas Lasky. |
| 193 | * {{Hypocrite}}: He dismisses Master Chief's concerns as coming from an "aging Spartan." This is despite the fact that Del Rio is himself more than a decade older than Chief, on top of Chief being physically younger than his actual chronological age due to his extended time in cryosleep. Combined with the many augmentations that Spartans go through to greatly surpass normal humans in strength and mental acuity, and Chief's age is far less of an issue than it is for Del Rio. |
| 194 | * InformedAttribute: We are told (in appended materials) that Del Rio has decades of effective management and command under his belt, making him "a relatively easy choice" for commanding the ''Infinity'' when it was first commissioned. None of this is evident from his role in ''Halo 4'' though. He has an inability to keep his emotions in check, and as a manager he easily alienates everyone who works for him, while as a commander his every decision just makes the situation worse. |
| 195 | * {{Jerkass}}: Pretty much ''everything'' the man says drips with condescension and contempt for those around him, and everything he does is marked by incompetence. He doesn't have a single scene in the game where he doesn't come off as ''completely'' unlikeable. |
| 196 | * JerkassHasAPoint: |
| 197 | ** He wants Cortana dismantled due to her rampancy, believing her a risk to the entire crew. In ''Halo 5'', [[spoiler:Cortana comes BackFromTheDead as a megalomaniac obsessed with conquering the galaxy, proving him totally correct, though to be fair ''no one'' could've foreseen her actually surviving her HeroicSacrifice at the end of ''4'', much less her insane corruption.]] |
| 198 | ** Del Rio is not entirely wrong in ''Halo 4''. Yes, stopping [[spoiler: the Didact]] is every bit important and he never denies this in ''Halo 4'', but he is also responsible for the ''Infinity'' and its crew and they need to warn others about [[spoiler: the Didact]]. While not the best command decision, it is a legitimate one, and Del Rio DOES warn the UNSC about [[spoiler: the Didact]]. |
| 199 | * KarmaHoudini: Despite losing his position as captain, Del Rio was promoted to UEG senator, giving him the power to launch a propaganda campaign against all Spartan-[=IIs=] as well as bad mouthing Chief, calling him a "false Spartan" and "broken bastardization of a soldier." Fortunately, when Chief's actions in ''Hunt the Truth'' turned out to be justified by uncovering Cortana's conspiracy, he quietly [[KnowWhenToFoldEm retracts his comments and leaves for a "family vacation."]] |
| 200 | * ObstructiveBureaucrat: [[spoiler:His main role in ''Halo 4'' is to get in the way of John-117 and Cortana saving the day.]] |
| 201 | * ThePeterPrinciple: He was good at ''[[BadassBureaucrat managing]]'' the construction of the ''Infinity'', but when he was put in command of the ship he came lacking. |
| 202 | * ScrewThisImOuttaHere: [[spoiler:He refuses to listen to the Master Chief about the threat the Didact represents and instead leaves Requiem to return to Earth for orders, abandoning the Chief and Cortana to stop the Didact on their own. FLEETCOM is ''not'' happy with his decision, and promptly removes him from command.]] |
| 203 | * SleazyPolitician: After being removed from command, he spins his connections into a comfortable political career in the Jovian colonies. A good working example of his sleaziness is [[spoiler:how quickly he changes his tune when the Chief is found to be innocent of the Biko massacre, followed by taking a leave of absence, officially due to unrelated family matters, but unofficially to avoid the political shitstorm his statements will undoubtedly cause]]. |
| 204 | * SmallNameBigEgo: Del Rio has absolutely zero respect for the Chief's proven tactical expertise, despite the fact that virtually every UNSC commander worth their salt understands that you ignore a Spartan-II's advice at your own peril. |
| 205 | * TooDumbToLive: Very, ''very'' narrowly averted when he demands Master Chief hand over the chip. When Chief refuses, he tries to ''[[SuddenlyShouting shout]]'' the seven-foot-tall, fully armored supersoldier into submission, to which Chief responds with a ''dangerously'' cool, "''[[TranquilFury No, sir.]]''" Had Rio read the room, first, he might have noticed ''no one'' was willing to back him up on his order, and the only thing holding Chief back from snapping Del Rio's spine like a stick was that Chief [[ConsummateProfessional doesn't make a habit of defying superiors]], save for his flat refusal to give Cortana's chip to Del Rio.[[note]]Going even further, the fact that he didn't even seem to notice or care that the normally [[BlindObedience Blindly Obedient]] Chief was [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness refusing an order]] is a good sign of how up-his-own-ass he is.[[/note]] |
| 206 | [[/folder]] |
| 207 | |
| 208 | [[folder:CAPT. Thomas Lasky]] |
| 209 | !!'''Captain Thomas J. Lasky''' (77698-41073-TL) |
| 210 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/7d2b2a1593b149faca0ea6b3b1c1fe42.png]] |
| 211 | ->'''Homeworld: Mars (Tricode Village, Mare Erythraeum)'''\ |
| 212 | '''Birthdate: August 15th, 2510'''\ |
| 213 | '''Debuted in: ''[[Literature/HaloFirstStrike Petra]]'' (Mentioned only), ''Literature/HaloTheThursdayWar'' (First direct appearance)'''\ |
| 214 | '''Voiced and portrayed by: Darren O'Hare (games, ''Film/Halo4ForwardUntoDawn''), Tom Green[=/=]Ty Olsson (''Film/Halo4ForwardUntoDawn'')''' |
| 215 | |
| 216 | The executive officer of the UNSC ''Infinity'' in 2557, Lasky was an officer cadet at the Corbulo Academy of Military Science in 2526. While initially unenthusiastic about being part of the UNSC military, Lasky's life was changed when the Covenant attacked the academy, resulting in an encounter with Spartan John-117. After surviving the Human-Covenant War, then-Commander Lasky became the executive officer of the ''Infinity'', and fought alongside John-117 once more on the Forerunner shield world of Requiem. Afterwards, he was promoted to ''Infinity'''s captain. |
| 217 | ---- |
| 218 | * AcePilot: During the early years of the Human-Covenant War, he served as a fighter pilot for the fleet. |
| 219 | * AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: With just a shotgun in Episode 7 of ''Spartan Ops'', he holds his own against Prometheans. |
| 220 | * BadassNormal: He's a good close combat combatant. |
| 221 | * TheCaptain: After Del Rio is removed from command of the ''Infinity'', Lasky is promoted and given the ship. |
| 222 | * [[CareerEndingInjury Career Ending Allergy]]: Lasky almost gets this while attending Corbulo Academy, as he turns out to be allergic to an important fluid needed for the cryosleep process. His superiors offered to release him from the academy on a medical discharge, but the Covenant attack the academy before he can make a decision. Because of the Covenant, though, he decides to remain in the Navy, taking the pain of his allergy every time. |
| 223 | -->"Apparently I'm allergic to war." |
| 224 | * ChekhovsGunman: First mentioned offhand in the short story "Petra" (from the 2010 ''Literature/HaloFirstStrike'' reprint), two years before his first actual appearance. |
| 225 | * CommandingCoolness: Before being promoted to the captain's seat himself. |
| 226 | * ADayInTheLimelight: ''Film/Halo4ForwardUntoDawn'' serves as his OriginStory. |
| 227 | * TheDeterminator: He's allergic to the compounds used to induce cryosleep, but he's been powering through the pain and discomfort for more than a decade because he's committed to serving. |
| 228 | * ForgottenFirstMeeting: ''Film/Halo4ForwardUntoDawn'' reveals that Chief and Lasky first met in 2526 when the former rescuses Lasky and fellow cades from a Covenant invasion. 30 years later, Chief doesn't seem to recognize him though Lasky does. |
| 229 | * TheGoodCaptain: He's a lot nicer and more reasonable than [[GeneralFailure his]] [[ObstructiveBureaucrat predecessor]], and is something of an idealist to boot. |
| 230 | * GoodIsNotSoft: He's probably the [[NiceGuy nicest character]] in the entire franchise. And when he loses patience with Halsey, he decides to [[HumanPopsicle stick her in a cryotube]]. |
| 231 | * HeroicBSOD: The death of his brother Cadmon is implied to be one of the main causes of his lackluster scores at Corbulo. |
| 232 | * HeroWorshipper: Towards John-117, due to their meeting at Corbulo Academy. |
| 233 | * TheLancer: He is this to Captain Del Rio by the time he is assigned to the ''Infinity'', so much so that ''Parangosky herself'' only conceded to making [[GeneralFailure Del Rio]] captain of the UNSC's most powerful warship after Lasky had been assigned as ''Infinity'''s executive officer. After Del Rio's actions at Requiem, Lasky is immediately made his permanent replacement. |
| 234 | * LeeroyJenkins: During training at Corbulo Academy, at least when he's not in charge of his squad. |
| 235 | * MilitaryBrat: His mother was an important Marine colonel. |
| 236 | * MilitaryMaverick: He's mostly a professional, but he ''will'' disobey orders that he believes are just plain wrong. In ''VideoGame/Halo4'', [[spoiler:he disobeys Del Rio in order to help the Chief and Cortana accomplish their mission]], and in ''Spartan Ops'', [[spoiler:he disobeys his orders to kill Halsey; instead, he sends in Fireteam Majestic to ''rescue'' her]]. |
| 237 | * MissingMom: His mother was not around often due to her duties as a colonel. |
| 238 | * NiceGuy: Apart from having a strong moral compass, Lasky is just plain ''friendly'' to almost everyone; this is especially apparent when he and John-117 meet again in ''Halo 4''. |
| 239 | * NumberTwo: To ''Infinity''[='s=] captain Andrew Del Rio. That is, until Lasky is given full command of the ''Infinity'' after [[spoiler:Del Rio is arrested]]. |
| 240 | * OfficerAndAGentleman: He is one of the most honest characters in the ''Halo'' universe, and strongly dislikes ONI thanks to their utter lack of a moral compass, to the point where he refuses to do their dirty work. |
| 241 | * PlatonicLifePartners: With ''Infinity''[='s=] Spartan Commander Sarah Palmer; even after Lasky is promoted to Captain, the two still speak with each other in familiar terms. |
| 242 | * ReasonableAuthorityFigure: [[spoiler:Even before he replaces Del Rio as the captain of the ''Infinity'', Lasky is much more reasonable with listening to John-117, and even helps him against his captain's orders. This continues after he takes charge, actively helping him to infiltrate the Didact's ship to save Earth.]] |
| 243 | * ReluctantWarrior: As a cadet, he really did not want to fight the Innies, thinking that they had legitimate complaints against the UNSC. This was in large part due to his brother Cadmon being killed while fighting them. He's still a good strategist and warrior despite this. |
| 244 | * TheStrategist: ''Forward Unto Dawn'' shows how he really is a good commander in the field. |
| 245 | * TragicKeepsake: His brother's [[spoiler:and Chyler Silva's]] dogtags. |
| 246 | * YouAreInCommandNow: [[spoiler:Due to [[NumberTwo his position]] aboard the ''Infinity'', he's the only individual available to take up command of the ship after Del Rio is relieved of command.]] |
| 247 | [[/folder]] |
| 248 | |
| 249 | [[folder:CAPT. James Cutter]] |
| 250 | !!'''Captain James "Jim" Gregory Cutter''' (01730-58392-JC) |
| 251 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/4c920b36f1850101bc69bcac2270889c.jpg]] |
| 252 | ->'''Homeworld: Reach'''\ |
| 253 | '''Birthdate: June 12, 2478'''\ |
| 254 | '''Debuted in: ''VideoGame/HaloWars'''''\ |
| 255 | '''Voiced by: Creator/GreggBerger (''VideoGame/HaloWars''), Creator/GideonEmery (''VideoGame/HaloWars2'')''' |
| 256 | |
| 257 | -->''"Where you see half a crew, Isabel, I see family, courage. And a thousand heroes who swore to fight their way through hell before they'd ever...'' EVER ''turn their backs and run. And where you see one old ship, I see home. And that is always worth fighting for!"'' |
| 258 | |
| 259 | A well-respected naval officer and a veteran of fighting against the Insurrection, Cutter was placed in charge of the ''UNSC Spirit of Fire'' during the campaign to retake the colony of Harvest. He was also charged with investigating Covenant activity on the planet and protecting Professor Ellen Anders, which led to a discovery that sent him pursuing a Covenant fleet across the galaxy. |
| 260 | ---- |
| 261 | * AFatherToHisMen: Even walking the ship at night to check on his crew. |
| 262 | * BadassArmfold: When he confronts Atriox in the ''VideoGame/HaloWars2'' "Know Your Enemy" trailer. |
| 263 | * TheCaptain: To the point where he sometimes uses archaic nautical terms (despite having never seen a waterborne military vessel in his life). |
| 264 | * HappilyMarried: Has a wife and daughter who both live on Reach. Whether they survive the war is unknown. |
| 265 | * HeroicSacrifice: Played with. [[spoiler:He agrees to sacrifice the ''Spirit of Fire'''s slipspace engine to destroy Shield World 0459 before the Covenant can use its stored Forerunner fleet against humanity, despite this effectively dooming him and his crew to being stranded in space. They ultimately survive the experience, though.]] |
| 266 | -->'''Serina:''' [[spoiler:"That's the weak part of this plan, if you ask me. We've no way home without that reactor."]]\ |
| 267 | '''Cutter:''' [[spoiler:"One problem at a time, Serina. If the Covenant get their hands on these ships it will mean the end of the war. We'll take our chances here, to give humanity some hope."]] |
| 268 | * InkSuitActor: In ''VideoGame/HaloWars2''. |
| 269 | * LegallyDead: The UNSC officially considers the ''Spirit of Fire'' "lost with all hands". |
| 270 | * LimitedAdvancementOpportunities: It's specifically noted that his lack of personal ambition is the only reason why he hasn't been promoted to Admiral already. |
| 271 | * TheMentor: Lord Hood once served as the executive officer for the ''Spirit of Fire'' and regarded Cutter as his mentor. |
| 272 | * OfficerAndAGentleman: He's more pragmatic than the typical example, though, given the enemy he's fighting. |
| 273 | * OldSoldier: Was already a seasoned veteran before the Covenant War began. |
| 274 | * ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Is not only willing to listen to the advice of his noncoms, but enjoys "talking shop" with the enlisted. |
| 275 | * ReportsOfMyDeathWereGreatlyExaggerated: By the time ''Halo Wars 2'' rolls around, James and his entire crew had been officially declared KIA. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] by Isabel when she first meets him. |
| 276 | -->'''Isabel:''' James Cutter, Captain of the ''Spirit of Fire''. You're supposed to be 'lost with all hands'.\ |
| 277 | '''James Cutter:''' Not so lost, it seems. |
| 278 | [[/folder]] |
| 279 | |
| 280 | [[folder:ADM. Preston Cole]] |
| 281 | !!'''Admiral Preston Jeremiah Cole''' (03956-26127-PC) |
| 282 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/05b0befe282163e79619195b8f94f611.jpg]] |
| 283 | ->'''Homeworld: Earth (Mark Twain, Missouri, United Republic of North America)'''\ |
| 284 | '''Birthdate: November 3, 2470'''\ |
| 285 | '''Debuted in: ''Literature/HaloTheFallOfReach'' (Mentioned only), ''Literature/HaloTheColeProtocol'' (First direct appearance)''' |
| 286 | |
| 287 | -->''"They told me to fight, and that's what I've done. Let historians sort through the wreckage, bodies, and broken lives to figure out the rest."'' |
| 288 | |
| 289 | The most brilliant UNSC Admiral, Cole was Earth's greatest hero during the early years of the Insurrection before being forced to retire in disgrace after the discovery of his second wife's true identity. He was asked to return to active duty when the Covenant began their war against humanity, leading the largest UNSC fleet ever assembled in countless battles against the Covenant, becoming the only fleet commander to routinely win against the alien menace. His fight came to an end at the Battle of Psi Serpentis, where his tactics destroyed around three hundred Covenant ships at the cost of his vessel and life. |
| 290 | ---- |
| 291 | * BadassBoast: "Listen to me, Covenant. I am Vice Admiral Preston J. Cole commanding the human flagship, Everest. You claim to be the holy and glorious inheritors of the universe? I spit on your so-called holiness. You dare judge us unfit? After I have personally sent more than three hundred of your vainglorious ships to hell? After kicking your collective butts off Harvest - not once - but twice? From where I sit, we are the worthy inheritors. You think otherwise, you can come and try to prove me wrong." |
| 292 | * BadassBookworm: Kept up on his reading on theoretical physics and military history while retired. |
| 293 | * BigGood: He was this to the UNSC for many years, until his [[spoiler:likely faked]] death at the Battle of Psi Serpentis. |
| 294 | * TheChainsOfCommanding: The stress of being the main man the UNSC was counting on to defeat the Covenant would eventually start to overtake him, [[spoiler:to the point where he likely faked his death to get away from it all]]. |
| 295 | * CombatPragmatist: His highly unconventional and often lethal tactics in the heat of battle have certainly been responsible for some of humanity's greater victories against the Covenant. |
| 296 | * DyingMomentOfAwesome: He lures the Covenant fleet at the gas giant Psi Serpentis to attack his flagship, [[spoiler:then nukes the core so that the planet explodes into a brown dwarf star, destroying the entire fleet. ''AND'' there are hints he may have survived that!]] |
| 297 | * FakingTheDead: [[spoiler:The ONI report which compiled his biography and the events of Psi Serpentis all but confirm that Cole faked his death and fled with his estranged second wife to a colony outside UNSC and Covenant space. ONI is currently searching for him to ask him to once again return to the UNSC following the end of the Human-Covenant War.]] |
| 298 | * FamedInStory: While he was the UNSC's greatest admiral, he's perhaps even better known for his "Cole Protocol", a directive designed to prevent the Covenant from discovering the location of human core worlds, particularly Earth. |
| 299 | * FourStarBadass: He was this ''before'' the Human-Covenant War. Afterward, he got even more badass. |
| 300 | * GoodWithNumbers: Despite being an indifferent student as a child, his mathematical skills were undeniable. In fact, it was him formulating a new way of calculating slipspace input parameters that got him accepted to Luna's Officer Candidate School in the first place. |
| 301 | * HeroicBSOD: Upon learning that [[spoiler:his second wife, who was pregnant with his child, was the captain of an Insurrectionist ship that Cole had spent years hunting]]. |
| 302 | * ISurrenderSuckers: How he made his initial fame: after the ship he was serving on was crippled [[YouAreInCommandNow and the rest of the bridge crew killed or incapacitated]], he surrendered to the attacking Insurrectionist ship, but sent a Archer missile through the docking tube they extended to gut them from the inside out. Indeed, Cole's faked distress signal was both a stroke of genius and breach of protocol so severe that UNSC CENTCOM dithered over whether to award him the Legion of Honor or to have him court martialed. Ultimately they did neither, to avoid setting precedent. However, from that point on Cole resolved to never again send a distress signal in enemy territory; no one would believe it. As he stated in his personal log: "Surrender, quite literally, is no longer an option for me.” |
| 303 | * TheLancer: To the entire UNSC Navy, so much so that his checkered past means nothing to them once the Covenant first emerged, and he is immediately called back for active duty and goes on to lead humanity's charge during the entire first half of the nearly thirty-year conflict. Indeed, the number of aliens he has killed rivals that of the entire Spartan-II program. |
| 304 | * MilitaryMaverick: A highly unconventional tactician/strategist, to the point where committing an incredibly severe breach of protocol was ''key'' to his first notable victory. |
| 305 | * OldSchoolChivalry: While he would certainly hit (and even kill) a girl, he had a lifelong habit of refusing to do or say anything that would incriminate the women in his life, much to the detriment of his career. |
| 306 | * OldSoldier: Was already an aged veteran of the war against the Insurrectionists when he was recalled to service during the Covenant War. |
| 307 | * ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Though several UNSC officers had reservations about Jacob Keyes [[spoiler:helping the Rubble's Insurrectionist-leaning inhabitants evacuate to an Inner Colony]], Cole himself fully supported Keyes's decision (despite it being a potential violation of his own namesake protocol); in fact, it helped convince him to promote the man from Lieutenant all the way to Commander. Additionally, the ''VideoGame/HaloWars'' in-game timeline states that Cole was the one who stood up for Forge when the latter was being charged for fighting a superior officer who had assaulted Forge's daughter. |
| 308 | * RetiredBadass: After [[spoiler:his wife was revealed to be an Insurrectionist captain]]. He was convinced to return when the Covenant threat was discovered. [[spoiler:If his supposed death at Psi Serpentis was indeed faked, he can be considered this a second time.]] |
| 309 | * ShotgunWedding: Twice, but the first time he wasn't actually the father. |
| 310 | * TeenGenius: While serving aboard the CMA ''Season of Plenty'' as a crewman apprentice, Cole was forced by a superior officer to do the calculations for a slipspace jump following the onboard AI shutting down for maintenance. After slaving away at the calculations for most of the day, the ship's lieutenant commander and AI discovered that not only had Cole formulated a new, if crude, way of calculating slipspace jumps but also he done it entirely ''by hand'' when all calculations are usually performed by the ship's AI. |
| 311 | * TheStrategist: The UNSC's greatest. |
| 312 | * TheUnfettered: His military career was marked by a perfect willingness to sacrifice himself and any number of subordinates and ships in order to achieve a greater victory. |
| 313 | [[/folder]] |
| 314 | |
| 315 | [[folder:VADM. Hieronymus Stanforth]] |
| 316 | !!'''Vice Admiral Hieronymus "Harold" Michael Stanforth''' (00834-19223-HS) |
| 317 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hfbstanforth.jpg]] |
| 318 | ->'''Homeworld: Earth'''\ |
| 319 | '''Birthdate: July 3, 2486'''\ |
| 320 | '''Debuted in: ''Literature/HaloTheFallOfReach'''''\ |
| 321 | '''Voiced by: Ethan Sawyer''' |
| 322 | |
| 323 | The head of ONI Section Three from 2512 to 2530, he resigned his post at ONI to fight on the frontlines against the Covenant fulltime. It was partly under his direction the Spartan-II project came about, and Section Three was at is busiest under his command. He was killed during the Fall of Reach. |
| 324 | ---- |
| 325 | * DirtyBusiness: Comes with the territory of working at ONI, and he was still involved in some pretty shady business even after he left the organization. His own feelings about this can be summed up in this message to Parangosky: |
| 326 | -->"Some days I really get the feeling that [[ImGoingToHellForThis we’re going to burn in hell for the things we do."]] |
| 327 | * FourStarBadass: One of the few admirals to have some success fighting the Covenant. |
| 328 | * KilledOffForReal: He died along with most of his fleet at Reach. |
| 329 | * ReasonableAuthorityFigure: He tried to help salvage Admiral Cole's reputation after [[spoiler:the latter's wife was outed as an Insurrectionist]], and managed to prevent him from being court-martialed. |
| 330 | * SupportingLeader: In ''Literature/HaloTheFallOfReach'', he's Halsey's main overseer during the early years of the SPARTAN-II Program, and is the one leading UNSC naval forces at the battles over Sigma Octanus IV and Reach. |
| 331 | [[/folder]] |
| 332 | |
| 333 | [[folder:VADM. Danforth Whitcomb]] |
| 334 | !!'''Vice Admiral Danforth Whitcomb''' (11113-32871-DW) |
| 335 | ->'''Homeworld: Earth'''\ |
| 336 | '''Birthdate: July 3, 2489'''\ |
| 337 | '''Debuted in: ''Literature/HaloFirstStrike''''' |
| 338 | |
| 339 | The Deputy Chief of Naval Operations in 2552, Whitcomb was trapped on Reach when the planet fell. He sought refuge with a group of surviving Spartan-[=IIs=], directing hit-and-run raids on occupying Covenant forces until they were rescued from the planet by John-117. Also, he claims to be descended from Russian UsefulNotes/{{Cossacks}}, despite speaking with a Texas drawl. |
| 340 | ---- |
| 341 | * AFatherToHisMen: Made particularly apparent when he orders Halsey to remove a badly injured Kelly off the bridge, because he's so worried about her condition he can't concentrate on the battle. |
| 342 | * BadassBoast: Two: [[spoiler:The first is a transmission to the Covenant fleet after crashing the ''Ascendant Justice'' into ''Unyielding Hierophant''. The second one is delivered posthumously]]: |
| 343 | ** "We're here in the middle of your fleet with your 'holy of holies'. Come and get it!" |
| 344 | ** "This is the prototype NOVA Bomb, nine fusion warheads encased in lithium triteride armor. When detonated, it compresses its fissionable material to neutron-star density, boosting the thermonuclear yield a hundredfold. I am Vice Admiral Danforth Whitcomb, temporarily in command of the UNSC military base Reach. To the Covenant uglies that might be listening, you have a few seconds to pray to your damned heathen gods. You all have a [[SeeYouInHell nice day in hell...]]" |
| 345 | * BadassNormal: Survived for ''three weeks'' on Reach after it fell, despite being the only non-Spartan in his group of survivors. Later, just before [[spoiler:the ''Unyielding Hierophant'' blows up]], the Chief sees a feed of Whitcomb fighting off dozens of Elite boarders with just an SMG. |
| 346 | * TheChainsOfCommanding: He knows that his primary duty is the UNSC first and foremost, but the suffering and death his subordinates and allies have to endure because of it constantly wears on him. When he's forced to [[spoiler:abandon the Insurrectionists at Eridanus Secundus to the Covenant]], he still believes that doing so [[ThisIsUnForgivable is unforgivable]]: |
| 347 | -->"Duty be damned. [[ImGoingToHellForThis I am still going to Hell for this]]." |
| 348 | * FourStarBadass: A highly accomplished leader whose feats and heroics were studied by the Spartans themselves. |
| 349 | * HeroicSacrifice[=/=]DyingMomentOfAwesome: [[spoiler:On the way back to Earth, he and Haverson crash the ''Ascendant Justice'' into the just-about-to-self-destruct ''Unyielding Hierophant'', using a Forerunner artifact to lure in a Covenant fleet of over 500 ships. When the station explodes, only twelve Covenant ships survive.]] |
| 350 | * ManlyFacialHair: A definite candidate for the UNSC's physically toughest admiral, and has an impressive horseshoe mustache to match. |
| 351 | * NoOneGetsLeftBehind: Tries to live up to this ideal as much as he can; when Haverson questions his decision to try to rescue what's left of Red Team instead of immediately heading back to Earth, he responds: |
| 352 | -->"I won't leave a single man or woman behind on this planet for the Covenant to tear apart for sport. No way." |
| 353 | * ReasonableAuthorityFigure: He and Red Team don't start off on the greatest of terms, but Whitcomb turns out to be a pretty straight example; he approves of the Master Chief's request to initiate Operation: FIRST STRIKE once they come up with a way to execute it without jeopardizing Whitcomb's main mission. In fact, [[spoiler:Whitcomb later decides to sacrifice ''himself'' in order to ensure FIRST STRIKE's success]]. |
| 354 | * TheSmartGuy: Was in charge of a number of high-tech R&D projects, including the HRUNTING/YGGDRASIL projects (which produced both the [[Anime/HaloLegends Mark 1 Prototype]] and Mantis [[MiniMecha Mini-Mechas]]) and the [[EarthShatteringKaboom planet-destroying NOVA bombs]]. He even had some involvement in the SPARTAN-II Program. |
| 355 | * YouAreInCommandNow: After the Covenant destroys Reach's UNSC HQ, Whitcomb is forced to assume command of all remaining ground troops on the planet. He tries his best, but terrestrial warfare is clearly not his forte. |
| 356 | [[/folder]] |
| 357 | |
| 358 | [[folder:RADM. Musa Ghanem]] |
| 359 | !!'''Rear Admiral Musa Ghanem (formerly Musa-096)''' |
| 360 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/musa10.jpg]] |
| 361 | ->'''Homeworld: Unknown'''\ |
| 362 | '''Birthdate: c. 2511'''\ |
| 363 | '''Debuted in: ''ComicBook/HaloInitiation''''' |
| 364 | |
| 365 | A former Spartan-II candidate, Musa was permanently crippled by the augmentations, but found his place as an officer in the Navy. After the end of the Human-Covenant War, he founded the SPARTAN-IV program, with himself as head of the newly created "Spartan" branch. |
| 366 | ---- |
| 367 | * AlmightyJanitor: Had enough pull even as just a commander to openly call out his superiors in the Admiralty and turn his Spartans into an independent branch. |
| 368 | * BenevolentBoss: Often comes off as stern, but will go out of his way to have a personal conversation with his Spartans if he needs to set their minds at ease. |
| 369 | * {{Foil}}: To some degree, he seems to be what Serin might have become had she not fallen under Parangosky's sway. |
| 370 | * GeniusCripple: Rose to the rank of Rear Admiral before he turned 50. |
| 371 | * GoodCounterpart: To Osman; both are Spartan-II washouts who detest Halsey and rose through the ranks to eventually lead their respective military branches. However, unlike Osman, Musa believes in interspecies cooperation and seems to rather disdain ONI's amorality (much of his motivation for making the Spartan branch independent was to get them away from ONI); he indicates to Buck at the end of ''Literature/HaloNewBlood'' that he wants the [=IVs=] to be human enough to be able to show mercy even to their foes. |
| 372 | * TheMentor: Has a little bit of this dynamic with Buck in ''New Blood'', despite being about the same age. |
| 373 | * RankUp: Is a commander when we first see him in ''Initiation'' and ''New Blood'', but by the time of ''VideoGame/Halo5Guardians'', he's been promoted to rear admiral. |
| 374 | * ReasonableAuthorityFigure: Is willing to overlook people disobeying his orders if they had an understandable reason for it, and can tolerate backtalk as long as he gets the final say. When Buck requests to ''not'' lead a fireteam after [[spoiler:the Talitsa mission]], Musa easily grants it despite his own plans to eventually promote him. |
| 375 | [[/folder]] |
| 376 | |
| 377 | [[folder:SCPO. Franklin Mendez]] |
| 378 | !!'''Senior Chief Petty Officer Franklin Mendez''' (22926-11908-FM) |
| 379 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/mendez.jpg]] |
| 380 | ->'''Homeworld: Sigma Octanus IV'''\ |
| 381 | '''Birthdate: March 21, 2492'''\ |
| 382 | '''Debuted in: ''Literature/HaloTheFallOfReach'''''\ |
| 383 | '''Voiced by: Creator/StacyKeach (''ARG/HuntTheTruth''), Creator/RichardCansino (''Literature/HaloTheFallOfReach'')''' |
| 384 | |
| 385 | The man who made the Spartans what they are. Mendez was recruited by Dr.Halsey to train the Spartan-[=IIs=], and became a legend among them. He later was called back to train the Spartan-[=IIIs=] alongside Kurt-051, and assisted him in doing whatever it took to keep as many Spartans alive as possible. He came to hate himself for ever getting involved in the Spartan program, but still regards it as having been necessary. |
| 386 | ---- |
| 387 | * BadassNormal: He is just a regular man, but he can more than hold his own when fighting alongside his Spartans. |
| 388 | * CaptainSmoothAndSergeantRough: The "Sergeant Rough" in both the II and III programs, with Mendez's role as hardass drill instructor contrasting both Halsey's role as MotherlyScientist and Kurt's role as [[AFatherToHisMen fatherly commander]]. |
| 389 | * CoolCar: A custom rocket warthog. |
| 390 | * {{Determinator}}: He is not the type of man who surrenders. And he made sure the Spartans were the same. |
| 391 | * DrillSergeantNasty: But only because it's his job. Though it's occasionally suggested he enjoys the role. |
| 392 | * ElitesAreMoreGlamorous: Was a decorated NAVSPECWEP operative before becoming a drill instructor. |
| 393 | * LivingLegend: Among the Spartans. |
| 394 | * MemeticBadass: In-universe, to the ''Spartans''. |
| 395 | * MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Eventually develops a great amount of regret towards his own role in the Spartan programs. |
| 396 | * OldSoldier: Joined the military when he was 16, and didn't retire until he was older than 60, he was still capable of keeping up with the Spartans, who have come to the conclusion that regular Marines and Army troopers a quarter of his age couldn't keep up with him. |
| 397 | * ParentalSubstitute: To the Spartan-[=IIs=], being the closest thing they have to a surrogate father. |
| 398 | * RetiredBadass: Played with. He left the service after the war due to both pressure from the UNSC and his own guilt about his role in the Spartan programs, but was uncomfortable with retirement and decided to become a civilian contractor. [[spoiler:A civilian contractor who's in charge of all of security for one of the biggest joint-research projects between the UNSC and the Swords of Sanghelios.]] |
| 399 | * SinkOrSwimMentor: Especially with the Spartan-[=IIIs=]. The first thing he has the candidates for Alpha Company do is a night jump from a Pelican. Bear in mind that they were on average between ''four and six'' years old![[note]]To be fair, it was Kurt who decided to have them do that, as Mendez was actually a little worried about it! He nonetheless was the one who gave the order to the kids, but only because it fit his [[DrillSergeantNasty role]].[[/note]] |
| 400 | * SmokingIsCool: Like a lot of other characters in the franchise, he enjoys Sweet William cigars. |
| 401 | * TheStoic: Rarely displays much in the way of genuine emotion. |
| 402 | [[/folder]] |
| 403 | |
| 404 | [[folder:CDR. Richard Lash]] |
| 405 | !!'''Commander Richard Lash''' |
| 406 | ->'''Homeworld: Unknown'''\ |
| 407 | '''Birthdate: Unknown'''\ |
| 408 | '''Debuted in: ''Literature/HaloGhostsOfOnyx''''' |
| 409 | |
| 410 | The acting commander of the prowler UNSC ''Dusk'' in late 2552, Lash was one of the few humans to witness the beginning of the Covenant's Great Schism. |
| 411 | ---- |
| 412 | * TheChainsOfCommanding: Feels overwhelmed by his new responsibilities as the ''Dusk''[='s=] commander, but refuses to let his nervousness show, no matter how much of a fraud he feels like. |
| 413 | * GreekChorus: He and his crew primarily play the role of outside observer in both the Great Schism's opening salvos and the battle between Battle Group Omnicron and Voro Nar 'Mantakree's Sangheili fleet. [[spoiler:They do play a brief but major role in the latter by laying nuclear mines.]] |
| 414 | * MilitaryBrat: Sort of; his father was a wielder on the UNSC refit station ''Cradle''. |
| 415 | * TheSneakyGuy: He and his crew have this role once joining up with Admiral Patterson's Battle Group Omnicron. |
| 416 | * StealthExpert: Like all good prowler commanders, Lash is a master of keeping his ship hidden. |
| 417 | * TragicKeepsake: An old-fashioned spring-and-gear wristwatch given by his father, who was killed during the battle of Sigma Octanus IV. |
| 418 | * YouAreInCommandNow: The only reason he's in command is because the ''Dusk''[='s=] actual commander, Captain Iglesias, had to undergo radiation treatment. |
| 419 | [[/folder]] |
| 420 | |
| 421 | [[folder:Jacob Keyes's Bridge Crew]] |
| 422 | !!'''Jacob Keyes's Bridge Crew (Dominique, Ellen Dowski, Hall, Aki Hikowa, Jaggers, William Lovell)''' |
| 423 | ->'''Homeworlds: Unknown'''\ |
| 424 | '''Birthdates: Unknown'''\ |
| 425 | '''Debuted in: ''Literature/HaloTheFallOfReach'' (Dominique, Hall, Hikowa, Jaggers, Lovell), ''Literature/HaloTheFlood'' (Dowski)''' |
| 426 | |
| 427 | The men and women who served under Jacob Keyes on the UNSC ''Iroquois'' during the Battle of Sigma Octanus IV, with the remaining members later transferred along with Keyes to the ''Pillar of Autumn''. Lieutenant Dominique is the communications officer, Lieutenant Hikowa is the weapons officer, Lieutenant Hall is the operations officer, and Lieutenant Jaggers was the navigation officer before being replaced by Ensign Lovell, with Ensign Dowski joining the crew by the Fall of Reach. |
| 428 | ----- |
| 429 | * TheAce: Keyes initially notes Dominique to be the most impressive officer by far, though he's later even more impressed by Lovell. |
| 430 | * AgentScully: Dominique proposes that Halo might be a naturally occurring phenomenon. |
| 431 | * AlmightyJanitor: Despite being a mere ensign, Lovell becomes Keyes's navigation officer; as it turns out, Lovell actually has a lot more combat experience than the higher-ranking members of the crew, with his troubled past being the only reason why he's not been (re)promoted to a higher rank. |
| 432 | * BoomHeadshot: The fates of Lovell and Dowski, courtesy of the Covenant. |
| 433 | * CommunicationsOfficer: Dominique. |
| 434 | * DarkAndTroubledPast: Lovell was a highly promising officer who displayed remarkable talent and bravery early in his career, but eventually broke under pressure and ended up being demoted several times for insubordination and gross incompetence. |
| 435 | * DecoyProtagonist: A lot of attention is given to William Lovell's reassignment to Keyes, and you'd expect him to be an important character. He dies [[DroppedABridgeOnHim unceremoniously]] with the rest of the bridge crew on Installation 04. |
| 436 | * DoomedByCanon: In ''Literature/HaloTheFlood'', since we already knew by the book's release that almost none of the ''Autumn''[='s=] crew will make it off Alpha Halo. |
| 437 | * {{Dismotivation}}: When we first meet Lovell, his sole motivation is to not get in trouble with either the Covenant or his superiors. He grows out of this after being reassigned to Keyes's command. |
| 438 | * DirtyCoward: Both Dowski and Jaggers prove worthless in dangerous situations. |
| 439 | * TheGeneralsDaughter: Lovell was involved in an incident with a civilian woman whom Keyes suspects was the daughter of a vice admiral. |
| 440 | * HateSink: Jaggers is bad at his job, cowardly, and is given no redeeming features at all. |
| 441 | * KarmaHoudini: Jaggers's reward for being a DirtyCoward, freaking out, and committing borderline mutiny? A transfer to a safe location that saves his life. |
| 442 | * KilledMidSentence: We never ''do'' find out what Hikowa was going to do to Dowski in response to the latter betraying the rest of the crew to the Covenant. |
| 443 | -->'''Hikowa:''' You little bitch! I'll-- |
| 444 | * MyGreatestSecondChance: Lovell clearly regards his reassignment to Keyes as this, and does his best to prove himself worthy of his captain's faith. |
| 445 | * MyGodWhatHaveIDone: Dowski seems genuinely horrified when her actions result in the Covenant executing the rest of the bridge crew. |
| 446 | * NumberTwo: Dominique is given control of the bridge when Keyes is off-duty. |
| 447 | * PacifismBackfire: [[spoiler:Dowski's insistence on surrendering angers the crew, and they briefly consider killing her. They point out that the Covenant don't take prisoners, and it would have been better to keep running. However, Keyes decides to spare Dowski and leaves her tied up for the Covenant to find. Ironically, the Covenant squadron searching for them would have spared them all because they did not know who was the Captain. Finding Dowski and letting her tell them who the Captain was led to the Covenant executing all of them except Keyes]]. |
| 448 | * ReassignedToAntarctica: |
| 449 | ** What happens to Jaggers after he loses his nerve during the Battle of Sigma Octanus IV. |
| 450 | ** Before being assigned to the ''Iroquois'', Lovell had previously reassigned ''himself'' to a remote sensor outpost, taking up a relatively safe job watching for Covenant activity. |
| 451 | * RememberTheNewGuy: Dowski suddenly turns up in ''The Flood'', despite being nowhere to be seen in ''Literature/HaloTheFallOfReach''. |
| 452 | * RewardedAsATraitorDeserves: Dowski betrays the rest of the ''Autumn''[='s=] bridge crew to the Covenant in the hopes that the Covies will choose to keep them all alive as prisoners. Instead, the Covenant execute everyone except Keyes, with Dowski herself receiving a bullet to the head. |
| 453 | * ShellShockedVeteran: Hikowa might be this; Keyes wonders if her unenthusiastic demeanor and tendency to move with "all the deliberation of a sleepwalker" is the result of "battle fatigue" from surviving several battles against the Covenant. She regains some of her spirit after the UNSC's victory at Sigma Octanus IV. |
| 454 | * SoleSurvivor: Jaggers is probably the only one of them still alive after the events of ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved''. |
| 455 | * TheStoic: Dominique is all business and almost never cracks a smile. |
| 456 | * SuddenSequelDeathSyndrome: Despite being relatively important supporting characters in ''The Fall of Reach'', all of them are killed off with relatively little fanfare near the beginning of ''The Flood''. |
| 457 | * TeamPrimaDonna: Hall is initially a downplayed version of this; she's so eager to impress Keyes that she's not averse to showing up her fellow officers. She grows out of this by the time the crew is reassigned to the ''Autumn''. |
| 458 | * TokenMinority: Hikowa, who's of Japanese descent. |
| 459 | * WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The final fates of Dominique, Hall, and Jaggers are never disclosed. While [[UncertainDoom Dominique and Hall are almost certainly dead]], Jaggers' fate is a true mystery. |
| 460 | [[/folder]] |
| 461 | |
| 462 | [[folder:[=PO1.=] Healy]] |
| 463 | !!'''Petty Officer First Class Healy''' |
| 464 | ->'''Homeworld: Unknown'''\ |
| 465 | '''Birthdate: Unknown'''\ |
| 466 | '''Debuted in: ''Literature/HaloContactHarvest''''' |
| 467 | |
| 468 | A hospital corpsman with a lighthearted demeanor and a fondness for jokes, Healy is one of the soldiers assigned to help train Harvest's Colonial Militia, and is responsible for providing medical care to anyone injured during training. |
| 469 | ---- |
| 470 | * BunnyEarsLawyer: As much of a irreverent clown as he may be, he's a capable medic. |
| 471 | * TheFace: Friendly and sociable, he's by far the most personable of Harvest's UNSC trainers, quickly becoming well-liked by the recruits. |
| 472 | * TheMedic: Responsible for the health of the Harvest recruits, and saves many lives during the Covenant invasion. |
| 473 | * MrViceGuy: A pick-up artist who's fond of alcohol, but is ultimately a well-meaning guy who proves himself a hero when Harvest is attacked. |
| 474 | * PluckyComicRelief: In-universe; while Johnson and Byrne are {{Drill Sergeant Nast|y}}ies to the recruits, Healy prefers to keep their spirits up with jokes. |
| 475 | * TheSoCalledCoward: Johnson initially dismisses him as a "navy squid who has never been once shot at", but Healy ends up showing significant courage under fire. |
| 476 | [[/folder]] |
| 477 | |
| 478 | [[folder:CDR. Dmitri Zheng]] |
| 479 | !!'''Commander Dmitri Zheng''' |
| 480 | ->'''Homeworld: Unknown'''\ |
| 481 | '''Birthdate: Unknown'''\ |
| 482 | '''Debuted in: ''Literature/HaloTheColeProtocol''''' |
| 483 | |
| 484 | A veteran frigate commander, Dmitri Zheng was assigned in 2535 to lead the UNSC ''Midsummer Night'' in enforcing the newly-enacted Cole Protocol. |
| 485 | ---- |
| 486 | * TheCynic: Firmly believes that trusting others is a fool's gambit; not even his own crew are above his suspicions. |
| 487 | * {{Determinator}}: [[spoiler:Even after being mortally wounded by an Innie spy, he's still able to stay alive long enough to ensure his ship follows the Cole Protocol (even personally disposing of the ship's nukes himself) before passing on command to Keyes.]] |
| 488 | * DoomedHometown: His homeworld was glassed while he was out on patrol, and it's rumored he's never been the same since. |
| 489 | * IcyGrayEyes: A hardened veteran who's described as having piercing gray eyes. |
| 490 | * NotEvilJustMisunderstood: After an incident where he rammed his previous frigate into a Covenant destroyer, he gained a reputation for being a bloodthirsty maniac set on revenge. [[spoiler:As it turns out, he genuinely believed he had no other choice in that battle, and his last act is to surrender his ship in order to spare his crew.]] |
| 491 | [[/folder]] |
| 492 | |
| 493 | [[folder:HM. Ngoc Benti]] |
| 494 | !!'''Corpsman Ngoc Benti''' |
| 495 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/af1f32a99c0dc2d5ae247eb9235b9c29.png]] |
| 496 | ->'''Homeworld: Earth'''\ |
| 497 | '''Birthdate: Unknown'''\ |
| 498 | '''Debuted in: ''[[Literature/HaloEvolutions The Mona Lisa]]''''' |
| 499 | |
| 500 | Benti is a medic stationed aboard the UNSC Prowler ''Red Horse'', and often accompanies Sgt.Lopez's Marine squad on missions, including one to the prison ship ''Mona Lisa''. |
| 501 | ---- |
| 502 | * ActionSurvivor: Holds her own alongside her squad despite being a medic. |
| 503 | * {{Cloudcuckoolander}}: A bit of one. |
| 504 | * HorribleJudgeOfCharacter: [[spoiler:She is the only one who finds Clarence to be fine and trusts him completely, and he turns out to be a ONI Section 3 operative.]] |
| 505 | * TheMedic |
| 506 | * OddFriendship: With Clarence, whom the other squad members find creepy. |
| 507 | * TakingYouWithMe: [[spoiler:After being infected, she tackles Clarence before he can shoot her and knocks them both into a group of Flood to give Lopez and "Henry" a chance to escape.]] |
| 508 | * ZombieInfectee: [[spoiler:She becomes infected by the Flood during the escape attempt from the ''Mona Lisa''.]] |
| 509 | [[/folder]] |
| 510 | |
| 511 | [[folder:CDR. Tobias Foucault]] |
| 512 | !!'''Commander Tobias Foucault''' |
| 513 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/31a30df87a650ff87999cc03dd1c0e46.png]] |
| 514 | ->'''Homeworld: Unknown'''\ |
| 515 | '''Birthdate: Unknown'''\ |
| 516 | '''Debuted in: ''[[Literature/HaloEvolutions The Mona Lisa]]''''' |
| 517 | |
| 518 | The commanding officer of the UNSC Prowler ''Red Horse'', Foucault reluctantly follows ONI's directive to investigate the prison ship ''Mona Lisa'' in the debris field of Installation 04. |
| 519 | ---- |
| 520 | * AsskickingLeadsToLeadership: He gained his command through being a excellent Marine and creative use of extreme tactics. |
| 521 | * TheChainsOfCommanding: He wishes he were a private again so he could just shoot his problems instead of having to hold the lives of others in his hands. |
| 522 | * CommandingCoolness |
| 523 | * HeroicBSOD: He is clearly on the verge of one after [[spoiler:Rebecca reveals the existence of the Flood to him and he realizes that he will likely have to sacrifice the lives of all the marines he sent aboard the ''Mona Lisa'']]. |
| 524 | * NoOneGetsLeftBehind: He holds this opinion and is about to send reinforcements to rescue Lopez's squad on the ''Mona Lisa'' despite his orders, [[spoiler:but then Rebecca showed him videos of what the Flood can do and he reluctantly agrees that he cannot risk sending another ship to help them]]. |
| 525 | [[/folder]] |
| 526 | |
| 527 | [[folder:CDR. Yao]] |
| 528 | !!'''Commander Yao''' |
| 529 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/image_8282.png]] |
| 530 | ->'''Homeworld: Unknown'''\ |
| 531 | '''Birthdate: Unknown'''\ |
| 532 | '''Debuted in: ''ComicBook/HaloCollateralDamage''''' |
| 533 | |
| 534 | An officer stationed on board the ''Persian Gate'' who served as Blue Team's commanding officer during the Battle of Alpha Corvi II. |
| 535 | ---- |
| 536 | * GeneralRipper: [[spoiler:Towards Insurrectionists, who she refuses to assist for the vague reason that Blue Team's survival takes priority]]. |
| 537 | * UngratefulBastard: [[spoiler:Ignores the vital assistance Whitaker's Insurrectionists gave to Blue Team, and strands them on Alpha Corvi II as the planet is overrun]]. |
| 538 | * ZeroPercentApprovalRating: ''Literature/HaloOblivion'' reveals that her actions on Alpha Corvi II made her a pariah among the Spartan-II's. |
| 539 | [[/folder]] |
| 540 | |
| 541 | !!Pelican Pilots |
| 542 | |
| 543 | [[folder:CAPT. Carol Rawley]] |
| 544 | !!'''Captain Carol "Foehammer" Rawley''' |
| 545 | ->'''Homeworld: Unknown'''\ |
| 546 | '''Birthdate: Unknown'''\ |
| 547 | '''Debuted in: ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved'''''\ |
| 548 | '''Voiced by: "[[http://arts.vcu.edu/theatre/bio/tawnya-pettifor-wates-phd/ Tawnya Pettiford-Waites]]"''' |
| 549 | |
| 550 | A Pelican pilot and flight officer in the 23rd Naval Air Squadron who flew ''Echo-419'' during the events of ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved'', working closely alongside the Master Chief. |
| 551 | ---- |
| 552 | * AlwaysSomeoneBetter: ''[[AudioPlay/HaloInfiniteMemoryAgent Memory Agent]]'' reveals that she doesn't feel completely up to the task of being the Master Chief's main Pelican pilot, and that she was determined to prove the Chief's hesitation wrong. [[spoiler:Tragically, this leads to her fatal risky rescue attempt at the ''Pillar of Autumn'' crash site]]. |
| 553 | * DangerDeadpan: Almost always maintains a professional tone. |
| 554 | * GunshipRescue: Pulls this off this several times in ''Combat Evolved''. [[spoiler:Except at the very end, when she's shot down by Banshees while trying to rescue John from the exploding ''Pillar of Autumn''.]] |
| 555 | * TheLancer: As the best gunship pilot on the ''Autumn'', she is very much this to the Chief and the Marines during the battle on Halo, despite not taking part in direct combat during the campaign. If not for the untimely intervention of two Covenant Banshees upon the destruction of the ''Autumn'', she almost certainly would have survived. |
| 556 | * MauveShirt: The only Pelican pilot in ''Combat Evolved'' to have characterization of any kind. |
| 557 | * NoNameGiven: In the game; it's given in the novelization ''Literature/HaloTheFlood''. |
| 558 | * OnlyKnownByTheirNickname: Only referred to as "Foehammer" in the game. |
| 559 | * SassyBlackWoman: Well, she sounds like one, anyways. |
| 560 | * TeamMom: She certainly has her moments of this, and is constantly looking out for the men she is protecting at any given time, saving their lives on numerous occasions. Even in the worst circumstances, she can always be counted on to be there for her comrades. |
| 561 | * VocalDissonance: Despite sounding like a SassyBlackWoman (and being played by a black voice actor), her character model in ''Anniversary'' is about as pasty white as you can get (as it is just the default Pelican pilot model, which reuses the model from the escape pod pilot from the first mission). This is probably just a case of reusing character models rather than her canonical appearance, but still... |
| 562 | * TheVoice: You see her Pelican plenty of times, but Foehammer herself makes no direct appearance in ''CE''. Despite her prominence in the first game, Foehammer has never received a visual representation of any sort to in any ''Halo'' media production to date. |
| 563 | [[/folder]] |
| 564 | |
| 565 | [[folder:LT. Hocus]] |
| 566 | !!'''Lieutenant "Hocus"''' |
| 567 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/HocusHalo_9301.png]] |
| 568 | ->'''Homeworld: Unknown'''\ |
| 569 | '''Birthdate: Unknown'''\ |
| 570 | '''Debuted in: ''VideoGame/Halo3'''''\ |
| 571 | '''Voiced by: Creator/DebraWilson''' |
| 572 | |
| 573 | A Pelican pilot who flew ''Kilo-023'' during ''VideoGame/Halo3''. |
| 574 | ---- |
| 575 | * TheFaceless: The only time we see her she is wearing a helmet. |
| 576 | * GunshipRescue: Her EstablishingCharacterMoment is blasting a pair of Phantoms out of the sky with her Pelican's missile launchers while rescuing Johnson and the Chief. |
| 577 | * NoNameGiven |
| 578 | * OnlyKnownByTheirNickname |
| 579 | * SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: To Foehammer; though Hocus' role is much smaller, both characters share a clear African American accent and serve as their respective games' recurring Pelican pilot. |
| 580 | * WhatHappenedToTheMouse: She has not appeared in any Halo media post-Halo 3. |
| 581 | [[/folder]] |
| 582 | |
| 583 | [[folder:[=Echo-216=], "The Pilot"]] |
| 584 | !!'''Echo-216''' |
| 585 | [[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/hinf_pilot_render.png]] |
| 586 | ->'''Homeworld: Charybdis IX'''\ |
| 587 | '''Birthdate: May 7, 2518'''\ |
| 588 | '''Debuted in: ''VideoGame/HaloInfinite'''''\ |
| 589 | '''Voiced in English by:''' Creator/NicolasRoye |
| 590 | |
| 591 | A dropship pilot from the UNSC ''Infinity'' who was left stranded aboard his Pelican for nearly 6 months, following a massive UNSC defeat at Installation 07. By sheer luck, he encountered the Master Chief floating through the debris, pulling him out of his armor's stasis system just in time for the Spartan to save him from a Banished patrol... and to rope him into a new mission on the ring. |
| 592 | ---- |
| 593 | * AcePilot: He's pretty handy at the controls of his Pelican, at one point even picking up Chief ''in midair'' after the latter jumps from a Forerunner tower. It's especially impressive in hindsight, considering that he is actually a civilian maintenance tech. |
| 594 | * AmbiguouslyBrown: The Pilot is clearly Hispanic, as his accent, GratuitousSpanish and real name would imply. However, it's not clear if he's a lighter-skinned Latino or if he's specifically a Spaniard. |
| 595 | * AudienceSurrogate: He essentially serves as one, being a totally ordinary individual roped into Master Chief's mission and reacting accordingly. |
| 596 | * BetterToDieThanBeKilled: When Chief asks him for a weapon, Echo-216 gives him a pistol with a single bullet. One can guess what Echo-216 was saving it for. |
| 597 | * BigYes: He's ecstatic when he's able to get Master Chief powered back up and out of emergency stasis. |
| 598 | * CharacterDevelopment: He starts off wrecked with self-doubt and SurvivorGuilt, and slowly regains his confidence and belief in his own abilities. |
| 599 | * ContrastingSequelMainCharacter: As the Chief's non-powered ordinary sidekick and closest human friend during the events of the campaign, he serves much the same role as the late Sergeant Avery Johnson - but in terms of personality and general ability, the two are almost exact opposites. Johnson was a smack-talking BoisterousBruiser and ScaryBlackMan in the UNSC Marine Corps who was never afraid to [[BloodKnight charge into combat alongside Chief]] and threaten aliens twice his size, Echo-216 is a shellshocked white Spanish NonActionGuy who would much rather [[LovableCoward prefer not to be involved in dangerous situations]] and isn't even a Marine, but a civilian who stole the Pelican. |
| 600 | * DidntThinkThisThrough: His only goal for most of the Halo 4 storyline is to find a slipspace-capable ship and fly back to UNSC space, even though by his own admission he has no idea where Zeta Halo is in relation to Earth and the colonies, or how he'll survive the voyage. |
| 601 | * DudeInDistress: An extremely straight example, as Escharum uses him as bait for Master Chief, and Echo-216 begs Chief to please save him after her program is wiped. |
| 602 | * EveryoneHasStandards: He's a cowardly guy who opted to run like hell from the threat of the Banished than stick around to die or worse, but the moment he stumbles across the spaced and unconscious Master Chief in the orbit of Zeta Halo, he completely forgoes his own safety to get Chief aboard, and then uses the Pelican's primary reserve of energy to boot his MJOLNIR armor up again. |
| 603 | * GivenNameReveal: In the game's final cutscene, he reveals his true name. [[spoiler:It's Fernando Esparza.]] |
| 604 | * GratuitousSpanish: He sometimes mutters to himself in Spanish. |
| 605 | * HappilyMarried: He carries a hologram of his wife and daughter with him. Sadly, given his response to the Weapon, [[spoiler:they have long since passed away during the conflicts]] as he says he "has nothing to go back to". |
| 606 | * IAmNotShazam: InUniverse. "Echo-216" is the designation of his Pelican, but (much like the case of Foehammer from ''VideoGame/HaloCombatEvolved''), [[EveryoneCallsHimBarkeep he is referred to by the Pelican's callsign,]] or just "Pilot." It is only until the end of the game that he actually gives his real name. |
| 607 | * IWillOnlySlowYouDown: Says this to Chief twice, once when he's in despair over just how much destruction the Banished managed to do to the UNSC armada when he spots two UNSC [[TacticalSuperweaponUnit Condor]] wrecks and another when [[spoiler: he's captured and being held in a torture device prison that occasionally electrocutes him at short-but-agonizing intervals in order to not kill him.]] |
| 608 | -->[[spoiler:'''Echo-216:''' Leave... me... '''RUN...!''']] |
| 609 | * ItsAllMyFault: A major part of his SurvivorsGuilt is his belief that by stealing Echo-216, he hindered the efforts to evacuate soldiers from the ''Infinity'' and got people killed as a result. Given that all of the evacuation Pelicans were shot down, it probably wouldn't have made a difference. |
| 610 | * KnightInSourArmor: He's an ultimately heroic soldier who loyally follows the Chief on his mission, but is nonetheless ''quite vocal'' about the fact that he doesn't enjoy it and wants to flee back to UNSC territory. |
| 611 | * LastOfTheirKind: Background chatter and broadcasts imply that Echo-216 is the ''last'' intact Pelican on Zeta Halo, the rest being shot down in the six months between the ''Infinity's'' abandonment and Chief waking up. |
| 612 | * ManHug: Gives a big, earnest hug to the Master Chief at the very end of the base game after all they've been through. |
| 613 | * MissionControl: His in-game function is to provide status updates and deliver vehicles in the Pelican for Chief. |
| 614 | * TheNameIsBondJamesBond: How he finally reveals his name: "[[spoiler:Esparza. Fernando Esparza.]]" The Weapon cheekily replies, "Nice to meet you [[spoiler:Esparza Fernando Esparza]]!" |
| 615 | * NoNameGiven: He is never referred to by name, just his callsign of Echo-216 or "the Pilot". It's only revealed at the very end of the base campaign that his name is [[spoiler:Fernando Esparza]]. |
| 616 | * OutlivingOnesOffspring: He has a wife and daughter he apparently hasn't seen in months, as indicated by his recording device playing holographic messages of them, and it initially appears that he's afraid he'll never see them again. [[spoiler: Until he tragically reveals that they're actually both dead.]] |
| 617 | * PhonyVeteran: {{Downplayed|Trope}} in that it was a lie of omission more than an outright deception on his part. Esparza was a civilian contractor assisting with aircraft maintenance on the ''Infinity'', and escaped its destruction by commandeering Echo-216 in an attempt to flee; he elects not to bring this detail up until late in the game, leading Chief and the Weapon to assume he's an enlisted man. Despite this, Master Chief says, "Good job, soldier" during the {{Denouement}}. |
| 618 | * ScrewThisImOuttaHere: When he heard that the Chief was defeated by Atriox during the attack on the ''Infinity'', he knew the battle was lost. He commandeered a Pelican and escaped the ''Infinity'' before it was destroyed by the Banished. |
| 619 | * ShellShockedVeteran: The UNSC's defeat over Installation 07 and the long period of time he spent marooned in the debris left him ''deeply'' scarred, and he is initially terrified at the prospect of facing the Banished again. |
| 620 | * SpannerInTheWorks: Far as Atriox and the whole of the Banished knew, Master Chief was dead along with the rest of the UNSC, and [[TheBadGuyWins Zeta Halo was firmly theirs]]. The Pilot stumbling across, reawakening and then supporting the Chief results in the latter rapidly disassembling the Banished operations, meaning that for as much as he [[SurvivorGuilt hates himself]], the Pilot is directly responsible for humanity's HeroicSecondWind. |
| 621 | * SurvivorGuilt: The Pilot's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzyLtZiJd7g rant]] at Chief, after finding the wreckage of three Condors from the UNSC TotalPartyWipe. |
| 622 | -->'''Chief:''' Enough!\ |
| 623 | '''Pilot:''' ''When'' is it enough, Chief?! When we're in there? Because that's where I belong. In there. With them. |
| 624 | * TimePassageBeard: He grows one during his time of isolation on the Pelican. It doubles as a BeardOfSorrow as well. |
| 625 | * TookALevelInIdealism: By the end of the story, he's grinning broadly and anxious to take on the rest of the Banished with Chief. |
| 626 | * TragicKeepsake: It turns out, the [[spoiler: holographic recording of his wife and daughter is this, as they died sometime before the battle at Zeta Halo.]] |
| 627 | * {{Tuckerization}}: He is named after two of his voice actor's childhood friends. |
| 628 | * WalkingSpoiler: Not only is his real name kept a secret until the final cutscene, there are aspects of his backstory (namely, [[spoiler:being a civilian contractor rather than an enlisted pilot, and his wife and daughter actually being dead]]) that are treated as mid-story twists. |
| 629 | * YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: He's on the receiving end of this from Chief when he hits his DespairEventHorizon. |
| 630 | [[/folder]] |
| 631 | |
| 632 | [[folder:[=PO2=]. Sheila Polaski]] |
| 633 | !!'''Petty Officer Second Class Sheila Polaski''' |
| 634 | ->'''Homeworld: Unknown'''\ |
| 635 | '''Birthdate: Unknown'''\ |
| 636 | '''Debuted in: ''Literature/HaloFirstStrike''''' |
| 637 | |
| 638 | A Pelican pilot in the 23rd Naval Air Squadron, Polaski was one of the few survivors of Installation 04, joining up with Master Chief during the events of the novel ''Literature/HaloFirstStrike''. |
| 639 | ---- |
| 640 | * AcePilot: And not just with a Pelican; while piloting a [[SpaceFighter Longsword]], she manages to evade the fire of both the Covenant carrier ''Ascendant Justice'' and its fighter escort, and successfully board the former. Later, she learns how to fly a Covenant Spirit dropship pretty well too. |
| 641 | * BadassNormal: She did survive Halo, which says something. At one point, she even manages to beat an Elite in a QuickDraw pistol duel, despite infantry work not being her forte. |
| 642 | * HeroicSacrifice: Variation. [[spoiler:She volunteers to fly the Spartans to fix ''Ascendant Justice'', despite the huge risk to her life, because she knew it would increase the chance of success. It does get her killed when a stray Covenant plasma charge hits her dropship while she's providing cover for the Spartans attempting to repair the ''Ascendant Justice''.]] |
| 643 | * NervesOfSteel: Is as levelheaded a pilot as one could wish for. |
| 644 | * NoBodyLeftBehind: [[spoiler:The plasma charge completely vaporizes her.]] |
| 645 | * ShipTease: Between her and Locklear. [[spoiler:Too bad they both die.]] Before Locklear she seemed to have a brief one towards Master Chief, concerned for him after his fight with a plasma sword wielding Elite, offering to tend to his wounds, before he [[ShipSinking shuts her down]], with her reacting with some coldness. |
| 646 | [[/folder]] |
| 647 | |
| 648 | [[folder:Eric Santiago]] |
| 649 | !!'''Eric Santiago''' |
| 650 | ->'''Homeworld: Madrigal'''\ |
| 651 | '''Birthdate: Unknown'''\ |
| 652 | '''Debuted in: ''[[Literature/HaloEvolutions Dirt]]''''' |
| 653 | |
| 654 | A member of the Colonial Military, he became fast friends with Gage Yevgenny and Felicia Sanderson. He fell into a coma after suffering brain damage in an Innie bombing in 2524, waking up five years later and learning of the Human-Covenant War and the glassing of his home planet. He became a Pelican pilot and was eventually reunited with Gage and Felicia, and plotted with them and other CMA veterans to steal a vault of gold on New Jerusalem as the Covenant attacked it. |
| 655 | ---- |
| 656 | * AcePilot: Survived 18 years of constant war as a Pelican pilot. |
| 657 | * DoomedHometown: Madrigal was one of the many colonies to fall to the Covenant during the war. |
| 658 | * WhatYouAreInTheDark: [[spoiler:He fails, betraying Gage and Felicia in order to side with the other rogue [=ODSTs=] instead of rescuing the civilians hiding in the bank.]] |
| 659 | [[/folder]] |
| 660 |
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