Pre-release
- In the "Project Magnes"
video, a civilian engineer finally gets the Grappleshot right on her 78th version of the prototype — which not only shoots the grapple perfectly, but yanks her off her feet and slams her into the wall right after it. The look on her face (a combination of shock, vindication and happiness) can't be described. Doubles as a heartwarming moment.
Post-release
Campaign
- Having reached Warship Gbraakon's bridge and lacking an AI companion at this point in time, Chief opts to take a page out of the Doom Slayer's book when dealing with the ship's control console.Master Chief: It's locked down. Requires a hack.
Echo-216: Okay... And you can do that?
Master Chief: No. (smashes console) New plan. Scuttle the ship. - At one point, Echo-216's pilot gets into it with Master Chief over the fact that Chief wants to go toward the deadly ringworld filled with enemies, and, caught up in his own emotions, tries to instigate a shove-match with the SPARTAN—and is promptly reminded of the fact that Master Chief is a 1000-pound super-soldier who tanks hits from...well, tanks for a living, much to the detriment of 216's hands. Chief, for his part, doesn't even flinch or even seem to notice the aggression.
- In the first firefight after finding The Weapon, she notes that the Banished smell worse than she imagined. Chief asks how she can smell them, and she clarifies that she's just interpreting data from his suit's sensors.The Weapon: You smell fine, by the way.
- What makes it even funnier is Cortana had the same access but never said anything about it.
- The Chief cracks a Bond One-Liner after taking down Tremonious, but what's better is the Weapon's reaction to it:The Weapon: By the looks of him, he was some sort of leader. The Banished called him 'Tremonious'.
Master Chief: Not anymore.
The Weapon: That's almost funny! - After entering the Conservatory, Chief and the Weapon see Zeta Halo's Monitor, Despondant Pyre, attacked by the previously unseen "Skimmer" enemies:The Weapon: (on Skimmers) What were those things?
Master Chief: New. Dangerous.
The Weapon: (on Despondent Pyre) And who was she?
Master Chief: New. Potentially dangerous.
The Weapon: See? I knew you could be optimistic! - Later, the Weapon wonders where the "Skimmers", are attacking them from with constant reinforcements.The Weapon: Where are all these Skimmers coming from?
Master Chief: Is that what we're calling them?
The Weapon: Well, I was also considering "flying octopus monkeys".
Master Chief: Skimmers it is then. - Yes, everything is trying to kill Master Chief:Pelican Pilot: Is everyone trying to kill you?!
The Weapon: It kinda seems like it. Beat Oh, you were being sarcastic! (to Chief) He's fun! I like him!- Later, in the Command Spire:
- Entering the Command Spire:The Weapon: It worked! (nervously) I never doubted it for a second.
- Sub-Monitor Adjutant Resolution has a small role, but provides a lot of comedy.
- In his intro, he declares himself a loyal servant of Despondent Pyre. When Chief informs him she's dead, the Weapon hastily adds "It wasn't us", and Resolution gets right in her face to ask if she's sure, but immediately concludes they're friendly when she repeats herself.
- The Weapon immediately assumes he's friendly. Chief mutters "We'll see" in a tone that just sounds tired, like the stuffy, absentminded Monitor reminds him of Guilty Spark, so he knows where this is headed — especially after he had the same tone about Despondent Pyre.
- Resolution is also acutely aware of his own Boss-Arena Idiocy:Adjutant Resolution: Note to self: reduce cover options for interlopers!
- In the second boss fight with Resolution, once he starts calling in Sentinels for backup, The Weapon (who is angry at Chief for the time being) says he's bringing in friends for help, and repeats "He. Has. Friends." in a tone dripping with ire towards the Chief.
- There's also this gem from the last of the Recovered Audio Logs, where Halsey questions if Chief is mentally fit for his mission to take down Cortana and suggests a possible replacement:
- The Weapon's response to Escharum's appearance while taking down the AA guns is to thank him for his message.
Gameplay
- As usual, Enemy Chatter is hilarious..Grunt: Spartan? You there? You still mad?
Jackal: No one here. They cowards.
Elite: Remain vigilant, no matter what the Jackal says!
Grunt: Remember this next time y'think you can beat us!
(Chief grappleshots and attacks.)
Jackal: Told you! Shoot!- The Grunts in particular:Grunt: I'm gonna kill you! Then everyone is going to make fun of you!
Grunt: Keep runnin'! You make a good Unggoy!
Grunt: Forget the Banished! You're fighting a GRUNT!
Grunt: Show me your guts! Figuratively and literally!
Grunt: No, no! Not the Grunts!
Grunt: (being repeatedly shot) This is too much!
Grunt: (fleeing) Tactical runaway!
Grunt: No, no, no! Green Man is here!
Grunt: Kill him before he kills me!
Grunt: (Chief is killed) Quick! Someone take a picture!
Grunt: (Chief is killed) Dead humans is the best humans!
Grunt: He killed a Grunt? That MONSTER!
Grunt: Don't shoot ME! Shoot somebody else! Not ME!
Grunt: (when Chief is hiding) Phew. Anytime I don't fight is a victory!
Grunt: (grappled by Chief) Welp. Guess I'm dead.
Grunt: (grappled by Chief) Okay, there is no way that I'm heavier than you!
Grunt: I'm DONE! I'm DONE with this whole stinkin' ring!
Grunt: I wasn't going to say RUN, but now I say YES! RUN!
Grunt: (another Grunt is killed) All your trainings is for NUTHIN'!
Grunt: (another Grunt is killed) Pahaha! I always hated that guy!
Grunt: (if Chief does a stealth multikill) Dead already, huh? Pathetical!
Grunt: (can't find Chief) Too bad! I was feeling particularly brave today!
Grunt: (doing a grenade charge) OH MY GOD! I DIDN'T MEAN TO TURN THESE ON! AAAAAAAH!!!
Grunt: (doing a grenade charge) I'll die as I lived! RUNNING AND SCREAMING!!!
Grunt Officer: (as Chief is sabotaging) Our stuff! OUR BEAUTIFUL, EXPENSIVE STUFF!
Grunt Officer: (as Chief is sabotaging) Stop messing with our stuff, human!
Grunt: Ohhhhhhhh, Spaaaaaaaaaaaaartan! I have a present for yoooooooooooooouuuuuuuuuu!
Grunt: (after killing Chief) The day of the Grunt has arrived!
Grunt: (piloting a Ghost) Roadkill danger set VERY HIGH!
Grunt: If you came to hear me beg, you will be satisfied!
Grunt: Hey, Spartan! Where's your friends? Dead? Mine too!
Grunt: (Chief is killed) Send him back to Earth in several gross pieces!
Grunt: No evil humans over here! Just me being mad and scary!
Grunt: (Chief uses an ability or vehicle) You're a cheater! Nothing but a CHEATER!
Grunt: Ugh, I didn't hardly get any sleep last night. I ain't sharp unless I get at least TWELVE hours.
Grunt: Run backwards away!
Grunt: The Demon is almost as cowardly as me!
Grunt: I SEE YOU, HUMAN!.... sometimes you gotta say that in case one is sneakin' up...
Grunt: You scared, human? Gonna go running to your human MOMMY?
Grunt: It's curtains for you, Spartan, DEATH curtains! ...Let me try that again.
Grunt: (Chief is killed) Human status: DEAD! Me status: ALIVE!
Grunt: Anyone else get the feeling they're about to be viciously murdered?
Grunt: The Spartan is alive! Alive!
Grunt: Hey! You're supposed to be dead!
Grunt: (Chief hides) I KNEW Humans were terrified of Grunts!
Grunt: (terrified) So that's the Spartan everyone's so scared of? Ha... Ha... Ha...
Grunt: You'll never EVER hit my head! - Then there's this suggestive line:Grunt: There's no way I'm gonna kiss a Sangheili. Not after last time!
- Not to mention this one:
- The Jackals are just as sadistic and self-serving as they always have been, with delightfully morbid quotes when their allies are killed.Jackal Sniper: Grunt die! Love to see!
Jackal: Need more bullets. Fix Grunt problem. - The other thing the Jackals frequently do is complain when their plasma pistols overheat.Jackal: ARGH! Burn! Gun betray Kig-Yar!
Jackal: Ouch! Hot! Bad gun! Bad! - Everything out of Glibnub's mouth, especially as the battle for Zeta Halo turns against the Banished and he begins spiralling into a Villainous Breakdown, reminscient of the Riddler's in Batman: Arkham Asylum:Glibnub: You think those Spartans are going to save you? They're all dead! All of them! Every one of those towering dorks that set foot on this ring has been eliminated. There's no cavalry coming, humans! Just attrition, followed by submission, followed by — yep, you guessed it! — death!
Glibnub: We hunted every last Spartan down, strung them up by their guts, whacked the crap out of them with clubs, in honor of that most sacred human institution: the piñata. And if all the Spartans are dead — what chance have you got? That's right: less than zero!
Glibnub: (singing the Halo theme) ... Man, I hate that song!
Glibnub: So wait a minute — I just found out the Master Chief's name is John. John? JOHN? We're afraid of a guy named JOHN? Are you kidding me!?
Glibnub: Hey Chief? If you're listening and you're thinking about taking down another tower, WAIT! Okay? Just wait for a sec, because if you take all these towers out, I'm out of a job! A-And if I'm no use to whatever hairy so-and-so takes over for Esharum, I'm dead! You wouldn't want that to happen, right pal? ...Right?
Glibnub: When I was a larva in the tide pools of Balaho, my dear mother wrapped me in her pleopods and said '"Glibnub! Grow up, and make me proud"'! (sobbing) Well, here I am! The disembodied source of existential torment for thousands of doomed morons! (crying loudly over the microphone) I love you, mom! (more crying)
Glibnub: (hysterically crying and sobbing) I know! I know the mic is on, and I don't CARE! - Other lines include:Brute loudspeaker: Remember! Humans marked for processing are NOT for EATING. Humans marked for eating ARE for eating.
Marine: (killing a Grunt) I hope they dug a pint-sized grave for you!
Marine: (killing a Brute) Take THAT, you big angry space monkey-bear!
Marine: If I die in here, I'm gonna kill the CRAP out of you!
Marine: Uh, anyone else have an real feeling of impending doom?
Marine: That dead guy looks how I feel.
Marine: Give my regards to all your dead pals!
Marine: (to Elite) Jul'Mdama called! He said "I'm dead because I SUCK!"note
Marine: If we get off this ring, I'm taking ninety back-to-back showers.
Marine: (to dead enemy) Hey, you okay? No? Good!
Marine: (at enemies) Which one of you Tastes Like Chicken?
Marine: (climbing into Scorpion turret) I call shotgun! Well, chaingun technically.
Echo-216: (bringing Chief's first Scorpion) A Scorpion? The hell are you planning that requires a—you know what, just nevermind. Standby.
Echo-216: (getting Chief another Scorpion) What, another tank? You didn't end the war with the last one?
Marine: (getting a Power weapon from Chief) Yes, please and THANK YOU!
Brute: (after killing Chief) I hope he tastes better than he fights.
Brute: (to a Grunt) I know all Banished are equal, but SHUT UP!
Brute: Fight in silence, Grunt! - Brutes will comment on the player's lackluster aim.Brute: Do not be afraid! He cannot aim!
- A rare line has a Skirmisher chuckling at her own terrible pun.Skirmisher: No profit when work for Prophet! ...heh.
- Even the Elites can't help but cut loose a bit now that they aren't expected to be the epitome of class and stoicism.
Elite: Do not talk to me unless lives are at stake... [sounding sheepish] Or you are offering me refreshments.- Sometimes, Brutes will kick Grunts full-force at Chief as the Grunts prime their Plasma grenades. This rarely ever sounds dignified for either of them.
Brute: [Singsong] Tiiiime to pass the gas!
Grunt: Wait wait wait wait nO NO NO NO AAAAAA- - The Grunts in particular:
- If Master Chief doesn't move, the Marines will start to comment.Marine: Ah... is Master Chief still awake?
Marine: Staring contest, eh? Seems like you have the advantage. - Multiplayer has a "Lightish Red" AI colour option in reference to the long-running Red vs. Blue series.
- Hunters now have subtitles that translate their unintelligible growls, such as "happy threatening roar", "confident laugh", "low proud roar" and so on — the joke being there's very little distinction between the sounds.
- Giving a male Marine a lower-tier weapon than what they originally carried will make him go into full Sarcasm Mode:Marine: I will cherish this crappy gun for the rest of my short life.
- Unlucky Marines who die from Death from Above from Echo-216's vehicle deployment.
- Each of the difficulty selections has a description of who that difficulty is best suited for. Legendary is, "For people who love Jackal snipers."
- Brutes eat bananas and chickens.
- A Good Bad Bug that sometimes causes players to face the wrong direction during multiplayer intros has been affectionately referred to as the Caboose intro, thanks to his tendency to not look where everyone else does.
- While the bug itself was patched in Season 2, 343 enshrined its legacy with the randomised pre-match animations; a new animation has the Spartan facing the wrong direction, before awkwardly turning to face the camera, as if they had only suddenly realised their mistake.
- When Infection came out, there are some new lines from the Announcer. Ranging from him starting to glitch, being annoyed at the end of the game:Announcer: Job security is a lie!
Announcer: I hate the new guy.
