Spoilers are ahead for Halo season 2’s finale.
Halo season 2 made substantial improvements after its first outing received loads of backlash from long-time fans of the video-game source material. While Halo season 3 will finally adapt Combat Evolved‘s story, it can’t rest on the sophomore installment’s laurels. In fact, to continue the Paramount+ series’ success, Halo season 3 needs to introduce several key video game characters. Although the second season still kept Pablo Schreiber’s Master Chief out of his Spartan armor for the majority of its episodes, Halo season 2 clearly understood the character — and the narrative — much better.
Characters who were created for the show, including the Covenant “blessed one” Makee (Charlie Murphy), the vision-plagued rebel Kwan Ha (Yerin Ha), and ex-Spartan Soren (Bokeem Woodbine), all returned. However, the series was much more careful when it came to introducing new Silver Timeline personalities by using the games and books as inspiration. For example, Dr. Halsey’s replacement, James Ackerson (Joseph Morgan), is a pre-existing Halo character, but the show made some adjustments to best suit its story. That said, season 3 can build on this successful approach of combining core canon characters with new ideas.
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Master Chief’s Coin Story In Halo Season 2 Explained & True Meaning
Several times throughout Halo season 2, the show references an anecdote from Master Chief’s past that involves a coin — & it carries a lot of meaning.
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Thel ‘Vadam
The Arbiter Introduced In Halo 2 Needs To Replace Var ‘Gatanai
In Halo season 2, Viktor Åkerblom’s Covenant commander, Var ‘Gatanai, was introduced as the show’s Arbiter. This came as something of a surprise to those familiar with Halo 2: in the classic game, an Elite called Thel ‘Vadam receives the title of Arbiter. However, “Arbiter” is a ceremonial, religious, and political rank. In the core canon, it was once bestowed upon revered Covenant officials, but, after one Arbiter rebelled against the Prophets and the very idea of the Covenant’s Great Journey, it became a shameful moniker. Eager to redeem himself after failing to protect Installation 04 from Master Chief, Thel takes on the Arbiter title in Halo 2 — complete with the Arbiter’s iconic brand, the mark of shame. Like Thel ‘Vadam, Arbiter Var ‘Gatanai is tasked with making up for his own great shame.
One of the characters who dies in Halo season 2’s finale, Var ‘Gatanai fails to complete his mission, though he does safely escort Makee to the Sacred Ring. On the Halo, Var and Master Chief duel with energy swords, resulting in the Arbiter’s demise. This loss opens the door to a new Arbiter being introduced in Halo season 3. It makes sense for the third outing to include Thel ‘Vadam; a crucial figure in the Halo franchsie, Thel is also a fan-favorite character. Much like Var, Thel realizes the error of the Covenant’s ways, though his actions have a much greater impact. With Makee all in on activating the Halo Array, it would also be pertinent for the show to feature a member of the Covenant who doesn’t agree with that life-eradicating decision.
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Sgt. Johnson
Sergeant Major Avery Junior Johnson Is Halo’s Best NPC
One of the greatest non-playable characters of all time, Sergeant Major Avery Junior Johnson makes a memorable debut in Halo: Combat Evolved. Even though the tough-as-nails Marine serves in the core canon’s Battle of Reach, he has yet to make an appearance in the Halo TV series. A pivotal player in the Human-Covenant War, Johnson not only aids Master Chief during the conflict at Installation 04, but later helps form an alliance between the Humans and the Elites. If the Flood are coming, viewers will want to see Johnson, and all of his humorous one-liners, in live-action format. Ultimately, Johnson is killed by one of 343 Guilty Sparks schemes. Since the Monitor was introduced in the Halo season 2 finale, Johnson’s fate can be tied to the Forerunner creation.
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Gravemind
The Flood Gravemind Is A Must In Halo Season 3
A so-called “compound intelligence,” the Gravemind is the shared consciousness of all the Flood organisms. After the Flood infects all available sentient, intelligent life in a given area, the Flood build a hive and the Gravemind emerges. In the core canon, it manifests as a tentacled, worm-like monster, though it isn’t yet clear how the Silver Timeline of the show will tackle the looming threat’s onscreen depiction. Already, the show has teased the coming of the Flood Gravemind: Kwan Ha saw the monster in her cave art visions. While the Flood are a huge threat as they are depicted in season 2, the Gravemind is a powerful example of just how devastating a galaxy-wide infestation can become. That said, Halo season 3 needs to feature the Gravemind well before the show’s finale.
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Serin Osman
Former SPARTAN-019 Inherits Parangosky’s ONI Role
Formerly Spartan-019, Serin Osman becomes the Commander-in-Chief of the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI). In the games, she inherits the role from Admiral Parangosky, but only after the war with the Covenant ends. With the Flood taking out Parangosky in the Halo season 2 finale — and with James Ackerson seemingly defecting from ONI — that leaves a massive void that needs filling. That makes season 3 the perfect time to introduce a spin on the character of Osman, who was a Spartan-II candidate alongside John-117 in the core canon. In other franchise entries, Serin is more or less an extension of Parangosky’s will; since the show failed to introduce her before Parangosky’s death, it’s unclear if that will happen. Still, it would be interesting to see a former Spartan lead ONI.
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ODSTs
Halo’s Orbital Drop Shock Troopers Should Follow The Spartan-IIIs
The ODSTs — a.k.a. Orbital Drop Shock Troopers — are an elite special operations force in the Halo universe. Part of the UNSC Marine Corps, these “Helljumpers” are headquatered on Mars, though they do spend time training on Reach before the Covenant glass the planet. That said, viewers won’t get to see the ODSTs in action on Reach, but the soldiers would still make an exciting addition to Halo season 3. With the second outing introducing Ackerson’s Spartan-III program — and with Parangosky eliminating most of them in a ploy to destroy the Halo ring — it seems natural for a new type of soldier to fill the void. While the Spartan-IVs are an obvious replacement, Marines like Talia Perez (Cristina Rodlo) who became Spartan-IIIs could easily wear the ODST armor.
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Forerunner Librarian
The Forerunner Could Be Responsible For Kwan’s Geas (Genesong)
A brilliant Halo season 3 theory posits the connection between Kwan Ha, The Mother, and the Forerunners. In the Halo season 2 finale, Kwan comes face-to-face (sort of) with the woman from her visions. “I knew you’d find me,” the Mother says when she contacts Kwan telepathically. “I am you,” the Mother continues, before calling Kwan a “Protector” and telling her that all of her ancestors are “within.” This hints at the fact that Kwan may have inherited geas (or genesong) — “genetic command imposed on an organism or species” (via Halopedia). A lifeform under the influence of geas follows a set of subconscious orders, and only figures like the Forerunner Librarian can create geas. Plus, Dr. Halsey referred to the Forerunner installation on Onyx as a library in an earlier episode.
