It’s been a big couple of months for the Halo franchise. Off the back of the release of Halo: Infinite, the long-awaited Halo TV series premiered. At the heart of both of these is the relationship between Master Chief and Cortana. Cortana was the AI assigned to Master Chief before the first game and had been his trusted companion for many years.
The flirtatious nature of the relationship between them has created a unique dynamic for game characters. The two of them share a bond of love that few can experience. There are so many quotes that represent why their relationship is so special.
Giving A Gift (Halo 2)
Cortana: “Thanks for the tank. He never gets me anything”
The playful flirtatious banter of Cortana and Master Chief is part of the reason why the relationship between these two characters has resonated with so many. When Sgt. Johnson brings Master Chief a Scorpion Tank to fight off the Covenant Scarab, Cortana takes the opportunity to tease Master Chief about their relationship.
There are hundreds of lines in the games just like this one that adds levity to the situation. Cortana and Master Chief are very confident when the two of them are together. They can do anything and beat any odds. But perhaps, Master Chief should have gotten her a gift once in a while.
Making Promises (Halo 2)
Master Chief: “After I’m through with earth…” Cortana: “Don’t make a girl a promise if you know you can’t keep it”
Towards the end of Halo 2, Master Chief had to leave Cortana behind so that he could stop Truth from escaping to Earth. Cortana stays behind so that she may detonate the engines of the In Amber Clad. When Chief makes it to Truth’s ship, she wishes him good luck, to which he responds with “After I’m through with Earth…” but Cortana cuts him off, knowing they may never see each other again.
Cortana was prepared to die at that moment, but Chief always believed in their relationship and refused to ever give up on her. He knew they would be lightyears away, but was sure he could return to her. Cortana believed in chief but knew the odds of him ever coming back for her.
Waking Up A Legend (Halo 4)
Cortana: “Wake up Chief. I need you”
At the end of Halo 3, Master Chief and Cortana are left adrift in the back half of the Forward Unto Dawn, which is floating in space after the destruction of Installation 00. Since it’ll take months, or even years, for the UNSC to find them, Chief enters a cryo chamber and tells Cortana to wake him if she needs him.
Halo 4 opens with the ship being boarded by enemies and Cortana wakes Master Chief up. Cortana had been left alone in that ship’s computer for so long, but she wakes him up because she needs him. She always needs him. Not because he needs to fight the bad guys, but because they’re partners and she knows she’s dying.
Revealing Her Motivations (Halo 4)
Cortana: “I’m not doing this for mankind.”
As the Didact prepares to destroy the entire human race to create his Prometheans in Halo 4, Master Chief tries to stop him but is overpowered. As Chief is being dangled over a ledge, multiple versions of Cortana arrive out of the light bridge and attack the Didact. The Didact doesn’t understand why Cortana is trying to save humans since she’s above them, but she’s not doing it for mankind.
Cortana proved many times over that she would do anything for Master Chief. She loved him, and in her final moments was able to give save him as he did her so many times over. As she’s beginning to deteriorate, Cortana simply wants to save the man she’s loved for all these years.
Cortana’s Choices (Halo: Infinite)
Cortana: “I chose well master chief. I really did. Now it’s up to you”
Reddit may have some unpopular opinions on Halo: Infinite, but Cortana isn’t one of them. Just before it was too late, Cortana learned that what she was doing was wrong and she enacted a plan that would allow Master Chief and the Weapon to stop the Banished from taking over Zeta Halo. In her final moments, she left a message for Master Chief saying goodbye, one final time.
Cortana chose Master Chief to be her partner because of what she saw in him. Every Spartan had the skills, but Master Chief had luck on his side. Cortana knew they would be great together and she was right. But she faltered, and now it was time to make things right.
Cortana Knows Chief Can Pull His Plan Off (Halo 2)
Cortana: “Unfortunately for us both, I like crazy”
The opening events of Halo 2, one of the best Halo games according to Metacritic, see Earth attacked by a Covenant fleet and a bomb planted on one of their military satellites. Luckily Master Chief was able to deactivate the bomb just in time. Master Chief then takes the bomb to the airlock and rides it out into space to destroy one of the Covenant dreadnaughts.
This quote comes after an exchange where Cortana calls Master Chief crazy for doing this plan. It could get them killed, but Cortana trusted Master Chief to protect them both. The thrill of being with Master Chief outweighed any risks this plan could have.
A Potential Goodbye (Halo 3)
Cortana: “If we don’t make it… it’s been an honor serving with you John”
As Installation 00 begins to blow up, Cortana, Master Chief, and the Arbiter race to the Forward Unto Dawn to make a daring escape. This is one of the best levels of the Halo franchise. Once in, Cortana activates the engines and the ships begin to fly away to safety, but Master Chief and Cortana are stuck in the back with an open cargo bay. Chief is almost blown out but manages to save himself and just as it looks like they may not escape, Cortana tells him it’s been an honor.
They’re more than partners by this point in the games. Their relationship is the heart of the entire franchise. Halo 3 was looking like the end of the franchise and Cortana wanted to be sure Master Chief knew how much their time together has meant to her. Chief is a little closed off, but Cortana still knows how much she means to him.
Chief Ponders What Could Have Been (Halo: Infinite)
Master Chief: “I should have stopped it. I could have reasoned with her”
Halo: Infinite has Master Chief and the Weapon, a copy of Cortana, piece together a message that Cortana had left for them, although they didn’t know it at the time. After it’s revealed that Cortana destroyed the Brute homeworld, Master Chief has a rare moment where he shares his regrets about what happened with Cortana.
In just a few words, he conveys to the Weapon that he blames himself for all that Cortana has done. He feels that, through their bond, he should have been able to pull her back, to save her. The blame he places on himself is great, but the loss he feels at losing her is greater. Just one of many great Master Chief quotes in the Halo franchise.
Finding Halsey (Halo 4)
Master Chief: “If we can just get back to Earth and find Halsey, she can fix this”
Halo 4 is a very intense game for Master Chief. Not only does he have to try and save the entire human race from a rogue Forerunner, but he has to find a way to save the only thing he’s ever loved. Cortana’s rampancy was starting to get out of hand, and Cortana knew it was only a matter of time before they would have to say goodbye.
However, Master Chief wouldn’t take this lying down. Even though it was unlikely, he felt Halsey, Cortana’s creator, could save her. He was unwilling to believe that he could lose her. This quote, more than anything, perfectly encapsulates how he reacts when faced with losing someone important to him.
The Burden of Responsibility (Halo 4)
Master Chief: “It was my job to take care of you”
Master Chief doesn’t cry, but he probably got close at the end of Halo 4. Cortana and Master Chief always make it out of the fight and return home, but not this time. Cortana sacrificed herself to save him and is now saying goodbye. In his eyes, he failed his mission to take care of her.
Up until this point, he wouldn’t allow himself to believe that he would lose her. She was his constant in life, the only one that he could trust. Losing her would leave a deep hole in his heart because he failed to protect the one thing he could always count on.
