Halo remains one of the most notable gaming franchises around. As one of Microsoft’s flagship series, protagonist Master Chief quickly gained the attention of gamers because of his strong presence as a lead. Halo has explored stories beyond Master Chief, but the UNSC Spartan soldier has been integral to humanity’s survival.
Between fighting the Covenant and extinguishing continuous threats of the Flood, Master Chief has ensured the safety of the human race an astonishing number of times. Because of his knack for constantly being in the right place at the right time, it makes one wonder what the Halo universe might look like without the intervention of Master Chief. Since he’s the protagonist, it only makes sense for him to almost always save the day, but imagining a scenario where Master Chief never came to be paints a potentially harrowing alternate reality.
Without Master Chief, the Halo Universe Might Have Looked Very Different
Facing the Covenant and the Flood
Over the years, the Covenant and the Flood have served as some of the most notable antagonists in the Halo franchise. While the Covenant are a theocratic coalition of varying alien races, the Flood are a horrifying parasitic hive mind, so the two require completely different approaches. Of course, Master Chief’s success in holding back both factions sometimes stemmed in part from helping hands, like Cortana and the Arbiter. However, at the end of the day, Master Chief’s reputation as the best of the Spartans continued to hold true, even if some successes felt more like luck than anything.
Without Master Chief’s quick thinking, it’s highly possible that the Human-Covenant war would have quickly fallen to the side of the Covenant. Even if another Spartan had similar skills to Master Chief and could take on the Covenant, there’s no guarantee that they would be able to delay the return of the Flood on top of that, too. It’s hard to imagine the early days of the Halo games without Master Chief, but there still could have been hope without him.
Rumors have suggested that the Halo franchise could come to the PS5, but this has yet to be confirmed.
Master Chief’s reputation as the best of the Spartans continued to hold true, even if some successes felt more like luck than anything.
No Master Chief Doesn't Mean Humanity is Doomed
Although the UNSC is filled with capable soldiers, Master Chief is definitely an anomaly. A highly skilled jack of all trades, picturing a Halo universe without him can easily lead one to believe that humanity doesn’t stand a chance. This isn’t true, though. Every danger that has ever posed a threat to humanity could have potentially been stopped by individual soldiers instead of a single Spartan. Also, Cortana would likely have been paired with a different Spartan anyway, and her insight has continued to be incredibly valuable, leading Master Chief to further success.
Of course, there’s an argument to be made that Cortana may not have been able to bond as strongly with a soldier who isn’t Master Chief, but there’s ultimately no way to know for sure. Regardless, there is still the chance that humanity could ultimately prevail without Master Chief. It may just have taken a lot more people to ensure survival. This route could have birthed a Halo anthology series instead of focusing the story on one central figure.
Halo 3: ODST and Halo: Reach both star fresh protagonists, The Rookie and Noble Six.
Master Chief's Role in Halo's Future Remains Mysterious
The next Halo game has a tough road ahead, as Halo Infinite was met with mixed reception. It’s assumed that Master Chief will return as lead, but this has yet to be confirmed. Master Chief has continued to be humanity’s savior, but as the franchise continues to grow, it will be interesting to see if he can keep up with the onslaught of threats.
