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ForbiddingUnited States
Animals are reliable, many full of love, true in their affections, predictable in their actions, grateful and loyal. Difficult standards for people to live up to. –Alfred A. Montapert
These computers on our desks are turning into portals to other realms of existence…realms that will one day be preferred to earth. –Edward Castronova
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Halo Legends is a collection of 7 short animated films released in 2010. Six of the stories are officially part of the Halo canon, while the seventh is intended to be a parody of the Halo universe. 343 Industries financed the project, which was animated by six Japanese anime production houses (in order of episode): Studio 4°C, Production I.G, Bee Train, Toei Animation, Bones, and Casio Entertainment./pic7174502.png)
Frank O'Connor, 343's creative director, said that the idea to tell smaller stories in a different format than video games and novels, and in different art styles, had existed for some time. However, most of the Japanese animation studios they approached were apprehensive about creating their own stories, including those familiar with the series. O'Connor gave the studios story ideas, access to the Halo story bible and art assets, and Microsoft made sure the story details aligned with the lore.
Spoiler Warning: I am going to give a synopsis of each episode and my opinions at the very end.
Origins I & II
Set sometime after the events of Halo 3, aboard the ship Forward Unto Dawn, the artificial intelligence Cortana speaks to a comatose Master Chief about her existence and thoughts on an ancient alien race known as the "Forerunners". Despite being a great civilization, they took too long to respond to the parasitic Flood which absorbed the knowledge of the life it consumed. As a last resort they built an array of ringed megastructures called "Halos" that would annihilate every sentient creature in the galaxy - the Flood included. The Forerunners then reseeded life throughout the galaxy using stored embryos and specimens. They did not, however, restore their own race.:strip_icc()/pic7208991.png)
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Over time humanity outgrew its planet and left to colonize other worlds. The alien races meanwhile, formed a theocratic alliance known as the "Covenant" that reverse-engineers Forerunner technology and worships them as Gods. The Covenant launched a war against the human race that turned into an alliance when the Flood reappeared.:strip_icc()/pic7208995.png)
The Duel
A Sangheili (reptilian alien) Arbiter named Fal 'Chavamee does not wish to follow the Covenant religion, and for his heresy the High Prophets send his friend, Roh, to assassinate his wife, Han. For failing to go through with the deed, another Sangheili called Haka, is forced to murder both Roh and Han. Fal takes on an entire army of Sangheili, Kig-Yar (avian alien), Unggoy (squat alien), and Mgalekgolo (colonial-worm alien) accompanied by Wraith and Ghost vehicles. Then, atop a Forerunner structure, Fal and Haka duel. They kill each other, and the rank of Arbiter is stripped of its former prestige, now only given to those who have brought shame upon themselves and the Covenant.:strip_icc()/pic7208997.png)
Homecoming
As a child, Spartan Daisy-023 was abducted and placed into a training and augmentation program on the planet Reach, as all SPARTAN-IIs are. She manages to escape and return to her home on the planet Sargasso, only to discover all the kidnapped children have been replaced with flash-clones. Her parents never realized she had been replaced and, unable to kill her clone, Daisy returns to the military, but not before receiving a small teddy bear from her clone as a gift. In the present, Daisy assists United Nations Space Command (UNSC) forces pinned down by Covenant fire on the planet Harvest. She encounters Ralph-103, a fellow escapee now working as a Marine, and despite their best efforts the evacuation fails. Daisy dies from Needler rounds and her body is discovered by John-117 (Master Chief).:strip_icc()/pic7209004.png)
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Odd One Out
Spartan 1337, a member of Master Chief's unit, accidentally falls from a Pelican ship onto the surface of the planet Cronkee below. He is eaten and spat out by a pet T-Rex belonging to three young children before Pluton, a genetically modified Jiralhanae (gorilla alien) sent by the High Prophet Truth, arrives. The two battle until an old crashed ship unexpectedly creates a slipspace (FTL) rupture and fires Pluton into it. Radio communication with Cortana is then re-established as Spartan 1337 is carried off by a pterodactyl.:strip_icc()/pic7209038.png)
Prototype
The UNSC Weapons Research Facility T12A on the planet Algolis, comes under Covenant attack and the Marines suffer heavy casualties while trying to give civilians time to evacuate. The problem is exacerbated by the Hades Corps of UNSC Engineers who refuse to retreat until all weapons and navigational data have been destroyed in compliance with the Cole Protocol. A Marine who had lost his entire squad in the past, Ghost, defies orders by piloting a Prototype Suit. During the fight, the suit starts to wear down and Ghost's left arm is severed. With Covenant closing in, Ghost activates a self-destruct command. The evacuees rendezvous with a UNSC frigate in orbit of Algolis, where Ghost's commanding officer receives word that the Cole Protocol has been upheld. He then redacts his previous request for Ghost's court-martial, listing him as MIA instead.:strip_icc()/pic7209039.png)
The Babysitter
Aboard the UNSC Kronstadt, an squad of Orbital Drop Shock Troopers (ODST) known as the "Helljumpers", consisting of O'Brien, Dutch, Cortez, and Checkman are dismayed to hear a SPARTAN-II, Cal-141, will be joining them on a mission to eliminate a Covenant Prophet. They use a meteor shower as cover, but Checkman's drop pod collides with an asteroid, sending him off course to his death. O'Brien's pod lands in a swamp, damaging his oxygen tank in the process. Cal-141 is able to rip open the pod, much to the Spartan hating O'Brien's chagrin. A patrol of Unggoy is then spotted near the ruins, and Cal-141, Dutch, and Cortez manage to dispatch their targets quietly. O'Brien, however, accidentally alerts the remaining enemies and has to be saved, once again by Cal-141, from the Chieftain. As Cal-141 sets up for a shot at the Prophet, the Chieftain from before returns and Cal-141 takes a blow to the head while defending O'Brien. Too wounded to take the shot, Cal-141 orders O'Brien to do it. He manages to eliminate the Prophet and Cal-141 dies from her injuries shortly after.:strip_icc()/pic7209041.png)
The Package
A team of SPARTAN-IIs consisting of John-117, Frederic-104, Kelly-087, Solomon-069, and Arthur-079 are sent into a Covenant fleet to retrieve a "package". Solomon detects the package on one of the ships, but it turns out to be a trap and he is killed in an explosion. John deduces that the Covenant must know what they're after and that the target is likley on the Assault Carrier Flagship. Arthur is killed while trying to cover Kelly from pursuing Seraph space fighters, and the reaming Spartans successfully board the ship. Fred holds off Jiralhanae and Unggoy fire so the others may proceed. Luro 'Taralumee, a Sangheili Supreme Commander, tries detaching the ships hull in the hope that it will leave the Spartans stranded in space. Kelly propels John back into the ship, leaving herself adrift. John recovers the "package" - Doctor Catherine Halsey, founder of the SPARTAN-II program, and battles Thel 'Lodamee (a Sangheili Major) in a duel. However, Luro 'Taralumee decides to detach the lower hull in order to strand the Spartans. John and Halsey make their way to a Covenant escape pod where they are saved from pursuers by Fred and Kelly.:strip_icc()/pic7209042.png)
Final Thoughts
As the title implies, the stories included in "Legends" may not be 100% accurate because they are presented as exaggerated re-tellings of events in the Halo universe that may or may not have happened. Any inconsistencies, such as Halsey's changing appearance, can be chopped up to the whims and style of the story-teller. The stories themselves are average at best and wouldn't stand on their own without the Halo branding. The collection still acts as a good visual introduction to the Halo lore, though. "Origins" establishes the world history and the franchises' namesake. "The duel" offers insight into one of the major alien races, although it makes the Sangheili more samurai inspired than they should've been and the art-style is very blurry, to the point of being hard to follow. "Homecoming" explains the Spartan soldiers origins, while "Prototype" dives into the trials of ordinary Marines, and "The Babysitter" has the two interacting. Then "The Package" wraps things up with an action packed mission alongside the iconic Master Chief himself. The "Odd One Out" is a very 'take it or leave it' episode; personally I would have preferred a Halo-themed comedy, similar to Red Vs. Blue, over the random jumble of nonsense that was Odd One Out.
Have you seen Halo Legends or played any of the Halo video games? What were your thoughts?
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This was originally posted on my blog. If you enjoyed what you read, please check out: The Forest Floor (light layout) / Magpie Gamer (dark layout)
A place to practice my writing skills while talking about an assortment of video game related topics...
- Halo 3
- Microsoft
- Toei Animation
- 343 Industries
- Production I.G.
- Halo (Core Series)
- Master Chief
- Halo
- Prophet of Truth
- Cortana
- Covenant
- Lekgolo
- Kig-Yar
- Unggoy
- Sangheili
- Jiralhanae
- The Flood
- Covenant Empire
- Wraith (Halo)
- Ghost (Halo)
- Pelican
- ODST
- Frederic-104
- Kelly-087
- Seraph
- Doctor Catherine Elizabeth Halsey
- UNSC
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Thu Dec 1, 2022 3:58 pm
Thu Dec 1, 2022 3:58 pm
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