This article contains spoilers forHalo episode 1.
Paramount+'sHalo TV series sees John-117, the Master Chief, unmask and show his full face for the first time. When players were first introduced to the Master Chief in the classic 2001 Xbox gameHalo: Combat Evolved, Bungie had the wisdom not to show his face. They knew the key to a first-person shooter's success lies in the player feeling as though theyare the star, and so they deliberately kept the Master Chief masked.
They did drop a hint, though. At the very end of the game, after the destruction of the first Halo Ring, the camera panned away from a ship's co*ckpit just as the Master Chief removed his helmet. It clearly confirmed Spartans take off their helmets during downtime when they're not on active missions, but the camerawork avoided actually showingJohn-117's face. He was back to wearingthe helmetagain inHalo 2, complete with a quip fromSergeant Johnson about how he should have dressed nicer for an awards ceremony. It turned outJohn-117 was wise to stay suited up on that occasion because otherwise, he'd have been without his Mjolnir armor when the Covenant attacked.
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However, Paramount+'sHalo TV series has wasted no time unmasking the Master Chief. At the end ofHalo episode 1, John-117 takes off his helmet in front of an armed Insurrectionist in a successful attempt to earn her trust. And so viewers of theHalo show finally get to see what the Master Chief looks like.
What Halo's Master Chief Looks Like Without His Helmet In The TV Show
Halo's Master Chief is played by Canadian actor Pablo Schreiber, who's undergone a strict training regime for the part but is still easily recognizable. He's white-skinned, with brown eyes and short brown hair presumably cut that way so it won't interfere with the sophisticated sensor systems incorporated into the Master Chief's Mjolnir armor. John-117 isn't clean-shaven, however, likely reflecting the fact Spartans don't set aside much time for personal grooming. This is the first time the Master Chief's adult face has been shown.
What Halo's Master Chief Looks Like Without His Helmet In The Games
As noted, this isn't actually the first time the Master Chief has unmasked. In fact, several tie-in novels have explored John-117's story before he became one of the Spartans; he was found by Dr. Catherine Halsey when he was just six years old and was described as brown-haired and freckled, already standing a head taller than his classmates and thus commanding attention. Books set during the Human-Covenant War have confirmed the Master Chief had short brown hair, matching with Paramount+'s TV series. Until now, the main visual of John-117's face is a cutscene available when players completeHalo 4 on Legendary difficulty; it shows the Master Chief removing his armor before focusing on his eyes and upper nose. The Master Chief'seyes are sunken and colorless, presumably a result of Dr. Halsey's genetic experimentation, but not duplicated in Paramount+'sHalo TV series.
Why Master Chief Removes His Helmet In The Halo TV Show
Undoubtedly, the decision to show the Master Chief's face will prove controversial. In truth, though, various cutscenes in the mainHalo games had already confirmed that Spartans remove their helmets during downtime, so nothing about this breaks continuity. What's more, according toHalo executive producer Kiki Wolfkill, this decision was made because of a key difference between a first-person shooter and a TV show."With the television series, we want to take you on John's journey and let you experience, as a viewer, his story and evolution from an external, subjective viewpoint," she observed, justifying the decision to show the Master Chief's face:"For that, it felt important to see John outside of his armor." In narrative terms, the argument makes sense, but it certainly makes Paramount+'sHalounlike any previous iteration.
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