Halo and Philosophy

by Cuddy, Luke

  The Forerunners create installations called “rings” across the galaxy. These are the first “Halos,” a last-resort weapon intended to destroy potential host biomass and thereby destroy the Flood by starving it. As the war with the Flood continued to devolve into chaos for the Forerunners, they gathered themselves together and ignited the Halos, obliterating all sentient life (including many of their own life forms) within three galactic radii of the center of the galaxy, while preserving survivors as remnants in the Ark. This effectively contains the Flood for the time being. The Forerunners, however, kept samples of the Flood alive for research purposes—a move that was later seen to be a terrible mistake. It’s not difficult to see analogies to the biblical story of Noah here, as in that case too survivors are gathered into a single stronghold to withstand the onslaught of a flood that destroys all other life.

  After the rings are ignited as Halos, the surviving Forerunners disperse life via the use of mechanical drones equipped with the DNA of life forms and the materials needed to reseed life. These drones are dispatched to protected worlds that the Flood cannot access, creating new small pockets of life. After this, the Forerunners leave the galaxy completely. Perhaps this was a move of self-preservation: if the Halos had to be reignited, the Forerunners would be out of the blast radius. Millennia pass.

  At this point our own history is integrated into the Halo mythology. Hundreds of years in the future from our present time, Halo depicts humankind as spreading across space and colonizing various worlds, a movement that echoes the biblical accounts of the spread of ancient Israelite tribes throughout Canaanite territory as they similarly establish settlements and with God’s sanction destroy those who resist them. The primary governmental force in Halo is the UNSC (United Naval Space Command). As humans colonize, they repeatedly encounter resistance, leading the UNSC to supersede local authority and, like the ancient Israelites, kill insurrectionists if necessary. Successful human colonization comes to a halt when humans encounter the Covenant at “The Harvest,” a colony that humans had previously taken over. In response, the Covenant obliterates the human inhabitants there and proceeds to destroy additional human settlements. When game-time of Halo initializes, the Covenant has already destroyed all human colonies outside of Earth. The secret of Earth’s location is closely protected by the Cole Protocol, a defense system which works for some twenty-seven years. In 2552, Earth is discovered.

  The Covenant worships the Forerunners as gods. The “covenant” they make is to ignite the rings (Halos), which the Covenant believes will set off a “Great Journey” to being divine. However, the rings were in fact created to annihilate life, a notion that the Covenant denies in their arrogant hopes for divinity. This kind of hubris obviously echoes the story of the Tower of Babel in Genesis, in which humans build a structure that they believe will enable them to reach the heavens and become god-like in so doing (Genesis 11). Humanity understands that igniting the rings would actually enact an apocalyptic destruction, and thus one of the game’s primary themes comes into focus: modern secularism vs. blind religion. The Covenant represents blind religion with their actions and hopes, while humanity accentuates the merits of modern secularism. In this way, the dualism of Halo contrasts with the dualism of typical Jewish and Christian apocalypses, which celebrate a monotheistic worldview against all others.

  So why does the Covenant hate humanity enough to wish to annihilate them? Humanity, as revealed by the Robots (Sentinels and Oracles) created by the Forerunners, is actually descended from the Forerunners. Humans are viewed as heretical for their embrace of the concept of modern secularism, a crime viewed as all the more heinous for their divine origins. The Covenant, not descended from the Forerunners but worshipping them, want to destroy humanity because humanity’s divine ancestry could enable them to supersede and undermine the power exercised over the Covenant by the Covenant’s leaders, the Prophets (leaders of all the races of the Covenant).

  Havoc on the Earth

  This situation sounds remarkably like the situation described in a little-known version of the biblical flood mythology. Fragments of the story appear in the Genesis account, but are fleshed out in the Book of Enoch, an ancient Jewish apocalypse with narrative layers as old as 300 B.C.E. One of these oldest sections is called The Book of the Watchers, and relays the experiences of the visionary Enoch, the great grandfather of Noah. From an angel, Enoch learns the story of angels who descend to Earth, teach humans about technology, weaponry, and herb healing, then mate with human women and give birth to “Watchers,” or giants who themselves want only to consume human resources, eventually devolving into cannibalism. It is Enoch’s job to petition to God for the Watchers’ forgiveness, a task that he fulfills but which does not result in success for the Watchers, who are then judged and destroyed by God. This little known variant of the reason for the biblical flood likely lies behind Genesis 6 and the “sons of God” who mate with “daughters of men” and give birth to the “Nephilim,” the “mighty men that were of old, the men of renown” (Genesis 6:1–4).

  The flood in Genesis can then be read as God’s solution to the problem of the Nephilim, creatures that are part divine and part human, much like the humans in Halo. However, in Halo the Covenant represents the consuming force, whereas in Genesis it is the divine-human entities, the Nephilim, who wreak havoc on the Earth. Thus, the Halo mythology borrows from but problematizes the Enoch account, suggesting that consumerism itself is the enemy, and that humans have the ability to stop it, albeit by violent means. Halo’s revisions also deny that any supernatural force can rectify the problem of the Flood and instead identify the Flood as its own sentient force, implicitly suggesting that any entity causing such destruction should not be worshipped but be utterly destroyed. This reading suggests an indirect but powerful critique of traditional theology, suggesting that the biblical flood was a brutal force enacted by a vicious God.

  The sinister association of biblical divine forces with the evil forces in Halo continues in the game’s depiction of the “Prophets” as agents of the Covenant who seek to destroy humanity out of fear of sublimation of their own power and beliefs. Ironically, only humans in Halo can activate Forerunner technology, while those with a sacred “Covenant” find themselves helpless. This is the point at which the games situate us: humanity is on the brink of destruction. The Covenant’s threat is real and dedicated. The Covenant has obliterated every other human colony besides Earth. Without help, humans will surely be destroyed. The game unfolds with the player taking on a messianic role within the Halo universe, seeking to use a combination of skill and nerve (and weaponry, of course) to lead a force against the Covenant as they descend upon Earth. The Master Chief leads a force defending the planet and chases the Covenant off the planet and back to the Ark.

  Apocalyptic Themes in Halo

  Apocalyptic literature flourished during the two centuries before the Common Era and the two centuries after. This era was popular for apocalyptic literature for a reason: the peoples who produced it felt oppressed by their Greek and Roman overlords and sought a means of coping with their inability to prevent their own persecution. For some, writing and telling stories about the destruction of their enemies helped them to deal with an intolerable situation by enabling them to imagine God’s imminent intervention. Accordingly, Christian and Jewish apocalypses from this period describe the hope for a divinely-ordained messiah to intervene and defeat their enemies and predictions of divine judgment to come against their persecutors (as well as vivid images of the punishment to be eked out by God against their enemies).

  As the Society of Biblical Literature definition of apocalypse indicates, the hope for this judgment is typically relayed in the form of a vision mediated by an otherworldly mediator and depicting an otherworldly journey in which the visionary sees the future and possibly also the places of reward and punishment to come. Because the authors of these visions hoped for divine intervention very soon, there is typically also an intense inter
est in relaying of events of the coming end times. Visionaries often identify themselves with ancient religious figures to lend credibility to their experiences.

  Master Chief the Messiah

  The religious allusions in Halo are reinforced by the player’s role as a messianic agent of deliverance. In the beginning of the third game as Master Chief is falling to the Earth, Cortana says:They let me pick. Did I ever tell you that? Choose whichever Spartan I wanted. You know me. I did my research. Watched as you became the soldier we needed you to be. Like the others, you were strong and swift and brave. A natural leader. But you had something they didn’t. Something no one saw, but me. Can you guess? Luck. Was I wrong?

  Cortana’s choice is an indication of the special qualities that make up the figure who is to become known as Master Chief, Spartan 2, and John-117.

  John-117 fits the mold of what biblical scholars call the “Davidic messiah.” Based on the much-admired rule of King David, Jews writing apocalyptic literature some one thousand years after David’s reign hoped for another ruler like him, an “Anointed One” or king who would reunite the kingdom of Israel and free them from oppressors. Some of the most poignant celebrations of the hoped-for David messiah appear in the prophetic oracles of Isaiah (7–11) and in the Psalms (2, 45, 89). As a type of Davidic messiah, John-117 is known as the “Master Chief” because he is the head of the Spartans, responsible for putting down the insurrections in the colonies and fighting against the Covenant. And like King David, he is responsible for uniting the colonies and maintaining order. The Davidic messiah is alluded to repeatedly in Jewish and Christian apocalyptic literature as a figure expected to return in the end times and destroy Israel’s oppressors. Master Chief is the hoped-for deliverer of the Humans in Halo.

  Master Chief was born with the name of “John” on Eridanus II in 2511. As a young boy, he was kidnapped by Dr. Katherine Halsey and inducted into the Spartan II training program. Master Chief receives the designation “117” when he arrives at the Reach Colony for training. The title “John-117” seems to be evocative of biblical passages from the Gospel of John. If read as John 1:17, the name evokes a passage regarding Jesus’s relationship to Moses: “For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” This passage could be read as alluding to Master Chief as the bringer of “grace and truth” and the freer from the law of the “Covenant.” This reading is evocative if also deeply problematic in its suggestion that the Jewish covenant associated with Moses, like the Covenant in Halo, is a consuming force to be resisted and destroyed. It is also possible to read the name as referring to John 1:1-7.

  This reading is much more suggestive and rich since it explicitly associates Master Chief with the disciple John and suggests the crucial role of both figures as witnesses to coming salvation. The most poignant verses suggest John’s divine purpose:There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came for testimony, to bear witness to the light, that all might believe through him. (John 1:6-7)

  The passages preceding allude to Christ as the “Logos,” the word of God that is made manifest in the world as the principle by which God created the universe. To associate Master Chief with the appearance of cosmic light through these allusions to John’s gospel show John-117 as a keeper of divine forces, one worthy to serve as steward of the Rings in the Halo mythos.

  In his childhood training, John-117 is quickly noticed for several unique traits, including his preternatural ability to predict on which side a coin will land. He is a natural leader, has great luck, intense determination, and refuses to give up on any struggle. These qualities are enhanced by obvious physical strength which is augmented further by the “Spartan II Augmentation Procedures.” He becomes swifter and his height is enhanced, making him effectively a “giant,” perhaps another allusion to the “giants” or “watchmen” in the Book of Enoch, and hinting at John’s character as both human and divine. Master Chief, then, is a savior, a messiah, and a giant.

  The role of the Arbiter carries the stigma of both heretic and messiah in the Halo universe. This tradition began when the original Arbiter observed that the Prophets’ Covenant was established for control over his planet and people. The Arbiter acted against the Covenant, and the Prophets decided that his punishment would extend past his death. Since then, the rank had been given to a disgraced commander as a way to atone for his failures.

  In Halo 2, the player enacts the Arbiter as he seeks redemption for his failure to kill the Master Chief. The Arbiter eventually learns of the greater threat presented by the Prophets, as well as the Flood, and chooses to side with humanity. He fulfills the definition of an arbiter, a judge who impartially decides or resolves a controversy, as well the function of a co-messiah alongside the Master Chief.

  Judgment of the Players

  In traditional apocalypses, visionaries look forward to rewards for the faithful and punishment for the wicked as enacted by God. The visionary simply watches, delivers information, visits places, and shares insights. The real action is performed by God and his messianic agents, which in Christian apocalypses also sometimes include Jesus as a sword-wielding, fire-breathing entity, and in Jewish apocalypses may include military leaders on the model of King David, prophetic leaders, or even priestly figures who enact divine purification. As Michael Stone notes in Jewish Writings of the Second Temple Period (Fortress Press, 1984), although apocalypses are generally driven by an expectation of the end times and judgment, “the advent of the end does not depend upon human action” (p. 383). Collins agrees, arguing in Encounters with Biblical Theology (Fortress Press, 2005) that “The great majority of Jewish apocalypses are quietist in the sense that the world will be changed by divine intervention rather than by human action” (p. 137).

  The occasional apocalypse does depict human beings enacting judgment under God’s guidance, but it is quite rare. Furthermore, in all traditional apocalypses, God not humans is in control of salvation, and will intervene to end his people’s suffering by destroying their enemies. In videogames, agency in salvation is not situated with God but squarely with the player, who may rely upon guides for assistance but ultimately enacts salvation by himself or herself, often in dramatically violent form. Even in Left Behind: Eternal Forces (2006), a videogame with the larger assumption of God in charge, it is up to humans to enact God’s will on Earth. There are no supernatural agents to assist.

  The player’s role as agent of deliverance is even more evident in FPSs like Halo, in which the player identifies as a messianic character in a virtual world of secularized dualisms, single-handedly saving humanity through the brutal destruction of its enemies. In Halo, the Master Chief plays an important role in the enactment, or prevention of enactment, of the rings. In game one, he prevents the firing of the ring. In Halo 2, the player plays as the Arbiter (an important figure in the Covenant leadership), and must kill Tartarus to prevent him setting off the ring. In game three, the player again takes on the role of Master Chief, this time igniting the ring in order to destroy the Flood infestation, thereby saving the galaxy. Of course, gameplay throughout involves the player fighting enemies by using weapons (Battle Rifles, shotguns, Rocket Launchers, Plasma Grenades) and operating artillery vehicles (scorpion tanks, all-terrain jeep-like vehicles called “warthogs,” and hovercraft like the “hornet”).

  Indeed, Master Chief is defined by his ability to effectively and efficiently use any kind of weapon with finesse, adding to his messianic function. The Forerunners and Cortana also serve as sorts of “supernatural agents,” but they are very limited in their ability to help the Master Chief. The Forerunners play no direct role in the game’s immediate unfolding apart from forces set in motion long before humans ever appeared on the scene. As in Halo, all FPSs celebrate the use of weaponry as a means of defeat of enemies; it’s part of the genre. However, the role of the player as agent of deliverance marks these new contemporary apocalypses as concerned with humanity’s own role in saving itself.

&nbs
p; Otherworldly Mediators

  Otherworldly mediators are a familiar feature in apocalypses, escorting the visionaries through what might otherwise be treacherous otherworldly terrain, interpreting for them what they see, and reassuring them about God’s purposes. In the Book of the Watchers (Enoch 1–36), in 3 Baruch, and in 4 Ezra, a seer acquires privileged heavenly knowledge through questions asked of an otherworldly mediator. The visions and information gained in these heavenly tours is then kept as a secret by the visionary, who relays this secret information in the apocalyptic text he writes down for posterity.

  In Halo, players are aided by Cortana, an artificially intelligent computer who explains the backstory and strategies appropriate for the player as he or she assumes the role of the Master Chief. Cortana is modeled on the doctor who was the original head of the Spartan 2 project, responsible for the genetic development of the Master Chief (the player’s role). She has no physical form, but portrays herself holographically. Cortana teaches players how to move around and how to use programs for targeting. Cortana also reveals information about the rings several times throughout the games because she is uploaded into the rings’ network. Cortana serves several critical functions; she can act as a tactical navigator in unfamiliar areas, hack encrypted enemy communications networks, and generally keep the player informed about what to do and where to go.