If you have not seen it yet, new art has been released for the upcoming Halo 5: Guardians. It just so happens that there are some new hints about the game spread throughout the piece. If you don’t believe me or haven’t seen it, take a look at the header.
Blue Team Returns – Not just in color
Linda, Chief, Kelly, and Fred (left to right) of the Spartan-II Blue Team
One of the most notable, and probably most exciting, sections of this piece is in the bottom left. Given the tint of that part of the image, along with the weapons and armor of the Spartans beside Master Chief, it can be assumed that Halo 5 will see a return of Blue Team.
For those who are not aware of Blue Team, allow me to give you a brief lesson. In the original trilogy of books (Halo: The Fall of Reach, Halo: The Flood, and Halo: First Strike), there were more Spartan-IIs than just John-117. The first of these books talks about the early days of the Spartan-II program along with the start of the Human-Covenant War. By the end of the book, many of the Spartan-IIs have been killed in action with, the exception of Blue Team and a handful of others. By the third book, Chief returns to Reach and reunites with Blue Team before heading back to Earth.
Blue Team also made an appearance in Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, as the other Spartans on the Pelican at the conclusion of the series. It is because of this appearance that it seems likely for the image to represent the other three surviving members of Blue Team.
For starters, the one on with the sniper rifle would be Spartan-058, Linda. She is one of the most accurate and lethal Spartan-IIs and has often pulled off shots that even surprised John. Linda is also known for her custom armor, probably because it just improves her already remarkable skills with a sniper. If you look closely at the armor of the Spartan with the sniper in the image, you will notice a large amount of equipment around the eyes.
The next Spartan would be Kelly-087, standing on the opposite side of John with a pistol drawn. Kelly is best known as a scout for Blue Team and is often considered the fastest Spartan and her armor has been either the EVA or Pilot as of recently. Given that is what we are seeing, it can be assumed that this Spartan is in fact Kelly.
The final Spartan, and technically the true leader of Blue Team, is Fred-104. Fred is the Spartan most like John, but without his rebellious attitude. Early in the books, it became clear that John was physically skilled, but he did not have the ability to work with a team. While this improved over time, Fred was the most instinct-focused from the beginning. The majority of the Spartan-IIs feel that Fred is the best leader in the group. The key distinguishing factor again is the armor, as Fred was known for wearing Centurion armor.
It will also be nice to finally see Blue Team in an actual game…
These three together with the Master Chief would make a hard target and a lethal enemy for anyone to mess with. It will also be nice to finally see Blue Team in an actual game; fans have been asking for the return since Halo 2.
Agent Locke’s Crew
Locke and the mysterious Red Team
On the opposite corner of the image, we see four newer-generation Spartans. While one of these is most likely Locke, the other three are unknowns. This part of the image raises the question about whether the game will focus on the two teams battling each other. This seems like a possibility given the history between Spartans and much of the UNSC’s (United Nations Space Command) upper echelon and special forces; plus, Halo’s iconic multiplayer always focuses on red vs. blue.
…maybe the time has come that the upper echelon wants the Spartan-IIs and Halsey removed permantley…
The Spartans have always remained loyal to Halsey, viewing her as a mother figure. The military has often criticized the Spartan-II program for taking children away and dehumanizing them at such a young age. With Locke working with ONI (Office of Naval Intelligence), maybe the time has come that the upper echelon wants the Spartan-IIs and Halsey removed permanently, in a similar way that Locke suggested “removing” The Arbiter.
The Return of The Covenant as Enemies?
In the center of the image, there are a few banshees seen flying over a city that is most likely on a human-inhabited planet. Since the end of the Human-Covenant War, relations have been tested between the two. With more tensions rising, is it possible that another war is brewing?
One possibility if another war breaking out would be that another group of The Covenant have broken away and have found new guidance from, possibly the likely-Forerunner enemy seen in the distance of the image.
Another possibility is that The Arbiter and The Master Chief reunite, and the Covenant are helping to protect the planet from the new threat. If this were the case, then Agent Locke might hunt The Master Chief due to his alliance with The Arbiter.
Anything Else?
That seems to cover most of what is included in this batch of art. The only part that I did not address directly is the mysterious creature (or robot, or sculpture) off in the distance. While not much has been discussed about what enemy Master Chief will be facing, it can be assumed that the creature is something entirely new.
Based on what we know of Halo lore, it would seem to be Forerunner-made in nature, as it seems to be self-assembling in a way similar to the knights in Halo 4. However, we will have to wait for more information to come out before we know exactly what it is.
Do you have any ideas or speculation about the image that we left out?
Published: Apr 29, 2015 10:11 am