Plot of Halo Origins Part One

Halo Origins Part One Plot Summary

Finally after 8 - 9 years since Halo CE game and The Fall of Reach novel was released, Halo fans get to see what an actual member of the Forerunner race looks like in this story of how the Flood came to town.

Origins starts with Cortana and the Master Cheif on the vessel where Halo 3 left off (seen only after completing the Xbox game on legendary setting) - Cortana reflects on human history and the history before that of the Forerunners. As she reminisces, Cortana tells the story of how the Forerunners first met the Flood  and the battles that followed over the hundreds of years across the Universe. It's interesting to note the Cortana voice actor in this film is not the one used in the Halo games. Cheap Microsoft, Cheap!

The plot of the anime tells us that 100, 000 years ago the Forerunner  "faced a sudden and dire turn of events"  - the Flood had come to the Universe. We are shown Sentinels losing the battle with the Flood and the Flood growing in power. At first it was thought the Forerunner would prevail but eventually the Flood spread 'too far and too wide'.

We are shown shots of the Flood taking over and become more intelligent as it did so, using the knowledge of the people it overcame against those remaining.

We are actually shown images of the Forerunners for the first time in the history of Halo. They were purple or yellow bipeds that looked like parrots - though the purple may be a suit of some kind. The anime film then tells us how the Forerunner came to prepare the Halo Ring Array in an effort to starve the Flood of their food sources by actually destroying all intelligent life.

I have an idea, lets kill 'em all!

Origins tells how the Forerunner gathered up the universe's intelligent life for safekeeping in the form of DNA, embryos and live specimens and somehow stored them safely. They then fired the Halo Array and destroyed everything in the universe, including many of the species that have been found in the Halo universe.

After the Flood was starved and defeated, the Forerunner repopulated the universe, including putting mankind on Earth. Origins shows Earth as also being chosen for the site of the entrance to the Ark and its placement on Earth.

To do this rebuild of the universe however, the Forerunner had to sacrifice themselves, as Cortana put it, 'eternally'. This is something I don't get however - if they can save some lives and repopulate the universe etc, how come they couldn't do it for themselves? Makes me wonder if they opened up a worm hole in space or something to hide in..... insert your considered thought here!

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Origins is basically a very brief yet concise telling of the Forerunner's dealings with the marauding Flood. Before they went to work at 343 Industries, the boys of Ascendant Justice covered this area really well when Halo 3 was released. Their discussion of the Terminals found in Halo 3 is probably the most insightful writing you are going to get on the subject of Forerunner vs Flood.

Here's a taste:

The Forerunners were a flourishing race of beings which occupied our galaxy successfully until they suddenly vanished approximately one hundred millennia ago. Prior to their disappearance, they were the pinnacle of sentient evolution and any race which came before them is now only considered theoretical or legendary, despite there being some evidence of the Precursors.

They were a socially and technologically advanced society with amazing architecture that melded their profound knowledge of physics with a geometric and organic aesthetic. They acquired a keen ability to integrate natural resources on their artificial worlds into functional purposes. While it is unknown when and for what reason they first began manufacturing self-sustaining worlds, we do know that they had produced at least eight various installations connected to the Halo Array weapon system and at least one planetoid or 'shield world’ (although likely more) in a process which is now referred to as the Onyx Project.

See? That's quality. Mgmt has requested Halo Reach Game News steps up to the plate like them.... we say ha!

The Chief is seen, not heard in Origins I

Halo Origins is part of the series of the Halo short anime films. As Microsoft describes it "Halo Legends is an unprecedented gathering of the finest talent in Japanese animation that have drawn together to explore the mystery and action of the Halo universe. Eight episodes and a stunning range of visual styles shed new light and epic perspective on Halo lore."

Halo Reach Game News has covered some of these stories including The Babysitter and The Duel.

Extra for Experts:

Here's some Forerunner troops in action - note the 'pistols' look like ones the Grunts use.... kinda?

The Package Plot Halo: Legends

This week's Halo: Legend's anime film on Halo Waypoint via the Xbox Dash is the first of two parts called The Package. 

The Package's plot follows the hero from the xbox games, the, er.. legendary Master Chief and four specially chosen Spartans as they launch out on a stealth cruiser into the heart of a massive Covenant fleet in a bid to recover a valuable intelligence asset.

This anime proves that Spartans are adept at fighting in zero-gravity and  are adept at piloting never-before-seen light attack vehicles. The  Spartans' target is a Covenant CCS-class Battlecruiser using the Booster Frames ships.  

Once Master Chief locates the target he and the Spartans blast their way on board the ship, where the action gets hand-to-hand as they fight through an army of Covenant troops in order to recover the most important Human intelligence resource there is....

What is the plot of 'The Duel' in the Halo Legends anime film series?

What is the plot of 'The Duel' in the Halo Legends anime film series?


The Duel is the second film in the Halo Legends short film series. The first was The Babysitter. The Duel was originally shown on the new Halo Waypoint that you can download to the dashboard of the Xbox 360. The next chance to see it will be if you get your hands on the Halo Legends DVD which be released on the 9th of February 2010.

The plot:

In the anime "The Duel," a Sangheili Arbiter named 'Fal' is charged with heresy by a High Prophet, because of his blatant and rebellious refusal to accept the Covenant's religion, despite threats made against his clan (think a Christian refusing to renounce his belief system for another's equivalent type scenario).

A second Sangheili serving the unnamed Prophet named 'Haka' takes his own initiative against Fal, forcing a servant of his to kill his wife Han whom clearly was in love with Fal, and him with her. Haka then proceeds to kill Fal's servant and leaves both of their bodies in Fal's home.

When Fal ulimately discovers what Haka had done, he is enraged and begins a personal war against Haka's troops, even his fellow clansmen, killing many of them until he finally is before Haka.

The two duel, but it is a short struggle, as Haka slashes Fal across his chest, mortally wounding him. To his surprise, he quickly finds that Fal has impaled him on his own sword. Borrowing a classic sword-fighting premise from a million stories and films, both Sangheili fall, each having killed the other.

Fal's last moments alive are concerned with thoughts his wife.

As a result of Fal's actions as part of his actions leading to the Duel, the rank of Arbiter is stripped of its honour and is bestowed only apon the Sangheili who have been deemed to have no honor, in order that they might regain it.

In case you wanted a shorter crisper plot description, here's Halo Waypoint's official blurb:

"“The Duel” takes place thousands of years in the past at the dawn of the Covenant. The story follows a shamed Elite who defies his role as an Arbiter to take a path of revenge against those that stole the only thing that mattered to him. This ancient Arbiter must fight his way through ever-growing groups of former allies (Grunts, Elites, Hunters and more) until he finally stands face-to-face with the Elite who betrayed him."

The Duel's plot being set at the dawn of the formation of the Covenant gives us a small insight into the beginning events of the Halo 2 xbox game where the Arbiter, er... becomes The Arbiter. His disgrace at not having prevented the Master Chief from exploding the first Halo installation results in him being bestowed the title of Arbiter with the expectation that, as the "Blade of the Prophets", he will die trying to redeem himself. 

My point is that the Arbiter of Halo 2 and 3 has brought upon himself the same dishonour that Fal bought upon himself, thus 'earning' the title.

Does the Duel have a New Zealand reference?

 In Maori, which is an official language of NZ, a 'haka' is a war dance which was historically done before a tribe battled another as a challenge. Now the All Blacks rugby team famously do one before each test match. I wonder if the name Haka is a reference to New Zealand and possibly the fact one of Bungie's main men, Chris Butcher is from New Zealand. 

Probably a long shot but does any one have any ideas?