Top 10 Greatest Halo Moments

#10: Master Chief Awakens

“Halo 4” (2012)

When “Halo 4” was released, it had been 4 years in real time since Master Chief had gone into cryosleep. With a new team in charge of the franchise, the game’s success wasn’t guaranteed. However, as soon as we saw Cortana awaken the Chief from his long slumber, our love for the FPS legend reignited. The Chief is then immediately thrown into repelling a boarding party of Covenant forces. It echoes the first time we saw Master Chief, only this time it went bigger and better. It’s quite the new beginning.

#9: The “Tip of the Spear” Charge

“Halo: Reach” (2010)

Master Chief isn’t the only Spartan in town. In “Halo: Reach,” players follow Noble Team, as they help defend the human colony Reach from a large-scale Covenant invasion. Following their discovery of the Covenant offensive, the UNSC launch a counterattack. In this cutscene, we’re treated to the sight of a huge convoy of warthogs and aircrafts as they charge the Covenant forces. We’re put right in the middle of the action and it’s one of the scenes in the franchise that truly conveys a sense of warfare. It’s a short, wild ride but certainly a memorable one.

#8: Playing as the Arbiter

“Halo 2” (2004)

“Halo 2” does what many good sequels do and improves and expands on the original. One of these areas is the story, which also focuses more on the inner workings of the Covenant through the character of the Arbiter. But players were in for quite a surprise when they learned that we weren’t just following the Arbiter in cutscenes, we actually got to play as him! The frequent switch in characters was a definite gamechanger for the series, and the initial discovery of this feature is always fun to see on new players’ faces.

#7: Halo’s True Purpose

“Halo: Combat Evolved” (2001)

For most of the first “Halo” game, you’re accompanied by your A.I. companion, Cortana. During the brief period she’s absent, players encounter a sentient construct known as 343 Guilty Spark. It guides Master Chief through Halo to activate the ring to wipe out the Flood. However, just before the switch is flipped, Cortana reappears to stop the Chief from making a killer mistake. She explains that Halo doesn’t kill the Flood – it kills any potential host for the parasite. To starve the Flood to death, the Halo rings kill all intelligent life in the galaxy! Not only is this a shocking reveal, but it also helps raise the stakes for the entire franchise to an astronomical level!

#6: Sgt. Johnson’s Death

“Halo 3” (2007)

A legend of the franchise, Sergeant Major Avery Johnson joins Arbiter, Master Chief, and Guilty Spark in setting out to activate the Ark, which could destroy the Flood for good. However, when Guilty Spark hears that they’re willing to destroy the Ark if it will kill the Flood more quickly, he turns on them, blasting Johnson in the process. After a very satisfying takedown of the treacherous A.I., Johnson says his goodbyes and asks that he be sent off with a bang. Johnson is one of everyone’s favorite “Halo” characters. Everybody loves Johnson! So the sarcastic, cantankerous soldier’s death hit us all in the feels pretty hard.

#5: Meeting the Gravemind

“Halo 2” (2004)

The Flood are already terrifying, but after watching this cutscene, they’re on another level entirely. Both the Master Chief and the Arbiter are brought before the Gravemind, the intelligence that directs the Flood. The massive entity proposes an alliance to prevent all of them from dying. But even so, the fact that it has heroes from both sides, as well as a Prophet and one of the Halo Monitors in its grasp visually demonstrates that while it may want to cooperate for now, it’s still a threat to all of them. Its disturbing design and surprising eloquence leave an instant impression.

#4: Warthog Run

“Halo 3” (2007)

The ending of the first “Halo” game concludes with Master Chief escaping the titular ring by racing his Warthog along a path of enemies with a ticking clock. “Halo 3” calls back to this epic moment, and then builds on it. This extended escape sequence has Master Chief and the Arbiter driving a Warthog to escape the Ark as it’s destroyed with Flood, Covenant, and Sentinels firing on all sides, all the while the epic main theme blares in the background. It truly feels like the climactic moment of the original “Halo” trilogy.

#3: The Flood Revealed

“Halo: Combat Evolved” (2001)

For most of the first “Halo” game, players are led to believe they know what it’s about – space marines fighting alien soldiers. Simple, straightforward space opera stuff. And then Master Chief stumbles upon a massacre in a swamp, where it looks like both humans and Covenant have perished. A helmet cam reveals the truth – there’s a third player here. The parasitic Flood are a threat to both groups, and their ability to take over hosts lends the game an element of body horror that no one expected! We’d argue that this is the moment where “Halo” goes from good to amazing!

#2: Farewell, Cortana

“Halo 4” (2012)

As much as “Halo 4” is a new beginning for the franchise, it’s also an ending. Throughout most of the game, Cortana struggles with rampancy; the point at which A.I. constructs begin to degrade. At the game’s conclusion, Cortana uses the last of her energy to appear in a semi-solid state to Master Chief, reassuring him and being able to touch him for the first time. It’s a deeply emotional scene, for both the characters and the players. Cortana has been the Chief’s and the player’s constant companion through thick and thin. While later games showed us she isn’t quite gone, that doesn’t mean this goodbye didn’t make us weep.

Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

Legendary Hug, “Halo: Combat Evolved” (2001) This Special Cutscene Sees Johnson & An Elite Getting Intimate

First Time Hearing the Main Theme, “Halo: Combat Evolved” (2001) Those Beautiful, Epic Bars Give Us Chills Every Time!

Arbiter Kills the Prophet of Truth, “Halo 3” (2007) Silence at Last

#1: Noble Six’s Final Stand

“Halo: Reach” (2010)

As stated previously, “Halo: Reach” depicts Noble Team’s attempts to defend Reach from the Covenant. Unfortunately, it’s a losing battle and most of them are killed in action. The player character, Noble Six, is left behind to secure the escape for the characters in the first game. Surrounded by Covenant forces and with no backup, the player is forced to play until they’re eventually overwhelmed. It’s a tragic and affecting scene. The series may feature Master Chief as the primary lead, but it’s this moment that reminds us that there are so many unsung heroes who made his victories possible.