Although there have been manyHalocharacters who have gone on to become fan-favorites,with Master Chief himself being a prime example of this, there have also been a few other individuals who often don’t receive quite as much attention. Because theHalogames primarily centered around a small cast of main characters who drive the story, it means that it can be easy for characters who might be seen as less important to fly right under the radar, which is unfortunate considering how unique and fun a lot of these characters can be.
On the other hand though, there’s also been several individuals who, in one way or another, went a long way in helping Chief on his missions, yet still are often left out of discussions and conversations about the series entirely. Although there are a lot ofHalocharacters who could be considered underrated, the individuals listed below are by far the biggest examples of this.
7Veronica Dare
Despite Veronica only appearing a few times throughout theHalo 3: ODSTcampaign, she makes it clear right from the get go that she’s not someone to be taken lightly, both in and outside of combat. As the leader of ODST squad five-nine, Veronica comes across as very authoritative and demanding, which at times, can make her seem a little cold-hearted to those around her. However, it gradually becomes evident that Veronica cares a lot more about her allies, and for the people she’s saving, than she initially lets on, something that is demonstrated when she slowly begins to open up to her future husband, Buck.
Veronica also stood out to fans for her appearance, and more specifically, the armor that she can be seen wearing. Veronica dons the Recon helmet, a piece of armor which has always been seen as a legendary item that can only be acquired in the games through very specific and arduous means, so it immediately made her stand out and even lent an aura of mystery to her character and background.
6Marvin Mobuto
Marvin Mobuto Is Without A Doubt One Of The Most Fearless Marines In The Entire Series
Although Marvin Mobuto is barely referenced in the games, this heroic staff sergeant is explored in more depth through the bookHalo: The Flood, where he becomes lost from the rest of his squad and ends up in the Flood-infested library seen in the first game. After running intoGuilty Sparkwho views him as a “Reclaimer”, Marvin is tasked with fighting his way through literally hordes of horrific Flood creatures in an attempt to recover the Index.
Marvin does eventually fall victim to the enemy, but not before taking down swarms of them with nothing but his trusty assault rifle in hand. Considering that regular marines inHalo: Combat Evolvedcan be killed by the Flood in mere seconds, it just goes to show how efficient and deadly Marvin really was as a soldier, with him even getting a shout out from Chief himself, who labels him as being “One hardass SOB”.
5The Didact
After His Defeat, The Didact Goes Through A Huge Character Arc, And Even Makes Peace With The Humans
When compared to the other outstanding antagonists that have appeared throughout the series, The Didact doesn’t receive quite as much love from fans, despite the fact that he goes through a pretty intriguing character arc after Chief takes him down. As the creator and leader of the Prometheans, The Didact wields an incredible amount of power and is a huge threat to the stability of the galaxy, but after Chief seemingly finishes him off for good at the end ofHalo 4, this wasn’t actually the end for this stubborn villain.
After surviving the fall into slipspace and landing on Halo installation 03, he is eventually apprehended by a group of Spartans who manage to imprison him in the Domain. With plenty of time to reflect on his actions, and withthe Gravemind’s influenceslipping away, The Didact came to make peace with the humans, and even ended up saving Chief during the Battle of Genesis. Despite not being talked about much among fans, primarily because the game he was featured in wasn’t too fondly received, The Didact is still a great villain who goes through one hell of an emotional rollercoaster.
4Miranda Keyes
Miranda Doesn’t Get Enough Love Considering How Much She Sacrificed To Help Humanity Win The War
When most fans think of the UNSC, their mind usually refers to the likes of Master Chief, Sargeant Johnson, or maybe even Captain Keyes, which often means that the captain’s own daughter, Miranda, usually gets sidelined. This isn’t to suggest that Miranda is any less important than these other individuals though, especially since it was she who commanded humanity’s forces during some of their most brutal conflicts against the Covenant fleet.
It also can’t be understated just how courageous Miranda is, constantly putting her life on the line for the sake of the mission, such as near the end ofHalo 3where she willingly takes onmultiple Bruteswith nothing more than a shotgun and magnum, just to buy enough time for Chief to catch up to Truth while also trying to rescue Sergent Johnson at the same time. Miranda sacrificed a lot for the sake of saving humanity, and for that, she deserves a lot more credit than she often receives.
3Jun
Underneath His Stoic Exterior, Jun Is An Incredibly Intrugging Member Of Noble Team
“The vigilant eye of Noble” may be quiet and reserved on the surface, but Jun is actually an incredibly fascinating character who’s much more than just a simple sniper. As is made clear through his dialogue inHalo Reach, Jun doesn’t have a burning hatred for the Covenant like a lot of his teammates, and even seems to have a lot of respect for his enemy. There are plenty of other small details that help Jun stand out as a character too, such as how is full name, Jun-A, is most likely a reference to the marksman of Hindu mythology known as Ajuna, for example.
There’s also the fact that by the end ofHalo Reachwhen Noble Team make their final stand against the Covenant forces, Jun is the only one who manages to escape with his life intact, and would eventually go on to become a recruiter and trainer for the Spartan branch. There really isn’t anyone like Jun in the series, but while his spotlight is often stolen by his more memorable and outgoing comrades, his unique personality and character arc still make him a pretty intriguing Spartan to learn about.
2Tartarus
There Hasn’t Really Been A Halo Villain As Physically Imposing And Intimidating As Tartarus
Out of all the Covenant enemies who are encountered throughout the games, none of them are quite as imposing ad intimidating as the military general himself, Tartarus. With an unwavering belief inthe Prophets' ideals, Tartarus made it clear that he was more than willing to annihilate anyone who decided to turn on their masters with his own personal Fist of Rukt Gravity Hammer, which is an incredibly unique weapon that can only be wielded by the chief himself.
Even during his iconic death scene near the end ofHalo 2, Tartarus still manages to take out several Elites with the use of his hammer, being extremely difficult to defeat, even when he’s greatly outnumbered. BecauseHalo 2already has such a staggering number of great villains, Tartarus can sometimes be forgotten about completely, but with how much he influences the story, and his merciless persona, he definitely doesn’t deserve to be overlooked.
1Sesa Refumee
Refumee’s Revolt Would Play A Huge Part In Breaking The Prophet’s Influence
Although Refumee, commonly referred to as simply “The Heretic Leader”, only appears for two missions inHalo 2, it is made pretty apparent that the character knows a lot more than the player does, especially since he made the decision to turn on the Covenant for his own mysterious reasons. By this point in the story, players had witnessed just how brutal and violent the Prophets could be to their own soldiers, but no one had ever gone as far as to actually betray the entire fleet, at least, not until Refumee shows up.
It’s eventually revealed that Refumee rejected the ideals of the Prophets after learning the truth about the Halo rings,the Forerunners, and the Flood, prompting him to band together a small group of Grunts and Elites who the Arbiter would eventually track down and kill. He may have initially seemed like an inconsequential sub-boss, but Refumee’s revolt would be the first time that the Covenant’s leaders started to lose their influence, and was ultimately the beginning of what would go on to become the Covenant Seperatists.
