Spoilers are ahead for Halo season 2’s finale.
Summary
Multiple conflicts unfold in
Halo
season 2’s finale, including the Flood’s takeover on Onyx, the Spartan-III-led space battle; and Master Chief’s duel with the Arbiter on the Halo.
Master Chief forsakes his mission to save his comrades, leading him to redeem his energy sword prowess, which was lackluster in
Halo
season 2, episode 4.
The episode ends with an epic energy sword rematch between Arbiter Var ‘Gatanai and Master Chief.
The action-packed Halo season 2 finale sees conflicts happening on multiple fronts and scales, from the Flood’s infiltration of the UNSC base on Onyx to the Spartan-III forces’ attempts to destroy a Covenant ship. Despite being tasked with reaching the Halo before Makee (Charlie Murphy) and Arbiter Var ‘Gatanai (Viktor Åkerblom), Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber) is pulled in several directions. It’s clear that Admiral Parangosky (Shabana Azmi) is trading soldiers’ lives for control of the Halo, which doesn’t sit well with the Chief, especially when Perez (Cristina Rodlo) and Kai (Kate Kennedy) are on the front lines.
As a result, John-117 abandons his primary objective to aid Kai and Javelin Team, Perez’s squadron of Spartan-IIIs, aboard a Covenant ship that’s packed with energy sword-wielding Elites. Later in the Halo season 2 finale’s ending, Master Chief and Cortana (Jen Taylor; Christina Bennington) end up on the ring world in pursuit of Makee, John’s fellow “blessed one,” and the Arbiter. Between the conflict that unfolds in the halls of the Covenant ship and John’s eventual rematch with Var ‘Gatanai on Installation 04, the final episode of Halo’s sophomore outing redeems Master Chief’s energy sword prowess.
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The Flood’s History In Halo Explained & What They Mean For Season 3
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Master Chief Briefly Used An Energy Sword During The Fall Of Reach
The Halo Season 2, Episode 4 Moment Was Underwhelming
Prior to the Halo season 2 finale, Master Chief ignited an energy sword during the Covenant invasion of Reach. After witnessing Jacob Keyes’ (Danny Sapani) noble sacrifice, the Chief and his allies — Silver Team Spartans Riz (Natasha Culzac) and Vannak (Bentley Kalu) as well as Soren (Bokeem Woodbine) — come under fire. Jackals and Elites fill the crumbling halls of the UNSC base on Reach and plasma starts flying. One of the biggest moments in Halo’s Fall of Reach episode occurs when Var ‘Gatanai appears. Ready to kill John, a.k.a. the “Demon,” Var ignites his energy sword.
Wielded by the strongest of Sangheili, the energy sword requires great skill and bravery to use.
Master Chief, who’s strong even without his armor, grabs a fallen Elite’s sword, ignites it, and lunges toward Arbiter Var ‘Gatanai. The rivals lock plasma blades briefly, but Var completely overpowers John. After gravely injuring the Chief, Var prepares to deliver a finishing blow, but Makee calls the Elite off. What should have been an incredibly cool moment — John fighting an Elite with an energy sword — is pretty underwhelming. Ultimately, the energy sword moment on Reach, which pales in comparison to the finale’s energy sword clashes, actually sets episode 8 up to be a thrilling success.
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The Halo Season 2 Finale Gives Master Chief Two Epic Energy Sword Fights
John Fights A Horde Of Elites & The Arbiter Var ‘Gatanai
The two blade battles in the Halo season 2 finale are even better because they redeem the Spartan’s dueling skills. Reunited with his armor, Master Chief emerges from a smoke-filled hallway aboard a Covenant ship, his energy sword glowing as he cuts down several Elites and saves his comrades. If that wasn’t epic enough, the finale features an energy sword rematch between the Arbiter and Master Chief. The warriors are pretty evenly matched, but Master Chief manages to best Var. Killed by John’s blade, the Arbiter is one of the key characters to die in Halo season 2’s finale.
All 8 episodes of
Halo
season 2 are now streaming on Paramount+.
Halo
Release Date: 2022-03-24
Cast: Jen Taylor, Bokeem Woodbine, Charlie Murphy, Shabana Azmi, Kate Kennedy, Natascha McElhone, Yerin Ha, Bentley Kalu, Pablo Schreiber, Danny Sapani, Olive Gray, Natasha Culzac
Genres: Adventure, Sci-Fi, Action
Seasons: 2
Writers: Kyle Killen, Silka Luisa, Richard Robbins, Steven Kane, Justine Juel Gillmer
Franchise(s): Halo
Directors: Otto Bathurst, Jonathan Liebesman, Roel Reiné, Dennie Gordon, Debs Paterson, Craig Zisk, Jessica Lowrey
Showrunner: Kyle Killen
Creator(s): Kyle Killen, Steven Kane
Where To Watch: Paramount+