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Ryan OuelletteAshely HumphriesENC 110121 April 2015The Master Chief and Cortana: an Unconventional RelationshipThroughout video game history there have been many great and famous video game duos. Duos such as Mario and Luigi, Ash and Pikachu, Jack and Dexter, as well as Sonic and Tails are just a few of the greats to mention. However, arguably the best duo of the last decade and a half is none other than the Master Chief John 117 and his A.I. construct Cortana. Over the last 14 years, gamers witnessed the often dry interaction between the two evolve into a dynamic and full-fledged relationship. Through the use of visuals and texts found in Halo 4s ending movie, one can argue that the relationship between the Master Chief and Cortana goes far beyond that of a man and a piece of technology.Halo: Combat Evolve, or Halo 1, thrusts the player into the game with minimal backstory and a whole lot of questions. Some of the few things known at this point, however, are that this zombie-like super soldier, the Master Chief, is under attack and his artificial intelligence, Cortana, is perhaps one of his only allies. These ideas are further affirmed by her constant companionship, helpful hints, and quirky comments throughout the course of the game as you fight endless hordes of alien enemies. By the end of the first chapter in this long saga, the player is still left with a myriad of questions but a sense of satisfaction at what seems like a brief respite to the constant fighting and in the budding friendship of the Chief and Cortana. In the conclusion, she declares, Halo, its finished, while he refutes with, I think we are just getting started. In the literal sense the Chief is referencing to the war with the Flood and the Covenant, however it could be in reference to the friendship between him and his A.I. companion. This friendship continues to grow throughout the series until it reaches its climax at the end of Halo 4.

Halo 4 picks up roughly four years after the ending of the third game. Not much has happened in intervening years as the Chief spent it in a futuristic frozen stasis. After a series of events, he is awoken to discover that his is A.I. is dying and begins his quest to try and rescue her. He once again fights through hordes of enemies, new and old, until he gets to the final battle with their leader, the Didact, where he is faced with a grim realization. In the ensuing battle, he finds out that Cortana sacrificed herself in order to preserve his life. This conversation is witnessed in the final cut-scene of the game.At first glance this cut-scene seems like a normal, final farewell between two good friends, well as normal as an ending between futuristic super-soldier and his artificial companion can be. However after watching and listening to it several times there are certain elements that are evident to the audience. The beginning of the scene opens up with a whitish-blue, blurry haze and nearly no audio. This could possibly allude to purgatory or limbo that the Master Chief is in. Hes not quite dead but not quite alive either as he just watched Cortana sacrifice herself for him. He remembers his time spent, throughout the third game, without her, has grown to rely on her, and feels safe in her presence.

Blue is the prevailing color throughout the entire video and hints at something quite important. While the Master Chief is a career soldier, the last several, and most difficult, years were spent with Cortana. She was with him at the very beginning, with the discovery of the Halo Ring, and had been with him almost every step of the way following it. He became accustomed to her presence during their escapades throughout the galaxy. Cortanas blue hologram was the first thing he saw when he awoke and his last sights when he closed his eyes. During the video, she discusses that she used her energy to create a shield around the Chief. It could be inferred that she created a blue shield in the hopes that she could comfort him one last time before she was gone forever. Cortana begins to care deeply for John, the Master Chief, and would do just about anything to keep him safe. At one point during the final battle with the Didact, right before the ending cut-scene, he tells her that her compassion and willingness to help mankind is foolish. She responds to his statement with a vigorous attack and by saying, Im not doing this for mankind! (Cortana, Halo 4). This dialogue between the two enemies shows that she puts the Chiefs importance above all else. The selected color scheme combines with the audio and texts to foster a feeling of finality. At the time of release, Halo 4 was marketed as the final game in the franchise. Every action, event, or act suggested that this was the end of the Master Chiefs journey with Cortana. Throughout most of the franchise, the relationship between the two is noteworthy for its back-and-forth, witty banter. Its almost ironic how light and humorous their conversations are considering all of the death that is simultaneously taking place. However, as the fourth game starts winding down the tone of conversations begins to shift, the humor a wit practically gone. This shift is cemented in the final cut-scene during their last conversation. Cortanas normally bright blue avatar is noticeably duller and lack luster. Her tone, which is usually light and playful, is uncharacteristically dejected and crestfallen. Even the Chief, who has overcome monumentally large challenges, has a defeated disposition, the fight gone in speech. Both characters knew that this was their last moment together, even if neither wanted to believe it.

Another element to take away from is the Johns surprising show of emotion. Throughout the Halo Saga the Master Chief is depicted as a fearless, dauntless, killing machine. Somebody who fears nothing and whos only function in society is to kill. Is this how soldiers are viewed today, are modern warriors supposed to be mindless robots? The game depicts the Chief as a daring combatant and that is how soldiers, in the U.S. Military and in armies around the world, are trained to be today. Military instructors indoctrinate their recruits and trainees to show no emotion and to feel no pain, to be stoic machines devastation. Special operations units, such as the Green Berets, Spetsnaz, and SEALs, are molded into magnificent specimens of war, the perfect, emotionless warriors. The best trained and equipped soldiers, however, even the fictional Master Chief, are still human, no matter how much they are trained and indoctrinated not to believe. Even the most hardcore, battle-hardened warriors are, at their core, human. No amount of death, gore, or carnage can permanently erase that vestige of humanity. And the way the creators of the Chief interpret this notion is lethally accurate. He is the perfect representation of what a soldier ought to be and the male gender role.About halfway through the cut-scene, and throughout most of the games, the Master Chief mentions that, It was my job to protect you, and Cortana repudiates with, We were supposed to take care of each other. Historically, gender roles in video games depict men as the warriors, the macho men, and the protectors of women. On the other side, women are generally depicted as weaker and subservient to men. The Master Chief is essentially the perfect representation of a video game male: strong, intelligent, and determined. Cortana, however, is not the typical portrayal of a woman, as she aligns closer to a more modern, proactive specimen.Throughout the course of the Halo series, Cortana is known for constantly striking out at enemies much bigger and more imposing than her. For a small hologram, she shows no fear or trepidation in the face of adversity. Shes confident in her abilities and strengths. Cortana defies all preconceived notions established by video games over the years; shes tough, edgy, and a bit of a badass. Her character model and personality are bold and innovative. That being said, there arent too many positive female role models in video games, most characters being portrayed as lewd sex objects or helpless damsels in distress. 343 Industries Dan Ayoub stated in an interview, Obviously we take the perception of how women are portrayed in the games really, really seriously. She defies the often common misconception of women being frail, weak, or fragile. In a male dominated video game world, the creators of Cortana were very forward thinking with her personality and overall design throughout the course of the series. Shes bold. Its kind of raw and fearless, Jen Taylor, voice actress for Cortana, stated in an interview on the A.I.s design. Bungie and 343 Industries were not only creative for throwing in the reversed gender role topic into the Halo series, but for managing to imbed so much subtext into a short, simple conversation (Halo 4).The relationship dynamic between Cortana and the Master Chief is, deliciously complicated, stated Jen Taylor. The evolution of their connection unfounded right before the very eyes of the gaming community. The general dreary, techno sounding music along with the desolate and gloomy colors combine to create the perfect atmosphere to sum up this great saga. The story makers behind Halo attempted to persuade and lean the viewers towards a decidedly darker and more complex relationship, and narrative in general, than fans were used to in the past. By using subtle, and sometimes not so subtle, storytelling elements, Bungie and 343 Industries successfully generated this complex notion. The common themes throughout the series, like reliance on technology and ones humanity, or lack thereof, highlight that notion expertly. Intricate views, such as reverse gender roles, really exemplify the unusual connection shared between Cortana and the Master Chief throughout the story arc. 343 Industries wanted to end their story on a grand scale, it was the culmination of every experience and feeling the fans felt throughout the franchise, every tear and every joke. It might not have been the ending fans were expecting or wanted, but 343 wanted to do this pivotal relationship, almost 14 years in the making, justice with their conclusion to Halo 4 and they expertly executed this.Halo 4 cut scene: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faOMPia9uyIWorks CitedCortana. Halo Waypoint. Microsoft, n.d. 4 Mar. 2015.Halo Interview: 343 Industries' Dan Ayoub on Master Chief Collection, Halo 5 & Sexualised Cortana. International Business Times. IBTimes Co., 17 Sept. 2014. 4 Mar. 2015.Halo 4 Story Interview. Halo Nation. Wikia Inc., 22 Sept. 2012. 4 Mar. 2015. Master Chief. Halo Waypoint. Microsoft, n.d. 4 Mar. 2015.The voice of Halos Cortana is a Jane Austen type at heart. The Seattle Times. The Seattle Times Company, 12 Dec. 2014. 4 Mar. 2015.343 Industries Josh Holmes on Halo 4s love story, weaponry, and new enemies (interview). GamesBeat. VentureBeat, 1 Nov. 2012. 4 Mar. 2015.