A still image allegedly taken from an upcoming Halo 5: Guardians commercial depicts Master Chief slumped against a crumbling monument, with new character Jameson Locke standing in the foreground. This has already led to fervent speculation among Halo fans, who are wondering what significance the image has to the plot of Halo 5.
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The writing on the monument, which is difficult to decipher but appears to read ‘Duty and Honor Above All’, is likely a tribute to humanity’s fallen colonies, with Reach being one of the final civilizations to be wiped out by the Covenant forces. The bleak still image certainly shares similarities with Reach’s landscape, though some are also speculating that it could be the Hillside Memorial seen in Halo 3’s ending, which is a bit of a stretch considering that it doesn’t feature the same inscription… and that it’s also not made out of the wing of a plane.
There are few similarities between Halo 5’s unnamed monument and the Hillside Memorial.
There is more debate surrounding possible friction between Master Chief and Locke depicted in the image, with the series’ helmeted protagonist looking a little worse for wear and Agent Locke seemingly reaching for his sidearm. Halo 5’s plot sees Locke tasked with finding Chief, though, so maybe this is their first encounter and John-117 has been chilling out by this rock the whole time while the military desperately searches for him.
The Halo series has always boasted masterful commercials that give some insight into the events of each game, so fans are eager to see the trailer for the fifth entry in the series. It’s uncertain whether or not this image is representative of where the story of Halo 5 is headed, and we’ll have to wait until the game’s release later this year to find out.
