10 Facts about Master Chief | Lore and Theory 

I like to think that Chief is considered the average because he is the standard unit of measurement for spartans "You have a 0.96 Master Chief of height, a 1.03 Master Chiefs of weight, a 0.93 Master Chief of speed..."

I love the idea that Chief is average among Spartans, it leaves a lot of room for interesting spartans that are unique and excel in their own right.

I absolutely LOVE the idea of John being immune to the Halo Array. It could make for some pretty badass ending to a fight against the Banished. He decides to sacrifice himself to wipe them off Zeta Halo and then survives, EPIC AF

Chief is absolutely not an average strategist and tactician. Besides the “ luck” plot armor device, that’s where he shines the most. It’s why he was made a leader early on. Look at Noble team. Carter is the leader not because he’s the strongest ( Jorge), best shot (jun), or best with tech (Kat). He’s the leader because he’s the best strategist and simply the best at leading. Same reason Chief was in charge of blue team. Which is arguably the best Spartan team.

Fact #11: Master chief died on that escape pod crash on Halo 1 and his body was controlled by the rogue a.i. known as Cortana

Slight correction, The bible verse you are referring to is Revelations <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="77">1:17</a>. "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last." Love your content, keeping Halo alive, cheers!

Chuck Norris once saw master chief coming towards him and ran

Always loved Halos deeper lore, Chief possibly being trans-sentient along with the Ur Diadact considering he was immune to the composer too gives me goose bumps

Can you do “10 things you might not have known about Elites” next? I think that would be cool since the covenant side of halo lore is a part that I think many halo fans probably know less about as a whole.

I’d love to see you branch more into creating fanfic stories throughout the human-covenant war similar to like what you did with Fireteam Ares

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="868">14:28</a> this. I remember playing that game, so young. Being scared out of my mind in the sixth mission, but I had to steel myself. I'm a super soldier. The Master Chief. This is just another Saturday. Chills!

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="500">8:20</a> Don't forget that the Librarian also did something with the recessed genetics that were hidden away in the human genome. We don't really know the extent to which that has affected his physiology.

When you were talking about the rank promotions and how it required approval from a board of master chiefs, I couldn't help but imagine a bunch of green fully armored Spartans in business suits sitting around a circular table.

On Master Chief feeling fear. The detail of Chief watching Jenkins recording and immediately realizing he's in the same room where those marines died. You can actually see how he's frightened, he's scared, this is the one time we see him like this as he's about to face a cosmic horror. And yet he composes himself and manages to get out of there. On the first mission as well, while a Marine is scared to his bones that theyre not going to make it on the life pod. Chief actually puts a hand on his shoulder as trying to calm him down. Chief actually feels bad for that Marine as he ubderstands their situation is quite a difficult one. These little humanizing details from Master chief remind you that there's a human there. John is under that helmet.

Master chief's "stats/skills" might be average but, the way he incorporated all of his abilities exceed all other spartans and he has proven it multiple times. Both cortana and Halsey said john was lucky but, have also stated they don't believe in luck. John consciously/subconsciously blended all of his abilities to become the best of all worlds.

My favourite fact about chief is he has every medal of war except for the prisoner of war as he has never been captured or even close to being captured

The lore conflicts with itself. Because Chief is the _only_ “Hyper Lethal Vector” aside from Noble 6. You can’t be _just average_ at everything and be the best overall.

So, prior service Sailor here. While it is correct that the Master Chief Petty Officer of The Navy (MCPON or "Mick-Pon" as it's pronounced) is occupied by a singular person, it literally cannot be given upon death as a posthumous promotion. It can be retained upon death, I believe. MCPON is a Master Chief specifically chosen as the highest ranking NCO in the entire Navy, and has to be currently active and living to obtain the rank. He/she reports directly to the main higher-ups in the Navy/military like the Fleet Admiral (five star Admiral, only appointed during a time of war as the de facto Commanding Officer of the Navy) Secretary of the Navy (SECNAV), Secretary of Defense (SECDEF) and others with similar positions of authority. So, unless John-117 was already appointed as MCPON (which isn't actually much of a stretch, considering the current person in charge of ONI is also a Spartan II), the Navy could have appointed him as MCPON prior to the events of Halo 3.

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="437">7:17</a> It's also entirely possible that the things the Librarian did to him only improved his genetics even further, so he might age even more slowly than that.

Master Chief Jack of all trades, master of none

Honestly, I loved listening to these facts about Chief. I didn't know basically any of these, so it's great to know more about our Master Chief. Especially that last fact about Chief with the Halos. That was very surprising, and it would be very cool and interesting if it's true. I hope we can see more 10 facts about Halo characters in the future.

The more I hear about the Spartans in true detail the more I realize; they're closer to 40ks Space Marines than I think a lot of nerds would like them to be

Would be cool to learn more about the regular soldiers. Yeah the ODST & spartans are great, but I feel like there's probably a lot of hard work, training & great stories that goes into being just a regular soldier that gets overshadowed by people falling from the sky in metal coffins and super-soldiers.

So...heroic man in green with generally average skills compared with his peers but his one exceptional ability is extremely high luck you say. Does this describe THE Master Chief? Yes it does! Does this also describe Kazuma Sato from Konosuba? Also yes! Therefore, Chief is video games Kazuma and Kazuma is anime Chief. Only question is who is luckier? Lol

Halo: The Flood DOES NOT say Masterchief is freezer burned, but the narrator at that part speculates it is so.

Fact #12: when Master Chief dies he wakes up in hell and theres doomguy shouting "wake up Marine your jobs not done!"

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="150">2:30</a> RIP to Spartan Grace. Survived Reach only to be crushed during their first interaction with Brutes.

I feel like saying Chief is an average Spartan is really selling him short. Like sure maybe his skills when he started were average for a Spartan but Chief has been in constant combat basically nonstop for about 32 years. Even with all the augmentations and skill it still can’t compare to that amount of experience.

just thought of this when you mentioned paygrades, how much money has chief earned over his lifetime? and would he of even spent any of it?

I seem to recall from the books John I don’t think was necessarily average per say. I think I remember a line about how he would consistently come 2nd or close to that position in boot camp but then you would have Fred, Kelly, Linda excelling in their respective skills. He however was the best “all around” spartan + his “luck” and also I could have sworn it was Frank Mendez aka the OG “chief” who bestowed upon him the rank of Master Chief and gave John a coin Halsey had given him as a child in that exchange.

He’s an all a rounder. Having the strength but not speed or vise versa is a handicap. But having the right combo of both, is where it’s at.

Jack of all trades, master of none. However being good at everything equally in it of itself is dope. Every area someone lacks in you excel in comparison.

All I want is a buddy cop Halo game with Chief and Lasky.

Him always waking up from cryo reminds me of the "incase of war break glass" saying lol

Master Chief has one thing that no one else has... it's called plot armor. It makes him invincible, in every way and form.

“ we get to be 40 or 50 and have ached and pains from things we did in our 20s” 10/10 can confirm. 😂

The fact about the biblical reference to John 117 blew my mind. I've been a massive fan of this franchise since the very beginning, and this is by far the biggest mind blower I've ever felt with MC.

I don’t think Master Chief is average on everything, he was a genius on Tactics, Leadership and Strategy. And I also believe he was incredibly swift agile and skilled as an individual combatant

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="1136">18:56</a> That's Revelation <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="77">1:17</a>, which was written by the same John in the Bible who wrote the book of John.

Saying John is average compared to other spartan 2's Has never really been the way i like to look at it. I really just think of all spartan 2's with the same baseline abilities, and a few of them have a trait that responded better in conjunction to a specific augmention than the rest. I dunno if my point is getting across. like i think saying chief is "average for a spartan" kinda implies a larger gap in ability between spartan 2's than is likely. Linda and Kelly are also "average for a Spartan" in all other metrics than visual accuity and speed. Like, what im REALLY trying to say is that i strongly feel that any spartan 2 in mjolnir is directly comparable to another spartan 2, at least to within a 75 to 95% margin probably?? Like, if i can imagine Chief Flipping a Tank AT ALL, Then i would still be confident in whoever the "weakest" spartan 2 is could do so as well, even if it took 15 or 25% more effort. Sorry i just have been thinking about that paticular sentiment for a long time as i just never quite sat well with me in Halo Discussions, and i wanted to articulate why. I still love the video though as always 00.

Wow i never noticed that on the Voi memorial, I really love that detail of making him The Master Chief of the Navy.

If The Master Chief makes it to 400, they should be calling him The Fleet Admiral. Another great enjoyable video.

Chief is a measurement unit for the Spartans. If Chief can run a mile in less than 10 sec, Kelly will beat that. If Chief can bench press a tank, Jorge could probably lift a five tanks.

Think it’s pretty safe to say the Believe content has been retconned with the events of Halo 4 and later entries. The entire trailer was setup as a dedication piece to closing days of the Human-Covenant war at the end of which Master Chief is presumed dead/MIA as he never returned from installation 00. His “burial” was an entirely symbolic gesture to honour him. Bungie had for all intensive purposes intended Halo 3 to be their last game in the the franchise.

Love the 10 Facts series, keep em comin!

Technically, there is one thing master chief can do that no other Spartan can’t do and that’s clap cheeks

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="52">0:52</a> {Insert joke about something being average here.}

I like to think John's averageness is something like, his stats are all 90/100, except luck which is like 150 While other Spartans have mostly 80s and then they excel at one skill like Kelly with Speed or Jorge with Strength

I’d like to see 10 facts about the Gamma Spartan III’s like I personally have trouble wrapping my head around the fact that 300 something S-III’s are just MIA from lore and you done hear much about them specifically

Based on the pay chart of 2023 for the US Navy. Chief would be getting $9,402.30 a month for over forty years of service.

I feel that being average would help like I would rather get a B in all my school subjects than an A in one have and a C in the other. This just makes it so he can conquer any challenge even if he doesn’t excel at some…

If the flood are immune to halo there would be no point of firing the ring in halo 3

I think the three stars next to Chief’s name are right. While it signifies the MCPO of the Navy, perhaps it’s meant that John-117 is the MCPO of the Spartans. Or at least, the Spartan II’s.

If Chief can be up to 450 years old and he’s only 49 while that’s considered 10% of his life. Chief is technically around 10 years old, he’s just a baby saving humanity. 🥰

Calling chief average in over a dozen subjects means he’s not average lmao he’s good at everything

The Chief wasn't "average." He was just good at everything. But what set him apart was his knack for winning. His ability to adapt and be an effective leader. John always found a way to win. From when he was very young he knew how to win in any situation. This is why he is the best Spartan.

The forerunners could make pocket dimensions but couldn’t make themselves 5 dimensional beings

In Halo Wars and Halo Wars 2 we see literally everyone within cryopods wearing clothing. I had no idea about the blistering fact. Does that make halo wars not accurate to the cannon?

One thing I think that should be mentioned is that John is the best spartan at one thing, nothing. What I mean is, he is the perfect Jack of all trades, master of none. And that alone is what makes him the best, by not being the best at any one thing.

Ooh, cool! I was wondering when these would come back!

On the ending.... I have a feeling that the news that the Chief is alive and still fighting isn't that well known the wider public, and I say this for a few reasons: 1. To our knowledge, the only time he's been to Earth, he was in his Armor, ergo, if he was ever allowed to go on leave, and he went to Earth, most people wouldn't recognize him, especially if he was wearing civilian clothing. 2. Since his rescue in Halo 4, the only human ship he's been on, again, to our knowledge, is the UNSC Infinity, and there aren't a whole lot of people filling out blogs on that ship given that it's the mobile home base of the Spartan program (well... it was anyway). 3. The Master Chief monument mentioned in the Believe campaign I imagine was probably built as a more permanent monument some time after the events of Halo 3. As such, they may have chosen to make it in Chiefs image as he represented the whole fight the most. Even today, we have built monuments to events and those that represented those events were still alive when the monument was built. The Iwo Jima memorial immediately jumps to mind as one such example. If my memory is correct, of the ones who raised the flag, 3 were still alive for a press tour, and of them, two were still alive to see the memorial be built. So, ultimately, I think in 2590, Chief will probably still be alive. But I don't think he'll be on the front lines. I think by then, he'll be the one that greets future Spartans: "You have been called upon to serve. And we will make you the best that we can."

I like your content, thank you for making it🔥

MCPON is a highly administrative role and would never be held by a field operator like John. It was almost definitely a posthumous honorary promotion. It makes sense though considering the MCPON mainly tours the fleet promoting morale and proper training for the enlistedmen, which is a role John already sort of filled through his hero status.

Technically he'd be around his late 30's because of how much time was spent in cryp between different theaters of war during the humsn-covenant war.

You can still fit about 3,000 games between the years 2560 and 2590, so whatever, but the Chief having the potential to be a Q is weird.

john halo is the best halo character (right behind him are john reach and john jazz)

What if master chief meets his parents. Imagine if your son saved humanity.

Great video!

I do have an issue with that Fred is now a commissioned officer and out ranks Chief. I get that they thought John was dead but what's wrong with Fred getting the same or similar rank to Chief.

I have to say that if only 2 Spartans can be classified as "Hyperleathal' he's got to have something putting him a bit above average.

Master Chief is more of a "Jack of All traits, master of none" kind of Spartan.

Nice, love yr content. Sorry haven't commented lately, had a health scare. Had to knock off the grog and and take a new road in life. Still love yr videos, and will carry on supporting yr channel

I know a SEAL Master Chief. He spent 30 years in the teams, so yes it usually takes awhile to get that rank.

Those words were good job soldier.

Fun Fact number 11: Master Chief has never appeared in films or television franchises.

absolutely love the halo lore but your other channel 00 Multiverse im still waiting on the 40k Astarte's most detailed brake down. small jab aside always greatly enjoy your content keep up the great work.

He is the type of guy who calls in a coin flip heads 10 consecutive times and calls it correctly because ..well he called for it!!

As to your point about the flood not being affected by the Halo array, if I recall correctly there's footage in the Halo CE anniversary terminals that clearly shows flood biomass and forms being swept away in the wake of the firing of the array. I thought that confirmed that they were being targeted too.

John-117 actually has an identical twin, who was with him throughout the events of halo ce and 2, known as Dustin Echoes-069

why the fuck i am getting goosebumps hearing this?

I realized from a previous video Del Rio's comment of "hallucinations of an aging spartan" would pretty much be aimed at an 8 or 9 year old.

Cool video!

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="766">12:46</a> its a postumus rank, the military does that for certain individuals upon death.

"Chief is average." Me: "Them's fightin' words."

Cheifs the living embodiment of the jack of all trades, master of none. But is also above average in all regards. In halo 5 he kicked the ass off team osiris, spartan 5's who are like blue team specialized in their own crafts.

Fun fact: Before Halo 4, chief was given the rank Master Chief of the Navy posthumously after Halo 3. This rank can been seen on his memorial during the scene where Lord Hood and the Arbiter exchange words with each other. Whether he still attains this rank post halo 3 is something we’ll never know as 343 has given us very little info about it. Most likely they have forgotten this fact or just simply do not care as 343 usually does Edit: is actually nice to know Installation 00 touched on this topic. Most Halo fans don’t remember this small tidbit so its nice to know someone paid as much details to the lore as I did in my youth.

This video reminded me how good halo used to be

Didn't Lord Hood posthumously award John his own special rank of Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy after the events of Halo 3?

he's a jack of all trades with lady luck by his side

Doesn't gray team have the highest kill count since they've killed more and then buy themselves killed an entire planet?

I like to imagine Chief walking around with a briefcase pushing for chief

Please, on everything good and holy, elaborate the Master Chief being the first human transcendent! My smooth brain is throbbing tryna wrap itself around the ramifications of this realization!! Lmao

It’s not about averagability, it’s about the leverage of seeming so

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="815">13:35</a> - The Halo series would like a word with you 😂

the averageness of chief has a quirk: its not the median. by there only being a handfull, and everybody having basicly one specialisation, chief is effectively second or third at everything. making him, in sum of all "points" the best. a jack of all trades is master of non, but often surpasses a master of one.

Chief being the average at everything reminds me a little bit of a trackmania streamer name Wirtual. Trackmania is a racing game with many surfaces and styles, each requiring their own unique skillset to master. Wirtual is top 1000 on every single surface in the game, and by extension, is easilly a top 100 player in the game, often time winning tournaments whenever they feature tracks with multiple styles/surfaces on the same map. What I'm trying to get at with this real world example is, if a spartan is needed who is very capable at handling multiple, or even many, skills, then the best spartan for the task will most often be John.

I had always thought that the Spartan number designation was they're last names converted into numbers and added together. It's interesting to find I was wrong with that assumption

That biblical reference is cool, I had no idea.

Hey there installation 00 I just want to point out a few minor disagreements that might seem semantic but are pretty important to people who served in the Navy. I do think you're right that Master Chief is the Master Chief petty officer of the Navy, but that's not why they would call him the Master Chief. In the US Navy, we refer to the Master Chief petty officer of the Navy as the MCPON (pronounced Mick-pon). Nobody in the Navy would refer to the mcpon as the Master Chief. That said, the mcpons role in the Navy is to serve as the enlisted's representative to the Chiefs of staff. I think you're right that he is the mcpon for two reasons. First, it would be amazingly symbolic to have your government's greatest war hero serving as the Master Chief petty officer of the Navy. It would be a huge rallying point for the enlisted. But it would also be pretty inappropriate to have a Spartan as the enlisted's representative to the Chiefs of staff. Spartans being pulled from birth and not knowing any life outside of the military makes them really poor representatives for everybody else. That said, I can see that being exactly the kind of thing that the UNSC and Oni would pull. Pick somebody with superhuman performance and unquestioning loyalty to orders and make them the person who's supposed to stand up for the lowest ranks of the military is right up oni alley. 😂 He's called the Master Chief because really who the f* else are you talking about when you're talking about killing a thousand covenant soldiers and then blowing up an ancient alien megastructure? 😂 I mean think about it like this, Captain isn't really a very high rank in the American army. It's an officer rank but it's about middle of the road for the officer ranks. Captain America was probably promoted to Colonel a long time ago, but it's stupid to change his name just because he got a promotion, stupid not to promote him just because he's got a catchy name. 😂

Master Chief just proves that a man that can do everything at an average level is better than someone who is number one at something at the expense of not being able to do something else.