The Chief was always intended to be a soldier in the last part of a long and bitter war. Story writer Joseph Staten recalled that early on in Halo 's development, they had not considered how to engage players in the world, and Master Chief's character was what drew people in. The character's two-prong visor, intended to convey speed and agility, was inspired by BMX helmets. The Chief's armor went through various changes, such as the addition (and later removal) of an antenna, and a green tint.

Lehto felt the character needed to feel more like a walking tank, and the design was bulked up. One of Wang's sketches became the basis for Master Chief, but the initial translation of the drawing into a three-dimensional model looked too slim and anime-inspired. Shi Kai Wang was later hired for conceptual art. The task of developing Master Chief for the character's first video game appearance in developer Bungie's Halo: Combat Evolved (2001) fell on art director Marcus Lehto and Robert McLees. Shi Kai Wang's preliminary sketch of the Master Chief in Halo: Combat Evolved Criticism of the Master Chief's lessened role in Halo 5 led to the developers refocusing on him for Halo Infinite. The character has received a generally positive reception while some critics have described the Chief's silent and faceless nature as a character weakness, other publications have suggested these attributes better allow players to inhabit the character. The Master Chief serves as a mascot for Halo and the Xbox brand. With each new appearance, the character's visual design underwent revamping or updates. Downes based his personification of the Chief on an initial character sketch, which called for a Clint Eastwood–type character of few words. The character is voiced by Steve Downes, a former Chicago disc jockey, in the video games in which he appears. He is commonly referred to by his naval rank rather than his given birth name. He is almost faceless and rarely seen without his green-colored armor and helmet.

The Master Chief is a towering supersoldier known as a ' Spartan', raised and trained from childhood for combat. The character also appears in Halo books and graphic novels – including Halo: The Fall of Reach, Halo: The Flood, Halo: First Strike, and Halo: Uprising – and has minor appearances or cameos in other Halo media. Master Chief is a playable character in the series of military science fiction first-person shooter video games Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 4, Halo 5: Guardians and Halo Infinite. Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, or ' Master Chief', is a fictional character and the protagonist in the Halo multimedia franchise.

Alex Puccinelli ( Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn)īruce Thomas ( Halo 4, Halo 5 and Halo Infinite ).

Halo 1