“I bring you blessings, people of Reach,” Var ‘Gatanai begins his message. “Know that I have come without mercy, without pity. Know that I am the instrument of your extinction. I bring this plant forth as a burnt offering. Upon this altar, I place the head of the Demon. May his blood mark the way to the Sacred Ring and consecrate the Great Journey of my people. Know that I am Var ‘Gatanai. Know that I am…Death.”

Longtime Halo fans will of course suspect that there’s more to Var ‘Gatanai than just a bloodthirsty general determined to take down the Spartan. After all, he seems to fill a similar role to Thel ‘Vadam, the video game character better known as the Arbiter.

First introduced in Halo 2, the Arbiter was originally an Elite general who led the Covenant forces that defeated the UNSC on Reach and then chased Master Chief, Cortana, and the Pillar of Autumn to the first Halo ring. But after Master Chief and Cortana managed to destroy the ring and most of Thel ‘Vadam’s Covenant forces with it, he was stripped of his rank, imprisoned, and tortured for his failure.

Eventually, the leaders of the Covenant, known as the Prophets, brought Thel out of retirement and turned him into their Arbiter, a disgraced warrior tasked with the Covenant’s most dangerous missions. For Thel, it’s the only way to redeem himself in the eyes of the Prophets and regain his honor. Of course, the Prophets later betray the Arbiter after he recovers the key to firing a second Halo ring, leaving him for dead. This leads to the Arbiter leading an Elite rebellion against the Prophets and their loyal Brute minions. By the end of the game, a full-on civil war has broken out on the Covenant capital world of High Charity. Halo 3 then sees the Arbiter team up with Master Chief and the UNSC to end the reign of the Prophets once and for all.

Time will tell if Var ‘Gatanai is meant to fulfill this role on the show. Since the TV series takes place in the Silver Timeline, it technically makes sense that the Arbiter could have a different name in this version of the story. Or perhaps this is a different Elite, suggesting things won’t actually play out like they did in the game. Does that mean it’s possible Master Chief will be able to save Reach and take the story in a completely different direction?

Then again, it’d be pretty weird if Master Chief never actually has a reason to land on the Halo ring to kick off the events of the actual games…

Danofgeek