Editing Carter-A259

{{Status|Canon}}
{{Character infobox
|variant=Human
|name=Carter-A259
|image=[[File:Official - Carter.jpg|300px]]
|homeworld=[[Durban]],{{Ref/Site|Id=bnet|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/projects/reach/article.aspx?ucc=personnel&cid=24526|Site=Bungie.net|Page=Halo: Reach - Intel - Carter-A259 Profile|D=13|M=10|Y=2014|LocalArchive=Noble Team performance reports}}{{Ref/Site|Id=universe|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/universe/characters/carter-a259|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Carter-A259|D=14|M=09|Y=2016}} [[Biko]]{{Ref/Book|Id=vis|EVG|Page=29}}{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc22|Enc22|Page=97}}
|birth=[[2520#August|August 27, 2520]]{{Ref/Reuse|bnet}}{{Ref/Reuse|universe}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|death=[[2552|August 30, 2552]]{{Ref/Level|Id=PoA|HR|The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Reach level)|The Pillar of Autumn}} {{C|aged 32}}
|causeofdeath=Sacrificed himself to destroy a {{Pattern|Deutoros|Scarab}}.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|parents=
|siblings=
|spouses=
|children=
|species=[[Human]]
|gender=Male
|height={{Convert|208.3|cm|ftin}}{{Ref/Reuse|vis}}{{Ref/Reuse|universe}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|mass={{Convert|113.4|kg|lb}}{{Ref/Reuse|vis}}{{Ref/Reuse|universe}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|hair=Black
|eyes=Hazel <small>(augmented: blue)</small>
|affiliation=*[[UNSC Navy]] {{C|formerly}}
**[[UNSC Special Forces|Naval Special Weapons]]
***[[SPARTAN-III program]]
*[[UNSC Army]]
**[[Special Warfare Group Three]] {{C|operationally under [[NOBLE Team]]}}{{Ref/Reuse|vis}}
|rank=[[Commander (UNSC)|Commander]]{{Ref/Reuse|universe}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|sn=S-A259{{Ref/Reuse|vis}}{{Ref/Reuse|Enc22}}
|notable=
}}
{{Quote|In recognition of this, his steadfast resolution, we honor him as commander of Noble.|[[Monument to Noble Team]]}}
[[Commander (UNSC)|Commander]] '''Carter-A259''' was a [[SPARTAN-III program|SPARTAN-III commando]] of the [[UNSC Navy|UNSC Naval]] [[UNSC Special Forces|Special Warfare Command]], attached to the [[UNSC Army]]'s [[Special Warfare Command|Special Warfare]] [[Special Warfare Group Three|Group Three]].{{Ref/Reuse|vis}}{{Ref/Reuse|bnet}} Carter was the leader of [[NOBLE Team]], an elite team of Spartans who fought during the [[Fall of Reach]].{{Ref/Reuse|universe}}{{Ref/Reuse|vga}} His call sign in the team was '''Noble One'''.{{Ref/Marketing|HR|Remember Reach|Halo: Reach announcement trailer}}

==Biography==
===Childhood and early career===
[[File:Birth of a Spartan - Carter.jpg|thumb|left|250px|A 16-year-old Carter immediately prior to undergoing [[Project CHRYSANTHEMUM|augmentation]] on the [[UNSC Hopeful]].]]
Carter was born in [[Durban]], [[Biko]] on August 27, [[2520]]. His parents were killed when Biko was [[Battle of Biko|attacked]] and [[Glassing|glassed]] by the Covenant in [[2526]], though he survived the planet's fall. Before he could join the rest of the planet's refugee program,{{Ref/Reuse|universe}} Carter was conscripted into the Spartan-III program's [[SPARTAN-III Alpha Company|Alpha Company]] in [[2532]]. From early on, he stood out from the rest of the group, and [[Lieutenant Commander]] [[Kurt Ambrose]] and [[Senior Chief Petty Officer]] [[Franklin Mendez]], taking note of his exceptional skill, deemed him too valuable to be wasted on suicide missions.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/projects/reach/article.aspx?ucc=personnel&cid=24040|Site=Bungie.net|Page=Communique from Kurt to Mendez|D=13|M=10|Y=2014|LocalArchive=Noble Team performance reports}} Upon his graduation in [[2536]], Carter was assigned to lead a special fireteam composed of Spartans similarly extracted from Alpha Company's mainline population. Carter's team was subsequently transferred under the operational authority of [[Unified Ground Command]] (UNICOM) as part of an arrangement to secure the [[UNSC Army]]'s support for the SPARTAN-III program within [[UNSC High Command]] (HIGHCOM).{{Ref/Reuse|universe}}

Carter's leadership skills in and out of combat throughout his military career eventually earned him the rank of Commander in the UNSC Navy, becoming one of the few highly ranked Spartans to serve in the field. Later, after the special forces unit [[Noble Team]] was formed, Carter became the leader of the team, which then consisted of [[Catherine-B320]], also known simply as "Kat", and several other Spartans. Eventually however only Kat and Carter would survive as the remaining members of the original team by 2552, and Carter was given a lot of freedom in selecting replacement personnel by his superiors due to his ability to build tight-knit teams.{{Ref/Reuse|universe}}

===Later career===
[[File:CarterFumirole.png|thumb|left|150px|Carter assassinates a [[Sangheili Ultra]] during the [[Battle of Fumirole]].{{Ref/Marketing|Id=Deliver|HR|Remember Reach|Deliver Hope}}]]
Carter and the rest of Noble Team were present during the [[Defense of Concord]] on [[2551|December 2551]]. During [[Operation: OFFSET EYE]], Carter remained back in the village of [[Skathi]] in the [[Hinterlands region]] of the planet to direct the local planetary militias in the town's defence while a small force consisting of Kat-B320, [[Rosenda-A344]], and [[Thom-A293]] advanced forward to tackle the approaching Covenant armoured column head-on; eliminating a {{Pattern|Zashk|Draugr}} in the process. Upon the trio's return to Skathi, Carter, [[Jorge-052]], and [[Emile-A239]] had assisted in fending off Covenant attacks on the town, at which point Carter recieved new orders from [[Colonel]] [[Urban Holland]]. The Covenant were amassing a strike force close to [[Fumirole]], and the team (sans Rosenda) were to be redeployed to the planet to prepare a defence.{{Ref/Novel|Winter Contention}}

During the [[Battle of Fumirole]] on April 22, 2552, Carter led Noble Team in an operation put together by Kat{{Ref/Site|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/projects/reach/article.aspx?ucc=personnel&cid=24040|Site=Bungie.net|Page=Halo: Reach - Intel - Personnel|D=13|M=10|Y=2014|LocalArchive=Noble Team performance reports}} to destroy the {{Pattern|Ket|battlecruiser}}, ''[[Sanctity of Purification]]'', maintaining position above the planet's capital city. The operation was successful, but at the cost of Thom-A293.{{Ref/Reuse|Deliver}}

Both Carter and Kat took responsibility over the death of Thom, unable to admit that the death of the SPARTAN was his own decision. Thom was replaced on Noble Team by [[SPARTAN-B312]] a few months later, just prior to the [[Fall of Reach]].
{{Clear}}
===Fall of Reach===
{{Main|Fall of Reach}}
Throughout the course of the Fall of Reach, Carter led Noble Team in multiple operations against Covenant forces, such as the investigation of a communications blackout at the [[Visegrád Relay]], a mission which led to the first confrontation with Covenant forces on the planet, the counter-offensive operation on [[Sword Base]], and a large-scale UNSC assault on a Covenant-occupied site and the neutralization of a [[Spire One|Covenant tower]].{{Ref/Level|HR|Winter Contingency}}{{Ref/Level|HR|ONI: Sword Base}}{{Ref/Level|HR|Tip of the Spear}}

The destruction of the {{UNSCShip|Grafton}} by the Covenant {{Pattern|Sh'wada|supercarrier}} ''[[Long Night of Solace]]'' after the [[Battle at Szurdok Ridge|Battle of Viery]] prompted Carter and Kat to review the situation. Recognizing the presence of the supercarrier as a large threat, Noble Team decided to utilize a [[FSS-1000 Sabre|"non-existent" space vessel]] and launch a [[Shaw-Fujikawa Translight Engine#Weaponized uses|makeshift slipspace bomb]] at the Covenant vessel.{{Ref/Reuse|Lnos}} Carter, along with Kat-B320, [[Jorge-052]] and [[SPARTAN-B312|Noble Six]], helped UNSC ground forces repel Covenant invaders from a UNSC base, which housed the [[Sabre Program Launch/Research Range|Sabre launch facility]]. Noble Team was separated at this point, with Jorge and Six participating in [[Operation: UPPER CUT]] with the rest focusing on the groundside.{{Ref/Level|Id=Lnos|HR|Long Night of Solace (level)|Long Night of Solace}}

On August 23, Carter and the remaining members of Noble Team assisted the UNSC in protecting the planet's civilian population from the Covenant. They reunited with Noble Six in New Alexandria and helped in the neutralization of [[Covenant communications jammer|Covenant jammers]] and evacuation of ONI personnel from the [[Olympic Tower|ONI HQ]].{{Ref/Reuse|alex}} Not too long after, Noble Team was hailed by its [[Urban Holland|commanding officer]] and was ordered to destroy [[Sword Base]]. The team was forced to enter a radiation bunker to shield themselves from the Covenant's glassing of New Alexandria. However, Kat was killed en route to the bunker by a Covenant sniper.{{Ref/Level|Id=alex|HR|New Alexandria}}

[[File:Carter Death.jpg|250px|thumb|Carter rams his Pelican into a Scarab.]]
Carter, along with the remaining members of Noble Team, proceeded to Sword Base and fought their way into the facility, only to have their directives revised by an unknown UNSC AI.{{Ref/Level|Id=package|HR|The Package}} In the facility, they encountered [[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Halsey]] once more. Noble Six was urged by the science officer to become the courier of [[Cortana|a package]] and to deliver it safely to the {{UNSCShip|Pillar of Autumn}}. Using Pelicans as their mode of transportation, Noble Team was split into two; Jun-A266 escorted Dr. Halsey to [[CASTLE Base]] while the others headed for the ''Autumn''.{{Ref/Reuse|package}}
{{Quote|Six...[[Cortana|that AI]] chose you. She made the right choice.|Carter to Noble Six.}}
Sometime during the transport of the package to the Autumn, Carter was gravely injured in the Pelican.{{Ref/Reuse|PoA}} Knowing that the delivery of the package was of the highest priority, he ordered Noble Six and Emile-A239 to drop out of the Pelican and proceed by ground while he diverted the Covenant aerial forces' attention. During the journey groundside, the two SPARTANs encountered a Scarab blocking their path. Carter, still in the Pelican, sacrificed his life by ramming into the behemoth, allowing the two SPARTANs to accomplish their objective.{{Ref/Reuse|PoA}}
{{Quote|You're on your own, Noble. Carter out.|Carter's final order to Noble Team, and last words.}}

==Traits and personality==
[[File:HR RelayTension.jpg|thumb|250px|Carter steps in and intervenes when tension rises between his Spartans.]]
{{Quote|Spartans never [[killed in action|die]], [[Jorge-052|Jorge]], they're just [[missing in action]].|Carter-A259<ref name="vga">''[[Halo: Reach Video Games Awards Trailer|Halo Reach Video Games Awards Trailer]]''</ref>}}
Carter is described as charismatic and reassuring, as well as a born leader, inspiring confidence in those under his command. He is said to be cool under pressure, with [[laser]]-like focus, even while maintaining adaptability and flexibility. Carter is also noted as being capable of interacting with non-SPARTAN personnel effectively and efficiently with low-to-no expected stress issues, and was said to be at his best while building a team.{{Ref/Reuse|bnet}} As a result, he was given considerable freedom by his superiors in picking replacement personnel for his team; an exception to this was when Colonel Holland personally selected SPARTAN-B312 as a replacement for [[Thom-A293]] after the latter's death in the [[Battle of Fumirole]].{{Ref/Reuse|universe}}

As team commander, knows the challenge of losing members of his command, but a master of building tight-nit teams.{{Ref/Reuse|universe}} However, he was said to have "minor trust issues" due to the death of Thom-A293 under his command; Carter attributed S-A293's death to his own "inadequate team preparation" while it was evidently due to enemy action or Thom-A293's own lapse in situational awareness. Carrying the guilt over Thom's death may have also been the source of Carter's hesitation to commit to one of the replacements.{{Ref/Reuse|bnet}} Despite this, Carter grew to trust Noble Six and even informed his subordinate that Cortana had made the right choice by picking him.

==Equipment==
Carter wore a [[B-class Mjolnir|Mark V[B]]] armor with a [[COMMANDO-class Mjolnir|Commando]] helmet (equipped with a [[Hardened Uplink|HUL[3] attachment]]) and an [[Armor accessories/Assault|Assault/Commando]] chest piece. He wore a Commando shoulder piece for his left shoulder and a Mk. V shoulder piece for his right shoulder. Carter also had a [[Armor accessories/Tactical|Tactical/TACPAD]] wrist piece on his left wrist and [[FJ/PARA attachments|FJ/PARA]] knees guards. He tends to favor the [[M392 DMR]] or the [[MA37 assault rifle]] as his main weapons and is sometimes seen carrying a [[M6G magnum]] as a sidearm.

In the [[Post-Covenant War conflicts|post-war]] era, Carter's armour configuration was revived by [[Chalybs Defense Solutions]] for integration with [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor (GEN2)|MJOLNIR GEN2]] as the [[NOBLE-class Mjolnir]] suite - named in reference to NOBLE Team.{{Ref/Game|H5G|Armor customization (Halo 5: Guardians)|Armory|Detail=Noble helmet description|Quote=A significant update of the MK.V/K design, NOBLE helmets feature hardened battlenet uplinks and Chalybs' latest kinetic mesh networking admin tools.}}

==In-game information==
===''Halo: Reach''===
Carter can be [[Armor customization (Halo: Reach)|unlocked]] as a custom voice for use in the [[Firefight (Halo: Reach)|Firefight]] component of ''[[Halo: Reach]]'' multiplayer. In ''[[Halo: The Master Chief Collection]]'', he can be unlocked as part of the [[Series 1: Noble]] progression track. Carter's helmet was additionally made available as an [[Avatar (Xbox Live)|avatar award]] on the [[Xbox 360]], unlocked by finishing a [[campaign]] mission on [[Legendary]] difficulty without dying.
{| class="wikitable"
|-align="center"
!colspan="3"|Firefight Voices
|-
! scope="col" style="text-align:center;" |Firefight voice
! scope="col" style="width:135px;text-align:center;" |Unlock (''Halo: Reach'')
! scope="col" style="width:175px;height:20px;text-align:center;" |Unlock (''Halo: The Master Chief Collection'')
|-align="center"
|[[File:HR CarterA259 Firefight Icon.png|75px]]<br/>Carter S-259
|100,000 cR
|[[Series 1: Noble|Series 1]] Tier 67, {{SeasonPoint|1}}
|}

===''Halo Infinite''===
A Carter-themed armour kit is available for [[Armor customization (Halo Infinite)|unlock]] as part of [[Season 01: Heroes of Reach]], in ''[[Halo Infinite]]'' multiplayer.
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="width: 100%;"
|-align="center"
!colspan="15"|Armor Kits and Kit Items{{VDE|Armor customization (Halo Infinite)/Mark V(B)/Kit}}
|-
! scope="col" style="width: 15%" |Kit
! scope="col" |Manufacturer
! scope="col" style="width: 15%" |Lore
! scope="col" |Rarity
! scope="col" |Unlock Requirements
! scope="col" |Amor Coating
! scope="col" |Helmet
! scope="col" |Visor
! scope="col" |Chest
! scope="col" |Left Shoulder Pad
! scope="col" |Right Shoulder Pad
! scope="col" |Gloves
! scope="col" |Wrist
! scope="col" |Utility
! scope="col" |Knee Pads
|-
|align="center"|[[File:HINF Carter-A259 Armor Kit Icon.png|75px]]<br/>[[Carter-A259]] Kit
|Materials Group
|Are you cool under pressure and inspire confidence in your team? If so, take on the appearance of Noble Team's legendary CDR Carter-A259.
|Legendary
|[[Season 01: Heroes of Reach]] [[Battle Pass]] level 20
|Noble Principle
|Commando - HUL[3]/BNR/COURIER PEARL
|Noble
|TAC/MAT-2519C communicator
|SAP/CDO
|SAP/MKV
|Mark V [B]
|TAX/MC5 TACPAD
|N/A
|UA/Type FJ
|}

==Production notes==
[[File:Kat in RealLife.jpg|thumb|x250px|Kat as depicted by Jordan Konkel at PAX.]]
As shown in an early production note at PAX 2010, Kat was originally intended to have been born in [[2529]] and to have been a member of [[SPARTAN-III Alpha Company|Alpha Company]]. In this version of the story, she and Carter were the last remaining members of a SPARTAN-III team known as "Blue Team", (not to be confused with the [[Blue Team|SPARTAN-II unit]]). This is apparent in the similar coloration of their armor in early concept art.{{Ref/YouTube|1aOb6Nn8egA|CMNeir|PAX 2010: *Bungie Panel*}} During the event, model and ''Halo'' fan Jordan Konkel was hired by [[343 Industries]] to attend suited in a cosplay recreation of Kat's armour.{{Ref/Site|http://www.405th.com/content.php/288-Interview-with-the-girl-in-the-Kat-suit-from-PAX|Site=405th|Page=Interview with the girl in the Kat suit from PAX|D=03|M=12|Y=2010}}{{Ref/YouTube|u7X0_OiA7d0|Bungie|Kat & Bungie @ PAX 2010}}

In the ''[[Halo: Reach Legendary Edition]]'' developer commentary, [[Lee Wilson]] jokes that Carter was upset by Kat's death because ''"She was cute."'' [[Martin O'Donnell]] responds, ''"We know there was some relationship between Carter and Kat at some point."''{{Ref/YouTube|inIxRwTzajc|Sacharified|Halo Reach Legendary Edition - Developer Commentary Part 1}}

In the final release of ''Halo: Reach'', Carter was voiced by [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm4073334/ Freddy Bosche].{{Ref/Game|HR|Halo: Reach credits|credits}}


==Trivia==
{{Linkbox|quote=yes|gallery=yes}}
*As a Commander, Carter was one of the highest-ranked SPARTANs.
*Carter's date of birth made him one of the oldest SPARTAN-IIIs. The majority of the trainees for Alpha Company were four, five, and six years old when the project began in [[2531]]; Carter would have been eleven at that time, making him nearly as old when he was conscripted as most other Alpha Company members were when they graduated from the program. Given his rather extreme deviation from the otherwise consistent age range as well as the risk of complications in the [[Project CHRYSANTHEMUM|augmentation procedures]] for those outside the ideal age group, it is possible that Carter had spent considerable time in [[Cryo chamber|cryosleep]] prior to his induction to the program; as individuals effectively do not age in cryo, Carter's biological age may have been closer to the SPARTAN-III standard than his chronological age.
*In the [[Halo: Reach Video Games Awards Trailer|''Halo: Reach Video Games Awards'' trailer]], Carter had a shaved head and a lighter skin tone. In the final version of the game, his hair is styled in a high-and-tight cut and his skin is noticeably darker.
*Carter is the only member of Noble Team who does not work as part of a duo with Noble Six at some point in the Campaign.
*Carter's SPARTAN tag, A259, may be a reference to the element [[Wikipedia:Nobelium|Nobelium]]. Nobelium has a standard atomic mass of 259 and is linguistically similar to Noble.

==Gallery==
===Development images and illustrations===
<gallery>
File:HR_CarterFace_Concept.png|Early concept art of Carter's face for ''[[Halo: Reach]]''.
File:HR_CommandoHelmet_Concept_1.jpg|Concept art of Carter's Commando helmet.
File:HR_Carter-A259_Concept.png|Concept art of Carter-A259.
File:2Nobles.jpg|Carter with [[SPARTAN-B312|Noble Six]] and [[Jun-A266]] onboard a [[UH-144 Falcon|Falcon]] on the EDGE Magazine cover for ''Halo: Reach''.
File:Carter-A259.png|An older render of Carter-A259 from the ''Video Games Awards'' trailer.
File:HLC Leadership.jpg|Carter-A259 on the ''[[Halo Legendary Crate]]'' #13 poster.
</gallery>

===Screenshots===
<gallery>
File:Birth of a Spartan - Carter.jpg|Carter at age sixteen in ''[[Birth of a Spartan]]''.
File:BirthOfASpartan - Carter Parents.png|Carter looking at a [[Holo-still|Holo-Still]] of his parents before undergoing the augmentation.
File:BirthOfASpartan - AugmentationCarter.png|Carter after [[Project CHRYSANTHEMUM]].
File:BirthOfASpartan - Destiny.png|Carter facing a prototype of his MJOLNIR armor.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=20994364&postcount=4754|Site=NeoGAF|Page=View Single Post - Halo: Reach Beta <nowiki>|OT|</nowiki>|Quote=Also, Carter is looking at a prototype suit being customized (and researched) for him, not his final SPI armor which he won't get for years.|Quotee=Frank O'Connor|D=16|M=11|Y=2023}}
File:Carter2.jpg|Carter from [[Halo: Reach ViDoc: A Spartan Will Rise|A Spartan Will Rise]] [[ViDoc]].
File:Carter.png|Carter in his [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor|MJOLNIR armor]].
File:HReach - A259.png|Another view of Carter.
File:HR Carter A259.png|Carter in his [[COMMANDO-class Mjolnir]]
File:REACHcartercorvette.PNG|Carter in a Falcon, looking at a Covenant corvette.
</gallery>

==List of appearances==
*''[[Halo: Reach announcement trailer]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Remember Reach]]''
**''[[Birth of a Spartan]]''
**''[[Deliver Hope]]''
*''[[Halo: Reach]]''
*''[[Halo: Ground Command]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Halo Mythos]]''
*''[[Halo: Official Spartan Field Manual]]''
*''[[Halo Infinite]]'' {{Mo}}
*''[[Winter Contention]]''

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}

{{Noble Team}}
{{Spartan III}}

[[Category:Human characters]]
[[Category:Spartan-IIIs]]
[[Category:UNSC Navy officers]]