Halo: The Return
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
| Halo: The Return | |
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Directed by: |
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Produced by: |
Veronica Peshterianu[2] |
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Written by: |
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Music by: |
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Release date(s): |
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Running time: |
19:49[1] |
Halo: The Return[1] is a motion comic produced by Juan "ONE" Richard Feliz and adapted from the short story of the same name written by Kevin Grace originally featured in Halo: Evolutions. The series was originally premiered on the Halo Waypoint Xbox 360 app in four episodes released weekly beginning on April 10, 2010,[3] with a full cut released for viewing on May 22.[4] It was later released on Waypoint for web on December 20,[5] and made available for purchase on the Zune Video Marketplace on January 28, 2012.[6]
On July 9, 2025, the animation was officially uploaded to the Halo YouTube channel.[1][7]
Official summary[edit]
| “ | From the pages of Halo: Evolutions comes the haunting tale of an Elite shipmaster who journeys across the surface of a shattered world—a world brought to ruin by his very own hand.
“The Return,” written by 343 Industries’ Managing Editor Kevin Grace, is a powerful tale of both introspection and redemption. In the wake of the Covenant War, a lone Sangheili commander must find his place in a galaxy that has left him behind. Revisiting the charred reminders of his own brutality—a glassed human colony—this soldier must come to grips with his own dark past in order to survive an even more uncertain future.[5] |
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Production notes[edit]
Halo: The Return was the second adaptation of a Halo: Evolutions short story created by 343 Industries after Halo: Midnight in the Heart of Midlothian, which proved to be more difficult to adapt because the story leaned on introspection instead of action. ONE built on top of an early concept shot of The Return done by an artist at 343, utilizing flashback scenes to introduce more action into the story, as well as portray more of the human suffering during the Battle of Kholo than Kevin Grace initially envisioned. Sound design was done by Pyramind, who wanted to compose music that both fit in with the rest of Halo's music identity at that time, and matched the emotion and themes of The Return. Sound effects were created practically, and most interestingly in one instance, using a piece of celery.[2]
Halo Waypoint won an award for Best Audio in Other for Halo: The Return at the 9th Annual Game Audio Network Guild Awards held at the 2011 Game Developers Conference.[8]
Gallery[edit]
The Zune Video Marketplace logo for the motion comic.
The Shipmaster fighting a peer during his training.
The Shipmaster training in his youth.
The Shipmaster personally etches the glyph meaning "Faith" into the surface of Kholo.
Two Sangheili Honor Guards outside the Prophet of Conviction's chamber.
The Sangheili kills the Prophet of Conviction.
Prophet of Conviction bleeding.
The Prophet of Conviction's body.
The Shipmaster sees smoke on the horizon as he wanders the surface of Kholo.
The Shipmaster using a curveblade in combat.
The Shipmaster with a Vostu-pattern carbine.
Human research on a Forerunner monitor.
Official wallpapers[edit]
Official wallpapers from Halo Waypoint.[9]
Sources[edit]
- ^ a b c d e f YouTube - Halo, Halo: The Return (Retrieved on Nov 13, 2025)
- ^ a b c YouTube - Video Archive, Halo Waypoint - Making of Midlothian/The Return: Originally hosted on Halo Waypoint (Retrieved on Dec 22, 2025)
- ^ a b halo.bungie.org, The Return, Part 1 - on Waypoint Saturday (Retrieved on Nov 13, 2025) [archive]
- ^ a b halo.bungie.org, Halo Waypoint - full of goodness (Retrieved on Nov 13, 2025) [archive]
- ^ a b Halo Waypoint, The Return (Retrieved on Dec 20, 2010) [archive]
- ^ Halo Waypoint, The Halo Bulletin: 1.25.12 (Retrieved on Jan 28, 2012) [archive]
- ^ Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Falcon Fiction Flight (Retrieved on Aug 6, 2025) [archive]
- ^ Game Audio Network Guild, 9th Annual GANG Awards – 2010 Released Games (Retrieved on Dec 5, 2025) [archive]
- ^ Halo Waypoint, The Return Wallpapers (Retrieved on May 2, 2025) [archive]
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