Joyeuse
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CTN 0453-0[3] | |
Joyeuse[4][5] (AI Serial Number: CTN 0453-0),[3] also known as Joy or "The Weapon,"[6] is an an artificial intelligence created by, and in the service of, the United Nations Space Command.[7] She was created as an exact copy of the AI Cortana, designed to enter an installation to imitate Cortana and lock her down for retrieval.[8] With the growing threat of the Banished and the Harbinger, the Weapon became the Master Chief's permanent new AI companion, replacing Cortana.[5]
Biography[edit]
Creation[edit]
- John-117: "She looks just like her."
- Dr. Halsey: "If you say so. I see something else. Something more innocent... from a simpler time."
- John-117: "Does she know me?"
- Dr. Halsey: "No. She is a blank slate. No memories, no history. Her core is nearly complete. Once it is ready, it will be up to the two of you. The weapon will lock her down. You will retrieve Cortana and bring her back here."
- — John-117 and Dr Halsey as they prepare the Weapon for the mission to Installation 07.[1]
In October 2559, Dr. Catherine Halsey dispatched Blue Team on a mission to retrieve three cryo bins and a lockbox from a cryovault beneath the ruins of CASTLE Base. Halsey insisted that what they were retrieving was the key to stopping Cortana, although she warned John-117 that while it would not be easy, it was the only option that they had.[9] The contents of the bins, the remaining cloned brains from Halsey's creation of Cortana, were used by her to create the Weapon for the mission of entering an installation to imitate Cortana and lock her down for retrieval. Halsey created the Weapon to be an exact copy of Cortana with any information that could compromise the Weapon removed by Halsey.[1][8] As she neared her completion, Dr. Halsey introduced the Weapon to the Master Chief, and he was briefed on the plan to capture Cortana and deliver her to the UNSC Infinity for termination. Upon the Weapon's successful deployment, her deletion routine would be executed.[1]
Defeating Cortana[edit]
- Captain Lasky: "Is the Weapon ready?"
- Bridge Officer: "Almost there. We're still at-"
- Captain Lasky: "There's no "almost", ensign. We're already there. Initiate deployment. Now."
- — Captain Thomas Lasky orders the Weapon's deployment as the Infinity falls to Banished assault.[10]
Shortly after the Infinity arrived at Installation 07, the ship was ambushed by a Banished boarding party force led personally by Atriox.[11][12] As the ship quickly became overrun, Captain Thomas Lasky ordered for the Weapon to be deployed immediately.[10] Meanwhile, the Master Chief stayed behind on the Infinity to hold off the Banished as Lasky was escorted to a dropship.[13] Once on the Halo, the Weapon was able to lock down Cortana in the Silent Auditorium. Cortana was destroyed, though not through means apparent to the Weapon. In reality, Cortana had willingly destroyed herself and damaged the ring in order to prevent Atriox from using it against humanity. She also deactivated the Weapon's deletion routine so that she could accompany John-117 during the struggles that lay ahead.[14] As a result, the Weapon was left active within the ring's foundation, believing that the Master Chief was due to come back for her.[2]
Battle for Zeta Halo[edit]
- Main article: Battle for Zeta Halo
- Joyeuse: "I was created for one purpose and that purpose is no longer needed. My mission is over."
- John-117: "We have a new one. The Banished are planning to fire this ring. We need to make sure they don't... Something stopped your deletion. We need to find out why."
- Joyeuse: "But this wasn't the mission."
- John-117: "The missions change. They always do."
- — Joyeuse and John-117 meeting in the foundations of Installation 07.[2]
Six months after the defeat of Cortana, the Master Chief was revived by Echo 216's pilot Fernando Esparza. The Chief returned for the Weapon, whom he was surprised to see was still active. Neither knew how or why her deletion was averted, but she was recovered and accompanied him across the fragment section of the ring, which was now controlled by the Banished following a six-month conflict. Recovering the framework that the Weapon had used to lock down Cortana, the two were able to see echoes of Cortana's life scattered across the ring.[2]
The Weapon was key to the Chief’s efforts in disrupting the Banished’s operations across the ring fragments. After they returned to the surface of the ring, the Weapon disconnected Outpost Tremonius and FOB Golf from the Banished's battlenet, returning both bases to UNSC control.[15][16] The Weapon then led the Chief to Chak 'Lok's Tower in pursuit of Spartan Hudson Griffin's distress signal,[17] which in turn led them to Site Novem, where the Weapon helped destroy the mining laser.[18] After their first encounter with the Harbinger at the Conservatory,[19] the Weapon disabled the nearby reformation spire and collected data on the Reformation.[20] Shortly after, Echo 216 was shot down by Banished anti-aircraft guns, and the Weapon helped the Chief locate and destroy the artilleries.[21]
As their mission led them to the Command Spire, the Weapon had to interface with four beacon towers. During this process, she sensed another presence—later revealed to be the Harbinger. The two realized that the Harbinger wanted to use the Weapon to bypass the Reformation’s deadlock. Fearing that the foreign entity may compromise the Weapon like Cortana was compromised by the Domain, the Chief authorized her to continue, but secretly activated a kill-switch in case she was compromised. When the Weapon heard the Chief whisper the deletion code words, she questioned him, but he refused to answer.[22] Later, inside the Nexus underneath the Command Spire, the Harbinger trapped the Weapon within the ring's systems. Believing she had been taken over, the Chief initiated her deletion manually, but the Weapon broke free and stopped the process. Furious that he had chosen to delete her so quickly, the Weapon revealed that, during her encounter with the Harbinger within the system, she had retrieved 117649 Despondent Pyre's encephalon for stopping the Reformation—reminding him that infiltration was exactly what she was designed for.[23]
Although she continued helping the Chief, the Weapon's tone grew hurt and sarcastic. After the Weapon stopped the Reformation at the Command Spire, she confronted the Chief: she had waited six months for him and done everything he asked, yet he still didn't trust her. As Echo 216 approached for extraction, the Weapon opted to stay behind, which the Chief objected. Their argument was cut short when Jega 'Rdomnai kidnapped Fernando Esparza and took over Echo 216. With the Spire’s interior collapsing, the Weapon opened a portal for two to pursue 'Rdomnai.[24]
The Weapon and the Chief arrived at a Repository site, where they witnessed the memories of Cortana during her rule as the Archon of the Created: she destroyed Sydney when Lord Hood and the UNSC refused to surrender, then later commanded Leonidas to destroy Laconia Station, killing the Spartans onboard. After she witnessed the memory of Cortana destroying Doisac, the Weapon learned the truth: she was a copy of Cortana. Horrified by what Cortana had done—and what she herself might become—she re-enabled her deletion protocols and asked the Chief to erase her. Instead, he downloaded her back into his armor, admitting that although he didn't yet trust her, he wanted to. With their strengthened bond, the two made their way to House of Reckoning to rescue Esparza.[8]
At the House of Reckoning, the Weapon guided the Chief through the Banished stronghold. During the Chief's duel with Escharum, the Weapon identified the link between Escharum's shield and the device holding Esparza, then helped the Chief disable the connection. After Escharum's defeat, she freed Esparza, and the three prepared to confront the Harbinger.[25] At the Silent Auditorium—the site of Cortana's death—the Weapon realized Cortana had left memories there intentionally. Through these echoes, they learned that Cortana had stopped the Weapon's deletion, knowing she had set in motion events that endangered the galaxy and hoping the Weapon and the Chief could do what she no longer could. In the battle against the Harbinger, the Weapon analyzed the Harbinger's transmissions and was unexpectedly aided by an unknown entity in the Auditorium's systems. After the Harbinger's defeat, they viewed Cortana's final message, in which she apologized, urged them to learn from her mistakes, and expressed her belief in the Weapon's potential. As the Auditorium collapsed, a portal carried them to safety. They resurfaced after being missing for three days and were extracted by Echo 216. As they prepared for fight ahead, Esparza finally shared his name—and the Chief encouraged the Weapon to choose one of her own, much like Halsey had done for Cortana.[14] The Weapon informed her companions that she had the perfect name for herself, picking the name Joyeuse.[5]
Personality and traits[edit]
- Weapon: "Another Cylix. But this one's open. What do you think was in it?"
- John-117: "Another problem."
- Weapon: "Why so cynical? It might be something good."
- John-117: "Trust me. It won't be."
- — Joyeuse and John-117 as they see the cylix that once held the Harbinger.[15]
Unlike Cortana, Joyeuse has a sunny and naïve personality due to her young age and lack of experience,[4] with a tendency to be optimistic even about things that seem grim.[15] Due to Halsey apparently limiting the information that she has access to,[1] she lacks basic knowledge on subjects such as the Banished,[2] Banshees,[22] and even the ex-Covenant species such as the Hunters are.[20] She is also very curious, and on multiple occasions, she expressed wonderment at Forerunner vistas and technology.[16][24] However, she shares some traits with Cortana such as often snapping her fingers when performing an action,[20][18][23] and, due to possessing the same routines and systems as Cortana, she possesses Cortana's skill in hacking into alien systems and retrieving data or creating sabotage.[22][18] Playful, Joyeuse sometimes does this with enough of a dramatic pause that the Master Chief asks her if something's wrong before she completes the task.
However, after the Master Chief tries to delete her, the Weapon was deeply upset by his apparent betrayal, as he had previously stated he would protect her and they were operating under pretense of being a team.[23] As a result, she takes on a more dejected and sarcastic tone while dealing with him. While shutting down the Spire network, the Weapon loses all of the exuberance that she had previously showed, simply stating that it had worked and that no there was not a problem before simply counting down and snapping her fingers, the exact opposite of when she would purposefully put in a dramatic pause before completing one of her tasks.[24] After learning she was a copy of Cortana, the Weapon was horrified by the atrocities Cortana had committed and attempted to delete herself. The Master Chief halted the process, admitting that although he did not fully trust her, he wanted to—and recognizing that she was distinct from Cortana.[23] In her final message, Cortana herself noted the Weapon’s potential and remarked that she would make a strong successor as the Chief’s AI companion.[14]
Along with being used when she completes a task, the Weapon's snapping of her fingers also appears to be something of an unconscious motion done when she's thinking about something, as seen when the Weapon is trying to figure out what the Master Chief isn't telling her and the Weapon is absently snapping her fingers. Snapping her fingers while doing something is likely a trait that the Weapon had inherited from Cortana herself.[8]
Trivia[edit]
- The Master Chief's deletion code for Joyeuse is "RED FLAG 034 SAMUEL".[22] Operation: RED FLAG is the mission to the Covenant homeworld High Charity that the Master Chief and Cortana were supposed to embark upon when they first met, while Samuel-034 was his best friend before Sam died in the Battle of Chi Ceti in 2525.
- In Halo Infinite, Joyeuse first transfers into the data crystal chip by touching it in the same way that Cortana did in Halo 3 before transferring into other systems by the Master Chief touching them like Cortana did in Halo 2, albeit with the Master Chief first manifesting a hologram of her above his hand.
- In Halo 4, Cortana briefly predicts the future partnership of the Master Chief and Joyeuse at the end of the level Composer, telling the Master Chief that "They'll pair you with another AI. Maybe even another Cortana model if Halsey lets them. It won't be me, you know that, right?" In her final message to the Master Chief, Cortana jokingly echoes this statement to him.
- The name Joyeuse is taken from the 11th-centry French epic poem The Song of Roland, in which the sword Joyeuse is noted to be forged from the same steel as the swords Cortana and Durendal.[6][5] According to medieval legend, Charlemagne wielded the sword as his personal weapon. A sword said to be Joyeuse and used in French coronation ceremonies since the 13th century is now kept at the Louvre.
- As Joyeuse is a "sister-sword" to Cortana, the name was chosen intentionally to mirror the AIs' relationship similar to a younger and older sister, both created from the cloned brains of Catherine Halsey.[6][5] Likewise, Durandal was the name of a similar AI character in Bungie's predecessor FPS series prior to Halo; Marathon.
- Additionally, Joyeuse translates from Old French as "joyous" or "joyful," matching the personality of the AI, who is accurately described as curious, expressive, and youthfully naïve.[6][5]
- While deciding on the name for Joyeuse, the Halo Studios team had several creative discussions where compelling arguments for keeping the name "Cortana" were presented. Several members of the team—including Jeff Easterling—felt strongly that she should be her own character and thus was deserving of a unique name, with studio leadership ultimately approving the decision to name her "Joyeuse." During the Canon Fodder livestream at the 2025 Halo World Championship, Alex Wakeford suggested that the lines "And I will become something luminous. Something Joyous." spoken by Cortana at the end of Dominion Splinter could be taken as foreshadowing for this name, pointing out the fact that "Joyous" is capitalized in the text.[6][5]
Gallery[edit]
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Concept art and illustrations[edit]
Early concept art of John-117, the Weapon, and Cortana for Halo Infinite.
Early concept art of John-117 and the Weapon by Josh Kao.
Early concept art exploration of the Weapon's design by David Heidhoff.
More early concept exploration.
More early concept exploration.
More early concept exploration.
Concept exploration approaching the final design.
Nearly finalized concept art of the Weapon.
Nearly finalized concept art of the Weapon's face.
Concept art of the Weapon's shoulder details.
Concept art of the Weapon's shoes.
Concept art detailing some of the changes made to the Weapon over her design process.
An emblem featuring the Weapon.
An emblem with the Weapon referencing Rosie the Riveter.
Joyeuse with John-117 on the cover of Halo: Edge of Dawn.
Art of Joyeuse and John-117 speaking to Fernando Esparza.
Promotional art[edit]
The Weapon on the cover of Game Informer.
The Weapon with John-117 on Installation 07.
Screenshots[edit]
A render of the Weapon.
The Weapon meets the Chief in the ring.
The Weapon recalling her mission.
The Weapon being transferred to a data crystal chip.
The Weapon absorbing the framework and index fragments.
The Weapon and the Master Chief after witnessing the death of Spartan Griffin.
The Weapon and the Master Chief investigate Site Novem.
The Weapon and the Master Chief meet Adjutant Resolution.
The Weapon talking to Fernando Esparza.
The Weapon being deployed to a terminal.
The Weapon extracting data from a beacon tower.
The Weapon reveals that she stole Pyre's encephalon from The Harbinger.
The Weapon demands to know why the Master Chief will not trust her.
The Weapon angrily snaps her finger to activate a gravity lift.
The Weapon pointing upwards to direct the Chief.
The Weapon looking at residue data.
The Weapon smiling at Fernando Esparza.
The Weapon's outfit as a pattern in Fall Guys.
List of appearances[edit]
- Halo Infinite (First appearance)
- Halo: Epitaph (Indirect mention)
- Halo: Empty Throne (Mentioned only)
- Halo: Edge of Dawn
Sources[edit]
- ^ a b c d e Halo Infinite, UNSC Audio log: Recovered Files #04 - The Weapon
- ^ a b c d e f Halo Infinite, campaign mission Ringfall: Foundation
- ^ a b Halo Infinite marketing, Discover Hope
- ^ a b X.com, Kelly Gay (@kellyhgay): "“Name designation: Joyeuse.” 👊 #halo #haloedgeofdawn so cool to hear the scene read by @SteveDownes117 & @jentaylortown 😍 😀" (Retrieved on Oct 25, 2025) [archive]
- ^ a b c d e f g Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - Joyeuse Occasions (Retrieved on Nov 19, 2025) [archive]
- ^ a b c d e YouTube - HALO, Community Stage | Halo World Championship 2025 – Day 2 (Retrieved on Oct 26, 2025)
- ^ Xbox Wire, Halo Infinite: The Great Journey So Far (Retrieved on Jun 13, 2021) [archive]
- ^ a b c d Halo Infinite, campaign mission Reckoning: Repository
- ^ Halo: Shadows of Reach
- ^ a b Halo Infinite, UNSC Audio log: Infinity's Approach #05 - Zero Hour
- ^ Halo Infinite, UNSC Audio log: Infinity's Approach #04 - Arrival
- ^ Halo Waypoint, Canon Fodder - New Year, New Lore: "The Banished, however, simultaneously initiated boarding action to compromise the ship’s hangar bays, led by Atriox himself who had come to claim the Weapon—though she had already been deployed to the ring." (Retrieved on Jan 23, 2023) [archive]
- ^ Halo Infinite, UNSC Audio log: Infinity's Approach #10 - Priorities
- ^ a b c Halo Infinite, campaign mission Endless: Silent Auditorium
- ^ a b c Halo Infinite, campaign mission Ringfall: Outpost Tremonius
- ^ a b Halo Infinite, campaign mission Lockdown (Halo Infinite): Recovery
- ^ Halo Infinite, campaign mission Lockdown: The Tower
- ^ a b c Halo Infinite, campaign mission Connections: Excavation Site
- ^ Halo Infinite, campaign mission Connections: Conservatory
- ^ a b c Halo Infinite, campaign mission Connections: Spire
- ^ Halo Infinite, campaign mission Graveyards: Pelican Down
- ^ a b c d Halo Infinite, campaign mission Reformation: The Sequence
- ^ a b c d Halo Infinite, campaign mission Reformation: Nexus
- ^ a b c Halo Infinite, campaign mission Reformation: The Command Spire
- ^ Halo Infinite, campaign mission Reckoning: House of Reckoning
