Terrence Hood

"We will take our city back. And drive our enemy into the grave they've been so happily digging."

- Lord Terrence Hood, to UNSC Marines just before the Battle of Voi.

Fleet Admiral Lord Terrence Hood is the de facto leader of the UNSC, flag officer of the UNSC Navy and the Commanding Officer of the UNSC Home Fleet.

Before the Battle of Earth
Much of Hood's early life is unknown, but it is known that he was a member of the British nobility, which gave him the right to use the title of Lord in addition to his military rank.

Hood joined the UNSCDF at an unknown age, and through his career, he earned several decorations, including the UNSC Medal of Honor, the Purple Heart, the Navy "E" Ribbon, and the Navy and Marine Corps Medal, along with a number of other service ribbons and citations. During his service, his life was saved twice by SPARTAN-II supersoldiers. His service and life before that is currently unknown, but it is probable that he engaged in dozens of actions against the Covenant beforehand to earn his position as Commander-in-Chief of UNSC forces by 2552. He rose to the rank of Fleet Admiral, and served on the UNSC Security Committee. He was present when Lieutenant Wagner presented his report on the destruction and fall of Reach. During this briefing, he also publicly and forcefully rebuked Colonel James Ackerson when he dismissed the SPARTAN-II program as 'Halsey's Freaks', pointing out that he would very well be dead if it had not been for their interference.

Battle of Earth


In October 2552, Hood presented MCPON John-117, Sergeant Major Avery Johnson, and Commander Miranda Keyes (for her father Captain Jacob Keyes) with medals aboard Cairo Station for their actions on Installation 04. Lord Hood was in overall command during the Battle of Earth, when Prophet of Regret's fleet attacked Earth, as well as the following weeks.

During November 2, 2552, Hood received a transmission from Catherine Halsey, piggy-backed by Cortana's update to command and was requested to send Spartans to Onyx. Hood obliged by ordering Spartans -104, -058, and -043 to the planet.

Late Battle of Earth
"Master Chief, you mind telling me what you're doing on that ship?"

- Lord Hood discovers the Chief's return to Earth

"Sir... finishing this fight."

- John-117

During the later stages of the Battle of Earth he was commanding the defense of Earth aboard a damaged Cairo Station as he found out that Master Chief was aboard the High Prophet of Truth's Forerunner flagship. He asked the Chief what he was doing aboard the ship, to which the Spartan replied, "Sir, finishing this fight."

After Sergeant Johnson returned to Earth from Installation 05, Hood gave him permission to interrogate a rebel Engineer as to why the Covenant were scouring the city of New Mombasa, from where the engineer had been extracted several weeks earlier by Captain Dare's Helljumper squad.

During the Battle of Voi, the UNSC forces on Earth had been stretched to their limits during John-117's absence, with Hood only having a few units fighting the Covenant. In addition, Hood kept several units in reserve including UNSC Frigates, single-ship fighters and several elements of ground forces. After John-117 and a selection of Marines were able to shut down Covenant AA defenses, Hood launched an attack on the Ark Portal with all his available assets. He failed, however, and the Prophet of Truth was able to activate the spatial rift to Installation 00, far outside the Milky Way Galaxy. It is important to note that if the Human ships had succeeded in destroying the Forerunner ship it is likely that the Flood would never have made it to the Ark, infecting Earth.

Battle of the Ark
At the end of the Battle of Voi, Hood appeared to have little faith in Cortana's "solution", and believed that following Truth through the portal could possibly turn out to be a Flood or one of the Gravemind's traps. However, this could be due to the fact that he had never fought the Flood before, and reluctantly authorized Miranda Keyes to enter the Portal once Thel 'Vadam commented that if Cortana was wrong, then the battle would already be lost. Hood then departed the Sangheili carrier, Shadow of Intent in a Pelican before it, along with all other Covenant Separatists ships, entered the portal. His decision to remain at Earth was a sign that he would fight for it until the end, and he was just as sure that he would die protecting it.

At the end of the war, he conducted the memorial service near the city of Voi, Kenya and the Portal. He told Thel 'Vadam that he could not forgive the Sangheili for what they had done at the beginning of the war, but thanked him for standing by the Master Chief and the UNSC until the end. The allies then departed, ready to rebuild their home planets. Unknown to him, the Master Chief and Cortana had survived.

Trivia

 * His Command Neural Interface port is clearly visible at the back of his head.
 * Hood was voiced by Hollywood actor Ron Perlman in Halo 2 and in Halo 3. His appearance is closely based on Perlman's.
 * Hood is said to be both a Lord and a Knight. This is unusual as under the British system of peerages, when one is made a peer, the title of Lord supersedes that of Knight in a formal address.
 * Lord Hood's flagship is said to be the Forward Unto Dawn, which he bestowed to Commander Miranda Keyes prior to the Covenant Separatists and UNSC forces going through the Ark's portal.
 * Lord Hood's name is most likely based upon Admiral Hood who fought Napoleon at the Battle of Toulon.
 * Lord Hood is the highest ranking UNSC officer shown in the entire Halo Trilogy.
 * Lord Hood's military decorations are (from top left) the Combat Action Ribbon, the Joint Service Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Navy "E" Ribbon, the Meritorious Unit Commendation, the Navy Rifle Marksman Ribbon, the Medal of Honor, the Purple Heart, and the Navy and Marine Corps Medal. It is odd that he wears his high-ranking medals below the lesser non-medal ribbons, although UNSC uniform regulations in 2552 are probably different from those in the present-day military. However, in present-day military regulations, ribbons are always worn above medals, regardless of how highly bestowed and honored these medals are.