The Last Spartan

The Last Spartan is the thirteenth track in Halo 2: Original Soundtrack, Volume 1.

The piece is similar in composition to the Halo Theme, outright featuring the vocals of the Halo Theme in its second part, and indeed could be said to be the theme of Halo 2. It opens with high strings which creates a feeling of uncertainty followed by a militaristic low strings, brass, and percussion. The tempo quickens, and the low strings takes over as the main melody, leading into a crescendo and an abrupt end. The piece ends with Cloistered Expectancy (the Halo 2 rendition of the Halo Theme from Prologue).

The low string melody of the piece was re-interpreted into a soft string variation in Metropole from Mombasa Suite, and incorporated briefly into Waking Spartan from Cairo Suite as well as Thermopylae Soon from Finale.

As the name suggests, the music is the theme of the John-117, which, at the time of release of Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, was commonly considered the last Spartan-II.

Appearance
The soundtrack can be heard:
 * In the Halo 2 announcement trailer.
 * In the main menu of Halo 2, which features only the low strings melody section of the first part.
 * In the form of Waking Spartan in the opening cutscene of the level Cairo Station, when Thel 'Vadamee was publicly tortured.
 * During the ending cutscene of the level Cairo Station, which was intended to be identical to the announcement trailer until the level originally intended to follow Cairo Station was cut.
 * In the form of Thermopylae Soon during the ending cutscene of the level The Great Journey, when 343 Guilty Spark explains the fail-safe protocol of Installation 05 and John-117 contacts Terrence Hood while onboard the Anodyne Spirit.

Reorchestrated versions
The piece was reorchestrated into the following:
 * The Last Spartan and Finale 2 in Halo Legends: Original Soundtrack.
 * A Spartan Rises in Halo 2: Anniversary Original Soundtrack, though the re-orchestration of Cloistered Expectancy plays first.