John-117: Difference between revisions

===Early childhood===

{{Quote|multi=yes|q1=It's very nice to meet you. I wanted to ask you what you were doing?|Halsey|q2=Winning.|John|Dr. Halsey and John during their first meeting.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 24'' (2001)</ref>}}

Born on [[2511|March 7, 2511]],<ref name="DK H4TEVG"/> John lived with his mother and father in [[Elysium City]], on the colony world of [[Eridanus II]]. He attended the [[Elysium City Primary Education Facility Number 119]]. As a child, John had brown hair, freckles, and a small gap between his front teeth. In a memory, he recalled that his mother was kind and smelled of soap.<ref name="flood">'''[[Halo: The Flood]]''', ''page 17''</ref> The would-be UNSC Marine [[Lieutenant]] [[Parisa]] was a childhood friend of John's. John once saved her from drowning at [[Lake Gusev]], after which he promised to marry her and keep her safe. A photo of the two was also taken by Parisa's father soon after, and would be kept as a memory by Parisa long after she thought John had passed away.<ref>'''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''', ''[[Palace Hotel (short story)|Palace Hotel]]'', ''pages 368-369''</ref> He also was a friend of [[Ellie Bloom]], living next to each other in their childhood, and [[Katrina]], who played obstacle races with him and Ellie.<ref name="HtT1">'''[[Hunt the Truth]]''', ''Episode 01: A HAIRLINE FRACTURE''</ref>  

{{Main|SPARTAN-II training}}

{{Quote|Remember this: you don’t win unless your team wins. One person winning at the expense of the group means that you lose.|CPO Mendez explaining trainees the main idea of teamwork.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 37'' (2001)</ref>}}

John and the rest of the children chosen for the SPARTAN-II program were brought to the [[Reach FLEETCOM Military Complex]], their new home for the next several years. There, Dr. Halsey informed the children of their new purpose: they were destined to become protectors of [[Unified Earth Government|Earth]] and [[Human colonies|all its colonies]]. The next morning John discovered his service tag, stitched into his training uniform, and his new name: '''John-117'''. John began adjusting to his new life, training with other Spartans under [[Chief Petty Officer]] [[Franklin Mendez]].

====Taking the initiative====

{{Quote|No one’s being left behind. We’re going to figure a way to get all of us out.|John motivating his comrades during the Spartans' training exercise in Reach's Highlands<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 44'' (2001)</ref>}}

When the Spartans were eight years old, they were sent on a training mission in which they were dropped over [[Military Wilderness Training Preserve|a forest]] located deep in one of Reach's [[Highland Mountains]]. They were expected to get safely to their extraction vehicle, an [[Albatross]] dropship. The trainees also had instructions to leave the last member arriving behind, or their punishment would be severe. After organizing themselves, the Spartans looked to him as their leader. It was a role he was surprised to be given, but eventually accepted. When the group came across the Albatross, it was guarded by un-uniformed [[UNSC Marine Corps|UNSC Marines]], leading John to assume they were a threat. He quickly devised a plan to eliminate the hostiles, capture the dropship, and ensure the safe extraction of every team member. He also decided to take responsibility as the last arriving trainee singled out for punishment. He quickly hijacked the dropship with the help of [[Déjà]], and attacked the guards with stones, injuring them severely. Chief Mendez was not initially pleased, feeling John had violated the boundaries of the test. However, both Mendez and Halsey quickly recognized John's initiative, and promoted him to Squad Leader. After this, despite the other Spartans rising in rank and leading independent teams, John remained the ''de facto'' leader of the Spartans as a whole.

====Physical augmentation====

{{Quote|no=two|q1=Can you tell me, Dr. Halsey? Just this time? How do I win?|John-117|q2=I’ll tell you how to win, John. You have to survive.|Dr. Halsey| Dr. Halsey visiting John right before his augmentation procedures<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 54'' (2001)</ref>}}

At the age of 14, John underwent the dangerous [[SPARTAN-II augmentation procedures]]. These procedures resulted in the death of thirty trainees, with twelve more physically disabled. John was one of thirty three Spartans who made it through the process unscathed, while the wounded were sent to the [[Office of Naval Intelligence]]. Even before his cybernetic and genetic augmentation, at 14 years of age, John had a physical body of an 18-year old Olympic athlete.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 59''</ref> Far beyond the physical alterations, the enhancements boosted the Spartans reflexes, strength, enhanced eyesight, and rendered their bones nearly unbreakable. Following their treatments, John and the other Spartans were transferred to the {{UNSCship|Atlas}} to recover in a microgravity environment. During his first visit to the ''Atlas''' gym, John was confronted by four ODSTs, whose sergeant then ordered the five of them into the [[martial arts|boxing]] ring. In the ensuing fight, John inadvertently killed two of the ODSTs, and left the others severely injured. According to [[Major]] [[Antonio Silva]], this incident was orchestrated by the Office of Naval Intelligence in order to test the Spartans' augmentations.<ref name="flood"/> While John had tried to avoid the confrontation, he nonetheless felt guilt at being forced to kill other human beings, but felt by following the sergeant's orders, he did the right thing. Then-ODST [[Anthony Petrosky]], who witnessed the fight, would later refer to his comrades as "lambs to the slaughter"; he described John's punches as rapid-fire explosions, and that the fight was over in less than five seconds.<ref name="htt3">'''[[Hunt the Truth]]''' ''Episode 03: CRITICAL CONDITION''</ref>  

{{Main|Operation: TALON}}

{{Quote|I have good news for you. The word has come down. Command has decided to test your unique abilities.|Dr. Halsey to the Spartans before their first combat mission<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 70'' (2001)</ref>}}

John-117's first mission, codenamed [[Operation: TALON]], was to capture Insurrectionist leader [[Colonel]] [[Robert Watts]] within the asteroid belt of the [[Eridanus system]], where his homeworld was located. According to the plan, Blue Team, consisting of John, Kelly, Fred, [[Linda-058|Linda]] and Sam, infiltrated the Insurrectionists' base by hiding aboard the freighter ''[[Laden]]''. Upon arrival they slid out of ''Laden'' and tracked their target to the barracks using previously marked cargo. The Spartans proficiently eliminated the guards and made their way to Watts' apartment, though John was shot in the side, with one bullet penetrating his [[black body suit|body suit]], bouncing off a few ribs, and causing a tremendous amount of internal bleeding, remaining lodged in his abdomen during the ensuing firefight. Careful not to kill Watts, they drove him into a corner, choked him into unconsciousness, and forced him into a sealed cargo crate. To make an exit, Sam used C-12 explosives to blow the main hangar bay doors. As the hangar bay decompressed, the Spartans escaped the rebels' base in a Pelican dropship stolen from the UNSC. The official results of the mission listed eleven dead enemy soldiers and an unknown number of rebel civilians. John received a [[Purple Heart]] upon the completion of the mission.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''pages 75-94''</ref>

{{Clear}}

====Circinius IV====

{{Main|Battle of Circinius IV}}

{{Quote|Stay close to me. It's your best chance of survival.|John-117 warning cadets about the danger posed by the enemy<ref name="H4FUD-4">'''Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn''', ''Part 4''</ref>}}

In [[2526]], John, Kelly and [[Fred-104|Fred]] were sent to support Marine forces in a search-and-capture mission against an Insurrectionist leader; the skirmish quickly escalated as the Covenant's arrival forced the UNSC troops to briefly side with the rebels.<ref>'''Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn''', ''Part 3''</ref> Sometime later, he and Blue Team were sent to [[Circinius IV]] to evacuate survivors. The Spartans eventually received a distress signal from a [[Hastati Squad|cadet squad]] pinned down at the [[Corbulo Academy of Military Science]]. John defeated the [[Sangheili Zealot]] who had been pursuing the squad, then radioed Kelly to rendezvous with him and the survivors at an extraction point up north. John, who told the cadets to address him as "Master Chief", cleared the way to the deceased [[Black|General Black's]] Warthog and ordered [[Thomas Lasky|Cadet Thomas Lasky]] to drive.<ref name="H4FUD-4"/>

====Raid on the Third Fleet of Glorious Consequence====

{{Main|Operation: WARM BLANKET}}

{{Quote|What we want is in the heart of this fleet - the flagship.|John-117 identifying the mission's target<ref name="HLP">'''Halo Legends''': ''The Package''</ref>}}

Shortly after the [[Battle of Miridem]] in [[2544]], John (along with Fred-104, Kelly-087, [[Solomon-069]], and [[Arthur-079]]) was part of a mission, codenamed [[Operation: WARM BLANKET]], to rescue Dr. Catherine Halsey from the Covenant's [[Third Fleet of Glorious Consequence]], which was located at [[Ascon]]. The team utilized [[Open Frame 92/Extra-Vehicular Activity|OF92/EVA "Booster Frame" fighters]], which were designed for ship boarding actions, and infiltrated the [[assault carrier]] flagship ''[[Resplendent Fervor]]''.<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach]]''' (2010), ''Adjunct''</ref> While clearing the assault carrier, John encountered [[Sangheili Major]] [[Thel 'Lodamee]], who challenged John to an [[energy sword]] duel. Near victory, 'Lodamee was forced out of the duel when his [[Luro 'Taralumee‎|Fleet Master]] separated the lower section of the assault carrier to kill the Spartans, [[gravity lift]]ing him into the upper section. Both soldiers were left with their battle unfinished. The Spartans completed their mission and rescued Dr. Halsey, but Arthur and Solomon were killed in the battle. John was saddened by his teammates' deaths and swore he would become stronger, vowing to keep his comrades alive at all costs.<ref name="HLP"/> After seeing that Halsey was safely returned to the UNSC, he was deployed to Miridem as part of [[Operation: IRON FIST]], with the duel goals of asset denial and partial recovery of critical cyberinfrastructure assets.

====Sigma Octanus IV====

{{Main|Operation: OCEAN BREAKER}}

{{Quote|We've come to take [[Sigma Octanus IV]] back from the Covenant, Corporal. To do that, we're going to kill every last one of them.|John-117 to Corporal [[Harland]] upon the Spartans' arrival on the planet<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 201'' (2010)</ref>}}

====Installation 04====

{{Main|Battle of Installation 04}}

{{Quote|multi=yes|q1=Get Cortana off this ship. Keep her safe from the enemy. If they capture her, they'll learn everything. Force deployment, weapons research... Earth.|Captain Keyes|q2=I understand.|John-117|Captain Keyes enforcing the [[Cole Protocol]]<ref name="hcea autumn">'''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''', campaign level, ''[[The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|The Pillar of Autumn]]''</ref>}}

John-117 was sent by the Installation's [[monitor]], [[343 Guilty Spark]], to retrieve the [[Index]], an activation device for the Halo ring. Seeing the danger posed by the Flood first hand, John willfully took up the role as a [[Reclaimer]]. Upon John's return to Halo's [[Control Room (Installation 04)|Control Room]], Cortana revealed that Halo's true purpose was not only to destroy the Flood, but prevent its spread by targeting all sentient life within its blast radius. John was then forced to disrupt Halo's firing system by disabling the ring's [[phase pulse generator]]s in order to delay the Monitor's plan.

John carved a path through the three-sided conflict among the Covenant, the Flood and the Forerunners' [[Sentinel]]s. Soon after, he tried to rescue Captain Keyes, but was too late. Captain Keyes had been transformed into a [[proto-Gravemind]] Flood form. After infiltrating the Covenant cruiser ''[[Truth and Reconciliation]]'', the Chief managed to retrieve the Captain's neural implants, which he used to activate the ''Pillar of Autumn'''s self-destruct sequence. After the sequence was aborted by 343 Guilty Spark, he proceeded to manually overload the fusion reactors, which would subsequently destroy both the ''Pillar of Autumn'' and Installation 04.

{{Clear}}

====Return to Reach====

{{Main|Raid on Reach}}

{{Quote|He sent his team down to the surface of Reach... sent them to their deaths. What commander wouldn't go back? And what commander wouldn't hope that they were alive? No matter what the odds?|Lieutenant Haverson about John's motives<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 97'' </ref>}}

{{Main|Operation: FIRST STRIKE}}

{{Quote|We're going to take this fight to the Covenant. We're going to launch a first strike.|John-117 to his team about mission ahead of them<ref>'''Halo: First Strike''', ''page 271'' </ref>}}

John and remaining Spartan-IIs Linda-058, [[Grace-093]], [[Will-043]], and [[Fred-104]], focused on finding a way to stop the Covenant from reaching [[Earth]], the location of which had been compromised. They decided to destroy the ''Unyielding Hierophant'' in order to slow the fleet's departure. The Spartan-IIs infiltrated the station, which was located in the [[Tau Ceti system]], and after spending eleven hours on board, they arrived at a temple where a copy of Cortana warned them of the nearby [[Jiralhanae]] guards. Linda took up a sniping position and the other four Spartans entered the temple. John was nearly killed by ambushing Brutes, but the team managed to slay their attackers quickly. Grace, however, was torn in half by three [[Type-25 Grenade Launcher|Brute Shot]] rounds. John activated the [[Fail-safe detonation system|fail-safe]] on her armor, denying her body to the Covenant.

====Installation 05====

{{Main|Battle of Installation 05}}

{{Quote|This is not your grave...But you are welcome in it.|The Gravemind to John-117 after capturing the latter<ref name="H2 regret">'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level ''[[Regret (level)|Regret]]''</ref>}}

Losing consciousness from the impact, John was captured by the Flood's central intelligence, the [[Gravemind]]. Shortly after, [[Thel 'Vadam|the Arbiter]] was also captured. The Gravemind appealed to John's common interest in preventing the firing of the Halo array. Reluctantly, John agreed. The Gravemind then tasked both captives with locating the Index, sending them to the two most likely locations where it could be found. John was sent to ''High Charity'', interrupting a sermon by the [[Prophet of Truth]]. The [[Changing of the Guard|conflict]] between the [[Sangheili]] and [[Jiralhanae]] came as a direct result of John's assassination of a High Prophet, leading the Covenant to [[Great Schism|civil war]].<ref name="gravem">'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level ''[[Gravemind (level)|Gravemind]]''</ref>

John wasted little time in devastating the ranks of the Prophet's guardians, chasing the surviving [[Hierarchs]] through ''High Charity''. John nearly cornered the San'Shyuum and their Brute escorts, but was too late to prevent Truth's escape. A dying [[Prophet of Mercy]], compromised by a [[Flood infection form]], cackled that Truth had ordered his Dreadnought to Earth where he would complete the destruction of the human race. John then crushed the infection form with his armored hand. While this act killed Mercy, he was shortly thereafter resurrected as a Flood-controlled puppet. John faced another crucial dilemma: the Covenant had the [[Activation Index|Index]] and could activate Halo; however, Earth's [[Home Fleet]] stood little chance of withstanding Truth's remaining forces.<ref name="highc">'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level ''[[High Charity (level)|High Charity]]''</ref>

====Return to Earth====

{{Quote|Crazy fool! Why do you always jump? One of these days, you're gonna land on somethin' as stubborn as you are! And I don't do bits and pieces!|Sergeant Johnson about John's escape methods<ref name="arrival"/>}}

At the [[Battle of Voi]], John dashed towards what was believed to be [[Installation 00|the Ark]]. Instead, the [[The Portal|artifact opened a slipspace portal]] ''to'' the Ark. With Marine support, John and Thel 'Vadam destroyed three [[Type-52 Anti-Aircraft Artillery|Anti-Air Wraiths]], a Scarab, and a [[Type-27 Anti-Aircraft Cannon|Covenant anti-aircraft battery]], allowing Lord Hood's remaining [[UNSC frigate|frigates]] to fire upon Truth's Dreadnought. Unfortunately, MAC rounds had little effect on the Forerunner Dreadnought, and Truth fled through the Portal with his remaining loyalist forces. The UNSC remained behind on Earth to determine their next move.<ref>'''Halo 3''', campaign level ''[[The Storm]]''</ref>

Just as the battle seemed over, a [[Unidentified Flood-captured battlecruiser|Flood-infested Covenant warship]] crash-landed in Voi. John and his allies fought to contain the Flood infection, eventually destroying the infected warship. During the battle, [[Shipmaster]] [[Rtas 'Vadum]] came to aid the UNSC. He deployed a Special Operations Sangheili strike team through [[orbital insertion pod]]s, assisting John as he attempted to recover a fragment of Cortana hidden aboard the vessel, who he learned was on the crashed vessel. Aided by the unexpected appearance of 343 Guilty Spark, John retrieved the damaged data device and was brought aboard 'Vadum's flagship, ''[[Shadow of Intent]]''. The Sangheili were able to stop the Flood infestation by [[glassing]] the city and its surroundings, much to Hood's anger.<ref name="floodg">'''Halo 3''', campaign level ''[[Floodgate]]''</ref>

====Missing in action====

{{Quote|no=two|q1=Hard to believe he's dead.|Adm. Hood|q2=Were it so easy...|Thel 'Vadam|Lord Hood and Arbiter on John-117's apparent death<ref name="epi3"/>}}

====Stranded in space====

{{Quote|Wake me... when you need me.|John's last words before entering cryostasis<ref name="epi3"/>}}

John-117 and Cortana managed to survive the explosion of [[Installation 04B]] in the remaining cargo portion of the ''Forward Unto Dawn'', but it was nearly powerless and could not be properly navigated. Cortana, relieved that John had survived, explained this to the Chief, and that it could take years before anyone could discover their distress signal. In a similar conversation to one after the destruction of Installation 04, Cortana listed what John had done and told him, ''"It's finished,"'' and this time, he agreed with her. John entered a cryotube, at which point Cortana stated that she would miss him. John replied her to wake him when she needed him.<ref name="epi3"/>

{{Main|New Phoenix Incident}}

{{Quote|You persist too long after your own defeat. Come then, Warrior. Have your resolution.|Didact to Chief acknowledging his efforts to stop him<ref name="midnight"/>}}

With the Didact approaching Earth, planning to imprison all of humanity into digital form, John pursued the Promethean aboard an [[F-41 Broadsword]] fighter on the outer hull of the Promethean's ship. As the ship exited slipspace near Earth, John was surprised to find the ''Infinity'' and the rest of the [[UNSC Home Fleet|Home Fleet]] ready and waiting for the Didact. John was able to destroy the ship's point defense guns, giving ''Infinity'' the chance to punch through the vessel's hull. Entering the breach, John fought his way to the Forerunner's location.<ref name="midnight">'''Halo 4''', campaign level ''[[Midnight]]''</ref> Despite the UNSC's best efforts, the Didact began to fire on Earth with the Composer, annihilating the population of [[New Phoenix|New Phoenix, Arizona]]. Armed with a [[HAVOK tactical nuclear weapon|HAVOK warhead]], John confronted the Didact for the second time. While John was unable to hurt the Forerunner with conventional attacks, the dying Cortana disabled the Didact's armor and immobilized him with [[hard light]] shackles. With the last of his strength, John used a [[pulse grenade]] to destroy the Forerunner's armor, sending him down into a slipspace rupture beneath the Composer. With time having already run out, John detonated the nuclear bomb manually as a desperate last resort.<ref name="midnight"/>

====Self-reassignment====

{{Quote|no=two|q1=Where to this time?|Kelly-087|q2=Anywhere we're needed.|John-117|John-117 informing Blue team about their next assignment<ref name="HE10"/>}}

John returned to Earth with Blue Team where he was debriefed by Fleet Admiral Hood. While Lord Hood believed the Didact to be dead, the Master Chief considered it safer to call him "contained". Hood ordered John and the other Spartans to take a leave from combat, but upon returning to his team the Master Chief instead told them they were embarking on a new mission.<ref name="HE10"/> In the following months, John led Blue Team on numerous classified operations, virtually without pause. These missions included diplomatic escorts through hostile territory, counter-piracy efforts against salvagers, and strikes against Covenant outposts. The Master Chief's determination to undertake mission after mission without rest was discussed by two high-level individuals within ONI, who deemed his self-reassignment a predictable consequence of his nature and unwavering dedication to his career.<ref name="HE10"/> At some point amid these operations, John and Blue Team returned to the glassed Reach to remember Sam's sacrifice.<ref>'''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series]]'''</ref>

{{Main|Raid on Biko peace talks}}

{{Quote|Every statue of him is a monument to be treasured|Senator Andrew Del Rio, referring to John-117 after his innocence at the Biko massacre was proven<ref name="htt13">'''Hunt the Truth''', ''Episode 13: IN THE BAG''</ref>}}

In [[2558]] John-117 and the rest of Blue Team discovered that an extremist organization known as [[Sapien Sunrise]] was planning an attack on [[Richard Sekibo]] on [[Biko]]. As a peace conference on [[Biko]] between the UEG and [[Sangheili]] representatives was coming to an end, John entered the embassy and instantly killed a member of Sapien Sunrise who was disguised as [[Richard Sekibo]]'s bodyguard. A firefight began, in which a total of eighteen human lives were claimed. John fled the embassy alongside the Sangheili delegation, which he escorted to safety. Outside the embassy, the rest of Blue Team was waiting in an evac ship for John. Unfortunately, Sekibo was killed and John was unable to save him.<ref name="htt10">'''[[Hunt the Truth]]''', ''Episode 10: GAG ORDER''</ref> His corpse was left behind in a field near the embassy on Biko. The next day, local officials discovered a signal beacon that led them to the body of Sekibo.<ref name="htt8">'''[[Hunt the Truth]]''', ''Episode 08: DRIP, DRIP, DRIP''</ref> After this event, the [[Unified Earth Government|UEG]] and Biko government covered it up by making it appear that John had killed authorized bodyguards and Sekibo.<ref name="htt10"/> This false story was spread throughout the [[Inner Colonies|inner colonies]]. The media started referring to John as "'''The Fallen Spartan'''".<ref name="htt8"/> As [[Benjamin Giraud]] prepared to expose the cover up, and reveal the atrocities committed by the people behind the SPARTAN-II program, the UEG and Biko undercut him by radically reversing their claims, admitting and denouncing the involvement of Sapien Sunrise in the attack, utterly discrediting Giraud. Even Senator [[Andrew Del Rio]], who had condemned the Master Chief in an official statement, reversed his position and took some immediate leave.<ref name="htt13"/>

{{Main|Raid on Argent Moon}}

{{Quote|no=two|q1=We're outnumbered here, Chief. A few thousand to one.|Fred-104|q2=Surrendering ''Argent Moon'' is not an option.|John-117|John and Fred about their mission<ref name="h5 blue team"/>}}

On October 23, 2558, John and the rest of Blue Team were deployed from the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} on a mission to find and secure ''[[Argent Moon]]'', an ONI research vessel that had been missing for nineteen months. Departing from a D79-TC Pelican, Blue Team managed to infiltrate the ''Argent Moon'' by shooting out one of the windows, subsequently causing many Sangheili part of Jul 'Mdama's Covenant to be sucked out into the vacuum. Ascertaining that there were no human survivors aboard, John and the others fought towards central control, where they planned to disable the gravity and life support systems on the ship in order to kill off the rest of the Covenant.<ref name="h5 blue team"/> They were almost there when a Mgalekgolo destroyed a catwalk they were crossing and so fell multiple stories. While alone John experienced a vision from the [[Domain]], with the image of Cortana telling him that it was open and that [[Meridian]] was next and the Reclamation was about to begin. He then was treated to a vision of a [[Guardian]] rising up from a bottomless chasm. Upon coming to, he found himself amongst Blue Team once more and told them what he had seen. Resolving to deal with it later, they continued onwards according to their original plan.<ref name="h5 blue team"/>

====Absent without leave====

{{Main|Battle of Meridian (2558)}}

{{Quote|no=two|q1=Sir, you are absent without leave. This is your one chance to come home peacefully.|Spartan Locke|q2=I have a job to do.|John-117|John-117 and Spartan Locke about current state of affairs<ref name="h5 unconfirmed">'''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''', campaign level, ''[[Unconfirmed|Unconfirmed]]''</ref>}}

====Genesis and revelation====

{{Main|Battle of Genesis}}

{{Quote|Stand down, Cortana. Come home with us. It's not too late to stop this.|John convincing Cortana to stop<ref name="h5 the breaking"/>}}

====Reunion====

{{Quote|Took you long enough.|Dr. Halsey upon meeting John for the first time in six years<ref name="h5 guardians"/>}}

Sometime later, John and Spartan Locke with their respective fireteams headed to [[Sanghelios]]. There they regrouped with [[Thel 'Vadam]] and his [[Swords of Sanghelios]] who had just [[Battle of Sunaion|destroyed]] the remaining cell of [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant]]. In 'Vadam's field command post, John and Locke also met up with Spartan Commander [[Sarah Palmer]] and Dr. [[Catherine Halsey]], whom John had not seen since before [[Operation: FIRST STRIKE]] in 2552.<ref name="h5 guardians"/>

John's unfaltering, determined nature also serves to mask his feelings on many occasions, as he prefers to devote all attention to the goal at hand. He is cautious and observant, only making changes in his plans if they are of the utmost necessity. John is smart and noted for thinking outside the box, using unconventional means to reach his goal. He realizes his duty as a Spartan is to serve and help those in need, and can work professionally with anyone he is sent into battle with. Although John has difficulty understanding the 'undisciplined' lifestyle of civilians, he is fiercely protective of their lives and humanity as a whole. The mass slaughter of civilians at the hands of the Covenant was enough to drive even the stoic John into a cold rage. After the [[Battle of Draco III|massacre on Draco III]], John and his Spartans remained on-site until every Covenant soldier responsible for the atrocity was dead.

John greatly dislikes being kept in the dark, ambushes and fighting human soldiers. Once, when cornered by four large ODSTs in a gym, he did his best to avoid a confrontation. In the end, he was forced to defend himself with lethal force. While killing Covenant never placed a burden of guilt on John, ending the lives of fellow human beings was something he never felt comfortable remembering. Also John, as with many Spartan-IIs, hates space battles, as being stuck on a spaceship during a space battle makes him feel helpless. As a soldier, John knows when it is appropriate and inappropriate to fight, and has great control over his emotions thanks to a clear state of mind. Due to his augmentations, he reacts much faster than an average human, seeing events at a fraction of normal speed. It is almost a clairvoyant state of mind, and as a result of this, has an acute intuitive insight and perception of any situation combat or non-combat. He has been known to have vivid and long-enduring memories of the past, such as in dreams. No matter how well-adjusted he is, however, John always seems to need to have a quiet place away from crowds after a battle in order to feel at peace.

Throughout his training, John proved himself as one of the most promising leaders among Spartans, and Dr. Halsey considered him the best candidate in the entire program. His aspiration to win and his care of his teammates eventually helped him gain the position of squad leader. In years to come, many Spartan fireteams emerged with their own leaders. John took command of Blue Team, though he kept his commander role for the whole SPARTAN-II company.  

What affected John the most were the deaths of people under his command; John considered every Spartan lost during the war as his own mistake, swearing to become stronger the next time.<ref name="HLP"/> During the Fall of Reach, John lost contact with his Spartans, however, he was sure that some of them survived the glassing and was determined to save as many as he could. More than once John took command of mixed units or squads consisting of regular Marines. He was capable to organize them to act as a Spartan fireteam, achieving despite almost impossible odds. On Requiem, during the initial engagements between UNSC and Promethean forces, John assumed tactical command of ''Infinity''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s ground forces including Spartan-IVs, despite being outranked by many of them.<ref name="infil"/> Upon his return to Blue Team, Fred-104 ceded command to John despite outranking him by two ranks. Blue Team also willingly followed John when he chose to go AWOL.

====Thel 'Vadam====

{{Quote|no=two|q1=Your people used to call him "Demon." Was that an insult or a compliment?|Jameson Locke|q2=An insult, to be sure, but one with a modicum of respect. He was indeed my enemy, but, in time, I named him ally... even friend. The events which forged this bond are… complicated.|Thel 'Vadam|Locke and the Arbiter about Chief<ref name="journey"/>}}

John and [[Thel 'Vadam]]'s first meeting on Delta Halo was hostile, with the Arbiter continually referring to the Spartan as "Demon" and John's insistence that the San'Shyuum were making a "big mistake" by activating the Halo rings. Upon their next meeting on Earth, John was quick to try and kill the Sangheili before Johnson stopped him. They remained initially wary of one another, but learned to trust each other in combat against the Covenant and the Flood. Thel proved his trustworthiness to John through actions such as assisting him in the rescue of Sergeant Johnson, or counseling his fellow Sangheili not to glass all of Earth after the Flood outbreak at Voi. When they reached the Ark, the two's reliance on each other was cemented, and John demonstrated his respect for Thel by allowing him be the one to kill the Prophet of Truth. The Arbiter also came to his aid on ''High Charity'' despite having little need to do so, and chose to fight with John to the end in his efforts to stop the Flood and consoled him on Johnson's death. 'Vadam was the last one to see John alive before the latter went missing after the war, and afterward expressed to Lord Hood mild doubt that John might be dead.  'Vadam would later refer to John as a "friend", and upon learning that he was still alive following the [[Battle of Ealen IV|events]] on [[Ealen IV]], Thel believed that he was the key to the galaxy's future. During the [[Battle of Sunaion]], Thel referred to the Chief as the greatest of all Spartans, and later asked Spartan Locke to give the Chief his greetings. Spartan [[Olympia Vale]] noted that no Sangheili had addressed a human like that before.

==Age and appearance==

John's age is affected by the same ambiguities as all beings who undergo extended voyages through space. Though he is chronologically 47 years old as of mid-[[2558]], he has spent much of his life in [[Cryonics|cryosleep]], particularly when he spent almost five years adrift aboard ''Forward Unto Dawn''. Cellular activity is slowed to near standstill in cryosleep, effectively halting the aging process. As a result, John's biological age is less than his age as measured by Terran chronology.

File:Johnstripes.png|John during a game of King of the Hill.

File:H4L - John 117 flash clone replacement.jpg|John being replaced with his flash clone.

File:John-117 fighting ODST team.png|John-117 fighting a group of ODSTs on the ''Atlas''.

File:John-117 boarding Unrelenting.png|John boarding the ''[[Unrelenting]]''.

File:H2A-JohnWithCovenantBomb.jpg|John returning the Covenant bomb.

File:HSS-John.png|John on the streets of Mombasa.

File:Master Chief & The Arbiter.jpg|John-117 and Thel 'Vadam prepare to fight through the jungles of Kenya.

File:HM-John&friends.png|Thel 'Vadam, Avery Johnson, 343 Guilty Spark and John-117 near Installation 04B's Control Room.

File:H2A - MC face.jpg|John-117 in ''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''.

File:TFOR-AS-John-Dress-Uniform.png|John at age 14 after his augmentations in ''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series]]''.

File:Master_Chief_and_locke_promo_profiles.jpg|Profile of Chief and Locke given with ''Halo'' merchandise to popular ''Halo'' personalities.

File:Halo5GuardiansDossierJohn.png|John's dossier from the special edition of ''Halo 5: Guardians''.