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List of inconsistencies in the Halo series: Difference between revisions
List of inconsistencies in the Halo series (edit)
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==Conflicts== | ==Conflicts== | ||
For the sake of convenience, most conflicts are listed under the piece of media which introduced the conflict. For the purposes of this list, the established [[Halopedia:Canon Policy|hierarchy of canon]] is mostly ignored; however, in instances in which two or more works have been developed concurrently and released within a short span of time of one another (''e.g.'' games and their marketing material), the "primary" work takes precedence even if released marginally later than the "secondary" one. For example, conflicting information in ''Halo: The Fall of Reach'' is said to contradict ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', even though the novel was released slightly earlier than the game. Conflicts which are persistent throughout multiple sources are listed in the "Several sources" section. | For the sake of convenience, most conflicts are listed under the piece of media which introduced the conflict. For the purposes of this list, the established [[Halopedia:Canon Policy|hierarchy of canon]] is mostly ignored; however, in instances in which two or more works have been developed concurrently and released within a short span of time of one another (''e.g.'' games and their marketing material), the "primary" work takes precedence even if released marginally later than the "secondary" one. For example, conflicting information in ''Halo: The Fall of Reach'' is said to contradict ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', even though the novel was released slightly earlier than the game. Conflicts which are persistent throughout multiple sources are listed in the "Several sources" section. | ||
===''Halo: The Fall of Reach''=== | ===''Halo: The Fall of Reach''=== | ||
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*In ''Halo: The Fall of Reach'', when Captain Keyes awakens from cryo, Cortana informs him that the capacitors of the Pillar of Autumn's MAC gun are depolarized and the gun cannot fire,<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 337''</ref> yet the gun is apparently used, and the loss of fire control is treated as a significant piece of dialogue in ''Halo: Combat Evolved'''s opening cutscene. | *In ''Halo: The Fall of Reach'', when Captain Keyes awakens from cryo, Cortana informs him that the capacitors of the Pillar of Autumn's MAC gun are depolarized and the gun cannot fire,<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 337''</ref> yet the gun is apparently used, and the loss of fire control is treated as a significant piece of dialogue in ''Halo: Combat Evolved'''s opening cutscene. | ||
**It is possible that the crew managed to get the gun working again before the battle. | **It is possible that the crew managed to get the gun working again before the battle. | ||
===''Halo: Combat Evolved'' manual=== | |||
*The ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' manual states that the [[Harvest]] [[First Battle of Harvest|incident]] took place in 2520,<ref>''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' manual, page 4</ref> while all other sources specify 2525.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', page 96</ref> | |||
*The manual also states that [[Jacob Keyes|Captain Keyes]] has served in the UNSC since 2526,<ref>''Halo: Combat Evolved'' manual, page 8</ref> though ''The Fall of Reach'' clearly states that he was fresh out of OCS in 2517.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', page 19</ref> | |||
*The Grunts are referred to as being five feet tall in the ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' manual,<ref>''Halo: Combat Evolved'' manual, page 10</ref> but in ''The Fall of Reach'', they are referred to as being a meter tall (just over three feet). Although it could be that Grunts are "a meter tall" in a natural combat stance, while they are actually "five feet tall" if they stand up straight, without a methane tank attached to their backs.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 1''</ref> | |||
*According to the manual, the Covenant attacked Reach two days before the Spartans' [[Operation: RED FLAG|mission to capture a Prophet]] was to begin. This is contradicted in ''Halo: The Fall of Reach'' and ''First Strike'', in both of which the ''Pillar of Autumn'' is already departing for the mission when the Covenant attack. | |||
*The manual refers to the {{UNSCShip|Meriwether Lewis}} as a colony ship. The ship is said to be a frigate in ''Halo: The Fall of Reach''.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 139''</ref> | |||
===''Halo: The Flood''=== | ===''Halo: The Flood''=== | ||
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===''Halo: Contact Harvest''=== | ===''Halo: Contact Harvest''=== | ||
{{Main|Halo: Contact Harvest}} | |||
*''Halo: The Fall of Reach'' states that Harvest has a population of three million. However, in ''Halo: Contact Harvest'', it is stated to have a little over 300,000. The figure presented in ''Contact Harvest'' has been ignored in later media, and the population is listed as three million in ''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Boot Camp]]'' and ''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]''. | *''Halo: The Fall of Reach'' states that Harvest has a population of three million. However, in ''Halo: Contact Harvest'', it is stated to have a little over 300,000. The figure presented in ''Contact Harvest'' has been ignored in later media, and the population is listed as three million in ''[[Halo: Fall of Reach - Boot Camp]]'' and ''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]''. | ||
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===''Halo 3: ODST''=== | ===''Halo 3: ODST''=== | ||
*The depiction of the city of [[New Mombasa]] in '' | {{Main|Halo 3: ODST}} | ||
*The depiction of the city of [[New Mombasa]] in ''Halo 3: ODST'' differs significantly from its ''Halo 2'' incarnation, the most prominent changes being the replacement of the [[Mombasa Tether]] to a separate island and a major restructuring of the island's general shape. As a result, the [[Prophet of Regret]]'s assault carrier ''[[Solemn Penance]]'' is also moved to a different location over the city than it was in ''Halo 2''. | |||
*In ''Halo 3: ODST'', the ''Solemn Penance'' is seen as being stationary just prior to it jumping into slipspace, yet in ''Halo 2'' during the closing cutscene of the level ''[[Metropolis (level)|Metropolis]]'', the assault carrier is moving forward. | *In ''Halo 3: ODST'', the ''Solemn Penance'' is seen as being stationary just prior to it jumping into slipspace, yet in ''Halo 2'' during the closing cutscene of the level ''[[Metropolis (level)|Metropolis]]'', the assault carrier is moving forward. | ||
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===''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''=== | ===''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''=== | ||
{{Main|Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe}} | |||
*In ''[[The Mona Lisa]]'', it is repeatedly stated that the UNSC had a "policy" not to take Covenant prisoners and the main characters are shown to be baffled about discovering Covenant prisoners aboard the prison vessel ''[[Mona Lisa]]''.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''', "[[The Mona Lisa]]", ''pages 262, 269''</ref> However, UNSC personnel are shown taking Covenant prisoners in ''Halo: The Flood'', ''Halo Wars: Genesis'', and several later sources. It is likely that the "policy" to which the characters refer is a guideline or standard operating procedure rather than a official, strictly enforced protocol. | *In ''[[The Mona Lisa]]'', it is repeatedly stated that the UNSC had a "policy" not to take Covenant prisoners and the main characters are shown to be baffled about discovering Covenant prisoners aboard the prison vessel ''[[Mona Lisa]]''.<ref>'''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe''', "[[The Mona Lisa]]", ''pages 262, 269''</ref> However, UNSC personnel are shown taking Covenant prisoners in ''Halo: The Flood'', ''Halo Wars: Genesis'', and several later sources. It is likely that the "policy" to which the characters refer is a guideline or standard operating procedure rather than a official, strictly enforced protocol. | ||
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===''Halo: Glasslands''=== | ===''Halo: Glasslands''=== | ||
{{Main|Halo: Glasslands}} | |||
*At the conclusion of ''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx'', Onyx dissolves into trillions of [[Onyx Sentinel]]s that vaporize any vessels nearby and remain to guard the slipspace rift to the [[Trevelyan|shield world]] formerly in the core of the planet.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 378''</ref> These Sentinels are wholly absent in ''Glasslands'', in which UNSC vessels are capable of traversing the former site of [[Onyx]], now said to contain a debris field, without any sign of threat.<ref name="glass47">'''Halo: Glasslands''', ''pages 47-48''</ref> While the Onyx Sentinels are mentioned in passing when referencing past events,<ref name="glass285"/> their apparent disappearance is never noted nor addressed. | *At the conclusion of ''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx'', Onyx dissolves into trillions of [[Onyx Sentinel]]s that vaporize any vessels nearby and remain to guard the slipspace rift to the [[Trevelyan|shield world]] formerly in the core of the planet.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 378''</ref> These Sentinels are wholly absent in ''Glasslands'', in which UNSC vessels are capable of traversing the former site of [[Onyx]], now said to contain a debris field, without any sign of threat.<ref name="glass47">'''Halo: Glasslands''', ''pages 47-48''</ref> While the Onyx Sentinels are mentioned in passing when referencing past events,<ref name="glass285"/> their apparent disappearance is never noted nor addressed. | ||
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===''Halo: The Thursday War''=== | ===''Halo: The Thursday War''=== | ||
{{Main|Halo: The Thursday War}} | |||
*The {{UNSCShip|Port Stanley}} carries a large arsenal of [[nuclear weapon]]s onboard and is yet capable of remaining completely undetected over [[Sanghelios]].<ref>'''Halo: The Thursday War''', ''page 320''</ref> According to ''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx'', this would be impossible, as the [[plutonium]] in nuclear weapons negates any stealth measures upon slipspace transition by emitting an easily detectable [[Čerenkov radiation]] signature, forcing even stealth vessels to jettison any onboard nukes in order to perform a cloaked slipspace exit.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 187''</ref> However, ''Port Stanley'' had been heavily upgraded with Forerunner technology, so it is possible that this flaw had been alleviated. | *The {{UNSCShip|Port Stanley}} carries a large arsenal of [[nuclear weapon]]s onboard and is yet capable of remaining completely undetected over [[Sanghelios]].<ref>'''Halo: The Thursday War''', ''page 320''</ref> According to ''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx'', this would be impossible, as the [[plutonium]] in nuclear weapons negates any stealth measures upon slipspace transition by emitting an easily detectable [[Čerenkov radiation]] signature, forcing even stealth vessels to jettison any onboard nukes in order to perform a cloaked slipspace exit.<ref>'''Halo: Ghosts of Onyx''', ''page 187''</ref> However, ''Port Stanley'' had been heavily upgraded with Forerunner technology, so it is possible that this flaw had been alleviated. | ||
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*Dr. Halsey asks Black-Box ''"So which ship or Spartan are you assigned to?"'' upon encountering the AI.<ref>'''Halo: The Thursday War''', ''page 357''</ref> This question is absurd in the given context, as it excludes a broad range of assignments in which AIs are commonly known to serve, while equating Spartans with ships as one of two noteworthy posts for AIs; Halsey would have no reason to presume that an AI would be assigned to a Spartan, given that Cortana's assignment to John-117 was a one-time exception and not a standard procedure among Spartans. | *Dr. Halsey asks Black-Box ''"So which ship or Spartan are you assigned to?"'' upon encountering the AI.<ref>'''Halo: The Thursday War''', ''page 357''</ref> This question is absurd in the given context, as it excludes a broad range of assignments in which AIs are commonly known to serve, while equating Spartans with ships as one of two noteworthy posts for AIs; Halsey would have no reason to presume that an AI would be assigned to a Spartan, given that Cortana's assignment to John-117 was a one-time exception and not a standard procedure among Spartans. | ||
===''Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn''=== | ===''Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn''=== | ||
{{Main|Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn}} | |||
*[[Cygnus]], [[Chyler Silva]]'s birthplace, is described as a center of violent [[Insurrection]] activity. According to ''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]'', the [[Cygnus system]] had not been involved in the [[Insurrection]] as of [[2524]].<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 61''</ref> | *[[Cygnus]], [[Chyler Silva]]'s birthplace, is described as a center of violent [[Insurrection]] activity. According to ''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]'', the [[Cygnus system]] had not been involved in the [[Insurrection]] as of [[2524]].<ref>'''Halo: Contact Harvest''', ''page 61''</ref> | ||
* In ''Halo 4'', it is implied that coordinate data from an incident with a [[Composer|Forerunner artifact]] at [[Installation 03]] led the UNSC ''Infinity'' to Requiem. No mention is made of the ''Infinity'' picking up Cortana's distress call which results in the ship and its battle group making a slipspace jump toward Requiem in ''Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn''. Although the ''Infinity'' receives the distress call in ''Halo 4'', this appears to be after the ship is already near Requiem; in ''Forward Unto Dawn'', the signal is picked up while the ''Infinity'' is still light-years away, as evidenced by the crew having to enter cryo-sleep for the journey. | * In ''Halo 4'', it is implied that coordinate data from an incident with a [[Composer|Forerunner artifact]] at [[Installation 03]] led the UNSC ''Infinity'' to Requiem. No mention is made of the ''Infinity'' picking up Cortana's distress call which results in the ship and its battle group making a slipspace jump toward Requiem in ''Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn''. Although the ''Infinity'' receives the distress call in ''Halo 4'', this appears to be after the ship is already near Requiem; in ''Forward Unto Dawn'', the signal is picked up while the ''Infinity'' is still light-years away, as evidenced by the crew having to enter cryo-sleep for the journey. | ||
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** The fleet may have been sent to deal with the [[Covenant remnant|Covenant]] ships still in orbit above Requiem. However, the fleet is never mentioned during the level ''[[Shutdown]]'', when it could have been used to intercept ''[[Mantle's Approach]]'' before the Didact could escape Requiem. | ** The fleet may have been sent to deal with the [[Covenant remnant|Covenant]] ships still in orbit above Requiem. However, the fleet is never mentioned during the level ''[[Shutdown]]'', when it could have been used to intercept ''[[Mantle's Approach]]'' before the Didact could escape Requiem. | ||
** At the end of the webseries, most ships in the fleet are shown entering slipspace under their own power. However, some of the vessels hold formation [[:File:FUD-Infinity-Fleet.jpg|so closely to ''Infinity'']] that they may have entered its slipspace rupture and followed its wake; the two closest frigates maintain the same formation as those seen in ''The Commissioning''. It is possible that these ships arrived alongside ''Infinity'' while the rest of the ships were outpaced due to their slower engines, thus explaining the frigates seen in the trailer. They may have been destroyed when Requiem began pulling the flagship inside, explaining the high volume of debris seen cascading toward the shield world. | ** At the end of the webseries, most ships in the fleet are shown entering slipspace under their own power. However, some of the vessels hold formation [[:File:FUD-Infinity-Fleet.jpg|so closely to ''Infinity'']] that they may have entered its slipspace rupture and followed its wake; the two closest frigates maintain the same formation as those seen in ''The Commissioning''. It is possible that these ships arrived alongside ''Infinity'' while the rest of the ships were outpaced due to their slower engines, thus explaining the frigates seen in the trailer. They may have been destroyed when Requiem began pulling the flagship inside, explaining the high volume of debris seen cascading toward the shield world. | ||
===''Scanned''=== | |||
{{Main|Scanned}} | |||
[[Linda-058]] and two other female Spartans are portrayed with long hair during the [[SPARTAN-II augmentation procedures|augmentation procedures]]. According to ''Halo: The Fall of Reach'', all of the Spartans had their heads shaved in preparation for the procedure.<ref name="tfor78"/> | |||
===''Halo 4''=== | ===''Halo 4''=== | ||
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===''Halo: Initiation''=== | ===''Halo: Initiation''=== | ||
*The first issue of '' | {{Main|Halo: Initiation}} | ||
*The first issue of ''Halo: Initiation'' references [[Sarah Palmer]] as a lance corporal, and later corporal, during her ODST career immediately prior to her recruitment into the [[SPARTAN-IV program]]. According to Palmer's biography on the official ''Halo 4'' website, she spent much of her Marine career as a lieutenant.<ref>[https://www.halowaypoint.com/en-us/intel/inteldetail/802c2079-395f-47a2-bab8-ca2edf879e5b/commander-palmer?category=story '''Halo Waypoint''': ''Halo 4 - Commander Palmer'']</ref> Additionally, [[Andrew Del Rio|Captain Del Rio]] calls Palmer a lieutenant when ordering her to apprehend John-117 in the ''Halo 4'' level [[Reclaimer (level)|Reclaimer]]. ''[[Halo 4: The Essential Visual Guide]]'' states that Palmer's leadership skill was the primary reason for her selection as a Spartan; assuming Palmer was a lance corporal, it is unlikely that such qualities could even be ascertained in practice, as a lance corporal would have virtually no command experience. | |||
===''Halo: Mortal Dictata''=== | ===''Halo: Mortal Dictata''=== | ||
{{Main|Halo: Mortal Dictata}} | |||
*According to a video clip of the early days of [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-II]] indoctrination shown to [[Naomi-010]] by [[Black-Box]], Dr. Halsey lied to Naomi that [[Staffan Sentzke|her father]] had approved of her conscription and was not expecting her to return home.<ref>'''Halo: Mortal Dictata''', ''page 385''</ref> In ''Halo: The Fall of Reach'', Halsey specifically states, contrary to [[Déjà]]'s recommendations, that they will not attempt to lie to the children about their parents to motivate them out of risk that the Spartans may go rogue if they ever learned the truth.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 29'' (2001) (''"The truth has risks," Déjà cautioned. "So do lies," Dr. Halsey replied. "Any story fabricated to motivate the children—claiming their parents were taken and killed by pirates, or by a plague that devastated their planet—if they learned the truth later, they would turn against us."'')</ref> | *According to a video clip of the early days of [[SPARTAN-II program|SPARTAN-II]] indoctrination shown to [[Naomi-010]] by [[Black-Box]], Dr. Halsey lied to Naomi that [[Staffan Sentzke|her father]] had approved of her conscription and was not expecting her to return home.<ref>'''Halo: Mortal Dictata''', ''page 385''</ref> In ''Halo: The Fall of Reach'', Halsey specifically states, contrary to [[Déjà]]'s recommendations, that they will not attempt to lie to the children about their parents to motivate them out of risk that the Spartans may go rogue if they ever learned the truth.<ref>'''Halo: The Fall of Reach''', ''page 29'' (2001) (''"The truth has risks," Déjà cautioned. "So do lies," Dr. Halsey replied. "Any story fabricated to motivate the children—claiming their parents were taken and killed by pirates, or by a plague that devastated their planet—if they learned the truth later, they would turn against us."'')</ref> | ||
**Given that the recordings also show the children exhibiting more extreme reactions to their abduction than Dr. Halsey's observes in [[Dr. Halsey's personal journal|her journal]],<ref>'''Halo: Mortal Dictata''', ''page 384''</ref> it is possible that ONI tampered with the records to make Halsey's part in the program look more morally reprehensible as part of their campaign to smear her reputation; or, more specifically, to manipulate Naomi in particular. | **Given that the recordings also show the children exhibiting more extreme reactions to their abduction than Dr. Halsey's observes in [[Dr. Halsey's personal journal|her journal]],<ref>'''Halo: Mortal Dictata''', ''page 384''</ref> it is possible that ONI tampered with the records to make Halsey's part in the program look more morally reprehensible as part of their campaign to smear her reputation; or, more specifically, to manipulate Naomi in particular. | ||