Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, better known as the Master Chief, has been the main protagonist of the Halo franchise since its inception. A SPARTAN-II commando, Master Chief was trained and genetically altered to be the perfect soldier and thus, has seen his share of battles. Master Chief has fought fellow humans, Covenant alien forces, a deadly parasitic collective known as The Flood, a Forerunner race called the Prometheans, and even his long-time A.I. companion Cortana, among others.
Master Chief's exploits have made him one of the galaxy's most decorated soldiers. But while it looks like he has done everything, one thing the Halo games never have him do is take off his helmet. This unspoken rule has remained true for the majority of the Halo games; which is probably why the Halo Paramount TV series got so much negative fan feedback when it decided to unmask the Master Chief at the end of the first episode.
The Mystery Behind The Helmet
To be clear, it isn't as though Master Chief can't or doesn't remove his helmet in the Halo lore. A SPARTAN's Mjolnir armor protects the soldier from most attacks while augmenting their physical abilities. Since SPARTANs were made for battle, they are often seen on the front lines outfitted in their armor. Like most of his fellow SPARTANs, the Master Chief removes his helmet only when it needs repairs. This can be seen in the secret ending of Halo 4 once players complete the game on the Legendary difficulty. Likewise, the Halo games have shown a younger John without his Mjolnir armor, as he was either too young or inexperienced to wear it.
Master Chief's helmet serves two purposes; the first being from a lore standpoint. In every Halo game, Master Chief is always fighting some sort of enemy threat. This requires him to wear his helmet at all times, both for protection and information. His helmet's visor displays important data such as his suit's vitals, enemy locations, and remaining ammunition for his weapons. The helmet also allows him to communicate with others, like his A.I. partner Cortana.
The second purpose of the helmet is to make it easier for the player to project themselves through Master Chief. The helmet's heads-up display gives them the exact data the Chief sees, bolstering the player's actions by giving them vital information. The Master Chief also doesn't talk much outside of cutscenes, making it easier for players to feel immersed in the experience.
Those Are Some Big Boots To Fill
Being both a legendary soldier and an avenue for players to project themselves through, it is very difficult to reveal Master Chief's face without disappointing fans. No matter what his true face may be, it can never live up to everyone's expectations. In a way, the Master Chief and his armor have become far bigger than his human appearance; so much so that when people think of the character, they think of his green Mjolnir armor.
Having the Master Chief remove his helmet in the TV series to reveal the face of actor Pablo Schreiber doesn't sit well with longtime fans of the series because of how nonchalantly he removes it for the first time in front of Kwan Ha - a teenager whom he just met. In the video games, the Master Chief rarely, if ever, shows his face to his closest comrades. This disconnect with the established Halo lore can be seen throughout the entire Halo TV series; not just with Chief removing his helmet.
As the Halo TV series has proved, having Master Chief reveal his face can do more harm than good. People will be divided about what the character should look like and the mystery surrounding his appearance will cease to exist. This is similar to when Samus Aran's face was revealed in the Metroid series. Fans were surprised by the reveal and were quick to criticize the decision to do so.
This is all speculation, however. Revealing the Master Chief's face might actually be a good thing in the long run. Having a human face would make the Master Chief more relatable and allow for more storytelling options. His visage could project more emotions than his static Mjolnir helmet ever could. Nevertheless, having the Master Chief show his full face in a Halo game is something 343 Industries can't undo once it has been done. There has to be a proper build-up to such an important moment and said moment has to honor the Halo series' established lore. After spending so much time in that cramped helmet, maybe it is time for the Master Chief to get some fresh air.
Halo Infinite is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.