Master Chief Petty Officer John-117 is a Spartan-II supersoldier. Abducted as a child by the UNSC, he underwent rigorous training and dangerous biological augmentations to become the ultimate weapon against insurrectionists and, later, the alien Covenant.

Cortana is a smart AI created from a clone of Dr. Catherine Halsey's brain. She serves as Master Chief's partner, hacking systems and providing tactical intel. Their bond is the emotional core of the series, evolving from a soldier-AI dynamic to a deep, protective friendship.

The Covenant's religious leaders, the Prophets, learned that humans were related to their gods, the Forerunners (specifically as 'Reclaimers'). Fearing this truth would undermine their religion—which promised transcendence through the Great Journey—they declared humanity an affront to the gods and sought to exterminate them.

The Halo Array is a network of ring-shaped superweapons built by the ancient Forerunners. While they sustain life-supporting biospheres, their primary function is to wipe out all sentient life in the galaxy to starve the parasitic Flood, which consumes biomass.

The Flood is a parasitic, hive-mind organism that infects and mutates sentient lifeforms. It assimilates the knowledge and biomass of its victims, growing smarter and more powerful. It is considered the greatest threat to life in the galaxy, prompting the creation of the Halo rings.

Yes, the multiplayer component of Halo Infinite is free-to-play on Xbox consoles and PC, supporting cross-play and cross-progression. The campaign mode is a separate, paid experience.

The Great Journey is the Covenant's central religious belief that activating the Halo rings will propel true believers into a state of godhood, following in the footsteps of the Forerunners. In reality, activation means galactic extinction.

While Halo Infinite is designed as a spiritual reboot to welcome new players, it continues the story of Master Chief and Cortana. Playing 'Halo: The Master Chief Collection' and 'Halo 5: Guardians' provides valuable context for the characters' motivations and the state of the galaxy.

Spartan-IIs (like Master Chief) were child conscripts with the most extensive augmentations. Spartan-IIIs were cheaper, expendable soldiers trained for suicide missions. Spartan-IVs are adult volunteers from the existing military with advanced armor but less extreme biological augmentations.

No, the Halo TV series on Paramount+ takes place in the 'Silver Timeline.' It is a separate continuity from the video games and books, allowing the show to explore different character arcs and plot points without conflicting with established game lore.