Super spoilers from this point on.
As Halo 5 drew closer and closer to release, a lot of people were wondering: where the hell was Cortana? After she sacrificed herself and gave into her Rampancy in Halo 4, the general assumption was that she was dead, or at the very least, finding some way to bring her back would be a big part of the next game. Sure enough, she’s back in this game, but, well…
SERIOUSLY, MASSIVE SPOILERS FROM THIS POINT OUT. DON’T SAY WE DIDN’T WARN YOU!
She’s super freaking crazy.
In the eight months since saving Chief and stopping the Didact, she ended up being teleported to a Forerunner world called Genesis and found the Domain, a Forerunner system that goes across the entire known galaxy. The Domain basically cured her Rampancy, kind of like a “water of life for AIs” as she describes it. You’d think that all’s well, right? Yeah, no.
As Halo 5 opens, she’s been taking control of the Forerunner Guardians, large mechanical beings created by the Forerunner Builders that were used to keep disobedient races in line. Think sentry drones, but the size of 10 Chrysler buildings. Her reasoning for this is that she’s taking up the Mantle of Responsibility that the Forerunners originally intended for humanity. With AIs being able to become immortal thanks to the Domain, Cortana unites multiple UNSC AIs under her banner to begin the Reclamation and control the galaxy under the name of peace.
Once Master Chief disapproves of her plans, she… doesn’t take it well, imprisoning him and Blue Team in a Cryptum that Osiris later frees them from. At the end of the game, she uses a Guardian to unleash a massive EMP across a planet and, in the Legendary ending, gains access to a Halo ring, possibly all of them.
So, one of your favorite characters in the Halo series is back for Halo 5, and she’s… gone to the dark side. How’s that make you feel? Let us know in the comments below!
More Halo
- The Cast of Halo 5
- Learn About Blue Team and Fireteam Osiris
- The Entire Series Story So Far
- All 7 Halo Games From Best to Worst
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