It's not Palmer or Cortana. The character in the promo image is brand-spankin-new!
As soon as Halo 5 was announced, the first thought in my head was, "Who the hell is that guy in the poster with Chief?" Well, I'm not the only one wondering.
Luckily for us, Executive Producer Josh Holmes gave us an answer (even if it's vague):
For everyone speculating about the mysterious Spartan in Halo 5: Guardians, he’s not Palmer (or Cortana!). He’s a NEW character. :) #Halo
— Josh Holmes (@JoshingtonState) May 16, 2014
A new male Spartan? That's huge for a series that until recently put Spartan-117 in the driver's seat, with little participation from any other Spartans (there weren't any other ones until Halo: Reach and Halo 4). Odd, too, is Master Chief's positioning in the promo:
Chief seems to be a reflection of this new character. Could it be that the Halo series is getting a new protagonist? If the ending to Halo 4 proved anything at all, it's that Chief is getting old. He's battle-worn, scarred, and not in the best place emotionally. Could it be time for him to take a backseat? Or is this new character a new sidekick for Chief now that Cortana is in the big database in the sky? Sorry, too soon...
Either way, the main Halo games haven't had a new protagonist since Halo 2, when the Arbiter took center stage for more than half of the game...I liked the twist, but most people hated it.
I have faith that whoever this new Spartan is and whatever his stories is, 343 Industries will deliver a very cool new character.
I've already written a whole bunch of theories on Halo 5 based on the franchise's formula, and plenty more based on the first piece of concept art.
What say you? What are your theories? Let's argue in the comments section!
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