Halo season 2 ending explained: the finale, The Flood, and what could be next
The Halo season 2 ending has moved Master Chief’s story forward in a serious way. This year has already seen the Fall of Reach, the teasing of The Flood, and Forerunner lore lurking in the background, but the finale to the second season now means we’re into some very familiar territory for fans of the shooter series.
With that exciting development, inevitably, comes questions. Several key players’ fates are up in the air – or, sadly, definitively closed – and there are new alliances, fresh faces, and a seismic change to the show that all needs to be addressed.
And address it we shall. Below, you’ll find a recap of the major events of the Halo season 2 ending, plus all the fallout besides. That includes the identity of whoever was talking to Master Chief at the episode’s end, a deeper dive into the Halo ring itself, and any other burning questions you may have after ‘Halo.’
Spoilers for Halo season 2 follow.
Halo season 2 ending recap
With the Halo ring – thought to be a weapon of great power – in sight, Master Chief, Makee, the UNSC and the Covenant all converge in the space above the installation. The Spartans are tasked by Admiral Parangosky to drive a spike into a Covenant ship that will, unbeknownst to them, cause an explosion that destroys everyone – and the Halo ring.
Away from the action, Miranda Keyes is seen observing the artifact she recovered from Halsey’s old lab. However, she unwittingly spreads the parasitic entity known as The Flood, which turns its hosts into zombie-like feral creatures, complete body horror-style transformations.
As The Flood spreads, Chief saves Cortana and is finally reunited with his AI companion. He is also forced to crash-land on the Halo ring and is met there by Makee and her doting warrior, the Arbiter.
Elsewhere, Kai sacrifices herself to turn the tide of battle, while Ackerson and Kessler – kept in the same UNSC holding block – are saved by Soren. Soren’s wife, Faera, is infected by The Flood and so is Dr. Halsey. Fortunately for Halsey, she is saved by her daughter, Miranda, who puts her body in stasis to stop the infection from progressing.
Kwan Ha properly meets The Mother for the first time and discovers that she is from a line of protectors who have held off The Flood.
Back on the ring, Chief kills the Arbiter and Makee enters the Forerunner building in front of her. She tells John that it’s her goal to "start anew" by activating the ring. Chief replies that he can’t let that happen, as he sees another building emerge in the distance and a Covenant fleet closing in.
The season ends with the reveal that Master Chief is talking to Guilty Spark, the caretaker of the Halo ring. He warns something is lurking below: "It is awake because you are here, you are here because it is awake," he declares. "I’ll be watching."
What are The Flood?
"It is the cohesion, the meaning, the final equilibrium. This is the end. This is The Flood," The Mother cryptically tells Kwan Ha. In other words, they’re bad news – as evidenced by them ripping through the UNSC’s chain of command and bumping off a handful of characters.
While we’re reluctant to dip too much into the game lore (the Halo TV series exists on a separate ‘Silver Timeline’), Bungie’s original trilogy does offer up a little more info on The Flood. Namely, that they’re a parasitic hivemind whose only aim is to wipe out all sentient life in the universe.
Who was talking to Master Chief?
That sure looked like Guilty Spark who, in the Halo games, was the AI caretaker of the first Halo ring Master Chief encounters on Installation 04.
We imagine he’ll have a similar role here – accompanying Master Chief through the Forerunner structures as a companion-of-sorts. Be warned, though: he has his own motives, ones which should become apparent sooner than later.
What can the Halo ring do?
As Makee puts it, "everything will be clean" if the Halo ring is activated. "That’s the ring’s purpose. And its power."
Reading between the lines, the Halo ring will have a similar function to that in the games: activate it and it wipes out all life in the galaxy. In effect, it’s a break glass in case of serious emergency – a last resort put there by Forerunners in case The Flood ever takes hold. For Makee, it’s also a way to stop the war that’s following Master Chief around. Maybe then she and John can live in harmony? We wouldn’t count on it, to be honest.
Who dies in the Halo season 2 finale?
Several characters die in the Halo season 2 finale. Most prominently, Kai sacrifices herself by crashing into a Covenant ship. Laera is infected by The Flood, while Admiral Parangosky is taken down by Flood-infected UNSC crew. The Arbiter also meets the sharp end of an energy sword, courtesy of Master Chief.Halsey, for now, lives to fight another day.
What happened to Halsey?
Halsey has been infected by The Flood – but she’s not dead. Miranda saves her life by putting her in stasis and stopping the progression of the infection.
What is Kwan Ha’s role in all this?
In a break from established Halo canon, it appears Kwan Ha is being positioned as both protector and the key to some unknowable truth surrounding The Flood. The character, an original creation, doesn’t have any basis in the games so it’s tough to predict where it’s going – though we’d wager Kwan Ha will have a more prominent role in future seasons as the galaxy’s savior given how she was effectively sidelined for large parts of Halo season 2.
What next for Halo?
Well, we don’t know for sure. Halo season 3 isn’t a certainty but it has, by and large, been successful on Paramount Plus – a streamer that is always desperate for original series.
If a third season does happen, it should broadly follow the same path of Halo: Combat Evolved insomuch as it will be Master Chief up against the Covenant and the Flood to stop the ring being activated.
In the show’s case, Makee will likely be the antagonist once more, with Kwan Ha coming into more significance. Soren and, surprisingly, Ackerson all seem to be on Chief’s side in any upcoming conflict too.
