After several years in development, the first season of the Halo TV series on Paramount+ has arrived. Episode 1 is out now on the streaming service, introducing a new continuity, known as the Silver timeline, that will see Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber) and his fellow Spartans battle against the Covenant alien race.
Warning: The following contains spoilers for the first episode of Halo. If you have yet to watch the series, stop reading now or you will be heavily spoiled.
Of course, the series is already teasing something even deeper than war with the Covenant--it seems possible that Chief could ultimately turn his back on the UNSC based on their actions in the first episode. Whatever the case, there is plenty to explore as the season goes off, especially since Chief has already ditched his helmet.
Naturally, with so much lore tied to Halo, the series is jam-packed with Easter eggs and references to the various video games, novels, and other mediums Halo has been explored in. That's not all, though. The first episode even has a reference to another beloved gaming franchise.
Take a look below at the 12 best Easter eggs and references we spotted in the premiere episode of Halo and sound off in the comments with whatever we missed!
1. A Phantom
Early on in the episode, Kwan Ha sees a giant purple ship has landed. That ship is a Phantom, which is a Covenant troop carrier. Makes a lot of sense, given how many of them are on the planet.
2. The Gatling gun
As General Ha climbs onto the back of a truck to fire a Gatling gun attached to it at around 7:29, the words "Colonial Military Authority" can be seen on the weapon. That group was a precursor to the UNSC. Chances are the rebels stole it from them once upon a time.
3. The HUD
While it's not primarily filmed this way, we do see some first-person action from Master Chief, which gives us a glimpse at his HUD. It includes a health bar, much like in the games, along with a mini-map and plenty more information.
4. That helmet
At 13:23, one of the Spartans is shown with a very familiar helmet design. That's the MP helmet option from Halo Infinite.
5. Classic shield low sound
At around the 15-minute mark in the episode, during the Spartans' battle against the Covenant, we hear a very familiar sound. After taking some serious damage, we get the low shield sound from the Spartan armor--followed by the recharging sound.
6. “Does not appear to be a natural formation”
At around 21:25, one of the Spartans notes that the cave network they're exploring "does not appear to be a natural formation." This is a direct nod to the first game, in which Cortana says the same line. Of course, there is no Cortana at this point in the story.
7. Miranda Keyes and Dr. Halsey
At roughly 26:25, Miranda Keyes is mentioned to Dr. Halsey. While it's hinted that the two have a shared history, it's not explained. In the games (and in the show, which is confirmed later in the episode), Miranda is the daughter of Dr. Halsey. As you can tell by the way they react to the thought of each other, they do not have a close relationship.
8. Prophet of Mercy
At 28:23, we first see the Prophet of Mercy, the oldest of the three members of the Covenant High Council. In the games, he lives to be over 200 years old and moves about on his gravity throne, which can also be seen in the scene.
9. "Commander Shepherd, you are requested at the Skyllian Response Center"
So, this isn't a Halo Easter egg. Instead, there seems to be a nod to another iconic video game franchise, Mass Effect at around 24 minutes into the episode. Captain Shepard is, of course, the primary protagonist of that series, while Skyllian is a nod to the Skyllian Verge, a piece of space that was home to an attack known as the Skyllian blitz.
10. Captain Keyes's complicated relationship
Much like in the games, we learned at around 38 minutes that Captain Keyes not only has a relationship with Dr. Halsey, but fathered a child with her--Miranda Keyes. As previously mentioned, it looks as though Halsey has practically no involvement in her daughter's life.
11. Moa burgers
At around 40:45, we see Kwan eating some sort of patty from a metal serving tray. This is most likely a Moa burger. In the game, a Moa is essentially a space ostrich. Interestingly, you can also taste a Moa burger yourself, as last year Pringles launched a limited edition Moa burger flavored chip to celebrate Halo. (Spoilers: it tasted like a hamburger.)
12. Misriah Armory
At 43:30, Chief disables the communications computer on his ship. On the corner of the unit, you can see the logo of Misriah Armory. In the franchise, this is a group that makes a number of the weapons used in combat.
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