Warning: SPOILERS for Halo episode one.
Paramount+'s Halo is an exciting new way to experience the battle between humans and Covenant, but the controversial issue of Master Chief removing his helmet is undoubtedly made worse by existing in a world post-The Mandalorian. Halo's journey to television has often seemed as quixotic as Master Chief's one-man fight against the Covenant itself, with multiple stops and starts and over 265 drafts from inception to finished product. The process seems to have eventually paid off for Paramount+, as Halo became the streaming service's most-watched original series in the first 24 hours since its release.
While the first episode of Halo is jam-packed with visuals and sound effects sure to please longtime fans of the video game series, a number of bold creative decisions have been made during the IP's transition to television. After only a brief glimpse of a helmetless Master Chief across all Halo games, the show decided to reveal the Spartan's face midway through the first episode. Although it makes sense that the Master Chief would be seen helmetless at some point, The Mandalorian presents a strong case for why it didn't need to happen so early on in the series.
The success of Din Djarin's character in the first season of The Mandalorian suggests that the reveal of Master Chief's face could have been delayed into the season without sacrificing any attachment from casual audiences. Din Djarin was a captivating character immediately upon his introduction, and his body language and mysterious reticence only furthered the audience's investment. While it was undoubtedly harder for some non-diehard Star Wars fans to get into The Mandalorian at first due to never seeing the protagonist, its overwhelming success has proven that a figure who remains helmeted isn't a deterrent to most audiences as long as the story and acting are grounded. Pablo Schreiber plays a compelling Master Chief with or without the helmet and certainly could have carried the show even without the reveal.
Halo revealing Master Chief's face isn't a decision that's likely to hurt the show in the long run, and it's done in an emotional and urgent way. Even so, The Mandalorian's delay and buildup to the removal of Din Djarin's helmet made the moment a cathartic one that would have translated well to Halo. A certain sect of Halo players may have never been satisfied with the idea of seeing the man under Master Chief's helmet, but delaying the action and giving it an even bigger payoff may have gone a long way toward winning them over and silencing that criticism.
Ultimately, whether or not Master Chief's face is seen in Halo shouldn't be a deal-breaker for anyone who has been waiting to see Halo's Human-Covenant War play out in live-action. It does, however, beg the question of whether or not the same decision would have been made if Halo's development had started after The Mandalorian aired. Perhaps the idea of not showing John-117's face right away felt like a gamble before Star Wars took the chance. Regardless, Halo's long-awaited arrival should give fans of the series a reason to rejoice, even if it's already created unnecessary controversy for itself.