Warning! SPOILERS for Halo episode 2.

While Paramount+'s Halo series created controversy by having Master Chief John-117 remove his helmet in the premiere, it certainly doesn't help that he hardly has it on in Halo episode 2. While there's a precedent in the games (and novels) where Master Chief has taken off his helmet, his face is generally hidden off-screen given the franchise's format as a first-person shooter. While the new medium of a live-action series justifies viewers seeing John-117's face more than in the games, it's still strange that he's hasn't been wearing his iconic helmet the majority of the time. Here's why Master Chief has been taking his helmet off so much.

Fortunately, no rule within the canon prohibits John-117 from removing his helmet like The Mandalorian's Din Djarin. He's just a soldier with the helmet being part of his SPARTAN-issue armor. Instead, the outcry comes from the broken tradition of Chief's face being hidden, creating feelings that the series has stolen the immersive experience of the games even though the live-action series requires John-117 to be his own character apart from the audience. Those watching Paramount+'s Halo have become passive viewers rather than active players. As such, Master Chief removing his helmet isn't all that egregious, choosing to remove it to build trust with Kwan Ha in the series' first episode.

Related: Halo: The Rubble Explained (History & Location)

However, Paramount+ hasn't done itself any favors with Halo episode 2. Having gone rogue from the UNSC, John-117 and Kwan travel to the Rubble, an asteroid colony where they can lay low. The episode is largely focused on Master Chief learning about the Forerunner artifact he activated along with the visions it gave him, likely his own memories that Halo's Dr. Halsey and the SPARTAN program took from him during his training. As such, there's not a lot of action or fighting that needs to be done, hence John-117 not needing to have his helmet on while simply talking to his old friend Soren-066 and more residents of the Rubble. However, it's still a challenging episode to air right after the controversy of the premiere, featuring Master Chief with his helmet off much more than he has it on.

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The narrative reason behind John-117 taking his helmet off so much could be due to the Forerunner artifact itself. The visions have certainly made him question his existence and purpose, hence his decision to spare Kwan and evade the UNSC. Taking off his helmet may become symbolic as he tries to figure out the man underneath the SPARTAN training and armor. From a production standpoint, it also might have been easier for Master Chief actor Pablo Schreiber to deliver his lines, many of which were quite emotional in this particular episode, seeing as how John-117's entire line of thinking has been rocked to its core. It would have likely been a challenge to convey the same level of drama from behind a helmet.

At any rate, John-117 eventually decides to revert back to his training and return to the UNSC along with the Forerunner object. Leaving Kwan behind on the Rubble, Master Chief puts his helmet back on as he prepares to reenter the fold. Again, the helmet is potentially becoming a symbol that John-117 can hide behind as the series progresses, resigning himself to following orders without question as the UNSC's greatest SPARTAN soldier rather than looking beyond his training and brainwashing, as he does in the second episode of Halo - mostly without his helmet. While certain viewers (especially gamers) might not like this creative decision, the intention behind John-117 removing his helmet so often in Paramount's Halo series is backed by reason.

More: Halo TV Show Makes A Massive Change To Forerunner-Human Lore

Halo releases new episodes Thursdays on Paramount+.