As every Halo fan knows, armor comes in various shapes, colors, and sizes. One of the exciting aspects of the new TV adaptation is the ways in which the various Mjolnir Powered Assualt Armor (MPAA) armor has been recreated for the main characters, many of whom comprise the Silver Team, the elite Spartan-II military unit led by John-117 aka Chief Master (Pablo Schreiber).
But aside from the cool-looking armor worn by the Silver Team, many other characters including Elites, Jackals, UNSC Officers, insurgents, politicians, and others wear different types of protective gear that stand out with style and flair in the popular Halo TV series.
The Silver Team
While each member of the Silver Team has their own distinct MPAA when fighting, it's worth mentioning how much time all of them spend in the badass black armor undersuits on the show. Tactical, practical, sleek, and stealthy as can be, the protective undergarments resemble futuristic wetsuits meant for either land or water. Even during downtime, the team is dressed to kill!
With ribbed legs and sleeves, hulking shoulder pads, and a bulletproof vest at the center of the armored ensemble, the black undersuits give the squad a unified look that calls to mind futuristic foot soldiers from the TMNT franchise.
Chief Master
As it should be for the most powerful Halo character, the most striking armor belongs to Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, the protagonist of the long-running game franchise and its adapted TV series. Many fans were worried about the detailed contours of Chief Master's signature appearance leading up to the show but have since expressed how perfect Master Chief looks on the show. The only gripe is that Chief hardly wears the armor enough, especially his helmet.
Beyond the really cool all-black undersuit the entire team sports, the stunning metallic neon army green design equipped with a fiery orange helmet visor is not only the most striking piece of armor on the show, but it's a faithful representation of the beloved video game character's most evolved MPAA GEN3 armor. It's everything fans wanted and more.
Vannak-134
With a slight variation on the awesome Spartan armor design, Vannak-134 (Bentley Kalu) has one of the most imposing protective garments in Halo. With two distinct tubes attached from one pectoral to another and two more that span his shoulders, Vannak-134 requires extra protection as the Silver Team's sub-leader and assault tactician. He almost looks like Darth Vader at certain times.
While Vannak-134 trades Chief Master's army green paint for a darker color, the blood mixed with sand and debris on his chest plate gives the character an extra badass appearance. The orange visor is particularly striking, putting him nearly on par with Chief Master's iconic look.
Riz-028
As the Silver Team's Chief Communications Specialist, Riz-028 (Natasha Culzac) sports another piece of awesome, slightly altered Spartan armor on the show. The blazing red color of her facial visor is the first thing that stands out, denoting danger to everyone who spots her on the battlefield.
Accentuated by blood-red markings on her back and ribcage, notice the super cool antennae by her ears and the supercharged communication backpack she carries. With a holster on her hip and one of the most detailed and impenetrable helmet designs, Riz-028's armor is not only visually striking, but it's also practical as can be given her role.
Kai-125
The final member of the Silver Team, changed from The Blue team in the games, includes Kai-125 (Kate Kennedy), the skilled sniper who can shoot with great accuracy from long range. She also sports a similar Spartan MPAA suit, but it's the radical blue-green color of her helmet visor that really stands out.
While Kai-125's armor seems to feature less color on the body and limbs of her black power suit, the larger more square-shaped shoulder straps differ from Vannak-134's quite a bit. Also, Kai-125's protective ear guards are rotated 90-degrees from the angle that is aligned on Master Chief's armor, giving her helmet an awesome and unique appearance.
Soren-066
In Halo, Soren-066 (Jude Cudjoe and Bokeem Woodbine) is a Spartan defector who later leads the insurgence on the Rubble. As a teenager, he sports a badass MPAA with a metallic sheen similar to that of RoboCop. As an adult, Soren-066 adds a stylish Samurai-style jacket with long coattails that makes him look both ancient and futuristic at once. Both armored outfits are pretty badass!
As a youngster, Soren-066's armor features two high shoulder covers that almost resemble a metal life jacket. As he gets older and stronger, he loses the high shoulders but still retains his exposed red-orange midriff that almost looks like spilled guts, perfect for a traitorous character.
Jin & Kwan Ha
With the Spartan armor out of the way, it's time to look at the protective outfits worn by some of the other prominent Halo characters. The first two who stand out are Jin (Jeong-hwan Kong) and Kwan Ha (Yerin Ha), the father-daughter insurgents from Madrigal. With fewer resources at their disposal, their low-tech armor is meant to reflect the disadvantages they have on the battlefield.
The rudimentary, DYI armor Jin and Kwan sport is largely comprised of thick cloth armbands, multiple padded vests, heavy coats to limit bodily damage, and a large backpack to prevent harm from rear sneak attacks. The bedouin-like appearance is visually striking and thematically important at once.
Elites
Also known as The Shangheili, the Elites are a fierce species of saurian warriors in the Halo franchise. When the Elites appear in the TV show, they sport two types of armor that bear distinct colors and visual designs. The black armor on the Elites gives them an Alien-like appearance thanks to the oblong shoulder pads and similar-shaped helmet design that has a pointy, downward-sloping nose guard.
With a more feral and menacing design, the red-armor Elites have a much more frightening yet cool-looking helmet design that almost resembles the detailed contours of a blood-soaked human brain. Reserved for the alpha Elite leaders, the helmet exposes the nose and features much more rounded shoulder guards.
Jackals (Kig-Yar)
Also known as Kig-Yar, Jackals are hostile avian/reptile hybrids who have their own unique fighting ranks. In the Halo TV show, the Jackals sport minimalist armor comprised of thin, light-colored shoulder straps, a narrow torso cover, and equally limited leg guards. In some ways, they almost resemble animalistic storm troopers mixed with Jar Jar Binks, minus the white helmets.
Making the armor even cooler to look at are the Jackal's sleek helmets that cover just a part of their face, exposing their sharp teeth. Below, similar armor covers their feet, allowing their terrifying talons to remain prepared for battle.
Makee
Revealed in the first episode of Halo, the Blessed One Makee (Charlie Murphy) is a human orphan raised by The Covenant who does her best to obtain the keystones. She sports an eerie cocoon-like piece of armor that resembles the high-collared cape of Count Dracula. Fitting for such a frightening and unpredictable character.
Leaving very little room for an enemy to strike, Makee's entire body is swaddled by the cool, Gothic-looking protective gear. Whether it's as formidable as the Silver Team's MPAA is another question altogether, but in terms of striking visual aesthetics, Makee's armor is hard to beat.