The lore explanations for Halo keep the audience buzzing—well, the audience has never cared for just armor color. In a #FictionFriday tweet, 343 Industries gave us Laurette Agryna, Commandant of the Avery J. Johnson Academy of Military Science. Her fine backstory was revealed: She was inspired by Spartans when they saved her life during the harsh Covenant invasion of London. However, while some gamers love her design and backstory, the reaction coming from the rest of the community can only be termed spicy.
Let us start with the good points. Players love the armor of Agryna, with MetaDemonReal literally saying he “really digs her armor.” And the story? Pretty good: surviving a Covenant attack and then dedicating her life to training new generations of Spartans. This is a lore series that hits you right in the feels, and Halo is famous for that. Here is where the horse slipped in the manure.
Others said she was too nice—like, unrealistically nice. The first comment came from TH0TimusPrime33, who said: “Neat character, cool armor, but I always thought she was a bit too positive and cheery for a Spartan drill sergeant.” Deuce_Ji_Galo was not going to let that go so easily and added: “That kind of relentless optimism feels like a cheesy motivational speaker. Good afternoon Spartans! Who’s ready to go be a hero today Spartans?! We are HOPE! We are the FUTURE!!!!” OOF.
Oh, but the armor discussion, because Halo fans would indeed wander down that path. Considerations were made about inconsistencies, such as why Spartans would be wearing Mark VII armor in those flashbacks when lore-wise, they should be wearing older armor. PackHunter117 tried to smooth it over, stating that the apparent inconsistency was probably a budget constraint for the cutscene. But we all know how gamers behave: open one little lore gate and it just floods with opinions.
Speaking of floods, some are outright pissed at Halo right now. A few responses veered way off course, like legit__tcw’s brutal math: “Your game is shit, please shut down the studio already. Sell the IP.” Eeeeek. Then h8OFhoars dragged the convo through the mud of Infinite’s campaign and multiplayer just to demonstrate that there’s never any clarity with any Halo anointment.
Still, not all the salt. Some players beg for a game that depicts the London invasion, ODST-style. PackHunter117: “Now make a game set during the Covenant invasion of London in a style like Halo 3: ODST!” Eh… that would be sick. Sneaking through destroyed streets dodging Covenant patrols and uncovering stories of survival—343, take notes.
In the end, Laurette Agryna has far-reaching potential; she has a backstory, the look, and the office that could go far in the future for Halo. But whether she will be received by the fans in full or not falls entirely on 343. How about shelving the pep talk for a bit, give her some grit, and for the love of the Ark, fix the armor timeline?
What remains clear is that the Halo community remains equally passionate (and divided). Whether you love her or think she is “beans on toast” levels of bland (kudos to ShoesOfToenges for that chef’s kiss insult), Agryna’s in for the long run. And with the narrative of Halo Infinite just starting to unfold, who knows? She might just surprise everyone.
Or, perhaps, start another lore war. Anyway, popcorn time.
