shinobi602

That could be a possibility but the overwhelming evidence of her return both from Halo lore and mostly within Halo 4 itself is undeniable. I'm willing to bet money she will be back next game. Read through this: https://forums.halowaypoint.com/yaf_postst137119_Cortana-s-Role-in-Halo-4--In-Depth---Spoilers.aspx And you will easily see how her return is pretty much inevitable.

Wow, my exact feelings, same here. I was about 13 when Halo: CE came out though.

It's a possibility, but if it does end up with his sacrifice, I'll be really disappointed. I'll probably be sitting there thinking "Yay...how original...".

I hope he doesn't die. The "heroic soldier sacrifices for the rest of the world" thing is really tired and cliche. Can we for once have a hero live and carry on with life? Hopefully 343 can break the mold for once and be different.

We'll see I guess. Also, the fact her being able to feel Master Chief is strong evidence she has reached "metastability", the final and fourth stage in rampancy, which means she may not have died (the most likely case).

That doesn't really signify the absence of Cortana. Again, you seem to be associating Cortana with cookies and flowers as opposed to the opposite. There was nothing cheerful in Halo 4 even Cortana is in it. In fact, that "bleakness" that Frankie is talking about could mean both the conflict at hand with the Didact/Forerunners, as well as the fate that has descended upon Cortana and what she is now. Being dark and bleak in no way suggests that Cortana won't be there. Heck, everything that surrounded Cortana in this game is dark and bleak. Look at what she's become. A solution needs to be found from this dark fate that's fallen upon her.

Can you explain how having Cortana in the game makes it "cheerful"? Was Halo 4 cheerful? Where did 343 mention Halo 5 being the "darkest" in the trilogy? From my theories and the way I see 343 taking this plotline into the next game, I'm almost certain she will return.

Excellent post, and I think you're pretty much spot on plot-wise. And I fully agree, as I stated in another thread, she'll definitely be back in the next game. There's no way 343 would kill off the 2nd most important character, hell, actually the main character in some ways. Let alone in the first game of their new trilogy. There are so many easy ways for her to come back with how Halo 4 concluded. Most of all, 343 spent a large amount of time rendering her and working on the intimate relationship between her and the Chief. That relationship was one of the main aspects of this trilogy for them. I just don't see them completely killing off this idea in the first game. They worked so far to humanize Chief and build this relationship specifically for this new trilogy, only for her to die in the first game? And the Composer and her wanting to be human aspect will definitely come into play next game. Not a chance.

Cortana will be back next game, don't worry.

Exactly.

She'll definitely be back in the next game. There's no way 343 would kill off the 2nd most important character, hell, actually the main character in some ways. Let alone in the first game of their new trilogy. There are so many easy ways for her to come back with how Halo 4 concluded. Most of all, 343 spent a large amount of time rendering her and working on the intimate relationship between her and the Chief. That relationship was one of the main aspects of this trilogy for them. I just don't see them completely killing off this idea in the first game. They worked so far to humanize Chief and build this relationship specifically for this new trilogy, only for her to die in the first game? Not a chance. By all accounts it appears she died and there is no reason for 343 to say "or did she...?" They want the player to think that so it can be a pleasantly surprising event in the next game to reunite with her once again. There's just no way 343 will work that hard to build up that intimate relationship dynamic between Chief and Cortana for only one game in the trilogy, and then she's gone. Cortana completes Chief, Chief completes Cortana.