There is a clear difference between the Prophet of Truth in Halo 2 and the Prophet of Truth in Halo 3, and it is immediately apparent in comparing their introductions for both games.



In both, his introductory scene is set within a tense situation - the trial of Thel ‘Vadamee for the destruction of Alpha Halo and the development of UNSC plans to stop the Covenant’s assault - and in both, he changes the atmosphere of the place.

Halo 2 begins with the Covenant mightily ticked. A sacred ring has been destroyed and one of their most prominent commanders had failed to protect it. Accusations are hurled and the High Council works itself into a fury, a fury that the Prophet of Regret only encourages and the Prophet of Mercy has no control over. In fact, even as Mercy shouts for their to be order, it is the quiet gesture of the Prophet of Truth and his controlled words that brings calm into the rage.

Here, Truth is the bringer of order into a chaotic situation

In Halo 3, there is a calm discussion between Hood, Keyes, and the Master Chief in regards to the Covenant Fleet on Earth. They understand the gravity of the situation, but they aren’t in a panic over it. However, the arrival of Truth sends things into disarray as he takes over their communication system to broadcast a message of virulent hate. The calm situation takes a right turn, and the discordant soundtrack behind it only adds to the atmosphere. After the message ends, it’s immediately into battle and ten different things are going wrong at once - Drones in the base, Brutes in the barracks, the bomb defused.

Here, Truth is the bringer of chaos into an orderly situation.

source

Therein is an odd parallel to Regret’s arrival at Earth in Halo 2. It almost appears that Bungie wanted more the style of the Regret villain - a character who revels in bombastic declarations - as opposed to the quieter, manipulating villain that has defined Truth in everything else (Halo 2, A Broken Circle, Contact Harvest, First Strike, The Cole Protocol). Looking back at it, I can understand why the decision was made.

For instance, the attack on the base was a strategically-sound attack. It would make perfect sense for Truth to do so. In fact, imagine the attack if Truth didn’t hijack their broadcast, or at least just shut it down for a moment instead of monologuing. In terms of gameplay, it would be even greater chaos. You’re in the middle of a cutscene, then suddenly bam, you are thrust without warning into gameplay as Covenant start swarming the base. That seems far more like Truth we met in Halo 2.

But do you know what that would do? It would put the villain at a distance, turning the Covenant back into the impersonal obstacle that they were in Combat Evolved. That itself would undo all the complexities that Halo 2 had built up for the Covenant.

While this lack of complexity worked well for Combat Evolved, the introduction of the Arbiter not only to the players but to the UNSC and the capture of Johnson and Keyes by the Covenant have suddenly revealed to Chief, Johnson, and Keyes exactly what they are up against. We can’t have Truth and his followers slide back into a faceless entity.

source

And yet, we cannot have that deeply personal manipulation that we had from Truth in Halo 2 either. Of our heroes, he only knows Thel ‘Vadam and Rtas ‘Vadum personally, and it’s clear that Bungie wanted to return the focus of the story to humans. Truth doesn’t want to control humanity. He just wants to wipe them out. All of them.

So the attempt to straddle this line, Halo 3 gives Truth this intense hatred of humanity, as if their existence is an affront to him. Now we know from Contact Harvest that yes, he has an issue with humanity existing in that it is a threat to his power in the Covenant, but it was not this vendetta that Halo 3 makes it. Like Zo Resken, the Sangheili, and even Mercy, humanity to him is just one more piece on the chess board of the universe. A piece that needs removal. Until Halo 3, we have never seen such a personal hatred directed towards humans. In fact, Regret probably stirred more of an emotional reaction from Truth than the whole of humanity.

Now there are plenty of ways that Bungie could have kept the focus on humanity and kept the Covenant an engaging and complex antagonist. Even this change of Truth’s character might have worked if Truth was provided with more backstory in Halo 3. Perhaps a revelation that made this sudden change understandable. But in Halo 3, even with the focus again on the Master Chief, the Prophet of Truth is a personal villain for Thel ‘Vadam and the Sangheili, not John-117 and humanity.

And here is where the comparison with the Didact comes in. Halo 4 introduces a brand new villain, also with an intense, and deeply personal, hatred of humanity. This time it works. The Didact provides not only physical impediments on the Master Chief, but also emotional ones as well. He is the first personal villain for John in any of the games (though an argument could be made for the Gravemind). The Didact’s hatred for humanity is explored and explained throughout the game, and John and Cortana’s position as the culmination of the Librarians work with humanity, sets up a perfect conflict.

Another key perspective for a personal villain is the question of who is in control. In Halo 2, Truth is a wonderfully personal villain for Thel because of this question. Thel is almost as powerful as Sangheili can come, while Truth is frail. Yet it due to Truth’s authority and manipulation, he remains firmly in control for the first two-thirds of the game, and part of Thel’s victory is overcoming this control.

The Didact has a different sort of control. Where Thel and Truth have a struggle of authority, John and the Didact have a struggle of power, one which the Didact clearly wins. Because of his technological and physical superiority, the Didact easily overcomes John in each encounter, even at the climax. Only by wresting free of the Didact’s control, can John and Cortana save Earth.

This is why Truth’s pious declarations in Halo 3 during gameplay falter where the Didact’s taunts of John thrive. This is why the Didact is a stronger villain for humanity and John than Truth. This is why the Didact is a better villain than Truth in Halo 3.

Halo 3 Truth is distant, Halo 4 Didact is personal.

(Unless otherwise noted, images are from Halopedia)

