Today, Master Chief is one of the most iconic characters in all of gaming, as the Halo series core protagonist has become etched into the minds of countless fans. You simply need to see the olive green armour colour, the signature golden tinted visor, or the shape of the helmet and you know who this character is. But how did the co-creator of Halo, Marcus Lehto, go about sculpting such an icon?
Speaking with his former university as part of their Kent State Magazine, Lehto talked about the inspiration behind Master Chief and how the character went through several different design iterations before landing on the one we all know and love.
"The creation of the Master Chief is something that I went through so many ringers to try to find the right look, the right feel, the right stature for such a character. We tried a lot of things."
Lehto noted that some of his key inspiration points came from Apache helicopters, M1 Abrams tanks, and even BMX helmets, and how some of his early designs were too slim and stylish, leading him to redesign the character nine times.
"It took forever, but I wasn't going to stop because I had learned through the program here that you don't stop when you're just on your first iteration."
Do you see these inspirations when you look at Master Chief?