Halo has been around long enough for various characters from the franchise to hit the mainstream, whether it’s John-117, a.k.a. the Master Chief, his AI companion Cortana, or even various members of the Covenant alien races. As time has gone on, these icons have undergone significant changes, such as Chief’s armor as well as Cortana herself, changing her design multiple times to accentuate her role as an artificial intelligence construct. The new Paramount Plus Halo series is keeping with this tradition, but in a manner many fans are struggling to understand. Thankfully, it looks as though there is some weight behind the decisions and 343 Industries’ Kiki Wolfkill has stepped in to give fans a little bit of insight into their line of thinking.

Upon the premiere of recent trailers for the big-budget adaptation, the internet has been quick to draw attention to its live-action interpretation of Cortana, and how different she looks compared to the games. Wolfkill, Halo’s Executive Producer and Head of Transmedia, noted (via GamesRadar+) that Cortana has changed repeatedly over the years, explaining these redesigns were always dictated by the new environments and technology in each adventure. As far as the new Halo series is concerned, the creators had to figure out how to make the character feel like a real-life hologram, more so than the form she took in the games. She said:

“In this situation, it’s so very different from the games in that she has to feel real. And by that, I don’t mean feel like a real human. She has to feel like a real AI, a real hologram, and be a character that real people are acting against… That was really the impetus in designing her – how do we make her feel very tangible in this Halo world?”

The Halo games have certainly shifted AI characters like Cortana into more human-like beings, each with their own personalities and less artificial-looking designs. Even the latest title, Halo Infinite featured an AI called “The Weapon,” who appeared as a more human-looking Cortana figure wearing a naval uniform, denoting her place as an entity under the command of the UNSC. It’s also worth noting that the upcoming Paramount Halo series is strictly a parallel story to the franchise that fans have come to know and love. It makes sense that even though the characters will share similarities, they won’t necessarily share the same personalities or history.

The Halo series for Paramount Plus will debut on March 24th. What are you most excited to see come from the upcoming show? Let us know your thoughts on the changes made for the Paramount Plus rendition of Cortana in the Halo tv series and more in the comments section below. As always, don’t forget to follow Don’t Feed the Gamers on Twitter for 24/7 coverage of all things gaming and entertainment.

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