A VAST THEORY FOR WHY JOHN IS AWOL!!!

Games Halo 5: Guardians
1

Recently I came up with this interesting hypothesis: THERE IS A FLOOD GRAVEMIND ON SANGHELIOS, WHO IS MANIPULATING JOHN!

  • During Halo: The Forerunner Saga we discover that the Precursors, have a vast knowledge of future events, as well as, depicted a prophecy to do with the Flood and when Humanity, is ripe with arrogance and power.

> My Theory: The Precursors/Flood are lining all their chips up for the final front… The Covenant Empire Formation, The Didact Awakened, Mendicant Bias Released, Deep-Space Anomalies…
> Note: The Covenant Empire was actually formed via well placed “intent” via the Flood’s goal… they knew Mendicant Bias would be eventually captured and imprisoned… yet they seeded the fragment landing on the San 'Shyuum homeworld… the Sangheili would also be manipulated by the Gravemind who beneath the surface telekinetically communicated with the “monks” who believed it was the Forerunners, and the Flood Gravemind would also slowly gather knowledge and biomass due to the Sangheili rigorous training regime… The ultimate goal was to form a viable combat force to weaken Humanities chances at any opposing force when the time came, as well as, weaken any bonds or alliances with other species…this also would explain how the Covenant had released the Flood specimens on so many Forerunner Installations and/or Worlds… they were manipulated by the Gravemind on Sanghelios. See whenever the Flood manipulate… conflict and anguish; or pain and suffering… soon follow!

> My Theory: The unknown creature is a elderly Flood Gravemind.

  • During Halo: Legends - Origins Part II, Cortana states that the galaxy also hides dark secrets; the continuing scene shows a unknown biosphere and then what is assume to be a atmosphere which is hued pink. The following scenes however are of Installation 00, due to the background prong of the Lesser Ark, that show two Forerunner structures… but perhaps the third is not staged on Installation 00… but rather Sanghelios, notice the interesting statue of a possible Sangheili warrior covered in moss. The last of the scenes pans to show a Forerunner helm with an Flood spore in it… and then shows John-117 receiving a AI chip from a Flood Gravemind, which the surrounding location shares similarities to Guardian the level in Halo 3?

> My Theory: The reason John-117 has gone AWOL is because he is being manipulated by the Flood Gravemind, who is formed on Sanghelios, beneath the surface. The Gravemind tasks John with releasing 032 Mendicant Bias, on Installation 00, using the data chip, who John thinks, through logic plague manipulation, that Cortana could possibly be revived. However upon attempting to release Mendicant Bias, John re-awakens the slumbering Guardians… to which… Mendicant Bias uses to create slip-space anomalies and devastation in the outer colonies.

  • During Halo: Escalation - Issue 6 “The UNSC Spirit Of Fire” a panel can be seen with a lone Flood Infection Form roaming the cryogenics bay and the apparent ship abandoned… to which possibly could be drifting towards Sanghelios.

> My Theory: The way the Flood Form got out of containment, on the UNSC Spirit of Fire, is because the Flood Gravemind, beneath Sanghelios, can control forms across entire worlds and star systems… and so the Flood have taken over the vessel and are going toward Sanghelios, to get the Gravemind offworld, for the second phase of the test. Also another reason John-117 could be on Sanghelios is to rescue Spartan Red Team, and brief them on the post Covenant War situation… as well as stop the Flood.

  • In Halo 5: Guardians and Halo: The Master Chief Collection we discover John-117 has gone AWOL and been branded a traitor…

> My Theory: John is in-directly the result of all the strife in the galaxy… The Didact, The Guardians, Mendicant Bias and the resurrected Flood…

Sources

  • Halo: Forerunner Saga- Halo: Escalation - Issue 6 “The UNSC Spirit Of Fire”- Halo: Legends - Origins Part II- Halo: Evolution - The Return- Halo 5: Guardians- Halo: The Master Chief Collection_GRAVEMIND: YOUR GREATEST WEAPON… WILL BE YOUR GREATEST MISTAKE!_

I know it is not the greatest theory but it really would be a great asset to acknowledge the Flood as the prominent evil, via psychological, mainstream warfare and making seeds of all lesser villains.

2

Good theory man. We’ll see what others have to say about your theory and what happens in game.

3

A+

Really well thought out and completely plausible.

That said, I doubt that this will be the case. Not that I can say for certain what the story is about, I just have a gut feeling that we won’t be seeing the Flood in Halo 5.

4

Didn’t Origins also show a Halo Ring firing over Sanghelios. So wouldn’t that have killed the supposed gravemind there.

5

I feel like this is a bit of a stretch.
In what way does reawakening the Guardians/Mendicant Bias help the Flood cause? They would be hard for the a Flood to defeat, and they’d definitely attack the Flood.

I don’t think the Flood will feature in the flesh in Halo 5.

6

wow that is one hell of a theory man, and a very plausible one at that. We’ll have to wait and see when the game is released

EDIT: Finally someone using sources when theorizing on these forums!

7

So Sanghelios harbors a fully formed Gravemind yet apparently it didn’t try to overwhelm the planet over a span of 100,000 years despite having ample opportunities to do so. I don’t doubt the Gravemind will play a role in the story to come, but it isn’t going to be a Gravemind that just happened to be hiding on Sanghelios for a long time that nobody noticed. That sounds a bit ridiculous.

8

Very intresting, and plausible. I don’t think however the flood will play a role in Halo 5, unless they stumble upon another Halo or something similair. It feels like they want to show a different story than previously games, where the fate of the galaxy isn’t at stake.

Although, I have no idea what the deep-space anomalies means. Maybe something Chief accidently started on his rouge mission?

9

> 2533274812652989;7:
> So Sanghelios harbors a fully formed Gravemind yet apparently it didn’t try to overwhelm the planet over a span of 100,000 years despite having ample opportunities to do so. I don’t doubt the Gravemind will play a role in the story to come, but it isn’t going to be a Gravemind that just happened to be hiding on Sanghelios for a long time that nobody noticed. That sounds a bit ridiculous.

I suppose in this scenario the Gavemind is intentionally biding it’s time. “It’s all part of the plan.” However, the obvious question that poses is, “Why? Why would the Flood even bother?”. And I can’t answer that.

10

> 2533274953123640;9:
> > 2533274812652989;7:
> > So Sanghelios harbors a fully formed Gravemind yet apparently it didn’t try to overwhelm the planet over a span of 100,000 years despite having ample opportunities to do so. I don’t doubt the Gravemind will play a role in the story to come, but it isn’t going to be a Gravemind that just happened to be hiding on Sanghelios for a long time that nobody noticed. That sounds a bit ridiculous.
>
>
> I suppose in this scenario the Gavemind is intentionally biding it’s time. “It’s all part of the plan.” However, the obvious question that poses is, “Why? Why would the Flood even bother?”. And I can’t answer that.

I think that is where the theory falls apart, honestly. I’d also have to wonder how a Gravemind even formed. A lot of biomass has to be gathered before a Gravemind can come into being and without the obligatory Infection Forms I don’t see it working.

11

Very nice, but highly unlikely. But kudos! This theory does look great.

12

> 2533274812652989;7:
> So Sanghelios harbors a fully formed Gravemind yet apparently it didn’t try to overwhelm the planet over a span of 100,000 years despite having ample opportunities to do so. I don’t doubt the Gravemind will play a role in the story to come, but it isn’t going to be a Gravemind that just happened to be hiding on Sanghelios for a long time that nobody noticed. That sounds a bit ridiculous.

I’d say for this argument the solution is somewhat like how the Flood chose not to attack the Forerunner Ecumene, slowly gathering a viable force from the Human-San’Shyuum Empire…

13

> 2533274812652989;10:
> > 2533274953123640;9:
> > > 2533274812652989;7:
> > > So Sanghelios harbors a fully formed Gravemind yet apparently it didn’t try to overwhelm the planet over a span of 100,000 years despite having ample opportunities to do so. I don’t doubt the Gravemind will play a role in the story to come, but it isn’t going to be a Gravemind that just happened to be hiding on Sanghelios for a long time that nobody noticed. That sounds a bit ridiculous.
> >
> >
> > I suppose in this scenario the Gavemind is intentionally biding it’s time. “It’s all part of the plan.” However, the obvious question that poses is, “Why? Why would the Flood even bother?”. And I can’t answer that.
>
>
> I think that is where the theory falls apart, honestly. I’d also have to wonder how a Gravemind even formed. A lot of biomass has to be gathered before a Gravemind can come into being and without the obligatory Infection Forms I don’t see it working.

Well perhaps one of those unknown vessels (like Installation 04) crashed and brought exo-galactic Precursor dust… slowly infecting the populace?

14

> 2533274873172929;12:
> > 2533274812652989;7:
> > So Sanghelios harbors a fully formed Gravemind yet apparently it didn’t try to overwhelm the planet over a span of 100,000 years despite having ample opportunities to do so. I don’t doubt the Gravemind will play a role in the story to come, but it isn’t going to be a Gravemind that just happened to be hiding on Sanghelios for a long time that nobody noticed. That sounds a bit ridiculous.
>
>
> I’d say for this argument the solution is somewhat like how the Flood chose not to attack the Forerunner Ecumene, slowly gathering a viable force from the Human-San’Shyuum Empire…

I believe there was at least a viable intelligence like a Gravemind at that point to direct such an act. Before the Gravemind forms the Flood are fairly animalistic.

15

it’s a good theory, but a bit far-fetched.

16

It’s an interesting idea and I like the thought of the Flood influencing the creation of the Covenant, along with orchestrating the release of Mendicant Bias to be corrupted again as well as the Guardian Sentinels. But the theory doesn’t make any sense in regards to the fact that Graveminds need a lot of biomass to develop. And with the advent of a Gravemind, wouldn’t the Flood immediately intend to escape instead of be confined for over 100,000 years? I think they could revive Mendicant Bias themselves without relying on the Covenant if they really wanted to.

It’s possible that Sanghelios could have another Precursor consciousness trapped in stasis similar to the ancient Primordial. But the thought of a Gravemind being trapped for 100,000 years and secretly pulling the strings is a little far-fetched. And besides, the tentacled creature that drowned the Elite in The Return could have easily been a creature native to Sanghelios without being a Gravemind.

17

I like the thought process and research behind it, but for me it falls apart at the Gravemind on Sanghelios.

18

Pretty interersting theory. Basically it’s the indoctrination theory from Mass Effect applied to Halo. Seems plausible (and I wish the theory were true in ME, too).

19

Yaaaa…no. But good try.