As the title asks, could Guardians be a new variant in the Spartan Program?
I have a theory on what they are. Since we saw Agent Locke’s ONI symbol, maybe this is a classified ONI program. Another thing that makes me think they are a ONI program is that the roundness of the armor. We know that ONI has been studying covenant technology and trying to reverse program their tech for humanity. Maybe the roundness is a start because basically all covenant technology is round.
Thoughts?
It very well could be. ONI might be wanting to weed out the Spartan program as a whole, or build a new group of trusted individuals as Guardians, since the SPARTAN-IVs have shown recently that they can be indoctrinated (or infiltrated into) by the Insurrection.
It sounds like a good theory to me. It would be funny though if they were trying to create more loyal Spartans, because we already know that in Nightfall Agent Locke is questioning the people he’s working for. And I’ll bet you anything that Locke will end up helping Master Chief.
In the beginning of Halo 4 Halsey is being interrogated by a mysterious man asking about Master Chief’s victories. It’s possible that ONI tried to replicate Master Chief’s personality with Locke. This would explain Locke’s reflection being Master Chief on the Halo 5: Guardians cover and Arbiter’s quote about him following in his footsteps.
Maybe Locke went through simulatons of all of Master Chief’s missions. This would explain the Arbiter saying that you have to forget the stories. When the Arbiter says he is more than the sum of his actions this could mean that Locke could never become like Master Chief by basically reliving his life.
Sorry I went on a tangent this just popped into my head while I was typing.
> It sounds like a good theory to me. It would be funny though if they were trying to create more loyal Spartans, because we already know that in Nightfall Agent Locke is questioning the people he’s working for. And I’ll bet you anything that Locke will end up helping Master Chief.
>
> In the beginning of Halo 4 Halsey is being interrogated by a mysterious man asking about Master Chief’s victories. It’s possible that ONI tried to replicate Master Chief’s personality with Locke. This would explain Locke’s reflection being Master Chief on the Halo 5: Guardians cover and Arbiter’s quote about him following in his footsteps.
>
> <mark>Maybe Locke went through simulatons of all of Master Chief’s missions.</mark> This would explain the Arbiter saying that you have to forget the stories. When the Arbiter says he is more than the sum of his actions this could mean that Locke could never become like Master Chief by basically reliving his life.
>
> Sorry I went on a tangent this just popped into my head while I was typing.
So, like a Raiden going through Solid Snake’s missions in MGS2 kind of deal. (Got my MGS reference in for the day!)
They may have picked up Locke because though he questions who he’s working for, he’s still very loyal?
I just think a new secret branch of Spartans would be cool. Maybe it would explain why there are no AA’s and why we have spartan abilities. Idk
> It sounds like a good theory to me. It would be funny though if they were trying to create more loyal Spartans, because we already know that in Nightfall Agent Locke is questioning the people he’s working for. And I’ll bet you anything that Locke will end up helping Master Chief.
>
> In the beginning of Halo 4 Halsey is being interrogated by a mysterious man asking about Master Chief’s victories. It’s possible that ONI tried to replicate Master Chief’s personality with Locke. This would explain Locke’s reflection being Master Chief on the Halo 5: Guardians cover and Arbiter’s quote about him following in his footsteps.
>
> Maybe Locke went through simulatons of all of Master Chief’s missions. This would explain the Arbiter saying that you have to forget the stories. When the Arbiter says he is more than the sum of his actions this could mean that Locke could never become like Master Chief by basically reliving his life.
>
> Sorry I went on a tangent this just popped into my head while I was typing.
This.
~ Duck.
I think now that the new cinematics they put in will show Locke going in and out of the simulation. So when we play the Master Chief Collection we will actually be playing as Locke running through the simulation.
It’s also possible that there are more Spartans like Locke and that the Guardians are ONI’s attempt to make mulitple Master Chief’s by running them through the simulation.
> I think now that the new cinematics they put in will show Locke going in and out of the simulation. So when we play the Master Chief Collection we will actually be playing as Locke running through the simulation.
I doubt that, since the cutscenes can be switched back to the normal scenes with a push of a button, mid-cutscene (I believe that was confirmed?). That’s what the Terminals will be for, I think. But that’s a discussion for that game. 
I’m not sure 343 would introduce a new class of Spartans so soon after the last one. It took three games about Spartan-IIs to finally see Spartan-IIIs in action.
Guardians could be a secret Spartan organistion within ONI but it is still probably made up of previous Spartan generations.
> I’m not sure 343 would introduce a new class of Spartans so soon after the last one. It took three games about Spartan-IIs to finally see Spartan-IIIs in action.
>
> Guardians could be a secret Spartan organistion within ONI but it is still probably made up of previous Spartan generations.
I can see this. Kind of like a special ops Internal Affairs for Spartans, maybe?
> > I think now that the new cinematics they put in will show Locke going in and out of the simulation. So when we play the Master Chief Collection we will actually be playing as Locke running through the simulation.
>
> I doubt that, since the cutscenes can be switched back to the normal scenes with a push of a button, mid-cutscene (I believe that was confirmed?). That’s what the Terminals will be for, I think. But that’s a discussion for that game.
They did confirm that. I was referring to the new prologue and epilogue cutscenes they said they were adding at the beginning and end of the entire collection. You’re right though this is becoming about the MCC, it’s just that the two games are linked lore wise.
An interesting theory, but I have a feeling that Guardians may be the Sentinel Guardians, as was originally planned by Bungie. That big bird thing we saw in the original teaser? What if that’s just a re-imaged version of Bungie’s original concept?
I don’t think that “Guardians” relates to any actual beings/factions within the game. It’s merely a symbolic title.
Master Chief is the “guardian” of humanity.
Cortana is (was) the “guardian” of Master Chief.
Humanity is the “guardians” of the Mantle.
The Seeker/War Sphinx is a “guardian” of what may be Mendicant Bias’s tomb.
Thel 'Vadam is a “guardian” of the Sangheili.
Lydus may become a “guardian” of the Jiralhanae.
The death boundaries are “guardians” of Multiplayer maps.
I’m still going with my hunch that ‘Guardians’ is a reference towards the coming of Humanity being tested for the Mantle. The caretakers, or the Guardians if you will, of the Milky Way. I think Agent Locke is simply a variant of a Spartan IV.
Maybe the Guardians refers to a organisation that looks over the Spartan IVs. Think about it, highly trained lethal force, perhaps a good idea to have a organisation that controls and protects it?
Need I say more?
The answer seems pretty clear to me. Guardians.