Throughout Halo 4, John’s mental health was explored as a theme. It was also evident that many people assumed John was perhaps misguided and almost delusional. Captain Del Rio was a clear example of this. Again in Halo 5: Guardians, the UNSC fear that John is allowing his emotional connection to Cortana to drive his actions; highlighting their fear of his declining mental health.
One of the first thoughts that came to mind when viewing Discover Hope was that John’s first line of dialogue was ‘Status report’. John immediately gets back to his mission without taking any time to readjust himself. This is the same problem that John has had since he was rescued by the Infinity at the end of Halo 4. Even Fred questions John in his first appearance in Halo 5: Guardians; implying that John has not taken the necessary rest that even Spartan IIs require. Again, Echo 216 seems incredibly confused when John asks for a status report; inferring that both John has been unconscious for awhile and that he is almost concerned about John’s stability. While John is indeed a Spartan II, making him far more mentally able than a normal human, Fred, another Spartan II, was still concerned about John; that must hold at least some significance.
I have no doubt that John will be an incredibly destructive force in Halo: Infinite, however, I wonder what other opinions the community holds concerning this issue. Personally, I hope to see John in his prime; destroying everything in his path and fulfilling the power fantasy that he was first introduced as. However, I would also like to see John brought to the weakest he has ever been. I want to see John come to the end of himself. I want to see John fail both physically and mentally. Yet, despite this failure, I want to see his resolve give him the hope to push through his circumstance and ultimately save humanity again. In my mind, this would create the greatest story for Infinite as John tackles both internal and external factors like he has never done before; dealing with the grief of losing Cortana’s friendship and the hordes of enemies that pose a threat to the universe.
Please add to this discussion. I would love to hear what the community thinks concerning this topic.