So, That’s How It Is
At the end of the game, the Pilot reveals his name, and the Weapon implies her own. The implication is that the Weapon will be called Cortana from this point onwards. What a cop out! …As if they’re sweeping everything that happened with Cortana throughout the Reclaimer Saga under the rug. Cortana’s sacrifice. Her rampancy. Her betrayal. Her redemption… All of it disposed of in an instance. We’re just going to pretend it never happened?
It Won’t Be Me
The story will undoubtedly continue through campaign DLC and whatever 343i has planned for the future. I like the Weapon. You like the Weapon. And while she’s created the same way as Cortana, a copy in a sense, we know it’s not truly Cortana. She’s no more Cortana than someone is the same person as their twin, especially as she lacks all the original Cortana’s memories and original purpose. They are two different people. Besides the whole “reboot” to dismiss the original Cortana as if this huge journey we went on never mattered, it’s an injustice to the new character. It just won’t feel right calling the Weapon “Cortana”. But… there is a solution. It would be crazy if 343i aren’t already going with it.
The Same Steel and Temper
In canon, Cortana is the second of three sisters. In a sense, they’re triplets, or rather, three sisters born at different times with the exact same genetic makeup. Kalmiya is the first. Cortana is the second. The Weapon is the third, but what should be her name? Well, similarly, there were three swords in medieval legend any major Cortana fan would already know of and would have become curious again during Roland’s introduction in Spartan Ops. So, without digressing, the name I suggest is JOYEUSE or Joy for short. Joyeuse, along with Durandal, is a legendary sword made from the same steel as Cortana. Joyeuse and Cortana literally share their origin. They are not the same, but they are the same temper. It’s too perfect and a hugely missed opportunity if not taken.
Renaming the Weapon “Cortana” will be a frustrating punch in the face to longtime Halo fans, but moving forwards, we do need a name. Joyeuse is undoubtedly the best way to go. What are your thoughts? Would you be happy with a soft retcon of everything that has happened in the last ten years via the naming of the Weapon as “Cortana.” Would you prefer something new but extremely fitting like Joyeuse. Or do you have another suggestion?
I would love to hear your thoughts and explanation 
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I mean, part of me would like to pretend she is cortana. But again it would be nothing more than wishful thinking of a kid who just lost his dog and has it replaced with a similar looking pup.
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I definitely approve of the name Joyeuse if for no other reason than to continue the reference from Bungie’s Marathon games, in which the main antagonist, a rampant A.I. named Durandal, makes several references to that very same tale of the three swords.
So we would have Durendal, Curtana, and Joyeuse (as their mythological names are spelled).
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Personally, whilst it is a bit of a copout, I’m fine with it as essentially she is the exact same as the previous just before she met Chief.
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It’s interesting you point out that willingness for the Weapon to delete herself. Cortana came round in the end… And to be honest, I’m not exactly sure what the reason was (that she supposedly realised her mistake). I might work that out during my second playthrough. Anyway, whatever redemption Cortana seemingly had, she didn’t make amends for what she did. She royally screwed the galaxy. She killed millions - humans, Jiralhanae and plenty of others. Does the Weapon truly desire to hold that name, to carry what it means? Most would be horrified to encounter an AI with that name now. I don’t believe the Weapon saw enough - anything really - that would convince her to take on Cortana’s spoiled identity.
Regarding ‘Joy’ as a match for her personality, I honestly don’t think there’s a better name. Throughout Infinite, she reminded me of a similar companion character… Also from Infinite. That naivety… her changing attitude towards the protagonist… The strength of her character hidden behind a vulnerable exterior… But most of all, the actual joy she is to be around, to want to have by your side. It just works.
I might call her Joy until told otherwise. Just out of wishful thinking.
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She probably picked BR, HALO CE pistol, or Scarab Gun because that’s where my head goes when I think of a weapon in Halo.
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I think it’d be hilarious if she chooses “Alexa”…
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I think Joyeuse works perfectly. Hope in the DLC we find out.
I think your explanation of the name is great, and the reasoning is sound, but Joyeuse just doesn’t sound great. 343 also has to make something that will appeal to the broader community, not just big big lore fans.
I get your trepidations with The Weapon becoming “Cortana,” and there are obvious in-universe reasons people might not want to call her that.
That said, I’ll admit that while the ending generally felt lackluster, the moment where she took her own name was oddly emotional to me, like it choked me up. I felt like it would be an appropriate place to settle, a logical place to take the journey next. I also thought about how she integrated with the part of Cortana that was left behind with the index, so to some extent I could see her reintegrating with parts of the old Cortana and becoming more like her.
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To me, the tone she has when she says the line along the lines of “I think I have the perfect one” implies to me that she’s actually just going to keep the name, ‘Weapon’
Music will do that to you.