Halo – Original and Limited Edition Art (2001-Present)

The Halo series of video games are based in the far future where humanity has achieved inter-stellar travel and has expanded beyond Earth to planets all over the galaxy. During a period of civil unrest, a military program was begun to develop SPARTANS, an advanced super soldier that would change the tide of battles and keep the peace. The Halo story generally tends to revolve around the SPARTANS and their exploits, particularly the SPARTAN Master Chief Petty Officer John-117, who is the central protagonist in Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo 4.

After the SPARTANS were established, humanity found itself suddenly under attack by a alien threat called the Covenant, a conglomeration of aliens that believed that they were on a holy mission and that humanity must be exterminated. It is through the actions of John-117 that the Human-Covenant war ends and humanity is saved. 

The name Halo comes from a series of self-sustaining space stations in the shape of a ring, called Halos. Each Halo was designed to contain a great danger called the Flood as well as purify the universe, should the Flood escape. The Halos were seen as holy in the eyes of the Covenant and therefore are a key part of the story. 

The Halo series continues with its latest installment Halo 4 that places the Master Chief and humanity in contact with the Forerunners, an ancient and advanced alien civilization that created the Halo arrays.