What lurks beneath the armor of Halo's Master Chief has always been something of a mystery to fans, though over the years the franchise has offered small glimpses into the making of the iconic Spartan known informally as John-117 or simply Chief. Fans know little about Master Chief on a personal level, which perhaps contributes to his appeal. Over the years, however, bits and pieces of his unique physiology have been revealed, along with glimpses at his appearance when he was much younger.

It takes an extraordinary human specimen to create a Spartan soldier. When John underwent the SPARTAN-II augmentation process at 14 alongside 74 other candidates, he was one of the 33 who survived. From there, he went on to become the super-savior everyone knows and loves.

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He Has Adorable Freckles

Master Chief as a boy in Halo.

When thinking about Master Chief, it's weird to imagine he was ever actually a child, much less an adorable little boy with big blue eyes and a smattering of freckles across his face. He was conscripted into the Spartan program when he was just six years old, having caught the attention of Dr. Catherine Halsey.

Not only was he the tallest of his schoolmates, he exhibited extraordinary strength, stamina, reflexes and an unparalleled drive for success. He had an outstanding win record for a brutal "king of the hill" game the children played, which made him the perfect candidate for the program. Unfortunately, no one would even see those freckles once he put on the armor, though evidence suggests that, even after he aged, they were still there.

His Body Is Covered in Scars

The augmentation Chief's body underwent as a teenager left his arms, legs, back, hands, chest and shoulders covered in long, deep scars where he was sliced. Over the course of his many battles, he also accumulated other scars, like a gouge that runs from his left cheek and beneath his left eye. It's hard to imagine he actually cares how he looks under his armor, however, as he wasn't exactly designed to be physically appealing. Master Chief was made to destroy the opposition, and if earning a body full of scars means he's that stronger than his enemies, so be it.

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He Has Superhuman Strength

master chief armor

When Master Chief endured the augmentation process that turned him into an unstoppable super soldier, his already impressive strength was enhanced to become superhuman. He was only 14 when he underwent the procedure, but even at that age, he already had the body of an Olympic athlete. To make matters more disconcerting, his bones are more or less unbreakable. In fact, he's so strong, he once slapped a Scorpion missile that he couldn't evade and managed to not only get up afterward, but also to run away in case the sender decided to search for his remains.

He and MJOLNIR Are One

Chief's olive green Spartan armor, MJOLNIR, weighs over half a ton and is directly linked into his neural network. That means he and his armor are more or less one entity moving and working in conjunction with one another. A combat exoskeleton, MJOLNIR is more than just a protective suit. It's designed to enhance this soldier's already superhuman strength, speed, agility and endurance. Master Chief can sprint while wearing his armor at over 60 miles per hour -- but without the armor he could actually go even faster.

It seems astute to say Master Chief is mostly machine at this point; inside that armor is a man, but how much of him is still human is impossible to guess.

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He Ages Slowly

Master Chief has been fighting for decades, and when the first game in the franchise was released, he was actually over 40 years old. It may be surprising that a man his age is in such formidable shape, but despite the number of years he's actually been alive, his physical body has aged much slower than normal.

This actually has nothing to do with his augmentations or superhuman abilities; it's the result of long periods in cryostasis. Here, the body ages and decays at a drastically decreased pace than usual. It's the perfect tool to ensure that, long after regular humans are dead, Master Chief will be able go on fighting and fighting until the last of his enemies are finally dead.

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