Halo 5: Guardians isn't the most fondly remembered entry in the groundbreaking Sci-Fi shooter saga; in fact, it's widely considered to be the worst Halo of the lot. Some odd gameplay and narrative choices, a lackluster Halo multiplayer mode, and a handful of technical issues ensured that Halo 5 wouldn't live up to its predecessors - though that's not to say it was all bad. While Halo 5's story is very weak, with a main premise that outstays its welcome about an hour in, its characters had some potential, with Spartan Jameson Locke being a particular stand-out. With the release of Halo Infinite, though, Spartan Locke seems to have vanished from story.
Introduced in Halo 5: Guardians and played by the talented Ike Amadi, Jameson Locke isn't the typical loyal super soldier archetype seen in the rest of the series, or the rest of the Sci-Fi genre. When the Covenant attacked his homeworld of Jericho VII, Locke blamed the government and their lack of action for the death of his family and friends. Starting out as a freelance assassin, Locke caught the eye of Halo's shady secret service ONI and began working for them, conducting assassinations on a plethora of both human and Covenant targets. Eventually, Locke was selected to become a Spartan-IV, and was tasked with leading Fireteam Osiris, where the events of Halo 5 take place. By the time of Halo Infinite, Locke's fate is left unclear.
Spartan Locke's Last Canon Appearance
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Halo 5: Guardians sees Locke and Fireteam Osiris hunt down John 117, best known as the Master Chief, as he attempts to rescue the AI Cortana. After a brief punch-up, Locke and Master Chief join forces to rescue Cortana, who has gone rogue following her Rampancy. In Halo 5's final confrontation, the Chief and Locke fail to suppress Cortana. She escapes with an army of AI Guardians, planning on inciting an AI rebellion across the galaxy.
In the Buck-centric novel Halo: Bad Blood, Spartan Locke makes a cameo in the closing chapter, where he buys his former Spartan teammate a drink in the Infinity's Full Moon bar. While they talk, Buck asks Locke of his recent missions, to which Locke replies that they're "classified." Though Locke's whereabouts between Halo 5 and Halo: Bad Blood are yet to be detailed in any official capacity, it seems likely that him and the rest of Osiris were deployed throughout the galaxy in an attempt to stop Cortana's AI forces, named the Created.
Where Is Locke During Halo Infinite?
Despite his central role in Halo 5: Guardians, Spartan Locke doesn't make an appearance in Halo Infinite. However, Locke does crop up in a few of the game's audio logs, as well as one big Easter egg that could seal the fate of the Spartan. In the audio log "Recovered Files 04: The Weapon," it's revealed that Spartan Locke was Catherine Halsey's second choice to deploy The Weapon on Installation 07 if the Master Chief was unable to do so for any reason. However, according to the audio log "Infinity's Approach: Captain's Report," Locke was in the middle of an operation entitled "Breaker Trip" when the Banished destroyed the UNSC Infinity. Currently, the goal of this operation is completely unknown, and fans do not know if it was successful.
About six months later, the Master Chief awakens, and heads down to Installation 07. Soon after landing, the Chief gets into combat with Hyperius, one of Atriox's top generals. In the fight, players can spot Spartan Locke's helmet hanging from Hyperius' shoulder pad. While Spartan Locke's fate is still unknown, this might suggest that the soldier attempted to take on the Brute general but died in the process.
Halo Infinite is available now on PC, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.