Everyone who grew up playing video games in the last two or three decades might recognize the iconic armor-clad Master Chief from the Halo video game series from a mile away without even trying. The games have never shown what the character looks like without his helmet ever, and still, fans are just drawn to him like butterflies to a flower, which is a serious testament to his legacy.
That same legacy has now been recreated with the release of the Halo TV series, where Pablo Schreiber plays the iconic character on-screen. But one thing that the fans dislike about his portrayal is his tendency to act without his helmet on, which is nothing like the lore from the games. And when the star tried to rationalize this creative decision, fans were ready to compare his reason with The Mandalorian’s Din Djarin.
Pablo Schreiber Explains Why Master Chief Has His Helmet Off During Most Of The Show
Whether you are an old player of the video game series or a new fan of the franchise, or even if you have never played the Halo series in general, the iconic gold visor helmet and green armor of Master Chief is instantly recognizable to anyone. Thus, to build upon years of legacy of the games, Paramount created the Halo series featuring Pablo Schreiber as the iconic character.
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And with the first season, it seemed like all was going as planned until the star took off his helmet to reveal his face. When it comes to the accuracy of the lore, this was the point where fans of the video games showed their displeasure, as Master Chief never takes his helmet off. This turned into a full-blown controversy that still surrounds the show.
Thus, to reason with the fans, the Den of Thieves star explained why his character has to show his face in the series for prolonged periods. He revealed (via IGN) that since this is a long-running series, they have to connect the audience with the character, which is not possible if they don’t see their emotions on-screen. He said:
“When you play a first-person shooter, the way that a character is developed is very different than what’s necessary when you’re making long-form television. To go on this journey with your protagonist, you’re not going to be able to bring an audience along in a long-form story without having access to a character’s face, which tells you what they’re feeling, how they think about everything. That access to a character’s emotional life, over the course of time, is what makes you empathise and connect with a character.”
This reason may sound quite reasonable until the audience starts to compare his logic with Pedro Pascal‘s portrayal of Din Djarin in The Mandalorian.
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What Do The Fans Say About This?
While Schreiber may have tried to explain why the creative decision was necessary for the show’s success and continuity, fans were quick to point out the chink in his armored statement, which was stating how successful The Mandalorian was without seeing Pascal’s face except for the briefest of moments.
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meanwhile pic.twitter.com/geMjRPbEFu
— Luc // HiddenXperia (@HiddenXperia) January 13, 2024
man if only we had six video games spanning across two decades amounting to nearly 100 hours of narrative gameplay to see if this concept could work in long form storytelling
— Stephen Ford (@StephenSeanFord) January 13, 2024
Someone should show Pablo The Mandalorian. Pablo is an actor, not a director or a writer. He is speaking completely out of turn and from an extremely biased perspective. Of course the actor doesn’t want his face hidden, he makes less money.
There is literally absolutely no…
— Ryan (@M7_Reaper) January 13, 2024
He must have missed The Mandalorian.
— Joey McDermott (@KourtsideKing) January 13, 2024
Aight pic.twitter.com/o7HWBQ9jph
— BigRobEnergy ⚡️ (@BigRobEnergy) January 13, 2024
Thus, shooting the star’s logic down with numerous examples and instances of shows, fans prove the decision of the Halo series wrong.
Halo, streaming on Paramount+.
