Halo Irreversibly Changes Jacob Keyes’ Story In A Major Way

Spoilers are ahead for Halo season 2, episode 4, «Reach.»

While not a one-to-one adaptation of the video games, Halo season 2 just irreversibly changed Admiral Jacob Keyes’ story in episode 4, «Reach» — a somewhat surprising decision given the sophomore outing’s more successful use of the source material. Set in the alternate Silver Timeline, the Halo TV series is a standalone adaptation that exists side-by-side with the video games’ and books’ core canon. While Halo season 1 made its differences abundantly clear, the second season treads more carefully, especially when it comes to its treatment of preexisting characters. However, Halo‘s Fall of Reach changes that.

Introduced in the first-ever franchise game, 2001’s Halo: Combat Evolved, Jacob Keyes captains the Pillar of Autumn ship and becomes a crucial part of Master Chief’s fight against the Covenant. Since Halo season 2 chronicles the iconic Fall of Reach in its fourth episode, it seems only natural that future outings will delve into the events of the first game, which directly follow the destruction of Reach. With its approach to Admiral Jacob Keyes’ (Danny Sapani) arc, however, Halo season 2 completely rewrites the character’s story and drastically alters the adaptation’s story at large.

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Admiral Keyes Dies During Halo Season 2’s The Fall Of Reach Episode

Although it happens off-screen, Admiral Jacob Keyes dies during the TV show’s Fall of Reach storyline. In Halo season 2, episode 3, «Visegrád,» Keyes discovered what really happened to Cobalt Team — a reveal that turned him against James Ackerson (Joseph Morgan). The head of the Spartan program and Halsey’s replacement, Ackerson tells Keyes that ONI and other UNSC higher-ups are well aware of the Covenant’s presence on Reach. In fact, the people in charge are letting the invasion of the human stronghold unfold without alerting the public, the Spartans, or other UNSC soldiers.

Ackerson assures Keyes that they’ll fight, but they won’t win. Given Admiral Keyes’ prominent position in the UNSC, Ackerson encourages him to quietly leave Reach ahead of the imminent invasion. Unlike Ackerson, Admiral Keyes’ Halo season 2 plan involves staying behind and fighting alongside his soldiers. After giving a rousing speech to the remaining Marines and Spartans, Keyes takes point in evacuating Reach’s civilians. However, Keyes ends up making a sacrificial play to ensure Corporal Talia Perez (Cristina Rodlo) can pilot the civilian-carrying ship off Reach. Surrounded by Jackals, Keyes takes out his pipe and lights up the shipyard.

Keyes Won’t Reprise His Halo: Combat Evolved Role As Captain Of The Pillar Of Autumn

Admiral Keyes’ noble sacrifice not only readies Perez’s ship, but allows the Marine to escape the Covenant forces and fly Reach’s civilians off-world. Prior to his death, Keyes has a meaningful exchange with John-117 (Pablo Schreiber) — the only person who tried to warn everyone of the Covenant’s presence on Reach. He even shares a rather stilted elevator ride with Dr. Catherine Halsey (Natascha McElhone), his long-time colleague and mother to his child, Miranda Keyes (Olive Gray). While episode 4 sets up Keyes’ sacrifice, that doesn’t make his apparent death any easier to stomach.

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In Halo: Combat Evolved, which occurs directly after the Fall of Reach, the Pillar of Autumn exits slip-space near one of the game’s titular artificial ringworlds. Although the Autumn manages to escape Reach, it takes heavy damage from other Covenant forces. Before crash-landing the Autumn on the ringworld, Captain Keyes entrusts Halo‘s A.I. construct Cortana to Master Chief. In Halo season 2, the Covenant-raised Makee (Charlie Murphy) and her battalion of Elites capture Cortana during the invasion. Between that plot point and Keyes’ death, the show’s adaptation of Halo: Combat Evolved‘s events will look very different.

How Admiral Jacob Keyes’ Death Will Impact The Halo TV Show’s Story & Characters

After crash-landing the Pillar of Autumn in Halo: Combat Evolved, Keyes is captured by the Covenant. Master Chief leads a contingent of soldiers to rescue Keyes from Truth and Reconciliation. Aboard the Covenant cruiser, Keyes learns that the Covenant call the ringworld «Halo» and that it’s a superweapon of sorts. In fact, Installation 04, a.k.a. Alpha Halo, is one of seven ringworlds that comprise the Forerunners’ Halo array. In order to thwart the Covenant’s use of the ring, Keyes and Master Chief split up, which leads to the introduction of a massive Halo villain: the parasitic Flood.

By entering Halo’s computer systems, Cortana learns the rings’ true purpose: to destroy all sentient life in the galaxy, thus starving the otherwise-unstoppable, all-consuming Flood. In order to destroy Installation 04, Master Chief searches for Keyes, but he’s already been assimilated by the Flood. That said, Keyes’ death during the Fall of Reach will have a significant impact on how Halo season 3 adapts the Flood plotline that was chronicled in the first game. While other characters can certainly fill Keyes’ role, the iconic Halo character will be missed.