This is version 1.03 and is also available in several formats including: [url=http://nathybabe.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/guide-to-canon-in-the-halo-universe-final-document.pdf]PDF[/url], [url=http://nathybabe.files.wordpress.com/2011/01/guide-to-canon-in-the-halo-universe-final-document.docx]Docx (Microsoft Word)[/url], and [url=http://nathanpgibson.com/guide-to-canon-in-the-halo-universe/]HTML[/url]. Thanks to Qbix89 for allowing me to hijack his post as the guide is much larger than it was originally. [b]Please do not reproduce this document without my permission[/b]. [b][u]Contents[/b][/u] Introduction and Notes Halo Canon General List of canonical material in ascending order Halo novels are canon Cortana Letters are not canon ILOVEBEES is not canon (disputed) Halo Wars is canon Spartan 458 - Nicole (from Dead or Alive 4) is not canon IRIS and other Halo 3 PR and Marketing Halo Legends is Canon Halo: Reach and problems associated with it Conclusion, thanks and acknowledgements Links [u][b]Introduction and Notes[/b][/u] This is a pretty definitive post that specifies exactly what is considered canon in the Halo universe. It has been put together using quotes and posts from various Bungie and Microsoft employees, as well as some external people such as Eric Nylund. Sources have been listed where appropriate and possible. The sources listed in this document include the following people: - Joseph Staten: Bungie's Director of Cinematics and Lead Writer - Peter Parsons: Executive Producer of Halo 2, current Studio Manager - Frank (Frankie) O'Connor: Former Content Manager/Bungie.net Team. - Eric Nylund: Author of Halo novels, including Fall of Reach, First Strike and Ghosts of Onyx. - Chad Armstrong (a.k.a.Shishka): Ex-contract worker and former Playlist Designer. Halo was originally developed by Bungie Studios and is owned solely by the Microsoft Corporation. Ensemble Studios developed Halo Wars while a number of authors have written novels. Graphic novels have been created by Marvel Comics and a DVD of anime shorts has also been produced. The Halo universe is now overseen by 343 Industries, an in-house studio set up by Microsoft to control and manage all things Halo. Frank O'Connor has a key role at 343 Industries. [b]Version: 1.03:[/b] Updated structure and content to take into account Halo: Reach and other recently released materials. Updates may be made to this document in the future. Please visit the Bungie.net thread above to get the latest version. [b][u]Halo Canon General Information[/b][/u] [quote][i]"Halo 'canon' can quite easily be viewed in a similar way as the kind of canon system in place with Star Wars. A certain hierarchy of priority. In other words, different levels of canon where the higher levels will override the lower ones whenever there is a contradiction. Everything that Bungie has ever approved is canonical. But even then, certain things trump others. In order of canonical influence: - The games rank first - Published materials (books, comics, soundtrack liner notes etc.) rank second - Marketing and PR materials third And there's one codicil: the more recent items trump the older ones. So, for example, if some aspect of Halo 3's fiction contradicted Halo 2's, Halo 3's would be the gold standard. Bungie doesn't like to retcon (i.e., deliberately change previously established facts), but sometimes it's necessary. Take for example the issue of the number of human worlds. The truth about the "800+" number? That was made up by a non-Bungie employee and never approved by us before the Halo: CE promotional website went live. As for some of the other issues raised, chiefly Jenkins' age and UNSC foot-dragging on fielding the BR55? I will only say that some marines have spent a very long time in cryo-sleep and that putting an entirely new weapon into service during a war -- especially a war that spans multiple star systems -- is no small order. That being said, I'm constantly impressed by how close attention you all pay to the details. Don't ever stop keeping us honest! And we'll do our best to keep you reliably entertained :-) - Joseph"[/i][/quote] Halo.Bungie.Org | Joseph Staten's Post ([url=http://forums.bungie.org/halo/archive28.pl?read=847640]http://forums.bungie.org/halo/archive28.pl?read=847640[/url]) The important information to take from this post by Joseph Staten is the order of canonical material. This goes in order: 1. The games 2. Published materials (books, comics, soundtrack liner notes etc.) 3. Marketing and PR materials Also of note is that the more recent the item the more canonical it is. So Halo: Reach would be considered above Halo 3. So if something in Halo: Reach contradicts something that is said in Halo 3 then the Halo: Reach information comes out on top and is considered canon. [b][u]List of canonical material in ascending order[/b][/u] This is a list of all published material from the Halo universe, ordered in terms of the influence each items has on the canon. The list is in ascending order so the higher the item the more influence it has over the Halo canon. If two items have competing or contradictory information regarding something in the Halo universe then a general rule of thumb would be to take as canon the information from the item that is highest in the list. 1. Halo Reach 2. Halo 3: ODST 3. Halo 3 4. Halo 2 5. Halo: CE 6. Halo Wars 7. Halo Legends 8. Halo: Evolutions 9. Halo: The Cole Protocol 10. Halo: Contact Harvest 11. Halo: Uprising 12. Halo: Ghosts of Onyx 13. Halo Graphic Novel 14. Halo: First Strike 15. Halo: The Flood 16. Halo: The Fall of Reach 17. Birth of a Spartan (Marketing) 18. ONI Candidate Assessment Program V5.02A (Marketing) 19. Superintendent Viral Campaign 20. Iris (Marketing) 21. I Love Bees Please be aware that this list may be incomplete and its accuracy will be contended by some members of the Halo community. I have created this list using the information available to me from various sources and as such it is not a definitive list. However for simplicity you can use it as a general rule of thumb if you come across contradictions or inconsistencies between two published works. Halo Wars has been listed as 6, although it was released after the Halo trilogy of games. This was simply because it was created largely outside of Bungie's control. Some may dispute that it should be higher or lower than it is listed. [u][b]Halo Novels are Canon[/b][/u] [quote][b]GameSpy: [/b][i] When you were writing the game's script, did you want to tie the whole universe together, including stuff that was in the two books?[/i] [b]Joe Staten: [/b] The books are full of wonderful, complex elements that would be hugely problematic if we included them in Halo 2 in any meaningful way (e.g. the existence of other Spartans). That being said, I did my best to be take the books into account as I wrote, and there are definitely common themes and characters. The opposite is true as well; Eric Nylund and I spoke often as he gathered his thoughts for the third Halo novel, "First Strike."[/quote] Gamespy | Interview with Joseph Staten ([url=http://uk.xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/halo-2/562962p2.html]http://uk.xbox.gamespy.com/xbox/halo-2/562962p2.html[/url]) [quote][b]How Stuff Works:[/b] [i]Was the "Halo" story fully realized and segmented into different games, or did you take the story as far as "Halo 1" and when it came time for a sequel, build the story from the ground up?[/i] [b]Pete Parsons: [/b]The "Halo" universe has an overarching story that is well thought out and was well thought out before "Halo 2." We have roughly 600 years worth of "Halo" fiction, and we know what happens inside of that universe at any given time. The ["Halo 2"] story itself only existed as notes and was really fleshed out. We know ultimately, at least in the "Halo" universe, where humanity came from, where it's going to, at what point in time it comes in contact with The Covenant [the villains in "Halo"] and what happens well beyond that. "Halo 2" picks up literally right after "Halo 1." But there is still plenty of story in and around that. And you can see some of that in the three novels we have. [b]How Stuff Works: [/b] [i]The novelization of a video game is, well ... novel. Where does Eric Nyland get the background for his books?[/i] [b]Pete Parsons: [/b]We work closely with him on all the stories. So what we do is we have these story arcs of the "Halo" universe, and Eric goes in and says, "Well that's a really good piece to take and here is in a microcosm what I think that story will look like." [b]How Stuff Works:[/b][i] Are you guys very conscious to make sure that everything fits together -- that the books and games don't contradict one another -- so that everyone can look to any source and say, "This is very consistent, fully realized world"?[/i] [b]Pete Parsons: [/b]Yes, but not in the marketing kind of way. We do it because we want the "Halo" universe to be manifold. You can certainly probably pull out some inconsistencies, but as a general rule we really try to keep it manifold. Because we think that ultimately we are doing this for ourselves. And after that, we're doing it for our fans, and we want them to really believe in this place that is the Halo universe. I think the reason Halo has captured so many imaginations is because we care a lot about what's going on in that universe and how believable that universe is. We have this high level myth that we understand very well.[/quote] How Stuff Works | Interview with Pete Parsons ([url=http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/halo1.htm]http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/halo1.htm[/url]) [b][u][Continued on next post...][/u][/b] [Edited on 06.25.2011 8:35 AM PDT]