Halo episode 3 trailer teases Cortana’s arrival and a Master Chief showdown

The first trailer for Halo episode 3 is here, and the Paramount Plus series is slowly ramping up the tension as the UNSC and the Covenant make their next move.

The new Halo series trailer focuses on Makee, the human in league with the Covenant, on the hunt for Master Chief and the artefact he took from Madrigal in the premiere.

"I will not only bring back the keystone," Makee hisses, "I will bring you the demon’s head." No prizes for guessing who that demon is, as the scene is intercut with Master Chief dealing with his own personal journey.

Yes, John-117 is back with the UNSC. He’s busy hunting for answers, including the mystery what happened to his parents. Whatever the truth is, it's clearly something worth hiding. Doctor Halsey, though, has a failsafe: "That is what Cortana is for," she says.

Cortana, Master Chief’s long-time AI companion in the video game series, is briefly shown and arguably looks better in live-action than in previously-released stills. That should put to bed any lingering doubts over the character’s redesign, a shift that caused controversy among the Halo fanbase when the show’s original trailer released back in January.

Halo’s third episode is also going to juggle multiple plotlines for the first time. Kwan Ha is still stuck on Rubble with Soren, though she plans to head back to her home world of Madrigal. Kwan Ha, Master Chief, and Makee are now on diverging paths. With the wildcard Cortana now in play, the Halo series is looking unpredictable as it slowly heads towards its first major showdown.

For more from the Halo series, check out our interview with the cast and creators of the Paramount Plus series, which airs every Thursday on the streamer.

Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.