How to watch the Halo movies in order
There's more fo Master Chief than just the games
Adapting hit video games into movies is always a risk with them having a habit of turning out to be, well subpar is a polite way of putting it. Sonic the Hedgehog helped buck that trend by being a surprise hit in 2020 and it has given people encouragement that they may be seeing a quality turnaround - Mortal Kombat is the next release scheduled.
But despite being around since 2001. the now 20-year old (?!) gaming franchise has never had a full live-action movie - despite the likes of Peter Jackson, Neill Blomkamp and Guillermo del Toro all being attached to one at some point.
But there are still films out there, some animated and some a series of shorts stitched together to make a feature-length presentation.
Read more on Halo:
- Halo Infinite campaign review - a masterful return for the Chief
- How long is the Halo Infinite campaign?
- Halo Infinite achievements list - how to unlock them all
- Halo Infinite multiplayer - all the essential details
- How to fix Halo Infinite blue screen crashes
- All the Halo games in story order - how many have you played?
- Halo Infinite ending explained
So if you want to know the order to watch them, and when to watch them in relation to the games, here is all you need to know.
How to watch the Halo movies
Halo Legends
Starting with a bit of strange one, Halo Legends is actually a series of different short stories, set at different times, and made by different studios. So you'll get a range of stories here that differ in tone and you can essentially choose when to watch them as they take place at various points in the Halo timeline.
The full list of those individual story titles are The Duel, Homecoming, The Babysitter, The Package, Prototype and Origins. While we said it does not matter when you watch these, Origins takes place just before the events of Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn so if you want to stick to the true chronological order, hold that one back until then.
Where to watch: Buy Halo: The Complete Video Collection on Blu-Ray at Amazon
Halo: Landfall
Halo Landfall is a tantalising look at what could have been. We mentioned earlier that Neill Blomkamp was set to make a full-length Halo movie and while that was still a possibility, he made this short live-action film that gave us a look at what we would have been in for had his film idea gone ahead.
It's a quick watch this and if you are a fan of the gaming franchise, you should definitely check this out as it really is impressive how they have taken the designs from the games, especially the brutes, and brought them into the live-action world. As for when this is set, it acts, kind of, as a prologue to Halo 3 so watching it just before playing that is your best bet.
Where to watch: YouTube
- For the latest news and expert tips on getting the best deals this year, take a look at our Black Friday 2021 and Cyber Monday 2021 guides.
Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn
One to watch just before picking up your controller to play Halo 4, Forward Onto Dawn follows Captain Lasky, a character who players of the fourth game will know well. This takes place at the start of the war between humans and The Covenant and follows Lasky while he is still at military school.
But that school turns out to not be a safe place as it gets invaded by The Covenant and Lasky and his fellow students have to take up arms and try to save the day from the hordes of enemies trying to take them down. Look out for an appearance from Master Chief himself in this one too!
Where to watch: Buy Halo: The Complete Video Collection on Blu-Ray at Amazon
Halo: Nightfall
Mike Colter, best known for his role as Luke Cage in the Marvel Netflix series heads up the cast in this second live-action film set in the Halo universe. Colter plays Jameson Locke, a major character in Halo 5: Guardians (so watch this just before starting that game up) and he and his team are tasked with a mission by the Office of Naval Intelligence.
They soon come across the remains of Installation 04, known to fans of Halo: Combat Evolved, and while there, they are faced with a terrifying new alien threat and have to try and fight it off while working to find a way to try and get to safety.
Where to watch: Buy Halo: The Complete Video Collection on Blu-Ray at Amazon
Halo: The Fall of Reach: The Animated Series
Another some to watch before playing Halo 5: Guardians, it was made with complementing that game in mind, this animated film clocks in at an hour and is comprised of three acts that put the focus on Master Chief and the Blue Team and serves as an origin story of sorts for them
The characters each reflect on their earlier days and the process that they went through to become super-soldiers as part of the Spartan-II program. The Fall of Reach is based on a book by Eric Nylund and that is well worth a read as, unlike this film, that actually carries on to see the fall of reach itself.
Where to watch: Buy Halo: The Complete Video Collection on Blu-Ray at Amazon
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