What Happened To Soren? Spartan 066 In Halo Canon Explained

This article contains spoilers for Halo episode 2.

Halo episode 2 introduces Bokeem Woodbine as Soren-066, the only Spartan dropout. Halo showrunner Steven Kane shocked fans of the franchise when he claimed his series didn’t build on the video games. He was exaggerating, of course; Halo episode 1 featured an extended combat scene that felt as though it was ripped straight from the games. What he seems to have meant, however, is that his version of Halo doesn’t draw inspiration from the games alone. Rather, it has lifted a surprising number of characters and concepts from tie-in novels and comics.

That’s certainly the case with the Spartans, whose backstory is informed by the wider Halo lore. In the Halo TV series, immoral scientist Dr. Catherine Halsey kidnapped potential Spartans from across the galaxy when they were only children, and put them through a harsh training regime until they reached adolescence. She then had them undergo horrific genetic engineering and cybernetic experiments, transforming them into literal supersoldiers. Many did not survive the experience, some were crippled or maimed, but a handful came out transformed. John-117, the Master Chief, is the most famous Spartan to undergo this process.

Halo episode 2 introduced viewers to Soren-066, the only Spartan to escape the program after augmentation. The process hadn’t quite worked on Soren, forcing the UNSC’s scientists to install additional cybernetic technology in one of his arms. This appears to have led to his feeling like an “odd one out” even among his fellow Spartans, and he began questioning the entire initiative, ultimately deciding to leave. Soren’s decision to leave placed John-117 in a difficult position, because he was torn between loyalty to the UNSC and to Soren, who he’d have considered one of his family. He ultimately allowed Soren to escape, and he’s headed to the Rubble, a safe hiding place from the UNSC. He openly tells the Master Chief where he’s going, perhaps hinting the Spartans had been sent there on a black ops mission – just as they were in the novels.

The character of Soren-066 is lifted from the main Halo timeline, specifically the Halo: Evolutions short story “Pariah,” which told his troubled backstory and explored the same kind of themes, with the augmentation process leaving Soren physically broken and requiring further cybernetic enhancements. Just as in the Halo TV series, he escaped and fled the UNSC; the key difference is that he escaped in a stolen Longsword, which was shot down, and his body was never recovered. In the main Halo timeline, the Master Chief has no idea where Soren is. He certainly never went to the Rubble, which was actually a major Insurrectionist base.

Halo episode 1 already hinted at Soren’s existence, in a subtle detail that will have passed by most viewers. When Dr. Catherine Halsey believed the Master Chief was going rogue, she decided to initiate the “Soren Protocols” to bring him in. These must have been developed after Soren’s escape as a way of dealing with any other rogue Spartan. Paramount+’s Halo TV series really does have some remarkably consistent world-building.

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Thomas Bacon
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Tom Bacon is one of Screen Rant’s staff writers, as well as a Peer Mentor for new writers and a member of the Care Team, offering support and a listening ear to members of the Comics group. A lifelong fan of major franchises including Star Wars, Doctor Who, and Marvel, Tom is delighted his childhood is back – and this time it’s cool. You can find him on Twitter @TomABacon.

A graduate of Edge Hill University, Tom remains strongly connected with his alma mater as a volunteer chaplain. He’s heavily involved with his local church, and anyone who checks him out on Twitter will swiftly learn he’s into British politics too.

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