The Didact HAS RETURNED + A TON MORE (HUGE NEW HALO LORE)

The Didact has OFFICIALLY RETURNED, and with him, a TON MORE I never expected that blew me away... This is a HUGE New Halo lore drop, courtesy of Halo Epitaph, and we've GOT to talk about it...
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/ crazedwaste
/ griffvfx
/ litlthomas
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Cheers to IshikawaRin for the thumbnail! / theishikawarin
Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
02:29 - The Story Begins (mostly a recap)
7:11 - The Story PROPERLY Begins...
36:49 - A Quick Review
MAJOR thanks to the following Patrons for their extremely generous support!:
Koga and A2AxPhoenix - A tier that doesn't even exist above ＩＣＯＮＩＣ　ＯＮＥ, thank you so much my friends!
ＩＣＯＮＩＣ　ＯＮＥ:
Alexis Soto
DC Wage
Silfea
King Civil
Installation00
Senor Grafton
Wrath of Vajra
PRIMORDIALS:
TAGSTER
Beefast
Brandon Mihelic
Carakal
Mannequin
GRAVEMINDS:
Stan
MendicantDG
Daftanddirekt
SoulGamer92
Skealy25
JadedSilverLining
Daniele Pibiri
Matthew McHan
experimenter19
Jacob
Calvin Houfek
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#halo #halolore #haloepitaph #haloflood #haloinfinite

[@HiddenXperia]

Fellas - you absolutely HAVE to read, or imo, LISTEN to Halo: Epitaph. It's narrated by the Didact himself so it literally feels like one big cutscene, cannot recommend enough!

[@XVII_RONIN]

Question do u read the books or do u listen to them?

[@Redditor6079]

Will do.

[@hakon5473]

Do you think even though he got a good ending in this book that we wont see him again in the games?

[@austinenglish1125]

Do you get early access to the books (audiobooks) or just power through them once they are released?

[@zolisassi2861]

another content that is not a game... i wonder if they will advance the story again in books before the next game making the story of the game disjointed once more. what am i saying, we all know that the next game will most likely have nothing to do with the endless or the current storyline...

[@gideonkimbrel7181]

Somehow the didactic has returned

[@afro117icarus5]

GODDAMNIT I LITERALLY JUST MADE THE JOKE TO MY XBOX PARTY FUUUUCK

[@radjetstream1596]

Didactic: the domain is a pathway to abilities Many consider to be, unatural

[@HiddenXperia]

I like to pretend his god awful 'death' in Escalation never happened

[@CarlosCaceres-fh6ki]

Didactic, has returned the somehow

[@socialaccount0000]

The Domain is a pathway to many abilities some would consider to be..unnatural

[@sonicrunn3r895]

To my knowledge, this is the first time Warden Eternal has been mentioned in almost 10 years, and I think that's hilarious

[@fisherfoster6032]

aaaaaaaaand he's gone.

[@o.w.n.1327]

NO NO DON'T MENTION HIM SOME OF US STILL HAVE PTSD FROM HALO 5

[@joebarthram596]

Is it just me who is glad he didn't jusy disappear and was given a valid reasoning and a suitible demise

[@sonicrunn3r895]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@fisherfoster6032Hey, at least they gave him lore this time lol. And a better send off than Halo 5 just deleting him from existence after 7 fights

[@HiddenXperia]

holy shit it actually has almost been 10 years, WTF

[@ABoxIsMyHome]

The didactic returning is becoming a 343 comedic trope

[@MonkeSle]

"The fans want the flood back, what should we do?" "Uhh gravemind didact."

[@jakespacepiratee3740]

How is it comedic? I like it.

[@jakespacepiratee3740]

@@MonkeSlereally we don’t need that. Remember The Star Wars Sequel Trilogy?

[@chickenbacon5197]

@@jakespacepiratee3740 because the comic tier plot doesn't fit the tone of the original halo. 343 turned a sci fi military fiction into a story of multi colored power rangers fighting space god.

[@jakespacepiratee3740]

@@chickenbacon5197 Comic Tier? Lol Comics have had brilliant Stories. *“When the Mob, and the Press, and the Whole World tell you to move, you plant yourself like a Tree beneath the River of Truth, and you say ‘No, you move.”* -Capitan America, Civil War (Which is honestly how I feel too) Also why are you here if you hate Halo so much why are you here just to complain about it? We’ve had halo power rangers since Halo 3 Multiplayer and Halo CE had magical space-zombies and ancient aliens so if that’s a “sci fi military fiction” to you then that’s pretty high concept!

[@olliegodfrey482]

I also love how Didact and Forthenchos alliance directly parellels Chief and Arbiters. Two sworn enemies responsible for commiting atrocities coming together to fight a larger threat in the name of their own survival.

[@dr.catherineelizabethhalse1820]

Librarian: "Took you long enough, warrior"

[@JoaoSoares-rs6ec]

Incorrect

[@Omega4Productions]

It put a smile on my face to see ancient humans rising up to fight Cortana in order to save their modern descendants. There’s something so bloody cool about that.

[@Stefan-br2cf]

A Cyborg in a Citadel and not knowing what is Dream and True? I hear you Marathon, I hear you....

[@tedytarrify]

I was waiting for someone to make that reference. Well played.

[@EternalFount]

Dead 343 is currently out Bungieing life support Bungie

[@HiddenXperia]

oh my god...................

[@4T3hM4kr0n]

holy SHIT that is spot on!

[@debbiebernhardt5406]

11:51 I’m shocked his digital essence/mind reacted that badly to the damaged section. Guess he realize he didn’t go quietly in the domain after finding out the truth the domain wasn’t connected to where he was.

[@Sepheus13]

The flood is playing the absolute long game. 4d chess. -The twisted precursors set it up so that the flood will always survive. The gravemind laughs at the didact about the halos and says that those installations are their salvation. Every forerunner installation has flood containment facilities. Its only a matter of time until they are released again. The book is amazing for showing the perspective of someone with the logic plague. They truly don't see that their actions are assisting the floods long goal and think they are doing it for the mantle/living time. The way the logic plague is talked about it seems a mind is torn apart to its roots and reassembled with fundamental flaws built in. The ones affected seem to be apathetic to their former cares and their actions directly help the precursors long goal. So. Flood infected Mendicant bias. Twisting its view to see the forerunners as the true blight on living time. The GM also infects the Ur-Didact and sends him back to the ecumene. With messages to Faber and ultimately no cares about the remaining forerunners. He has a new agenda. His actions of leading the flood to the Ark and composing the halo humans leads him to be trapped in a cryptum on requiem. But THATS ALL PART OF HIS PLAN. or should I say the graveminds plan to ensure his insanity still exists 100 millennia from then. Flash forward. GM infects Cortana, and ultimately sends her on the path to try and claim the mantle. She thinks she is doing this for the betterment of the galaxy. After Halo 3 it is heavily implied that Mendicant Bias sent Chief and Cortana to requiem. They release the insane Didact and he begins his conquest of the humans (is this part of the twisted mantle test? The one designed to fail?) It creates absolute chaos for the humans and introduces the idea of the Mantle. Right when they are arguably the peak of the milky way. These events lead cortana to enter her rampancy, probably onset by the logic plague and she gets OBSESSED with the mantle. When it is revealed at the end of the book that her actions are the result of the logic plague she finally wakes up. Realizes that yes. She was touched by the gravemind. And ultimately sacrifices herself. So. MB sent chief to wake the Didact, where cortana went rampant. Where the created was born. The damn precursors are responsible for EVERY major conflict humanity has dealt with in the halo universe

[@w1ndgeneral226]

Yikes, that's why I prefer 3D chess over 4D.

[@Sepheus13]

@@w1ndgeneral226 That made me laugh way harder than expected. Bravo.

[@IRONMECH170]

I was piecing together the same thought, but you've absolutely NAILED it! While we've been complaining, or disappointed that the Flood(Precursors) haven't been a primary feature of- or villain in- the current story for so long, they've actually been the primary antagonist every step of the way... I haven't been this excited for Halo in years!

[@Sepheus13]

Okay. Another thing I noticed and thought was an amazing detail. Is how the Didact and Cortana both quoted each other AND the gravemind in their speaches. Do you remember who also quoted the gravemind? The harbinger..

[@TheDeviousDave]

All the years of playing the game and campaign I’m just now taking all this info in… wow

[@michaelphillips2329]

It's interesting to think that the Covenants belief in paradise beyond the Great Journey isn't completely wrong, even if they were wrong in how it worked. The domain acts as an afterlife, where you're in purgatory until you come to peace with all the good and bad within your life. And once you have achieved peace, you're welcomed into the domain proper, where you then experience an existance that is the idealistic version of the life you want, your paradise. Had the domain not been damaged after the firing of the Halo's, the Forerunners would have found their peace and entered their own paradises. The Covenant believed you'd go to paradise upon firing the rings, believing the Forerunners transcended to this paradise, the afterlife upon firing the Halo's. They weren't too far off at all, even if they were condemning all to die with them upon activating the array.

[@jancevaughn8539]

well the great journey they beloved in was completely fake the religion was just made up but it is a funny coincidence

[@alphacraig2001]

That’s a very interesting take actually, we’ve always just been told that the Covenant religion was a lie but the best lies are sprinkled with some truth to them. Maybe because of how much access the Prophets had to Forerunner technology, they somehow found knowledge or even evidence of the Domain which must have been seen as concrete proof of their religious beliefs.

[@toringmort4231]

Covenant don't go to the Domain. You only go there if you're composed. The Great Journey doesn't do that.

[@alphacraig2001]

@@toringmort4231 Well the fans know that but considering that the Covenant’s belief system is based on misinterpretations of a “Great Journey” it’s feasible that they wouldn’t know about those small technicalities.

[@michaelphillips2329]

@@toringmort4231 hence why I said they were wrong in how it worked. We know that isn't how it worked, but the Covenant religion dictated that it does work that way.

[@volrogue]

While not perfect, I loved the Didact's presence and introduction in Halo 4. Happy to see his story wrapped up (I'm assuming)

[@dragonstar213]

I agree 100% his introduction was the coolest shit

[@EternalFount]

Weird coincidence that the didact wants to close off the Domain and the next book takes place at a Domain access point.

[@VintageNarwhal]

Likely won’t be wrapped up. Knowing 343 they wanna keep this dude around as long as possible even if his story might as well be over already.

[@JadeRunner]

​@@VintageNarwhalI disagree. Bringing the Didact back into the main narrative would be the smartest thing 343i could have done. They should never have abandoned that story arc like they did, giving us the incredibly lame Created story line instead. Knowing 343i they'll kiII the character off at the end of this book, or shortly after, and never revisit him again. 🤦‍♂️

[@TRG_R17]

Reply 5, finish it in a game!

[@me_Gustav]

Holy shit, I actually love how this ties up a lot of the plots from Halo 5: Guardians and Halo Infinite in a way that is actually satisfactory! And it still leaves some stuff open for interpretation with the Endless and Offensive- and Mendicant Bias. Amazing,

[@elliesteele2027]

Honestly, I am so glad we finally got an explanation on what happened to the Warden or even what he _is_ like I was so confused why he didn't just send like a million bodies over to Zeta Halo to take control.

[@eliavita]

I'm a bit disappointed I would have liked to see him again In a game

[@TJVBernal]

True, next they'll tell us the banished killed him easy. Seems like an ongoing theme for 343. Off screen death

[@xUseTheForks]

​@@eliavitawhy he's the worst character in halo and completely pointless

[@binaryboopsva]

@@TJVBernal I doubt it, this book basically killed him off

[@debbiebernhardt5406]

Warden was occupied trying to fight the urge to didactic.

[@bigyoshi5170]

“Time was your Xbox friend human but now it has unfriended you.” -Dieact

[@lukebeakum1316]

343 industries has returned

[@FireChicken747]

WE NEED SOMEONE TO ANIMATE THE FIGHT BETWEEN THE WARDEN AND THE DIDACT!!! PLEASE IM BEGGING SOMEONE TO DO IT!!

[@sneakyninja2773]

Would be absolutely 🔥🔥

[@The1200s]

Ever since I heard about Didact having the Logic plague, I knew there were good qualities to him. I mean his wife is the biggest sweetheart in the galaxy after all.

[@loudman12]

The irony in the cutscene of halo 4 when it showed the forerunner and human war,the librarian wanted humanity wiped out and it was him that said to stay loyal to the mantle and defeat them but not wipe them out. In an odd way even he knew humanity was the future, and agreed with his wife. The turning point I don’t believe was the logic plague. It was their children being killed in the war that broke him. Not the flood. As much as he knew war kills, I believe when he got the brevet mutation which was forced due to circumstance that he didn’t want them to follow him into the warrior cast. His hatred for humanity was that. When humanity started destroying colonies at the start he didn’t want them wiped. So he didn’t see that as ultimate evil.

[@The1200s]

@@loudman12 I do not disagree, but to build on that I believe it is a combination of the two. In a species that lives for tens of thousands of years, it should take a lot for emotion to take a toll in my eyes. Whilst they are not like the Vulkans from Star Trek as they do show emotion, they are somewhere in the range between them and humans. I believe that yes, the killing of his children sparked a hatred for humanity, but during the Forerunner Flood war, after the Gravemind learned of the Didacts tactics, a change needed to be made. Thus the introduction of Promethean Knights and he would later compose every human on Omega Halo. Keynote is that he would not try to commit extinction until after the logic plague got to him.

[@loudman12]

@@The1200s I also agree it’s hard to determine what the “ultimate factor” maybe. One point I think not sure if you agree with this theory. He originally spoke with the primordial, linking in with the hatred of humanity. I wonder if the primordial explained that humanity was the mantle holders and they too would be tested. If the hatred through that threw him over the edge but was able to control and then the Graves mind essentially taps him on the shoulder and he falls. The final push. To be told that the very species that killed your children not only did that but they will eventually rise above the forerunners and surpass them. The librarian also mentioned that the humans gene pool was showing signs of evolving past them. That’s why she hid so many. Then to kick the didact even more, the only reason they kept humanity alive,the chance to find a potential cure,turns out,no cure.

[@shauntempley9757]

It was not then the Didact got infected with the Logic Plague at all. It was when the Didact was left in a Burn, and the Gravemind gave the plague to him to torment the Master Builder with the knowledge that his wife and children were part of the Gravemind. It was also to prepare him for what would happen in Halo 4, because the Gravemind assumed the Domain would fail when the Haloes were fired.@n12

[@IngeniousNinja]

You got something wrong at 18:00 - The DIdact DID help Chief and Blue team, he notably weakens the Guardian's gravity coil grip on the Cryptum enough for Exuberant to yank it away. Its quite a stressed point in the book! He almost doesn't do it, but feels that pissing off Cortana is worth saving his killer and enemy, lol

[@Nephalem2002]

I love how this pretty much hard confirms the Flood and the Gravemind are responsible for what happened to Cortana and The Didact.

[@HiddenXperia]

They are, at least indirectly. Sadly Cortana never ended up having the logic plague (which would've been the absolute best way to explain her erratic behaviour in H5 imo), but I'm happy the Gravemind at least had some influence on her behaviour

[@dr.catherineelizabethhalse1820]

@@HiddenXperia Maybe not logic plague but at least logic flu

[@StuartLegomanLittle]

She forgot to were a mask

[@jomama7933]

​@@HiddenXperia she was touched by the gravemind the same as the Didact was. The logic plague is really just a single instance of how the Gravemind manipulates someone for its own gain. The Didact was manipulated into bringing the Gravemind to the arc (he said as much toward the end of the book) and he tells Cortana that the Gravemind is at fault just as much for her behavior upon curing her rampancy. Not explicitly the logic plague but still a direct result of her time with the Gravemind. Also, I like how the Didact is partially responsible for Chief getting freed from the Guardian at the end of Halo 5. That was a nice touch

[@PyraJord]

Im happy the Didact as a plot point has some closure now. That being said, he has been done SO DIRTY. I loved him in Halo 4, specifically his intro cutscene, I loved how bombastic his speeches were and his entire presence. He had such potential and its so upsetting that'll never be realised. I hope this book gets an animated feature film or something so we can get a more accessible send off for him

[@gdew5168]

One of my favorite things about your videos is that your excitement about Halo lore is more contagious than the outbreak during the Forerunner- Flood War

[@alejandromolina7270]

That scene where Didact shows what happened to the Master Builder's family gave me literal nightmares.

[@angelobrewster6293]

So it was all the Graveminds fault for the Didact and Cortana going evil. Plus I love to see the reaction of the Created AI when they find out they can't enter the Domain anymore.

[@user-ug6sm4nj9b]

Yeah I’m starting to think that final antagonists of halo are the gravemind the flood and the endless

[@jakespacepiratee3740]

Genesis is not the only way into the Domain.

[@chickenbacon5197]

343: "Hey WoW, can I borrow your notes?" Blizzard: "Sure but don't make it obvious." I'm surprised anyone can even stomach the endless loop of "but here's the even greater threat!" plot getting recycle year after year.

[@timothybarrett7626]

​@@chickenbacon5197 thats not what happened in halo we have the covenant then in the same game we meet the flood and we get the pecking order Flood at the top and humanity at the bottom with everything else in between that

[@jakespacepiratee3740]

@@timothybarrett7626 and the Endless above that due to them being Reclaimers. (Hence the Reclaimer Symbol on Harbingers Helmet and Back Armor)

[@spartan1803]

Can’t wait to watch this, im almost done with the book!

[@HiddenXperia]

def finish the book before watching, but godspeed, the ending is 👌

[@spartan1803]

@@HiddenXperia holy shit 🤯

[@ButteryGoodnessINC]

Would be a twist, if Bornstellar shows up in the Domain to the Didact and Librarian, suited up ready for a new war. How he found a way to defeat the Flood permanently, setting up the final war in Halo's story and finishing the fight, side-by-side with Arbiter, Chief, and many more heroes like an essence of Sgt. Johnson and Jacob/Miranda Keyes. Even many of the Spartans that have died like all the 2's who died on Reach, or 3's like Noble Team. Basically a Ghosts of Onyx ending on a galactic scale to end a franchise.

[@mark_thurwanger]

It’s honestly such a shame Bornstellar didn’t make an actual appearance.

[@coolest1seven814]

Isnt MC supposed to be Bornstellar reincarnate

[@N7_Bunny]

​@@coolest1seven814 it's the theory with the most proofs but it's not confirmed by 343.

[@Eithunna]

Ah, the Warden Eternal bullying the Didact so refreshing

[@animalhalo5984]

Wait a minute. We just got confirmation that cortana did in fact have the logic plague. Which means through Halo 3 she is infected, and drifting through space with the Earths best hero for 4 years

[@alexlyster3459]

She didn't fully get the logic plague. More like a partial subtle corruption implanted by the Gravemind.

[@halolasomaster3900]

Now the Chief Arby and Didact need to team up

[@Silver.Productions]

The halo polycule 🥰

[@zTxMeta]

Unless he can hijack a Promethean Soldier from the Domain, broski doesn't have a way back to the physical world anymore

[@Dave93.]

Bit didact Is die

[@ProtocolAbyss]

No let the Didact have some peace man. He had the shittiest life, just let the guy retire with his wife.

[@D00dman]

@@Silver.Productionsdisgusting

[@Strangebear1]

Always stoked when my fav halo channel does an upload

[@jakespacepiratee3740]

Very good book. I actually predicted that Warden Eternal is a amalgamation of Composed Forerunners. However one problem I had is that i don’t really think that the Lord of Admirals is so eager to just kill off the Human Created AIs. Wouldn’t he be eager to talk to them and learn about what Modern Humanity has done since he was Composed? Also, how many Created AIs have been killed as a result of Didacts slaughter of them? I kinda hoped to see those AIs again in the future, like British-Voiced Cromwell? Also I have a theory that everything that has happened has intentionally be orchestrated by the Logic Plague to free the Endless. Think about it, Mendicant Bias is infected by the Logic Plague, then Didact was infected by the Logic Plague, and then Cortana was infected by the Logic Plague. *Mendicant Bias* sent Chief to Requiem to free the *Didact,* who’s ship sent *Cortana* to the Domain, where afterwards she actively tries to find the Endless…see what I mean?

[@user-ug6sm4nj9b]

So meaning the gravemind wants to free endless and consume their forms and make him and the flood all powerful like they are once as precursors but now they can manipulate and control all matter and energy including living time so yeah if that happens we doomed

[@NihilusShadow]

"Wouldn't he be eager to talk to them and learn about what Modern Humanity has done since he was Composed?" Well he is in the Domain with millions of Modern Humans composed from New Phoenix.

[@jakespacepiratee3740]

@@NihilusShadow and they are just normal Citizens. The AIs would have a wealth of important information.

[@NihilusShadow]

@@jakespacepiratee3740 You don't think a mega city like New Phoenix would have anyone of value worth talking to because they're civilians? Halsey is a civilian and she'd be of of the most knowledgeable people in the entire universe you would want to talk to. I'm sure out of the millions of people from New Phoenix he could speak with, there are plenty of people who could fill him in.

[@adventwolfbane]

No he really wouldn't care to talk to them. These AI betrayed and turned on Humanity and are threatening its existence. They aren't like the ancient human AIs either that he is used to. He would have more real reasons than the Diadact for wanting to destroy them. The Diadact hates them because they are Human AI, the Lord of Admirals hates them because they are traitors.

[@RedNomster]

Not really a correction, but at 31:18, we can't use "Eld" and "Mantle" interchangeably anymore. Epitaph confirms that the dual lines on the Eld represent Living Time, the bent ones are the Mantle, and the circle around is the Domain. I think this is an important distinction because in the Silent Auditorium (see 29:56) The Eld symbol is on the floor in the center of the room surrounded by 3 Forerunner statues above. I've theorized before that these 3 statues represent the Criterion - the 3 Forerunners who imprisoned the Endless in Halo Infinite, and we know for certain that 1 of them is the Grand Edict. Perhaps each member of the Criterion oversaw a specific portion of the Eld: Living Time, the Mantle, and the Domain. This may give us a hint as to whom the other 2 members are! You mention in the video that the Warden is essentially the entire Haruspis manifested together, and they protect the Domain. Perhaps even the Haruspis at 32:45 - I'm not sure how well that fits with the Ancient Whispers dialog in Halo Infinite, but it's something to consider. :)

[@alexlyster3459]

Wasn't that a different symbol you're describing? The symbol of the Haruspis rate.

[@animalhalo5984]

22:15 you just glossed over the saddest part of the forerunner trilogy. The librarian goes and betrays her husband, seals him in a cryptum hoping that time in isolation and meditation will not only protect him from the blast but also the domain will heal him and its only after that she realizes that the Halo array firing has damaged the domain and the didact will be trapped in darkness for millenia which furthers his madness

[@epicdude3659]

First time they mention the Warden Eternal in years and they fucking delete him in the same story, amazing

[@alexlyster3459]

There will still be some of his physical manifestations existing in the real world

[@falu7561]

Holy shit, imagine if they the legendary ending with the didactic talking to cortana

[@ShabazDraee]

I clicked on the video, immediately clicked paused, came to comments to say that the book arrived only today for me, and I’ll come back to this video when I finish reading it. I left the vid a thumbs up tho Luv u Hidden, keep it up with the videos!

[@HiddenXperia]

appreciate it king, enjoy the book!

[@AngelicBeatdown]

damn what a story, Kelly Gay does such a good job making additional canon story entries with old lore that isn't fanfic crap or just wordy messes

[@theoriginal6719]

There are good halo content creators, there are great ones, there are a few awesome ones, then there is you. By far one of the best, well researched and brilliantly presented content on KZbin. Well done and thank you

[@HiddenXperia]

that means a lot chief, thank you!

[@GarackTheMad]

Keith is such a great VA

[@dragontemplar4561]

The Human/Forerunner war would be such a cool setting for a Spin Off halo game.

[@IsengardMordor]

Oh man, that would be awesome ❤ i hope its considered one day

[@sookendestroy1]

Ngl that end line gives me big "Mendicant Bias and Offensive Bias teamup" energy The only way that makes much sense to me though is if the Xalanyn are something very powerful. ~~there are many supposed precursor prisons in the galaxy~~ "Cortana might be the greatest threat the galaxy has seen" feels like a meme line

[@PaulRobertson-vu6kg]

Hey so you missed an important thing, the Didact DID have a hand in helping Chief being saved in Halo 5. Spoiler but in the book it talks of the Didact actively grabbing the link between the Guardian and the cryptum Chief and Blue Team are trapped in, thus weaking the grab the Guardian has on it and allowing the sentinels to break it open. He just mocks Cortana saying he was a satisfied bystander.

[@tTaseric]

I don't particularly mind Mendicant's lack of precense. The book taking place in Epitaph tower, and ending with a eulogy for Mendicant, really seems to imply that this whole book is also supposed to be taken as a big metaphor for Offensive and Mendicant, as well as a more literal story about the Didact's relationship with humanity. I could imagine Offensive allowing Mendicant to view what happened here, as perhaps the greatest proof that he can atone. Mendicant sending Chief to Requiem and inadvertently setting a logic-plague infected Didact onto humanity could be described as a monument to all of his sins. Offensive could literally be showing Mendicant this, and the events of the book could be a big abstract metaphor for these 2 AIs thought processes.

[@blzultimate3495]

I think that a rly good way to tie the didact back into the main story is by having the flood return and then the didact comes back to the main world somehow to help the humans like the librarian wanted

[@matthewtaylor2412]

As someone who's first Halo (and xbox) game was 4 (I know, the horror) and who ADORED the Didact, It's so so satisfying and heartening to see his story finally get an ending and the character finally find peace. While we all wish we didn't have to go through Escalation to get here and that he could have had his own further games, I am happy with this ending for him. In the end, he was just a soldier. Hoping he had done the right thing. Questioning his choices. And now, at last, his war is over. And he gets to go home.

[@Samaritan16]

Don’t fell too bad about your first halo being 4. Mine was ODST 😅

[@jameshenke634]

Maybe it was confirmed before this book, but I'm glad the Created Conflict at least has a good explanation now. I remember thinking back in Halo 4 that there was no way Cortana spent months (?) with the Gravemind and came out of that normal. Would have been nice to have this sort of lore drop when Halo 5 came out, but better late than never I suppose.

[@bander960]

I'd never read any of the Halo books to completion until Epitaph, I'd gone to Hidden for my Halo lore fix for a long time, but the feelings I got reading it for myself was just incredible. It was so heartwarming to see the Didact get his redemption, as well as close out the suffering Humanity and the Forerunners went through. I'm definitely reading more Halo books now. Also I can't help but see the Arby and Chief parallel between Forthencho and the Didact, and I absolutely love it

[@RaulV22]

I think this sets up future Halo games quite well. I think it’s a cool way to sort of take the mystery out the Forerunners (which we all know that mystery was the heart and soul of the original trilogy) and I think this book serves as the bridge to sort of build on from what we see in Halo 4 & 5. Halo Infinite is the springboard to future games by introducing us to the Timeless, and this book ties it all together by what seems to be giving us hints of a possible Forerunner/Human team up to defeat the new (time-bending) enemy. The thought of Offensive Bias and Mendicant Bias teaming up to serve or help humanity with Master Chief at the helm makes me Halo 2-levels of giddy.

[@Jimmy_Rings]

Somehow, the Didact has returned

[@pleasereadyourholybook2116]

Naw. His return works lore wise, unlike Palpatine returning with no explanation.

[@everettjohnson9374]

​@pleasereadyourholybook2116 there was an explanation, via clones. Just like in legends

[@Darkfox129]

I actually got into audible because of you and i have a few of the halo books already

[@CajunYT]

I think the Didactic and the ancient human leader are the reason the Cortana fragments are spread throughout halo infinite. Considering all of the cutscenes with Cortana are things that happened before Chief got there.

[@debbiebernhardt5406]

I agree, the humans were not aware that didactic and the ancient humans were making the ais defensive. No wonder Sloan had to release the human form body with spi/mnolior armor as a desperate attempt to escape the war they were experiencing in the domain. The didactic was mad that the ais were using the domain to expended their life. Although the domain did repair Cortana and undid the ai failsafes built in from oni, it ended up being a double edge sword. Cortana fulfilled the data request for a short period in the domain. All the ais were not aware why the domain didn’t work as intended. They were afterlife soul but alive. Didactic composer didn’t work in restoring due to being isolated from domain access. But when he entered where they were, it unlocked their forms. The digital minds of past vs the digital minds of ai broke out once didactic realized the domain had suffered a severe event. He changed his mind when the ai Cortana went to zeta halo personally because he realized that Cortana had a key for doing it. I believe that guardian was there for some time and then got moved due to Atriox return. Didactic did realize the ring didn’t have anything to digitalize souls/minds, but could damage the domain that could kill him and the rest of the souls. However her words mentioning a worse enemy did get to didactic head since what happened between his imprisonment to digitalization event that was not recorded at either ark or domain didn’t have on file and only on zeta halo. The domain did sought after experience, events, and information, in which both Cortana and didactic did follow. However, the didactic tried to warn the zeta halo monitor, but failed since he got caught by Cortana within the room that he didn’t know was sealing the endless. Cortana only revealed the greater threat known as endless with only a hint, worse than the flood. Cortana was locked down due to domain sealing itself up with the souls of didactic digitalization and the war betweeen ais and the souls trapped by didactic composer. She must of been unaware that didactic hadn’t been briefed on the endless. The lord of admirals either knew or didn’t know about the endless.

[@Bondrewd_the_Novel]

This is a phenomenal recap. You tell it extremely well, especially with the additional info you give, not to mention the music. Great work.

[@HiddenXperia]

thanks! I have a pretty critical view of my vids while writing/editing so comments like this are very very encouraging :)

[@echo_43]

If only we could get this "narrative wholeness/completeness" in the games.

[@Connor8609]

Halo will always be better and deeper in the books. It lends itself better to it

[@alexlyster3459]

The problem is the games are short first person shooter games. There's no way you could fit this sort of narrative depth into them. The closest we could get would be a Mass Effect style RPG, bit even that isn't exactly an easy ask. Books will always be a much more viable vector for these sort of stories and this lore. One person can write a book quicker and with more that happens in it than 500 can make a game.

[@Khopitar]

Always a good day when Hiddenxperia uploads. You're vids never disappoint.

[@EmileA239_from_Halo_Reach]

This was such a good read! Thank you for covering it! I loved every second of this book.

[@baile045]

I’m still listening to the Epitaph audiobook, and I’m loving it so far. But I must spoil it. I have to. I’m still going to finish it. It’s beautiful

[@BMRI_Paleness]

I wonder if that teaser with chief in a cloak in the desert was supposed to be a tease of Chief getting composed.

[@socialaccount0000]

I'd get this book, but I havent read any of the forerunner trilogy. I find it bittersweet that 343 has essentially turned Halo into a book series as the books are the only parts they can get right

[@Sypitz]

It’s because 343 employees don’t write them.

[@sagnorm1863]

@@Sypitz 343 clearly has control over what the stories are about.

[@Sypitz]

@@sagnorm1863 then you’d think halo 4-infinite would’ve had better stories, lol.

[@ghostplasma5590]

​@@Sypitz no I would not. As an aspirimg writer trust me. Writing a book and writing a video game story are completly different things. Tried both. I speak from experience.

[@blahblah3775]

​@Sypitz 4's story was fine, infinite's was fine. 5 sucked. The reason the series has been so disjointed is due to them abiding by what highers ups say and having to backpedal on the story points they introduced every game after.

[@RageTH22]

Im so glad youre covering the books. I used to watch Halo Canon for book coverage but since he retired there's been a gap. Thanks!

[@KrutonSalad16]

Maybe 343 behind the scenes on Halo 7 is really getting it together by tying up loose ends with this. Halo 7 might be epic?? Great video btw, so captivating the whole time.

[@DanReed98]

Can’t wait to tuck into another Halo book 👌🏻 More spin off games and shows of these books please 🙏

[@drakkonahn8544]

I love everything about this book. "name a more iconic duo" "chief and cortana"

[@LockeLynx]

Dude, I watched Installation00's video and it was scary. The Precursors are NOT benevolent as they seemed to be

[@berilsevvalbekret772]

The Flood ones certainly aren't. But Precursors aren't uninamous. THAT part seems to ignored by him. In the final war I hope we will see ACTUAL Precursors aganist their malicious bretheren. And considering the flood NEEDS biomass to gain their intelligence its obvious it is still lesser than what they once were.

[@jamesvoight3237]

Man I can always count on you giving literally the best most in depth lore vids. Love yah brotha keep up the good work!

[@spartang490]

I am French and I have not this chance of read the 3/4 of books because they are not translate in French 😭😭😭 But I am a big fan of Halo ❤❤ Long Life For Halo !!

[@nothisispatrick6528]

The Didact has returned … “Roaring applause” In a book “Visual disappointment”

[@socialaccount0000]

Thats just 343 in a nutshell "Cool plot element!" Yay! "Only in a book!" Oh..

[@jakespacepiratee3740]

@@socialaccount0000 nah nah Halo has revealed big things solely in books from the Start. Where do you think it was revealed that Cortana was a brain-scan of Halsey? In the Fall of Reach book. When was it first mentioned in the Games? Halo 4.

[@bloodysimile4893]

I remember a lot of cool key events happening in the game, like elites and humans joining forces. Flood helping Master Chief. Blowing up a halo ring. Seriously miss that type of story telling in Halo. Now the games feel like a step in a much larger story. Like images Batman Arkham city is just a step rather being the key event of following comic stories.

[@irondoggo8572]

His name is Didact.....Didact Skywalker

[@zechariahzen.6364]

This guy's smile makes me happy. You can pause the viddy on any moment he's in shot and he either looks passionate, serious, or happy. Almost like a puppy in a park. Like there's this big bucket joy called Halo and he can't wait to share it with you.

[@epickingedward7378]

So the jist of this book seems like, the warden is dead, the domain is healed and closed, didact becomes friends with the humans he once slayed, they all get into the domain and have a party XD

[@justDVSX]

I would say the point of the book is learning that God ( the precursors) is real and God only think of you as food.

[@Connor8609]

and also the domain serves as an afterlife for all Forerunners and possibly Humans one day.

[@chaseperkins6949]

Hey Hidden, quick question For you or for anybody who sees this comment...... Maybe I missed something, But could this be the reason why there are no forerunner enemies (knights, crawlees, etc...) in halo infinite?

[@ArandomHitman]

If only we had this in future games...

[@JadeRunner]

Keith Szarabacka says this is one of his favourite characters he's ever played and so didn't hesitate to say yes to voicing the audiobook. 😊

[@SCP_FOUNDATION_O5_COUNCIL]

One hour gang 👇

[@sami-scott4160]

Outside of CE and H2 CE and H2 bungie writing has always been cringe tier shit Fall of Reach >>> Halo Reach 🤑🤑

[@TheXeroLink]

38:11 Not quite the end of the Domain I’m afraid. It appears that the next book Empty Throne deals with the Domain.

[@neoluna1172]

This book was certinly a cleanup job, but it did it very well, and tbh im kinda glad the contender brothers didnt get a ton of screen time, they deserve thier own book.

[@jakethreesixty]

At this point it feels like an inability to create a more interesting character.

[@AzazelHash281]

Hidden I got my court case dismissed now I can watch lore videos all day

[@stewart9293]

18:05 So I hate to be this guy but the Didact actually did have a hand in Chief's release. I didn't do a lot, but he did help.

[@LT21Titans27]

The books from the past 10 plus years have built such a rich background and story of the forerunners. They've had such good storytelling that it honestly makes the games even more disappointing that 343 somehow couldn't bring the forerunners back in a satisfying fashion in 4 5 and infinite.

[@augury2699]

I had just finished reading Rubicon Protocol just before this dropped so that was fun, really enjoy Kelly Gay's writing. It does feel like it was meant to wrap up everything in Halo before Infinite, just tie off the story so far. Pretty much everytime I thought the Didact would realize what Cortana was after and have something to say about it, the story veers away, so I do think between this and the next book they're going to close everything before and open up the story for The Endless to be the main focus in the next game and (as long as its Empty Throne isn't delayed) the next books in 2025 and beyond.

[@primalspongebob6144]

Man that desert scene reminded me of that poncho chief trailer reveal we got, what, almost a decade ago now. We were on the right path, it’s such a shame they didn’t just run with it. Always cool to see the didact. I wonder if they’ll mention bornstellar in the show since the next episode is titled “onyx”. Sometimes I forget about how much lore is actually packed into the halo universe but it’s fascinating to hear about it when things like this book come up.

[@joebarthram596]

This book was genuinely fantastic, a terrific addition to the forerunner trilogy and a perfect look into the diadact and gives excellent context to cortana's action in Infinite

[@koolerpure]

i thought the book was pretty solid, the fact it was read by the didact made me wish we were playing it or watching an animated version

[@user-db2vo4rz3n]

Epitaph is probably one of the best books in the series. I loved it

[@ChefandTheArbistor]

THANK YOU! I was hoping for an epitaph review before I got into surgery and my wish has come true! It’s a Christmas miracle.

[@HiddenXperia]

good luck with the surgery chief! 🫡

[@ChefandTheArbistor]

@@HiddenXperia thanks mate!

[@eragonbromsson1122]

Great book. Good way to end the Didact story, although I suspect we'll see the very last of him in Empty Throne, considering the book plot is about the UNSC and the Banished trying to control the Domain with a gate on a human colony, and the Didact swore to close all gates, so we'll see.

[@slatedragon9358]

I listen to the book yesterday and I loved it probably my favorite one but I just got into the halo books

[@JustinLaFleur1990]

I loved this book and I am so glad that Forthencho "survived" the way he helped basically teach the Didact about forgiveness and acknowledged that atrocities had been committed on both sides of the war was great!

[@davict97br]

To this day i can't believe how much damage brian reed did to the frenchise, he killed Halo in 2 years

[@HighGroundSand]

Love your videos hiddenxperia!

[@jaysonisaac5604]

I'm gonna listen to the story, then watch this video! Can't wait to get home from my short tour in Korea and buy one of your Pre-Built gaming PCs! Thank you for the awesome content!

[@HiddenXperia]

hell yeah man, thank you and safe travels back home!

[@calumjg2179]

This is honestly become one of my favourite Halo books but the best thing for me is it finally confirmed Cortana had the Logic Plague

[@darkspark5854]

Warden: I have brought peace, freedom, and security to my new empire!! Didact: YOUR new empire? Warden: If you’re not with me, then you’re my enemy! Didact: Only as SIMP deals in absolutes. I will do what I must. Warden: You will try… “Battle of the heros cues”

[@GokhanAras-pj1mm]

It's over Warden,I have the high ground! You underestimate my power! Don't try it

[@BLACKBEARD-117]

Good ole Reaper from Overwatch😂

[@Lunatec5145]

Do more book summaries like these in chronological order. Love these vids man.

[@Rev_Goose]

Finally finished it yesterday and I really enjoyed it. Great redemption arc and send-off, loved all the connections to other characters and stories too. Was nice to kinda have all of the loose ends like Didact, Warden, and Created all wrapped up in this book too

[@punishedvenomsnake716]

This was such a great book. Literally the most important Halo book of the past decade, perfect timing too. A little more than 10 years after Greg Bear's Forerunner Saga. I'm so happy that the Didact was redeemed and saved in the Domain although I really REALLY want to see him again 🔥

[@MK-ld6il]

Honestly one of my new favorite halo books ever.

[@WillyB24]

The book was fucking great and was awesome that Keith Szarabajka read the book for the audiobook version. PURE DELIGHT!

[@mmfwclx2]

The funniest thing about this book imo is it continues the trend of Halo 5’s story only being fleshed out in secondary media

[@ShadySliver17]

The way the story explains the Didact’s journey feels reminiscent of what Kratos goes through in Valhalla

[@Karmanara]

I knew the Didact wasn't finna die from a grenade 🤣🤣🤣, much less getting 100% Composed

[@LU-C4]

Up to 2:48 and already, I love that you put in that Forerunner theme from Halo 3. It's the most underrated piece of Halo music imo. That somber tone just fits the Forerunners' story so perfectly.