Why the Arbiter was never infected by the Flood

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One of the most frequent questions I get asked is why the Arbiter was never infected by the Flood, despite lacking adequate equipment and protection for operating in Flood spore heavy environments during Halo 2 and Halo 3, so today, I want to answer that very question...
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►►Thanks for watching guys!

[@HiddenXperia]

Hope you guys enjoy and this answers any questions you had regarding ol' Arby! Next time we're gonna pit the ever consuming Flood against the T-Virus AND G-Virus from Resident Evil to see which sci-fi Zombie comes out on top :D Make your predictions now!

[@swellcartoona8207]

HiddenXperia but is he really not infected or is he infected

[@thearbiter3351]

I love it, so much lore

[@nicholashouse207]

HiddenXperia. Could it be possible that the Gravemind choose not to infect the Arbiter because he knew he would need him later? Just like he needed Chief. I know the fact that the flood are obviously trying to kill him throughout the game kinda hurts this idea. But they still fought Chief as well.

[@juansnow5897]

could be the same reason air didn't set his shield off. just that small it doesn't trigger the shield because their isn't a mass force hitting it and the shield acts like a filter, cleansing everything before its breathed in. just something i thought made sense.

[@Jedi_Spartan_38]

@HiddenXperia did the Arbiter suffer from Gravemind moments in Halo 3 just in a different way to Chief?

[@mcdwarfcelot6555]

Flood: tries to infect Arbiter Arbiter: Were it so easy.

[@BLOrtega]

"GET THIS HERESY OFF ME!!!". -Arbiter TYLER1

[@Bongstriker]

*Victory roar*

[@sylveonchan8460]

Space gummy bears he ate before take off: *Boo*

[@emile-a239haloreach2]

@@sylveonchan8460 Lol

[@Engieman909]

@@sylveonchan8460 flood spores: AHH-

[@zacharyswygart337]

Plot twist: the ancient armor has never been washed and just wearing it gave the arbiter so many diseases that his immune system had to triple it's abilities, making him immune to all diseases

[@concept5631]

Genius.

[@Marz539]

😎

[@concept5631]

@@Marz539 Agreed.

[@YHLGguitargeek]

Cool name

[@zacharyswygart337]

@@YHLGguitargeek thanks, you too

[@ajm2872]

I like to stand naked in the bedroom wearing nothing but a helmet and say to my wife "What would you have your arbiter do?"

[@tokyo2moscow792]

I spit my food food out reading this....nice 😂😂😂

[@henrygutierrez3243]

What a good couple

[@braedenalberti]

goddam that sounds sexy

[@kieranSI]

Halo war flashbacks

[@janeistired3921]

Ok, this was good

[@sl600rt]

The Arbiter was infected by the Flood. After many agonizing days of pain and illness. The Flood died.

[@LordMarcus07]

😂😂😂😂

[@Canadianvoice]

The arbiter lost his virginity before his dad.

[@ayushpurohit8266]

So arbiter is chuck norris of Halo😂😂

[@vendoth]

I heard the Arbiter can tie his shoe's with his feet.

[@alejandromolina7270]

​@@vendothI thought his shoes tie themselves

[@Hexic101]

You know when you walk past somebody who's smoking, and you hold your breath so you don't have to breathe it in? He just did that the whole time.

[@AK_-xn1fm]

He’s the Arbiter. He’s living Sangheli Jesus

[@iceflame9535]

Being an asthmatic I do this every time I pass by a person smoking.

[@onboardmirror34]

I'm pretty sure only delicate pussies hold their breath near smokers

[@Hexic101]

@@onboardmirror34When you don't like how something smells or tastes, do you go out of your way to smell or taste it to prove that you're not a 'delicate pussy'?

[@DominikSobolewski]

Agreed.

[@franktidepod8724]

arbiter was vaccinated and ate his veggies like a good boi.

[@dirtygonchgotme8802]

Lmaoo

[@north7764]

Frank Tidepod REEEEEEEE! ANTI-VAXX REEEEEEEEEEEE!

[@franktidepod8724]

@@north7764 ya'll better watch out, i got a needle full o weak-ass germs and i'm not afraid to use it.

[@north7764]

Frank Tidepod lol

[@3chan812]

@@franktidepod8724 anti vax parrents: *shaking violently* AAAUUUUTTIIIISSSMMMMMM

[@waffleboi9584]

You know that bro held his breath for the entire game

[@ThomasHendrickson]

Hands down best comment

[@damienmaymdien6367]

"Were it so ea-" **passes out**

[@slyp5409]

@@damienmaymdien6367 *slowly being dragged through level by grunts*

[@nobleactual7616]

We've never seen an elite close their mouth or mandibles have we

[@deethwarrior]

@@nobleactual7616 your throught can close and I assume so can elites

[@Goodmanperson55]

Even Rtas 'Vadum seems to be immune. He just said "I know that stench" to Arbiter. The guy just casually sniffed flood-infected air.

[@tformerdude6788]

He did, didn't he?

[@johnjoe69]

I think my explanation solves all this.

[@noneed4sleep64]

Flood air, but not necessarily spore air.

[@lilgvm2350]

@@johnjoe69 does it? It does? Shabadaba

[@johnjoe69]

@@lilgvm2350 it does

[@CosmicWolf58]

it's simple really, he's just built different

[@andyghkfilm2287]

RIP to tha forerunners but I’m different

[@unsaddledbowl1178]

RIGHT😂🤣

[@bobbycooke3991]

Jajajaja

[@nordhazengamzz6017]

he thiccccc

[@dillonthevillon3719]

Constructed unalike maybe, Assembled dissimilar even.

[@flare9757]

“Why was the Arbiter never infected by the flood?” *Because he was the Elite version of Sergeant Avery Johnson.* Well. This.... blew up. Thank you everyone for enjoying my joke.

[@insertkel726]

He’s the elite version of the Master Chief, Shipmaster is the Elite Sergeant Johnson.

[@RavenWolffe77]

Zero, I think he means he was immune to the flood, like Johnson

[@TacoLex]

Johnson fucking took a flood attack and was surrounded and only said “ow”. Tough son of a bitch.

[@medicorene]

Avery "i know what the ladies like" Johnson.

[@117inchpizza]

He was Sargeant Johnson in a halloween costume

[@ahhthatsjustgrand6502]

The gravemind can choose to not infect whoever he wants - he had a plan for the outcome of things and knew that chief and arbiter were necessary long before they ever noticed the gravemind existed. The grave mind is insanely intelligent and has an immense mastery of its body and all bodies it parents, because of this it can choose to refuse infecting particular targets. After all, he wanted the prophets to die and never even bothered reviving them - his goal was slightly aligned with both chief and arbiters ultimate goal. The biggest message of halo is a call to consider how much living beings do to survive.

[@TheRafark]

Pretty much. I’ve been saying the same thing. Gravemind needed humans and elites alive (at least until the firing of the halos was stopped).

[@quantumyoutubeguy2]

Flood spores are actually mentioned in Halo: CE’s Library mission. Guilty Spark mentions that’s the chief’s ‘environment suit’ would help him when the flood gets in the atmosphere. So they were sort of part of the lore from the beginning.

[@TheSqueeze.-]

He wore the strongest of all armors, plot armor.

[@spartankongcountry6799]

Truuuuuuuuuu

[@Jackalad620]

John Johnson no he wore essential armour

[@honestcomment862]

@@Jackalad620 It's a joke

[@frenchsoldier8485]

Nothing can defeat plot armour

[@Jackalad620]

Honest Comment I was joking to

[@ekoraii7001]

"It would be monumentally be stupid to kill a main character because they breathed the wrong air" COD fans: *laughs in nova 6*

[@MasterOfKnowledge.]

*Laughs in Paul Jackson*

[@Name-eg1uf]

@@MasterOfKnowledge. he died from fall damage

[@laynethebreadlord7373]

F for Dimitri Petrenko

[@rlancer8920]

Or Manticore, advanced warfare

[@cameronfenton693]

Dragovich, Kravchenko, Steiner, ALL must die!

[@randyg22152]

Flood spores were mentioned in passing in Halo CE as well when Guilty Spark mentioned, as they were passing through the first levels of the library, that it was good that the Master Chief had a proper completely enclosed body armor suit, as the flood would eventually try to alter the atmosphere.

[@laremare]

Old video, but Guilty Spark actually hints at the spores in CE, by saying something along the lines of "Your suit has you well prepared for when the Flood begins to alter the atmosphere".

[@dvdWATER6308]

Guilty spark was talking to chief who has a mask covering his face Arbiter doesn’t.

[@jebus42069]

​@@dvdWATER6308the comment is referring to when the video said spores weren't established during the original trilogy, they were hinted at in the first game

[@arthurames3471]

Gravemind: go infect the arbiter. I mean he’s just another elite The whole entire rest of the flood: were it so easy

[@chairmeme6231]

Nice

[@chadsoucek4678]

Was going to like but saw there were 343 likes

[@Golden_Fox_Gaming]

@Kelton Lin damn y'all really do hate 343 😂😂😂🤣

[@Golden_Fox_Gaming]

@Kelton Lin nah you just gotta hate 343 more then get bungie back 😂😂😂🤣

[@JustinY.]

BREAKING NEWS: Alien literally too angry to die!

[@kingsolomon673]

You meant, *TOO BADASS TO DIE!?*

[@blackorecorp]

Arbiter is cool.

[@devashishathawale4807]

Boi u like halo awesome

[@MapleLamia]

Alien literally too shamed to die

[@Jedi_Spartan_38]

@@kingsolomon673 no, too *ICONIC* To Die

[@marciharp631]

“Demon, I’m just built different”

[@Outlaw_Actual11b]

BREAKING: Alien literally TOO BADASS TO DIE

[@GenMaj_Knight]

Arbiter: [Enters High Charity] Grunt: Sir you need to wear a mask in here.

[@Combustive_cheese576]

Lol

[@1001stevie]

LOOOOLLLLL

[@Snavels]

*stabs grunt violently with energy sword*

[@aci6737]

@@Snavels , after putting on a mask

[@Outlaw_Actual11b]

@@aci6737 after throwing the mask on the ground*

[@Gussyboy06]

Flood: tries infecting the arbiter The arbiter: were it so easy

[@africancouscous]

JTxXPHANTOMXx hahaha good one

[@Gussyboy06]

@@africancouscous 95 likes and your the first reply well done

[@africancouscous]

JTxXPHANTOMXx ok

[@fatal30]

The green spinning ninja ok

[@africancouscous]

TheFatalPuppy ok

[@andrewkelley4796]

Two very realistic reasons on why the Arbiter was not infected. 1. It is quite possible that the Arbiter was one of the rare few who was immune to the Flood. 2. The Gravemind is the intelligence that leads The Flood. It should be noted however, that Gravemind is never explicitly stated to be the leader of the Flood, only that he coordinates them in certain ways. Now Gravemind needed a pawn from both sides of the war. He had already acquired Master Chief, so the Arbiter was next. How he choose the Arbiter to be his next pawn before he arrived is still a mystery. Once the Arbiter did arrive, Gravemind used his influence on the Flood to keep the Flood spores from infecting the Arbiter. But the Arbiter still had to be tested to see if he was worthy of being Gravemind's pawn, so he allowed the Flood to still attack the Arbiter. So there is my explanation to why the Arbiter was not infected. Please leave comments on what you think about my explanation.

[@shcdemolisher]

That’s pretty much it.

[@demoe1966]

But the gravemind turns on arbiter and chief so why would he protect arbiter at the moment if his intentions werent good? I doubt its because he changed his mind either

[@MeerkatJac]

@@demoe1966 most of the flood levels in halo 3 aren’t occupied long enough by the flood for a ton of spores to pollute the air, but in the infected high charity he was just built different

[@iamspringtrap223]

Rare as in one in infinity?

[@N38Productions]

​@@demoe1966to stop the firing of the rings.

[@the_honkler778]

my fan canon explanation is that if his armor is centuries out of date then it would make sense that he was also given a very old energy shield, and that old shield was able to protect him from flood spores without visible flaring because it worked differently from the new shields that failed to protect against the flood

[@shcdemolisher]

That… possible!

[@FumiTheSillyGirl]

I heard Thel threw a grenade at a group of 8 Brutes He killed them all, then the grenade exploded

[@nathanlowder8693]

Ive heard that one before, i did not see it but knowing thel i would not question its truth.

[@TheSOGchronicles]

Sounds like halo mythic

[@21stcenturystops59]

That's usually happens in multiplayer

[@ThelVadam7777]

SO TRUE

[@abethereal]

😂😂😂

[@azurvolt6380]

Flood:(sees arbiter ) heh one more elite for the flood Another flood:nah I heard that guys friends with the master chief *both* *walk* *away*

[@matthewritterson484]

Dude that’s pure facts

[@notreallybro8508]

its canon lore though

[@russiantrumpetboi6818]

ye

[@alexanderelderhorst2107]

I mean, he wasn't friends with the demon yet in Halo 2.

[@crazy55623]

“very carefully”

[@evelynlamoy8483]

the very presence of the flood infection forms makes me think the spores aren't actually that bad. Like you need a heavily compromised immune system to be infected. But things with a more passive immune system like plants, may be infected more easily. This would explain the strange "creep" as plant matter in flood infected wilderness is converted to flood biomass.

[@xehanotmelodic7696]

I could imagine an explanation that would work for canon. In Halo 2 we all saw the Gravemind how it interacted with the Chief and the Arbiter and have been known that it wanted to use them to stop the Covernant from firering the Halos since the system wasn't meant to be used by infected Flood Hosts, next to other reasons. We also know that with a higher form of centralmind, and Gravemind is the second largest it can get, the control over the lower forms of the flood increases. Now I don't think that the Gravemind has complete control over every floodspore but we know from the Scene from Halo 3 on the arc long bridge, to stop truth, that it can indeed take control from individual floodforms. Therefore I can imagine that the Gravemind, if not the infection itself, could stop the mutation happening inside the Arbitor. There is also a possibility that if it happend often enough the arbitor actually becomes immune to the flood. After all in the end the flood is an infection.

[@ExulInsani]

the gravemind does have control over every flood spore. The gravemind isn't a separate entity from any other flood form, it's just where all the info goes.

[@klonoa450]

Chad Arbiter no rebreather Virgin Chief using a full helmet

[@jet2550]

Ya know he literally can’t take it off right? I know your joking but jeez

[@descimator]

@@jet2550 He's done so before, in the Legendary ending of CE and CE's novel

[@jet2550]

Was Johnson hugging an elite actually happening?

[@jet2550]

No, no it wasn’t

[@jet2550]

Spider-Venom first: he is wearing different mark VI armor and it’s also just a fun way for saying:” you won’t see his face”

[@AzurePrower]

The Arbiter is just good at holding his breath.

[@vonjt4077]

Tom Cruise of the covenant

[@ZealStarMedia]

Steven Bills? The Chuck Norris of the Covenant

[@staple_boi]

MoJo Claw nah Tom cruise that can hold his breath for extremely long times in movie series

[@deltax8202]

@@Huang_Yisen But venomous sea snakes can hold their breath for about 8 hours. They sleep while holding their breath

[@FrstSpctr88]

Airborne floodspores are likely less effective than infection form pods. They need to go through many walls including immune system. The spores are likely effective against compromized immunesystems.

[@Voltboy1449]

its like a first wave

[@Co27Enigma]

The Special Operations helmet 8:20 and the Ultra helmet 8:38 both have exposed mandibles under them. Spores or any other contaminants can travel up towards the underside of the helmets and infect the wearer, especially with updrafts of air.

[@zensenpai6669]

And that is where the Elite Ranger helmet comes in. It does a much job of preventing flood infections.

[@TricksterNevermore]

To be honest, I always kind of assumed that the Gravemind was consciously preventing the Arbiter from being infected, whether because it had plans for him and the Chief, or just because it was toying with him.

[@taco_man2302]

I was thinking the same thing, i really was, but does the grave mind have that kind of control? thats what i think about

[@TricksterNevermore]

@@taco_man2302 Honestly, I think it does. Its hivemind is able to link with and control literal billions, if not trillions of individual Flood, which would take an enormously powerful psychic being to accomplish. And as we've seen with Johnson, all it takes is a slight nervous-system abnormality to prevent the Flood from properly infesting someone. So even if each individual flood cell doesn't have the capacity to "think", I'm pretty sure the Gravemind actively thinking "don't you do it" at the cells would probably disrupt them enough anyway. ^^;

[@rangerleaf1505]

Toying with him? "Careful with your wording fanfic writers could be near...." -no one

[@Qircore]

I was literally thinking this while watching this

[@TricksterNevermore]

@@rangerleaf1505 By the Forerunners, what have I done? XD

[@JCbackfire]

Because he's a badass

[@HiddenXperia]

Tbf that’s reason enough

[@reign7231]

wheres your dad jc

[@vanichalo3585]

Yep the most science word for him.

[@nationalsocialist4843]

I WAS GONNA WRITE THAT FUCK YOU

[@TheLaughingjack117]

Because of plot development

[@danielhoover2394]

I think the Arbiter was very much infected by Flood spores. Which I think was the point, like you said, the Arbiter was sent on a suicide mission he was not supposed to come back from. Then he was captured by the Gravemind. I like to think the Gravemind cleansed the Arbiter of infection. Why couldn't it? It controls the Flood. The Arbiter and Master Chief were useful for the Graveminds plans if they were left uninfected and sent on their way to prevent the Covenant from getting set to fire the Halo array for their "Great Journey."

[@xx-doomripper-xx3249]

Flood spore: *enters arbiter's body* Arbiter's immune system: *aaaawubadugh*

[@dominickyeo]

After being exposed to the spores, he met the gravemind who had other plans for him. Therefore, the spores were probably deactivated by the gravemind.

[@baronmunro1494]

Flood has confirmed ability to confer plot armor in Forerunner saga.

[@personperson8563]

Dominick Yeo Nah, he’s Been exposed to the spores long enough to get fully infected before the grave mind knew he’d be useful. As other comments have stated, he was only useful after the key got stolen and therefore the flood infecting him if it had the opportunity would make sense

[@pierre-mariecaulliez6285]

@@personperson8563 And besides, what prevents the Gravemind to just put the spores in a dormant state, and reactivate them when he betrays you ? the Prophet of Truth was giving out an awful lot of spores when the Arbiter stabbed him...

[@dragonscargames4808]

That's pretty much my guess too lol. I did make a whole comment myself about my thought XD

[@sajalpandey2130]

The flood are smart they know who to infect. Thats why captain keyes was used as a proto gravemind instead of a combat form.

[@EchoLocoCJ]

Some say the Romeo and Juliet are the biggest lovers in history, Some say Beauty and the Beast, But deep down we all know It's Xperia and Flood lore

[@mrcream1461]

Echo Loco that's true

[@angelmin8819]

I C O N I C

[@createusername6421]

I like flood lore... (Zombielore)

[@brucetrejo4905]

Flood: *Tries to Infect arbiter* The Plot: Oh, I don't think so

[@SirPotato418]

Before seeing the whole video, I've always assumed the energy shield in the Arbiter was running at a frequency that fried the spores on a molecular level

[@cowboycolts]

plot twist, the prophets accidentally gave Thel their only pair of plot armor

[@cryptosporidium01]

LMAO How the fuck is this not best comment XD

[@edschramm6757]

regret, regret, regret. "we regret being alien bastards. we regret letting the autumn escape get to halo. and we most definitely regret that we gave our only plot armor to the guy we just pissed off!"

[@davidjackson1598]

And he painted it yellow

[@JustinLaFleur1990]

The Gravemind could also have had plans for him as well. We do know that the Flood can choose whether or not to infect someone

[@sasoushii2816]

Are you sure that graveminds can control spores? Its just air after all how can a spore change direction if ever it is about to enter respiratories?

[@JustinLaFleur1990]

@@sasoushii2816 That was already established in the lore and Spores aren't air, they float around in the air of the area the Flood is taking control of. However that isn't what I said. I said that the Flood could choose whether or not to infect someone. They did that with Ancient Humanity to fool mainly the Forerunners into thinking Ancient Humanity discovered a cure for the Flood. The Floods main goal was to punish the Forerunners for their Genocide of the Precursors. The Flood are just corrupted Precursors

[@ianreynolds4150]

When the biomass of the flood becomes collected enough to form a grave mind it’s actions become more coordinated. It’s also important to mention that the flood is not a singular gestalt organism but rather multiple sub minds linked together. A hive mind might have a completely different objective to the gravemind if a significant enough distance is between the two.

[@JustinLaFleur1990]

@@ianreynolds4150 except that it was on Delta Halo so relatively close by and we know that the Gravemind effectively controlled the Flood. We saw that in Halo 3. We also know that the hive mind of the Floods goal is to form a Gravemind like they tried to do in Halo CE.

[@ianreynolds4150]

@@JustinLaFleur1990 that’s true

[@WhiteRhinoPSO]

Just an idea I had while watching this video: Maybe the Gravemind had an idea that the Arbiter could be useful in some way. At the point in which it talks to both the Arbiter and Master Chief, the former had recently been betrayed by his own people. Stopping Tartarus and the Prophets meant not activating the Halo Array, which means the Gravemind continues to exist. Hell, it's possible that the Arbiter WAS infected by Flood spores, but the Gravemind reversed or removed that infection in order to keep him alive for its own purposes. I mean, at the point in which both the Arbiter and Master Chief are captured by the Gravemind, it likely could have removed both of their armor to ensure their infection. Instead, it sends each of them away to stop the Covenant from activating the Halo rings.

[@mxn1948]

but the gravemind could have still stored some inactive spores inside their bodies that at the right time when he didn't need them anymore, the spores would activate, infecting them from the inside.

[@dingo9696]

Why was he trying to kill them then? This point is easily debunked

[@TheRafark]

I was thinking the same thing. He could of easily converted them but he needed both alive and well. Why were the flood attacking yen? Pretty simple, gravemind is extremely intelligent. He (or it) already knew they were coming and also knew that they’d make it alive.

[@multigrandmarquis]

Yeah, it makes sense for Halo 2, but not for anything the Arbiter did in Halo 3. Especially not inside High Charity.

[@1Scimetar]

I suspect that the armor projects an electromagnetic field which repels the spores, like how to magnets of the same polarity can't touch. Even with the shields down and recharging, they're probably still putting out that field in a futile attempt to reestablish the energy barrier to protect the armor's occupant, and Flood converted biomass is repelled by the polarity and modulation of the Sanghili shield system. After all, the original system was probably based on scavenged Forerunner gear, that would have probably been tailor made for fighting flood, including a continuous energy field to repel Flood spores.

[@ioanmilenov5231]

Arbiter just held his breath, because he’s a badass.

[@insaincaldo]

For a very long time xD

[@theplayerofus319]

@@insaincaldo veryyyy long

[@rangerleaf1505]

Tom Cruise eat your 7+ minutes heart out you Scientologist dumbass

[@simplexgamerperson2637]

333rd like

[@NiightDJ]

That makes no sense

[@Upsidedownpax]

“With his mouth and nose exposed.” Me: wait he has a nose?

[@NaruSanavai]

Well, nostrils.

[@arise_femto]

Well, scaly skin holes.

[@arise_femto]

*N O*

[@bowlofsoup12]

Would you guys consider Elites Reptiles??

[@Feeshyenjoyer]

Professor Cakes probably yes

[@ShinigamiSamaH]

I remember the first time playing CE and in the Flood level, the question I asked myself is "Wait, those zombie fungus thing explode into a gas cloud, how are any of the Marines still surviving?" So really though, it was a very basic thing they should of figure out at the conception of the Flood.

[@nicolae-alexandruluca7853]

They probably couldn't get it to work in time I'm sure bungie or at least Joe Staten thought of all this but little time and ambitions too great

[@megded1]

I just assumed he was too badass to get infected lol

[@HealedCoyote997]

The shield's generated energy could passively neutralize spores, without spiking power usage.

[@smangy5442]

I think this is probably right but what about Johnson Miranda and the marines they didn't have shields or respirators

[@BlackFlame_Maiden]

smankey answer there essential

[@HealedCoyote997]

@@smangy5442 Johnson has mutations from the Orion Project, as for Miranda, the flood only infects Sentient creatures.

[@IVANdtk117]

@@HealedCoyote997 lol

[@jaygon8656]

@@HealedCoyote997 Thats not entirely true... the Gravemind on Delta Halo was created without any local sentient creatures, just from consumption of the local wildlife on the ring.

[@V1p3r65]

HiddenXperia: Why wasn't the arbiter infected by the flood. Arbiter: Were it so easy.

[@lokimanezero]

This should be hearted by HiddenXperia 😂

[@awsomesaucefilms18]

I always imagined that it was some invisible activated mask, like how his shielding is for example.

[@desolane900]

I always assumed it was A. The shields filter air, and B. Flood infection would be optional. As in, the higher consciousness can decide not to infect someone. Just my headcanon.

[@MrAlvareishon]

Flood spore: *enters the Arbiter's lungs.* Also the spore: I've made a very bad mistake.

[@anxiousearth680]

Arbiter's Immune System: "Were it so easy..."

[@Voltboy1449]

@@anxiousearth680 that armour has every disease known to the covenant

[@darklink8423]

​@@Voltboy1449 and Foruners and Primordial

[@Dandroid_1]

He's just really good at holding his breath

[@jooot_6850]

reptiles can go longer without breathing so.. its biologically feasible

[@mikejohnstonbob935]

"That stench..." I wonder how he knows what the flood smells like? It's like knowing what chloroform smells like

[@Auton0]

Great video love the content!

[@theneoreformationist]

The energy shields are still there when you can't see them. The flood spores are so small that their impact on the shield is not visibly noticeable.

[@juzeku]

Because he showers himself in hand sanitizer

[@HiddenXperia]

but 0.01% of spores would still get through tho 🤔

[@rizzytizzyflavor623]

@@HiddenXperia Just take another shower, it'll get rid of the rest

[@baileylevanen9009]

Haha lmao

[@greendragon3619]

Owch...

[@NaruSanavai]

No wonder his skin is so dry.

[@erran1178]

The Arbiter didn't get infected because of 1 thing you overlooked. He's just way to cool for that Shit.

[@RayShadow278]

Just like Johnson

[@monolythspartan]

there is also the possibility that the flood gravemind intentionally avoided infecting Arbiter. A "helpful tool to assist in the reclaimer's journey to unlock the forerunner super weapon"

[@dingo9696]

So why was he trying to kill him then

[@monolythspartan]

@@dingo9696 once the gravemind got what it wanted, across to the ark and the potential to prevent the rings from firing ever again, it didn't need arbiter any longer.

[@dingo9696]

@@monolythspartan but it was trying to kill him before that, you can get killed by the flood

[@Krawnbundungle]

The gravemind is really smart, it could have just foreseen that the arbiter might end up being a valuable tool in fighting against the prophets and their great journey and refrained from infecting it for future use

[@Jedi_Spartan_38]

511 years today the worst driver in Halo will be born: Kat-B320. Also thanks for uploading an *I C O N I C* video on my birthday

[@HiddenXperia]

No probs, happy birthday my dude! Hopefully you aren't driven by a certain Spartan III today

[@kingsolomon673]

Happy birthday 👍

[@Jedi_Spartan_38]

@@HiddenXperia Thanks, also whenever I play Tip of the Spear I make sure I drive, although on Sunday my friend and I let Stacker drive the Warthog on Metropolis and died multiple times to a combination of his 'driving' and some Wraith blasts.

[@Jedi_Spartan_38]

@@kingsolomon673 thanks

[@kingsolomon673]

@@Jedi_Spartan_38 np

[@theretropanda5612]

Flood: *swarms the Arbiter* Arbiter: "Oh? You're approaching me?"

[@maximutatro3176]

The Retro Panda can’t rob your precious thought juice without getting closer

[@Orion...]

Maximu Danktro oh hoooo... then get as close as you like

[@NguyenMinh-vs1vm]

@@maximutatro3176 is that a jojo reference?

[@timothyhumphreys8841]

I, arbiter, shall overpower you with my stand, energy sword.(Anubis Requiem)

[@WildDragonSong]

I will not lie about this. I imagined a whole swarm of Flood, mainly the small parasites, accompanied by some combat types and some other "smaller" types I don't know of, enough to blot out the very visibility of the walls themselves and appear to be a moving surface, as the camera zooms through the center of the horde towards the Arbiter until it stops, leaving only his upper torso and head in view, and he puts his hand on his chest as he says "Oh? You're approaching me?", before he swings the handle and activates his energy blade.

[@Opr8rScorch]

Always assumed the fog was different from spores, like the spores were something the flood only intentionally released in like, planet wide infection situations

[@saifullahhabid1133]

Its 3 in the morning, when I looked at the title my dumb ass though the title said Why the flood was never infected by the arbiter

[@HaloCanon]

Couple ideas on this subject: 1. With Spartan energy shields, they're always active as far as we know. Given that they're based on Covenant tech, I see no reason for this not to be true for Sangheili shields. So, I think it's possible the Arbiter's shields (and the shield of the spec-ops Sangheili) were just naturally able to filter or keep out the Flood spores. 2. This would only account for his time on Delta Halo, but perhaps the Gravemind kept the spores out of the Arbiter's lungs and/or kept them from infecting him as part of its larger strategy to get free of the quarantine. And to note: the Reach Ultra helmet isn't sealed.

[@HiddenXperia]

Yeah I can see #2 playing a part. In regards to the shields the only thing that suggests otherwise is Bero getting infected, but for all we know his shields were dropped. Canon where canon doesn’t really exist is interesting

[@BrigadierKetchup]

@@HiddenXperia Neither is the spec op helpmet, if you look beneath it you can see it's not sealed lmoa

[@TheChadPad]

Meaning that if his shields were taken down, he would've had to hold his breath! I like this explanation, cause it gives him a way to survive and makes him even more badass

[@Leon_Schuit]

Let me just copy what I said yesterday (technically two days ago for me, but whatever) in a different thread: @HiddenXperia, what if the Gravemind actively chose to not infect the Arbiter? It was probably aware of Arbys status within the elites, given that it sent him to retrieve the Index near the control room, using him to rally the elites against the brutes (for the Gravemind only profits from the ongoing carnage). Maybe the Gravemind regarded him as a more useful tool in an uncompromised state? Another Gravemind did so before with the Ur-Didact. The Gravemind having an active influence seems a more likely reason than any imo

[@dramspringfeald]

Halo Canon, There's also a 100% chance he has been infected from Go and the Grave Mind kept it on Study not Convert

[@IdarkphoenixI]

You could still argue that his shields protected him. The shields only flare when hit by firearms or explosives, a spore would be so insignificant compared to that and uses so little energy to defend from that they don't light up.

[@WeirdGinger]

Watch the video, nice one for repeating what he said

[@ano_nym]

Nah, in the video he was saying that the spores would slip pass the shield.

[@cupofcoco8948]

Or... Arbiter held his breathe the whole time, which is super badass. He could have also only breathed in air in less flood dense areas. This wouldn’t make much sense unless the player was quick, though.

[@MrChickennugget360]

the bigger question is why don't all the Elites get infected its not like they have re-breathers. Or why don't all humans that are not wearing masks (almost all Marines) get infected.

[@ano_nym]

@MR.Chickennuget 360 Yeah, I question that too. "One single Flood spore can destroy a species", yet you seem to need to be in a cloud of them for anyone to wonder why they don't get infected.

[@sorensants9412]

The arbiter is simply just built different.

[@BladeStar420]

You could just as easily say that the flood didn't want him to be infected because the Gravemind was fully developed at that point and had the ability to control each and every individual piece of flood biomass.

[@SyphistPrime]

The flood can choose who to infect, they must likely chose to not infect arbiter as the Gravemind had a use for him.

[@andreirusu6064]

Poetic reasons

[@MrChickennugget360]

no. he became of use only after the Icon was taken. Its passive protection from the shield. otherwise almost all Elites not wearing masks would get infected.

[@WaveOfDestiny]

The gravemind probably knew Jonhson and Miranda where the ones who would be used to activate the ring, but didn't infect them. Miranda even touched a flood tentacle with her bare hands. They probably could have given an helmet and a suit to everyone but bungie decided it wasn't cinematographic. Especially since they were in such an hurry to finish the game in time.

[@JJJinXXX]

yes Mr.Diesel is correct the flood are connected to the precursors which means they have access to the neural network and can see into the future.

[@desseler]

It could be the grave mind, but then why were the non-spore flood trying to kill/infect him?

[@AgentDearestZ]

In Halo's lore there was an older Arbiter that had a mask that sealed his armor too. The Arbiter that tamed the Lekgolo. Evidence was in the terminals of Halo 2 I think.

[@generalwd40]

The marine in the Library in Halo Combat Evolved. 1 marine against a Library full of flood and he almost succeed. Masterchief have respect for that marine when he found his corpse in the halo novel (Halo Floods).

[@s.a.efarming5857]

What I'm curious about is the other covenant forces on 'sacred icon' like the jackles. I guess they're expendable so they weren't give protection as they were expected to die anyway?

[@ChaplainRaziel01]

3:45 To quote Prophet of Mercy: "The tasks you must undertake as the Arbiter are perilous, suicidal! You will die, as each Arbiter has before you! The Council will have their corpse."

[@andyghkfilm2287]

“I am already dead.” “Indeed.”

[@ginjaninja-sv6oz]

I find it funny how the council never got there corpse

[@KingErictheRed]

@@ginjaninja-sv6oz oh the council got some corpses just not the arbiters.

[@myles3856]

@@KingErictheRed oh shit😂😂😂

[@wolfgangill9717]

“You’re right, the council will have their corpse, So call an ambulance, BUT NOT FOR ME!”

[@Jedi_Spartan_38]

*Arbiter at the end of Cortana enters High Charity with a human Flamethrower* Arbiter: Kill the flood with fire!

[@kabob0077]

He got fed up with regular Covenant and Human weapons and decided to ask Hans for a favor.

[@DhonJoe]

@@kabob0077 HANS GET ZE FLAMMENWERFER

[@billyray4526]

Space marine :BROTHER WE SHALL PURGE THIS HERETIC INFECTION ! BURN IN HOLY HELL FIRE !! 99% casualty rate=victory

[@kabob0077]

SIR LANCEALOT *[STRATEGIC VALUE: ABSOLUTE]*

[@billyray4526]

@@kabob0077 im gonna be 100 with chu chief that gravemind is finna get clapped

[@maphestispain203]

Maybe he's just one of the rare people in the universe that are immune to it that the guy in Combat Evolved was theorized to be, which is one reason why he was intact to fall into chief's arms when he opened the door. Idk, that's my head cannon anyway.

[@Quirrelwithteeth]

I love that intro soo much. It is also the legendary setting in firefight

[@eva_lanstudio8003]

8:42 "The coolest piece of elite armor ever made" has a smiley face on the back.

[@Anvarynn]

Where tho

[@dsdy1205]

@@Anvarynn look at the lines on the back of the armor

[@amarogz310]

@@dsdy1205 bruh it looks like the blob fish or whatever it's name was that was a really ugly, slimy fish.

[@AbdullahKhan-el6xw]

Exactly

[@mptheterriblegamer]

Lol

[@bromodragone8405]

He survived because, like Johnson and Rtas, he's got one thing running through his blood: Badassery. Because he's played by Keith David.

[@killercrock9397]

Facts

[@bobthedestroyerhallett3520]

Badassery

[@Azwarrior94]

With a touch of plot armor. Granted the Forerunner saga brings to light the fact the flood can selectively choose who or what species they infect.

[@ManuMOV]

343 Guilty Spark: So do you think you are badass

[@kennethsatria6607]

Hell yes Keith David

[@MajesOnTheXbox]

0:03 oh yeah i love it when a covenant alien dies before i actually hit it and randomly falls on some funky space swords

[@SCP--xi4xv]

A bit late to the video but i like to think that the shields prevent the flood spores from entering the host's body, much like how the infection forms can't get through chief's shields and just explode on impact

[@goingblargh]

I’ve a theory that shields have a form of passive filtration, ie the spore were simply bigger than the air molecules that he breathed and thus kept bouncing off his barriers. It honestly makes sense to me, the shields are designed to protect their user so having them act as a form of air filter would make sense.

[@grayshepard692]

Yeah that's pretty much what I thought of when I was a kid playing halo 2. I knew that the flood infected through airborne contact because, well, basic CBRN shit. So I assumed that the shields were advanced enough to differentiate o2 and spores.

[@jacobcancino9077]

Oh yeah i thought maybe the small amount of radiation that their weapons and armor give off prevented the spores from being inhaled but the shield thing makes sense

[@Motoboo_Marine]

That means canonically you would've had to complete the entire level without your shields ever being dropped

[@laughable6650]

@@Motoboo_Marine Thats not really insane canon wise. The only canon parts of the game are cut scenes, but the actual gameplay is not canon.

[@Motoboo_Marine]

@@laughable6650 I know lol; I was just thinking it would be some funny shit for them to make a requirement in those levels or maybe just an achievement to beat it without letting your shields drop

[@Pine0wlple]

My theory as to why the Arbiter (and the vast majority of the Covenant) weren’t as easily infected by Flood Spores despite their armor exposing many vital points, IS their advanced shielding! The Covenant shields are reversed engineered from Forerunner shields, ya? So they should be already designed to defend against Flood Spores, probably with out the Covenant even knowing about it. The way I see it, the Covenant shielding is like a thin, flexible, bubble-like, exo-layer of skin made of energy. Physical contact damages it like a bruise and it disperses that impact evenly across the entire system to protect the wearer from damaged (kinda like Stormtrooper armor). BUT, just like regular skin, it does not bruise if a bug or a dust flake lands on it. It merely blocks it. So a Flood Spore to an Energy Shield is like a flake of Dust landing on a glass surface, the difference being is that the energy from said Shield is probably strong enough to vaporize the spore on contact like a Fly on a Bug-zapper! The effect would be so quick and small, the wearer wouldn’t even notice it because the shield would recharge so fast that it wouldn’t register an effect! Now, lose the Shield and the wearer is as vulnerable to Flood Spores as if they were a newborn. So with this theory said, I can conclude with the notion that the Arbiter is so badass that he fought through a dozen different Flood zones and hives all without losing his shields!

[@somnius2519]

Seems like the best explanation we're going to get. Badass shields and badass Arby.

[@smangy5442]

It would be cool if in flood missions where lots of spores are present, that if your shield goes down in a spore cloud you instantly die/get infected

[@caseyhall2320]

I choose to accept this theory for the time being. I like this one.

[@scartc]

@Dick Thick'em ...those are by infection forms, not spores

[@emperorconstantinexipalaio4121]

Dick Thick'em By a spore? When?

[@evilduks]

My headcanon explanation. Due to the ship's age, Arbiter's shields were like earlier Spartan shields in that they covered the whole body all the time. They flare when something of significant enough mass/force impacts them and flood spores are too small to cause flare up. Infection forms pop when they impact a shield, so its not unreasonable to assume spores would be destroyed by them too. How did modern covenant armor allow infection? The first Arbiter mission mentions that the Arbiter's cloaking us time limited, indicating an increased efficiency over the years. Its safe to assume that shields saw efficiency improvements as well. Possibly a low power/high power detect/protect function. This could explain the spores passing through since they are small and slow. The explanation for brutes is simpler; their gear is bad by its nature, it falls apart once the shield fails.

[@matthewsteel4496]

maybe he had air pumped form his helmet pushing the spores away and giving him clean air to breathe

[@Vegas2332]

Just finished reading The Fall of Reach the other day, and based on how they describe Chiefs shields. His shield tech is based on covenant plasma shields he stole for Halsey too, so I think the shields explanation makes a lot of sense.

[@williamvalorious4403]

Given plasma does more damage, shields could do it

[@vincentbedard4267]

I guess, but wouldnt he be breathing in spores once his shields are done ?

[@zyphurite]

@@vincentbedard4267 given how much of a skilled and experienced warrior Thel is, he'd likely just hold his breath for the few seconds they're down before they go back up again.

[@andrewhamop6665]

I just finished reading it yesterday, I really like the explanation they give for the shields. Though I'm not sure how the shields can be projected to places with no armor, like with the Arbiter's face, it does make sense that nothing could penetrate through the shields when they're up. And it's also possible that the spores are simply too small discharge the shield to any noticeable level, and as soon as they hit the shield they just vaporize and the shield immediately recharges that extremely tiny little bit of energy that was used.

[@longshucksgaming]

@@vincentbedard4267 no because unlike arbiter, chief's armor is rated for EVA and has environmental filters

[@seniorwooly3669]

Possibly the gravemind already knew he needed the arbiter and if the gravemind can control the flow of spores he could've maybe made a safe area in the air around arby.

[@milosmml7777]

By telling the combat forms to attack him?

[@seniorwooly3669]

@@milosmml7777 combat forms where already there and the gravemind still had to keep the key away from everybody

[@Tonymendoza1998]

I just made a comment about the theory similar to almost the same to yours. Mine however had a small reason why combat forms or infected still attack Arbiter. To sell the idea the Flood doesn't know the uniqueness of the Arbiter before he was considered a heratic/traitor and how this will affect the future if done correctly.

[@tylerellis9097]

Bobby Hill, what about the other elites with Arbiter. For example the elite major on floodgate that has no closed helmet.

[@seniorwooly3669]

@@tylerellis9097 then for another reason is that that fog we see isnt spores at all, there where jackals on the same mission and brute bodies not yet infected. So overall us assuming it's spores is sorta dumb

[@lanemoreland4674]

I’ve got the head cannon is that the Arbiters ancient armo had the “fault” of not being capable of automatically activating so we’re constantly on. The new armors are capable of reserving power by not always being activated. However, the Arbiters armor was always on and was just enough to shield from spores

[@michaelyoung2043]

Even if it's not explicitly talked about in any Halo books, the energy shields might be enough to deactivate flood spores even without us noticing on screen. I would argue this is because the energy shield is more or less present at all times we just see it when it's being engaged by projectiles. The energy would create a sort of magnetic force around the Arbiter so on the cellular level spore might be compromised by entering the magnetic/energy field.

[@KripticKill]

Well covenant shields don’t flare up coming into contact with the air or dust around you either, doesn’t mean it isn’t be pushed off the shields.

[@webduelist]

he also flew around in a gas giant, so I'm pretty sure the armor as some kind of environmental controls.

[@DragonHeart53]

webduelist I made a comment about it, but the shields are perpetually active. But they do allow air to pass through them. Solid particulates are stopped. That’s why enclosed helmets are still needed for environments without air, or oxygen.

[@hausofsexual]

he had the best armor of all: plot armor

[@Frank_but_with_a_C]

This joke was made, every 10-15 comments or so. 😐

[@BroodierLily296]

Stolen comment, but still deserves a like

[@leonlee527]

Lol y'all are so negative

[@popomedic9225]

I hate halo 5 armor for arbiter

[@giovanigallardo4670]

@@popomedic9225 why it makes sense?

[@DavidbarZeus1]

One possible explanation for the shields not flaring could be that the spores just don't damage the shields enough to cause the flare to happen. In fact, that’s almost certainly true, considering Chief’s shields never flare because of spores even when he’s invading the height of the Flood infection in High Charity.

[@Casandraelf]

a possible solution to giving arbiter protection while also keeping him undergeared would probably have been to give him a flimsy, weak respirator and mask so it at least seemed like they wanted him to survive

[@brotherhoodknight7246]

What if flood spores are too small so the shields don’t even flare up when they hit the shields even though the shields protect against them?

[@MissNewYork52368]

It can still break through because other enlites have shields like arbiter but he has more armor

[@brotherhoodknight7246]

@@MissNewYork52368 I guess but the elites in Halo 3 who were turned already lost their shields

[@AdmiralStoicRum]

@@MissNewYork52368 my thoughts were they were hit from behind because honorable melee, amd either got hit in the back or lost their shields and took in spores if we are going by the shields protecting motif

[@gtvn2775]

Or the gravemind was just making sure no spores willingly got into his body

[@aaronmurad8060]

Arbiter didnt have shield. He had cloaking

[@bakedbeansbaked6751]

My theory on why the Arbiter wasnt infected by the spores was the Gravemind's will. If Gravemind wanted to use Arby as a pawn, he wouldn't want to infect him. Perhaps he could have either terminated spores before they entered Arby's lungs or directed them away from his mouth as he breathes.

[@moldyonyin1527]

Yeah I'm going with this theory

[@tylercrain2831]

Correct in the book it is explained that the graveminds can choose to not infect even with inhalation

[@Shadox-yv8ms]

I think thats the only explanation too, people forget how actually smart and powerful the Gravemind was, it knew what it was doing with the flood

[@nepspartan-7597]

That makes me wonder why the Gravemind didn't have the inhaled spores infect the Arbiter right after killing Truth, leaving the Master Chief to face the onslaught to escape alone

[@RapidActionAnimations]

Great explanation

[@dougbright4387]

That armor may be centuries old but it's still beautiful as hell

[@themc.kennyshow6585]

it is gorgeous

[@wildboris1]

8:13 I don't want to be that guy, but Spec ops helmet isn't sealed. If you look underneath it, it's open.

[@skydreamer4246]

Same with the ultra, I think

[@-Gal4xy-]

Yup both are unsealed at the bottom @@skydreamer4246

[@HiddenXperia]

Yep, a friend pointed that out to me too. In the 9 years of playing Reach I literally never noticed that until today, lol. My b

[@pododododoehoh3550]

HiddenXperia Iliterally only knew from my Elite action figures I used to play with as a kid xD

[@LostODST]

shhhhhhh

[@LeTtRrZ]

I’m just going to assume that the gravemind saw more value in not infecting the arbiter.

[@Nighterlev]

Sergeant Johnson was also infected by the Flood. It's safe to assume the Arbiter has been infected by the Flood, but the Flood cells have remained dormant (just like they were in Johnson). They likely will only begin spreading when required, which at the moment hasn't happened yet. Johnson's use was already done for by the end of Halo 3, and the Gravemind was simply infecting multiple individuals in case one was to die or not. AKA Johnson died, resulting in his infection useless, but the Arbiter survived, and look where he is now.

[@-Clueless-]

It’s so the Arbiter could “stop the key from turning”.

[@YourPalKindred]

My headcannon; Shields do stop spores, but only when they're up. This necessitates the use of sealed armour in the case of your shields going down, but makes it plausible that the Arbiter was so skilled, that he never allowed his shields to go down in spore heavy areas.