Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for Halo episode 3 "Emergence."
Miranda Keyes’ line about the Grunts in Halo show doesn’t follow the games’ canon, the creators have included many of the major characters, as well as several Easter eggs throughout. Paramount+’s contribution to the franchise focuses of course on the Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber) and the conflict between the UNSC and the Covenant.
The Unggoy, or as the humans in Halo call them, Grunts, are regarded as the lowest-ranking member of the Covenant’s hierarchy of unified races. Grunts are often tasked with menial jobs, being utilized as laborers, or even cannon fodder in combat against the UNSC. The Grunts’ history is quite tragic; their homeworld is a mess and they are constantly mistreated by other of the Covenant in Halo’s universe. Yet despite all of this, their tragic history is juxtaposed on top of the fact that Grunts have some of the funniest lines in the Halo video games.
The UNSC intercepts Covenant communications during Halo episode 3 and as they attempt to analyze what they’re hearing, Commander Keyes (Olive Gray) says, “Grunts are chatty, but not over comms.” In the video games, Grunts are incredibly chatty, so much so that their behavior doubles as a sort of comic relief throughout the video games in the franchise. The line is a fun inclusion that pays tribute to one of the longest-running jokes among Halo gamers. Often edgy and unexpected, the writers for the Halo video games continued to lean into the chattiness of the Grunts even with the latest installation, Halo: Infinite. In a universe that is constantly at war, the observation by Halo’s Commander Keyes in and of itself allows for a well-needed reprieve in between some of the show's most intense moments.
The Grunts have yet to make an appearance in Paramount+’s Halo. Even though the species acts rather comically, in large numbers, they can be quite overwhelming for even the likes of the skilled and formidable Master Chief. If Halo does reveal the Grunts soon, it’ll be interesting to see how much the show leans into the history, as well as the function, of the Grunts seen in the games. With the Covenant now interacting more with the UNSC, it seems to be only a matter of time before the Grunts come onto the scene.
Despite the fact that there has been some backlash against the Halo show (as any adaptation that changes canon is bound to get), the creators clearly made a significant effort to try and do justice to many of the elements of the video games that have become so iconic over the years. For the dedicated Halo player, the short line from Commander Keyes is an excellent chuckle moment. If the Grunts really are as chatty in Paramount+’s Halo as they are in the video games, they’re sure to bring more laughs to the show.
New episodes of Halo release Thursdays on Paramount+.