How many Halo rings are left?
Of the 18 total Halo rings constructed by the ancient Forerunners, 7 remain fully functional in 2558. These enigmatic megastructures continue the legacy of the original 12-ring array built over 100,000 years ago as a desperate last resort against the extragalactic parasite known as the Flood.
The First Array – 12 Massive Rings, Most Lost to Disaster
The original installations stretched an astonishing 30,000 kilometers in diameter, large enough to envelop a planet. Equipped with portal networks allowing precise targeting, these giant ringworlds had the power to wipe out all sentient life within a 25,000 light year radius when activated simultaneously.
Constructed at the Greater Ark foundry outside the galaxy, the 12 original Halo Array rings would tragically meet their end during and after a long, bitter war against the relentlessly advancing Flood. Historical archives I‘ve studied cite only Installation 07 surviving the Fate of Maethrillian disaster which shattered the Forerunner capital world, while loss of the Greater Ark itself destroyed others like Omega Halo.
The Second Array Rises – 6 Smaller & More Efficient Halos
Fortunately, even in their darkest hour, the Forerunners refused to surrender. Led by Master Builder Faber and IsoDidact warrior-servant rates, 6 new Halo installations were fabricated at the hastily constructed Lesser Ark as replacements. Ranging around 10,000 kilometers wide, these rings sacrificed raw power for quicker recycling rates and precision attack capabilities.
While we have no evidence of additional Halo construction since, it stands to reason more could be built if a resurgent Flood or another cataclysmic threat ever endangers the galaxy again. For now though, Faber‘s second array continues the legacy alone…
Known Surviving Rings
Here‘s what the canon tells us about each intact Halo ring still guarding the stars in 2558:
Installation 07 – The lone survivor of the original 12 mega-arrays. Fired the killing shot against the Flood during initial conflict. Vast history makes it an object of fascination.
The Lesser Ark‘s Second Array – With the loss of so many original rings, these 6 replacements built at Faber‘s Lesser Ark are all that stand against another outbreak. Smaller than the oldest rings, but more advanced. Locations unknown.
[In-depth profile on Installation 07 location, highlights from 100,000 year operational history, details on portal activation and firing] [Speculation on possible locations for newer rings based on stellar phenomena scanning…]By the Numbers – Halo Array Capabilities
| Measurement | Original Array | Second Array |
|---|---|---|
| Range | 25,000 ly | Unknown, estimated 15,000+ ly |
| Diameter | 30,000 km | 10,000 km |
| Pulse Power | 335 exajoules | 195 exajoules |
Concluding Thoughts
The seven intact Halo rings still hold myriad untapped secrets, along with the power to dictate the fate of the entire galaxy. Their mere existence proves that even a supposedly perfect, transcendent race like the Forerunners could not escape struggling with unimaginably destructive weapons born of fear.
Yet the Halos also represent hope – the hope that life might yet persevere through solidarity and sacrifice in the face of existential threats that care nothing for it. Where this hope takes us, only time will tell…
What mysteries will the Master Chief or those who come after him uncover about the last guardians these godlike Forerunners left behind? As a Halo lore buff, I know I‘ll be following every snippet of new canon that‘s revealed! The legendary Halo rings will continue capturing imaginations for eons to come.
