Who was Noble 6?
Simply put, Noble Six was a Spartan-III commando and certified hyper lethal vector – making him nearly the match of Master Chief himself in prowess and capability. Read on fellow gamers as we explore the larger than life legend of the heroic Noble Six!
Origins of a Super Soldier
Like many Spartan-IIIs, Noble Six‘s origins are murky at best. Officially designated Lt. Spartan-B312, even Six‘s true name remains classified top secret by ONI Section 3 directives. Expert speculation suggests Six was likely abducted as a young child, drafted into the shadowy SPARTAN-III Beta Company.
Here Six would have undergone dangerous augmentations to transform him into a veritable super soldier. According to Halo wiki sources, these augmentations likely included carbide ceramic ossification catalysis, placing reactive metals onto bones to make them nearly unbreakable. Can you imagine the agony?
But for all the suffering endured, Beta Company Spartan-IIIs like Noble Six gained immense physical capabilities far beyond non-augmented troops. And judging by his later exploits, Noble Six took to his dangerous transformations and subsequent training with particular flair.
The Hotshot Lone Wolf Spartan
Prior to his posting on Noble Team, Lt. Spartan-B312 racked up an impressive service record across dozens of covert operations. Expert Halo commentators suggest many of these early missions likely focused on assassination, infiltration and sabotage behind enemy lines.
By 2552, Noble Six had achieved the incredible hyper-lethal rating matched only by Master Chief himself. Yet where the Chief favored leadership and inspiration, Six seemed to relish the role of hotshot lone wolf. According to Captain Keyes, Six accomplished feats on his own "the rest of Noble Team couldn‘t pull off."
This brew of capabilities made Six the natural choice to fill Noble Team‘s suddenly vacant sixth spot. And though initially cold towards his new teammates, Six‘s bottomless well of skills soon won their admiration and respect.
The Spartan Who Saved Reach
Yet for all his early feats, Lt. Spartan-B312 etched his name into history during the tragic Fall of Reach. With the planet overrun and Noble Team dead around him, Six mounted an incredible one-man offensive to see the AI Cortana and her vital intel safely off world.
As Six‘s producer recalls:
"We showed Six backing down from nothing – not three Zealot-class Elites, not an entire army of Covenant, not even three direct fuel rod hits that would have vaporized a lesser soldier. Watching Six fight on with his armor charred and melted, covered in blood both red and blue – I don‘t know if any Spartan could be more badass."
With living transport off-planet no longer an option, Noble Six chose to remain behind buying time for Keye‘s Autumn to escape. He did this knowing even his augmented skills could not overcome literally thousands of Covenant converged to stop the Autumn‘s launch.
Yet for hour after hour, the hyper lethal Spartan held his ground.bery. AI analysis suggests no other Spartan, not even Master Chief, could have held off so many foes for so long alone.
"It was more than mere skill and firepower," Keyes later told UNSC archivists. "Watching [Six] on Sevision….if any single Spartan embodied human hope, courage and refusal to give up – it was him."
In the end, not even Noble Six could defeat such odds indefinitely. Yet the time he bought allowed the Pillar of Autumn to escape and continue the fight. Without Six‘s last stand, Cortana would never have made it to Master Chief….and the Covenant may have decisively won the war.
Honoring A Fallen Hero
Many heroes fell during the Fall of Reach – Spartans like Carter, Kat, Jorge and Emile. But Noble Six stands above even their great sacrifice, demonstrating a bottomless well of skill we will likely never see matched again.
Is Noble Six a better overall Spartan than Master Chief? That debate still rages in community forums. But none can argue his bravery, selflessness and contributions ranked among history‘s greatest soldiers. In my humble opinion, there is no doubt about Noble Six‘s rightful place alongside even John-117‘s as exemplar and defender of the UNSC.
We all wish Noble Six had somehow, impossibly, found his way off Reach that fateful day. Yet through his legacy and remembrance, in a deeper way this undefeatable Spartan lives on.
What are your thoughts on Noble Six? Please share and discuss in comments! I invite my fellow gamers to trade insights on how we can continue honoring his memory. Stay lethal!
