Beowulf

Beowulf
Biographical information
Began service:	November 2525 or earlier
Gender:	Male programming
Description:	A man wearing a hooded cloak
Color(s):	Blue
Political and military information
Affiliation:	Office of Naval Intelligence
Functionality:	Attaché to the Office of Naval Intelligence

Beowulf was a "dumb" artificial intelligence of the Office of Naval Intelligence. In November 2525, Beowulf was attached is some capacity to Vice Admiral Michael Stanforth, the head of the Office of Naval Intelligence's Section Three. By late August 2552, he safeguarded the United Nations Space Command's personnel and planning database on Reach.

Biography

Discovery of the Covenant

Beowulf was present during the Spartan-IIs' original briefing about the Covenant in the Reach FLEETCOM Military Complex's secure briefing room on November 2, 2525. Upon the instruction of Vice Admiral Michael Stanforth, Beowulf reluctantly presented the classified destruction of Harvest to the Spartans. He also broadcasted a message across the amphitheater from the High Prophet of Regret, whom insisted that the destruction of humanity was the "will of the Gods." Afterwards, Beowulf left with Stanforth and Dr. Catherine Halsey.

Reassignment

By late August 2552, Beowulf had been assigned to guard the UNSC's personnel and planning database on Reach. He knew Cortana well and knew that she was potentially dangerous. During Cortana's attempts to hack into the system, Beowulf managed to foil her efforts. However, Cortana quickly overcame his defenses and accessed John-117's Career Service Vitae.

Fate

Given his assignment to guard UNSC's personnel and planning database on Reach—a capacity in which he was serving as of August 30, 2552, it is likely that Beowulf was destroyed during the Fall of Reach. However, his fate ultimately remains unknown.

Description

Beowulf's holographic avatar was blue and consisted of a man in a hooded cloak with no discernable hands. When manifesting his avatar, Beowulf was known to project a dust cloud which would coalesce into his hooded figure. He was thought to be thorough, methodical, and paranoid.

Production Notes

At one point during the production of Halo: Combat Evolved, Beowulf was going to have a notable presence in the game's story, serving as a secondary antagonist. Notably, in the Cortana Letters and related "Transmissions" logs, the UNSC Pillar of Autumn is described to house a second AI only known as "BW," designated as a "Class III" AI. Within the transmissions texts, "BW" is only seen running processes on the Pillar of Autumn that receives Covenant transmissions, with little insight. In the Cortana letters, it was said that a process "BW" initiated was "unexpectedly terminated." Immediately thereafter, a new process was started, with its owner unable to be determined. It is likely that "BW" likely is intended to represent Beowulf.

Beowulf, similarly to Seeker, was planned to be a hero for an unidentified upcoming fleet commander in Halo: Fleet Battles. However, this never came to fruition.

Trivia

Beowulf is named after the titular character of the poem Beowulf, the most famous piece of Old English literature.

Gallery

• 

  Beowulf alongside Vice Admiral Stanforth.

• 

  Concept art for Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series depicting Beowulf alongside Mendez, Halsey, and Stanforth.

List of appearances

• Halo: The Fall of Reach (First appearance)
• Halo: Fall of Reach
  • Boot Camp
• Halo: Fleet Battles
• Halo: The Fall of Reach - The Animated Series (Mentioned only)