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| {{disambig header|the Forerunner term|articles of the same name|Reclaimer (disambiguation)}}
| | A "'''Reclaimer'''" is an individual who, whether by chance or by [[Wiktionary:precedent|precedent]], has been placed in charge of retrieving an item known as the [[Index]], returning it to, and subsequently placing it into a control panel within a control center on a [[The Halos|Halo]] structure to activate a massive superweapon. The word is first used as a title bestowed upon a [[Staff Sergeant Marvin Mobuto]] in [[Halo: The Flood]] and [[Master Chief]] in [[Halo: Combat Evolved]] by an artificial intelligence construct, designated [[343 Guilty Spark]] by its creators, the [[Forerunner]]. |
| [[File:Reclaimer - H4.png|thumb|The [[Forerunner symbols|Forerunner glyph]] for "Reclaimer".]] | |
| {{quote|The [[Mendicant Bias|Oracle]] calls them "Reclaimers". But what do they reclaim? These machines? These cities? These worlds? Or, as I fear, are they to reclaim the [[Mantle]] we so terribly squandered?|[[Minister of Discovery]]{{Ref/Book|Id=Covie Mantle|Enc09|Page=299}}}}
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| "'''Reclaimer'''" is a [[Forerunner]] term used to refer to a species (or a member of said species) chosen to be the inheritors of the [[Mantle]],{{Ref/Novel|LL|Page=315}} the stewardship over all life originally held by the [[Precursor]]s. Following the activation of the [[Halo Array]] and the ensuing [[Reintroduction]], this refers to [[human]]s, whom the Forerunners (more pointedly those allied with the [[Librarian]]) regarded as their rightful successors. In particular the term is applied to humans who carry the requisite [[Lifeworker]]-created ''[[geas]]'' that allow them to activate Forerunner technology;{{Ref/Reuse|definition}} indeed, a great deal of the Forerunners' abandoned technology may be activated only when used by a Reclaimer. For most of their history, however, the Forerunners considered themselves the rightful inheritors of the Mantle from the Precursors, who had originally intended to pass the Mantle down to humanity.
| | ==History== |
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| ==Overview==
| | {{spoiler}} |
| Generally speaking, the term "Reclaimer" refers to humans (as a species or as individuals) retaking stewardship of the Mantle. However, technically the term denotes humans who are capable of activating Forerunner technology.{{Ref/Reuse|Hammer}} This is due to the presence of ''[[geas]]'' implanted by the Librarian,{{Ref/Reuse|definition}} which give at least some humans an instinctive familiarity (often a feeling of déjà vu) when encountering Forerunner technology. For example, [[SPARTAN-II program|Spartan]] [[John-117]] simply "knew" how to activate a [[Holography|holographic]] control panel on [[Halo Array|Halo]] [[Installation 04]], despite it being the first piece of Forerunner technology he had ever encountered.{{Ref/Novel|TF|Page=84}} This innate knowledge extends to Covenant technology as well, as Covenant technology is crudely reverse-engineered from Forerunner designs.{{Ref/Novel|FS|Page=142}} In the same vein, Forerunner technology responds to human presence much as it would have done in the presence of its creators, though it will not do so for other species. Though it is unclear how commonly the ''geas'' may be found among humans, it is known that at least some are incapable of properly interfacing with Forerunner technology.{{Ref/SpOps|Id=Hammer|[[Key]]|[[Key/The Hammer|The Hammer]]|Quote=Elites were here, trying to find Reclaimers: humans who can operate Forerunner technology.}} An imprint of [[Birth-to-Light]] once told [[Rion Forge]] of the Librarian and the mark that she had left on the human race that "all of humanity carries remnants of her work from times past - passed along from generation to generation, becoming dormant but never gone. It is what propels our technology to recognize your status and allow interaction.{{Ref/Novel|PoL|39}}
| | The only known role of a Reclaimer is to recover the "Index" and return it to the Halo control center. Doing this would activate Halo's ability to destroy all sentient life within twenty-five thousand light years, and would also activate other Halos, causing the entire galaxy to be purged of sentient life. This would be done to prevent the spread of [[The Flood]], which can only be accomplished by destroying all sentient life with a biomass sufficient enough to sustain them. This would then destroy the Flood via starvation. |
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| Along with implanting the ''geas'' necessary to utilize Forerunner relics, the Librarian planted "seeds" that led to some of humanity's most important technological achievements. Specifically, this genesong led to the creation of the [[SPARTAN programs]] and their [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor]], as well as Smart AI.{{Ref/Level|Id=H4 Reclaimer|H4|[[Reclaimer (level)|Reclaimer]]}} These developments enabled humanity - primarily through the efforts of John-117 and [[Cortana]] - to defeat the [[Ur-Didact]] during his renewed campaign to [[Composer|compose]] humanity into [[Promethean Knight]]s.{{Ref/Level|Id=Midnight|H4|Midnight}} Despite this tragedy, the Librarian originally hoped that the Didact would emerge from [[Cryptum|stasis]] after millennia of meditation to guide humanity; he was to give them the [[Janus Key]], thereby providing the location of all Forerunner technology in the galaxy and securing the Reclaimers' ascendancy.{{Ref/Reuse|Key}}
| | [[343 Guilty Spark]] assumed, for unknown reasons, that the [[Earth]] soldier [[Master Chief]] was a Reclaimer. However, [[Commander Keyes]] and [[Sergeant Johnson]] were also called Reclaimers by [[343 Guilty Spark]]. In addition, in [[Halo: The Flood]] the Master Chief encounters the corpse of [[Sergeant Marvin Mobuto]] in the [[Library]], whom Spark also refers to as a Reclaimer. |
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| The status of Reclaimer was conferred upon humanity as an emergency directive on the authority of the remains of the [[New Council]] (namely the Librarian and the [[IsoDidact]]) during the events surrounding the firing of the [[Halo Array]]. This overrode the [[Builder]]-controlled Old Council's previous ruling from ten thousand years earlier which involved humanity's biological and technological [[Erde-Tyrene civilization|regression]] as punishment for their part in the [[human-Forerunner wars]]. However, following the enactment of this punitive measure, the Librarian had been secretly modifying humanity's ''geas'' for thousands of years to prepare them to take on the role of Reclaimers — against the direct orders of the Council.<ref name="definition">[https://forums.halowaypoint.com/yaf_postsm2969311_Catalog-Interaction.aspx#post2969311 ''Halo Waypoint'': ''Catalog Interaction'' (post 2969311)]</ref>
| | ==Other Interpretations== |
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| Strangely, [[343 Guilty Spark]], the monitor of Halo Installation 04, once insisted to John-117, "You ''are'' Forerunner."{{Ref/Reuse|H3 Halo}} This is presumably metaphorical, as [[Mendicant Bias]] likewise claimed the Reclaimers as its makers,{{Ref/Novel|Id=Oracle|CH|Page=274-278}} despite humanity being genetically and culturally distinct from the Forerunners. Alternately, this may be due to the onset of rampancy; Guilty Spark had previously treated the Master Chief as if the latter were the [[IsoDidact]], responding to a question the IsoDidact had asked 100,000 years prior.{{Ref/Level|CE|[[343 Guilty Spark (level)|343 Guilty Spark]]}}{{Ref/Novel|Sil|Page=314}}
| | ''The above is one possible interpretation. It is not stated explicitly in either gameplay or literature that Reclaimer is even a title. Neither The Master Chief nor Commander Keyes are ever referred to as '''the''' Reclaimer. The Monitor always uses the terms '''Reclaimer''', '''a Reclaimer''', or '''this Reclaimer'''.'' |
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| ===Failures to recognize Reclaimer status=== | | ===Reclaimers are literally Reclaimers=== |
| As the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} was pulled inside of [[Trove]] on [[2531#February|February 23, 2531]], the ship and her crew were scanned by the installation's decontamination network. In addition to detecting a high-order [[Flood]] infestation, the [[Unidentified ancilla (Shield World 0459)|ancilla]] in charge of the network's cleansing rings failed to recognize the crew as Reclaimers. As the ''Spirit of Fire's'' crew and complement were regarded as an "unknown alien intrusion", they were forced to engage a bevy of [[Sentinel]]s in addition to fighting the Flood on the surface of the ship.{{Ref/Level|HW|Repairs}}
| | Although only briefly refered to in Ghosts Of Onyx, one of the Sentinals does speak and refers to one of the Spartan-III's as a Reclaimer. This might mean that all Forerunners involved in the Halo project were Reclaimers, or the people that hid in the shield were meant to come back and "reclaim" all of the Forerunners technology after the Flood was destroyed. |
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| During the [[Onyx Conflict]] in [[2552#October|October]]-[[2552#November|November 2552]], the [[SPARTAN-III program|SPARTAN-III]] [[Ash-G099]] failed to provide the appropriate counter-response to a [[Onyx Sentinel|Sentinel]] after initially being recognized as a Reclaimer.{{Ref/Novel|Id=goo|GoO|Page=133}} This caused the Sentinel to reclassify Ash as a "non-Reclaimer" and an "aboriginal subspecies" of humanity.{{Ref/Reuse|goo}}
| | Also, after the Spartan-III responds, the Sentinel reclassifies him as an "aboriginal sub-species." One could argue that the Spartan-III's are a lesser form, or sub-species, of the Spartan-IIs. |
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| During the [[Requiem Campaign]], [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant|Jul 'Mdama's forces]] captured [[Hawk Squad]] and forced them to activate a Forerunner map of [[Requiem]] at "[[Lockup]]," but the structure failed to recognize them as Reclaimers.{{Ref/SpOps|Id=Hammer2|[[Key]]|[[Key/The Hammer|The Hammer]]}}
| | ===Reclaimer is another word for human=== |
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| ===Humans identified as Reclaimers===
| | Another interpretation is that a Reclaimer is the [[Forerunner]] terminology for a human. From this it is possible to assume that the Forerunners had knowledge of humans and delegated to them the task of reclaiming Indices and activating the rings, among many other speculative duties. This theory is supported by the scene when an Onyx Sentinel chasing Spartan-III G099 attempted to communicate with him, calling him a Reclaimer. |
| <!--These characters are listed in chronological order. Only their interactions with the Forerunners or their technology should be related.-->
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| Given that all known bestowals of the "Reclaimer" title have occurred during military engagements, all individuals identified as such have been either military personnel or civilian advisers.
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| *[[Ellen Anders]] - Activated the [[Relic]] on [[Harvest]] in [[2531#February|February 2531]] with her touch.{{Ref/Level|HW|Relic Interior}} Kidnapped by [[Arbiter]] [[Ripa 'Moramee]], Anders was later forced to activate a fleet of {{Class|Sojourner|dreadnought}}s on [[Trove]] [[shield world]].{{Ref/Level|HW|[[Beachhead (Halo Wars level)|Beachhead]]}}
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| *[[Evelyn Rousseau]] - After retrieving the Forerunner artifact from [[Brume-sur-Mer]], Evie managed to activate it with some effort.{{Ref/Novel|Id=MerDi11|MerDi|Chapter=11}} Throughout the mission to [[Annecy]], Evie continues to be the one to manipulate and control the artifact.{{Ref/Novel|MerDi}} Upon reaching the Forerunner structure in Annecy, the energy shield over the door recognizes Evie as a Reclaimer and opens to let her in before closing again to keep the Covenant out.{{Ref/Novel|Id=MerDi17|MerDi|Chapter=17}}
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| *[[Dorian Nguyen]] - Upon reaching the Forerunner structure in Annecy, the energy shield over the door recognizes Dorian as a Reclaimer and opens to let him in before closing again to keep the Covenant out.{{Ref/Reuse|MerDi17}}
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| *[[Saskia Nazari]] - Upon reaching the Forerunner structure in Annecy, the energy shield over the door recognizes Saskia as a Reclaimer and opens to let her in before closing again to keep the Covenant out.{{Ref/Reuse|MerDi17}}
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| *[[Victor Gallardo]] - Upon reaching the Forerunner structure in Annecy, the energy shield over the door recognizes Victor as a Reclaimer and opens to let him in before closing again to keep the Covenant out.{{Ref/Reuse|MerDi17}}
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| *[[Owen-B096]] - Upon reaching the Forerunner structure in Annecy, the energy shield over the door recognizes Owen as a Reclaimer and opens to let him in before closing again to keep the Covenant out.{{Ref/Reuse|MerDi17}}
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| *[[Taylor Miles]] and [[Kojo Agu]] - The Forerunner construct called [[the Knowing]] identified them as Reclaimers and obeyed their order to [[self-destruct]].{{Ref/Comic|HHj|Issue=5}}
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| *[[Marvin Mobuto]] - Recruited by 343 Guilty Spark to fire Alpha Halo during the Flood outbreak. Killed in the installation's [[Library]] while attempting to retrieve the [[Activation Index]].{{Ref/Novel|TF}}
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| *[[John-117]] - Arguably the most significant Reclaimer, John-117 is the realization of a ''geas'' seeded by the Librarian which apparently manifested in the [[Spartan-II]]s' creator, [[Catherine Halsey|Dr. Catherine Halsey]].{{Ref/Reuse|H4 Reclaimer}} He is responsible for the destruction of Halo [[Installation 04]]{{Ref/Level|CE|The Maw}} and its replacement, as well as the latter's activation and the ensuing defeat of an active [[Gravemind]]; the near-destruction of [[Installation 00]];{{Ref/Level|Id=H3 Halo|H3|[[Halo (Halo 3 level)|Halo]]}} and the defeat of the [[Ur-Didact]].{{Ref/Reuse|Midnight}}
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| *[[Miranda Keyes]] - In [[2552#November|November 2552]], the [[Chieftain of the Jiralhanae|Jiralhanae Chieftain]] [[Tartarus]] forced Commander Keyes to fire [[Installation 05|Delta Halo]] and thereby the rest of the Array, though the Jiralhanae was soon killed and the firing process was aborted by Keyes.{{Ref/Level|H2|[[The Great Journey]]}} Later, the [[Prophet of Truth]] attempted to force her to activate the entire Halo Array from the lesser Ark's control room.{{Ref/Reuse|The Covenant}}
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| *[[Avery Johnson]] - Similar to Keyes, Johnson was nearly forced by the [[Prophet of Truth]] to activate the entire Halo Array from the lesser Ark's control room, though he was rescued before this could occur.{{Ref/Level|Id=The Covenant|H3|[[The Covenant (level)|The Covenant]]}} He was killed shortly thereafter while attempting to activate the incomplete [[Installation 08]], though John-117 successfully completed this mission.{{Ref/Reuse|H3 Halo}}
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| *[[Lucy-B091]] - Identified as a Reclaimer by the Huragok [[Prone to Drift]].{{Ref/Novel|TTW}}
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| *[[Staffan Sentzke]] - Identified as a Reclaimer by the Huragok [[Sometimes Sinks]].{{Ref/Novel|MorDi|Page=392}}
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| *[[Bobby Kodiak]] - Kidnapped by [[000 Tragic Solitude]] (the [[monitor]] of Installation 00) and used to activate the Halo Array. Killed along with Solitude during [[Operation: FAR STORM]].{{Ref/Novel|HitD|Page=277}}
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| *[[Luther Mann]] - Deactivated the [[Halo Array]] from [[Installation 00]] during [[Operation: FAR STORM]].{{Ref/Novel|HitD|Page=258}}
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| *[[Olympia Vale]] - Identified as a Reclaimer by [[Monitor]] [[000 Tragic Solitude]] who intended to use either her or [[Bobby Kodiak]] to reactivate the [[Halo Array]].{{Ref/Novel|HitD|Page=327}}
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| *At least one member of [[Fireteam Crimson]] interacted with several Forerunner artifacts during the [[Requiem Campaign]].{{Ref/SpOps}}
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| *[[Henry Glassman]] - While studying one of the [[Requiem slipspace artifacts]], he accidentally activated it{{Ref/SpOps|[[Artifact (Spartan Ops)|Artifact]]}} and was [[Slipspace translocation|translocated]] to Requiem and held hostage by the Covenant{{Ref/SpOps|[[Catherine]]}} he accidentally activated a protective shield at "[[Librarian's Rest]]."{{Ref/SpOps|[[Scattered]]}} After being rescued, he deactivated one of the three [[Requiem slipspace artifacts|artifacts]] which held {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} anchored to the planet.{{Ref/SpOps|Id=Exodus2|[[Exodus (Spartan Ops)|Exodus]]}}
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| *[[Catherine Halsey]] - After being captured by the Covenant, Halsey deactivated the protective shield surrounding the shrine at "Librarian's Rest" and entered where the Lifeshaper's [[mind transfer|essence]] personally entrusted the [[Janus Key]] to her care.{{Ref/SpOps|[[Expendable]]}}{{Ref/SpOps|Id=Key|[[Key]]}}
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| *[[Gabriel Thorne]] - During the later stages of the Requiem Campaign, Thorne deactivated one of [[Requiem slipspace artifacts|the three artifacts]] that held the {{UNSCShip|Infinity}} anchored to the planet.{{Ref/Reuse|Exodus2}}
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| *[[Fireteam Osiris]] - Was able to activate various terminals on [[Genesis]] under the direction of [[Monitor]] [[031 Exuberant Witness]] to rescue [[Blue Team]] and give Exuberant Witness back control of the planet.{{Ref/Game|H5}}
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| *[[Rion Forge]] - Identified as a Reclaimer by [[Little Bit]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=SAS|SaS|Page=123-126}} Utilized by [[343 Guilty Spark]] to unlock and power up the [[Builder]] facility on [[Triniel]] and later the Forerunner structure beneath [[Kilimanjaro]] where a personality imprint of the [[Librarian]] was located. Though Spark never explicitly told Rion that she was a Reclaimer, he instead chose to explain how her DNA allowed her to access both locations instead of just using the broad term to explain why he needed her.{{Ref/Novel|Ren}} Later helped Spark to access the [[Cartographer]] on [[Installation 07]]{{Ref/Novel|PoL|16}} and [[Keeper-of-Tools]] to activate the ''[[Eden (ship)|Eden]]'' on [[Bastion]].{{Ref/Novel|PoL|41}}
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| *Crew of the {{UNSCShip|Spirit of Fire}} - Referred to as Reclaimers by [[Little Bit]] while describing the events of the [[Battle of Trove]] to [[Rion Forge]].{{Ref/Novel|SAS}}
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| *[[Lessa]] - When Lessa handled the Librarian's [[coordinate key]], it responded to her touch as a Reclaimer and shifted to display the symbol for Installation 07.{{Ref/Novel|PoL|5}} Later combined the pieces of the coordinate key and completed it.{{Ref/Reuse|PoL28}}
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| *[[Ram Chalva]] - Utilized the coordinate key on a terminal in the Forerunner way station in [[New Carthage]], resulting in it giving him the third piece of the key.{{Ref/Novel|Id=PoL28|PoL|28}}
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| *[[Veta Lopis]] - Utilized as a Reclaimer by the [[Keepers of the One Freedom]], [[Intrepid Eye]] and the [[Dhas Bhasvod's Covenant]] to activate one of the Ark's Cartographers and they attempted to use her to activate the Halo Array from [[Epsilon Clarion]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=DW|DW}}
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| *[[Lucas Browning]] - Captured and utilized as a Reclaimer by the [[Banished]] in order to release The [[Harbinger]] from her [[cylix]] on [[Installation 07]].{{Ref/Game|Id=tp3|Hi|Audio log (Halo Infinite)#The Prisoner 2|UNSC Audio log|Detail=The Prisoner #03 - She was Smiling}}{{Ref/Novel|RP|25}}
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| *[[TJ Murphy]] - Identified as a Reclaimer by [[Submonitor]] [[091 Adjutant Veridity]].{{Ref/Novel|Id=RP30|RP|30}}
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| *[[Erik Bender]] - Identified as a Reclaimer by [[Submonitor]] [[091 Adjutant Veridity]].{{Ref/Reuse|RP30}}
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| *[[Isaiah Cameron]] - Identified as a Reclaimer by [[Submonitor]] [[091 Adjutant Veridity]].{{Ref/Reuse|RP30}}
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| *[[Robin Dimik]] - Identified as a Reclaimer by [[Submonitor]] [[091 Adjutant Veridity]].{{Ref/Reuse|RP30}}
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| *[[Tomas Horvath]] - With the help of his AI [[Elfie]], lowered the energy barrier put up by [[Cortana]] around [[117649 Despondent Pyre]], something that not even Zeta Halo's [[submonitor]]s could do.{{Ref/Novel|RP|34}}
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| *[[Nina Kovan]] - Activated a [[teleportation grid|translocation pad]] using the symbols provided by Despondent Pyre to teleport the [[boat crew]] out of the Conservatory.{{Ref/Novel|RP|35}}
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| ==As understood by the Covenant== | | ===Forerunners are human=== |
| The Reclaimer glyph was one of the holiest icons in the [[Covenant religion]], as well as the source of one of its greatest flaws. For millennia, the Covenant's leadership misinterpreted the "Reclaimer" glyph (which they read upside down) as "Reclamation". The [[San'Shyuum|Prophets]] misconstrued this as the Covenant's divine mandate to procure "holy" Forerunner technology from areas of space known as [[reliquary|reliquaries]]; the [[Ages of Reclamation]] were designated as periods of significant Forerunner discoveries. While incorrectly understood by the Covenant as their quest for Forerunner relics, the Reclamation is an actual concept pertaining to the Reclaimers' process of reattaining the Mantle.{{Ref/Level|H4|[[Epilogue (Halo 4 level)|Epilogue]]|Quote=The Reclamation... has already begun. And we are hopeless to stop it.}} Like the Forerunners, the Covenant (if only the Prophets) considered themselves the inheritors of the Mantle.{{Ref/Reuse|Covie Mantle}} However, because the Covenant's member species are not recognized as Reclaimers (being referred to as "intruders" and "meddlers" by [[343 Guilty Spark]]), they require human captives to activate certain Forerunner technology, most notably the Halo rings, the [[Installation 00|Ark]], and [[shield world]]s. One notable exception is [[Jul 'Mdama]], who gained the allegiance of the Promethean Knights on the shield world [[Requiem]] following the Didact's apparent demise; he was able to set Requiem on a collision course with [[Epoloch system|its star]], though it seems he was given the Didact's override to accomplish this.{{Ref/SpOps|Id=Exodus|[[Exodus (Spartan Ops)|S1010 Exodus]]|Detail=This is evidenced by the appearance of the Ur-Didact's sigil when 'Mdama gives inputs the [[self-destruct]] order.}} While the [[Banished]] [[War Chief]] [[Escharum]] scorned [[Castor]] for using humans to activate the [[Menachite portal complex]] in [[2559#October|October 2559]], the old [[Dokab]] was well-aware of the human affinity for Forerunner technology, having witnessed humans activate devices that [[Kig-Yar]] scavengers and [[Sangheili]] priests had proclaimed to be worthless.{{Ref/Novel|Id=Chapter 21|SoR|Chapter=21}}
| | Another interpretation is that the Forerunners were human, or at least, very closely related, perhaps being direct ancestors or future form of humanity. There is evidence to prove this, such as 343 Guilty Spark's statements in the first game, and the fact that the [[Covenant]] have not asked humanity to join them. This could infer that as the humans learn more about the Forerunners, they are in fact ''reclaiming'' their lost technology and or position in the universe. |
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| ====History====
| | In ''Conversations from the Universe'', the Monitor has a list of slang used by human forces to describe Covenant troops entitled "Cross reference Reclaimer terminology/nomenclature/slang for hegemonizing swarm "Covenant" against self-descriptors." As the Master Chief is rarely seen to speak throughout the games, and never in combat, this seems to suggest that all humans may be Reclaimers. |
| For many Ages, the Covenant used [[Luminary|Luminaries]] (crude AIs based on Forerunner [[ancilla]]s) to pinpoint concentrations of Forerunner artifacts. At the turn of [[2524]] - [[2525]], the Luminary aboard the vessel ''[[Minor Transgression]]'' led the ship's crew to the human colony world of [[Harvest]]. Ultimately, communications between the planet's government and the Covenant broke down, leading to the [[First Battle of Harvest|first major conflict]] between the two civilizations and the planet's eventual [[glassing]]. A trio of mid-level San'Shyuum ministers consulted the "Oracle" aboard the [[Forerunner Dreadnought]] on [[High Charity]] about the "Reclamation" glyphs encountered in such large numbers on Harvest; these San'Shyuum hoped to use the clout gained from this discovery to oust the current triumvirate of [[Hierarchs]]. The Oracle, which was actually the AI [[Mendicant Bias]], informed the party that the luminations found on Harvest were actually the world's human population, and that the symbol the Covenant had long held to mean "Reclamation" actually meant "Reclaimer"; following this revelation, Mendicant Bias attempted to leave High Charity and make contact with its so-called "makers", though the ship was disabled and the AI quarantined before this could happen.{{Ref/Reuse|Oracle}}
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| The schemers interpreted the Oracle's words to mean that humans were actually the living remnants of Forerunner civilization; this would directly contradict the Covenant's dogma regarding the [[Covenant religion#Great Journey|Great Journey]], which held that the Forerunners used an artifact known as [[Halo Array|Halo]] to transcend to godhood. Accordingly, the newly ordained [[Prophet of Truth]] declared a [[Human-Covenant War|war of extermination]] upon humanity, secretly hoping that genocide would prevent humanity's relation to the Forerunners from coming to light.{{Ref/Reuse|Oracle}} In the wake of commencing the Ninth Age of Reclamation, Truth also revealed that the Reclaimer glyph could help the Covenant scour the galaxy for any other [[human colonies]].{{Ref/Novel|CH|Page=381-382}}
| | Humanity could be a re-evolution of the Forerunner in case the Ark and Shield worlds fail to save them from the effects of the Halos, a Plan B of sorts. Examples are: The Master Chief and the other Spartan-IIs describe Forerunner technology and language as "familiar," and humans have not been invited to join the Covenant because the Prophets are afraid they would replaced as leaders. |
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| ==Non-canon and dubious canon appearances== | | ===Enhanced means Reclaimer === |
| {{Notice/Silver|category=no}}
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| ===Silver Timeline=== | |
| {{Main|Silver Timeline}}
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| In the [[Silver Timeline]], Reclaimers appeared to be much rarer, rather than just humanity as a whole. Neither [[Soren-066/Silver|Soren-066]] nor [[Reth/Silver|Reth]] had Forerunner artifacts respond to them while [[Makee]] and [[John-117/Silver|John-117]] did, making them "Blessed Ones" in the eyes of the Covenant. After seeing John activate the [[keystone]], Reth stated that John was "different" than Makee and that he could see it in John's eyes. John was also immune to the harmful effects that the artifact had on the entire [[The Rubble/Silver|Rubble]].{{Ref/Reuse|Unbound}} [[Silver Team/Silver|Silver Team]] was also unable to activate the keystone.{{Ref/Reuse|Homecoming}}
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| After John activated the keystone and [[Cortana/Silver|Cortana]] put him into stasis in order to access it herself through John, the artifact immediately shut itself down, indicating that the Reclaimer needed to be conscious for Forerunner technology to respond to them.{{Ref/Reuse|Emergence}}
| | Another interpretation is that is not the species, but their cybernetic implants that mark the Master Chief and Commander Keyes as Reclaimers. [[Gravemind]] also referred to the Master Chief's "machine and nerve" mind as "concluded", which may mean it is closer to some arbitrary standard (the Forerunners?) than a merely organic mind. As all UNSC personnel have cybernetic implants of varying qualities, this may mean that a civilian human would not be regarded as a Reclaimer. This is, as is much of the Halo universe, all highly speculative. |
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| John's altered hormonal state due to his [[emotional regulator]] appeared to affect his interactions with the keystone. Once he had removed the regulator, the memories that were unlocked by John touching it became clearer.{{Ref/Reuse|Emergence}}
| | (Given the situation, machine and nerve could simply be a reference to his cybernetical enhancements and has his mind 'concluded' in ending this war, while the Arbiter was 'merely flesh and faith and is the more deluded' in that he had no modifications and was blind in his faith towards the Covenent beliefs) |
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| At John's request, [[Miranda Keyes/Silver|Miranda Keyes]] compared his and Makee's DNA after Makee revealed that she could also activate the keystones. In the uncoded intragenetic region of their DNA, Miranda found histone proteins that were unique to John and Makee. While Miranda couldn't say that it was the source of their connection to the artifacts, John and Makee's gene alignment in that area was remarkably similar. In addition, the anomaly that John and Makee shared belonged only to them. Statistically, they were two in a billion.{{Ref/Film|Id=Solace|TV|Episode=[[Solace (TV Series)|Solace]]}}
| | ===Forerunners evolved into humans=== |
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| ====Failures to recognize Reclaimer status====
| | Another possibility is that the Forerunners interbred with humans passing on their genes. Master Chief, Johnson, Mobuto, and Commander Keyes would then be genetic descendants of the Forerunners. This is also supported by 343 Guilty Spark's reactions to Master Chief in [[Halo: Combat Evolved]], where he assumes that Master Chief understands everything that has happened on [[Halo: The Flood|Halo in the book The Flood]] and he also states that the Master Chief is the one that activated Halo the first time in the level [[Two Betrayals (Levels)]]. ''"Why do you hesitate to do what you've already done?"''(Please note that at this point in the game the Chief/Player has just killed an army of Flood to retrieve the index and that 343 Guilty Spark could be asking why the Chief would not be willing to kill, having already done so) This could mean that Master Chief's ancestor was the Forerunner that activated Halo. Also supporting this theory is that in the book The Fall Of Reach, Dr. Halsey chose candidates for the Spartan program based on certain genes they carried. It is probable that those genes are those of the Forerunners. In the novel [[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]] the Spartan IIs say that the Forerunner technology seems familair. In addition to this, in the novel [[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]] an onyx sentinel refers to Spartan-III G099 as an '"aboriginal subspecies"'. At first, the Sentinel labels him a Reclaimer and attempts to communicate. When he fails its 'test', it attacks. But as always, this is highly speculative. |
| When [[Soren-066/Silver|Soren-066]] touched the [[Madrigal]] [[keystone]], it failed to respond to his touch. [[Reth/Silver|Reth]] also failed to activate the Forerunner artifacts that the Covenant had tried on him despite Reth being "sensitive" as a mystic.{{Ref/Reuse|Unbound}} When [[Silver Team/Silver|Silver Team]] tried touching the Keystone, it failed to respond to them as well.{{Ref/Film|Id=Homecoming|TV|Episode=[[Homecoming (TV Series)|Homecoming]]}}
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| ====Humans identified as Reclaimers==== | | ===Time Travel=== |
| *[[John-117/Silver|John-117]] - Had the [[Madrigal]] and [[Eridanus II]] [[keystone]]s respond to his touch and activate for him, even as a child.{{Ref/Film|Id=Contact|TV|Episode=[[Contact]]}}{{Ref/Reuse|Emergence}}{{Ref/Reuse|Homecoming}} After seeing John activate the artifact, [[Reth/Silver|Reth]] stated that John was "different" than Makee and that he could see it in John's eyes.{{Ref/Film|Id=Unbound|TV|Episode=[[Unbound]]}} It was suggested that the Madrigal keystone had an intelligence that either responded to John's needs or anticipated what he required each time he activated it.{{Ref/Reuse|Homecoming}}
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| *[[Makee]] - Mentioned by the [[Prophet of Mercy/Silver|Prophet of Mercy]] to have had Forerunner artifacts respond to her touch.{{Ref/Reuse|Contact}} According to Reth, she is "different" than John-117.{{Ref/Reuse|Unbound}} Discovered by [[Sangheili]] after a [[Luminary]] responded to her presence. Claimed to still feel the "spirit" of the Madrigal keystone even after it was taken from the planet.{{Ref/Reuse|Emergence}}
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| ====As understood by the Covenant====
| | Working with the same quote, from the [[Two Betrayals (Levels)]]. ''"Why do you hesitate to do what you've already done?"'' this line perhaps suggests time travel is involved, and that Master Chief in some future game travels back in time to activate Halo, and the story comes full circle. It could also suggest that as a Reclaimer, the Chief would be refered to as a Forerunner so therefore has done it generally as a race. |
| For the Covenant, Reclaimers are "Blessed Ones" who have the ability to activate Forerunner artifacts. [[Makee]], a human who they had discovered and taken into their custody as a child after she reacted to a [[Luminary]],{{Ref/Film|Id=Emergence|TV|Episode=[[Emergence]]}} is held and treated with a degree of reverence by the [[Hierarchs]].{{Ref/Reuse|Unbound}}
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| ==Production notes== | | ===Insanity=== |
| [[File:Marathon Logo.svg|175px|thumb|The Reclaimer symbol as seen in Bungie's games.]]
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| *The original Reclaimer glyph is actually the logo of [[Bungie]]'s ''[[Marathon]]'' trilogy. Due to the ''Marathon'' franchise remaining Bungie's intellectual property, the Reclaimer symbol in media by [[343 Industries]] has the same basic design, though it is much more abstract. Curiously, the original symbol appears on holographic terminals in the ''[[Spartan Ops]]'' chapter ''[[Key/The Hammer|The Hammer]]''.
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| *According to [[Bungie]] employee [[David Candland]],<ref name="blam">[http://forums.bungie.org/halo/archive36.pl?read=1070818 ''halo.bungie.org'': ''Re: Why retcons don't bother me anymore''] (Evil Otto: ''"One of the most striking retcons to me is the basic concept of whole role of humanity. Originally (back in Halo 1) the reason why humans weren't conquered and incorporated into the Covenant collective was because their presence defied Covenant religion. When the Covenant discovered humans, they knew they were forerunners, but their presence implied the "great journey" failed. They also weren't the all powerful gods they worshiped, so the Prophets wanted to "sweep them under the carpet," as it were."'')</ref> Bungie's original intention for the connection between humanity and Forerunners was that they were one and the same; this was hinted repeatedly throughout the ''Halo'' Trilogy<ref name="blam2">[http://forums.bungie.org/halo/archive36.pl?read=1070818 '''halo.bungie.org''': ''Re: Why retcons don't bother me anymore''] (Evil Otto: ''"The plot lines in our games imply this everywhere - the chief being called reclaimer, only humans being able to retrieve and insert the index, Spark telling the chief, "you are forerunner." etc."'')</ref> and potentially alluded to in [[Joseph Staten]]'s novel ''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''. In this regard the title of "Reclaimer" would indicate modern humans salvaging the relics of their ancestors, thus giving the term a literal meaning. During the development of ''[[Halo 3]]'', this changed so that humans and Forerunners were distinct from one another, as is evident in material released as part of the game's marketing campaign and in the [[terminal]]s found within the game itself. The books of ''[[The Forerunner Saga]]'' released by [[343 Industries]] expanded greatly on the similarities and difference between both peoples, establishing that the two species were indeed related but distinct and that the actual connection goes far further back than the events in the books, to the time when both species had been created by the Precursors.
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| ===Trivia===
| | However, the above can be contradicted with the fact that 343 Guilty Spark is arguably insane. When he made the quote ''"Why do you hesitate to do what you've already done?"'' and recited a previous conversation he had with an unnamed individual, Spark may very well have been referring to a different Reclaimer from when Halo was first activated and, due to his insanity, conceived the Master Chief as the original Reclaimer. Or it could be that the Chief already put the index in and tried to activate the ring. However Cortana took the index from inside the mainframe and did not allow Halo to be activated. So when 343 Guilty Spark says "Why do you hesitate to do what you've already done?" it is refering to the Chief already trying to activate Halo. |
| *The [[Bestiarum]] associates the [[Latin]] "Homo ''sapiens augeous''" with its "Reclaimer" entry. This is probably intended to mean ''"augmented intelligent man"'', though ''augeous'' is conjugated incorrectly. Given the context of the entry in the ''Bestiarum'', it seems that this entry refers specifically to [[John-117]] as opposed to all Reclaimers, and that "''Homo sapiens augeous''" refers only to Spartans. However, due to ''Halo 4's'' retcon that only certain humans are technically Reclaimers, this [[Wikipedia:Binomial nomenclature|binomial nomenclature]] may refer to humans carrying the genesong planted by the Librarian.
| | [[Category:The Forerunner]] |
| *"Reclaimer" is the second-highest [[Rank (Halo: Reach)|rank]] in ''Halo: Reach'' and highest [[Rank (Halo Wars 2)|rank]] in ''Halo Wars 2''.{{Clear}}
| | [[Category:UNSC]] |
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| ==List of appearances==
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| <!--This list should feature only media in which the term "Reclaimer" is specifically invoked.-->
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| *''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' {{1st}}
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| *''[[Halo: The Flood]]''
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| *''[[Halo 2]]''
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| **''[[Conversations from the Universe]]'' {{Mo}}
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| *''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''
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| *''[[Halo 3]]''
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| **''[[Terminal (Halo 3)|Terminals]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Contact Harvest]]''
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| *''[[Halo Wars]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Helljumper]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Glasslands]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''
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| **''[[Terminal (Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary)|Terminals]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Primordium]]''
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| *''[[Halo 4]]''
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| **''[[Terminal (Halo 4)|Terminals]]''
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| **''[[Spartan Ops]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Mortal Dictata]]''
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| *''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Last Light]]''
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| *''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Smoke and Shadow]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Renegades]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Meridian Divide]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Shadows of Reach]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Point of Light]]''
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| *''[[Halo: Divine Wind]]''
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| *''[[Halo Infinite]]''
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| *''[[Halo: The Television Series]]''
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| **''[[Contact]]''
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| **''[[Unbound]]''
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| **''[[Emergence]]''
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| **''[[Homecoming (TV Series)|Homecoming]]''
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| **''[[Reckoning]]''
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| *''[[Halo: The Rubicon Protocol]]''
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| ==Sources==
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| {{Ref/Sources}}
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| [[Category:Forerunner culture]]
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| [[Category:Human]]
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| [[Category:Terms and phrases]] | |
