Reynolds

Jiralhanae Captain: "Tell me its location!"

Reynolds: "Kiss...my...ass..."

— Reynolds refusing to reveal Crow's Nest's location

Gunnery Sergeant Reynolds is a staff non-commissioned officer^[1] and an infantryman in the UNSC Marine Corps during the Human-Covenant War.^[2] He was killed by Flood late in the Battle of Voi.

Biography

Battle for Earth

Main article: Battle for Earth

"Johnson, you be advised, Hostiles are on the move... I've got eyes on a Brute Pack, over."

— Reynolds alerting Sergeant Major Avery Johnson of Covenant activity.

Reynolds jumping down from the log bridge after being saved by John-117 from the Jiralhanae Captain.

Reynolds was present during the Battle of Earth. On the morning of November 17, 2552, Reynolds accompanied Sergeant Major Avery Johnson and fellow Gunnery Sergeant Marcus Stacker as they lead a Platoon-sized force of Marines into the jungles near Mount Kilimanjaro. The force was tasked with retrieving Spartan John-117, who had crash-landed in the area after exiting the Prophet of Truth's Forerunner Dreadnought. Reynolds and his his squad were searching for John-117 when Johnson made contact, informing him the Spartan had been located, and ordering Bravo Team to retreat to the extraction point at the nearby river. As his squad observed Covenant forces on the move towards the main Marine force, Reynolds promptly alerted Johnson of the heightening Covenant activity. However, doing so gave away his position and his squad immediately came under attack by a Phantom dropship and Jiralhanae Chieftain, resulting in his entire squad being killed and Reynolds himself captured.

Reynolds was interrogated by a Jiralhanae Captain. The Covenant soldier held him atop a log bridge and demanded the location of the UNSC base Crow's Nest, but Reynolds' only response was "kiss my ass." Just as the Jiralhanae braced to kill him, John 117 arrived, accompanied by Thel 'Vadam and Sergeant Stacker's First Squad. After the Spartan swiftly dispatched his captor, Reynolds jumped off the bridge, grabbed a nearby assault rifle and informed the Spartan of Bravo's fate. Reynolds then joined the Spartan in his mission to rendezvous with Sergeant Johnson at the extraction point. As they arrived however, Johnson's Pelican and it's escort were both shot down by Covenant Banshees. Reynolds continued to support the Master Chief and Arbiter as they pushed through the jungle and eventually rescued Johnson, who had been captured by the Covenant. After neutralizing all Covenant present, including a Jiralhanae Chieftain, the UNSC forces were evacuated to Crow's Nest.^[1]

Upon returning to Crow's Nest, the UNSC forces soon found out that they had been discovered by the Covenant, and were going to be attacked. Knowing that the base would likely be overrun, the Marines, led by Commander Miranda Keyes, begun to prepare a massive bomb intended to be detonated to deny the Covenant the base. Reynolds was one of the Marines tasked with the wiring of the bomb.^[2]

Reynolds ultimately survived the destruction of Crow's Nest by taking refuge in the base's motor pool. Rallying the surviving Marines in the area, Reynolds destroyed a security camera that may lead surviving Covenant forces to them. Rendezvousing with John-117 once again, Reynolds ordered any of his men that could still walk to take the surviving Warthogs in the motor pool out of the base. They aided a group of Marines call signed Second Squad who were under attack by Covenant scouts near the base entrance and allowed them to mount up. Reynolds continued to try hail Commander Keyes but was unsuccessful, as the COMs had been scrambled by the destruction of Crows Nest.^[3]

Reynolds and his troops soon received a distress call from Sergeant Stacker, who had been leading a convoy intended to bring supplies to the beleaguered UNSC forces in Voi. The convoy had been strafed by Banshees and were pinned down by a large Covenant ground force. Fortunately, Reynolds and John-117 arrived in time to rescue the survivors and clear out the Covenant presence. The UNSC convoy continued onward, but were forced to leave their vehicles shortly after, stopped by a destroyed section of the highway. Continuing on foot, Reynolds, Stacker and their men helped John-117 liberate another squad of Marines under attack in a nearby building complex. After holding off many waves of attacking Covenant troops, including a Wraith tank, several resupply Pelicans moved in, delivering multiple Warthogs and reinforcements. Mobilizing once again, the UNSC forces punched through a sizable Covenant vehicular force and breached the final Covenant roadblocks, clearing a path to Voi.

Reynolds in Traxus Factory Complex 09 in Voi.

UNSC forces lead by Reynolds and Stacker supported John-117 in the assault on Traxus Factory Complex 09 in South Voi.^[4]^{[Note 1]} There, they eliminated a heavy Covenant presence, including multiple Anti-Aircraft Wraiths and a Scarab. After liberating the exterior of the complex, Reynolds entered the forward operating base located there, while other UNSC forces aided John-117 and the Arbiter Thel 'Vadam in fighting through the factory interior.^{[Note 2]}

Later, when the Flood-controlled battlecruiser crashed in the area, Reynolds lost multiple squads of Marines to the arriving parasite before John-117 and the Arbiter returned to the factory complex. As he ordered all Marine forces to retreat into the warehouse complex, his squad was overwhelmed by Flood descending from the nearby rooftops. Reynolds was set upon by an Infection Form, screaming as he was mutated by the parasite into one of the Flood. One of Reynolds' own Marines was forced to gun him down, lamenting that the creature was no longer their Sergeant.^[5]

On March 3, 2553, Reynolds' picture was seen on the Voi Memorial, a tribute to the many UNSC forces who gave their lives during the Human Covenant War.^{[Note 3]}

Gameplay

In-game, Reynolds behaves and acts just as any other Marine NPC would, though like other Marine Sergeants, he will sometimes pause to shout and motion orders to other Marines. The player can trade weapons with him (in games where it is possible), and he can be killed during the course of gameplay. If he is killed, he will reappear in later appearances regardless, even within the same level.

Trivia

Reynolds is voiced by Hollywood actor Nathan Fillion, best known for his role in the canceled Fox TV series Firefly and its spin-off feature film Serenity. Both Adam Baldwin and Alan Tudyk, who also starred in Firefly and Serenity, voiced UNSC Marines in Halo 3. Incidentally, Fillion's Firefly/Serenity character's last name was also Reynolds. The same character was also a Sergeant in the Unification War. Fillion also voices a number of unnamed Marines in Halo 3 as well as Gunnery Sergeant Edward Buck in Halo 3: ODST, Halo: Reach and Halo 5: Guardians.
Marines using Reynold's model and voice may appear in Halo 3: ODST during levels with Marine allies. Notably this time, dons a standard-issue helmet, rather than the utility cover. Gunnery Sergeant Reynolds is one of the few marines encountered in Halo 3 who canonically appears in Halo 3: ODST. Others like Dubbo and Stacker are also encountered in ODST but their appearances are likely just easter eggs or simple mistakes since they were actually on route to Installation 05 during the time of the game.
It is possible for the player to just let the Brute kill Reynolds and not intervene. The Brute will punch him in the face, crack his spine and throw him off the bridge and onto the ground below. However, he will appear in the following levels regardless, similar to Sergeant Johnson's "immortality" in Halo: Combat Evolved.
After Reynolds is rescued, he runs unarmed over to a rock where an MA5C conveniently lies and arms himself. It is possible (if you have a different weapon) to run over, swap the MA5C leaning on the rock for something else, and watch Reynolds take an MA5C out of nowhere. Or, if you're low on ammo for your Assault Rifle, you could take it all and he would still grab one from thin air.
On levels such as Crow's Nest, where dead marines often appear around the level, Reynolds is often one of them. On the level Sierra 117, it is possible to have three Reynolds: the live one you save from the Brute, a dead one leaning on a rock shortly after Charlie Foxtrot behind the small bunkers, and another dead one by the machine gun turret next to a magnum.
In the level Floodgate, Reynolds can be seen guarding the loading ramp where Flood attack him and a squad of Marines. He can be saved, preventing the dialogue accompanying his death, but it is difficult. You need to focus on the Pod infectors that fall around him because he is their main target and is killed very quickly unless protected well.
If Reynolds' model appears as a standard marine with a helmet, a player can shoot the helmet off, making it turn into a sergeant's cap. This is common on Crow's Nest.

Gallery

Reynolds being interrogated.
Reynolds captured in Crow's Nest's barracks.

List of appearances

Halo 3 (First appearance)
Halo 3: ODST

Notes

^ The specifics of Stacker and Reynolds' participation in the first half of the Battle of Voi are unclear, as only one or the other will spawn. However both will spawn and enter the forward operating base, regardless of who spawned at the beginning of the level. (Tested in both Xbox 360 and Master Chief Collection versions)
^ Reynolds can be killed during the battle with the Scarab, and will nonetheless spawn outside the forward operating base and enter alongside the player (tested on both Xbox 360 and Master Chief Collection versions.) Reynolds may spawn in the factory interior in the place of Stacker, however Stacker's scripted dialogue plays regardless.
^ While Reynolds may spawn in later levels The Ark and The Covenant. they are likely purely-gameplay appearances, as the Sergeant's scripted and cutscene dialogue is supplanted by Stacker on all three occasions, regardless of who is present in gameplay.

Sources

^ ^a ^b Halo 3, campaign level Sierra 117
^ ^a ^b Halo 3, campaign level Crow's Nest
^ Halo 3, campaign level Tsavo Highway
^ Halo 3, campaign level The Storm
^ Halo 3, campaign level Floodgate

[5] The specifics of Stacker and Reynolds' participation in the first half of the Battle of Voi are unclear, as only one or the other will spawn. However both will spawn and enter the forward operating base, regardless of who spawned at the beginning of the level. (Tested in both Xbox 360 and Master Chief Collection versions)

[6] Reynolds can be killed during the battle with the Scarab, and will nonetheless spawn outside the forward operating base and enter alongside the player (tested on both Xbox 360 and Master Chief Collection versions.) Reynolds may spawn in the factory interior in the place of Stacker, however Stacker's scripted dialogue plays regardless.

[8] While Reynolds may spawn in later levels The Ark and The Covenant. they are likely purely-gameplay appearances, as the Sergeant's scripted and cutscene dialogue is supplanted by Stacker on all three occasions, regardless of who is present in gameplay.

[sierra-1] Halo 3, campaign level Sierra 117

[crows-2] Halo 3, campaign level Crow's Nest

[3] Halo 3, campaign level Tsavo Highway

[H3-Sstorm-4] Halo 3, campaign level The Storm

[7] Halo 3, campaign level Floodgate

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[Note 1]

[Note 2]

[5]

[Note 3]