On February 9, 2525, on Earth’s moon colony later known as Luna, a man named Jonathan Doherty would be born, but for most Halo 3: ODST fans this man would be known as simply “the Rookie.” Seldom Halo video game protagonists achieve as high prominence in Halo stories or popularity among fans compared to Master Chief or the Arbiter. This is primarily due to the other protagonists’ fewer appearances in the franchise’s various media. Despite this, Halo 3: ODST’s Rookie remains an enigmatic and intriguing figure for many Halo players. With the Rookie turning -500 years old this year, here’s an in-depth look at Doherty’s life, death, and legacy.
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The Life and Military Career of Jonathan Doherty
When Doherty was born, on the core world colony of Luna, humanity had just come in contact with the multi-alien-species religious hegemony known as the Covenant six days prior near the outer colony world of Harvest. Due to Harvest being 11.83 light-years from the Sol System and communication of the First Battle of Harvest remaining in secret to the overall UNSC, Doherty’s family was likely unaware of the emerging Covenant threat. Doherty’s early life and extended family are relatively unknown, but by the time he turned five years old in 2530, his future Alpha-Nine teammate Michael Crespo would be born in Doherty’s home of Crisium City on Luna.
With the Human-Covenant War in full swing by 2547, Doherty enlisted into the UNSC Marine Corps at age 22. In 2552, the final year of the war, he attained the rank of Lance Corporal and was accepted into the elite special operations force known as the Orbital Drop Shock Troopers. As an ODST, Doherty was first assigned to the 26th Marine Expeditionary Force in the Battle of New Jerusalem. Most of the 26th Marine Expeditionary Force were killed in the battle, with Doherty and fellow ODSTs Carlo Hoya and future Alpha-Nine teammate Kojo Agu being some of the notable survivors. Both Hoya and Agu went on to become Spartan-IVs post-war.
The Rookie’s Experience in The Raid of Mount Haven
Following the defeat at New Jerusalem, Doherty was deployed to Mount Haven on a currently unknown colony world as seen in the short story Dirt in the 2009 anthology Halo: Evolutions – Essential Tales of the Halo Universe. This story primarily focuses on the fatally wounded ODST Gage Yevgenny recounting his life and military career to Doherty. During the raid, Yevegenny attempted to save children from a bank but was mortally shot by rogue ODSTs before hijacking a Pelican dropship containing Forerunner relics and a Shiva-class nuclear missile. Yevegenny ordered Doherty to run away and shortly thereafter detonated the nuke as Covenant and rogue ODSTs arrived at the crash site. Doherty was the only ODST survivor of Mount Haven.
While the initials J.D. could be seen on the Rookie’s armor in Halo 3: ODST, his full name of Jonathan Doherty wouldn’t be revealed until the publication of 2022’s Halo Encyclopedia.
The Post-War Career and Death of Jonathan Doherty
After the Raid of Mount Haven, Doherty was ordered back to Earth following news of the fall of Reach and was subsequently assigned to the ODST fireteam Alpha-Nine as a part of the 103rd Shock Troops Battalion. Nicknamed the “Rookie” by his teammates, Alpha-Nine was initially ordered to board the Prophet of Regret’s flagship, Solemn Penance, via drop pod during the Battle of Earth in Halo 3: ODST. However, he was secretly reassigned by ONI officer Veronica Dare. When the Penance jumped into slipspace, Doherty was knocked unconscious for six hours in his drop pod in the city of New Mombasa. Here, Doherty tracked the movements of his squad before reuniting with Dare and assisting her in recovering the Huragok called Quick to Adjust.
Dare and Doherty reunited with the rest of Alpha-Nine and escaped the glassing of New Mombasa. Shortly thereafter, Doherty learned that his family was killed by Covenant attacks on Luna and deployed with his squad in Operation: JOINT MONITOR to ensure no Flood presence remained near the city of Voi. About one year after the Human-Covenant war’s official end in 2554, Alpha-Nine was deployed to the colony world of Draco III as seen in the 2015 novel, Halo: New Blood. Here, Doherty was captured and subsequently killed by United Rebel Front Captain Ingridson. Doherty was buried at sea on Draco III, but his death caused Alpha-Nine to break up, with Taylor “Dutch” Miles retiring and the rest being recruited into the Spartan-IV program.
The Impact and Legacy of Jonathan “The Rookie” Doherty
Unlike Master Chief, who was a character with his own voice and mannerisms, Bungie made Doherty a completely silent protagonist save for some grunts exhibited when suffering severe damage. This design was intended for players to better identify themselves with the Rookie, as opposed to the Master Chief, who was an established character. The Rookie’s silent voice and design as a vessel for the player could be interpreted as a test bed for Halo: Reach’s Noble Six, which took that design a step further by having players choose the armor and gender of the Spartan-III. While Noble Six does have more voice lines than Doherty, both are considered relatively blank slate player characters for gamers to identify themselves with.
2009’s Halo 3: ODST was the first time Halo fans got to play as someone who wasn’t a supersoldier or an expert alien warrior. Ever since the ODSTs were first visually introduced in Halo 2, players have long sought to learn more about and play as the elite troopers, with the Rookie being many fans’ first time embodying such a soldier in-game. The Rookie’s success in immersing players in the barren, enigmatic streets of New Mombasa as well as the vulnerable but still skillful form of an ODST led to many players becoming enthralled with ODSTs and lesser-known aspects of the Halo universe beyond Spartans. Today, many are still clamoring to once more step feet first into Hell in Halo games due to Bungie’s triumph with the Rookie.
- Released
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September 22, 2009
- ESRB
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M For Mature 17+ due to Blood, Language, Violence