The success of the Xbox series of consoles can at least be partially attributed to the ever-popular Halo franchise, which introduced the character of John-117, otherwise known as the Master Chief. In a world of uber-powered video game superheroes, he stands as one of the tallest.
The Master Chief does face stiff competition from Nintendo's own Samus Aran, the main protagonist of the Metroid franchise. Both are highly trained warriors with access to a unique set of skills, tools, and capabilities, but who would emerge victorious from a fight? The following is a list of five reasons the Master Chief can beat Samus Aran in battle, and five reasons she could kick his can around the galaxy.
10 Master Chief: The Spartan-II Program
The Master Chief is a miracle of UNSC military technology — a product of the Spartan-II weapons program which was designed to produce a new breed of elite super-soldiers. This involved augmenting recruits at a prepubescent age in order to enhance their mass and height, with the Master Chief averaging over 7 feet tall.
This, combined with extensive physical training, advanced education and bio-augmentation (which sported an extremely high mortality rate) gave the Spartan-II recruits a range of abilities no regular human could even hope to aspire to.
9 Samus: Bounty Hunting Skills
Samus Aran was raised by the Chozo species on the distant planet Zebes following the death of her parents at the hands of Space Pirates at the age of three. Under their tutelage, Samus was imbued with Chozo DNA and trained in their warrior ways, which served her well when she pursued a bounty hunting career.
Even without her trademark Power Suit, Samus is still a physical force to be reckoned with, standing at 6'3" and weighing almost 200 lbs worth of lean, warrior-like perfection. The events of her life have honed her into an ultimate warrior.
8 Master Chief: UNSC Armor
The Master Chief's greatest battlefield asset is his MJOLNIR armor, which grants him superior defensive and protective capabilities, as well as physical enhancements far beyond that of a typically outfitted UNSC soldier.
In addition to an advanced tactical HUD and regenerative shielding, the MJOLNIR armor also includes a neural interface which links it to the wearer, while offering an upgrade option to carry a starship-grade AI.
7 Samus: Chozo Power Suit
Samus' Power Suit is of extraterrestrial Chozo design, and therefore quite mysterious when compared side-by-side with conventional human armor types. There have been several variations of the Power Suit throughout the Metroid games — the most recognizable being a literal part of Chozo folklore and history.
In addition to superior defensive and protective capabilities which allow her to survive in the harshest of environments, Samus' Power Suit is loaded with a dizzying array of optional upgrades which can further expand her capabilities, while retaining a shocking amount of agility.
6 Master Chief: Cortana
In contrast to Samus, the Master Chief doesn't have to go it alone in a fight. Thanks to an upgrade in his MJOLNIR armor, he can engage the enemy with an AI interfacing directly with his brain, providing an extra level of tactical efficiency.
While two heads are better than one on any given day, an AI like Cortana can take that to an entirely new level. Tactical information is greatly expanded, as is the ability to hack enemy technology and access locked routes.
5 Samus: Morph Ball
Samus is a creature of solitude who works alone almost all the time, which means there's no AI to act as an accompanying voice in her head. As such, she must rely exclusively on her Power Suit's capabilities to compensate for the lack of an AI-based intelligence network.
The Morph Ball upgrade is one such option, allowing Samus to traverse distances at great speed, plant bombs, and reach inaccessible areas. In the context of a fight with the Master Chief, Samus has more options when it comes to planning retreats, or hit and run techniques.
4 Master Chief: Advanced Weapons Training
There's barely a weapon alive that the Master Chief can't immediately pick up and wield like a pro. Extensive training has given him all the know-how he needs to put UNSC weaponry to optimal use, while simultaneously turning enemy artillery against his foes.
Whether it's superior proficiency with the sniper rifle, or dual-wielding twin Needlers against a contingent of Covenant soldiers, the Master Chief can quickly turn an impossible situation into a home field advantage, provided there are guns on the ground.
3 Samus: Power Beam
At first glance, Samus' Power Beam is a fairly rudimentary and straightforward energy-based weapon that is highly effective against all but the most heavily armored enemy types.
In reality, the Power Beam is more versatile than it looks, capable of charging up, firing missiles, or being used in conjunction with other upgrades such as the Ice Beam. It's a one-size-fits-all weapon that eliminates the need to carry multiple weapons, allowing Samus to maintain a clean and minimally efficient load-out.
2 Master Chief: Faced Down The Covenant & The Forerunners
When it comes to kill counts, the Master Chief has plenty of stats to brag about. He's faced down entire legions of Covenant forces, not to mention their advanced weaponry such as Scarabs and capital ships.
After the Covenant was beaten back, the Master Chief then took the fight to the Forerunners themselves, led by the newly awakened Didact and his Promethean forces. The Covenant feared the Master Chief so much that they nicknamed him "the Demon." He's logged enough hours on the battlefront to take on Samus.
1 Samus: Faced Down Space Pirates, Mother Brain, And Metroids
Samus gained a reputation of notoriety for her campaigns against the feared Space Pirates, led by the monstrous Mother Brain. She vanquished their forces on several occasions, while laying waste to their most feared Lieutenants such as Ridley, Kraid and Thardus.
She also survived multiple encounters with one of the most dangerous and feared organisms in the entire galaxy — Metroids. This apex predator sucks the life out of its victims and reduces them to a dead husk within seconds. This extensive battle experience makes Samus more than a match for the Master Chief, but is it too close to call?