Kwan Ha

Kwan Ha
Biographical information
Homeworld	Madrigal
Physical information
Species	Human
Gender	Female
Height	5'2" (157 centimeters)
Hair	Brown
Portrayed by	Yerin Ha
Chronological and political information
Affiliation	Madrigal Insurrectionists
Battles	Battle of Madrigal

Kwan Ha is a shrewd, audacious 16-year-old from the planet Madrigal who meets Master Chief at a fateful time for them both.

Biography

Early Life

Kwan is the only daughter of Jin Ha, the leader of the rebels on the planet Madrigal. Her mother, an insurrectionist, died while attending a conference. The Spartans arrived and killed everyone in attendance, which was the first time Kwan encountered Master Chief and the other Spartans.

Attack on Madrigal

Kwan explores the outer perimeter of her outpost in search of a plant that can give hallucinogenic effects to her and her friends. While exploring, she sees the Covenant ships arrive. She tries to warn her friends who are already under the influence of the plant and don't take her warnings seriously. They are killed before her eyes and she sends up a red flare to warn her people of the attack. By the time she returns to the outpost, her father, General Jin Ha, is preparing the troops to fight. She warns that the attack isn't from the UNSC but something else entirely. She ushers the children into a vault for safety and watches the Covenant attack that demolishes her people. She flees the vault wanting to help, ultimately witnessing more death and destruction. The Spartans arrive and help defeat the Covenant. As Kwan prepares to reunite with her father, he is murdered by a Covenant Elite before her eyes, making Kwan is the sole survivor of the outpost. The Spartans prepare to leave without her until she is knocked unconscious by a fleeing Covenant, with Master Chief taking her and an unknown artifact back to the ship.

On the flight to Reach, a panicked Kwan is propositioned by Miranda Keyes to give a speech on how the Spartans saved her people from the Covenant. Kwan threatens to lie that the Spartans killed everyone if Keyes doesn't convince the UNSC to give freedom to Madrigal. After Miranda disconnects the uplink, Kwan spends time with Master Chief in an attempt to learn more about him. As they talk about her mother and the fateful conference that even he is questioning, an Article 72, a kill order, against Kwan comes to Master Chief. He decides not to follow through with the orders, instead, disconnecting the ships surveillance system. The UNSC responds by cutting the air supply to the ship and Master Chief's suit. He overcomes the oxygen deprivation to manually restore air flow. Kwan holds him at gun point but he explains that the bullets won't dent his armor. He removes his helmet to gain her trust, and ultimately, they work together to disable the ships AI system. Once they arrive at Reach, they are shot down by the UNSC with the military having orders to terminate both Master Chief and Kwan. He touches the artifact once again, receiving more vision, and the artifact emits an energy wave that turns off the power in the UNSC base. It also recharges his ship as the energy courses through the framework, allowing Master Chief and Kwan to escape Reach unscathed.

The pair escape to the unsanctioned colony Rubble, where John's friend Soren took refuge after leaving the Spartan program. John hopes to learn more about the object he found, but ends up learning more about himself in the process. Kwan befriends Soren's son Kessler and he shows her a map of the planets and the ones he can name. She also bonds with Soren's wife, Laera, who also lost her planet to the Covenant. She sympathizes with Kwan, who watches footage of Vinsher Grath executing people in Madrigal, now that he's in charge of the planet. Kwan explains to Soren the next day how the object powered Master Chief's ship and lit up by his touch. Soren grabs the object but he doesn't react to his touch, surprising Kwan who insists it worked earlier. Soren takes them and the object to see a Covenant abduction survivor, Reth, who knows about Covenant artifacts. Reth believes that the object is a keystone and that Master Chief can activate it because he's a Blessed One. He warns that the object could be a weapon, prompting Master Chief's decision to leave Rubble and return to Reach so he can reconnect with his Spartans. He makes Soren promise to look after Kwan, who is upset to see him leave and have another choice taken from her. He apologizes as this was the best he could do.

Kwan tries to make the best of her situation by exploring The Rubble, but sees broadcasts of General Grath announcing his plans to forge peace with the UNSC, and cease any plans for Madrigal's independence, which angers her. She confronts Soren and demands her return to Madrigal so can join the resistance and fight for the freedom her father wanted. Soren refuses, and when Kwan calls him an asshole, he doesn't crush her skull as a courtesy to John. She follows his command that she return home. She spends time with Kessler who shares his knowledge of the planets, showing her them in a window of the home. Kwan asks about Madrigal, just as Laela calls him away for dinner. She notices Kwan's melancholy and expresses that she deals with the loss of her planet by living in the present, refusing to let the loss break her spirit. Kwan is opposed to the lavish and lazy lifestyle that Laela and her family live, which offends Laela. She ultimately doesn't scold Kwan for the insult, but ensures she knows of her disapproval, then admits that the universe would be diminished without Kwan in it. That night, Kwan tries to hotwire a ship using the knowledge she gained from Master Chief, but fails. Soren reveals that these ships aren't like the UNSC's, threatening to kill her for trying to steal his ship. She instead convinces Soren to help her get to Madrigal safely, and once she's there and safe with the insurrectionists, she will pay him a great sum of money from her family trust. Kwan and Soren leave The Rubble for Madrigal to join the fight against Grath.

Returning Home

As they navigate Madrigal City, Soren and Kwan learn more of the iron grip Vinsher has over the people, including the projections of the bounty for her life. Kwan attends a memorial service for her father that his former generals hold, learning that the insurrectionists she expected to find have caved to Vinsher's fear, with the citizens resigning to the protection the UNSC offers against the Covenant. The insurrectionists have disbanded, with no funds left to inspire people to fight. Those that weren't made an example of by Vinsher were bribed into servitude or new alliances. Vinsher and his men ambush the memorial and kill several of the attendees, while Soren and Kwan escape.

By morning, they can't leave Madrigal as Soren's ship has been dismantled by scrappers. As he looks for another way off the planet, Kwan wants to reunite with her aunt, Soojin Ha. She accepts a meeting and Soojin explains how the family has lost their fortune, with Jin having other motives for protecting Madrigal that he never shared with anyone. He was never the same after his trip to see the Mystics. Kwan demands to know the location of these Mystics, but Soojin refuses to tell her as she needs to leave Madrigal. Suddenly, Violetta Franco attacks them on a bounty from Vinsher. She kills Soojoin but Soren thwarts her attack on Kwan, pulling her too safety. As they attempt to outrun the bounty hunter and hoard of fighters, Soren steals a motorbike and they ride out of the city.

Once in the Okjungdong Basin, the bike dies and a grumbling Soren loathes his current position and misfortune. She is insistent they return to lead the fight against Vinsher. Soren refuses her offer as they need to leave the planet and get her to safety, per his promise to John and her deal to pay him. Kwan persist so he handcuffs her to the bike so she won't run-off while he searches for another way off the planet. Kwan screams in protest as she spends the remainder of her time trying to break the chains with rocks and sheer will. She does succeed in breaking off the plate she's handcuffed too. Soren returns but doesn't see Kwan, believing she's run off again. Kwan emerges from her hiding place in the sand and users a taser against him, rendering him unconscious. She steals his gun and aims it at him.

She drives Soren's vehicle into the desert where she encounters the Mystics. She demands their help and knowledge, only to be kidnapped by them moments later. When she awakens she meets Desiderata, the leader of the Mystics, who explains that she knew Jin Ha very well. She demonstrates her power to turn fire into water as she tells the tale of Kwan's forefather's forefather discovering Madrigal's deuterium supply. She explains the history of the planet, including the alien visitor from another time and existence that visited Kwan's ancestor. For Kwan to learn more, she must go on a spiritual journey of discovery. Kwan, unafraid by the potential, drinks the water that makes her fall into a vision.

She's back on Master Chief's ship and follows him to a tented area in the desert where the Mystics are waiting. Reth eagerly explains that she must put her rage to use, plying her with a weapon. She continues to fight Master Chief only to die - a cycle that repeats over and over again until she finally collapses, crying out as she asks what he wants. Master Chief extends his hand and leads her to the desert.

Once her arrives, she encounters on of her ancestors. The ancestor explains that John will be back on Madrigal soon, and that she'll need to show him the way and open the door for him. Slowly, the spirits of her fallen ancestors morph into the newest generations, settling into Jin. She happily embraces her father, who describes their forefather's encounter with a creature from another time who tasked him with guarding a portal. This portal and its secrets will only be revealed once Madrigal is free, hence his persistence to free the planet from oppression. The responsibility has been handed down to each descendant, and the task must lay with Kwan now that he's gone. She's not sure she can rally the people as she isn't a leader as he was, but he's certain that she can do it. She has to be different and fight on her own terms. He instructs her to go back to where it all began.

Kwan wakes up from her vision and returns to the outpost, searching through her family home to find letters between Jin and his father. Vinsher learns of Kwan's presence and is out for blood. She tries to escape the men hunting her and is almost caught when Soren emerges, saving her life once more to honor his promise to John, not for the tripled bounty on her head. She tells him of her plan and they head to the control room, where they are quickly surrounded by Vinsher's army. Soren's first instinct to fight everyone alone, but she's adament that her plan to detonate the sky tower, which is a fuel depot, will incinerate everyone in the vicinity. If they can get to the vault before the explosion they should be safe, a sentiment that doesn't bring Soren much comfort.

Vinsher taunts Kwan as he lies about being friends with her father and not killing her, a rouse she sees through quickly. She gives a speech to him about Madrigal's freedom, then realizes that she can't turn on the fuel from the control room - she has to do it manually. Soren initially wants to travel across the battlefield but she refuses, as she knows a secret tunnel that leads there. She shows him a case full of money, promising it's his if he helps by shooting the sky pipe on her signal.

After activating it, Kwan is ambushed, though Soren saves her from across the field. Vinsher's men spot her a bit later, and uses a Covenant weapon to save herself. She hides under a truck where she finds Master Chief's discarded weapon near a Covenant soldier. She takes the weapon and uses it to save Soren and then shoot the sky pipe. Kwan and an injured Soren barely make it to the vault before the area explodes.

They emerge after the blast to rain falling on them, making Kwan giddy with happiness. She escorts Soren to his ship and gives him the entirety of the money, donning them even for now. Despite this, she has a feeling they'll see each other again soon, though he scoffs off the claim. As Soren flies off in his ship, Kwan turns back to Madrigal.

Hiding Out

After the glassing of Madrigal, Kwan seeks refuge on The Rubble, where she is sold into indenturehood for the Spiffs. She has a tracked put into her ear. She hides from her indentures in a cave, where she tells stories of a monster to Soren's son, Kessler. Kwan lays low and attempts to remove her tracker in her ear. However, she is discovered, leading to a confrontation with a group of men attempting to capture her to sell as a slave for credit. Kwan outruns them but eventually they catch up. She fights them off and kills one of them. She rips her tracker out and runs for her life.

She hides out and meets with Kessler, who brings her some food and asks her what happened.

Personality

Kwan is an audacious, shrewd, brave juvenile with a strong sense of justice. She is adventurous by nature, wanting to explore beyond the borders of her outpost, dreaming of one day expanding beyond her planet. She experiences severe trauma during a Covenant attack on Madrigal, witnessing her outpost being desolated, and the death of her father. She is taken under the wing of a now rogue Spartan, who is determined to protect her and a mysterious object. Kwan is outspoken and doesn't shy away from her beliefs in the face of impending danger. She is also an activist for her planet. Her behavior can be quite petulant, childish, and immature, as she refuses to listen to the older and wiser Soren, who tries to protect her. She is snarky, assertive, and intelligent beyond her years, a fact that is often forgotten because of her brazen attitude.

Trivia

• Kwan is an original character created for Halo: The Television Series, making her one of very few characters to not have a video game counterpart.

Gallery

Appearances

• Season One
  • Contact
  • Unbound
  • Emergence
  • Homecoming
  • Reckoning
  • Solace (Hallucination)
  • Inheritance
• Season Two
  • Sanctuary
  • Sword
  • Visegrad
  • Aleria
  • Onyx
  • Thermopylae
  • Halo