Fanatical Alien Monsters. Halo and Religion in Fan-Forum Discourse

Abstract

Despite Halo’s extensive cultural footprint since its 2001 debut, its religious themes have largely been overlooked academically, an oversite this project attempts to address. Utilizing thematic analysis of forum discussions from 2018 to 2023 on the r/halo subreddit, this small-scale research project aims to explore how fans of the Halo franchise utilize and discuss the term religion. Preliminary findings of this study indicate that fans critically engage with the portrayal of religion in Halo, often drawing parallels between the franchise’s alien antagonists and real-world religious groups, where religiosity and monstrosity commonly become intertwined. This dialogue extends beyond gameplay, touching on broader societal and existential issues. This project contributes to the understanding of how video games like Halo can influence players’ perceptions of religion and offer a platform for exploring complex moral and existential questions, and how players can perceive video game monsters in a manner that transcends simple game mechanics.