Riz-028

is a Spartan super soldier who is focused, professional and deadly -- essentially a cybernetically-enhanced killing machine.
==Biography==
===Battle on Madrigal===
Riz assists her fellow Silver Team members on a mission to eliminate the Covenant who have ambushed the radical planet of Madrigal. After the battle, Master Chief wants to return to Reach alone, so he orders Riz and thet eam to act against protocol by going back with the other Spartans . When Master Chief is affected by the object, he goes AWOL, leading Admiral Parangosky to initiate a kill order on Master Chief. Dr. Halsey, the creator of the Spartans, overrides this order with one of her own - protect Master Chief at all costs. Riz questions if this means firing upon friendlies, though Vannak iterates that if they are firing on Master Chief they aren't friendlies. The trio head to the landing bay, but their expertise are unneeded as Master Chief escapes the assault and flees Reach.Halo: The Television Series, Season One, Contact.
They are tasked with tracking Master Chief and take flight to follow his movements. The trio remarks on his odd movements such as jumping through an asteroid field. Kai wonders why he's doing this, but Riz and Vannak don't seem to question it. The next day, Master Chief activates his beacon and allows Silver Team to apprehend him and return him to FLEETCOM.Halo: The Television Series, Season One, Unbound The following day, Vannak and Riz are playing a game in Spartan headquarters on John returns from his testing with Halsey. He gives them permission to ask questions about his actions, but Riz states they have fought together since they were children and trust him. Vannak supports this claim. Suddenly, John's new AI Cortana appears and introduces herself, confusing the Spartans. John snaps that he didn't summon her and tries to dismiss her, but she only questions his vernacular before politely excusing herself. John remarks that the new A.I. is not permanent.Halo: The Television Series, Season One, Emergence
Dr. Keyes recruits the Spartans to run tests on the Madrigal artifact to see if they react to the object the same way Master Chief does. She wonders what, if anything, makes him special. Vannak, in response to her, remarks matter-of-factly that John is the Master Chief. He obliges with her commands and removes his helmet to conduct the test. They are uneventful as the artifact does not react to Vannak or the Spartans touches. When Miranda insults the Spartans, Kai speaks up for them by listing what makes the Spartans great, including Riz's ability to speak nearly every language.
While performing more tests in her lab, Miranda admits that she thought her mother kept her from the Spartans because they were more fun, but now she doesn't believe fun was part of their training. Kai corrects that they did have fun, as they each had pets growing up and would play hunter and hunted in the woods. The loser had to eliminate their pet, with Kai pausing as she remembers her cat. Vannak-134 never lost a match, though Halsey executed his pet to teach them that Spartans should only form attachments to one another. Miranda is mortified at Halsey's display of apathy, but the story doesn't affect Kai, Vannak, or Riz. Kai excitedly picks up a Needler, a Covenant weapon, and reveals Riz and Vannak's knowledge of the Shangeheli language. In fact, the Spartans have spent the most time with the Covenant and know much of their language, something Miranda is remiss over not realizing sooner.Halo: The Television Series, Season One, Homecoming
===Search for the Keystones===
The Spartans are reassigned to provide support in the extraction of the second artifact. Riz briefs the UNSC personnel on how they will transfer the artifact to the UNSC Pioneer. When Slipspace becomes breached the Spartans leap into action. Vannak and Riz assist John in moving the artifact as he can't make physical contact with it. As a viscous fight ensues, their plans to take the artifact to Miranda are derailed when the ship goes up in flames. John disobeys orders to deliver the artifact to Dr. Keyes' ship and instead, saves Kai and the marines from the Covenant ambush happening below them. His diversion from the original plan results in the Warthog with the Spartans and artifact crashing. Subsequently, the artifact is stolen by the Covenant.Halo: The Television Series, Season One, Reckoning
The survivors of the battle return to Reach. Kai's injuries have her screaming in agony as the pain injections aren't quelling her pain. Master Chief sits next to her as he holds her hand, obliging to Vannak's request to keep her still while Riz injects more medicine. Finally, Kai goes unconscious and her bleeding wounds are tended too. She regains some of her strength and visits Riz and Vannak who are discussing their new weapons upgrades now that Halsey is no longer part of the Spartan program. Kai asks why that is but Vannak bluntly states it wasn't in the report.Halo: The Television Series, Season One, Solace
Riz and Vannak examine the Phantom ship they recovered from Madrigal. Vannak asks about Kai status, with Riz reluctantly admitting that Kai is getting there. Halsey orders Silver Team to bring John, Makee, and the artifact to her ship where they will all leave Reach together. Kai inadvertently alerts Halsey after a hormonal fluctuation is detected - the result of her pellet removal. She thinks there is another way to help John, insisting that he's their friend and they can't just abduct him, let alone fight him. Halsey cuts off communication to and from Kai, then tells the other Spartans that Kai has been compromised too. Subsequently, Riz and Vannak knock Kai unconscious and tie her up in the showering quarters.
John faces the Spartans who want to apprehend him and bring him back to Halsey, believing him to be compromised. John tries to explain they are being manipulated but they don't listen. They don't need to take him back alive. Cortana helps John fight against Vannak and Riz, though he's underequipped for the fight and badly beaten. Kai arrives and helps John until they reach a stalemate. Before they can continue the battle, Makee makes contact with the artifact and sends an energy blast across FLEETCOM, blasting the Spartans away from each other.Halo: The Television Series, Season One, Allegiance
As the effects of the Halo's blast wears off, Kai is taken hostage by Riz and Vannak. They find John and leverage Kai for him to come with them. John, not seeing any other option, reveals that Halsey kidnapped them as children and stole them from their parents. She forced them to become Spartans. Kai reveals that she knows and he's telling the truth. Riz wavers in her belief but Vannak doesn't, pointing a gun to John's head. Miranda and Jacob arrive in the midst of the conversation, but hear John trying to reason with the Spartans by telling them the truth of Halsey's horrendous actions. They don't believe him until Jacob admits to being privy to the activities and helping to plan their kidnappings. This is enough to break through to Riz and Vannak. Silver Team splits up, with John, Riz, and Vannak head to the ship bay to stop Makee from escaping, while Kai goes after Halsey alone. John, Riz, and Vannak are ultimately too late as they watch her leave the planet.
The Spartans recoup as they try to carve out a plan. Silver Team heads on a dangerous mission to find the Covenant's holy planet of High Charity. Riz and Vannak board the ship with Kai. She asks if they really would have shot her, though they immediately agree. Vannak knows she would have done the same, but Kai at least would have felt bad about it afterwards. The trip there is rocky as they are almost "spaghettified" by the atmosphere surrounding High Charity. As they advance their cover is eventually blown, triggering thousands of Covenant forces to emerge from the grounds to attack them.
An intense battle ensues as Silver Team is quickly overwhelmed. John sees Makee from afar, but faces an onslaught of attacks from the best of the Covenant. Makee makes contact with the now-assembled keystones to save John from the ambush. She succeeds as the blast knocks the Covenant and Spartans to the ground. When she touches the artifact both she and John are rendered unconscious and taken to the Halo. Riz becomes badly injured in the battle when she takes the force of several brutes wrath, combined with beatings from smaller Covenant forces.
Kai struggles to keep the Covenant at bay while protecting a badly wounded Riz. Vannak takes position at the top of the temple, firing on the aliens below. He remarks their need for the Chief to be online, with Kai unable to reach through to the Chief by shouting at him. Vannak is incapacitated by a group of Covenant. Kai, seeing no other option to free the Chief, fatally shoots Makee. With Makee dead, the star map to the Halo is incomplete. One of the aliens places a plasma grenade on Riz, and when Kai goes to help, they are both caught in the detonation.
The Covenant shifts their focus to killing the Spartans and capturing John, quickly overwhelming the already weakened Spartans. Master Chief is forced to make a choice - save the Spartans or steal the keystone. He surrenders his body to Cortana as she can save both the team and the keystone. She is reluctant she isn't sure she can pull him back or repair his psyche once she resumes control. He relents that he trusts her and gives himself over to the Covenant to attack, which forces Cortana's hand. She assumes control over him and demolishes the Covenant forces.
Master Chief carries the artifact and leads the Spartans to their ship. Vannak supports an injured Riz who can barely walk. Silver Team boards their ship and take-off into the sky as the Covenant shoot at them from below; the Spartans have won this battle. Riz is severely injured, so Master Chief silently cauterizes her wound while Vannak holds her hand to keep her still. Master Chief assumes control over the ship as the pilot. Kai joins him and reluctantly asks John if he's in there. Master Chief silently stares out into space.Halo: The Television Series, Season One, Transcendence
===Regaining Strength===
Riz converses with Kai-125 at headquarters, where Kai suggests taking time to heal, but Riz insists that she is ready for battle, emphasizing her commitment to fighting in the war.Halo: The Television Series, Season Two, Sanctuary
Riz trains alongside John and other Spartans. During the training, Riz encounters difficulties and has a serious fall, which leaves her unable to get back up. Despite her injuries, Riz tries to hide the pain, embodying the Spartan ethos that "Spartans never die."
Through the help of former Spartan Louis-036, Riz visits a healer to seek assistance for her injuries, highlighting her willingness to address her vulnerabilities and seek help when needed. The event proves cathartic for Riz and she begins to consider Louis's sentiment that there's more to life than just being a Spartan.Halo: The Television Series, Season Two, Sword
===The Fall of Reach===
The Covenant forces attack Reach hard and swiftly. Riz defends the city alongside Louis and Danilo until John, who is with Marine Talia Perez, finds them.Halo: The Television Series, Season Two, Reach
=== Retirement on Aleria ===
After Reach falls to Covenant forces, Riz recovers from her major injuries on the planet Aleria. Halsey tends to her wounds but warns that she will never be the same soldier again because of it. She was already diminished before the battle, so she will have to work harder now. Riz attends Vannak's funeral where Halsey's attempt at a eulogy only honors the boy she knew as Vannak Amadi. John interrupts to give a proper one about Vannak the Spartan. John promises to find the people responsible for his death and end them. He places a torch on the body, watching it go up in flames before walking away. Riz stays at the funeral where she watches the body burn. She takes note of Kwan's odd behavior, as well.
By the next morning, Riz watches townspeople from the hospital, and one woman waves. Riz is taken off guard, confused by the gesture, before returning the wave. John finds her later in the day as they are preparing to depart Aleria. She's decided to stay on the planet. Her fight is over. John refuses that as it's only over when Vannak or Kai says it is. It's over when they win. He orders her to get on her feet. She can only stand with the help of a cane and pain. She knows what and who they lost. She's going to live. He thinks they owe everyone they lost. She calmly says it's just pain and all they can do is carry it. But the more they deny it, the more they run from it, the heavier it gets. If he doesn't make peace with it, then it will crush him. She won't let it crush her. He hesitates, saying she's all he has left. She knows that and hugs him. He walks away from her and over to Halsey, sharing the news of Riz not coming. Halsey joins Riz on the porch, saying that she's no one now. Riz smiles at Halsey and limps over to her newfound people, who help her down the stairs. She leaves her Spartan tags on the chair.Halo: The Television Series, Season Two, Aleria
==Personality==
Riz is the perfect Spartan - obedient, loyal, tough, and emotionally suppressed. She has a strong loyalty to Master Chief and admiration for him, all of which changes the second Halsey says he's been compromised. She has a sense of empathy for her comrades, and wavers when John explains what Halsey did to them as children. However, her orders from Vannak supersede the flickering of emotion. It's only when Captain Keyes, who has more authority, confirms the story that Riz believes it. She is intellectual, blunt, and a leader in her own right. She removes the pellet suppressing her emotions and experiences sheer pain for the first time. The injuries she sustained on missions become almost debilitating, though her refusal to show what could be perceived as weakness supersedes her pain. Kai suggests that Riz put her pellet back in as it will help with the pain. Riz would rather die than let that happen. She does enjoy the life she has without her pellet - the emotions, memories, and friendships she can foster. Despite the pellet being gone, Riz is still a soldier who follows orders without hesitation. She believes in never showing weakness or asking for help. It was only with immense pain that she accepted Louis-036's help and saw a healer. The experience changed Riz as she felt the pain leave her body and was told it was okay, that the pain was hers, and she could live.
==Trivia==
* Riz is an original character for the television series, and as such, does not have another media counterpart.
** Her visor became available in Halo Infinite on February 8, 2024.
==Gallery==
Halo 101 Riz-Still2.jpg
Halo 102 Riz-Still.jpg
Halo 105 Riz-Still2.jpg
Halo 108 Riz-Still.jpg
Halo 204 Riz Still.jpg
==Appearances==
* Season One
**Contact
** Unbound
** Emergence
** Homecoming
** Reckoning
** Solace
** Allegiance 
** Transcendence
* Season Two
** Sanctuary
** Sword
** Visegrad
** Reach
** Aleria
** Onyx (Mentioned)
** Thermopylae (Mentioned)
==Sources==
Category:Characters (TV show)
Category:Spartans (TV show)
Category:UNSC (TV show)