Edward Buck

Spartan Edward Malcolm BuckHalo: Initiation Issue 2 - Page 11, "Spartans don't have ranks because Spartan is your rank"Halo Legendary Crate - Bonus Item: Data Drop 2 - First Twelve Hours Page 1 & Page 2 (SN: 92458-37017-EB)Bungie.net - Meet the SquadHalo Waypoint, Universe - Buck is a SPARTAN-IV and a former Orbital Drop Shock Trooper.
==Biography==
===Early Life and Military Career===
Edward Buck was born in 2510 in New Albany, Lombard on Draco III. Buck's last known place of residence was Karnak on Draco III, where he also enlisted. His civilian occupation was listed as student. In 2528, when he was eighteen, he enlisted in the UNSC Marine Corps and trained on Earth and Reach, following it through as a career.
One of his first battles would be at Madrigal. Following which, he would participate at the Battle of the Great Bear. He would then go on to fight during the Harvest Campaign at Utgard in 2531. A year later in 2532, Buck would go onto ODST training, and then fight at the Battle of Vodin. Despite the ODST training, he would go on to fight as a regular Marine through the Battle of Charybdis IX and at the Battle of Alluvion.
In 2545. Draco III was destroyed by the Covenant Empire. Buck only learned of this after emerging from cryo-sleep on a journey from Mars to Hardscrabble. He was devastated to learn of the loss of his friends and family.Halo: New Blood - Page 15 That year, he would officially join the ODSTs.
Now an ODST, Buck would fight at the Battle of Sargasso and at Bounty.
At some point, Buck was in a romantic relationship with Veronica Dare.Halo 3: ODST - Level: Tayari Plaza
===Fall of Reach===
Buck was present during the Fall of Reach, fighting in New Alexandria.Halo: Reach - Level: New Alexandria At some point during the fighting, he requested assistance from SPARTAN-B312. Buck became one of the few lucky survivors of Reach's fall, having escaped New Alexandria and made it safely to Earth.
===Battle of Earth===
During the Battle of Earth in 2552, Buck's squad was a part of a larger ODST unit that was to be inserted onto the Prophet of Regret's Flagship stationed over the city of New Mombasa. His mission changed when Captain Dare took control of the squad at the last moment before the orbital drop, in order to use them for her own classified mission.Halo 3: ODST - Level: Prepare To Drop
In mid-drop, Dare ordered the squad to steer their HEVs away from the carrier. Right after this, the carrier jumped into Slipspace above the city, generating a massive EMP shockwave and disabling the pods' electronic systems. As a result, the pods were scattered and crashed in several sections in the city.
After the EMP, Buck's pod bounced off one building, deflected off a second, and landed upside down. He immediately made radio contact with Dare, whose hatch malfunctioned and wouldn't open. After a brief discussion, he realized that Covenant forces were heading for Dare's crash site. On his way to the crash site, he found the corpses of several Sangheili; upon asking Dare about the matter (and noting that the Jiralhanae appeared to be responsible), he was told that the information was classified. Later, Veronica contacted him, telling him the Covenant had found her and were moving in on her location. After fighting his way through a large unit of Covenant, including a Hunter pair, he made it to Tayari Plaza, Dare's crash site, where her pod was under fire by a trio of Unggoy. After dispatching the Unggoy, he opened up her pod to find it empty. A Huragok approached him holding Dare's damaged helmet, and Buck backed away from the mysterious alien before Romeo, on a balcony overlooking the crash site and believing the Huragok to be hostile, shot it through the head.
Buck abandoned Dare's original mission and focused on reuniting his squad and evacuating the city in one piece. He and Romeo made their way to the NMPD Headquarters building, where he made contact with Dutch and Mickey via an NMPD Officer. Dutch and Mickey, who were at the ONI Alpha Site, offered Buck an air evac via Pelican.Halo 3: ODST - Level: ONI Alpha Site On the way to the landing zone, Buck tried to contact the Rookie, but received no response.Halo 3: ODST - Level: NMPD HQ
When Dutch and Mickey's dropship arrived at NMPD HQ, it was ambushed and shot down by two patrolling Banshees. Romeo and Buck then moved through the NMPD Headquarters to find and rescue their squadmates on top of a neighboring skyscraper, defending it from waves of Covenant aircraft and infantry assaults. During the ensuing fight, a Jiralhanae Chieftain badly wounded Romeo with its Gravity Hammer, resulting in a punctured lung, before being fatally stabbed in the neck by Buck. Buck then led the other ODSTs to Kikowani Station, intending to take the train out of the city, but found that the train tunnels had been flooded. He decided to steal a Phantom to escape the city, killing many Huragok in their Recharge Stations on the way out. They encountered a Scarab as well, which Buck successfully destroyed. After finally making it out of the city, he realized where Dare might be and ordered Mickey to fly the captured Phantom back into the city.Halo 3: ODST - Level: Kikowani Station
He headed into the Superintendent's Data Center alone, going right through the Yanme'e hive. When he neared the Data Center, he was reunited with Dare, the Rookie, and the Huragok Vergil. Unaware as to the importance of the Huragok, he had a quick conversation with Dare as to why Vergil was so important, letting it slip to Dare that he had killed "one or two" Huragok, much to her annoyance. After finally making it to the elevator, Dare punched Buck in the face, for "abandoning the mission"; a furious Buck complained that she had been MIA, and that his squad was scattered only to be cut off by Dare, who gave him a passionate kiss for "coming back." Remembering the Rookie and Vergil were there and (rather awkwardly) watching, he congratulated the former on doing a good job.Halo 3: ODST - Level: Data Hive
After battling through a Covenant outpost, and boarding another elevator for the highway, the presence of the Covenant fleet was revealed to Dare. Irritated that Buck had neglected to inform her of the fleet, the two began arguing again, Buck protesting that he had been preoccupied with keeping the helpless Vergil alive. Taking the gunner position on various Warthogs and a Scorpion, Buck and the Rookie covered Dare and Vergil's Olifant down the highway, witnessing the arrival of more Covenant ships—including two Assault Carriers—and marveling at their size. When the first Carrier started to glass the city, he was reminded of Reach and briefly began to panic before Dare calmed him down. The Olifant was later severely damaged by a Scarab, and, knowing that the Covenant had glassed the highway further down, Buck ordered Mickey to meet them at a new location, the entrance to Uplift Reserve.
Buck and the others took the next exit off the highway, and the Rookie and Buck secured a building to hold and wait for Mickey's dropship to arrive. After fighting off waves of Covenant, Mickey arrived, and as the squad was evacuating, an Assault Carrier arrived close to their position. A frightened Vergil then refused to get on the Phantom, and was shoved in by Buck while Dare pulled it in the gravity beam. The group successfully escaped the city as it was glassed by the Covenant fleet.Halo 3: ODST - Level: Coastal Highway
Buck along with the rest of Alpha-Nine would then partake in Operation: JOINT MONITOR at Voi.
===Post-war===
On January 3, 2553, Black Box compiled a report for Admiral Margaret Parangosky detailing the actions of Alpha-Nine during the Battle of Mombasa, and containing Buck's CSV. Parangosky had interest in adding Buck to Kilo-Five, however Black Box recommended against this action, due to his personality.
In that same year, Buck and Veronica vacationed on Sundown to help rekindle their relationship. Jun-A266 would approach Buck and offer him a spot in the new SPARTAN-IV program. Buck refused, continuing with his vacation.Halo: New Blood - Page 42 - Page 47
===Draco III===
===Talitsa===
Following COALPEPPER, Buck became temporary Spartan Commander of the . He would later transfer to the .
===Guardians===
By October 2558 Edward Buck had been assigned to the SPARTAN-IV Fireteam Osiris under the command of Jameson Locke of ONI. Buck was present with the rest of Osiris for the Battle of Kamchatka.Halo 5: Guardians - Level: Osiris 
Buck and Osiris were then reassigned to hunting down Blue Team after they went Absent Without Leave. Their first location hunting down the rogue SPARTAN-IIs was the glassed colony of Meridian.Halo 5: Guardians - Levels Glassed to Evacuation
==Personality==
Watching so many of his fellow Marines die has left Buck thick-skinned and short-fused, but this wasn't always so.
==Gameplay==
Buck is a playable character in both Halo 3: ODST and Halo 5: Guardians. 
===Halo 3: ODST===
Buck is playable in the missions Tayari Plaza and Kikowani Station. He is also an allied NPC in the missions NMPD HQ and Coastal Highway.
Buck can be unlocked for play in Firefight by getting the Tayari Plaza Achievement.
===Halo: Reach===
Buck is seen only once in the Campaign, as a randomized objective in the level New Alexandria. He will ask the player to escort him to a building in the city.
Buck's voice can be purchased in The Armory for 15,000 credits to use in Halo: Reachs Firefight mode. The description says: "Truly, If he were any better, he'd be a Spartan."
===Halo 5: Guardians===
In Halo 5: Guardians, Buck is one of 8 playable characters in the campaign. He is only selectable in co-op modes on missions involving Fireteam Osiris. Otherwise, he will be an allied NPC. His unique attributes are a faster thruster pack recharge, slower stabilizer descent and increased melee damage.
His voice can also be used for the announcer in Halo 5: Guardians via microtransaction.
==Trivia==
*Buck is voiced and given likeness to by Nathan Fillion. He was described by Nathan Fillion himself as "a bit hardened and a bit cranky." 
*Nathan Fillion also starred in Halo 3 voicing Gunnery Sergeant Reynolds which Reynolds' quotes are shared with Buck in the game.
*Some of his lines, such as "Bam, said the lady" and "GORRAM!" come from the television shows Castle and Firefly respectively, which Nathan Fillion also starred in.
*In an Easter Egg in the Epilogue cutscene after the credits, if you look to the left near the end of Johnson's talk with Vergil, the camera will pan over to Buck standing next to a caveman, he attempts to groom and eat off it.YouTube: Halo 3: ODST - Epilogue Cutscene Easter Egg (HD)
*Rarely, if you jump with Buck somewhere in the vehicle, he will sing the first few bars of "Dixie" in reference to The Dukes of Hazard.
*Buck was made into an action figure by McFarlane Toys, and was released sometime in June of 2010.
*Buck's armor takes substantial combat damage by the end of the ODST campaign. This can be seen in the form of various plasma burns on its outer shell, pieces of glass embedded in the torso, parts of drone wing on his chest plate, several badly scratched components, and noticeable splashes of Yanme'e blood on several areas.
*Through a glitch on Reach's "New Alexandria" level, it is possible to have Buck or a random ODST fly with you on your Falcon's turret. To do this, one must first block Buck's path, just as he is about to land. If you're blocking him properly, he won't disembark the pilot's seat of his Falcon and just sit there. Once you look away after a few seconds, there is a good chance random ODSTs (ones that are meant to take his Falcon away) will spawn right next to it. Once the Falcon is away, there will be at least one single ODST standing there, and whether it is Buck or not, he'll be invincible. If you kill one of the Soldiers on your turret (providing he/she isn't already dead) and you land close enough to the ODST/Buck, he'll get onto the empty turret seat. This glitch is useful for those on Legendary, since there is absolutely no way the ODST can be killed unless the Falcon is completely shot out of the sky.
*During this level, Buck says he is a member of the 11th ODST, rather than the 7th. This could be a mistake on Bungie's part or it could simply mean he was a member of another battalion at the time.
*Also in that level, if you manage to get up close to Buck he has the same appearance as every other ODST in Reach, however, if you stare at him he will have Buck's voice when he talks.
*In Halo: Reach, if one were to have his voice as their firefight voice and pick up a Fuel Rod Cannon, he would announce "I am green and very, very mean!" This is a reference to Halo 3: ODST when they were about to drop in which the original was "We are green and very, very mean!"
*In Halo: Reach on New Alexandria, if the player is to follow Buck to the building he visits, and then use the theater flying camera to follow him, it reveals that he merely enters the building, stands still for a few seconds, then disappears.
*Buck is the first playable character in the Halo series to speak while being controlled by the player.
*Engraved on Buck's MJOLNIR/Helljumper armor behind the hilt of his combat knife is a heart with a "V" in the middle, a reference to Veronica Dare.
==Gallery==
===Halo 3: ODST===
BuckODST.png|Buck in Halo 3: ODST.
Buck's_Face.jpg|Buck's face, through a de-polarized visor.
Halo3 ODST-Buck.jpg|Buck in his armor.
GySgtBuck.jpg|Buck on .
buckdt.JPG|Buck as he appears in the Desperate Measures Vidoc.
213090-halo-3-odst-game-play.jpeg|Buck fights Covenant forces during the Battle of Mombasa.
halo3odst.jpg|Buck wielding a Shotgun during the Battle of Mombasa.
Halo_ODST_Buck_by_Kiba_lnuzuka.jpg|Buck on Tayari Plaza after the Slipspace event.
H3ODST BuckHunter TP.jpg|Buck facing a Hunter in Tayari Plaza.
Buck.jpg|Buck as seen in Campaign with his helmet on.
===Halo: Reach===
Buck's_Profile.jpg|Buck's profile in Halo: Reach's Firefight.
BuckInFalcon.jpg|Buck piloting a Falcon in New Alexandria.
Reach_4875954_Medium.jpg|A closeup of Buck's appearance in Halo: Reach.
BuckReachFalcon.jpg|Buck riding in a Falcon, on his way to a classified operation in the ruins of New Alexandria.
Reach 14934015 Full.jpg|Edward Buck, evacuating from New Alexandria.
===Halo 5: Guardians===
H5G_Render_Buck-FullBody.png|Render of Buck in his [GEN2] Helljumper armor.
H5G Render Buck-3View.jpg|Renders of Buck in his armor.
H5G FireTeam Osiris and Sword of Sanghelios.jpeg|Buck, Fireteam Osiris and Swords of Sanghelios at the Battle of Sunaion.
===Books===
HNB Cover-Clean.jpg|Buck on the cover of Halo: New Blood.
HBB_Artwork-Cover.png|Buck and Alpha-Nine on the cover of Halo: Bad Blood
===Other===
Nathan_Fillion,_Buck's_voice_actor..jpg|Nathan Fillion provided the voice and character model for Buck.
Halo3ODST-Buck-Action figure.jpg|McFarlane Toys/Series 8 action figure of Buck.
==Appearances==
*Halo 3: ODST 
*Halo: Reach
*Halo 2: Anniversary
**The Heretic 
**The Great Journey
*Halo: New Blood
*Halo 5: Guardians
*Halo: Bad Blood
==Sources==
es:Edward Buck
de:Edward Buck
ru:Эдвард_Бак
Category:Playable Characters
Category:ODST
Category:Spartan-IV