Cortana (Halo)

Cortana
Halo character
Cortana as she appears in Halo 4
First game	Halo: Combat Evolved (2001)
Voiced by	Jen Taylor (video games) Shelley Calene-Black (Halo Legends)

Cortana is a fictional synthetic intelligence character in the Halo video game series. Voiced by Jen Taylor, she appears in Halo: Combat Evolved and its sequels, Halo 2, Halo 3, Halo 4 and Halo 5: Guardians. She also appears in a cutscene and the epilogue of the prequel Halo: Reach, as well as in several of the franchise's novels and comics. During gameplay, Cortana provides backstory and tactical information to the player, who assumes the role of Master Chief Petty Officer John-117. In the story, she is instrumental in preventing the activation of the Halo installations, which would have destroyed all sentient life in the galaxy.

Cortana's original design was based on the Egyptian queen Nefertiti; the character's holographic representation always takes the form of a woman. Bungie first introduced Cortana—and Halo—through the Cortana Letters, emails sent during Combat Evolved's production in 1999. Since then, the character has been used extensively to advertise the series. Cortana has been recognized for her sex appeal, believability, and character depth. The character was the inspiration for Microsoft's intelligent personal assistant.

The first Cortana was designed and modelled by Bungie artist Chris Hughes. Cortana's original Halo model's face was based on the sculpture of Egyptian Queen Nefertiti.

Voice actress Jen Taylor said that she remained somewhat distanced from the character, and she attended only one fan convention in six years after the release of Halo: Combat Evolved. Despite her role in voicing other video game characters, including Princess Peach, she is not a gamer. She felt that portraying Cortana was occasionally challenging because the character lacks a physical form and is "a computer." Interviewed about Cortana in Halo 3, Taylor said that "There's a lot more drama and a lot less technical jargon this time around. I actually just finished a couple of lines that nearly had me in tears." When choosing a voice actor for the character, Bungie originally wanted Cortana to have a British accent. Although this idea was later discarded, Cortana still uses British colloquialisms in Halo: Combat Evolved.