The Characters of DROP
WATCH THE CONCEPT SHORT FILM
Learn more about the tone and style choices for the full film by watching DROP | A Halo ODST Short Film
Anton Svoboda
ODST
Anton Svoboda (Checkmate) is an ODST that questions his place in the Human-Covenant War. He wants to support humanity and simultaneously escape it all. Anton ponders death as a means to escape life without a purpose when all that he has known is war.
His relationships with the squad test his resolve to fight for his life and theirs. Anton’s strong will to save all around him and make a difference shine through his intention to do what’s right.
Anton finds he has a metaphysical connection to the chief he’s unsure of. Their stories intertwine through the story realizing they’re capable of saving one another.
Briggs
ODST
Briggs, ODST
Former Londonite - (Think Idris Elba but war hardened but never serious until it matters)
Briggs is the heart and swagger of Alpha 2, a cheery British ODST with a booming personality and a mouth that never quits. He has a cockney edge to his voice and a grin that usually shows up before he does, making him instantly recognizable among the squad. Where others are stoic or brooding, Briggs is loud, warm, and unfiltered, the kind of soldier who laughs in the face of danger and fires a machine gun while shouting insults at the enemy.
Despite his bravado, Briggs carries genuine heart. When Truce tells him Diamond is dead, the humor drops instantly. His apology is simple and sincere, revealing a man who feels loss deeply but refuses to collapse under it. He pushes forward, always rallying the squad with a “Right, let's crack on, chaps.”
Briggs is also curious and perceptive. He asks real questions, probes Anton about the Covenant's intentions, and thinks critically about what the enemy might be after. He is not just muscle or comedy relief; he’s an experienced soldier who has seen enough war to think beyond the next firefight.
Above all, Briggs is loyal. He follows Truce without hesitation, supports Shaw and Anton, and keeps morale high even when the situation falls apart around them. Whether behind the wheel or on a turret, he brings energy and cohesion to Alpha 2.
TRUCE
ODST
Captain “Truce” is a battle-hardened ODST officer with a reputation carved from equal parts discipline, grit, and uncompromising leadership. A woman who has fought her way to command in one of the UNSC’s most elite units, she exudes an authority that does not need to be stated, only obeyed. Her presence alone is enough to snap a room to attention.
Truce is sharp tongued, direct, and utterly allergic to bullshit. She does not hesitate to call out incompetence, nor does she sugar coat the dangers of a mission. She deals in honesty, clarity, and results. Beneath her tough exterior, however, lies a captain who fiercely protects her squad and expects the same level of commitment in return. She has earned the loyalty of her people by being the first into hell and the last one out.
Truce's demeanor is dry and sardonic, often punctuated with a grim chuckle or a curt remark. She sizes up new recruits instantly, poking, testing, and challenging, but always with purpose. Her assessment is part of how she keeps the squad alive. She is quick to establish boundaries, quicker to enforce them, and absolutely fearless when it comes to putting someone back in line.
Despite her hardened professionalism, she is deeply affected by losses within her team, though she rarely lets it surface. On the battlefield, Truce is tactical, efficient, and unshakably calm under pressure. She provides direction with clipped precision, demanding performance but never asking of her squad what she would not do herself. Her focus is singular: accomplish the mission, keep her people alive if possible, and never back down from the Covenant.
Naraj Shaw
ODST
Naraj Shaw is an ODST of Indian descent with a measured, thoughtful demeanor and a British accent. In his early 30s, he keeps a neat, practical haircut: short, with enough length on top to comb over. Shaw carries himself with calm professionalism, the kind of soldier who does not need to raise his voice to make an impression.
Though soft-spoken and polite, Shaw is far from timid. His confidence comes from competence. He is an engineer by trade, a Marine by designation, and someone the brass has been talking about since Reach. He has earned a quiet reputation for being able to fix anything, whether gear, weapons, or systems, making him invaluable to a squad that depends on tight margins and even tighter equipment.
Shaw introduces himself with sincerity and a hint of formality, even when others brush it off. He tries to build rapport, shaking hands, learning names, and grounding himself in the unit. He respects hierarchy, follows orders without complaint, and adapts seamlessly to new team dynamics. His easy camaraderie with Briggs shows he can joke and socialize, but he never lets that overshadow professionalism.
On the battlefield, Shaw is steady and reliable, the opposite of reckless. He asks smart questions, observes more than he talks, and is quick to pick up on context around him. Even in moments of tension or chaos, Shaw keeps a level head, using logic and training rather than emotion to guide him.
Where others posture, Shaw listens. Where others react, Shaw thinks. He is the kind of soldier who makes a squad stronger simply by being in it: competent, respectful, and unshakably grounded. And under all that quiet capability is a spine of steel. Shaw has survived Reach, and the experience shows not in bravado but in purpose.
Diamond
ODST
Diamond is the squad's sharpest mind and its deadliest shot, a sniper whose intelligence and attitude hit just as hard as her rifle. Confident, quick witted, and unapologetically bold, she brings a razor edge to Alpha 2 that balances the squad’s mix of personalities. She speaks with a dry, almost casual sarcasm, the kind that suggests she has already sized up a situation and everyone in it before you even finish talking.
Off the battlefield, Diamond comes across as cool and composed, greeting newcomers with a simple “Pleasure” that somehow feels both genuine and slightly testing. She slots easily into the squad dynamic and trades quips with Briggs, showing she is as socially sharp as she is tactically aware. She is relaxed around danger and treats high-stakes missions with a soldier’s dark humor, never intimidated and never rattled.
In combat, Diamond is fast, agile, and frighteningly capable. She sprints through incoming fire with precision, reacting instinctively and intelligently to the chaos around her. Even when injured and pinned down, she fights until her very last breath, trying to support Truce and hold her line against advancing Covenant forces. Her courage is not loud or boastful; it is quiet, steadfast, and absolutely fearless.
Diamond’s loyalty to her squad is unwavering. In her final moments, her thoughts are not for herself but for her captain and her team. Her death hits the unit hard, especially Truce, because Diamond is more than just a sniper. She is the kind of soldier whose presence elevates everyone around her through sheer competence and fierce resolve.
Master Chief
Almost needs no explanation. The silent type, strong willed, usually in control of any situation.