Arby 'n the Ch!3f: Mini-Mized is a stop motion web series created by Max Carroll based on the critically acclaimed web series Arby 'n the Ch!3f created by Jon Graham.
The series is a remake of the original series, introducing the respective protagonists Master Chief and Arbiter as they get into various shenanigans over Xbox Live and in the real world.
Unlike other fan-made adaptations of the original show, this series portrays the characters as being based on the 2-inch line of Minimates, of which there was a Halo line produced. Other characters, however, are portrayed using other types of miniature toys, such as LEGOs and Mega Bloks.
Also unlike most other remakes or adaptations of the original, this series attempts to pay respect to the source material.
Premise[]
Master Chief and Arbiter, 2 Halo Minimates with vastly polarizing personalities, live together in their owner Jon's apartment in Canada. They often get into various shenanigans and adventures over Xbox Live and in their personal lives.
Characters[]
Master Chief[]
Master Chief as he appears in Arby 'n the Ch!3f: Mini-Mized.
In contrast to the Arbiter, Master Chief is a delinquentive, vulgar, and sexist Minimate from Jon's collection and one of the series' primary protagonists. He often spends his days playing various games of Halo 5 and Halo: Reach on his owner's Xbox One, masturbating, or watching various GoAnimate videos and YouTube Poops online.
He is often looked down upon by others due to his volatile personality, but does have a humane side to himself, and is shown to express sympathy when others are in times of great distress or pressure. In spite of his seeming obsession for penises, Chief has been shown to despise pedophilia and those who partake in it (akin to his counterpart from the original series.).
Chief is portrayed by a Halo Minimates Series 1 Army-Builders Olive Green Spartan, and a Halo Minimates Series 4 Halo: Combat Evolved Master Chief for flashbacks.
The Arbiter[]
The Arbiter as he appears in Arby 'n the Ch!3f: Mini-Mized.
In contrast to Master Chief, the Arbiter is a kind, generous, and respectful Minimate from Jon's collection and is one of the series' primary protagonists. He often spends his days reading, playing various games on Xbox (including Halo.), and being invested in the modern political world.
He is either looked up to by others because of his intelligence or scorned upon due to his witty nature and sharp tongue. As the series progresses, Arbiter slowly slips into a depression (akin to his original counterpart.) due to the gradual loss of his friends, save for Chief, and develops an online gambling habit to cope with this.
Arbiter is portrayed by the Halo Minimates Series 1 Arbiter and the Halo Minimates Series 4 Arbiter for flashbacks.
Episodes[]
Season 1[]
- 1. Couch Potato Alpha
- 2. Rations
- 3. The Newtwo
- 4. Duel of the Duos
- 5. Costumed Cadabra
- 6. Bronze Joker
- 7. Dead Meat
- 8. Lightning Strikes But Once
Season 2[]
Season 3[]
Movie[]
Main article: Arby 'n the Ch!3f: Mini-Movie
A prequel to the entire series, the movie tells how Master Chief and Arbiter first came together in Jon's apartment. A vehement rivalry soon turns to a rocky friendship when the duo are forced into an online adventure to save the world of Xbox Live from Scott Loveheart, a degenerate, teenage hacker who desires revenge on the OMN for his frustrations over sucking at Halo as a child.
The movie was developed to tell how Master Chief and Arbiter first met. Originally, Trent Donnovich, the main antagonist of the original series' 5th and 6th seasons, was to be the movie's antagonist, but was declared "too big of a villain" to be the duo's first online rival. Scott Loveheart, the main antagonist from Endgame, replaced Trent in this role. Trent Donnovich would later be seen as the series' Season 3 main antagonist.
The movie also features Master Chief and Arbiter in their "flashback" designs seen throughout the series; Master Chief being in his Combat Evolved appearance, and Arbiter being in his Halo Wars appearance.
Development[]
The series originally began development as far back as 2014, following the intended conclusion of Arby 'n the Ch!3f with it's 7th season finale. Max Carroll, a huge fan of the series, sought to bring it back in some way but do it differently. The initial concept was to have Master Chief and Arbiter becoming resurrected in LEGO minifigure bodies, and fighting in a rebellion in the bedroom of their new owner, Max, in a very Toy Story-like fashion, with the main villain being similar to that of both the Empire from Star Wars and Big Brother from 1984. It would have, like the original series, been grounded in comedy, with elements of drama being added in later episodes.
The concept was then slightly altered, with Master Chief and Arbiter awakening in Minimate bodies instead of LEGO bodies, but the Toy Story-like rebellion idea was still kept. Eventually, the 2 would have been killed again, only to be brought back to life once more in upgraded bodies. This concept soon faded away as it was deemed to be too outlandish.
It was then decided to, instead of making a sequel of sorts, to do a remake of the original series, based primarily on the first 3 seasons, as well as the movie.