films developed between 343 Industries and numerous Japanese animation studios; "The Duel" shows how the position of Arbiter was stripped of its prestige and influence. An Arbiter makes a non-canon appearance as a guest playable character in Killer Instinct: Season Three, voiced by Ray Chase. He uses several weapons from the Halo series in combat, and fights in the Arena of Judgment, a stage set in the midst of a battle on Sanghelios. According to franchise development director Frank O'Connor, this character is an "amalgam" of historical characters. Thel 'Vadamee also appears in several Halo novels, including Halo: First Strike and The Cole Protocol, the latter of which his name is first mentioned, which details his career before and during the events of Combat Evolved and Halo 2, prior to being named the Arbiter. Cultural impact Merchandise Following the release of Halo 2, Joyride Studios released an Arbiter action figure. This particular model was reviewed by Armchair Empire's Aaron Simmer as a "great translation of the source material into plastic". Several models of the Arbiter are featured in the Halo ActionClix collectible game, produced as promotional material prior to the release of Halo 3. McFarlane Toys was given the task of developing a Halo 3 line of action figures, and a sculpt of the Arbiter was released in the second series of figures after the game's release in July 2008. A large-scale, non-articulated Arbiter figure was produced by McFarlane as part of the "Legendary Collection". Other Arbiter merchandise includes MegaConstrux toys and Funko Pops. Critical reception The initial reception of the Arbiter as a playable character in Halo 2 was mixed from fans and critics alike. O'Connor described the Arbiter as the most controversial character Bungie had ever created. Several publications enjoyed the added dimension to the Covenant by having the Arbiter as a playable character, and praised the added stealth gameplay and new story afforded by the character twist. Critics from The Artifice and The Escapist argued it was the Arbiter, not the Master Chief, who had a realized character arc in the game, and whose active participation made the ending of the game richer. Alternatively, publications like GameSpot thought that while the Arbiter and Covenant side added "newfound complexity to the story", it distracted the player from Earth's fate. Reviewer Jarno Kokko said that while he did not personally dislike playing as the character, the idea of "people