Compare Revisions

11 Tai Kaliso is a returning character who appears in Gears of War: E-Day. He is not part of Bravo Squad; he is one of the other defenders of Kalona whose path crosses theirs, and he plays a major role in the gameplay demo shown publicly. This page covers only material confirmed for this game.
22  
33 At a Glance
44  
5-FieldDetailRoleReturning character, major role in the Showcase gameplay demoVoice and performanceMaateiwarangi Heta-MorrisRankPrivate, per official character copyHeritageFrom the South Islands, with an identity shaped by islander and warrior traditions
5+FieldDetailRoleReturning character, major role in the Showcase gameplay demoVoice and performanceMaateiwarangi Heta-MorrisRankPrivate, per official character copyHeritageFrom the South Islands, with an identity shaped by islander and warrior traditionsUnitTheta Squad, the COG unit Bravo Squad links up with at Oria Stadium
66 Casting
77  
88 The team wanted the character's cultural roots honoured rather than approximated, and cast Maateiwarangi Heta-Morris from New Zealand. He holds the New Zealand bench press record and has been the Aotearoa arm wrestling champion since 2012, and this is his first game. The studio describes the search as short, on the grounds that the actor already was the character in presence and physicality.
99  
1010 The Grocery Store Scene
1111  
1212 Tai's reveal happens in the grocery store sequence of the demo. Marcus is pinned after a bayonet snaps, and Tai intervenes, which is the moment that leads directly to a chainsaw being attached to a Lancer for the first time. The chainsaw itself comes from a hardware store, and the resulting weapon is covered on Weapons.
1313  
1414 The team has been open about where the scene comes from. It is lifted from existing published material, where the same events happen roughly a year later, and moved into this game largely intact down to the dialogue. The stated reasoning is that the studio wanted to avoid unnecessary changes to established material while still getting the chainsaw into a game set before it existed. The design decision is discussed further on Development History.
1515  
1616 Tai is also shown covered in blood after performing an execution, which is one of the clearest demonstrations of the blood and dirt system described on Combat and Gunplay.
1717  
18+Theta Squad at Oria Stadium
19+ 
20+Tai is not fighting alone in Kalona. He appears again at Oria Stadium, a city landmark converted into a forward operating base, attached to a separate COG unit called Theta Squad. Bravo Squad links up with Tai and Theta Squad there.
21+ 
22+Nothing published so far names Theta Squad's other members or describes what the unit does beyond that meeting.
23+ 
1824 Official Character Copy
1925  
2026 The character description published alongside his Epic skin frames him as always the hunter and never the hunted. It states that Private Tai Kaliso was recruited by Marcus Fenix after his home village on the South Island of Irohma was wiped out by UIR forces during the Pendulum Wars, that his imposing presence sits at odds with a quiet, meditative and thoughtful nature, and that he embraces his islander heritage and considers himself a warrior-philosopher with a knack for finding beauty in all things.
2127  
2228 Related Items
2329  
2430 The Bloodied Hunter Tai Kaliso Epic Character Skin is part of the Emergence Customization Pack included with the Premium Edition, itemised on Editions and Pre-Order Bonuses. As with every multiplayer cosmetic in this game, the developers note that skins are not always considered story canon.
2531  
2632 Scope Note
2733  
2834 Tai has appeared in earlier material in the series, and this page deliberately does not import that history. Only what has been confirmed for this game is recorded above.