- last post: 01.01.0001 12:00 AM PDT
Linda survived, as is seen in First Strike. And Linda doesn't camp, she just hides and kills the Covenant that she can reach.
Sam was the first modified Spartan to die... he sacrificed himself to blow up the Covenant ship that attacked the Spartans on their way out of a system, making sure that the nuclear warheads detonated. Also, he was John's real first friend; but we can't really judge how good he was in combat.
Kelly is the top gun. Where John, for instance, in a multiplayer game would have 100% health, she'd have 300%. She survives so much more damage and still moves the fastest and has the best kill record- she throws a nuclear "football" into a Covenant ship as well as dive-bombs her Banshee into a Hunter, jumping out and sticking a plasma grenade to the cannon of the other Hunter.