Skull Guide

Skulls are an interesting addition to Halo 3 and there are 14 skulls hidden throughout the campaign. Each skull picked up will unlock a cheat that you can use to modify game play. Here's some general information about the skulls:

1. Skulls can be found on normal difficulty and above, and in some cases there may be more than 1 skull in a level.
2. There are gold and silver skulls. Gold skulls give you achievements and add a meta game multiplier whilst the silver skulls do not.
3. Skulls can be picked up in single or co-op mode and both players will receive the achievement.
4. Each skull you pick up will alter the game experience in its own unique way. Some will make it more challenging, others will cause enemies to behave differently and some alter game play physics. Its up to you to try each one out and decide which ones you like to play with!
5. Unlike the skulls present in Halo 2, the skulls will not activate on pickup. To activate the skulls you need to go into the skull section by pressing the "X" button whilst in the campaign menu.

Skull 1: Blind

Effect: Removes the HUD,status indicators, guns etc.

Mission sub-chapter: Walk it Off

From the start of the level,work your way through the level as normal, follow the river downstream and mow your way through 3 phantom-loads of brutes and grunts until you reach the waterfall. When you are at the waterfall, follow the cliff around to the right you should see it on the ground in plain sight... I guess they forgot to hide this one.

Skull 2: Iron

Effect: Makes gameplay so that Checkpoints don't count. In single player, if you die at anytime you will have to restart the level. In co-operative mode, the death of one player will cause all players to reset to the previously obtained checkpoint

Mission sub-chapter: Quid Pro Quo

In the final area of the level, where you need to rescue Sgt. Johnson and the marines from the energy prison. After you cross the bridge, continue ahead and instead of turning left to go to the prison go straight continue forward and jump up on a platform to the right. Then up again to a ledge on the large building. Follow this walkway all the way around to the left at the very end, you will find the skull in a cramped, dark corner.

Skull 1: Black Eye

Effect: Shields don't recharge and you must melee enemies to get them back.

Mission sub-chapter: Know Your Role

When you start the mission, instead of going down the stairs as you are supposed to jump past them and go up the stairs to a red, locked door. Next to the door you should see a red object. jump on it, then face the left wall and jump onto one of the pipes here. Now look back into the room and up, you should see a fairly thick,long grey pipe above you. Jump onto this and run along it the length of the room, back to above the start area, here you should find the skull.

Skull 2: Grunt's Birthday Party

Effect: Headshots on grunts will cause an explosion of confetti and cheering.

Mission sub-chapter: Gift With Purchase

On the way to the barracks you need to jump down a pipe. In this room you will see smaller pipes on either side of the room, usually complete with bugger covenant. At the end of this room you need to jump down again into a large circular room. To get the skull you need to jump , but hold back on the controller. You should land in a room, just under the one you were in, the skull should be here.

Skull 1: Tough Luck

Effect: Enemies dodge/avoid weapon and grenade attacks much easier.

Mission sub-chapter: Full Contact Safari

Grab a warthog and go through the level as normal until you reach the first blue energy shield that blocks your entrance to the tunnel. Clear the area and disable the shield. Drive through to the next area and hop out. Look to your left, you should see something that looks like a yellow pipeline. When you see this, Jump over the left hand railing of the bridge and walk beneath it until you see the supports for the pipleine. In the area where the pipelines supports are positioned over the cliff, jump onto the closest support to the tunnel you came out of. From here you should see the skull on a platform behind the cliff to the left. Jump over and grab it.

Skull 1: Catch

Effect: Everyone throws and drops more grenades

Mission sub-chapter: Ghost Town

In the area with the first AA wraith, down on the beach jump onto the circular building closest to the far wall. You may need to grenade jump or use a warthog to jump up. The skull should be there.

Skull 1: Fog

Effect: You will have no radar

Mission sub-chapter: It Followed me Home

At the very start of the level, you will head down from the hill with the anti-air battery that you destroyed in the previous mission into what looks like a small, flood-infested commercial area. As you are coming down the hill you should see a fence on the left, another, smaller A-A turret in fornt of you to the right and a building directly behind it. As we move into the area focus on the top of the building. You should see a single flood form appear and jump from the building over the fence to your left. This enemy has the skull. Make sure you hit it as it jumps and it should drop it so you can pick it up. If not, just restart the level and try again.

Skull 1: Famine

Effect: All starting weapons, and weapons you pick up will have half of the usual amount of ammo

Mission sub-chapter: Installation 00

After the 2 pelican crash sites and the phantom crash site, continue on with the level and head to the right where there is what appears to be a bridge overlooking this small area. Destroy the 2 ghosts in this area and against the back wall to the left from where you entered you should find a stone ramp leading up to the bridge. Once you are on the bridge head as far as you can along the bridge back towards the way we came into the area. The skull is on the final support beam here. Use a grenade jump to get in there and the skull is yours!

Skull 2: Cowbell

Effect: Explosions are more powerful

Mission sub-chapter: Real Men Don't Read Maps

After you kill the scarab, go back to the bunker near it on the beach. Grab a grav lift - you NEED this to get it. Move on with the level up the spire and inside the structure. Continue through the structure until you get to the second downwards-sloping narrow hallway. on the right of the room you should see small, green lights. If you look up to the left above the door at the bottom of the room, you should see a series of platforms. Place the grav lift around the 5th light on the floor from the foot of the ramp. Using the grav lift jump up to the highest platform on the left, you should see it there.

Skull 1: Thunderstorm

Effect: Transforms all enemies into their most powerful versions.

Mission sub-chapter: If You Want It Done Right

After you have disabled the first tower and get the call to disable the 2nd one, head down to the drop zone and grab a hornet. make your way to the next area to destroy the covenant fortifications, about 1/2 way there you should see another structure built high up into the cliff on the right. Fly up to this structure and look inside for the skull.

Skull 2: I Would Have Been Your Daddy

Effect: Gives allies/enemies additional dialogue

Mission sub-chapter: Revelation

Much like its equivalent in Halo 2, this skull is by far the most difficult to obtain. After the cut scene where we see what becomes of the Prophet of Truth, clear the flood from the area all the way back to the elevator, this will make things a lot easier. From the elevator look back down the corridor to where you encountered Truth,  look above it. You should see a series of glowing blue rings suspended above the walkway. There are 7 rings in all. Lets name the one closest to the elevator ring 1 and the one at the platform with the Prophet of Truth ring 7, the ones between will be 2-6 respectively. The key to this skull is to jump through several of these rings in a specific order to spawn it. Here it is:

4 6 5 4 5 3 4

Once you have jumped through all the rings IN ORDER head back to the Platform with Truth and you should see the skull sitting there. Enjoy!

Skull 1: Tilt

Effect: Enemy resistances are modified

Mission sub-chapter: Rampant

About 1/3 of the way into the level you should reach a large circular room, which most resembles the interior of a covenant ship (or whats left of one). in this room you need to look around for a lichen-like growth on the walls. Using these growths, you are able to climb up above the room and claim the skull.

Skull 2: ???

Effect: No effect

Mission sub-chapter: Rampant

Just before you reach Cortana, you should make your way into a huge, open circular room with some exposed power cores (Which we will blow up later in the level). At this point, you should notice that around the edges of the room are slanted, diagonal supports. Jump on to one of these, and climb to the top of it, then grenade jump up onto the ledge above. After you get up, walk around the circular area until you reach a large purple platform that juts out into the room. The skull is on the right side of the platform here.

Skull 1: Mythic

Effect: Doubles enemy health

Mission sub-chapter: Full Circle

From the start of the level head from the pelican crash site and through the tunnel. Shortly after you enter there should be a path leading to the right, make your way down here and round the corner to find the skull.

As well as unlocking some cool effects in game and giving us a good time hunting for them collecting the skulls will also unlock a special amour class called Hayubusa for use in multiplayer modes. Hayabusa is of course a reference to the ninja character of the same name from the Dead or Alive fighting series, or from his recent solo effort in Ninja Gaiden). Heres the order of the skull-related unlocks:

1. Hayabusa Chest - collect 5 skulls

2. Hayabusa Shoulders - collect 9 skulls

3. Hayabusa Helmet - collect 13 skulls

4. Katana - to unlock this you must finish the game on Legendary, collect all the hidden skulls and complete all the achievements.