When Halo 2 was released, the inclusion of skulls was a fantastic breath of fresh air for the campaign. As game modifiers, skulls created immense replay value in a campaign that Halo fans were already praising! Luckily for us, skulls have been included in every Halo entry since.
At this point, everyone agrees that skulls are a given in the Halo franchise, and even though new entries in the series provide fresh skulls, it seems that the classics are always the greatest! This list will go over some of the most iconic skulls in Halo history.
10/10 Tilt
Starting off, we have a bit of a weird one. In a nutshell, Tilt greatly exaggerates both the strengths and weaknesses of every weapon in the game. Thus, magnifying the weakness of any particular enemy type. For example, enemies who tend to be susceptible to plasma damage will be utterly annihilated by a fully charged plasma pistol!
Tilt is fun because it requires a bit more thought from the player, as opposed to blasting the poor sod in front of you with whatever weapon you are currently holding! So play smart, and be sure to carry a versatile weapon combo for maximum efficiency!
9/10 Black Eye
Sometimes, in Halo, we take it for granted that our shields regenerate automatically while we hide behind cover. Black Eye aims to strip us of that safety net by preventing shield recharges unless the player actively melees enemies!
Depending on your playstyle, Black Eye can be a relentlessly brutal modification to the game. It effectively forces players to jump into the action regardless of their health! To be fair, though, Black Eye does make for some awesome clutch moments!
8/10 Grunt Funeral
We aren’t quite sure why this skull is called Grunt Funeral when the enemies involved receive anything but a respectful death! Grunt Funeral causes Grunts to explode miraculously after being defeated, creating pure havoc!
As funny as it is, the skull can actually create somewhat of a challenge as objects launch at hundreds of miles an hour when you least expect it! The explosions are equal to that of a plasma grenade, so be careful out there.
7/10 Iron
Ah, yes. The skull that is single-handedly responsible for many late-night arguments between friends. When active, Iron will restart players from the very beginning of a level every time they die. And yes, that means everyone in the lobby will be restarting after the death of a single player.
To be fair, Iron does reward players who conquer it with a pretty hefty 3x multiplier, so the XP really does make up for the pain. Just be sure to enter with a strong friendship because it will certainly be tested here!
6/10 Famine
Nobody likes Famine – nobody. When active, Famine will significantly reduce the amount of ammo in scavenged guns, making navigating hordes of enemies extremely difficult! If you are used to the classic spray-and-pray method in Halo, then this skull will absolutely result in many untimely deaths.
Similarly to the Black Eye skull, players are going to be forced into meleeing enemies in some very unpleasant situations! Here, teamwork is key. Keep in mind that weapons found in cases will still maintain the correct amount of ammunition, so there is some respite here.
5/10 Mythic
There is nothing special about the Mythic skull besides turning enemies into frustrating bullet sponges. In a game where most enemies already have quite a bit of health, activating Mythic can quickly become overwhelming!
But, of course, Mythic simply must be included in a list of iconic Halo skulls. The skull is available in every mainline Halo game and is typically a go-to for Halo veterans since it doesn’t alter the way the game plays very much.
4/10 Catch
Catch is a demolition expert’s paradise, as enemies catch and throw twice as many grenades! In the right mindset, it is quite comical! However, it is an overall nightmare when you know that you could be digging your own grave when you toss that frag as a last-ditch effort of survival.
For whatever reason, the Catch skull has always been notoriously difficult to find, much to the frustration of Halo fans! But nonetheless, it is one of those skulls that you simply have to acquire as soon as possible, purely because of how iconic it is.
3/10 Blind
Blind will completely strip players of both their HUD and weapon view. So, while it doesn’t affect gameplay, it makes keeping track of ammo and shield count a serious hassle! But as obnoxious as all of that is, it isn’t even the worst part.
Blind also removes the reticle from both the hip and while aiming down sights. This makes hitting those long shots unbelievably tough and will almost certainly result in a whole lot of wasted ammunition. When playing blind, just be sure to have a teammate watching your six!
2/10 Cowbell
Come on! You knew it would be on here! Cowbell is perhaps one of the most fun skulls in all of Halo history, effectively doubling the acceleration of all explosives! In a game where flying objects are already dangerous, Cowbell becomes a rather humorous death sentence.
Watching your unfortunate teammate get sniped by a flying tire is comedic perfection in the form of a video game! It is safe to say most Halo veterans would vouch for Cowbell, and it is, without a doubt, one of the most iconic Halo skulls of all time.
1/10 Grunt Birthday Party
Everyone loves Grunt Birthday Party — a skull as useless as it is iconic, Grunt Birthday Party has the enemy explode in confetti when killed via headshot. Meanwhile, the mildly-uncomfortable sounds of celebrating children blare through your speakers!
Grunt Birthday Party has been in every Halo game to grace us, with the exception of Halo Wars 1 and 2. At this point, it is safe to say that this hilarious and iconic skull won’t be leaving us any time soon.
