Top 10 Halo Easter Eggs

Found in the Sierra 117 level of “Halo 3” are various members of a Cavemen family. After traversing some rocks, the player will come across a small group consisting of two children and two adults, one of which is holding a teddy bear. It’s certainly an odd sight, even bordering on creepy. The faces of the cavemen belong to Bungie employee Marcus Lehto, who served as the company’s creative art director. They reportedly came about from an internal company email prank that saw employees photoshopping Lehto’s face onto a gorilla.

Long before “Halo” was released, Bungie made a real-time tactics game called “Myth: The Fallen Lords.” It was the company’s most successful game, selling well, earning positive reviews, and winning some industry awards. Contained within the game is a piece of music called “Siege of Madrigal,” which was composed by longtime Bungie collaborator Martin O’Donnell. This track is secretly hidden in every “Halo” game developed by Bungie, starting with the first “Halo” and ending with “Reach.” Unfortunately, the tradition ended once the franchise changed hands to 343. Dang music rights ruining our good time.

Even in times of war, the Covenant knows how to have a good time. By activating a special switch in the New Alexandria level, players can kickstart a rave in Club Errera. Upon reaching the club after activating the switches, players can see a DJing Jiralhanae and a bunch of dancing Unggoys. Furthermore, a number of Jiralhanaes can be seen acting as bartenders. The music is either “Never Surrender” from the “Halo 2” soundtrack or the aforementioned “Siege of Madrigal,” depending on the switch that the player activated. It’s definitely one of the most enjoyable Easter eggs found throughout the franchise.

The most powerful weapon in the entire “Halo” franchise isn’t the Spartan Laser or the Scarab Cannon, but a hidden weapon found in“Halo 2.” While it looks much like a regular plasma rifle, it has the power of a Scarab cannon. There are multiple methods to obtain said weapon, but none of them are particularly easy. It has a continuous rate of fire and wields extreme amounts of force, and it will undoubtedly make the player feel like a God. However, the gun also has a drawback owing to its huge area of splash damage. Just...make sure you’re not too close to an enemy when using this bad boy.

Some of the best Easter eggs of all time are the personal ones. They just have a warming aura of comfort and love. Seeing this Easter egg requires the player to set their console date to December 25, load up “Halo 3,” and start a campaign mission. They must then hold down both thumbsticks when the loading screen begins. If they do all this, a message reading “Happy birthday, Lauren!” will appear on screen. This is reportedly in reference to Lauren Perez, the wife of Bungie programmer Adrian Perez. This Easter egg was so well hidden that it wasn’t even discovered until 2014 - a full seven years after the release of “Halo 3.”

“Reach’s” New Alexandria level is packed with fun Easter eggs, including flyable versions of both the Pelican and Phantom. The Easter egg is most easily accessed with a friend in co-op, but it’s still possible to do by yourself - just...significantly harder. Once the complex steps are achieved, the player will be able to fly either of the vehicles throughout New Alexandria. However, the game completely stops upon entering either the Pelican or the Phantom. The player can no longer follow the mission objectives, and all barriers of the map are broken down, allowing the player to traverse outside of its boundaries in any vehicle they desire.

Found on The Package level of “Halo: Reach” is the Tribute Room, although it can only be accessed on legendary difficulty. The room is a loving nod to the fan community of “Halo.” The room is found inside Halsey’s laboratory, and most of its textual Easter eggs are written from her point of view. These include vast references to the “Halo” community, Bungie forum moderators, and references to beloved “Halo”-related projects like “Red vs. Blue.” Various posters can also be seen referencing past “Halo” games. In short, it’s the very culmination of Bungie’s work on the series and a sincere thank you to the community that made their games such a phenomenon.

Bungie certainly has a sense of humor. If the player completes The Maw level on legendary difficulty, they are treated to a secret cutscene involving Sergeant Johnson and a Stealth Elite. Johnson and the Elite embrace each other just as the Pillar of Autumn begins to explode, and the Elite slyly reaches around to grab Johnson’s behind. This Easter egg is also found in “Anniversary,” but the Elite has been replaced by a Zealot and the behind-grabbing roles have been reversed, with Johnson reaching around the Zealot. It’s Easter eggs like these that make us appreciate the sense of fun that Bungie brought to the “Halo” franchise.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

A “Halo” Tradition, These Grunts Are Well Hidden and Speak in Monologues

These Talk Show Hosts Make a Speaking Cameo in “Halo 4”

Bungie Co-Founder Jason Jones Can Be Found in the Campaigns of “Halo 2” & “Halo 3”

Premiering in April of 2003, “Red vs. Blue” is a comedic machinima taking place in the “Halo” universe. Created by Rooster Teeth, the machinima was only supposed to last a couple of episodes, but its surprise popularity guaranteed its continuation. Since 2003, “Red vs. Blue” has aired over 300 episodes over 18 seasons. The company’s spectacular work was honored in the “Halo 3” level Crow’s Nest, which contains an Easter egg of two marines arguing over a password. Six Rooster Teeth voice actors appear in cameos and voice the marines, with the actors being dependent on the difficulty. It was a hilarious and touching Easter egg that showcased both Bungie’s thanks and the love that Rooster Teeth had for the “Halo” franchise.