Halo 3

About Skulls in Halo 3

Skulls can only found on Normal difficulty or higher, and you must begin from the start of the level to find them!

Skulls began in Halo 2, where picking up a hidden skull on Legendary difficulty would create an undesirable effect against the player (e.g. no HUD). Pick up Golden skulls to unlock an achievement on the Xbox 360. Skull’s effects can be enabled in Meta Games, which will multiply your meta game score.

Gold Skulls

• Iron Skull
• Black Eye Skull
• Tough Luck Skull
• Fog Skull
• Catch Skull
• Famine Skull
• Thunderstorm Skull
• Tilt Skull
• Mythic Skull

Silver Skulls

• Blind Skull
• Grunt Birthday Party Skull
• Cowbell Skull
• IWHBYD Skull

Unknown Skull

And then there is the Unknown Skull, which is neither silver or gold, and has no effect that we have seen.

Iron Skull

If you die, you restart from the beginning of the level.

Iron Skull Location

The Iron Skull is located at the very end of the first level (Sierra 117). It's located behind the building where Sgt. Johnson is being held prisoner, on the roof. You can get to the roof on the far right side of the building. Go all the way over to the left side of the roof, and the Skull will be hidden in the corner.

Black Eye Skull

Black Eye Skull Effect: When you lose your shield, the only way to regain it is to melee an enemy.

Black Eye Skull Location

This Skull is located in the beginning of the second level "Crow’s Nest", in the starting room. Hanging from the ceiling is some piping. The skull is on top of the pipes, on the side nearest to the large display (the one that Hood appears on).

Fog Skull

Fog Skull Effect: "You’ll miss those eyes in the back of your head." You lose your motion sensor.

Fog Skull Location:

The Fog Skull is found on Floodgate, at the very beginning of the level. As you are walking down from the anti-air gun you destroyed in the previous mission, you will see a ramp beside a missile launcher. Near this ramp is a checkpoint. From here, you should hear a marine yelling, "There! Over There!".

Your window of opportunity is short, but it is fairly easy to get the Fog Skull. Look up to the right, directly at the roof of the building next to the missle launcher. There is a single flood form (not to be mistaken with the two other flood forms jumping in front of you) that has the fog skull. Kill him before he jumps, and he will drop the skull down to the ground. Warning! Kill him too early, and the skull will get stuck on the roof.

Tough Luck Skull

Tough Luck Skull Effect: Your enemies never back down, always make their saving throws, and always charge you.

Tough Luck Skull Location

The Touch Luck skull is found on the third level, where the huge covenant cruiser flies overhead. On your left are some large tubes or pipes following the road you are walking on. Underneath the tubes are some support beams that extend out over a cliff. Jump onto the first of these beams, and travel to the end of it. Look to your left, and the Tough Luck Skull will be on a rock extending from a cliff.

Catch Skull

Catch Skull Effect: All enemies throw TONS of grenades.

Catch Skull Location

The Catch skull can be found on the fourth level, in the first area where you destroy the Wraith Tanks. When you enter this area, do not destroy the Wraith Tanks. The skull appears when the tanks appear, and is destroyed when the tanks are destroyed. The Skull is located on top of the circular building next to the anti-air tank. You can't jump up on the roof without some help, use a grenade jump or a wart-hog.

Famine Skull

Famine Skull Effect: Enemies drop 50% ammo.

Famine Skull Location

This skull is very difficult to get and requires a some grenade jumping skill or luck.

The Famine skull is on the sixth level, near fork in the path. One way goes to the area where you need to let the tanks across the bridge, and the other way leads towards the area where you encounter the frigate. Take the right path, and you’ll see a structure above and to the left of you, just near the area where you encounter some ghosts.

You need to climb the rocks to the right of the structure, and then travel across it until you get to the fourth large support beam that extends into the cliffs. The Famine skull is inside of the fourth support beam. Hint: Try a grenade jump to get up there.

Thunderstorm Skull

Thunderstorm Skull Effect: All enemies are given a field promotion, and ranked up to their next available level.

Thunderstorm Skull Location

The Thunderstorm skull is found on "The Covenant", after you take command of one of the Hornet vehicles. Fly to the second force field generator and land there, this is the one that the Arbiter disabled. The skull is at the very top, at the end of the ramp that extends over the sea.

Tilt Skull

Tilt Skull Effect: Greatly increases enemy resistances. For example, Brute power armor becomes nearly impossible to take out with nearly anything except for plasma bursts.

Tilt Skull Location

The Tilt skull is found on "Cortana", in the circular room where Cortana mentions that she "Likes to play games too…".

It’s not easy to get to it, as it you will need to get on top of the ceiling of the room. When you enter the room, head towards the left side where the mushroom shaped extrusions are along the wall. Get on top of these, and then look up and towards the right for another set of extrusions. Get on these. From here, you should be able to jump on top of the ceiling of the room and get the Tilt skull in the center.

Mythic Skull

Mythic Skull Effect: All enemies have double health.

Mythic Skull Location

The Mythic skull is located at the very beginning of the final level in Halo 3. Begin by heading into the canyon and hug the wall to your right. You will notice that there is a turn to the right that is off the normal trail. The Mythic skull is just down this path.

Blind Skull

Blind Skull Effect: You will have no HUD when this skull is turned on. i.e. You won’t see your weapons, shield, radar, etc.

Blind Skull Location

The Blind skull can be found on "Sierra 117". After your first encounter with the Gold Armor Brute, Two enemy dropships will appear a bit further down the stream. Go towards the dropship that is furthest away, and stay on the right side of the stream. Continue along the right, towards the cliff. You will see a rock jutting out a over the large lake, the Blind skull is here.

Grunt Birthday Party Skull

Grunt Birthday Party Skull Effect: Every headshot on an enemy Grunt will explode into confetti, and you’ll hear children cheer "Yay!" in excitement.

Grunt Birthday Party Skull Location

The Grunt Birthday Party skull is located on "Crow’s Nest", just before the place where you join up with the Arbiter (it’s the piping area where you see Drones buzzing in and out of an array of pipes). Before you jump down the pipe, stop at the ledge and look directly beneath you. Along the wall that you drop down, there is a small ledge with a green arrow pointing backwards. Jump onto the ledge and go inside this secret room and you'll find the skull.

Cowbell Skull

Cowbell Skull Effect: All explosions become much larger.

Cowbell Skull Location

The Cowbell skull is found on "The Ark". It’s deep into the level.

Get to the part where you battle the Scarab. After defeating it, look in the middle of the desert area where you fought for a fairly large structure (it’s the building you see if you are at the bottom of the ramp you are supposed to go up, and turn to look in the opposite direction). There are several gravity lifts inside of this structure, grab one.

Next, go up the huge ramp and go inside the building (the one with the cartographer). Go through a few of the rooms, and you’ll eventually come to a room with tons of explosive crates. Right after this room is a staircase that leads to the level below. The Skull is located at the top of the room, where you turn on the staircase to head for the next part of the slope. There are four platforms above you, the Skull is on the top platform. Use the gravity lift you picked up earlier to jump up and get it.

IWHBYD Skull

IWHBYD Skull Effect: Unlocks hidden dialogue in the campaign.

IWHBYD Skull Location

Unknown! As best we can tell it is on "The Covenant" level. Please post if you find it or know where it is.

Bungie: "…IWHBYD (I Would Have Been Your Daddy) is hidden in ways you cannot yet even imagine. It’ll be a while, unless someone at Bungie leaks it. Good hunting, gentlemen."

Xbox Live Achievements: