Skulls were introduced to the Halo series in the second game, and make a return in Halo: Campaign Evolved with new additions and mechanics. With dozens scattered across each of the missions, you will have your work cut out for you.
This guide for Halo: Campaign Evolved lists the locations of every Skull to be found in the game, as well as their utility.
How To Unlock Campaign Remix Mode And Three Bonus Skulls
Campaign Remix mode lets you play previously completed missions again with a default set of three bonus Skulls turned on, as well as rolling for one of two modifiers to visibility. The latter are not Skulls, and can be turned off i.e. default effect, but cannot be turned on simultaneously as each other. Any additional Skulls you have acquired through gameplay can be selected as per your preference.
The bonus Skulls can be optionally turned on in regular Campaign mode.
You will automatically unlock Campaign Remix by simply collecting any three convenient Skulls you come across during gameplay, in no particular order:
The three bonus Skulls that then unlock right alongside Campaign Remix are:
Adaptation Skull: How To Randomize Enemies
If the squad composition and numbers of enemies you encounter on missions feels a little too stale and predictable, this Skull will completely randomize it every single time. You can potentially encounter enemies from any faction anywhere, including opposing forces, which means that if Armistice is on, they will all be focused on you rather than on each other.
Reload Skull: How To Randomize Weapon Pickups
Wield an assortment of weapons instead of the faction-locked world pickups you would normally expect on a playthrough. Just about anything is fair game, including weapons never seen previously in the original Halo, such as the Brute Spiker.
Armistice Skull
In Campaign Remix mode, the enemy randomization effect is balanced out by this Skull, in situations where two rival factions of enemies spawn together: Armistice prevents them from immediately engaging and killing each other, and instead they will turn their focus entirely to you.
If turned off in a normal Campaign playthrough however, this can create some interesting gun battles for you to take advantage of, as your opponents destroy themselves.
Speed Limit Skull: How To Disable Sprint
Disables sprint.
Mission: The Pillar Of Autumn
When tasked with meeting Captain Keyes on the Bridge, find this Skull lying on the ground right at the start of the mission by hopping up the large cylindrical vats and onto the walkway above.
Magnified Skull: How To Unlock The Original Halo MA5B Assault Rifle
60-round magazines for the AR are now standard-issue.
Mission: The Pillar Of Autumn
Continuing on, this Skull is atop the row of lockers you will pass on the way to the bridge during the assault on the ship.
Perspective Skull: How To Unlock The Third-Person Camera View
Changes the player camera to third-person.
Mission: The Pillar Of Autumn
While evacuating the Pillar of Autumn, right after the Cortana cutscene with Keyes, return to the bridge and descend underneath the pilot stations to find the mission’s final Skull.
Grunt Funeral Skull
Grunts die in a blaze of plasma.
Mission: Halo
On the objective to eliminate hostels and secure lifeboat crash sites, at the one farthest left of the start, find the Skull high up the sloped portion of the structure. Reaching it will require some platforming.
Give & Take Skull
Firing your weapon drains your shield, but dealing damage to enemies recharges it.
Mission: Halo
Proceeding along the mission, you will eventually pass through a stream with a large rock on its left bank. The Skull is in plain sight near it.
Floor Is Lava Skull
Take continuous damage whenever touching the “ground”.
Mission: Halo
At the lifeboat crash site that is situated in the rocky terrain, find the Skull atop one of the massive rock formations.
Iron Skull
Dying in co-op resets you to your last checkpoint, dying while solo restarts the level.
Mission: The Truth And Reconciliation
While boarding the Battle Cruiser, right at the point with the grav lift, ignore it and head for the edge of the area and peer over it for the Skull on a lower ledge.
Endurance Spec Skull: How To Make The Warthog And Scorpion Indestructible
UNSC vehicles cannot be damaged.
Mission: The Truth And Reconciliation
While attempting to locate the ship’s brig, in the chamber with the wrecked Wraiths, explore the other side of the room, where the curved columns are located. You will need to climb them using the container as a stepping stone, and then platform across to the column with the Skull atop it.
Foreign Skull
Players cannot use weapons from another faction.
Mission: The Truth And Reconciliation
On the objective to eliminate the threat, you will need to time the acquisition of this Skull as it is locked behind doors that spill out enemy forces and lock up again. These are the doors in the rear right of the hangar.
Bandana Skull: How To Unlock Infinite Ammo And Grendades
Infinite ammo and grenades.
Mission: The Silent Cartographer
While clearing the Landing Zone of hostiles, enter the cave topside to find the Skull just lying on the ground.
Acrophobia Skull: How To Unlock Flying Mode
The Corps: Now issue rifles AND wings.
Mission: The Silent Cartographer
While trying to locate the security system’s override substation, take down the pair of Hunters and then platform your way up the slopes of the structure there. The Skull is lying atop the platforms up there.
Hip Fire Skull: How To Disable Zoom
All weapon zoom functionality is disabled.
Mission: The Silent Cartographer
On your way to finding the Silent Cartographer, you will encounter another pair of Hunters and assorted forces to defeat. While descending further down, peer over the side of the path to see the Skull on a platform below.
IWHBYD Skull
It would have been your dialogue.
Mission: Assault On The Control Room
As you proceed through the substructure, you will be in the Scorpion tank at a bridge teeming with the enemy. Annihilate them, cross the bridge, and park the Scorpion on the left by the sloped snow. Platform up there using the Scorpion to find the Skull.
Angry Skull
Enemies fire their weapons faster and more frequently.
Mission: Assault On The Control Room
As you head for the Control Center Ziggurat, you will relinquish the Scorpion and eventually arrive at a trio of angular arches. The last one has the Skull lying atop it.
Cowbell Skull
Physics mass of objects is reduced, making them more easily displaced.
Mission: Assault On The Control Room
As you head for Halo’s Control Room, you will reach a bridge that you can drop down off of, and onto another structure running perpendicular to it. Inside a sort of channel in it, is the Skull.
Fog Skull: How To Disable The Motion Tracker
Motion Tracker is disabled.
Mission: 343 Guilty Spark
As you try to locate Captain Keyes, head upwards left of the ship wreck, and platform up the rocks by the tree to find the Skull on the ground there.
That’s Just… Wrong Skull
Enemies have increased awareness of the player.
Mission: 343 Guilty Spark
Continuing on, you will encounter a panicked marine that opens fire on you. You will have to eliminate him in order to acquire this Skull from his body.
They Come Back Skull
Flood Combat Forms reanimated by Infection Forms are much more dangerous.
Mission: 343 Guilty Spark
While leading the marines to the evac point, you will encounter wave upon wave of the Flood en route to the structure. Bear right instead of going to it, and into the growth until you reach a big fallen tree. Use it to reach the opposite end where the Skull is lying atop the rocks.
Tilt Skull
Enhances both positive and negative damage multipliers.
Mission: The Library
While taking the elevator into the lower chambers, you will come across drones engaging the Flood. Bear right and up the sloped section to reach the Skull up there.
Pop Skull
Shooting Flood in their weak point causes them to explode.
Mission: The Library
As you explore the Library, you will take the first elevator down to fight through the Flood wave. At the other end, find another sloped section to clamber up and then jump across to the tiny platform where the Skull is.
Famine Skull
Weapons dropped by enemies contain half the ammo.
Mission: The Library
In the final chamber after the final elevator ride, bear left after descending the ramp with the Flood infestation. The Skull is tucked away in a corner here.
Tough Luck Skull
Enemies always go berserk, constantly dive out of the way, and never run away from a fight.
Mission: Two Betrayals
While heading through the adjacent canyon toward the second pulse generator, take the Banshee but fly even higher than required to the very apex of the spire to find the Skull there.
Black Eye Skull
Your shields will only recharge when you melee enemies.
Mission: Two Betrayals
When tasked to destroy the conduits at each pulse generator, you will descend the elevator en route to the second one. Use the angular arches to access the other side where the Skull is located.
Mythic Skull
Enemies have increased health.
Mission: Two Betrayals
Carrying on, take the Banshee up to the generator and unlock the door with the control panel, but do not go through that door. Head inside the other door to contend with wave upon wave of infected enemies before finding the Skull suspended upon a pedestal at the end.
Catch Skull
Enemies throw and drop more grenades.
Mission: Keyes
This Skull is restricted to Heroic or Legendary difficulty, and is acquired while ascending the grav lift as you find a way to the ship’s bridge.
Blind Skull: How To Unlock Cinematic Mode Without A HUD
HUD and Weapons do not appear onscreen.
Mission: Keyes
Once aboard the ship you will have to get to the shuttle bay. Inside the hangar bay with the wrecked Wraith, descend to the lower level and into the rear area. Go past another Wraith and up a short slope to find the Skull.
Piñata Skull
Punching enemies makes them drop inert grenades.
Mission: Keyes
After finding and terminating Captain Keyes, beat his corpse just like a piñata to spawn this Skull.
Stowed Reload Skull
Weapons continue to reload while stowed.
Mission: The Maw
Tasked with getting to engineering via the cryo storage facility, you will be at the game’s starting location. Terminate all enemies and use the fallen walkway to hop up to the tiny platform on the wall where the Skull is in plain sight.
Boom Skull
Explosion radius is increased by 2x.
Mission: The Maw
As you attempt to expose the cores and destroy them with a grenade or rocket, you will be platforming some debris in order to ascend upwards. Look lower instead, and find a ledge with the Skull on it.
Thunderstorm Skull
Upgrades the rank of most enemies.
Mission: The Maw
As you escape from the Pillar of Autumn before it’s too late, right at the beginning of the Warthog dash you will see side tunnels that serve as shortcuts. You can skip the first one, but definitely take the second in order to find this Skull.
Successfully finding all 39 Skulls will earn you the achievement/trophy “Headhunter”, and is also required alongside every Terminal for the achievement/trophy “Collection’s Addition”.
How To Make Halo: Campaign Evolved More Like The Original Halo: Combat Evolved
The Halo: Campaign Evolved remake makes some major changes to mechanics in the interests of quality of life and simple gameplay evolution in the quarter century since the original Halo: Combat Evolved released.
If you are feeling a touch of nostalgia and want to replicate that original pace and feeling, just turn on the following Skull modifiers:
Speed Limit, to stop sprinting
Hip Fire, to disable smart-link ADS aiming for automatic weapons
Magnified, to unlock the classic Halo MA5B Assault Rifle ammo capacity and specs
Endurance Spec, to make the Warthog and the Scorpion tank indestructible, the way they used to be
There are also some other game settings to be changed through the menus such as restoring the position of the Motion Tracker, turning off hit and item markers, disabling visual effects like blur and shake, and enabling toggle to crouch.
Visual Modifiers
The two visibility modifiers are not Skulls, but can have a significant effect on your gameplay experience. They are also unlocked alongside Campaign Remix after acquiring those first three Skulls, but can be turned on and off at will. They are:
Nightvision
The world is bathed in a neon green effect which might come in handy in the traditionally dark portions of the game. Enemies will be outlined as well.
Spore Visibility
Every mission will feel like one that is infested with Flood spores through this filter, which also reduces visibility and draw distance drastically.
Those are all Skulls to be unlocked in Halo: Campaign Evolved as well as what they can modify in your playthrough.
