12. Secrets

Discover hidden secrets in Halo: Combat Evolved, including an extra ending and tricks on 343 Guilty Spark.

Extra Ending:

To unlock an additional scene after the credits, you must beat the level 'The Maw' on the Legendary difficulty. This ending replaces the usual scene of Master Chief exiting the Pillar of Autumn with a different, undisclosed scene.

343 Guilty Spark Tricks:

• At the start of the level, when Foehammer states, "the last transmission from the captain's dropship was from this area. That was over 12 hours ago", repeatedly throw grenades. If you successfully throw a grenade before being dropped off, you will remain in the dropship. The dropship will then crash into a secret high plateau area. On this plateau, you will find a lone marine who does nothing unless shot, at which point he will speak.
• From this plateau, you can reach the area where you observe Assault Rifles firing at the Covenant. If you arrive quickly and zoom in on the gunfire with your Pistol, you will notice that the Assault Rifles are actually floating in the air and drop to the ground when they stop firing; there are no marines present.
• While crossing the log bridge at the beginning of the level, proceed to the stationary gun. Look carefully towards the trees for something to emerge. If you zoom in with your Pistol, you may spot a Combat Form (an enemy type) early in the game. If you shoot and defeat it, it may run away, which is unusual behavior for Covenant enemies.

Attacking soldiers in the Pillar of Autumn:

After meeting Captain Keyes, he will give you an empty Pistol. Once you acquire ammunition for it, return to the bridge and kill him. Cortana will then summon troops to the bridge to eliminate you. These soldiers are equipped with extra armor, making them unkillable. Be cautious, as they will attack quickly, forcing you to flee.