The 14 Most Difficult Levels In The Halo Franchise, Ranked (2024)

Halo is one of the most revolutionary franchises in gaming history, and shaped the FPS genre forever. It has both shown excellent design with its single-player and multiplayer offerings. It has also shown uncompromising difficulty on its higher difficulties.

Indeed, the Halo franchise has some of the hardest missions in gaming – they aren't just the hardest Halo missions. Some fans have even made these levels harder by playing on Legendary with all Skulls on, which players refer to as a LASO run. If you're looking for an extra challenge before Halo Infinite, or are just wondering what the hardest Halo missions are, think about jumping into some of these levels on Legendary settings.

Updated October 28, 2023 by Erik Petrovich: Some of the hardest Halo missions throughout the series are those that surprise players with their difficulty. The second mission in Halo 2, for example, pits players against waves of Covenant invading a ship, while the seventh mission of the original game takes a darker turn as players explore the depths of a flood-infested facility for the first time. Though these moments are now iconic to fans of the series, it doesn't make them any less than Halo's hardest missions – especially on higher difficulties and for players who aren't used to the older, clunkier style of FPS. Compared to the hardest Halo levels like Gravemind and Two Betrayals, though, they're not too tough, and have been ranked in this list accordingly.

Halo: The Silent Cartographer

The Silent Cartographer is the fourth mission of the original Halo. While much of the game feels easy nowadays thanks to ever-growing trends in FPS gaming, the fourth mission nonetheless throws a curveball at the player. Much of the game focuses on combat, but this sequence focuses on driving.

Driving a Warthog in the original Halo game is a much more challenging experience than in later entries to the series. It was a new way to drive in games at the time, so some jankiness is to be expected. Be prepared for a long drive around a Covenant-infested island. The player might not have total control of where they're going.

Halo 2: Cairo Station

Though not exactly the most difficult level in Halo, but Halo 2's Cairo Station level has moments that can make any player frustrated. As the first official level of Halo 2, players shouldn't expect to spend hours beating this level, but some parts have far more enemies than most anticipate heading into them for the first time.

In the main room, where Covenant forces assault the ship and Master Chief enters combat, there are tons of enemies vying for theplayer's attention. Several rooms throughout this level contain a variety of enemies that lob grenades, dart around in the air, and otherwise make it one of the most challenging first levels in a Halo game.

Halo 3: Halo

The final mission of Halo 3, Halo, is an infamous mission that killed many a first-time player over and over again. The end of the game features an extended driving sequence past a series of obstacles. These range from the floor collapsing to Wraiths to explosions going off all around the player.

The series' eponymous mission is not one of the most complex, nor is it full of challenging enemies. This mission is difficult for its randomness and unreliable environment. It takes some real finesse to make it through the entire mission without dying once.

Halo 5: The Breaking

Halo 5 is a much easier game than previous entries due to its enhanced movement and overall increased variety of the weapon sandbox. Taking down foes is much easier in this game, even on Legendary, but that still doesn't excuse the level, "The Breaking."

This is an infamous level that spawns not one, not two, but three Wardens simultaneously. Besides this tough encounter, players essentially go up one long hallway fighting waves of Prometheans one after the other. Even though this level can be downright frustrating at times, it is nowhere near as bad as some of the hardest Halo levels in previous games.

Halo 4: Midnight

While there's a case to be made for most of Halo 4's levels being the hardest of any title in the Halo series, the game's final level titled "Nightfall" is considered to be one of the most difficult in this entry. Unlike every other Halo 4 missions, "Nightfall" is fought solely against Prometheans.

Be prepared to fight dozens of Crawlers and the toughest Knights in the game for just about the entire mission. Some Knights even come equipped with Incinerator Cannons that can one-shot Chief. Players have found methods of skipping most of this level, but those that play through it legitimately on Legendary will have an exceedingly challenging experience.

Halo 3: Cortana

Out of all of Bungie's Halo titles, Halo 3 is arguably the most balanced campaign to beat on Legendary. Aside from the dual Scarab encounter on the "Covenant" level, the campaign is filled with fair encounters that punish players who overextend themselves. "Cortana" is the pinnacle of this difficulty.

Veteran Halo players might be surprised that this is on the list. Yet, those that haven't mastered Halo 3's mechanics will fail in this level. Players need to take the mission slow and not allow the Flood to overwhelm them. Crafty players can sneak by most of the enemies on higher difficulties, but the randomness of the Flood's AI makes this an inconsistent strategy.

Halo: Assault On The Control Room

Halo: Combat Evolved is no stranger to tough levels, as many games from the early days of PC gaming weren't. Many fans talk about "Truth and Reconciliation" and "The Library" as the hardest levels from the original game. Fewer people mention "Assault on the Control Room". To say this level has non-stop action is putting it lightly.

Right from the get-go, players will fight wave after wave of Covenant forces as they carve a path to the control room towards the end of the level. Rationing ammo for the Magnum and using vehicles is essential to evading and, sparingly, destroying the various Ghosts, Wraiths, and Banshees that dot the open areas of this level. On the Anniversary edition, completing this mission with all skulls on is one of the hardest Halo levels players will face.

Halo Wars: Arcadia City

While Halo Wars might not be a traditional Halo title, as it's an RTS instead of an FPS, it carries the same spirit and story as the main titles. Completing Halo Wars on Legendary with all Gold medals can be a daunting task. In "Arcadia City", civilians need to be escorted out of the city during a Covenant invasion.

Players must support multiple Cargo Ships as they escort civilians out of the level. Losing one of these ships is scripted, but losing a second ship is practically game-over on Legendary. A mix of good luck and excellent unit management are needed to complete this mission. Even the most skilled of Halo Wars players can struggle with this task due to the randomness involved in the game's AI.

Halo Reach: Pillar Of Autumn

Technically speaking, the Halo Reach level "Lone Wolf" is more deadly than this level, as it's impossible to survive as the player must die for the level to end. Since that seems unfair to the rest of Reach's levels, a close second to "Lone Wolf" is "Pillar of Autumn."

How can "Pillar of Autumn" top the likes of Halo 3's "Cortana"? Ammo is considerably sparse in this mission. If players don't land all of their shots, they will be forced to use the Assault Rifle towards the later stages where the Covenant will swarm the player. If players don't have a precision weapon ready for the final fight, it's sometimes worth restarting the level. On LASO, this becomes even worse.

Halo: Two Betrayals

Take what made "Assault on the Control Room" hard and add even more elements of danger. The end result is "Two Betrayals". This level is so determined to kill the player that most skip this level by stealing a Banshee and flying through most of the encounters.

For those who decide to not use this strategy, prepare for an experience that is far harder than the level that inspired it. Rocket Launcher Flood in close-quarters are a nightmare to fight. Additionally, vehicles such as Banshees and Wraiths lie in wait. Combined with this mission's overall length, "Two Betrayals" is one of the most frustrating and difficult missions of any Halo title.

Halo: The Library

The seventh level of the original Halo, Halo: Combat Evolved, is one that sticks with gamers to this day. After six relatively normal, grand sci-fi missions, players are brought to a facility called Installation 04 – a place absolutely infested with the Flood. In this level, not only do players have to battle it out with hordes and hordes of various types of Flood, players also have to follow 343 Guilty Spark around and listen to its musings.

As if the enemy waves weren't enough, 343 Guilty Spark makes this level unbearably difficult to get through. Pair those annoyances with the constant dying and respawning further back than one might have hoped, and The Library becomes not only a test of players' skill, but of their patience in dealing with one of the most infamously unbearable missions in the Halo franchise.

Halo 2: Regret

Isn't it fun getting one-shot by Sniper Jackals in Halo 2? Bungie must have thought so. Most of "Regret" involves fighting Sniper Jackals, Hunters, and swarms of Covenant forces in tight corridors with little cover. The moving gondola portions are particularly painful. It's nigh impossible to clear this level without dying at least once.

This level isn't completely unfair in its design. However, the incredible difficulty ramp-up that Legendary or LASO adds takes this level from enjoyable to downright masoch*stic. Being shot over and over again by snipers the player can barely see is one thing. Being killed instantly by those same snipers is another.

Halo: Truth And Reconciliation

That's right, a Combat Evolved level ranks higher than a Halo 2 mission. It's true that Combat Evolved's overall balance on Legendary is much better than Halo 2's. However, the former was never balanced around escort sections nor Skulls. Even just getting to the ship itself is a pain on Legendary, considering how many Golden Elites can spawn near the gravity lift to the ship.

Once inside, players need to prepare for an onslaught of Covenant protecting Keyes. Once players pick up Keyes, it's up to RNG if he stays back or charges into enemies and dies, reverting to the most recent checkpoint. In the case of "Truth and Reconciliation," adding Skulls on top of these pain points creates a level that is close to impossible.

Halo 2: Gravemind

Halo 2's "Gravemind" is one of the hardest halo missions for just how unfair it is on Legendary. Before the title crawl fades away in the first few seconds of the mission, there's a good chance the player is already dead. If they can survive the two Brutes in the opening, they must fight through waves of tough Covenant forces in arenas that offer little cover.

Sections of this level rely on players getting lucky with the enemy AI and getting lucky with their shots. Completing "Gravemind" on Legendary difficulty with skulls turned on is one of the most difficult accomplishments, as it's bar none one of the hardest Halo levels of all time.

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