Halo Co-Creator Reveals Master Chief’s Early Designs

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Master Chief, the iconic Spartan soldier from the Halo series, is one of the most recognizable heroes in gaming thanks to his unique voice and armor. But the character wasn’t always designed as fans know him today. Marcus Lehto, one of the game’s creators, recently shared that many different designs for Master Chief were explored during the development of the original Halo game.

As a huge Halo fan, I recently read an article about Marcus Lehto – one of the original creators at Bungie and the guy who designed Master Chief! Apparently, it was a real struggle to finally settle on Master Chief’s look. The article said he talked about this at a university lecture. With the new remake, Campaign Evolved, on the way, it’s fascinating to learn more about how the original game’s art style came together and how much work went into creating such an iconic character.

Halo’s Master Chief Looked Very Different Originally

Far More Details That Emulate Other FPS Protagonists

Concept art from Lehto’s presentation showed that the initial designs for Master Chief were actually much more intricate than the character we ultimately see in the game. Early versions of the Spartan featured a lot more military equipment – he was covered from head to toe in gear like ammunition pouches, a harness, a back-mounted knife, and a utility belt. This made him look somewhat like Boba Fett from Star Wars.

Early versions of Master Chief didn’t look quite like the hero we know today. His famous, heavy Spartan armor was originally much smoother and more streamlined, almost like it was made of bone. The designs were more futuristic, and even included a breathing tube on his helmet. Though some details, like the flashlights on the helmet, remained, the initial concepts were considerably more complex.

I was looking at some early designs for Combat Evolved and it’s wild how different Master Chief used to look! He wasn’t nearly as bulky or… super-soldier-y. His armor fit much closer to his body, so you could actually get a sense of his shape underneath. It’s a small thing, but honestly, it kinda takes away from the mystery around him when he talks to other characters. He feels a lot more… approachable, I guess?

Master Chief Went Through 9 Iterations

Many Versions Took Elements From Unique Ideas

Lehto explained that creating Master Chief involved a lot of revisions – at least nine different versions, according to him – before they achieved the desired look. He drew inspiration from various sources to give the character a specific feel, including military hardware like M1 Abrams tanks and Apache helicopters for a tough, realistic vibe. The gold visor was meant to evoke the look of an astronaut, and the helmet’s brim was inspired by BMX helmets.

The most significant improvement throughout the design process was the idea of Master Chief as a blank slate. This allowed players to easily imagine themselves as the Spartan, wearing that iconic armor. Bungie consistently maintained this approach throughout their Halo games, ensuring Master Chief remained a character players could truly step into.

The dedication to making Master Chief look just right is a big reason why the original Halo: Combat Evolved remains a landmark game. Now, with Halo: Combat Evolved being remade as Campaign Evolved, it’s fascinating to compare how the updated Master Chief will look compared to his initial design.

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2025-12-04 23:00