Editing Legendary

{{Ratings}}
{{Era|H1|H2|H3|HW|H3R|}}
[[Image:Legendary.jpg|300px|thumb|The Legendary difficulty icon.]]
{{Quote|You face opponents who have never known defeat, who laugh in alien tongues at your efforts to survive. This is suicide.|Description from ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' and ''[[Halo 2]]''.}}
{{Quote|Tremble as teeming hordes of invincible alien monsters punish the slightest error with instant death... again and again.|Description from ''[[Halo 3]]''.}}

'''Legendary''' is the highest and most difficult setting of [[campaign]] game play on [[Halo: Combat Evolved|''Halo: Combat Evolved'']], [[Halo 2|''Halo 2'']], [[Halo 3|''Halo 3'']] and [[Halo Wars|''Halo Wars'']], except for the Bungie-made Mythic Difficulty on ''Halo 3'' and ''Halo 2''.

==Summary==
It is symbolized by an [[Elite]]'s skull with a bullet-hole of the left side of its head, with two crossed [[UNSC]] Standard Issue [[Combat Knives]] and the shield bearing the [[Marathon (video game series)|Marathon]] symbol. It is unclear why, as the Elites are no longer your enemies, the Legendary symbol in ''Halo 3'' still shows an [[Elite]] with a bullet hole, but perhaps [[Bungie]] thought the original was better, or didn't want to swap it out for a [[Brute]] skull. It is regarded as a challenge for even veteran players, as allies are frequently useless, except for diversions, and overwhelming enemy firepower and superior numbers often force one to play cautiously and conservatively. Enemies are extremely strong, while you and your allies' strength is extremely low. Legendary on ''Halo 2'' can be described as "Trial and Error." Completing the campaign on Legendary in the Halo Trilogy generally unlocks an additional ending to the story. 

Legendary was also the name of the highest difficulty setting in [[Bungie]]'s [[Myth]] series, in which it had the following flavor text: "You will brave the army of a commander who has never known defeat, and the piled dead will reach the heavens; but should you succeed, in an age not yet dawned, you will be spoken of as a god!"

==''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''==
In the first Halo game, the differences between Legendary and other settings is relatively numeric. The player does not face unique or different enemies, they just face more enemies who are harder to defeat. Many of the same strategies that work on other settings work on Legendary in this game, except that the player has to be extremely careful of their own weaknesses. This is where the [[plasma pistol|Plasma-Pistol]]/[[M6D pistol|Human-Pistol]] combo comes in handy - also frequently known as: the classic [[Noob Combo]]. 

===General Differences===
*[[Master Chief]]'s [[Shields]] are half their "Normal" power. A few hits will drain them completely. 
*Enemy shields are double their normal strength. 
*Extremely weakened [[health]] meter. One [[melee]] from an enemy in front of you will drain six health bars.
*Master Chief's shields and enemy's shields charge faster - twice as fast as Normal. 
*Enemy health meters are double their normal strength.
*'''Elites''' - Twice as many [[Elites]] appear as on the "Normal" setting. [[Major Elites]] are encountered at a ratio of about one of every three Elites encountered. An area that had two [[Minor Elites]] in Normal mode will have four-five Elites in Legendary, with one-two of them being Majors. Their shields can take 28 rounds from an [[Assault Rifle]] before lowering.
*'''[[Grunts]]''' - Twice as many [[Grunts]] appear than on the "Normal" setting. Around half of the Grunts encountered are [[Major Grunts]].
*'''[[Grenades]]''' - Enemy [[Grunts]] and Elites throw grenades frequently, much faster and almost always accurately. The grenades' timers are cut in half.
*'''Firing Rate''' - All enemies fire their weapons much faster and more accurately. In particular, [[Jackal]]s will fire long streams of 10-15 shots with high accuracy. [[Jackal]]s will also charge their [[Plasma Pistol]]s much more often.
*'''Agility''' - All enemies move much faster and will almost never allow a player to stick them with grenades. Elites will often do their dodging maneuver immediately if hit, making it very difficult to make consistent hits on them to drain their shields.
*'''[[Stealth Elites]]''' are always encountered in packs of four-six, with few exceptions (like on the second or third circular room of [[Assault on the Control Room]], with a pack of Grunts, and ''one'', always one, stealth Elite).
*'''[[Flood]]''' are now armed 90 percent of the time. Their deadly [[melee]] attacks will drain shields by half. Many more of them wield [[Shotguns]] and [[Rocket Launchers]] than before.
*'''Allies''' - [[Marines]] are virtually useless. They will constantly be stuck with [[Plasma Grenade|grenades]], and most are easily killed by the enemy's increased rate of fire, returning fire only inflicting minimal damage on enemies. Their AI is increased significantly, to little effect.
*'''[[Zealots]]''' - Zealots appear more frequently throughout the game. It takes 21 shots from a [[M6D Pistol|pistol]] just to remove their shields.

===Specific Differences===
*'''[[Pillar of Autumn (Level)]]'''
**The player does not go through the controls section at the beginning of the level, the game assuming that anyone choosing the highest difficulty level has gone through it before. Instead, they will wake up and leave the cryo section immediately.
**[[Johnson]]'s speech changes in the beginning of the level.
**The player has immediate access to the [[motion tracker]] and [[grenade]]s.
*'''[[343 Guilty Spark (Level)]]'''
**The [[Shotgun]] is no longer available early on in the game. The only way to pick it up is to kill a [[Combat Form]] that was holding one, or from one of the dead Marines from the third room with an energy bridge.
*'''[[The Maw (Level)]]'''
**The player only has five minutes to get to the [[Longsword]] fighter after destroying the ''[[UNSC Pillar of Autumn|Pillar of Autumn]]'''s engine core, instead of the usual six minutes. You get to see the non-canon secret ending.

==''[[Halo 2]]''==

In one of the [[Bungie]] Updates, [[Frankie]] describes ''Halo 2'''s ''Legendary'' as:

''A whole new sick twist on game difficulty. Legendary includes bizarre stuff like perma-death for [[co-op]] players, meaning that you can't hopscotch like you can on other difficulty levels. Once a player dies on Legendary, both players are hurled back to the last checkpoint. It's brutal. Also, that place where you encountered two [[Grunts]] and a flowerpot on [[Normal]]? Well now they're [[Hunters]], high-ranking, [[Energy Sword|sword]]-carrying [[Elites]] and they're all PMS-ing. Seriously, sticking your head around a corner on level two can get it shot clean off.''

===General Differences===
*Enemies fire at a much faster rate and fire far more accurately.
*Enemy numbers are drastically increased.
*Shields are 50% their "Normal" power and a few hits will drain them completely.
*The [[Arbiter (character)|Arbiter's]] [[active camouflage]] lasts only five seconds and takes ten seconds to recharge.
*Enemy [[Energy Shield|Shields]] and health are almost double their "Normal" power.
*Virtually every [[Elite]] encountered is a [[Major Elite]]. [[Major Grunt]]s are also far more common.
*[[Ultra Elite]]s are now a very common sight, you will encounter up to four in some parts. They have the most powerful shields in the game, and can take four headshots from a [[Sniper Rifle]] or [[Beam Rifle]].
*Elite [[Zealot]]s now appear as enemies when playing as [[Master Chief]]. They always wield [[swords]] and will annihilate all your [[Marine]]s with ease.
*Enemies are extremely adaptive and intelligent in tactical action. They are very difficult to kill.
*[[Grunt]]s retreat less often when a leader is killed.
*Marine allies are much stronger; they have more health and their AI is increased significantly, to little effect.
*[[Melee]] attacks on you from [[Elite]]s and [[Flood]] are almost always one-hit kills.
*Enemies normally have upgraded weapons. For example, [[Brutes]] that usually had [[Brute Plasma Rifle|Brute Plasma Rifles]] now usually have [[Covenant Carbine|Carbines]] and also have the deadly [[Brute Shot]] equipped.
*Enemies will often notice you sooner.
*[[Sniper Jackals]] will appear more often than on any other difficulty. One shot from them will kill you regardless of where it hits, so you should think twice before sticking yourself out into the open. 
*[[Stealth Elites]] appear more often, and travel in groups of two-four, usually with one or two wielding dual-wielded [[Plasma Rifle]]s, and the others using [[Energy Sword]]s.
*Almost all [[Flood]] Elites have [[shields]].
*Both players have "linked lives". That is, when one of the players dies, both are sent back to the last checkpoint regardless of whether or not only one of them died (possibly to prevent players from easily reaching the status of beating legendary on their profile, or to enhance it with the general knowledge of the above statement).
*One shot from a [[Brute Shot]] will have the same power as a shot of the [[Rocket Launcher]] on [[Easy]] difficulty.

==''[[Halo 3]]''==
*Shields are 50% their "Normal" power and a few hits will drain them completely.
*Enemies are several times more resistant to damage (example: You need three body shots or two headshots for a [[Brute Captain]] to take it down instead of one headshot or two body shots with a sniper or beam rifle). 
*Head shots are the only means to get a quick kill on enemies like [[Jackals]] and [[Grunts]].
*Nearly all enemy forces are promoted by one rank with high ranking Grunts and [[Brutes]] seen more often. This, by the way, can be changed with the effects of the [[Thunderstorm Skull]], which promotes enemies even higher. 
*Enemy numbers double or sometimes triple in the case of [[Flood]] encounters.
*Enemy AI increases dramatically, enemy vehicles will be significantly harder to hijack and enemies will be nearly impossible to stick with grenades.
*Sniper Jackals, one of the rarest enemies in ''Halo 3'', will appear in greater frequency, though not nearly as much as in ''Halo 2''.
*Enemies fire much faster and toss grenades more often, and with more accurately.
*Enemies fire weapons very accurately and at an extremely fast rate.
*Turrets will appear in places where there were none, including [[Shades]], and gunners will be affected by the above skills.
*[[Brutes]] will wield Brute Shots more often and they fire them faster, more accurately and deadlier. They will frequently go in berserker mode on any random occurrence.
*Grunts and Jackals now shoot their weapons faster.
*You can't kill [[Jackals]] with one melee hit, unless you're using a melee-based weapon or assassinating them.
*The 'linked lives' are removed, and can only be achieved with the Iron Skull.

===Tactics===
If one plays ''Halo 3'' on the Legendary difficulty, they should follow these tips.
*When facing [[Drones]], always have cover that you can hide behind, as half a dozen plasma pistols and Needlers can be deadly.
*Take your time; you may think that rushing through a level on legendary is the way to get through, but your enemies will kill you as soon as you move out of cover. Instead, wait in cover with a medium ranged weapon, like the Battle Rifle or Carbine, and take out as many enemies (specifically [[Brutes]]) as you can.
*Use a semiautomatic weapon against [[Brutes]] and [[Jackals]]. These weapons are usually more precise, especially ones with a scope. Save automatic weapons, like the Assault Rifle or SMG, for [[Grunts]].
*Use sniper weapons as much as possible at long range. Take out most of the higher ranked enemies before engaging the rest.
*Head shots are important. A head shot can kill any unarmored enemy in one shot.
*Remember to use grenades.
*Use vehicles with boosts when moving across an open area if possible.
*Use silver skulls (except Blind). The [[Grunt Birthday Party]] skull and the [[Cowbell skull|Cowbell Skull]] are very helpful.
*Don't charge at enemies unless you are sure they can't fire back at you. Doing so can result in instant death.
*Support weapons are very helpful.
*The Grunts often go kamikaze and will kill you if you're not fast enough to kill them.
*Kill Sniper Jackals first. If you aren't behind cover they will instantly kill you.
*Use the [[Plasma Pistol]], preferably charged, to take down enemy shields.
*Use the [[Noob combo]] as much as possible. It can save you when facing large numbers of Flood forms, at least. You need to create as much distance as possible from deadly enemies such as [[Brute Chieftains|Chieftains]], so noob combo would be ideal.
*Plasma pistols are not actually that bad. They can destroy a Brute's armor in a charged shot.
*It is good to play with four people on Legendary. You should keep one person out of the way so that you can respawn if you die. This is especially useful on the level [[Cortana (Level)]].
*Finding the Battle Rifles or Carbines can and will give you the edge in sniper duels. This works best on the first and second levels as the respective ammo is plentiful.

==''[[Halo Wars]]''==
*Enemies' health varies from being 25% to 50% stronger than on Normal, depending on the mission.
*Enemy units deal much more damage, up to 50% more than on Normal.
*Enemies are always upgraded with at least one or two upgrades and attack the player's base earlier and with more units.
*When facing Flood units, player's infantry units get infected at a faster rate.
*Extra enemy units, which normally don't appear, to deal with: [[Shade]]s, stationary [[Jackals]] and sometimes even [[Mega Turret]]s. In Flood missions, more [[Flood Launcher]]s, [[Flood Spores|Spores]] and [[Flood Growth Pods|Growth Pods]].

===Tactics===
When playing ''Halo Wars'' on Legendary, players may follow these tips:
*Frontal assaults against large enemy groups usually are a bad choice: unless your army is varied and powerful, try to set up ambushes by using terrain and covers where troops can garrison in, like the [[Deployable Lookout Tower]].
*In Campaign missions, it's usually impossible to achieve the Combat Bonus, due to the enemy's lethality. The best way to make a good score is by completing the mission in a short time, achieving the Time Bonus.
*To make the game easier, players can activate some of the [[Halo Wars Skulls|Skulls]].

== Trivia ==
*If [[The Maw]] is completed on Legendary, a special ending is shown known as the "[[Hugging Elite]]", an added, non-canon cut scene where Sergeant Johnson and a Minor Elite exchange embraces.
*Every difficulty shield icon has the [[Marathon]] symbol on it as in the pre-Xbox Halo. 
*Legendary is the top edition of ''Halo 3''.
*If [[The Silent Cartographer (Level)|The Silent Cartographer]] is played on a level higher then [[Easy]], the guitar version of "[[Rock Anthem for Saving the World]]" will play after the transmission with [[Echo-419]] after accessing the [[Cartographer]].
*''Halo 3'' keeps track of whether you finished Legendary on Solo or Co-op, thus signifying finishing it on Solo, which is considered suicide compared to Co-op, which can be completable by ordinary players.
*The second ''Halo 3'' map pack is named the [[Legendary Map Pack]] (aptly named, for the previous map pack was the [[Heroic Map Pack]]).
*Many players will use [[Xbox Live]] to beat this difficulty; swapping in and out so there isn't a restart from a checkpoint, increasing level run-through speed.
*On ''Halo 3'', you unlock [[EOD]] armor for beating Legendary difficulty.
*If you complete the last level of ''Halo 3'' on Legendary (titled "Halo") you will unlock a special Legendary ending that displays a bonus cutscene after the credits for the game. It shows another galaxy near ours. This is, in fact, the Andromeda Galaxy, which is to collide with our galaxy in millions of years. The perspective makes it look closer.{{Template:Fact}}
*In ''Halo 2'', Legendary is the only difficulty where you can find the hidden skulls, except for the [[Blind Skull]] and the [[Assassins Skull]]. The Assassins Skull doesn't give you the effect.
*The Elite Skull on the symbol for the Legendary difficulty is not the same size of a normal Elite skull. This is simply a carry-over from ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', in which the head is implied by the Elite's armor. The actual skull is much smaller.
*It is possible to play on an unofficial difficulty, known as ''[[Halo_3_Skulls#Mythic|Mythic]];'' this is playing on [[Legendary]] with the [[Mythic skull|Mythic Skull]] enabled. Some will take this further and play with all of the skulls. Mythic on Legendary will make even head shots from snipers have little effect, sometimes even Grunts survive them.
*Mythic mode is known to be a true 'hell' in ''Halo 2;'' as the [[Mythic skull|Mythic Skull]] doubles enemy health, the effect is similar to that of facing invincible enemies. Particularly notable is the fight with the [[Prophet of Regret]], who has a massive amount of health, and is extremely hard to defeat.
*In ''Halo Wars'', the only difference in gameplay is that the AI is much smarter and there are many more [[Shades]] in [[Campaign]].
*''Halo 2'' is the only game in the Halo trilogy without a special ending when completed on Legendary.
*In [[Halo 3: ODST|''Halo 3: ODST'']], the [[Sangheili|Elite]] skull and the [[Combat Knives]] on the Legendary logo are gone. They are replaced by two [[M7S Caseless Submachine Gun|silenced SMGs]] and a [[human]] skull.
*The Legendary symbol resembles a skull and crossbones.
*In ''Halo 3'' the Elite Skull's mandibles are transparent depending on if the flood are in the level.

==Sources==
<references/>

==Links==
===Internal===
*[[Campaign Complete: Legendary]]


{{halo Difficulty Levels}}
[[Category:Difficulties|4]]
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Status|Gameplay}}
+{{Ratings}}
-[[File:MCC - Legendary symbol.png|150px|thumb|The Legendary shield, as per ''[[Halo: The Master Chief Collection|Halo: The Master Chief Collection's]]'' release.]]
+{{Era|H1|H2|H3|HW|H3R|}}
-{{Quote|You face opponents who have never known defeat, who laugh in alien tongues at your efforts to survive. This is suicide.|Description from ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', ''[[Halo 2]]'', and ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]''}}
+[[Image:Legendary.jpg|300px|thumb|The Legendary difficulty icon.]]
-{{Quote|Tremble as teeming hordes of invincible alien monsters punish the slightest error with instant death... again and again.|Description from ''[[Halo 3]]'', ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'', ''[[Halo: Reach]]'', and ''[[Halo 4]]''{{Ref/Note|The ''[[Halo 4]]'' description is the same wording, however it ends with an [[wikipedia:exclamation point|exclamation point]] rather than a [[wikipedia:full stop|period]].}}}}
+{{Quote|You face opponents who have never known defeat, who laugh in alien tongues at your efforts to survive. This is suicide.|Description from ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' and ''[[Halo 2]]''.}}
-{{Quote|Your enemies outnumber you greatly and are hunting you down. Can you survive their onslaught?|Description from ''[[Halo: The Master Chief Collection]]''}}
+{{Quote|Tremble as teeming hordes of invincible alien monsters punish the slightest error with instant death... again and again.|Description from ''[[Halo 3]]''.}}
-{{Quote|Death around every corner. Reload often.|Description from ''[[Halo 5: Guardians]]''}}
-{{Quote|Face insurmountable odds and an overwhelming enemy force. This is what legends are made of.|Description from ''[[Halo Wars 2]]''}}
+'''Legendary''' is the highest and most difficult setting of [[campaign]] game play on [[Halo: Combat Evolved|''Halo: Combat Evolved'']], [[Halo 2|''Halo 2'']], [[Halo 3|''Halo 3'']] and [[Halo Wars|''Halo Wars'']], except for the Bungie-made Mythic Difficulty on ''Halo 3'' and ''Halo 2''.
-{{Quote|Run, little Demon. Recommended for fans of Jackal Snipers.|Description from ''[[Halo Infinite]]''}}
-'''Legendary''' is the highest and most difficult setting of [[Campaign]] gameplay in every ''Halo'' games to date, aside from the informal "[[Mythic (difficulty)|Mythic]]" difficulty which is Legendary with all [[Skull]]s active in ''Halo'' games that feature them. The Legendary difficulty is also featured in [[Firefight]], [[Skirmish]], and [[Spartan Ops]] games.
 ==Summary==
-[[File:Halo 3 - Legendary Symbol.png|thumb|The original Legendary shield.]]
+It is symbolized by an [[Elite]]'s skull with a bullet-hole of the left side of its head, with two crossed [[UNSC]] Standard Issue [[Combat Knives]] and the shield bearing the [[Marathon (video game series)|Marathon]] symbol. It is unclear why, as the Elites are no longer your enemies, the Legendary symbol in ''Halo 3'' still shows an [[Elite]] with a bullet hole, but perhaps [[Bungie]] thought the original was better, or didn't want to swap it out for a [[Brute]] skull. It is regarded as a challenge for even veteran players, as allies are frequently useless, except for diversions, and overwhelming enemy firepower and superior numbers often force one to play cautiously and conservatively. Enemies are extremely strong, while you and your allies' strength is extremely low. Legendary on ''Halo 2'' can be described as "Trial and Error." Completing the campaign on Legendary in the Halo Trilogy generally unlocks an additional ending to the story.
-In the original ''Halo'' trilogy, legendary difficulty is symbolized by an [[Sangheili|Elite]] skull with a bullet pierced on the cranium, two crossed [[Combat knife|combat knives]] and a shield bearing the ''[[Marathon]]'' symbol, though the symbol is not visible behind the skull. In ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]'', the symbol is adjusted to a [[human]] skull with two crossed [[M7S Caseless Submachine Gun|Suppressed SMGs]] in front of the same shield with the ''Marathon'' symbol, now slightly visible behind the skull. In ''[[Halo: Reach]]'' and ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]'', the original legendary symbol returns, but these games, along with future titles, lack the ''Marathon'' symbol on the shield. In ''[[Halo 4]]'', the shield and the combat knives have been redesigned while the skull of a [[Promethean Knight]] replaces the previous skulls.
-Legendary is regarded as a significant challenge, even for veteran players. Overwhelming enemy firepower, superior enemy numbers, and increased enemy intelligence make up most of the challenge, but several specific changes, varying throughout games, also add to the difficulty. Most allies are practically useless aside from creating distractions. The player must play cautiously and conservatively to succeed, but even with appropriate tactics and practice, the player will die very often and may require some luck to succeed. The increased difficulty does not come without rewards; many details, such as pieces of dialogue, cutscenes, and music, can only be heard or seen on Legendary; in particular, most Halo games feature an additional scene in the ending cutscenes, which is only shown on Legendary, often referred to as "Legendary Endings". ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', ''Halo 3'', ''Halo 3: ODST'', ''Halo: Reach'', ''Halo 4'', and ''Halo 5: Guardians'' feature such endings. Several [[achievement]]s, [[challenge]]s, [[commendations]], and [[Halo Waypoint#Awards|career awards]] reward players for accomplishing various tasks on Legendary difficulty in addition to the achievements for simply completing every mission on Legendary.
+Legendary was also the name of the highest difficulty setting in [[Bungie]]'s [[Myth]] series, in which it had the following flavor text: "You will brave the army of a commander who has never known defeat, and the piled dead will reach the heavens; but should you succeed, in an age not yet dawned, you will be spoken of as a god!"
-==''Halo: Combat Evolved'' and ''Halo: Anniversary''==
+==''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''==
-In the first ''Halo'' game, the differences between Legendary and other settings is relatively numeric. The player does not face unique or different enemies yet they face many more enemies who are tougher to defeat and endure. Many of the same strategies that work on other settings work on Legendary in this game except that the player has to be extremely careful of his/her own weaknesses. This is where the [[Noob combo]] comes in handy, with use of the [[Type-25 plasma pistol|Plasma Pistol]] and [[M6D magnum|M6D Magnum]].
+In the first Halo game, the differences between Legendary and other settings is relatively numeric. The player does not face unique or different enemies, they just face more enemies who are harder to defeat. Many of the same strategies that work on other settings work on Legendary in this game, except that the player has to be extremely careful of their own weaknesses. This is where the [[plasma pistol|Plasma-Pistol]]/[[M6D pistol|Human-Pistol]] combo comes in handy - also frequently known as: the classic [[Noob Combo]].
-=== General differences ===
+===General Differences===
-*Player [[Energy shielding|shields]] are half their [[Normal]] resistance. A few hits from plasma will often drain them completely.
+*[[Master Chief]]'s [[Shields]] are half their "Normal" power. A few hits will drain them completely.
-*Enemy shield resistance is strengthened.
+*Enemy shields are double their normal strength.
-*Extremely weak [[health]]. One [[melee]] from an enemy in front of the player will often prove fatal.
+*Extremely weakened [[health]] meter. One [[melee]] from an enemy in front of you will drain six health bars.
-*Player shields and enemy shields recharge faster - twice as fast as when on Normal difficulty.
+*Master Chief's shields and enemy's shields charge faster - twice as fast as Normal.
-*Enemy health is doubled.
+*Enemy health meters are double their normal strength.
-*'''[[Sangheili]]:''' Twice as many Sangheili appear as on the Normal difficulty. [[Sangheili Major]] are encountered at a ratio of about one of every three Elites encountered, improving enemy forces. An area that had two [[Sangheili Minor]] on Normal should have four to five Elites on Legendary with one or two of them being Majors. Their shields can take 28 rounds from an [[MA5B assault rifle|Assault Rifle]] before lowering.
+*'''Elites''' - Twice as many [[Elites]] appear as on the "Normal" setting. [[Major Elites]] are encountered at a ratio of about one of every three Elites encountered. An area that had two [[Minor Elites]] in Normal mode will have four-five Elites in Legendary, with one-two of them being Majors. Their shields can take 28 rounds from an [[Assault Rifle]] before lowering.
-*'''[[Unggoy]]:''' Twice as many Unggoy appear than on the Normal setting. Around half of the Grunts encountered are [[Unggoy Major]].
+*'''[[Grunts]]''' - Twice as many [[Grunts]] appear than on the "Normal" setting. Around half of the Grunts encountered are [[Major Grunts]].
-*Enemy Grunts and Elites throw grenades frequently, much faster and almost always accurately. The grenade detonation timers are cut in half.
+*'''[[Grenades]]''' - Enemy [[Grunts]] and Elites throw grenades frequently, much faster and almost always accurately. The grenades' timers are cut in half.
-*'''Firing Rate :''' All enemies fire their weapons much faster and more accurately. In particular, [[Kig-Yar]] will fire long streams of 10-15 shots with high accuracy. Kig-Yar will also charge their plasma pistols much more often proving deadly in combat.
+*'''Firing Rate''' - All enemies fire their weapons much faster and more accurately. In particular, [[Jackal]]s will fire long streams of 10-15 shots with high accuracy. [[Jackal]]s will also charge their [[Plasma Pistol]]s much more often.
-*'''Agility :''' All enemies move much faster and will rarely allow a player to stick them with [[Anskum-pattern plasma grenade|grenades]]. Sangheili will often do their dodging maneuver immediately if hit, making it very difficult to make consistent hits on them to drain their shields.
+*'''Agility''' - All enemies move much faster and will almost never allow a player to stick them with grenades. Elites will often do their dodging maneuver immediately if hit, making it very difficult to make consistent hits on them to drain their shields.
-*'''[[Stealth Sangheili]]:''' They are always encountered in packs of four to six with few exceptions.
+*'''[[Stealth Elites]]''' are always encountered in packs of four-six, with few exceptions (like on the second or third circular room of [[Assault on the Control Room]], with a pack of Grunts, and ''one'', always one, stealth Elite).
-*'''[[Flood]]:''' The Flood are now armed 90 percent of the time. Their deadly melee attacks will drain shields by half. Many more of them wield [[M90 shotgun|Shotguns]] and [[M41 SPNKR|Rocket Launchers]] than before. Only a couple of Infection Forms can completely drain your shields, and an explosion from a Carrier Form can kill you instantly if your shields are completely or partially drained.
+*'''[[Flood]]''' are now armed 90 percent of the time. Their deadly [[melee]] attacks will drain shields by half. Many more of them wield [[Shotguns]] and [[Rocket Launchers]] than before.
-*'''Allies:''' [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marines]] are virtually useless. They will constantly get stuck with grenades and most are easily killed by the enemy's increased rate of fire. Their returning fire only inflicts minimal damage on enemies. Their AI is increased significantly, still to little effect.
+*'''Allies''' - [[Marines]] are virtually useless. They will constantly be stuck with [[Plasma Grenade|grenades]], and most are easily killed by the enemy's increased rate of fire, returning fire only inflicting minimal damage on enemies. Their AI is increased significantly, to little effect.
-* [[Sangheili Zealot]]s appear more frequently throughout the game. Incredibly, it takes 21 shots from an M6D Pistol to remove their shields alone.
+*'''[[Zealots]]''' - Zealots appear more frequently throughout the game. It takes 21 shots from a [[M6D Pistol|pistol]] just to remove their shields.
-===Specific differences===
+===Specific Differences===
-*'''[[The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|The Pillar of Autumn]]:'''
+*'''[[Pillar of Autumn (Level)]]'''
-**The player does not go through the controls section at the beginning of the level, the game assuming that anyone choosing the highest difficulty level has gone through it before. Instead, they will wake up and leave the cryo section immediately. This also occurs on Heroic difficulty.
+**The player does not go through the controls section at the beginning of the level, the game assuming that anyone choosing the highest difficulty level has gone through it before. Instead, they will wake up and leave the cryo section immediately.
-**[[Avery Johnson|Johnson]]'s speech changes in the beginning of the level.
+**[[Johnson]]'s speech changes in the beginning of the level.
-**The player has immediate access to the [[motion tracker]] and [[M9 frag grenade|Frag grenades]].
+**The player has immediate access to the [[motion tracker]] and [[grenade]]s.
-*'''[[The Truth and Reconciliation]]:'''
+*'''[[343 Guilty Spark (Level)]]'''
-**Upon entering the loading bay, 4-6 Sangheili Zealots will ambush the player and the Marines in addition to the standard waves of Unggoy and Kig-Yar which pass through the hallways. There will also be a couple of [[Mgalekgolo]].
+**The [[Shotgun]] is no longer available early on in the game. The only way to pick it up is to kill a [[Combat Form]] that was holding one, or from one of the dead Marines from the third room with an energy bridge.
-*'''[[343 Guilty Spark (level)|343 Guilty Spark]]:'''
+*'''[[The Maw (Level)]]'''
-**The shotgun is no longer available early on in the game. The only way to pick it up is to kill a [[Flood combat form]] that was holding one or from one of the dead Marines from the third room with an energy bridge.
+**The player only has five minutes to get to the [[Longsword]] fighter after destroying the ''[[UNSC Pillar of Autumn|Pillar of Autumn]]'''s engine core, instead of the usual six minutes. You get to see the non-canon secret ending.
-*'''[[The Maw]]:'''
-**The player only has five minutes to get to the [[GA-TL1 Longsword|Longsword]] fighter after destroying the ''Pillar of Autumn''{{'}}s engine core as opposed to the usual six minutes.
-**The player will get to see the non-canon [[Hugging Elite|secret ending]].
-===Awards===
+==''[[Halo 2]]''==
-In ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary]]'':
-*The [[Living Legend]] achievement is awarded for completing the campaign on Legendary.
-*The [[Bro Hammer]] achievement is awarded for completing any level [[Cooperative play|cooperatively]] on Legendary.
-*The [[Overshields are for Sissies]] achievement is awarded for completing the level ''[[The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Combat Evolved level)|The Pillar of Autumn]]'' on Legendary without picking up an [[overshield]].
-*The [[Walk it Off]] achievement is awarded for completing the level ''The Pillar of Autumn'' on Legendary without picking up any [[health pack]]s.
-*The [[Speed Reader]] achievement is awarded for completing the level ''[[The Library]]'' on Legendary in 30 minutes or less.
-*The [[Leave It Where It Lay]] achievement is awarded for completing the level ''[[Two Betrayals]]'' on Legendary without picking up any other weapons.
-*The [[Never Tell Me the Odds]] achievement is awarded for completing ''[[The Maw]]'' on Legendary with at least one minute remaining on the countdown.
-==''Halo 2''==
+In one of the [[Bungie]] Updates, [[Frankie]] describes ''Halo 2'''s ''Legendary'' as:
-In one of the [[Bungie]] Updates, [[Frank O'Connor]] describes ''Halo 2''{{'}}s Legendary as:
-{{Article quote|A whole new sick twist on game difficulty. Legendary includes bizarre stuff like perma-death for [[Cooperative play|Co-Op]] players, meaning that you can't hopscotch like you can on other difficulty levels. Once a player dies on Legendary, both players are hurled back to the last checkpoint. It's brutal. Also, that place where you encountered two grunts and a flowerpot on Normal? Well now they're hunters, high-ranking, [[Type-1 energy sword|Sword]] carrying Elites and they're all PMS-ing. Seriously, sticking your head around a corner on level two can get it shot clean off.}}
+''A whole new sick twist on game difficulty. Legendary includes bizarre stuff like perma-death for [[co-op]] players, meaning that you can't hopscotch like you can on other difficulty levels. Once a player dies on Legendary, both players are hurled back to the last checkpoint. It's brutal. Also, that place where you encountered two [[Grunts]] and a flowerpot on [[Normal]]? Well now they're [[Hunters]], high-ranking, [[Energy Sword|sword]]-carrying [[Elites]] and they're all PMS-ing. Seriously, sticking your head around a corner on level two can get it shot clean off.''
-===General differences===
+===General Differences===
-*Both players have "linked lives". That is, when one of the players dies, both are sent back to the last checkpoint regardless of whether or not only one of them died (Possibly to prevent players from easily reaching the status of beating Legendary on their profile or to enhance it with the general knowledge of the above statement). This effect is similar to enabling the [[Halo 2 skulls#Iron|Iron Skull]].
+*Enemies fire at a much faster rate and fire far more accurately.
-*Enemy fire or munitions have a faster velocity.
-*Enemies will tend to use more powerful weapons earlier in the game or more often, such as [[Sangheili Ultra|Ultras]] and [[Sangheili Zealot|Zealots]] with [[Type-1 energy sword|Energy Swords]], [[Unggoy]] with [[Pez'tk-pattern fuel rod gun|Fuel Rod Guns]] and [[Type-33 needler|Needlers]], and finally [[Jiralhanae]] with [[Type-25 Brute Shot|Brute Shots]].
-*Flood Combat Forms will frequently wield Shotguns and Rocket Launchers. A shot from a Shotgun at mid-range can kill you instantly. There are more Infection Forms present, and they will instantly revive any Combat Form if their corpses are intact.
-*Enemies will tend to stick together, and not follow the player too far from their spawn point, making it very difficult to ambush them.
-*Enemies will throw grenades more often, and if the player is behind cover they may continuously throw grenades until the player moves or is killed.
-*One burst from the Plasma Rifle is enough to kill the player ([[Seven|Four to penetrate shields and three to kill]]).
-*Enemies fire at a much faster rate and fire extremely accurately.
 *Enemy numbers are drastically increased.
-*Shields are 50% their Normal resistance and a few hits will drain them completely.
+*Shields are 50% their "Normal" power and a few hits will drain them completely.
-*The [[Thel 'Vadam|Arbiter]]'s [[active camouflage]] lasts only five seconds and takes ten seconds to recharge.
+*The [[Arbiter (character)|Arbiter's]] [[active camouflage]] lasts only five seconds and takes ten seconds to recharge.
-*Enemy shields and health are almost double their Normal resistance.
+*Enemy [[Energy Shield|Shields]] and health are almost double their "Normal" power.
-*Virtually all Sangheili encountered are Majors. Unggoy  Majors are also far more common.
+*Virtually every [[Elite]] encountered is a [[Major Elite]]. [[Major Grunt]]s are also far more common.
-*Elite Ultras are now a very common sight. The player will encounter up to four in some parts of the game. They have the most powerful energy shields in the game and can survive four head shots from a [[Sniper Rifle System 99C-Series 2 Anti-Matériel|Sniper Rifle]] or a [[Sulok-pattern beam rifle|Beam Rifle]].
+*[[Ultra Elite]]s are now a very common sight, you will encounter up to four in some parts. They have the most powerful shields in the game, and can take four headshots from a [[Sniper Rifle]] or [[Beam Rifle]].
-*When playing as the [[John-117|Master Chief]], the player has to face large numbers of Sangheili  Zealots. They always wield Swords and can slaughter large groups of Marines with ease.
+*Elite [[Zealot]]s now appear as enemies when playing as [[Master Chief]]. They always wield [[swords]] and will annihilate all your [[Marine]]s with ease.
-*Enemies are extremely adaptive and intelligent in tactical action. They rarely fall victim to being outsmarted.
+*Enemies are extremely adaptive and intelligent in tactical action. They are very difficult to kill.
-*Unggoy retreat less often when a leader is killed.
+*[[Grunt]]s retreat less often when a leader is killed.
-*Marine allies are much stronger. They have more health and their AI is increased significantly. They are still highly vulnerable though.
+*Marine allies are much stronger; they have more health and their AI is increased significantly, to little effect.
-**Marines can withstand one shot from a sniper jackal without dying.
+*[[Melee]] attacks on you from [[Elite]]s and [[Flood]] are almost always one-hit kills.
-*Melee attacks received from Elites and Flood combat forms are practically always one hit fatalities, however moving to the side will reduce the damage concurred from such attacks.
+*Enemies normally have upgraded weapons. For example, [[Brutes]] that usually had [[Brute Plasma Rifle|Brute Plasma Rifles]] now usually have [[Covenant Carbine|Carbines]] and also have the deadly [[Brute Shot]] equipped.
-**Melee attacks from Heretic Elites are glitched, so the player will not take any damage from them. This can be used as a saving grace in otherwise bad situations. '''''This does not apply when a Heretic Elite is holding an Energy Sword'''''.
+*Enemies will often notice you sooner.
-*Enemies normally have upgraded weapons. For example, Jiralhanae that usually had [[Kewu R'shi'k-pattern plasma rifle]]s would now carry [[Vostu-pattern carbine]] or have the deadly Brute Shot equipped.
+*[[Sniper Jackals]] will appear more often than on any other difficulty. One shot from them will kill you regardless of where it hits, so you should think twice before sticking yourself out into the open.
-*Enemies will often notice the player sooner and prove to be more alert.
+*[[Stealth Elites]] appear more often, and travel in groups of two-four, usually with one or two wielding dual-wielded [[Plasma Rifle]]s, and the others using [[Energy Sword]]s.
-*[[Kig-Yar Sniper]]s will appear more often than on any other difficulty. They can kill the player with only one shot regardless of where it hits. Players should think twice before sticking themselves out into the open.
+*Almost all [[Flood]] Elites have [[shields]].
-*Stealth Elites appear more often and travel in groups of two to four, usually with one or two dual-wielding Plasma Rifles and the others using Energy Swords.
+*Both players have "linked lives". That is, when one of the players dies, both are sent back to the last checkpoint regardless of whether or not only one of them died (possibly to prevent players from easily reaching the status of beating legendary on their profile, or to enhance it with the general knowledge of the above statement).
-*Almost all Elite Combat Forms have shields.
+*One shot from a [[Brute Shot]] will have the same power as a shot of the [[Rocket Launcher]] on [[Easy]] difficulty.
-*One shot from a Brute Shot will have the same power as a shot of the rocket launcher on [[Easy]] difficulty.
-===Awards===
+==''[[Halo 3]]''==
-In [[Halo 2 (Windows Vista)|''Halo 2'' for Windows Vista]]:
+*Shields are 50% their "Normal" power and a few hits will drain them completely.
-*The [[Legend (Halo 2 achievement)|Legend]] achievement is awarded for completing the campaign on Legendary.
+*Enemies are several times more resistant to damage (example: You need three body shots or two headshots for a [[Brute Captain]] to take it down instead of one headshot or two body shots with a sniper or beam rifle).
-*The [[Hired Gun (achievement)|Hired Gun]] achievement is awarded for killing an opponent who has the Legend achievement in multiplayer.
+*Head shots are the only means to get a quick kill on enemies like [[Jackals]] and [[Grunts]].
-In ''[[Halo: The Master Chief Collection]]'':
+*Nearly all enemy forces are promoted by one rank with high ranking Grunts and [[Brutes]] seen more often. This, by the way, can be changed with the effects of the [[Thunderstorm Skull]], which promotes enemies even higher.
-*The [[Legendary Anniversary]] achievement is awarded for completing the campaign on Legendary.
+*Enemy numbers double or sometimes triple in the case of [[Flood]] encounters.
-*The [[Monopolized]] achievement is awarded for completing the campaign on Legendary in under 3 hours.
+*Enemy AI increases dramatically, enemy vehicles will be significantly harder to hijack and enemies will be nearly impossible to stick with grenades.
-*The [[He's Running a Marathon...]] achievement is awarded for watching the [[Gravemind]] cutscene on Legendary in classic graphics.
+*Sniper Jackals, one of the rarest enemies in ''Halo 3'', will appear in greater frequency, though not nearly as much as in ''Halo 2''.
+*Enemies fire much faster and toss grenades more often, and with more accurately.
+*Enemies fire weapons very accurately and at an extremely fast rate.
+*Turrets will appear in places where there were none, including [[Shades]], and gunners will be affected by the above skills.
+*[[Brutes]] will wield Brute Shots more often and they fire them faster, more accurately and deadlier. They will frequently go in berserker mode on any random occurrence.
+*Grunts and Jackals now shoot their weapons faster.
+*You can't kill [[Jackals]] with one melee hit, unless you're using a melee-based weapon or assassinating them.
+*The 'linked lives' are removed, and can only be achieved with the Iron Skull.
-==''Halo 3'' and ''Halo 3: ODST''==
+===Tactics===
-[[File:Halo 3 ODST - Legendary Symbol.png|150px|thumb|The ''Halo 3: ODST'' Legendary shield.]]
+If one plays ''Halo 3'' on the Legendary difficulty, they should follow these tips.
-===General differences===
+*When facing [[Drones]], always have cover that you can hide behind, as half a dozen plasma pistols and Needlers can be deadly.
-*Shields are 50% their Normal power and a few hits even from a Plasma Pistol will drain them completely.
+*Take your time; you may think that rushing through a level on legendary is the way to get through, but your enemies will kill you as soon as you move out of cover. Instead, wait in cover with a medium ranged weapon, like the Battle Rifle or Carbine, and take out as many enemies (specifically [[Brutes]]) as you can.
-*Enemies are much more resistant to damage. (E.g. The player needs three body shots or two headshots for a fully shielded [[Jiralhanae Captain|Jiralhanae Captain]] to take it down instead of one headshot or two body shots with a sniper or beam rifle).
+*Use a semiautomatic weapon against [[Brutes]] and [[Jackals]]. These weapons are usually more precise, especially ones with a scope. Save automatic weapons, like the Assault Rifle or SMG, for [[Grunts]].
-*Headshots are the only means to get a quick kill on enemies like Jackals and Grunts, aside from assassinations.
+*Use sniper weapons as much as possible at long range. Take out most of the higher ranked enemies before engaging the rest.
-*Nearly all enemy forces are promoted by one rank. This can be changed with the effects of the [[Halo 3 skulls#Thunderstorm|Thunderstorm Skull]], which promotes enemies even higher. In addition to this promotion, Brutes will not carry [[deployable cover]]s.
+*Head shots are important. A head shot can kill any unarmored enemy in one shot.
-*Enemy numbers double or sometimes triple in the case of Flood encounters.
+*Remember to use grenades.
-*Enemy AI improves dramatically, enemy vehicles will be significantly harder to hijack and enemies will be nearly impossible to stick with grenades.
+*Use vehicles with boosts when moving across an open area if possible.
-*Kig-Yar Snipers, one of the rarer enemies in ''Halo 3'', will appear with greater frequency, though not nearly as much as in ''Halo 2''. Similar to ''Halo 2'', being shot by a Kig-Yar Sniper armed with a beam rifle results in instant death.
+*Use silver skulls (except Blind). The [[Grunt Birthday Party]] skull and the [[Cowbell skull|Cowbell Skull]] are very helpful.
-*Enemies fire much faster and more accurately, and toss grenades more often and with greater accuracy.
+*Don't charge at enemies unless you are sure they can't fire back at you. Doing so can result in instant death.
-*Turrets, such as [[Rizsheda-pattern Shade|Shades]], are frequently encountered, even in places in which they did not appear in lower difficulties. Gunners will also fire more aggressively.
+*Support weapons are very helpful.
-*Jirlahane will wield Brute Shots more often. They will fire them faster and more accurately. They will also frequently go berserk.
+*The Grunts often go kamikaze and will kill you if you're not fast enough to kill them.
-*The "linked lives" system from ''Halo 2'' is removed but can be achieved with the [[Halo 3 skulls#Iron|Iron Skull]] activated.
+*Kill Sniper Jackals first. If you aren't behind cover they will instantly kill you.
-*Almost all Sentinels have shields, including allied ones.
+*Use the [[Plasma Pistol]], preferably charged, to take down enemy shields.
-*In single-player mode, the Arbiter is next to useless and will frequently be knocked out for prolonged periods. He will also take cover a lot more and so reduce his outgoing fire. However, he becomes a powerful ally if wielding an Energy Sword when fighting the Flood, especially in the level [[Floodgate]].
+*Use the [[Noob combo]] as much as possible. It can save you when facing large numbers of Flood forms, at least. You need to create as much distance as possible from deadly enemies such as [[Brute Chieftains|Chieftains]], so noob combo would be ideal.
+*Plasma pistols are not actually that bad. They can destroy a Brute's armor in a charged shot.
+*It is good to play with four people on Legendary. You should keep one person out of the way so that you can respawn if you die. This is especially useful on the level [[Cortana (Level)]].
+*Finding the Battle Rifles or Carbines can and will give you the edge in sniper duels. This works best on the first and second levels as the respective ammo is plentiful.
-===Specific differences===
+==''[[Halo Wars]]''==
-*''Halo 3'':
-**In the level ''[[Arrival]]'', there are five different random dialog lines for Johnson which are exclusive to Legendary difficulty.
-**The [[Terminal (Halo 3)|Terminals]] have a different narrative on Legendary, changing from the story of the [[Didact]] and the [[Librarian]], to the story of [[Mendicant Bias]].
-**The ending cutscene of the level ''[[Halo (Halo 3 level)|Halo]]'', following the game's [[Halo 3 credits|credits]], has a Legendary-only scene [[Requiem|foreshadowing]] ''Halo 4''.
-*''Halo 3: ODST'':
-**In the level ''[[Prepare To Drop]]'', a photo of the [[Rookie]]'s girlfriend can be seen in his [[M8900 drop pod|drop pod]].
-**In the ending cutscene of the level ''[[NMPD HQ]]'', blood sprays out of [[Kojo Agu|Romeo]]'s chest.
-**The ending cutscene of the game, at the end of the level ''[[Coastal Highway]]'' and after the [[Halo 3: ODST credits|credits]], has a Legendary-only scene.
-===Awards===
-*In ''Halo 3'':
-**The [[Campaign Complete: Legendary (Halo 3 achievement)|Campaign Complete: Legendary]] achievement is awarded for completing the campaign on Legendary.
-**The [[Vidmaster Challenge: Annual]] achievement is awarded for completing the level ''[[Halo (Halo 3 level)|Halo]]'' on 4-player Legendary LIVE [[Cooperative play|Co-Op]], with Iron Skull and everyone in [[Type-32 Rapid Attack Vehicle|Ghosts]].
-**The [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/EOD variant|EOD armor]] is awarded in multiplayer for completing the campaign on Legendary.
-*In ''Halo 3: ODST'':
-**The [[Campaign Complete: Legendary (Halo 3: ODST achievement)|Campaign Complete: Legendary]] achievement is awarded for completing the campaign on Legendary.
-**The [[Vidmaster Challenge: Classic]] achievement is awarded for completing any level solo on Legendary, on LIVE, with no shots fired or grenades thrown.
-**The [[Vidmaster Challenge: Deja Vu]] achievement is awarded for completing the level ''[[Coastal Highway]]'' on 4-player Legendary LIVE co-op, with Iron Skull, and no Warthog or Scorpion.
-**[[Veronica Dare]] is awarded as a playable [[Firefight (Halo 3: ODST)|Firefight]] character for completing the campaign on Legendary.
-==''Halo Wars''==
-===General differences===
 *Enemies' health varies from being 25% to 50% stronger than on Normal, depending on the mission.
 *Enemy units deal much more damage, up to 50% more than on Normal.
 *Enemies are always upgraded with at least one or two upgrades and attack the player's base earlier and with more units.
-*When facing Flood units, player infantry units get infected at a faster rate.
+*When facing Flood units, player's infantry units get infected at a faster rate.
-*Extra enemy units which normally don't appear on lower difficulties are present: Shades, stationary Jackals and sometimes even {{Pattern|Emp'seam|Antlion}}s. In Flood missions, there are more [[Flood launcher]]s, [[Flood spores|spores]] and [[Flood blister|blisters]] than usual.
+*Extra enemy units, which normally don't appear, to deal with: [[Shade]]s, stationary [[Jackals]] and sometimes even [[Mega Turret]]s. In Flood missions, more [[Flood Launcher]]s, [[Flood Spores|Spores]] and [[Flood Growth Pods|Growth Pods]].
-===Specific differences===
+===Tactics===
-*Beating the game on Legendary unlocks additional dialogue at the end of the last cutscene, played after the level ''[[Escape (Halo Wars level)|Escape]]'' and the [[Halo Wars credits|credits]].
+When playing ''Halo Wars'' on Legendary, players may follow these tips:
+*Frontal assaults against large enemy groups usually are a bad choice: unless your army is varied and powerful, try to set up ambushes by using terrain and covers where troops can garrison in, like the [[Deployable Lookout Tower]].
+*In Campaign missions, it's usually impossible to achieve the Combat Bonus, due to the enemy's lethality. The best way to make a good score is by completing the mission in a short time, achieving the Time Bonus.
+*To make the game easier, players can activate some of the [[Halo Wars Skulls|Skulls]].
-===Awards===
+== Trivia ==
-*The [[Detour The Great Journey]] achievement is awarded for completing the campaign on Legendary.
+*If [[The Maw]] is completed on Legendary, a special ending is shown known as the "[[Hugging Elite]]", an added, non-canon cut scene where Sergeant Johnson and a Minor Elite exchange embraces.
-*The [[One and Done]] achievement is awarded for scoring the winning point in a game of [[Keepaway Mode|Keepaway]] against Legendary A.I.s.
+*Every difficulty shield icon has the [[Marathon]] symbol on it as in the pre-Xbox Halo.
+*Legendary is the top edition of ''Halo 3''.
-== ''Halo: Reach'' ==
+*If [[The Silent Cartographer (Level)|The Silent Cartographer]] is played on a level higher then [[Easy]], the guitar version of "[[Rock Anthem for Saving the World]]" will play after the transmission with [[Echo-419]] after accessing the [[Cartographer]].
-[[File:HR Legendary Icon.png|thumb|The ''Halo: Reach'' Legendary shield.]]
+*''Halo 3'' keeps track of whether you finished Legendary on Solo or Co-op, thus signifying finishing it on Solo, which is considered suicide compared to Co-op, which can be completable by ordinary players.
-=== General differences ===
+*The second ''Halo 3'' map pack is named the [[Legendary Map Pack]] (aptly named, for the previous map pack was the [[Heroic Map Pack]]).
-* In ''Halo Reach'', enemy AI and numbers will be scaled according to the number of players (i.e. the more players there are, the more enemies there are and the more intelligent each enemy AI is).
+*Many players will use [[Xbox Live]] to beat this difficulty; swapping in and out so there isn't a restart from a checkpoint, increasing level run-through speed.
-* Plasma projectiles travel faster than on other difficulties.
+*On ''Halo 3'', you unlock [[EOD]] armor for beating Legendary difficulty.
-* Shade turrets fire and turn several times faster than physically possible by the player.
+*If you complete the last level of ''Halo 3'' on Legendary (titled "Halo") you will unlock a special Legendary ending that displays a bonus cutscene after the credits for the game. It shows another galaxy near ours. This is, in fact, the Andromeda Galaxy, which is to collide with our galaxy in millions of years. The perspective makes it look closer.{{Template:Fact}}
-* [[Sangheili General]] appear more often, usually wielding Covenant heavy weapons.
+*In ''Halo 2'', Legendary is the only difficulty where you can find the hidden skulls, except for the [[Blind Skull]] and the [[Assassins Skull]]. The Assassins Skull doesn't give you the effect.
-* [[Sangheili Minor]]s seldom appear; less than five are encountered in the entire campaign, with the exception of Banshee pilots.
+*The Elite Skull on the symbol for the Legendary difficulty is not the same size of a normal Elite skull. This is simply a carry-over from ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', in which the head is implied by the Elite's armor. The actual skull is much smaller.
-* Similar to Elite Minors, very few [[Kig-Yar Minor]]s appear through the whole campaign.
+*It is possible to play on an unofficial difficulty, known as ''[[Halo_3_Skulls#Mythic|Mythic]];'' this is playing on [[Legendary]] with the [[Mythic skull|Mythic Skull]] enabled. Some will take this further and play with all of the skulls. Mythic on Legendary will make even head shots from snipers have little effect, sometimes even Grunts survive them.
+*Mythic mode is known to be a true 'hell' in ''Halo 2;'' as the [[Mythic skull|Mythic Skull]] doubles enemy health, the effect is similar to that of facing invincible enemies. Particularly notable is the fight with the [[Prophet of Regret]], who has a massive amount of health, and is extremely hard to defeat.
-=== Specific differences ===
+*In ''Halo Wars'', the only difference in gameplay is that the AI is much smarter and there are many more [[Shades]] in [[Campaign]].
-* [[Data pads]] 10 to 19 are only found on Legendary difficulty.
+*''Halo 2'' is the only game in the Halo trilogy without a special ending when completed on Legendary.
-* When playing the level ''[[The Pillar of Autumn (Halo: Reach level)|The Pillar of Autumn]]'' on Legendary, [[Jacob Keyes|Captain Keyes]] refers to [[Catherine Halsey]] by her first name, while he uses her last name on lower difficulties.
+*In [[Halo 3: ODST|''Halo 3: ODST'']], the [[Sangheili|Elite]] skull and the [[Combat Knives]] on the Legendary logo are gone. They are replaced by two [[M7S Caseless Submachine Gun|silenced SMGs]] and a [[human]] skull.
+*The Legendary symbol resembles a skull and crossbones.
-=== Awards ===
+*In ''Halo 3'' the Elite Skull's mandibles are transparent depending on if the flood are in the level.
-* The [[Gods Must Be Strong]] achievement is awarded for completing the campaign on Legendary.
-* The [[A Monument to All Your Sins]] achievement is awarded for completing the campaign on Legendary solo.
-* The [[Game, Set, Match]] achievement is awarded for completing a [[Firefight]] set on Legendary without dying.
-* [[Carter-A259|Carter]]'s helmet is awarded for the player's [[Avatar (Xbox 360)|Avatar]] for completing a level on Legendary without dying.
-== ''Halo 4'' ==
-[[File:Halo 4 - Legendary symbol.png|150px|thumb|The ''Halo 4'' Legendary shield.]]
-=== General differences ===
-{{Expand-section}}
-* The player will get an extended cutscene in ''[[Epilogue (Halo 4 level)|Epilogue]]'' if the entire campaign is cleared on Legendary.
-* Enemies deal more damage and are more resistant to damage, with Elites taking at least [[seven]] direct headshots from a [[M395 DMR|DMR]] to lose their shields.
-* More [[Promethean Knight]]s are featured, especially higher-ranking ones.
-* [[Crawler Snipe]]s are more dangerous as their built-in [[Z-750 binary rifle]]s almost always kill the player in one hit, regardless of where it hits.
-* Promethean Knights' and [[Promethean Watcher]]s' shields recharge much faster.
-* Knights also throw [[Z-040 pulse grenade|Pulse Grenades]] even more often.
-=== Specific differences ===
-* '''[[Forerunner (level)|Forerunner]]''':
-** Playing on Legendary allows access to two [[Incineration Cannons on Forerunner|Easter]] [[Hidden weapons caches on Forerunner|eggs]] allowing the player to spawn nine [[Z-390 incineration cannon|Incineration Cannon]]s and two Forerunner heavy weapons caches for use in the mission, respectively.
-* '''[[Shutdown]]''':
-** A new Legendary-exclusive easter egg allows the player to [[Gravity Hammers on Shutdown|spawn]] four [[Gravity hammer (fiction)|Gravity Hammer]]s for use in the mission.
-* '''[[Midnight]]''':
-** A Legendary-only easter egg allows the player to [[Secret Gravity Hammer on Midnight|spawn a second Gravity Hammer]] for use in the mission.
-=== Awards ===
-* [[The Legend of 117]] achievement is awarded for completing the campaign on Legendary.
-* The [[Lone Wolf Legend]] achievement is awarded for completing the campaign on Legendary solo.
-* The [[A Legendary Episode]] achievement is awarded for completing all chapters in ''[[Spartan Ops]]'' [[S1/Departure|Episode 1]] on Legendary.
-* The [[Crimson Alone]] achievement is awarded for completing a ''Spartan Ops'' chapter on Legendary solo.
-* The [[MJOLNIR Powered Assault Armor/Mark VI|Mark VI armor]] and the [[Visor color#Halo 4|Legendary visor color]] are awarded in [[Infinity (mode)|''Infinity'' multiplayer]] for completing the campaign on Legendary.
-== ''Halo 5: Guardians'' ==
+==Sources==
-[[File:Halo 5 Guardians - Legendary symbol.png|150px|thumb|The ''Halo 5: Guardians'' Legendary shield.]]
+<references/>
-While playing on [[cooperative play|co-op]], it is highly recommended to pick characters with precision weapons (e.g. DMR) as their starting primary weapon as part of their starting loadout, like [[Frederic-104]] or [[Holly Tanaka]], as precision weapons are more useful than fully automatic weapons in most cases.
-=== General differences ===
-{{Expand-section}}
-* Enemies deal more damage and are more resistant to damage. Two shots from an enemy wielding a [[Z-250 lightrifle]] will down a player.
-* [[Promethean Crawler]]s' tracking shots from their built-in weapons exhibit virtually pinpoint accuracy.
-* [[Armiger Soldier]]s use slipspace translocation even more often to confuse or avoid players and throw [[Z-400 splinter grenade|Splinter Grenades]] more often.
-* [[Knight Commander]]s wielding Incineration Cannons fire charged shots even more often.
-=== Specific differences ===
-* The player will get a secret ending after the credits if the [[Guardians|final mission]] is completed on Legendary.
-* '''[[Osiris (level)|Osiris]]''':
-** The [[Flaming knives on Osiris]] easter egg becomes available. If successfully triggered, it will result in an oversized Promethean Knight and [[Warden Eternal]] spawning in the final room, as well as the player getting the ''[[Prophets' Bane]]''.
-* '''[[Blue Team (level)|Blue Team]]''':
-** Jackal Snipers will spawn in the reactor room. In addition, Elites will be seen manning the [[Shea'p-pattern plasma cannon|Plasma Turrets]] instead of Grunts.
-** In the hangar bay, several [[Sangheili Warrior|Elite Warriors]] armed with [[Gespu-pattern fuel rod gun|Fuel Rod Cannons]] will spawn.
-* '''[[Glassed]]''':
-** The [[Halo 5: Guardians skulls#Iron|Iron]] skull becomes available to unlock in this mission by shooting down the pursuing [[Phaeton]] towards the end of the level.
-* '''[[Genesis (level)|Genesis]]''':
-** Near the [[Gateway]], there is a dead [[Promethean Crawler]]. If the player [[Corpse humping|teabags]] this Crawler 117 times in the same spot, [[031 Exuberant Witness]] will be able to shoot gauss beams, extending her combat capabilities, which then makes her useful in the double Warden Eternal boss fight at the end of the mission.
-=== Awards ===
-* The [[Forging a Legend]] achievement is awarded for completing the campaign on Legendary.
-* The [[Lone Wolf (achievement)|Lone Wolf]] achievement is awarded for completing the campaign on Legendary solo.
-* The [[Tank Still Beats Everything]] achievement is awarded for surviving Genesis all the way to the first Warden Eternal fight with the [[M820 Scorpion|Scorpion]] still intact on Legendary.
-* The [[Harbinger (achievement)|Harbinger]] achievement is awarded for completing [[The Breaking]] on Legendary without all members of [[Blue Team]] dying.
-== ''Halo Wars 2'' ==
-[[File:Halo Wars 2 - Legendary symbol.png|150px|thumb|The ''Halo Wars 2'' Legendary shield.]]
-=== General differences ===
-{{Expand-section}}
-* Enemies are always upgraded at least one or two levels.
-* Enemies often use Leader Powers to harass the player in the Campaign.
-* Enemies do more damage than Normal.
-===Awards===
-*In ''Halo Wars 2'':
-**The [[Surviving the long war]] achievement is awarded for completing the campaign on Legendary.
-**The [[Comrades in arms]] achievement is awarded for earning a gold medal on any mission (Except for the Prologue) on co-op on Legendary.
-**The [[You've got a case of the Birley]] achievement is awarded for winning a 1v1 Skirmish match against Legendary AI, after recycling your base in the first five minutes.
-*In ''[[Halo Wars 2: Operation: SPEARBREAKER|Operation: SPEARBREAKER]]'':
-**The [[Vidmaster Challenge: 100 drops]] achievement is awarded for gaining a gold medal and completing all objectives in [[Gatecrashers]] on Legendary.
-**The [[Vidmaster Challenge: No fly zone]] achievement is awarded for gaining a gold medal and completing all objectives in [[Not on My Watch]] on Legendary.
-**The [[We go feet first!]] achievement is awarded for completing ''Operation: SPEARBREAKER'' on Legendary difficulty.
-*In ''[[Halo Wars 2: Awakening the Nightmare|Awakening the Nightmare]]'':
-**The [[Banished Prowess]] achievement is awarded for completing any level of the ''Awakening the Nightmare'' campaign on par time, on Legendary, with a scoring skull active.
-**The [[The Ancient Enemy]] achievement is awarded for completing ''Awakening the Nightmare'' on Legendary.
-{{Clear}}
-==''Halo Infinite''==
-{{Expand-section}}
-{{Clear}}
-===Awards===
-*The [[A True Test of Legends]] achievement is awarded for completing the campaign on Legendary.
-== Trivia ==
-* The ''[[Marathon]]'' symbol was present on every difficulty shield icon, but has disappeared in ''Halo: Reach'' and following games.
-* ''Halo 3'' and all subsequent FPS ''Halo'' games keep track of whether the player has finished Legendary on Solo or Co-op.
-* Legendary was the title for the most expensive editions of ''[[Halo 3 Legendary Edition|Halo 3]]'' and ''[[Halo: Reach Legendary Edition|Halo: Reach]]''.
-* The second ''Halo 3'' map pack is named the [[Legendary Map Pack]]. (Aptly named, for the previous map pack was the [[Heroic Map Pack]] and the next one was [[Mythic Map Pack]]).
-* In ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', if [[The Silent Cartographer]] is played on any difficulty higher than [[Easy]], the guitar version of [[Rock Anthem for Saving the World]] will play after the transmission with ''[[Echo 419]]'' after accessing the [[Silent Cartographer|Cartographer]].
-* In ''Halo 2'', Legendary is the only difficulty in which the player can find the hidden skulls, except for the [[Halo 2 skulls#Blind|Blind Skull]] and the [[Halo 2 skulls#Assassins|Assassins Skull]]. However the Assassins Skull does not give the player the effect when not on Legendary.
-* The Legendary symbol is visible several times in ''Halo Wars'', on Sergeant Forge's and Red Team's armors.
-== Gallery ==
+==Links==
-<gallery>
+===Internal===
-File:H2V Achievement Legend.png|Legend achievement in ''Halo 2'' Vista.
+*[[Campaign Complete: Legendary]]
-File:H2V Achievement Hired Gun.png|Hired Gun achievement in ''Halo 2'' Vista.
-File:H3 Achievement Campaign Complete Legendary.png|Complete Complete: Legendary achievement in ''Halo 3''.
-File:H3_LegendaryMapPack_Banner.jpg|Promo of the Legendary Map Pack for ''Halo 3''.
-File:H3ODST Achievement Campaign Complete Legendary.png|Campaign Complete: Legendary achievement in ''Halo 3: ODST''.
-File:H3ODST Achievement Vidmaster Challenge Classic.png|Vidmaster Challenge: Classic achievement in ''Halo 3: ODST''.
-File:HR Achievement Gods Must Be Strong.png|Gods Must Be Strong achievement in ''Halo: Reach''.
-File:HR Achievement A Monument to All Your Sins.png|A Monument to All Your Sins achievement in ''Halo: Reach''.
-File:HR Achievement Game, Set, Match.png|Game, Set, Match achievement in ''Halo: Reach''.
-File:HCEA Achievement Living Legend.png|Living Legend achievement in ''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''.
-File:HCEA Achievement Brohammer.png|Brohammer achievement in ''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''.
-File:HCEA Achievement He's Unstoppable!.png|He's Unstoppable! achievement in ''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''.
-File:HR Achievement Overshields are for Sissies.png|Overshields are for Sissies achievement in ''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''.
-File:HR Achievement Walk it Off.png|Walk it Off achievement in ''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''.
-File:ACH34.png|Tying Up Loose Ends achievement in ''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''.
-File:ACH44.png|Tsantsa achievement in ''Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary''.
-File:Halo 4 - Legendary shield reveal.jpg|The reveal of the Legendary shield in ''Halo 4''.
-File:TheLegendof117Achievement.png|The Legend of 117 achievement in ''Halo 4''.
-File:Milestone 100.png|Career Milestone 100 on Halo Waypoint.
-</gallery>
-==Notes==
-{{Ref/Notes}}
-{{Halo Difficulty Levels}}
+{{halo Difficulty Levels}}
-[[Category:Difficulties]]
+[[Category:Difficulties|4]]