Editing Cut Halo: Combat Evolved enemies

{{Status|RealWorld}}
{{Title|Cut ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' creatures, enemies and ambient life}}
{{GameFiles}}
[[File:HCE LostHalo Renders.png|thumb|300px|Several cut creatures and [[Cut Halo: Combat Evolved vehicles|vehicles]] by [[Paul Russel]].{{Ref/Twitter|Id=LostHalo|Dr_Abominable|464351948297089024/|Paul Russel|Quote=Here's the first. Didn't have shot of the 'blind wolf', [Marcus Lehto]'s creation.|D=25|M=01|Y=2016}}]]
{{Series/Cut/HCE}}
During the [[Development of Halo: Combat Evolved|development]] of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', a number of '''creature designs''' were considered for inclusion by [[Bungie]] to serve the role of enemies, [[ambient AI]] and other miscellaneous NPCs. Not all of these concepts made it to full 3D development, though many were and have since been restored for use in the [[Halo Editing Kit]] by the [[Digsite]] project.{{Ref/Site|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/digsite-deliveries|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Digsite Deliveries|D=30|M=07|Y=2023}}

==Ambient life==
In the earlier stages of ''Halo'', ambient fauna were intended to make up a significant portion of the environments, and many were fully modelled, animated and implemented in-engine. Ultimately, they were cut due to a combination of time constraints, design issues and performance problems, with problems such as how the AI would respond to action sequences and herd mentality being prevalent. Ultimately, they were cut to focus on more pressing issues, though there was one last reason. Had Installation 04 been depicted with a burgeoning and active ecosystem, the surprise reveal of the [[Flood]] would have been considerably less shocking. An unintended side-effect of the creatures' removal meant that the structures and landscapes of the ringworld setting felt creepy, eerie and abandoned - serving to enhance the mystery of the [[Forerunners]] in a good (albeit accidental) way.{{Ref/Site|Id=Origin|URL=https://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?cid=630|Site=Bungie.net|Page=The Origin of Halo|D=18|M=1|Y=2021}}

===Antaeus===
Antaeus is a [[List of deleted ambient life in Halo development|cut creature]] developed for ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''. The creature was created by [[Marcus Lehto]] and inspired by the work of [[Wikipedia:Ray Harryhausen|Ray Harryhausen]].{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|1344726752891817987|Marcus Lehto|Quote=Found this ancient relic while looking through some old Halo CE data files. This beast is called Antaeus. I believe I was inspired by Ray Harryhausen and I thought I'd make a big ambient life creature for Halo.|D=31|M=12|Y=2020}} Although the creature bears some visual similarities to the [[Jiralhanae|Brutes]] later introduced in ''[[Halo 2]]'', the creature was not related to them; though Lehto did note that they could originate from the [[Doisac|Brute homeworld]].{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|1344729772643950593|Marcus Lehto|Quote=No, but it could have been associated with them somehow. Creature from their home world or something.|D=31|M=12|Y=2020}}
<gallery>
File:HCE Antaeus Concept 1.jpg|Concept art for Antaeus.{{Ref/Twitter|Id=AmbientSketches|game_fabricator|726985283955093504|Marcus Lehto|Quote=And some ambient life explorations from my 1998 Halo sketchbook.|D=06|M=11|Y=2021}}
File:HCE_Antaeus.png|Antaeus.
</gallery>

===Blind wolf===
{{Main|Morolaath}}
{{Quote|no=four|q1=Look, it's the blind wolf!|[[Shi Kai Wang]]|q2=Big, beloved blind wolf.|[[Marcus Lehto]]|q3=That was back when you could ride it.|Shi Kai Wang|q4=Yeah, yeah. You could actually mount the thing and ride it. A.I.... A.I. couldn't, uh... Couldn't handle it on the A.I. side. Couldn't flock 'em, couldn't, uh... fit them into gameplay.|Marcus Lehto|Marcus Lehto, ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' art director, and Shi Kai Wang, a concept artist, discuss the attempts made to include "blind wolves" in the first ''Halo'' game.{{Ref/YouTube|Id=H2CE|DWI7AhQFpTE|Bungie|Cutting Room Floor Weapons Vehicles and Characters|Y=2020|M=12|D=17|Detail=Official Bungie upload of the BTS video from the ''Halo 2'' Collector's Edition}}}}
The Blind Wolf was a creature heavily featured in early revisions of ''Combat Evolved''. The creature was the brainchild of Marcus Lehto, who concepted and modelled it for implementation in-game. The original concept features the Blind Wolf in a symbiotic relationship with an insect; the insect would act as the "eyes" for the Blind Wolf and lead it to prey - and in turn get to feast on the carcass the Blind Wolf left.{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|1150951715228700673|Quote=Oh sweet! When I designed the blind wolf for CE, it had a symbiotic relationship with a large insect which would plant a stinger at the base of the wolf’s cranium giving the wolf the ability to “see” through the insects. Blind wolf kills prey, insect cleans up the mess.|D=06|M=11|Y=2021}}{{Ref/Twitter|Dr_Abominable|464531323785576449|Paul Russel|Quote=Bug was the blind wolf's eyes. Symbiosis. It leads blind wolf to prey, gets to eat carcass.|D=01|M=03|Y=2020}} The creature would have been featured in game as a hostile piece of ambient fauna on the ring, though the player would also be able to tame them and ride them as a mount.{{Ref/Reuse|H2CE}} 

The Blind Wolf was later updated for inclusion in ''Halo 2'' and featured on the Collector's Edition DVD, complete with updated lighting and normal mapping.{{Ref/Reuse|H2CE}}

The symbiote bug mentioned as concepted for the Blind Wolf was also modelled, and is detailed further down this page.

The Blind Wolf remains one of the most iconic cut creatures in the ''Halo'' series history, and has a long legacy. The creature was concepted for inclusion in [[Ensemble Studios]]' planned [[Titan (canceled game)|''Halo'' MMO]], intended for use as a Brute mount and known as the "Jaggmaw Sawtail". It would later go on to be prominently featured in the [[2015]] novel ''[[Halo: Hunters in the Dark]]'', taking a prime position on the book's cover art and being canonised as a [[Morolaath]], a creature on [[Installation 00|the Ark]].
<gallery>
File:HCE BlindWolf Concept.jpg|Lehto's original concept illustration of the Blind Wolf.
File:Blind wolf - deletemat (textured).jpg|This image provides a more detailed look at the unused model of a blind wolf. 
File:Blind Wolves.jpg|A pack of blind wolves run past a [[M12 Warthog|Warthog]] in an early build of ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]''.
File:BlindWolfCut2.PNG|The player character rides a blind wolf in an early build of ''Combat Evolved''.
File:Blindwolf ride.png|Riding the blind wolf.
File:BlindWolfTrailer.PNG|A Warthog drives past a blind wolf in [[Halo E3 2000 trailer|the first]] trailer shown for ''Combat Evolved''.<ref name="E32000">''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]] [[Electronic Entertainment Expo|E3]] [[2000]] ''[[Halo E3 2000 trailer|trailer]]</ref>
File:BlindWolf.jpg|A render of the Blind Wolf in the ''Halo 2'' engine.
File:MMO Jaggmaw Concept.jpg|''Halo'' MMO concept art for the Blind Wolf.
File:Hunters in the Dark full cover.jpg|[[N'tho 'Sraom]] and [[Spartan]] [[Frank Kodiak]] face off against several ''morolaath'' on the cover art for ''[[Halo: Hunters in the Dark]]''.
</gallery>

===Doberman gator===
The creature jokingly referred to as the "doberman gator" was featured on the ''[[Halo 2 Limited Collector's Edition]]'' cutting room floor documentary, though it was not further discussed.{{Ref/Reuse|H2CE}} The sketch was done by [[Robert McLees]] during production for ''Combat Evolved''.{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|1646668290201366528|Marcus Lehto|Quote=That’s so cool. Robt McLees sketched that out for Halo CE so many years ago.|D=14|M=04|Y=2023}} The creature's anatomy slightly resembles that of the prehistoric [[Wikipedia:Gorgonopsia|Gorgonopsids]] which lived on [[Earth]] within the [[Wikipedia:Permian|Permian]]. There are also similarities between it and [[Wikipedia:Ambulocetus|Ambulocetus]]; an aquatic as well as terrestrial ancestor of Earth's [[Wikipedia:Cetacea|Cetaceans]] which lived throughout the [[Wikipedia:Eocene|Eocene]].

The canon [[dengkra]] are a species in ''Halo'' lore described as "''reptile-canines''" - a possible use of the doberman gator concept in canon.
<gallery>
File:HCE DobermanGator Concept.png|The concept for the creature.
</gallery>

===Keelbug===
{{Main|Verivorr}}
Seen only in concept art on the ''Halo 2'' LCE disc, the Keelbug was a creature intended to be present in ''Combat Evolved''. The Keelbug is described as being intended to fly into the battlefield, cut up dead bodies and fly them offscreen as a way of cleaning up the bodies. This was to serve in-game as a way of clearing corpses from the level to save on memory.{{Ref/Reuse|H2CE}} The creature's behaviour was never developed, though the model was only cut from the game relatively late in development.{{Ref/Reuse|DigsiteDeliveries}}

The Keelbug has since been referenced in the description of the "Bleached Bone" [[Armor coatings (Halo Infinite)|armor coating]] in ''[[Halo Infinite]]'' and canonized into lore as the ''[[Verivorr]]''.{{Ref/Site|Id=CFLore|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-cutting-room-lore|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Cutting Room Lore|D=28|M=07|Y=2023}}
<gallery>
File:HCE Keelbug Concept 1.png|Concept art for the Keelbug.
File:HCE Keelbug Concept 2.png|Concept art for the Keelbug.
File:HCE Digsite Wildlife.jpg|A keelbug (second-from-left) among other ambient wildlife restored by the Digsite project.
</gallery>

===Quadwing===
The Quadwings were an ambient life form modelled for inclusion in ''Combat Evolved'', but ultimately cut for reasons unknown. Unlike many other creatures on this list, they were later revived for inclusion in ''[[Halo 2]]'', and later canonised by [[343 Industries]] as the ''[[rangmejo]]''.{{Ref/Reuse|DigsiteDeliveries}}
<gallery>
File:HCE Digsite Wildlife.jpg|A Quadwing (middle, top) among other ambient wildlife restored by the Digsite project.
</gallery>

===Rock worm===
The "rock worm" was featured in the Macworld build showcased by Marcus Lehto.{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|705813745205800960|Marcus Lehto|Quote=Look what I found in one of my old Halo builds. Rock Worm! WTF were we thinking? Hah!|D=28|M=11|Y=2021}} It was cut prior to the transition from third- to first-person gameplay, though has successfully been restored by the Digsite project for use in retail ''Combat Evolved''. The creature initially appears in the ground disguised as a rock, before emerging once disturbed to thrash around wildly.{{Ref/Reuse|DigsiteDeliveries}}
<gallery>
File:PXH RockWorm.png|The rock worm.
File:HCE Digsite Wildlife.jpg|A rockworm (middle) among other ambient wildlife restored by the Digsite project.
</gallery>

===Stalker===
When concepting the [[Sangheili|Elites]] for ''Combat Evolved'', Marcus Lehto felt that the team needed an enemy character that was "''more monster-like''". The Stalker was one such creature created under this direction.{{Ref/Reuse|H2CE}} A second concept (shown below) for the Stalker's head depicts what appears to be some kind of collar around the creature's neck, with a curvilinear design similar in nature to [[Covenant]] technology. This may indicate them to have been the Covenant creatures kept as pets by the "Covenant Masters" (described further down this page); if the collar were to be shot off, the creatures would go on a rampage against their masters to cause chaos in the enemy ranks.{{Ref/Reuse|DigsiteDeliveries}}
<gallery>
File:HCE Stalker Concept.png|Concept art for the Stalker.
File:HCE StalkerHead Concept.png|Head study for the Stalker.
</gallery>

===Threeleg===
The Threeleg was an ambient lifeform intended to inhabit Installation 04 in ''Halo: Combat Evolved''. As its name suggests, it was a tripodal organism, with three powerful legs and two smaller arms. It appears to have had an exoskeleton, and at least two eyes. It was cut from the final game.{{Ref/Reuse|LostHalo}} The creature's model has been recovered by the Digsite project, though has yet to be released for general use due to needing significant work doing to properly animate and be useful for anything further than simply standing in place.{{Ref/Reuse|DigsiteDeliveries}}
<gallery>
File:HCE Threeleg Render.png|A render of the Threeleg.
</gallery>

===Thorax===
The Thorax was an ambient lifeform intended to inhabit the ring in ''Combat Evolved''. Mostly blue, with luminous yellow on its back, it had thin arms but long, powerful legs and a single eye. It was cut from the final game.{{Ref/Reuse|LostHalo}} Very little information has survived about what the Thorax's function in-game would be, or where it would appear. The Digsite team has speculated that it may have appeared in the swamps of [[343 Guilty Spark]], though this is an inference based on the creature's visual appearance and not hinted at by any actual development files.{{Ref/Reuse|DigsiteDeliveries}}
<gallery>
File:HCE Thorax Render.png|A render of the Thorax.
File:HCE Digsite Wildlife.jpg|A Thorax (second-from-right) among other ambient wildlife restored by the Digsite project.
</gallery>

===Thorn beast===
{{Main|Thorn beast}}
The [[thorn beast]] was a creature modelled and textured by Paul Russel.{{Ref/Reuse|LostHalo}} It was shown in the [[Halo E3 2000 trailer|''Halo'' E3 2000 trailer]] as an ambient creature that the Marine squad passed by.

While cut from the game, the thorn beast did survive and eventually make its way into canon in the [[2007]] novel ''[[Halo: Contact Harvest|Contact Harvest]]'' - served as a delicacy aboard the ''[[Rapid Conversion]]''.
<gallery>
File:Pre-Xbox Halo Thorn beast 1.png|A render of a thorn beast as it was intended to appear in ''Halo: Combat Evolved''.
File:Dinosaurs.jpg|Some thorn beasts being passed by [[Marines]] in the ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' E3 2000 trailer.
File:Pre-Halo Thorn Beast.jpg|Close up of a thorn beast on Installation 04 in the E3 2000 trailer.
File:Thornbeast2.png|Several thorn beasts.
</gallery>

===Vulpard===
{{Main|Zavfaraa}}
The Vulpard was an ambient lifeform intended to inhabit the ring in ''Combat Evolved''. As the name suggests, it was a quadruped with leopard-like spotted fur and a powerful, vulture-like beaked head. It was cut from the final game.{{Ref/Reuse|LostHalo}} The Vulpard would later be restored by the Digsite project,{{Ref/Reuse|DigsiteDeliveries}} and officially brought into canon as the ''[[Zavfaraa]]''.{{Ref/Site|Id=CFDigsite|URL=https://www.halowaypoint.com/news/canon-fodder-digsite-dissection|Site=Halo Waypoint|Page=Canon Fodder - Digsite Dissection|D=28|M=07|Y=2023}}
<gallery>
File:HCE Vulpard Render.png|The Vulpard.
File:HCE Digsite Wildlife.jpg|A vulpard (far-left) among other ambient wildlife restored by the Digsite project.
</gallery>

===Other miscellaneous creatures===
<gallery>
File:HCE AmbientLife Concept 1.jpg|Ambient life sketches by Marcus Lehto.{{Ref/Reuse|AmbientSketches}}
</gallery>

==Covenant==
===Covenant masters===
The "Covenant masters" (as-named in the internal files) are an extremely early iteration of the [[Sangheili|Elites]]. They were present in early builds of ''Halo'' and were intended to lead unruly Covenant creatures (possibly including the Stalker detailed further up this page) via the means of control collars. Were these collars to be shot off, the creatures would go on a rampage.{{Ref/Reuse|DigsiteDeliveries}} While this design was ultimately scrapped, it formed the basis of the Elites known to modern ''Halo'', with the design ultimately going on to be reused in the [[2022]] ''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition)]]'' as the canon armour for the ancient Sangheili warrior [[Ussa 'Xellus]].
<gallery>
File:HCE Elite Concept 1.jpg|An early concept sketch for what would become the masters.
File:PXH MacworldElites Screenshot 1.jpg|Covenant masters in pre-Xbox Halo.
File:PXH MacworldElites Screenshot 2.jpg|Covenant masters in pre-Xbox Halo.
File:HCE Digsite CovenantMasters.jpg|The Covenant masters restored into ''Combat Evolved'' by the Digsite project. Their animations were retargeted to use the retail Elites' animation set, allowing them to use the standard Elite weapons.
File:Enc22 UssaXellus.png|A canon illustration of Ussa 'Xellus holding a [[burnblade]]; his design was based on the masters.
</gallery>

===Drinol===
{{Main|Sharquoi}}
The Drinol was an enemy type intended to be employed by the Covenant, itself based on the [[marathongame:Drinniol|Drinniol]] enemies from ''[[Marathon]]''.{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|297177431750610944|Marcus Lehto|Quote=You mean what we used to call the Drinol? There's a reason he never made it into the game. :)|D=06|M=11|Y=2021}} The Drinol, as intended for ''Halo'', was modelled and textured by Paul Russel and animated by Marcus Lehto.{{Ref/Twitter|game_fabricator|277820832221380608|Marcus Lehto|Quote=I animated the only existing one about 15 years ago when Halo was still on the PC/Mac.|D=06|M=11|Y=2021}} 

The Drinol model would be later implemented into the ''Halo 2'' engine and was intended to play a part in that game as a boss enemy of some sort, though was eventually [[Cut Halo 2 enemies#Sharquoi|similarly-cut]]. Nonetheless, the Drinol - now named the [[Sharquoi]] - did make it into ''Halo'' canon with the release of the ''[[Conversations from the Universe]]'' booklet and [[2016]]'s ''[[Halo: Envoy]]''.

The Sharquoi updated for inclusion in ''Halo 2'' was featured on the Collector's Edition DVD, complete with updated lighting and normal mapping.{{Ref/Reuse|H2CE}}
<gallery>
File:HCE Drinol Concept 1.png|Concept art for the Drinol.
File:HCE Drinol Concept 2.png|Concept art for the Drinol.
File:HCE Drinol Render.png|The Drinol model.
File:PXH Excavator Screenshot 3.png|Firing the [[Cut Halo: Combat Evolved weapons#Excavator|Excavator]] at the Drinol.
File:Drinolbig.jpg|The Drinol model rendered in the ''Halo 2'' iteration of the Blam engine, using normal mapping for increased detail.
</gallery>

===Engineer===
{{Main|Huragok}}
{{Quote|We started the Engineer all the way back in Chicago, around 1999 or so. The original idea for the Engineer hasn’t ever really changed, they were meant to be a class of aliens that acted as idiot savants towards technology. We wanted a set of creatures that could decipher the Forerunner tech easily, and allow a glimpse into what made the Forerunner technology so special. As far as gameplay, the designers wanted a race that were less aggressive to populate the world in a more passive way, making Halo feel more alive.|[[Shi Kai Wang]]{{Ref/Site|Id=BNetEngineer|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=EngineerEvolved|Site=Bungie.net|Page=Post Mortem: Engineer Evolved|D=23|M=01|Y=2021}}}}
The Engineer is one of the more famous enemy types cut from ''Combat Evolved''. The Engineers were developed for the game and remained in the build until fairly late stages, being seen in multiple promotional screenshots and even remaining in the game files - albeit unused - at launch. As a result, they can be spawned in-game via [[modding]], albeit without animations or AI. The Engineers' late cutting consequently saw them remain featured in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved: Prima's Official Strategy Guide]]'', as they were unable to be removed in time.

Although cut from ''Combat Evolved'', the Engineers remained in ''Halo'' canon thanks to their inclusion in the novels ''[[Halo: The Fall of Reach|The Fall of Reach]]'' and ''[[Halo: First Strike|First Strike]]''. Their ''Combat Evolved'' design would later go on to be recreated by the team at [[Ensemble Studios]] for inclusion in ''[[Halo Wars]]'', before being redesigned by Shi Kai Wang for a feature role in ''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''.
<gallery>
File:HCE ShotgunEngineers Screenshot.jpg|An early promotional screenshot showcasing an Engineer.
File:CovenantEngineer-HaloCE.png|A side view of the cut Huragok from ''Combat Evolved''.
File:HaloCE-HuragokEngineer-front.png|A frontal view of the cut Huragok.
File:Engineer4.jpg|The early look of a Huragok aboard a Covenant ship.
File:Engineers3.jpg|A group of the concept Engineers from a ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' mod of the level "[[The Silent Cartographer]]".
</gallery>

===Sniper===
The special purpose sniper is a deleted Covenant species seen in the ''Halo 2'' Collector's Edition DVD. Its arms were to be used like a tripod (but not act like one), and it could flip from side to side, without having to switch weapons. It would also be able to hang from trees and building struts. Early revisions of this enemy's concept art can be seen wielding the [[Cut Halo: Combat Evolved weapons#Particle beam rifle|particle beam rifle]], similarly-cut from ''Combat Evolved''.{{Ref/Reuse|H2CE}}

A later model shared by Paul Russel differs from these designs massively.{{Ref/Reuse|LostHalo}}
<gallery>
File:HCE_SpecialPurposeSniper_Concept_1.jpg|Concept art of the Special Purpose Sniper.
File:HCE_SpecialPurposeSniper_Concept_2.png|Concept art of the Special Purpose Sniper.
File:HCE_SpecialPurposeSniper_Concept_3.png|Concept art of the Special Purpose Sniper.
File:HCE_SpecialPurposeSniper_Concept_4.png|Concept art of the Special Purpose Sniper.
File:HCE_SpecialPurposeSniper_Concept_5.png|Concept art of the Special Purpose Sniper.
File:Sniper.png|A 3D render of the model for the sniper by Paul Russel.
</gallery>

===Tankbeast===
The Tankbeast is a deleted Covenant species created by Paul Russel. The Tankbeast would have stood roughly 3.5 meters (11.4 Foot) tall, with no visibly-distinct head. The Tankbeast also had an underslung weapon, and armored legs.{{Ref/Reuse|LostHalo}} The creature's visual similarities to the [[Mgalekgolo|Lekgolo]] may indicate it was to fulfill a similar role. The Tankbeast is one of the few known models that the Digsite team currently has no records of.{{Ref/Reuse|DigsiteDeliveries}}
<gallery>
File:HCE Tankbeast Render.png|A render of the Tankbeast.
</gallery>

===Other miscellaneous species===
These Covenant species were sketched by [[Marcus Lehto]], though never saw any further development.
<gallery>
File:HCE CovenantSpecies Concept.jpg
File:HCE CovenantSpecies Concept 2.jpg
File:HCE CovenantSpecies Concept 3.jpg
</gallery>

==Sources==
{{Ref/Sources}}
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[[Category:Deleted material]]
[[Category:Halo: Combat Evolved]]