Emblems

Emblems, first introduced in Halo 2, are small designs that are associated with a character profile and used to represent a player's identity in multiplayer games and online play. They consist of a two-colored design or pattern overlaid upon a background (typically a geometric shape), with a user-selected color scheme applied to the result. The feature was later carried on into Halo 3, Halo 3: ODST, Halo: Reach, Halo 4, Halo: The Master Chief Collection, Halo 5: Guardians and Halo Infinite.

Halo 2

In Halo 2, when a character profile is created, there is an option to make an emblem for the player's in-game avatar. Emblems are the primary means of identifying players in multiplayer games and online play; they also appear in the game type Territories, where they are displayed on the flags that denote captured territories. In-game, a simplified version of a player's emblem can be seen glowing on their back and shoulders.

The primary and secondary emblem colors are selected directly in the options menu. Unlike subsequent games, the two colors of the emblem background are determined by the primary and secondary armor colors. Also unique is that all emblems in Halo 2 are displayed with a complete secondary background, resulting in a square image. In subsequent games, the secondary background is transparent.

There are 64 emblems and 32 backgrounds, allowing 2048 basic combinations. With 18 different color options for each of the four elements of the emblem, there are more than 204 million possible emblems.

Halo 3

Emblems also appear in Halo 3. All of the designs from Halo 2 (except for Sergeant, Waypoint, Cleave, and Race) are available, along with numerous new designs unique to Halo 3. The background shape's color is now determined by a third, user-selected color, as opposed to Halo 2, where it took on the same color as the player's armor. Halo 3 also introduces design "toggling" — the secondary emblem color can be hidden.

Emblems in Halo 3 are less prominent than they were in Halo 2; in Halo 3, a Spartan player's emblem is only shown on their right shoulder, whereas in Halo 2, it could be seen on both shoulders and the player's back. Elite players' emblems are shown on their right shoulder and upper back. Emblems are no longer used to uniquely identify a player; that job has been taken on by a new, user-customizable call sign composed of a letter followed by two digits.

The 80 primary emblem designs, the 80 "toggles" of those designs, and the 48 possible emblem backgrounds allow for a combined total of 7,680 basic emblem possibilities in Halo 3. Taking the 30 options for primary, secondary and background color into account, the number of possible emblems exceeds 104 million.

Halo 3: ODST

Emblems are also featured in Halo 3: ODST's Firefight mode. All emblem designs from Halo 3 are available save for one, along with 17 new emblems and four new backgrounds, bringing the total to 96 and 52 respectively. The only emblem which does not return from Halo 3 is "OhNoUDnt", which is replaced by the similar but distinct "Peaceafist".

Emblem designs appear on the player's chest plate.

There are more than 136 million emblem possibilities.

Halo: Reach

Emblems return in Halo: Reach. They were also featured in the Multiplayer Beta. Once again there are 80 different emblems; 15 new emblems are available, while 31 of the emblems available in Halo 3: ODST have been removed. Notable among the deleted emblems are several which date back to Halo 2, including "Mark of Shame", "Snake", "Hawk", "Marathon" and "Trident." Three of the new designs featured in Halo: Reach were selected after Bungie held a contest where players could send in their ideas for emblem designs, similar to the contest that was held before Halo 3 was released.

Emblems are far less prominent on player armor in Halo: Reach than in previous games. Very small emblems appear on the upper right side of the player's chest piece; a UNSC logo is found in a similar position on the left side of the chest piece. In addition, some of the unlockable chest pieces obscure the emblem entirely. Halo: Reach also marks the first appearance of emblems in campaign, being found on the player-customized SPARTAN-B312. The emblems are not present on Elite armor variants. Emblems only appear on player armor in campaign and Firefight; they are not visible in multiplayer.

With 80 emblems, toggling, 53 backgrounds and 30 colors for each option, there are nearly 116 million possibilities.

Halo 4

Halo 4 features a total of 109 emblem foregrounds (of these only 37 return from Halo: Reach). Three more return after being absent in Reach (ONI, Snake, and Cube [now called Ordnance]). The remaining 69 emblems are all new. Emblems are once again displayed on the shoulder pauldron, though now on the left side. The game has 50 emblem backgrounds.

Halo 4 is the first Halo title that requires emblems to be unlocked before they can be used. The Recruit emblem is unlocked by default. Ten emblems are unlocked at SR-4, ten more at SR-19, ten at SR-28, and eight at SR-36; with one each at SR-50 and SR-130. Each of the Specializations unlock four emblems each. The remaining emblems are unlocked by through in-game activities such as commendations, as well as through the Halo Waypoint Classified feature. Because of the reliance on commendations and Halo Waypoint, emblems cannot be unlocked offline, even for single-player activities such as campaign.

Five emblems and backgrounds were originally offered only as exclusive emblems for players who pre-ordered the game from specific retailers. The Halo 4 Limited Edition, Halo 4 Limited Edition Console, and War Games Map Pass also each come with an exclusive emblem and background. Eight of the nine emblems were later included with the Halo 4 Game of the Year Edition. The "Unicorn" emblem and "Fotus" background, exclusive to the console version, was not included. More emblems were exclusive to the Xbox Live 12+1 Month Gold Subscription and the app Halo 4: King of the Hill Fueled by Mountain Dew, though they were later made available via the GOTY edition.

Eight emblems are unlocked from Halo Waypoint by inputting hidden codes in the Classified section. Some emblems have certain requirements in order to be unlocked. These emblems do not come with backgrounds.

Backgrounds must be unlocked separately; the first ten are unlocked at SR-21, the second ten at SR-33, and ten more at SR-44. Each Specialization unlocks a unique background.

The Guilty emblem was originally unavailable by any means, but it was unlocked for everyone who played a matchmaking or Spartan Ops game on November 6, 2013, the first anniversary of the Halo 4 release.

With 109 emblems, 50 backgrounds, and 29 colours ("Pale" is removed), there are 134,848,260 possible emblems.

Foreground unlock requirements

Emblem foregrounds
Primary color zone	Secondary color zone	Name	Unlock requirements
		Recruit
		Tomcat
		Triad
		Bear Claw
		Wasp
		Campfire
		Active Rooster
		Cup of Death