Marcus Lehto, co-creator of Halo, took to Kent State Magazine to discuss the extensive journey behind the design of Master Chief’s iconic armor. According to Lehto, the suit underwent nine redesign iterations before achieving its familiar look.

Lehto stated, “The creation of the Master Chief is something that I went through so many wringers to try to find the right look, the right feel, the right stature for such a character. We tried a lot of things.”

He also recalled, “It took forever, but I wasn’t going to stop. I had learned through the program here that you don’t stop when you’re just on your first iteration.”

Interestingly, he noted that the initial designs of Master Chief felt overly stylized, leading the team to refine the armor’s final look, which also drew inspiration from military vehicles. The helmet itself was influenced by BMX helmets.

Ultimately, the extensive design process reflects the attention to detail that went into creating one of the gaming industry’s most beloved characters.