 For the final installment in the Halo trilogy , Halo 3 , designers had to refine the Covenant for the move to more powerful Xbox 360 hardware . Bungie was dissatisfied with the Brutes in Halo 2 ; they were added in late in development , resulting in the Brutes functioning merely as " damage sponges " and " not interesting to fight . " Their design was also limited , being little more than hairy apes with a bandoleer ( reminiscent of the Star Wars character Chewbacca ) . With the Elites leaving the Covenant in the game 's story , the Brutes became the player 's main enemy , necessitating radical changes in the character 's behavior and design . For the new look of the Brutes , concept artists took inspiration from rhinoceros and gorillas . The designers added armor with buckles , gauntlets , and leather straps to bring them more in line with the Covenant aesthetic . The more seasoned the Brute , the more ornate clothing and helmets ; the armor was designed to convey a culture and tradition to the species , and emphasize their mass and power . Designs for Halo 3 took cues from ancient Greek Spartans . Character animators recorded intended actions for the new Brutes in a padded room at Bungie . A new addition to the Brute artificial intelligence was a pack mentality ; leader Brutes direct large @-@ scale actions simultaneously , such as throwing grenades towards a player . 
