What are Hunters in the Halo show? Lekgolo worms explained

One of the Halo games’ most iconic enemies has been brought to live-action with Hunters in the Halo show, but what are these strange aliens?

The third episode of the live-action adaptation on Paramount Plus has brought Hunters to the Halo show. These hulking armored brutes might have been hard to recognize for newer fans since they spend most of the episode as a swarm of horrifying worms. When Makee, a human Covenant convert, invades a UNSC ship, she uses Hunters as her preferred weapon to incapacitate the crew.

What are Hunters in the Halo show?

Like the Hunters in the Halo games, Hunters in the Silver Timeline of the Halo show are colonies of worm-like aliens that take on a humanoid form.

Hunters in the Halo show appear to be very close to their in-game representations. Hunters are a hivemind of alien worms known as Lekgolo who come together to form intelligent brutish beings known as Mgalekgolo, these are the humanoid-esque armored forms that fans will recognize from the games. While the Hunters may look like one big orange figure they are actually communities of many Lekgolo who come together to form hiveminds, increasing their intelligence with each Lekgolo.

In a scene where the Covenant’s Blessed One, Makee, pretends to be fleeing a destroyed Covenant vessel to be taken aboard a UNSC warship, Lekgolo worms come into play. Before Makee heads to the ship, she’s seen standing in front of Mgalekgolo with its iconic purple armor. Before making her way onto the UNSC ship, the Lekgolo leave their armor behind to hide inside of the rescue pod. The worms then make their way across the ship, killing the UNSC crew with terrifying ease.

Many of the Covenant’s unique member races are being highlighted, with a Sangheli elite excavation team attacking the rebel outpost on Madrigal in the first episode. Mgalekgolo themselves, armor and all, haven’t had the chance for a combat scene just yet, but Master Chief facing down Hunters feels too iconic for the first season to miss out on.