Hal

To see images of Hal, please go to his gallery.

"What goes up must crash down!"

Hal is a character in the Angry Birds series of games created by Rovio Entertainment. He was introduced in 2010 and was the first new character added to the Angry Birds series who was not one of the original five birds in the flock. After his first appearance in Danger Above, Hal becomes a reaccuring character for multiple installments of the series.

Personality
Hal's Depscription in Angry Birds Birdsonality (modified):

"Understanding and sociable, Hal makes his voice heard but is also a great listener. His social nature and great conversational skills earns him a lot of friends. On the flip side, his people pleasing personality means that he takes criticism especially hard."

Hal is likely the least consistant in personality out any of the characters. At times, he is shown to be an elderly, knowledgeable and respected bird who is peaceful and friendly, and at other times he is shown to be a very goofy, silly bird.

In multiple instances, like the Angry Birds Comics series, Hal is shown as a very mature character. He is shown to have a deep love for the pleasures in life, as when he is found he is usually with his banjo or camping. He is a rather adventerous bird, and in Angry Birds Go!, he wears an adventurer's hat (which was included in promo art and the game toys and telepods) He finds no desire to be filled with anger, and usually doesn't take place in any of the bird's fights with the pigs.

However, in situations like the Summer Pignic short, or the Angry Birds Movie, Hal is shown to be an extremely clumsy and goofy character. He is clearly much younger, and in place of a raspy, creaky voice he is given a squeaky, nasally one. Unlike his other, much different personality, this version of him has an extreme desire to become angry and fight the pigs. (along with being an actual, "angry" bird)

Angry Birds
Hal makes his first appearance in the original Angry Birds game, where, unlike most new birds, Hal is first introduced as a captive by the pigs in Theme 6-4. After you beat the level, the game will notify that you have unlocked Hal, and he is then playable in the next level. (Theme 6-5)

After his debut in Danger Above, Hal will appear in all the themes afterwards as a playable character. However, he has an extremely notable appearance in The Big Setup, where he and Terence are featured as the only playable characters. (being that the flock had been held captive during the events of the theme)

Gameplay
Hal's ability in this game is to be able to go in the opposite direction when activated. He is also able to fly much farther than other birds, and is the only bird that rotates when flying in the original game. He is quite decent at destroying wood and glass blocks, and will do so extremely well if the blocks are somewhat damaged. However, he will not affect stone in most situations, usually making minimal damage or, in some circumstances no damage at all.

A strategy that many players use (and can also be used to activate certain golden eggs) is to fling Hal the other way and then activate his ability, causing him to swing back with speed and more strength.

Hal's ability will be affected depending on the angle that he is in. For example, if he is beginning to gravitate back to the ground, his ability will weaken more and more.

Angry Birds Seasons
Hal appears from the very start of the game, when it was once known as Angry Birds Halloween. He is introduced in level 1-13, and is the very last bird introduced in this theme. After his appearance in Trick or Treat, he makes reacurring appearances as a playable character in all of the following themes.

Unlike the rest of the installments in the Angry Birds series, Angry Birds Seasons does not update Hal's design to his newer one, and stays true to the original.

Gameplay
Hal's ability is identical to the one in the original game. There are no major changes or differences in his size, strength, or speed. However, it is notable that when you fling Hal from the slingshot, his launch noises are much more different than the ones featured in the regular game.

It can also be noted that Piglantis introduced the feature of water, and that Hal's ability is completely useless underwater. If the player attempts to activate Hal underwater, then he will instantly turn into a corpse and float to the surface.

Angry Birds Rio
Hal appears very later on in the game, being introduced in the last theme of Rio 1, Smuggler's Plane. (unless you include Market Mayhem, which was not actually part of the Rio Storyline, but more so based off a deleted scene)  However, after his first appearance he manages to appear oftenly in the Rio 2 segment of the game. He is introduced with his newer design, which included no yellow ring around his beak and a generally slimmer appearance.

Hal is not included in any animations or trailers for Rio. (excluding gameplay trailers)

In Rio 2, all the characters are given their animation designs, and Hal is drastically changed as well. He is given a black and green body, with a yellow eye ring. His beak is also enlarged, being around 3 times larger than his actual body. It also now has a red streak going down it. It  can also be noted that when his ability is activated, his beak will be so opened to the point where Hal is actually shaped like a boomerang.

Gameplay
Hal's ability is the same as the previous 2 installments of Angry Birds. However, unlike Angry Birds Seasons, Hal's ability will positively react with water, and will work properly. (High Dive)

With moving boss fights, Hal will make minimal to decent damage when he comes in contact with the boss. In most boss fights he's in, there are usually collapsable structures that only he can reach, making him an advantage to have when you want to defeat the boss.

Angry Birds Friends
Hal appears in tournaments as a playable character for Angry Birds Friends. (first appearing in level 18 of Surf and Turf or the Tournament depending on player choice) On the Facebook version, he is also included in the Surf and Turf, Pigini Beach, and Pig Tales themes. (he will not appear in the other themes, as he hadn't been introduced as a character when those themes were first released) Hal is also featured in the shop as an unlockable avatar.

Angry Birds Friends was then updated with newer designs for all the characters in the game. (excluding Bubbles) Hal is the only character whos design wasn't based off of their toons design. Rather, he was yet again given newer sprites, that featured a green body, a yellow eye ring, and a large, curved beak.

Gameplay
Hal's ability is exactly the same as in the other slingshot based games.

If you bought the add-on Golden Slingshot, it will not have much affect on him. He will be able to destroy more glass and wood, and destroy/damage few/one stone brick(s). If you use the Diamond Slingshot, then his ability will be affected. When you activate his power, he will change direction, but will not be affected by the angle of the shot since the Diamond Slingshot will cause all birds to fly in a straight direction.

Angry Birds Go!
Hal is featured as a playable character in Angry Birds Go!. As all the characters had to be converted into 3D animation for the game, Hal took no exception. He takes on his animation style from Angry Birds Toons. (thought he never appeared) His personal kart is the Shoemerang. (which costs 1,500 gems)

Gameplay
Hal is first featured in Stunt as the first boss. Previously, you had to beat him 3 times in order to unlock him; in these boss battles, he would throw boomerangs at you as a diversion. However, currently you will be able to unlock him after getting one star on campaign level 9, race 5. Once you unlock him, he will be permenantly playable.

Hal also appears in races as an opponent in all themes of the game.

His ability while being player-controlled is to send a tornado to all the karts racing in front of him. The tornado is also able to collect coins, fruits, and destroy obstacles that lay in front of him. His ability is fairly powerful, and can be used to gain many places.

Angry Birds Transformers
Hal appears in Angry Birds Transformers; and is given his first counterpart character. (having been the only member of Red's flock to not have one at that time)  He is shown to be a dinosaur/motorcycle hybrid.

In the comic adaptions for the game, it is shown that Hal fell onto the eggspark (along with Chuck, who had unintentionally pushed him), and that is why he had first turned into Grimlock. This also makes his easygoing, peaceful, and friendly personality turn into mindlessness, and the will to fight.

As described in the game,

"You might call Grimlock the 'strong, silent type,' except he's really not silent at all. He loves to roar and smash and stomp and zap things with his laser and do anything else that's noisy. Grimlock doesn't like authority or taking orders (unless the order is to smash stuff up), but in the end he always comes through for his team-mates. Grimlock is strong and brave, but also slow and clumsy. His direct, 'smash anything that gets in the way' attitude makes him an excellent asset on the battlefield, just don't expect him to do anything sneaky. But what do you expect? He's a dinosaur."

Gameplay
His ability can be used to destroy certain blocks by tapping on them, or, you can sweep your finger around the screen and he will follow with his electric shock. Either method will cause pulsing, bright electricity to shoot out of his mouth.

Grey Slam Grimlock is perhaps the weakest of all of Hal's counterparts, and the easiest to unlock. This version of him belongs to the "Leaders" squad. Energon Grimlock is very strong, but will end up taking more damage. He belongs to the "Energon Fuelled" squad. Goldbite Grimlock is also very powerful, but is a variant character, belonging to the "Variant Versions" squad. Thus, if you fail a mission you will lose all coins from your mission.

As Trypticon, he is very different than other Grimlocks. He fires three to four black holes at a time similar to Megatron. Trypticon acts like a Deceptihog (Because Trypticon is based on a Decepticon). He belongs to "The Cybertronians" squad.

All 4 characters will transform into a motorbike in vehicle form.

Trivia

 * Hal, Bubbles and the Ice Bird are the only birds who first appeared kidnapped by the pigs, although Bubbles was unintentionally kidnapped.
 * Hal will make Chuck's pain noises when being a corpse, thus making it the only bird without an original pain noise.
 * Hal and Blu and Jewel are also the only birds to rotate when fired from the slingshot.
 * Hal has a different launch voice on Angry Birds Seasons as of the Ham'o'ween update. However, the PC and Mac version of Angry Birds also has the alternative voice of the bird. The phone version of the original Angry Birds has the original select and launch voice (actually one of the birds grumbling when waiting).
 * Hal and the Ice Bird are the only birds that are shown in the level before they are first played in as an unplayable item.
 * On Chrome level 6-4 his corpse sprite disappears and is invisible, but when you unlock him, his corpse sprite will be the Angry Birds Rio sprite and he keeps the Yellow Bird pain noises but the feathers change from yellow ones to white ones.
 * Hal's eyebrows will dissapear when he blinks. (however, this will only happen with his old design)
 * In Piglantis, Hal's ability doesn't work when he is underwater. The corpse will appear when the ability is activated.
 * In the Angry Birds Heikki promonanal art on Angry Birds Facebook page, Hal looks exactly like it's design in Angry Birds (previously) and Angry Birds Seasons, except the yellow ring on his beak is removed.
 * Hal is the only bird to be rescued twice.
 * Hal is the first bird to be known to play an instrument.
 * In Angry Birds Friends, when Hal's boomerang ability is activated, he boomerangs back at a lower angle than in the main games.
 * Hal is the only bird that never appeared in Angry Birds Toons. His design for Toons would depict him with a more pointed beak, a black "mask" over his face, and yellow rings around his eyes.
 * Hal, along with Matilda and Stella, are the only three birds without a Space counterpart, and he and Bubbles are the only two birds without a Star Wars counterpart.