Sangheili Major

"Station and Salvation both command a heavy price."

- Sangheili Major's mantra

Major is a Sangheili military rank. Those who hold this rank are directly superior to their Minor counterparts. Within the rank exists the Officer subclass.

Background
If a Sangheili Minor proves himself in battle by killing opponents in legitimate combat, in accordance with honorable achievements earned on the battlefield, he is promoted. Sangheili do not think of promotion in the terms humans associate it with; Sangheili Minors who prove their worth to their commanders ascend to a command role. Sangheili Majors represent the upper echelon of the Covenant's infantry and are known primarily for their ruthlessness. Majors are some of the most skilled and experienced warriors in the field and typically command lances of fewer than a dozen soldiers, including Sangheili Minors. They also commonly pilot for ground and air vehicles such as the Type-26 Wraith tank and the Type-26 Banshee attack aircraft, respectively. Though Majors are part of standard infantry, it is not uncommon for them to be in the presence of a ship or fleet master, due to their critical nature of their role at the front lines. It is also possible that some hold second-in-command positions aboard Covenant ships.

Officers are a subset of the Major rank. Sangheili Officers wear more ornamental armor than other Majors, though their combat role bears no apparent distinction from the rest of their grade. Like regular Majors, Officers report to their onsite Ultra or, in the absence of an Ultra, directly to their General or Shipmaster. Most Officers have a selection of units under their command, including Sangheili Minors, Unggoy, and Kig-Yar.

The Major rank and equivalent titles still see use in the wake of the Human-Covenant War. The Swords of Sanghelios led by Thel 'Vadam still use the traditional Major rank and armor, as did the now-defunct faction led by Merg Vol. Jul 'Mdama's faction instead fields Commanders, who wear a modified version of the Officer harness and helmet. During at least one engagement, Jul 'Mdama's faction have utilized the rank.

Gameplay
Sangheili Majors are commonly seen in Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, and Halo: Reach (as Officers) on the Heroic and Legendary difficulties. On Easy and Normal, their presence is relatively infrequent. They commonly lead lances of Unggoy, Kig-Yar and Sangheili Minors. Equipped with approximately 50% stronger energy shields than their lower-ranked counterparts, Majors are competent and forceful warriors capable of overpowering their opponents, namely UNSC Marines and ODSTs although not necessarily. They are less likely to perform tactical errors when compared with the inferior Sangheili Minors; Majors seek more cover and fire their weapons with a greater accuracy and faster rate of fire, and are also more maneuverable. However, they still make some tactical mistakes, as they tend not to seek cover in many occasions, even with their shields down.

Like the Minors, Majors usually wield Type-25 plasma rifles, occasionally dual wielding them. In some scenarios, Majors wield Type-51 carbines and Type-33 Needlers.

Trivia

 * As seen in an early trailer for Halo: Combat Evolved, Sangheili Majors were capable of wielding point defense gauntlets during the game's development.
 * The Sangheili Officer combat harness is available as a Sangheili armor permutation in multiplayer as a reward for buying the Halo: Reach Limited or Legendary editions.
 * It was previously assumed that the full title was "Major Domo Sangheili", first mentioned in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, which makes a reference to a "Major Domo Sangheili". On the following pages Sangheili of the military rank are simply called Majors. In the real world, "majordomo" is a term for the head of a family staff in an aristocracy. In light of this, it is possible that Sangheili who hold the title of Major Domo are in a similar position in the Sangheili aristocracy. Alternatively, it is possible that Major Domo is an alternate title for Officer, or another subclass within the Major rank.

List of appearances

 * Halo: The Fall of Reach
 * Adjunct
 * Halo: Combat Evolved
 * Halo: The Flood
 * Halo 2
 * Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
 * Halo 3
 * Halo: The Cole Protocol
 * Halo Wars: Genesis
 * Halo 3: ODST
 * Halo Legends
 * The Package


 * Halo: Blood Line
 * Halo: Reach
 * Halo: Fall of Reach
 * Invasion
 * Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary
 * Terminals
 * Halo: Spartan Assault
 * Halo 2 Anniversary
 * Halo: Spartan Strike