Sangheili High Councilor

Summary
Councilor is the highest Covenant Sangheili (Elite) rank. They may be even higher than the Arbiter or may be lower still unknown. There has been debate on this rank for some time.

Rank
It is the highest rank attainable for an Elite of the Covenant, military or politically, although in religious significance, the Arbiter is far superior. They are members of the High Council, along with the Lesser Prophets. They share power directly under the High Prophets.

Councilors have been described as "aristocratic" by lesser races. Only one Councilor's name has ever been stated, that of Soha 'Rolamee. The structure of his name indicates that he has participated in the military. In fact, it is likely that every Councilor Elite is required to participate in the Covenant military.

Combat
The Councilors are masters of warfare, as befitting with their extraordinarily high rank. They normally bear a single terrible Energy Sword, which they used with great effect on the campaign level The Great Journey to destroy Brutes. They also infrequently are armed with single-wielded or dual-wielded Plasma Rifles.

However, they are in fact adepts with any weapon, United Nations Space Command or Covenant. They also grudgingly accept Brute weapons, although they deprecate their firearms then in disdain, probably defiling "Heretic" technology.

Councilors are also the only rank of Elite that do not waver upon being hit by a melee attack. They stand their ground and do not become shaken as all other ranks do.

They also have the uncommon nature to abuse the fallen corpses of their enemies, for example, by shooting the bodies with Plasma Rifles.

The shields they are equipped with are amazingly strong compared to other ranks, able to withstand tremendous damage, far more then any other elite rank including Zealots, which a shotgun can kill in one hit. A rocket will not be sufficient to kill a Councilor.

Physical
The Councilors wear large, distinct and oddly shaped crowns as ceremonial helmets. These helmets are silver mostly and also have streaks of dark gray and olive. Their crowns are reminiscent of the queen alien's head from the ALIEN series (ALIENS being the sequel). For armour they wear white plates like also highly-ranked Ultras.

Halo 2
The Councilors are exclusive to Halo 2, and are never seen in Halo: Combat Evolved. Their infrequence in numbers leads to their appearance being only four times throughout the entire campaign.

During the Civil War of the Covenant, many of these Elites were taken to the surface of Installation 05 (Delta Halo), where they were massacred by the traitorous Brutes. Several were imprisoned, however, and they were set free by the Arbiter and assisted him in killing Tartarus.


 * Step of Silence, High Charity - Many can be seen at the judgement of the Guardian of the Luminous Key before he attains rank of Arbiter
 * The Great Journey - The Arbiter (character), while invading the Control Room, passed through the bastion of the Brutes, coming across a forcefield prison. He unlocked the cages, bringing forth two Councilors and two Hunters. One Councilor was armed with an Energy Sword, another with a single Plasma Rifle. In the climatic battle that defeated Tartarus, numerous Councilors fought with their swords against the Brute Chieftain, only to fall in vain to the Fist of Rukt.