Sangheili High Councilor

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Councilor is a high-tier political title attainable by the Sangheili.

Background
The Councilor is one of the highest positions attainable by a Sangheili warrior, whether militarily or politically, although the title of Arbiter is religiously more significant in Sangheilian society. They acted as members of the Covenant High Council, along with the Lesser Prophets. Their power is derived directly from the High Council, under only the Hierarchs, making them some of the most important roles held in all of Covenant society.

Councilors have been described as "Aristocrats" by lesser races, and the fact that they are permitted to wield Energy Swords prevents them from marrying, though they can still mate with any female they wish to, married or unmarried, to pass on the "swordsman" genes. Only one Councilor has ever been named, Soha 'Rolamee, who was executed by a Lesser Prophet, indicating that even Elite Councilors are still beneath even lower Prophets.

Because the pursuit of honor in battle is the sole pursuit of Sangheili society, service in the Covenant Military was compulsory, with all pursuits secondary. As such, it is safe to assume that Councilors are, or have been, an important part of the Covenant Military, with their political and governmental duties still held as a secondary duty. It is therefore likely that Councilors have killed a large amount of enemies.

A large number of the Councilors were present at Delta Halo, supposedly to witness the activation of the Halo ring. In truth, it was a ruse in order for the Brute to begin their slaughter, depriving the Sangheili of a large amount of their leadership caste. While there were survivors of the genocide, it is not known how many, or whether they returned to serve as the leaders of the remaining Sangheili.

Combat
Because warfare is the primary purpose of Sangheili participation in the Covenant, Councilors are extremely skilled warriors in almost all forms of armed and hand-to-hand combat. As Sangheili are ranked according to the numbers of kills obtained, Councilors are likely to have slaughtered a significant amount, likely being retired Zealots, since Councilors are rarely seen in battle.

Councilors typically carry the iconic Energy Sword, which also serves as a symbol of their status as aristocrats. With only select few Sangheili military ranks, such as Zealots and Ultras, are permitted this and they are adept at close-combat with the sword. They are also, albeit infrequently, armed with Plasma Rifles, with their accuracy unmatched. Like an Ultra Elite, they will let loose a war cry and switch to their Energy Sword if an enemy gets too close to them.

In addition to their great skill in combat, Councilors are also equipped with an extremely durable Combat Harness, similar in appearance to the standard issue version, but with superior armor compared to that worn by lesser ranks, similar to that of the SpecOps in Halo CE. Additionally, the built-in energy shielding system is capable of taking an enormous amount of damage, equivalent to that of an Elite Ultra: they can withstand up to three Shotgun blasts in close range, devastating melee attacks from behind, a hit from the Fist of Rukt, multiple Plasma Grenades or Fragmentation Grenades and even surviving a blast from a Rocket Launcher and a slash from an Energy Sword, even when their shield is down. Halo 2 is the only game in which you see and work with Councilors.

Physical appearance
Councilors are easily recognizable by their large, distinct and oddly shaped, ornate headdresses, fixed to a traditional Elite Helmet. Their armor, normally the standard Combat Harness adorned by most other regular service Elites (with the exception of the helmet), are a pearlescent white, or metallic-silver color, very similar to that worn by Ultra Elites, the only difference being that they have no steel markings on their armor as many other Elite ranks do. Councilors sometimes wear a different helmet that has the same basic shape, but has different designs and is more open.

Trivia

 * The headdresses worn by Sangheili Councilors closely resemble the Queen's head, from the movie Aliens; though it is smaller and narrower. In addition, both Halo's Covenant Empire and Aliens' titular species have caste systems.
 * In Halo: Reach, the Sangheili Officer and Ultra headpieces resemble those of the Councilors, albeit smaller.

List of appearances

 * Halo 2
 * Halo: The Flood
 * Halo: Ghosts of Onyx

Related pages

 * Arbiter
 * Ultra
 * High Prophets
 * High Council
 * Honor Guard Councilor
 * Council Chamber