Sangheili Ultra

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Ultra Elite is the highest Covenant Sangheili regular rank.

Role
The standard Ultra Elites command specific operations and are the Covenant's equivalent to field officers (possibly along with Major Domo elites). They are subordinate to Zealots, who command fleets and armies.

In Halo 2, Ultras are seen defending a Scarab walker in the level Metropolis and fighting the Covenant Loyalists in the Mausoleum of the Arbiter.

Special Operations Commander
Thus far, Rtas 'Vadumee is the only known officer holding this title. A Spec Ops Commander commands a troupe of Special Operations Elites, as the name implies.

It is highly probable that other Elite castes hold this position as well, depending on the size of the spec ops units they command. Spec Ops Elites are probably not commanded by anything lower ranked than another Spec Ops Elite, but larger units (larger than the one commanded by Rtas 'Vadumee) may be commanded by Zealots, thus appearance of the armor may vary greatly.

Combat
Like their Zealot superiors, the Ultras are extremely skilled warriors. They also possess extra-strong energy shields that can withstand several times as much damage as those possessed by regular Elites, and they can survive noticeably more physical damage as well (having roughly 3 times as much health as a standard Elite), although they are still vulnerable to headshots when unshielded. An Ultra Elite's shield is twice as strong as that of a red Major Elite, and three times as strong as that of a blue Minor Elite (making it equivalent to an Overshield, or the shields possessed by Gold Elite Zealots with Plasma Swords in Halo: Combat Evolved). On the Heroic difficulty, their shield will only be depleted after a full 60-round magazine of SMG fire, almost two dozen Covenant carbine shots, or more than 18 plasma rifle bolts. Additionally, their energy shields recharge noticeably more quickly than those possessed by either lower ranking Elites or the Master Chief.

They often fight with heavy or dual-wielded weapons. Many also carry Energy Swords as their secondary weapon; when enemies get too close, or deplete their shield, Ultras let out a war cry, drop their currently wielded weapon, and pull the sword out for close combat. The Ultras are able to continue in sustained heavy combat long after most Elite warriors' shields would have been depleted. They are particularly effective in close quarters combat, where their stronger energy shields and Energy Swords allow them take down large numbers of enemies. Ultras, along with Councilors and Zealots, are the only Elites capable of surviving a Shotgun shot or a Plasma grenade stick during gameplay.

Appearances
Several Ultra Elite corpses were seen in Halo: Combat Evolved, presumably killed in combat with the Flood, but they do not appear in battle until Halo 2, first encountered by Master Chief while sabotaging a Scarab. However, even in Halo 2, they are infrequent in number. They do not make any live appearances in Halo 3 nor in Halo 3 ODST, but several corpses can be encountered, notably on the Halo 3 level Cortana.

Known Ultra Elites

 * Rtas 'Vadumee

Trivia

 * Ultra Elites are shown in Halo 3 gameplay but dead in the battlecruiser on the level Floodgate.
 * Rtas 'Vadumee is the only Ultra featured that does not have black/steel as his secondary armor color. This may hint that secondary colors play an important role in an Elite's armor, much like modern day function badges play on military uniforms. Black may hint at infantry or ground combat positions while white, as in Rtas' case, may hint at Special Operations. Or, it may simply imply that Rtas is a slightly higher/lower rank (as with the relation with Lieutenant Colonel and Colonel) or position (as with the relation with a Sergeant Major and a Command Sergeant Major) than a normal Ultra. It may just serve to differentiate him from other Ultras.


 * It is possible, and perhaps implied, that Ultra Elites are also given the title of Ship Master. While an Ultra would probably not be the Ship Master of a capital ship such as a gargantuan Assault Carrier, an Ultra may be given command of a lighter starship, such as a Stealth Ship, a Covenant Frigate, or a CCS-class battlecruiser. Further evidence of this might be when the character Rtas 'Vadumee in Halo 2, The Great Journey, remarks, "I'm going to take the cruiser back.", referring to a CCS-class Battlecruiser in the distance. If he intended to take and then hold the ship from the Covenant Separatists, then one could argue that he most likely already had the authority of rank to command such a ship. However, this is only speculation, as 'Vadumee may have intended to hand control of the ship over to a higher ranking elite once he'd secured it. Still, given the importance of Ultras in ground operations, the possibility of them being Ship Masters should not be taken lightly.


 * Since Major Domos are called Half-Commanders, it is possible that Ultras are simply called Commanders.


 * Given what is played out in both Halo games, an Ultra seems to perform the same duties and be just as important as a senior field officer. If this is true, the Ultras are the Covenant's version of UNSC Lieutenant Colonels/Colonels and Commanders/Captains.