Thel 'Vadam

'' Were you looking for the Arbiter title; Ripa 'Moramee, the Arbiter from Halo Wars; Thel 'Lodamee, the Major from The Package; or the Halo 2 campaign level, The Arbiter? ''

Thel 'Vadam (formerly known as Thel 'Vadamee), or often simply referred to as the Arbiter, is a Sangheili Kaidon of the Vadam family and the current Arbiter. He has commanded fleets, and is responsible for the Sangheili uprising against the Hierarchs. He is also responsible for the death of Tartarus, which allowed Commander Miranda Keyes and Sergeant Major Avery J. Johnson to stop the Halo Array from firing. In the final battle of the war, 'Vadam, along with John-117, prematurely fired Forerunner Installation 04B, destroying the Ark.

Early life
Thel was born Thel 'Vadam to the Vadam family, rulers of the powerful State of Vadam on Sanghelios. As a young Sangheili, Thel was trained in the ways of the warrior by his relative Lak 'Vadamee. He joined the Covenant military, earning him the right to use the "-ee" suffix, which is added to a Sangheilian name upon joining the military. Thel fought alongside the Covenant when they attacked Madrigal in 2528.

Soon, Thel gained the rank of Shipmaster and earned the title of Kaidon through voting by Vadam's elders.

Soon after being promoted to Shipmaster, Thel suffered an injury in the training ring due to a mistake. His family hushed up the incident, as well as the resultant visit by a doctor, due to Sangheili culture equating the loss of blood and medical operation by a doctor with a loss of honor. During his convalescence, Thel handmade an old-fashioned doarmir-fur Shipmaster's cloak, wearing it always to remind him that he could make grave mistakes if he let his guard down.

Life as Kaidon
"It is a poor soldier who insists on seeing things not as they are, but as he wants them to be. One day reality hits, and his illusions fail him, and he dies stupidly. What honor is there in that?"

- Thel 'Vadamee

Thel's life as Kaidon was important for the Vadam family, as he was tasked with continuing the reign of the powerful state of Vadam. Early in his rule, he was attacked by three Sangheili assassins wielding Energy Swords. He managed to kill all three without even being scratched, but reported that he left one alive in order to determine who ordered the attack. He then killed one of the Vadam elders, Koida, for ordering the failed assassination, and ordered all of his line to leave the keep by sunrise.

Thel was sent to Charybdis IX with command over Retribution's Thunder to participate in the Battle of Charybdis IX, whilst being overseen by the High Prophet of Regret. He and several other Sangheili boarded the and attempted to get to the vessel's navigation database, but it had been purged before they were even aboard. He left and witnessed the destruction of the ship before being called to the Infinite Sacrifice, where he met Regret in person. He was told of the humans wielding modified Covenant weapons, and that this was most likely the Kig-yar's doing. He was then sent to the 23 Librae system to track down the source of the weapon traders, along with the Jiralhanae and Kig-yar vessel, A Psalm Every Day.

As he arrived at 23 Librae, his ship came under attack by A Psalm Every Day. Thel and his crew were shocked: so shocked that A Psalm Every Day fired another salvo, disabling their weapons, communications and engines. A Psalm Every Day escaped while Kig-yar boarding craft and Spirits started attacking and strafing the hull. Thel, increasingly frustrated, gave permission for any of his crew to abandon ship. However, this was a simple move of him in order to weed out the weaker Sangheili and eliminate them, as the Kig-yar boarding craft and Spirits were able to destroy any Sangheili Spirits attempting to fly away. Thel then ordered the destruction of the Retribution's Thunder, which killed all the boarding Kig-yar. Thel, however, survived and was captured by Kig-yar forces, along with most of the bridge crew. He and most of the bridge crew managed to escape and hijack a Kig-yar shuttle, taking them to another Kig-yar vessel. They went to the surface of Metisette and captured the leader of the Kig-yar, Reth.

After managing to escape Reth's clandestine Unggoy army, Thel returned to the Kig-yar vessel, where they locked Reth up. Interrogating him, the Sangheili were surprised by Reth's insistence that he was allying with the humans with the blessing of the High Prophet of Truth, who sought to use the humans as a means to find their homeworld. Reth eventually escaped when a nervous Grunt still loyal to him switched off the energy barrier, and fled into an escape pod. Thel then turned his eyes to the Rubble, as a large skirmish between UNSC forces and Kig-yar forces was taking place on the Infinite Spoils. He and his crew then boarded the Infinite Spoils and came face to face with Jai-006 before fighting with him. The Spartan then fled the ship with the other UNSC forces, but a shocked Thel and his crew stayed and commandeered the Infinite Spoils.

Thel managed to destroy most of the Rubble's mass drivers, but then was helpless when The Redoubt was destroyed and Habitat Exodus left the system. He decided the best thing to do was to wait for the High Prophets of Truth and Regret to arrive and report to them with his comrade, Zhar. Upon reporting the failure of the mission, Zhar attempted to slaughter the Prophets — believing them to be ordering his execution — but Thel activated his own Energy Sword and killed his former friend. This act prompted Truth to spare his life and give him command over a ship in the Fleet of Particular Justice, a newly assembled fleet for the Covenant Navy.

Life as Supreme Commander
"Soon the Great Journey will begin, but when it does, the weight of your heresy will stay your feet, and you shall be left behind."

- The Prophet of Truth to 'Thel Vadamee at his hearing.



At some point between 2535 and 2552, Thel's exceptional leadership and combat prowess earned him the rank of the Fleet of Particular Justice's Supreme Commander.

Near the end of his time serving as Supreme Commander, he led the victorious Covenant forces at the Fall of Reach. As the battle ended, Thel ordered all ships within his command to follow the fleeing UNSC Pillar of Autumn. Following the Autumn's course led them to Installation 04. After confirming that the ring was a Halo, the Prophet of Stewardship, the highest ranking Prophet with the Fleet, immediately claimed authority over the Ring, saying it was a religious matter rather than a political one. As Thel was unwilling to relinquish command with the Autumn approaching the Ring, and unable to contact High Charity to determine who was in charge, a power struggle emerged between Thel and Stewardship for ultimate authority. As the Battle of Installation 04 wore on, the Prophet began suborning Thel and misappropriating military forces to secure facilities on the Ring. Thel sent a single infantry unit to the Ascendant Justice to relieve Stewardship, but it was destroyed on approach, with Stewardship threatening further punishment for any future affronts to his leadership. As Thel assembled a strike force to physically relieve the Prophet, the emergency beacon on the Infinite Succor was activated. Thel dispatched a Special Operations force to assess the threat and procure the Minister of Etiology. As Thel was about to leave with his strike force for Ascendant Justice, Commander Rtas 'Vadumee returned to the ship and revealed the results of his mission: the Flood was on Halo.

Learning this, Thel issued an evacuation order to all ships on the ring, while ordering all ships orbiting the ring to shoot down any ship which failed to return clean bioscans. When Thel's force arrived on Ascendant Justice, Thel discovered that the Prophet of Stewardship had left for the Truth and Reconciliation on the ring, and the crew of the Ascendant Justice acknowledged Thel's authority as Supreme Commander. The sudden wide-spread evacuation led to confusion as ships became infested, and he was unable to prevent the destruction of the ring and was forced to abandon it. The abandonment saved his life, but also resulted in the capture of the Ascendant Justice by John-117, and he was called before the High Council to answer for these failures.

The loss of the Forerunner relic that the Covenant held "holy" rendered the Council unmoved by his defense, and 'Vadamee was stripped of his rank, title, name, and honor, and branded a heretic for his failure in safeguarding Halo. The Mark of Shame was branded upon his chest in front of many of the Covenant, and he was sentenced to death. He was sentenced to "be hung by his entrails" and his corpse "paraded through the city" as an example to others.

Upon being brought to the Prophet Hierarchs of Truth and Mercy, they intervened and offered to commute the sentence if he would become the new Arbiter. Understanding that becoming the Arbiter of the Covenant amounted to an indirect death sentence, but also seeking an opportunity to redeem his name to retain honor for his continuing bloodline, the Sangheili accepted the offer.

Gas Mine
"What would you have your Arbiter do?"

- 'Vadamee to the Prophets



'Vadamee's first combat assignment as the Arbiter was to stop the Heretic uprising based in a Forerunner Gas Mine in the atmosphere of Threshold. The Prophet had expected that he would die in the mission and so this was part of his sentence. He was assisted by Rtas 'Vadumee, Special Operations Elites, and Special Operations Grunts. The operation was even more complicated by the unexpected escape of the Flood from the facility. During the chaos that followed, the Heretic leader Sesa 'Refumee sealed himself in a protected zone of the station, to protect himself from the storm. The Arbiter drove the Heretics out by cutting the cables from which the facility hung from a larger structure, causing the gas mine to fall. After he had severed the cables, he chased the heretic leader in a Banshee to another part of the station. After crashing his Banshee, the Arbiter fought his way through massive amounts of Flood and a few surviving Heretics toward the station's hangar. Before Sesa 'Refumee could escape in a Seraph, the Arbiter assassinated him, but not before the Heretic Leader revealed the source of his heresy. The Arbiter was shocked to discover that the Heretics had been aided by a Holy Oracle, the Monitor 343 Guilty Spark.

With the uprising suppressed, the Brute Chieftain Tartarus extracted the Arbiter and used the Fist of Rukt to capture the Oracle. His actions, which involved throwing the Oracle into the Phantom recklessly, angered the Arbiter enough for him to remind the Chieftain who he was dealing with. With Tartarus, he left the gas mine via Phantom, as High Charity and the fleet were leaving Threshold's system.

Battle of the Quarantine Zone
"We shall cut into the heart of this infestation, retrieve the Icon, and burn any Flood that stand in our way!"

- Rtas 'Vadumee



The High Prophets, though surprised by the fact that 'Vadamee had escaped alive from the gas mine, were not ones to waste such an outstanding warrior, and thus, 'Vadamee was sent to the "Quarantine Zone" on Installation 05 to retrieve the "Sacred Icon" which was needed to activate Delta Halo. Before the mission, the Arbiter witnessed the replacement of the Elite Honor Guards with Brute Honor Guards. Though distressed by change, and voicing his concerns politely to the Prophet of Truth, 'Vadamee made no further comment. Fighting his way through the Sentinel Wall (with a few surviving Grunts and Jackals) to deactivate the Library's shield, he made his way on foot to the Library, aided by the Spec Ops forces of Rtas 'Vadumee. Eventually reaching a gondola, he and the commandos made their way to the library with relative ease, though they were forced to relentlessly fend off Flood, controlled-armor resistance, and Forerunner constructs. The commandos chose not to accompany 'Vadamee to the "Icon," instead protecting their gondola, believing it to be their only way of escape despite the fact that Tartarus' Phantom was still present at the time.

The Arbiter proceeded into the Library, encountering the remains of a battle between UNSC Marines, Sentinels and Flood Combat Forms, and witnessed Commander Miranda Keyes and Sergeant Johnson retrieving the Index. Using his armor's active camouflage, he approached Johnson and Keyes. Attacking while cloaked, 'Vadamee surprised Johnson, knocking him unconscious with a headbutt. Keyes, reacting quickly, opened fire on 'Vadamee with her SMG's, dropping his shields and hitting him in the side, but the Arbiter soon disarmed Keyes as well, before Tartarus and his Brutes joined the fight. After the initial scrape, Tartarus captured Keyes by using the Fist of Rukt's gravity manipulation to levitate her body and render her helpless, and claimed the Index for himself. A smug Tartarus informed the wounded Arbiter about the Brutes' intended genocide of the Elites, and that those orders came directly from the High Prophets. A shocked 'Vadamee realized that he had been betrayed seconds before he was blasted into a massive shaft leading to the depths of Installation 05 with a shockwave from the Fist of Rukt.

Control room of Installation 05
"This one is but flesh and faith, and is the more deluded."

- The Gravemind describing Thel 'Vadam

Instead of being killed by the fall, as expected, the Arbiter was captured in mid-air by the Gravemind, the central intelligence of the Flood, and brought to its underground lair. It was here that the Arbiter met John-117, who had also been captured/saved by the Gravemind. The Gravemind tried to convince 'Vadamee that the Halos were weapons of destruction, not transcendence, which John-117 supported, saying the High Prophets were "making a big mistake". Though 'Vadamee was still in doubt, he was slowly beginning to believe. In order to "show the truth" to 'Vadamee, the Gravemind teleported him to the Control Room, while the Chief was sent to High Charity, in order to stop the Index from activating Halo.

Discovering the consequences of the Prophets' betrayal of the Elites and the slaughtering of his species by the Brutes, the Arbiter joined forces with a band of Special Operations Commandos, Minors, Majors, and a Zealot, as well as a small number of Unggoy, to raze a Brute encampment. Eventually, he met Rtas 'Vadumee yet again, joining forces to reach a Scarab. Near the Scarab, the Arbiter and his forces managed to save a group of captured Councilors, and a group of UNSC Marines, including Sergeant Johnson.

Johnson made a shaky truce with the Arbiter in order to prevent Tartarus from activating Halo. Given they share a common enemy, they both agreed that Tartarus had to be stopped, with Johnson driving a captured Scarab and the Arbiter covering him from enemy Wraiths, Spectres, and Banshees from the air. After destroying many enemy units along the way, they successfully reached the Control Room of Installation 05.

Battle with Tartarus
"Tartarus, the Prophets have betrayed us."

- Thel 'Vadamee's last attempt to convince the Brutes of the truth

'Vadamee fought several Honor Guard Brutes before facing Tartarus, who was forcing Miranda Keyes to activate Installation 05. He was surprised to see the Arbiter still alive and there was a standoff between the two parties. The Arbiter asked 343 Guilty Spark, who was also present, what Halo's true purpose was. The Monitor replied that the Halos were built "to destroy all sentient life in the galaxy" so that the Flood would die of starvation. In addition, the ones who built the rings, the Forerunners, died upon firing the rings as planned, contradicting the belief of their "transcendence". This convinced the Arbiter of the truth that he had been repeatedly told. It was from that moment that 'Vadamee's faith in the Great Journey had been shattered, his alliance with the humans absolute, and the treachery of the High Prophets fully realized.

With this revelation, the Arbiter tried to convince Tartarus to turn against the Prophets. Tartarus, however, blinded by his fanatical belief in the Great Journey, as well as his hatred for the Elites, ultimately chose to side with the Prophets. In the battle that followed, the Installation was activated and threatened to destroy all sentient life in the galaxy. The Arbiter, with the aid of Johnson and several Elites, slew Tartarus, allowing Miranda Keyes to stop the activation in time. The shutdown, however, activated a fail safe system; the rest of the Halos were set to standby mode, and could only be activated remotely from Installation 00. 'Vadamee then escaped the Flood-infested installation with the surviving Humans and Elite forces.

Meeting the Chief on Earth
"Were it so easy."

- Thel 'Vadam

After Tartarus' defeat on Delta Halo, 'Vadamee officially changed his surname to "'Vadam", symbolizing his resignation from the Covenant; the rest of the Elites followed suit.

Upon arriving on Earth with Johnson, 'Vadam and several of his allies discovered the Master Chief, who had just "arrived" on Earth as well. When the Master Chief regained consciousness from his long fall, he attempted to kill 'Vadam with Johnson's M6 Series Magnum, but was stopped by Johnson, who explained to the Chief that the Arbiter and his kind have allied with Humanity. The Chief reluctantly backed down although he at first did not trust the Arbiter, 'Vadam then assisted the Master Chief through the jungles near Mount Kilimanjaro, guiding him through the dense forest to the dam site where they were extracted. He then aided the Chief and the other UNSC forces during the defense of a UNSC base, Crow's Nest, from Covenant Loyalist invaders.

Battle of Voi
"Quickly! Let us find their ship. Make short work of this abomination!"

- The Arbiter in Floodgate

After leaving the Master Chief on the last departing flight from Crow's Nest before the base was leveled, Thel 'Vadam (known to his human allies only by his standing as the Arbiter) rejoined him at the docks, shortly after the Chief cleared the road to Voi of Covenant Loyalists and began to destroy a section of the Covenant mechanized presence defending the area rimming the Forerunner artifact. The Arbiter assisted the Chief and surviving UNSC forces in destroying a crucial anti-aircraft battery, aiding them as they fought through Covenant occupied warehouses, eventually helping them destroy the emplacement, and opening a hole in the Covenant anti-air defenses to allow Lord Hood's naval forces to assault the Prophet of Truth's Forerunner Dreadnought, which was docked and idle atop the Artifact.

The strike upon the Dreadnought did no visible damage. An enormous, fiery blue sphere was triggered over the activated Artifact, and formed a Portal through which Truth and the Covenant fleet retreated. 'Vadam roared in fury at the loss of their quarry. But before Lord Hood could consolidate the scattered and confused human resistance, a Flood-infested Covenant cruiser, which had broken through the Elite's quarantine fleet around High Charity, transitioned out of Slipspace nearby, crashing into the city and infesting a significant area in and around Voi.

The Arbiter and Chief proceeded to cauterize the local area of the Flood infestation, battling their way to the cruiser with the purpose of catastrophically overloading the crashed ship's engines to level the entire city before the parasitic infestation grew beyond control. They were aided by a handful of Marines who were not claimed by the Flood, and eventually Sangheili Special Operations shock troops, led by the recently promoted Ship Master Rtas 'Vadum, and a battle group under his command. 'Vadam learned of the fall of High Charity from a Sangheili Major who was leading Spec-Ops soldiers to fight alongside the Chief. The Arbiter assisted the Chief in clearing a swath to the crashed cruiser, and the Chief infiltrated the cruiser alone. He managed to recover a holo-projector that contained a fragmented message of Cortana. Rtas 'Vadum's fleet glassed the infected parts of Africa to prevent the Flood from continuing their infestation.

Battle of the Ark
"The Prophet will die by my hands - not theirs!"

- The Arbiter, in the level The Covenant



After the UNSC and separatist forces regrouped, they learned from Cortana's message that the Flood had taken control of High Charity and were on their way to Earth. However, she continued to say that the Gravemind was unaware of the Portal, and states that on the other side is a solution to stop the Flood, without firing the remaining Halo rings. Because the Chief trusted Cortana, he and the Separatists dedicated all their forces to go through the Portal, arriving at the Ark. The Arbiter joined the Master Chief at the entrance of a local Cartographer facility to clear their way through the building to the Cartographer terminal. Once there, they learned Truth's perilous location, as well as an unfortunate defense he had conjured from the Ark itself. When the group was attacked after activating the Cartographer, the Arbiter joined the battle for the skies, instructing the Chief to follow 343 Guilty Spark to a location for extraction.

With the decimation of the Covenant Loyalist Fleet, Rtas 'Vadum's carrier positioned itself near the Ark's Citadel - where Truth planned to remotely activate the rings - in preparation to deal a lethal blow to Truth's stronghold. Commander Keyes led a three-pronged assault, in which the Arbiter and Chief participated in, on the shield generators to lower the barrier around Truth and the Citadel by deactivating the generator from a console in the tower's spire. After Sergeant Major Johnson failed to deactivate the third generator because of Brute resistance, the Arbiter landed his forces at the third tower along with the Chief to deactivate the final generator and shut down the barrier.

As Rtas 'Vadum maneuvered over the citadel to glass Truth, High Charity exited Slipspace, crashing into the Ark. In its plummet to the surface, High Charity scattered a barrage of infection capsules which put 'Vadum's carrier out of commission and seeded the Ark with Flood. The Arbiter led his forces in conjunction with the Marines to clear the third tower of Flood, with the Chief's assistance. As a security measure, the Arbiter escorted a distressed 343 Guilty Spark to reconnoiter the damage inflicted to the Ark by the Flood, leaving his Sangheili with the Chief to push on to the Citadel.

Death of Truth
"I...am...Truth! The voice of the Covenant!"

- The Prophet of Truth

"And so, you must be silenced."

- Thel 'Vadam

After Thel entered the Citadel, joining the Chief at the bridge to the Citadel with a distraught 343 Guilty Spark, the Flood formed an alliance with them to reach Truth and abort the firing of the Halo Array. Fighting through the Loyalist forces standing between Truth and themselves, the Arbiter and the Master Chief succeeded in reaching the same platform as the Prophet of Truth. The Arbiter approached Truth, who was by now partially infected by the Flood. The Gravemind spoke through Truth, informing him that he was deluded into thinking that he will become a god; 'Vadam warned the Flood mind to not infect the Prophet, allowing him to take revenge. After a brief conversation, the Prophet of Truth makes a quick speech before witnessing the Master Chief deactivating the Halo Rings to his horror, and then was promptly executed by Thel's Energy Sword before Truth was fully infected by the Flood, taking his revenge for Truth's crimes and finally bringing him to justice. It is seen here that the Chief starts to trust Thel even more, after killing the Hierarch who called for Humanity's destruction. The Chief and Thel then faced the betrayal of the Flood's allegiance with the abortion of Halo's firing.

Destroying the Flood
"This is our fight, and I will see it finished."

- Thel 'Vadam to his fellow Elites

Fighting their way back the way they had come, the two witnessed the construction of a new Installation 04, and planned to activate it. The Arbiter, Johnson and Rtas 'Vadum evacuated all UNSC and Separatist forces from the Ark. The Arbiter, worried about the Chief (who went to High Charity alone to rescue Cortana) arrived after the Master Chief at High Charity's crash site, and eventually found the Chief, who had already accomplished his objective. 'Vadam used a Flamethrower to cover their escape as High Charity began to explode.

The two then escaped on a D77H-TCI Pelican Dropship from High Charity, crashing it into the newly-constructed Halo; after fighting through numerous Flood forms, they met up with Sergeant Major Johnson and 343 Guilty Spark at the Control Room. The Monitor turned on them after realizing that an immediate activation of the ring would destroy it and damage the Ark, as the ring was not yet complete. In the battle that followed, the rampant Monitor killed Johnson and blasted the Arbiter out of the room; however, even the Monitor fell to the Master Chief. Both Cortana and Thel expressed sorrow over Johnson's death. The Master Chief activated Halo and retrieved Cortana as the ring began to collapse. He and the Arbiter then retrieved Johnson's Warthog, crossed newly-built Forerunner structures as they collapsed, all while being attacked by more Flood and the now-hostile Sentinels. They succeeded in reaching the Forward Unto Dawn and escaped the Ark and Halo just in time. Upon entering the ship's cargo bay, it tilted and sent a M808B Main Battle Tank hurtling towards 'Vadam, nearly crushing him. 'Vadam ran into an alcove and narrowly dodged the tank. Before running to the bridge, he and the Chief (in a brief moment of camaraderie) exchanged nods; this was the last time 'Vadam saw the Chief. Soon after, Cortana activated the ship, as 'Vadam made it to the bridge and took control.

Endgame
"I remember how this war started. What your kind did to mine... I can't forgive you... but, you have my thanks. For standing by him to the end. Hard to believe he's dead..."

- Lord Hood

"Were it so easy."

- Thel 'Vadam

The portal collapsed as the Forward Unto Dawn was transiting and the aft end of the ship, with John-117 and Cortana, was sheared off and failed to return to Earth. The bow section, containing 'Vadam, made it through and crashed into the sea, where he was rescued. 'Vadam was present at the dedication of the memorial to those lost during the war, on March 3, 2553. After being thanked by Admiral Lord Terrence Hood for "standing by him to the end", saying "It's hard to believe he's dead", 'Vadam responded, "Were it so easy". This line of text is also said during his first line in Halo 3, showing respect and similarity between a Spartan and the Arbiter, by how they are nearly impossible to kill. The Arbiter departed for Sanghelios aboard the Shadow of Intent as the ship master, with Rtas 'Vadum and the rest of the Elites who fought at the Ark to see if it was safe.

Personality
Thel, like most Sangheili, is keen to do things in an honorable manner and according to the Sangheili honor codes, though he is and even was when fighting the humans more flexible when it came to the tactics that he used and in particular showed a keen interest in human weapons (even before the Great Schism). His personality changed a great deal during and directly preceding the Great Schism. While once zealous and unquestioningly obedient to the Prophets' will, after learning of the true nature of the Halo rings, he became more open-minded and accepting of the humans, his former mortal enemies.

After the Battle of Installation 04, he was honestly ashamed for his failure at Halo, and only wanted to regain his honor dying for the Prophets. He begun to doubt their words after the betrayal of Tartarus and his encounter with the Gravemind, but he still remained stubbornly attached to his faith. When he heard the truth of the rings from 343 Guilty Spark, he finally accepted it and tried to offer peace to Tartarus, who refused.

After Thel was betrayed by the Prophets, he developed a hatred toward the Prophets, wanting revenge for his betrayal. After he learned and accepted the truth about the Halos, he also gained respect for the humans. He may have even felt guilt over his past actions towards them, as he prevented Rtas from completely glassing Earth even though that meant risking a Flood outbreak. He respects Johnson and the Chief particularly, despite trouble the SPARTANs had caused him in the past, grieving over Johnson's death and the Chief's disappearance.

In spite of his understandable resentment of the Prophets, the hatred Thel' Vadam has towards the Jiralhanae does not appear to be as strong or destructive as that of other Sangheili such as his friend Rtas Vadum; one example of this is when the Arbiter tried to reason with Tartarus in Installation 05's Control Room (though this does not mean he's that fond of them as a race either). He is shown to be true to his title "Arbiter" as he often tries to negotiate with some of his other enemies (e.g. Drones) and will only kill wave after wave of enemies if he has to. He has deep respect for his fellow Sangheili (part of it being shown in his first meeting with Rtas 'Vadum, and the things he says when he crouches by bodies of dead Elites in Halo 3).

Combat
"Parasite! Rise up and I shall kill you -- again and again!"

- Thel 'Vadam to the Flood

Thel 'Vadam stands an intimidating seven feet and ten inches, and possesses huge fingers, as do all other Sangheili. Because of this, Thel struggles to put his hands around guns such as Magnums or Plasma Pistols (and due to his height, when sitting in a Pelican Dropship, he involuntarily takes up a lot of leg room). In Halo 2, numerous small graphical and gameplay differences exist between the Arbiter and the Master Chief. When playing as the Arbiter, the Chief's flashlight is replaced by an Active Camouflage feature, exclusive to Halo 2; due to the antiquated armor of the Arbiter, the camouflage does not last forever -- it lasts for ten seconds on Easy and Normal difficulties, and five seconds on Heroic and Legendary difficulties. The Arbiter bleeds purple blood instead of red, and his Heads Up Display is sleeker. The Arbiter's HUD is also a purple color, rather than the Spartan blue; in Halo 3 it is teal and is presented in a more curved fashion than Player One's. Player Three and Four's HUDs are also more curved as they too are Elites. In Halo 2, the sound his shield makes when it is depleted is different from that of the Master Chief's. In Halo 3, he still has Active Camouflage, but it is only illustrated in the first cutscene of the game and to elude enemies -- it cannot be used when playing as the Arbiter. He has a flashlight on his left shoulder in Halo 3, which can be used by players in Co-op.

The Arbiter is very experienced at combat, as shown by his relatively extensive knowledge of every weapon and vehicle -- the Arbiter expressed a desire to understand human weapons even before his alliance with the UNSC. His most commonly used weapons are the Plasma Rifle, Energy Sword, and the Carbine; however, if the Arbiter character is being used in Co-Op Campaign, he can wield any weapon the player chooses -- the Plasma Rifle, Energy Sword, and Carbine would only be level-start weapons.

In Halo 3, the Arbiter is a very useful ally against the Flood when he has his Energy Sword out, but when fighting Covenant forces on his own on Heroic and Legendary, the NPC Arbiter tends to be knocked out frequently, for long periods of time, especially on Legendary. This is mostly due to his tendency to lead suicidal charges with his Energy Sword, despite the enemy's great distance from him, another example of the Sangheillian code of honor getting in the way. However, he is useful on Normal and Easy. Also note that when given a Missile Pod (using the support weapon glitch, or putting it by his unconscious body) the missiles will lock onto enemy NPCs.

Reception
The image that Bungie produced for Halo 2 was one featuring the Master Chief on Earth fighting the Covenant. Once the game was released, this was shown to be the case until the level, The Arbiter, when the player abruptly took the role of the Arbiter of the Covenant. Many fans of the series were unhappy with the sudden change in character and complained to Bungie, resulting in the removal of Arbiter missions from Halo 3, though he was retained as a playable character for co-op campaigns.

Identity
The original title for the character was "the Dervish", a title from the Sufi sect of Islam, but was changed to avoid overt parallels with the Muslim world.

"During the geocultural review of Halo 2 ’s content, the original name for the Arbiter character -- Dervish -- was identified as a potential problem. Out of context, the name ‘Dervish’ wasn’t too sensitive as it’s a title from the Sufi sect of Islam. However, within the game’s context this Islamic-related name of ‘Dervish’ set up a potentially problematic allegory related to Halo 2 ’s plot -- the U.S.-like forces (Master Chief/Sarge) versus Islam (the religious Covenant, which already had a “Prophet of Truth” which is one synonym for Mohammed). Mind you, this was not too long after 9/11 so the sensitivity to such issues remained high. In the end, the character name was changed to ‘Arbiter’ -- which in my opinion worked much better for the character’s role in the narrative."

- Tom Edwards, geographer and geocultural consultant.

Prior to the release of Halo: The Cole Protocol, there was much speculation on the exact identity of the Arbiter before he was forced to accept the rank. Some believed him to be Orna 'Fulsamee, the shipmaster of a Covenant Destroyer in the Fleet of Particular Justice, pointing out his apparent considerable authority over the fleet and the fact that a Prophet traveled aboard his ship. Others insisted that the Special Operations Commando that the Master Chief wounded in hand-to-hand combat aboard the Ascendant Justice was the Arbiter, given that the Ascendant Justice was described as a Flagship. The fact that the Supreme Commander was shown in the Halo Graphic Novel to use the Flagship Seeker of Truth, and not the Ascendant Justice, did not do anything to quell the speculation until the release of Tobias Buckell's novel four years after the revelation of the character, which even then made only a single reference at the very end of the story to the fact that the Elite the plot had been following for the entire book had been promoted to Supreme Commander of the Fleet of Particular Justice.

Trivia

 * Thel 'Vadam is voiced by actor Keith David.
 * The Arbiter in Halo 2 is considered, during gameplay, the highest ranking Elite in the area. This means that if the player is killed, lower ranked Grunts in the area will become scared and some might say "Leader dead! Run away!" among others, alongside the dialogue they already use when the Arbiter dies "Arbiter? Dead?!".
 * When the Arbiter activates his Active Camouflage in Halo 2, his eyes will remain visible. This is only visible on Co-Op.
 * In Halo 2, one can see an Elite skull on 'Vadam's right shoulder, similar to the skull on the Legendary shield; it is unclear if the same symbol is on the armor in Halo 3.
 * Thel 'Vadam is the only known Elite witnessed to be branded with the Mark of Shame. However, the Sangheili in Halo 3's campaign also have the Mark of Shame etched onto their armor as a symbol of their allegiance to their Arbiter.
 * Technically, since his trial, he has no name since all honor that he once had has been removed. This is due to the Sangheilian honorific beliefs, with one such belief being that only those with honor should deserve something as prestigious as a name. Thus, his name and honor were stripped by the Prophets before the Elites left the Covenant, explaining why he was only ever referred to as "the Arbiter" throughout Halo 2. With the outbreak of the Great Schism, Thel regained his name (otherwise he could not have removed the honorary -ee suffix to become simply Thel 'Vadam); the continuing use of the word "Arbiter" is likely out of habit and/or respect.
 * The in-game AI for Thel 'Vadam in Halo 3 is described as being very inept in combat, and many reviews have deemed him a useless ally, because many times in game he will stare at a wall or shoot allies. In Crow's Nest on the part where the player must rescue Marines in the barracks, Thel is known to stare at walls and not fire his weapon. Sometimes he will not follow the player on parts where he is scripted to do so, and tends to die often, particularly on higher difficulties.
 * It is possible to clone the Arbiter in Halo 3 on the level The Covenant. On the part after one exits the second tower, the Arbiter will head to a Phantom for extraction. If the player prevents him from getting to the Phantom by blocking his path, when he gets inside the Phantom, destroy it quickly with the Scorpion and wait a few seconds. After a few seconds of waiting, there are usually two Arbiters. This is not an easy task, and sometimes it does not work. One must work very fast. The clone Arbiter can be useful, as he acts as the original Arbiter would.
 * If one attempts to kill 'Vadam in Halo 3 during Campaign Solo, he will fall unconscious, but he will get up again and pick up any weapon near him. If the player kills 'Vadam for his weapons, his Energy Sword will have a low battery (though occasionally it will be full or near full). Also, if the player kills him twice, he will get up and calls the player a traitor, then kill the player with a single shot with whatever weapon he happens to be holding. If he is left alone for awhile, he will forgive the player and act as a teammate again.
 * He is one of the few Sangheili to refer to John-117 as "Spartan". Even during and after the Great Schism, many still refer to him as the Demon (though some, notably, adopt 343 Guilty Spark's designation for him - Reclaimer). Rtas 'Vadum also holds this distinction. Thel has also called him the Master Chief.
 * Interestingly enough in Halo 3, if the player outdistances or removes 'Vadam from the map (such as pushing him off a cliff), he will suddenly reappear as if phasing out of Active Camo. This also happens when the Master Chief enters the driver's seat of the Warthog at the end of the level Halo; the Arbiter will appear on the Warthog's turret in this same manner.
 * In the story Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor, from the Halo Graphic Novel, 'Vadam is shown in purple ceremonial command armor, and is in command of the Seeker of Truth. Due to this, it is believed by some that the Ascendant Justice was made the flagship of the fleet after the Supreme Commander and most of his forces evacuated the Threshold system. Thus, Tartarus and the Prophet of Truth may have referred to him as "the incompetent who lost Ascendant Justice" due to the events that transpired that resulted to the loss of the ship, not because he was directly responsible for losing it in combat against the Master Chief.
 * In Halo 2, the Arbiter has no mandible guards, but he does in Halo 3. Notably, the armor of the previous Arbiter, Ripa 'Moramee, did possess mandible guards.
 * In the Spanish versions of Halo 2 and Halo 3, the Arbiter is translated as Inquisidor, which means Inquisitor. This is because the cognate of Arbiter in Spanish, "arbitro", means referee.
 * Thel 'Vadam is included in MSNBC's list of the "Top 5 Best Aliens in Video Games."
 * One should take notice of the Arbiter on higher difficulties. When he is killed, he might somehow lose his long ranged weapon, making him only useful in close combat. When this happens, make sure one gives him a long ranged weapon when he is knocked out.
 * If one kills the Arbiter, takes his weapon, and gives him a weapon with no ammo, he will not pick up any weapons, and will be weaponless. This can also be achieved by giving the Arbiter a support weapon and getting him to ride in a vehicle.

List of appearances

 * Halo 2
 * Halo 3
 * Halo: First Strike
 * Halo: The Cole Protocol
 * Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe
 * The Return
 * Wages of Sin
 * From the Office of Dr. William Arthur Iqbal
 * Halo Graphic Novel
 * Halo Legends
 * Origins