Sangheili Zealot

"A Zealot! So much for a stealthy advance."

- SpecOps Elite on Uprising, pointing out a Zealot to the Arbiter

"Where were you when we burned your planet, Demon?"

- A Zealot taunting Master Chief

A Zealot is a Covenant command rank associated primarily with the Sangheili. However, other species have been given this rank such as the Kig-Yar Zhar. The Councilors and Imperial Admirals are above the Zealots in rank. They are more skilled in combat, but take a more political role. Zealot is also a generic term for an Elite with official command responsibilities. Zealots hold the command offices of Supreme Commander, Fleet Master, Ship Master and Field Master.

While some Zealots are strictly deployed to non-combat Fleet or Field Command posts, they often operate on the front lines and are greatly experienced and skillful at combat, having killed countless enemies of the Covenant before attaining their post.

Combat
Zealots are significantly more challenging to fight than other Elites. In Halo: Combat Evolved, Zealots are known to wield Energy Swords and Plasma Rifles. They are much tougher than regular Elites as they shoot faster and tend to actually pursue, hunt and kill their target, rather than shoot at the closest one. They also have shields that are twice as strong as those of a Major Elite. They are much faster than lower Elites and can jump very far. They are far harder to hit and they duck behind obstacles to avoid fire. When found with Energy Swords they are highly dangerous and should be dealt with quickly and preferably while they are still reasonably far away due to their extensive experience with melee combat. They are a powerful, smart, and very dangerous force to be reckoned with, especially on higher difficulties. The best way to deal with a Zealot is to either use a Plasma Grenade or to attack it from long range, as they are deadly in hand-to-hand combat because of their Energy Sword. Also, due to their strong shields, it is advisable to use heavy weaponry, such as the sniper rifle and rocket launcher, if they are available. The M6D pistol is only moderately effective, taking 16 head shots to kill a fully shielded Zealot on Normal difficulty. The Needler is both common and extremely effective, due to the fact that 7 needles will kill the enemy and the weapon's large magazine. However, it should be noted that this weapon takes too long to work to be of use against a nearby or charging Zealot, and that if the Elite is too close you may take serious damage from secondary explosions or detonating grenades. A tactical flaw that only works in Halo: Combat Evolved is that enemies have certain invisible 'boxes' they cannot leave, and if they do they will walk back to it immediately. These are needed to stop them from wandering all over the place and make them seem organized. When you find the 'box' of a Zealot, stand about 5 feet outside of it. When a Zealot approaches you, it's programming will prevent it from leaving its box, and since its weapon is short range only, it will not be able to hurt you, and merely stand there swiping air the whole time. You may then finish it off whenever or with whatever you may. However, if you enter the predetermined field of view, it will instantly leap at you, which can kill an unwary player.

If you are forced into close quarters combat with a Zealot, you should use a Shotgun. If a Shotgun is not present, using a Plasma Rifle to take down the Elite's shields and an M6D Pistol or Assault Rifle to finish it off is also an efficient tactic at medium to close ranges. A combination of a Plasma Pistol and a human weapon or the "noob combo".

It is also possible to dodge the attack by jumping over him or moving very quickly to the left or right before he hits you. If you are quick enough, turn around swiftly and melee him while he is looking away, melee attacks to the back will always result in an instant kill. Note that this is difficult to do and may result in death if other Elites are present.

However, the player must exercise extreme caution and have very good timing, as it takes several blasts to kill a Zealot, and they can run faster than you can backpedal. The Plasma Pistol is also effective, as it can completely disable their shields with a single overcharged shot. Like any other Elite, a Zealot will be briefly stunned after the overcharged shot disables their shields. The player should use this opportunity to quickly switch to another weapon, preferably one capable of making head shots (e.g. the M6D), and finish off the Zealot. Finally, another tactic is to stick the Zealot with a Plasma Grenade while it is charging, but make sure you have cover or he will explode near you, killing you both if you're too close.

In Halo 2, they do not use Overshields and their shields are just a little bit stronger than those of a Major Elite and Special Operations Elite, but they are a lot smarter and tougher. They are still very deadly in close-quarters, so the player should keep their distance. In addition to the tactics mentioned in the preceding paragraph, dual M6C Magnums can be very effective at close ranges so long as you stay outside of their sword's reach. Dual Needlers are also effective. Also, Zealot AI is noticeably different in Halo 2: Zealots are always found wielding Energy Swords, ceremonial weapons befitting their high rank. If, as the Arbiter, you give them another weapon, they will not fire it; instead, they will use it as a makeshift melee weapon. Another fact that should be known is that Zealots will never, under any circumstances, ride in or drive a vehicle (If you try to give them a chance to get in one, such as in Uprising), their animation will glitch and they will start to walk toward the vehicle and turn around, they will then keep doing this. They will continue following you, once you keep going.

In Halo: Combat Evolved Zealots had a "flaw" that made killing one slightly easier. It would do some form of roaring animation (similar to the Elite berserker's in Halo 2), or pointing out the player and yell. This animation makes the Zealot's body more open and gives the player a precious few seconds to snipe, fire a rocket at, or damage the shields of the Zealot. But this animation did not necessarily help the player, thus could force the player to make a wrong move resulting in the death of the player.

Zealot Titles
"Zealot" is the highest military grade for a Sangheili with the exception of the Arbiter, Imperial Admiral or a Specops Commander. The ranks a Zealot can be all are a part of the Zealot Offices. Known examples include:


 * Supreme Commander: These are the highest known titles for a Zealot Sangheili. Supreme Commanders are in charge of entire fleets of warships, as well as all ground forces within those Fleets. The only known Supreme Commander was the Arbiter, being in charge of the Fleet of Particular Justice. It is not yet clear why Supreme Commanders are Zealots, as the Arbiter was shown at alternating times with ornate purple armor or the armor of a Zealot. This may be nothing more than a ceremonial position aboard their flagship or an artistic touch to show how high of a rank Supreme Commander really is.


 * Fleet Master and also, possibly another name for De Facto Commander: This rank normally acts as the normal Ship Master and controls only one ship, but when a Fleet needs to do a special objective, the Fleet Master acts as the commander for the ships participating in that objective (normally called Task Force). Voro Nar 'Mantakree was a Fleet Master/De Facto Commander and was in charge of leading a task force to Onyx to pursue the Bloodied Spirit. You could compare this rank with a real life 'Vice Admiral' or 'Admiral'.


 * Ship Master: This rank is equivalent to the UNSC Navy's Captain rank. Ship Masters command Star ships within the Covenant, but they still fall under the command of their Fleet's Supreme Commander and De Facto commander/fleet master. An example of this is Orna 'Fulsamee, who was the ship master of an unknown destroyer. Many believe that Orna Fulsamee commanded a CCS-class Battlecruiser, though he actually commands a destroyer. It mentioned it at the opening pages of Halo: The Flood. The title of Ship Master is not exclusive only to the Zealot rank. This is supported by the fact that before the Battle of Voi, the Covenant's Special Operations Commander, Rtas 'Vadum was promoted to the Shipmaster of the Assault Carrier, Shadow of Intent. He seemed to still be an Ultra Sangheili. This is the best compared with a real life 'Commander', 'Captain' or even a 'Rear Admiral'.


 * Field Master: This rank is equivalent to the UNSC Army and Marine Corps numerous General ranks. Field Masters command entire armies, legion strength or greater. Unlike Human Generals, Field Masters take a much more active role in combat, as in charging into the battle with their troops rather than giving orders from a HQ miles away from the ongoing conflict. They are in charge of all warriors of any race within that army, as well as all armor, air support and material utilized by that army. An example of this is Noga 'Putumee, who led the Covenant forces against Human forces during the Battle of Installation 04.

Halo: Combat Evolved
In Halo: Combat Evolved, Zealot Elites appear with about the same frequency on all settings, although their strength on each difficulty increases significantly in a direct proportion with the difficulty level. They are difficult to kill on Normal mode and even more so on Heroic or Legendary. In the stage Truth and Reconciliation on Legendary difficulty, Zealots will replace the usual Stealth Elites encountered in the ship's Gravity Lift bay.

On Legendary, they always have highly enhanced energy shields (three times more powerful than standard MJOLNIR Armour shields) and most also wield Energy Swords (however, on at least three occasions in the level Two Betrayals and once in Assault on the Control Room, Zealots are seen with Plasma Rifles also). Zealots are also almost always accompanied by a vanguard group of lesser ranking Elites. The ranks of these Elites vary depending on the difficulty, with Minor Elites making up the vanguard on Normal mode and Major Elites and Stealth Elites making up the vanguard on Heroic and Legendary difficulty. However, one Zealot in Two Betrayals led a squad of about six Jackals and two other Elites.

Appearances:
 * Truth and Reconciliation - On Legendary, 4-6 Zealots will spawn in the Grav Lift bay, leading the groups of attacking Covenant. There will also be a Zealot at the control center or bridge that is thought to be the Ship Master and one guarding Marine prisoners.
 * The Silent Cartographer - Behind the locked door that you are supposed to open.
 * Assault on the Control Room - The first Zealot is on the first bridge, the second is in a room commanding two other Elites and the third is near the Control Room.
 * Two Betrayals - Zealots are scattered all throughout the level, about 7-10 of them in all.



Halo 2
On the Level Uprising in Halo 2 a Zealot emerging from an Orbital Insertion Pod. Unlike in Halo: Combat Evolved, Zealots rarely appear as enemies in any difficulty other than Legendary, with few exceptions.

Zealots are always seen with groups of subordinate Elites, as in Halo: Combat Evolved. They have strong energy shielding, roughly equivalent to that of Elite Majors, and will continually charge their enemies until killed. It appears their stronger shields were traded to the Ultra and Councilor Elites. They also exclusively wield Energy Swords, unless given a different weapon by an allied player.

The following is a list of Zealot appearances in Halo 2.


 * The Heretic -The Arbiter is the Zealot in this appearance. He is convicted of Heresy and is being sentenced to be stripped of his Zealot rank.
 * Cairo Station (Legendary only) - In Hangar B-01 (the second Hangar Bay), a Zealot armed with an Energy Sword along with 2 Ultra Elites lead the fifth Covenant wave out of the boarding craft to fight the player-controlled Master Chief.
 * Outskirts (Legendary only) - At a point in the level where a Covenant Phantom dropship approaches and drops off troops, it will drop one Covenant Zealot off, along with the rest of the units. The Zealot will then normally charge toward and attack the player and any remaining Marines. Another example is a section of the same level near the Hotel Zanzibar, after Sniper Alley. There is always a Zealot in the half collapsed building, which will jump down and attack if the player walks down the streets near it.
 * Metropolis (Legendary only) - As one gets to the service tunnel at the end of the Highway tunnel, a sword-wielding Zealot will emerge from there.
 * Uprising - The Arbiter always gains one Zealot ally in the early part of the level Uprising, regardless of difficulty.
 * The Great Journey - In the final battle with Tartarus, an infinite amount of Zealots with Energy Swords will be generated to aid you, either before or during the fight. Their usefulness is limited however, as Tartarus's shield protects him from Energy Swords and melee attacks. Since these are a Zealot's primary methods of attack, the Elites simply deal no damage and are left open to a close range attack from the Fist of Rukt. They can cause him to be slow, giving Johnson time to snipe Tartarus and for you and your allies to kill him quickly after the shots are fired.

Halo 3
Zealots do not appear in Halo 3. This might be attributed to loss of life in the Separatist Covenant, for Rtas 'Vadum was the highest ranked Elite seen and he was only an Ultra. Most of the Zealots if not all of them went back to Sanghelios to defend it from the Covenant Loyalists. It could also be that the events of Halo 3 only included a small Elite battle-group to help the UNSC defend Earth. Most of the Zealots might have been forced to help protect Sanghelios against Brute invasions. Elite Councilors also might have shared the same fate in protecting their homeworld. The Elites probably could only afford to send out an Ultra, Rtas 'Vadum, along with The Arbiter, and their fleet to help the humans. It may be that the Brute Chieftains have replaced the Elite Zealots as foes. This is supported by the fact that Chieftains carry a melee weapon that can kill the player in one hit, much like a Zealot.

Supreme Commanders

 * The Arbiter - former Supreme Commander of the Fleet of Particular Justice

Fleet Masters
''
 * Voro Nar 'Mantakree - De facto Fleet Master of the ''Second Fleet of Homogeneous Clarity

Ship Masters

 * Orna 'Fulsamee - Ship Master of the Truth and Reconciliation
 * Tano 'Inanraree - Ship Master of the Incorruptible
 * Qunu - Ship Master of the Far Sight Lost

Field Masters

 * Noga 'Putumee - Field Master in the Fleet of Particular Justice

Other "Zealots"
At least one Jackal has also been given the rank of "Zealot", showing that, like most other Elite ranks, it may be shared with other Covenant races.


 * Zhar - A Kig-yar security captain on the ship Minor Transgression, shown in Halo: Contact Harvest

Physical Appearance
Zealots wear idiosyncratic gold armor with a Forerunner glyph on the back, often with tan lining and their shields are (in Halo: Combat Evolved) much more powerful than those of their subordinates. Their gold armor gives them away in some situations. In Halo: Combat Evolved, they wield one of two weapons: a Plasma Sword or a Plasma Rifle (They fire the latter much faster than other Elites and with great accuracy). If you encounter a Zealot accompanied by Grunts, killing the Zealot will mean that the Grunts will abandon the fight. In Halo: CE they have blue lights on different parts of their armor. In Halo 2, Zealots have orange lights on different parts of their armor, as does every other Elite encountered in the game.

Trivia

 * The Zealots featured thus far have not had a black secondary color like lower-ranking Elites. In Halo: Combat Evolved, they are solid gold. In Halo 2, they have a brown/tan secondary color. It is unknown if this armor is given to all Zealots or if there are variants which have black as the secondary color. Given the frequency of the featuring of Zealots seen visible by players, all Zealots are likely issued this color scheme.
 * All Zealots you encounter throughout the entire Halo series are Field Masters, except the one encountered on the level The Truth and Reconciliation in Halo:Combat Evolved, this one is most likely the Ship Master of the Truth and Reconciliation.
 * Two definitions of Zealots are "An excessively zealous person; fanatic." and "A fervent and even militant proponent of something". Technically, this most likely refers to the Elite's over-zealousness when they were with the Covenant and how strongly they believed in the Great Journey. Fervent can either mean extremely passionately or white hot/glowing. This could be a reference to how Energy Swords are composed of Plasma.
 * In the PC game Starcraft, Zealots are part of the technologically advanced Protoss race. They are ground warriors sporting gold armor and dual blades to cut at any foe on foot.
 * If you give a Zealot in Halo: Combat Evolved a pistol of any kind through either use of Devtrainer or Modding, the Elite will fire extremely fast, faster then that of a Jackal on Legendary. It can kill you extremely quick, even on an Easy difficulty.
 * On Legendary on Halo 2's Cairo Station, their will be 2 Zealots with Energy Swords and 3 Ultras with Covenant Carbines guarding the bomb.
 * On the level Gravemind there is a Councilor/Honor Guard with the strength of a Zealot.
 * Zealots do not appear at all in Halo 3, unless people "remake them" in Multi-player, possibly because all the Zealots were killed or they have yet to be seen in the ranks of the Covenant Separatists.
 * In a religious significance, a Zealot was one of the 12 disciples of Jesus Christ. (Simon the Zealot).
 * If you offer any type of vehicle to a Zealot, they will never ride or drive in it, because they can't shoot with a sword.
 * Zealots are high in Covenant society and they are also seen highly ranked for carrying Energy Swords, their gold armor is a sign of high rank, but in battle, the light color and glow of the Energy Sword gives away their position.
 * The Plasma Rifle-wielding Zealots of Halo: Combat Evolved will not melee. This is due to the fact that they are programmed to berserk when they see you, and have no provisions to melee while in berserk mode.
 * In Halo: Combat Evolved, if you try and get the Energy Swords that Zealots have, it will disappear when it touches the ground.
 * Zealots always seem to wield Energy Swords, except for the one in Halo: CE that wields a Plasma Rifle.
 * In Halo: CE it is possible to give a Zealot a human Pistol through modding. If you look closely at the hand that is holding the Pistol, you can see that none of its fingers are at the trigger. This is because the Zealot is wielding the Pistol like a Plasma Rifle.