Sangheili High Councilor

Councilor is the highest Sangheili rank attainable (though an Arbiter is religously more significant).

Background
Councilor is believed to be one of the highest ranks attainable by a Sangheili warrior, wither militarily or politically, although the rank of Arbiter is religiously more significant in Sangheili society. They act 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 significant roles held in Covenant society.

Councillors have been described as "aristocratic" 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, 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 is 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 as secondary.

Combat
Not only politicians, it is mandatory for Councilors to participate in the covenant military, as warfare is the main reason of duty for Sanghelli. Councilors are masters of warfare as well as political leaders. They typically wield the iconic Energy Sword, which is also a status symbol to show that the wielder is of significant social status. Only several other Elite ranks are culturally permitted to wield Energy Swords - Supreme Commanders, Zealots, The Arbiter, Special Operations Elites, Ultras, and probably Imperial Admirals. They are also, albeit infrequently, armed with single-wielded or dual-wielded Plasma Rifles which they fire with unsurpassed accuracy. Like an Ultra Elite, as soon as a enemy come's to close it will let out a war cry and pull out a Energy Sword. However, they are adept with any weapon, United Nations Space Command or Covenant. They also grudgingly accept Brute weapons, although they hold them in disdain, probably considering them 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 flinch as other Elite ranks do. While they are greatly skilled in combat and maintain strict combat discipline, they are augmented by their shielded armor, which is superior to that of all lesser Elite rank's, including Zealot's and Ultra Elite's. They can withstand significant damage before falling in battle, and can sustain over three M90 Shotgun blasts at close range and can even survive a direct M19 Rocket Launcher impact. They can even survive more than one blow from The Fist of Rukt. Also, they can survive multiple plasma grenade sticks and will survive many melee hits to the back.

Physical Appearance
Councilors are easily recognisable by their large, distinct and oddly shaped ceremonial head-dresses, fixed to a traditional Elite helmet. Their armor, normally the standard Combat Harness used by most other regular service Elites (with the exception of the helmet), are a pearlescent white or metallic color, similar to that worn by Ultra Elite's.

Halo 2
The Councilors are exclusive to Halo 2, and are never seen in Halo: Combat Evolved or Halo 3. Their infrequence in numbers lead's to their appearance being only four times throughout the entire campaign.


 * The Heretic - Elite Councilors were seen in the Council Chamber of High Charity during the shaming of the former Supreme Commander of the Fleet of Particular Justice before he was anointed Arbiter.
 * Civil War of the Covenant
 * Uprising - Many Elite Councilors were taken to the surface of Installation 05 (Delta Halo) shortly before the start of the Civil War of the Covenant to prepare for the activation of the ringworld by the Sacred Icon at the Control Room of Delta Halo . However, they were massacred by Tartarus's Brutes at the beginning of the civil war, although a few were taken alive at the Bastion of the Brutes.
 * The Great Journey - While the Arbiter was on his path to invade the Brute-controlled Control Room and prevent the activation of Installation 05, he passed through the Bastion of the Brute's and came across a small force-field prison guarded by Brutes and Jackals. The Arbiter unlocked the cages, bringing forth two Councilors and two Hunters. One Councilor was armed with an Energy Sword, the other dual-weilded Plasma Rifles. Later, in the climatic battle that defeated Tartarus, numerous Councilors fought with their Energy Swords against the Brute Chieftain, alongside many zealots and SpecOps Elites, however many fell to the Fist of Rukt.

Trivia

 * The headdresses of Councilors are reminiscent of the queen alien's head from the Alien series.


 * It is possible to make a Councilor an enemy and invisible. Just get the Assassin's skull and kill the Hunter prisoner's and the other Councilor, and he will become your enemy and invisible.