Hugging Elite

The nicknamed Hugging Elite can be seen in a special non-canon cutscene at the end of Halo: Combat Evolved by beating The Maw on Legendary difficulty.

A Stealth Elite is seen wrestling with Sergeant Johnson over an MA5B Assault Rifle. They abruptly end their fight when they hear a rumble, and realize the nearby Pillar of Autumn is beginning to explode. Johnson then spreads his arms, saying, "Oh shit. This is it, baby. Hold me." Before the nuclear explosion envelops them, the Elite obliges Johnson by hugging him and additionally feeling his bottom.

However, players who don't wish to beat The Maw on Legendary, can see the cinematic in its entirety on YouTube.

The cutscene, while only viewable on the Legendary difficulty setting, is not considered canon in the Halo universe as it was specifically made for fan-based humor. This is backed up in the novel Halo: First Strike that is official canon, which shows Johnson and a few other survivors making it onto a Pelican just in time to escape the explosion, which throws the existence of this specific Elite into doubt. It could, however, be simply a case of another Sergeant Johnson, as some levels have more than one. According to Bungie members on commentary of the Halo: Combat Evolved cut scene, the original idea for the cutscene on Legendary, didn't involve the Hugging Elite at all. In fact, Johnson was supposed to be on board a Pelican dropship. It is assumed this was not added as it would demean the character.

Trivia

 * The Elites have great strength, equal to that of a SPARTAN-II - or maybe even stronger. However, the elite is clearly of the same strength as Johnson.
 * The Hugging Elite's attempt to take the Sergeant's MA5B is unusual, as in several Halo novels it has been stated that "The species of the Covenant would rather fight unarmed than use human weapons". It is possible that the Elite wanted to disarm Johnson.
 * In a way, this short, non-canon ending foreshadows the rest of the trilogy by showing that elites and humans will come to peace. 