Sangheili

The Sangheili are a race of warriors and commanders in the unified conglomerate races of the Covenant. The Humans have termed these warriors as Elites, presumably because of their adeptness in combat. On the field, they are roughly equivalent to the UNSC's SPARTAN supersoldiers.

Summary
Most Elites are approximately 8'6" tall and incredibly strong; even the muscles on their forearms are compared to iron. This strength allows them to rely on brute force when necessary, but they are quite capable of brilliant battlefield tactics as well, especially when compared to the tactics of human marines. Their natural resilience is augmented by personal energy shields integrated in their armor, which recharge when depleted. This technology is similar to that in the shields that Jackals use. However, it is not directly related to the MJOLNIR armor's shields, which were based on Jackal shields. Another aspect of Elite technology is their use of landing pods. Utilizing coffin-like pods elites can fall from the sky and emerge ready for combat. They are also known for their proficiency in using nearly any weapon or driving any vehicle. They often train with other Elites when not in actual combat. Although they naturally hate humans, being their enemies, yet nonetheless respect the human race's ability to have survived this long and to have caused the Covenant so much trouble. The human race may be grossly inferior to the Covenant in terms of technology, but in land-based combat on a planet's surface, the humans can surprisingly often come out on top. The Elites realize this; some have even wondered the Prophets have never offered the human race assimilation into the covenant.

There are several distinct Elite ranks (all equivalent to a UNSC commissioned officer), each with their own differences. These ranks are color-coded for rapid identification on the battlefield. Promotions are based on the amount and type of enemies slain by an Elite. Higher ranked Elites have better combat and tactical skills, the rights to a stronger energy shield with better armor, and the ability to wield special weapons, such as the Energy Sword, a ceremonial weapon that is an external indicator of status, as well as an extremely powerful close-combat weapon. The lowest Elite rank is Minor Domo, who serve on the field as footsoldiers and squad leaders, and the highest is the Councilor, who serves on the High Council just below the Prophet Hierarchs. There are also ceremonial positions that have neither as much political power nor as much power on the battlefield, but could be considered higher up such as Elite Honor Guards, who guard the Prophets inside their inner Sanctum, but have little to no power over the Covenant, or the Arbiter, who is only appointed in times of great need and is considered the blade of the Prophets.

The skills and abilities of the Elites have led to their place at the heart of the Covenant military. This earns them respect in the eyes of the Prophets, as well as with the lesser races of the Covenant. In combat or otherwise, Elites are far superior to the other races in the Covenant, who treat them with near sublime deference. However, just before and during the Battle of Installation 05, their place in the Covenant and favoritism by the Prophets has been challenged by the audacious Brutes, and their competition in both the military and bureaucratic arms of the Covenant is boiling into genocide in the Civil War of the Covenant.

Culture
Elites consider all of the other species of the Covenant, with the exception of the Prophets, to be below them in all ways, and this is not without good reason. They are the most refined warriors the Covenant has, and, although they are not as abundant as the other species, they are the most intelligent, the most dependable, and have the highest sense of honor. Because of this, the Prophets have chosen the Elites, and no others, to be on the High Council with them; to help them rule the Covenant. Just before the events of Halo 2, however, the Brutes began replacing the Elites in the government. It started when they took over as the Honor Guard of the High Prophets, and, by the time of the Covenant Civil War, they had completely taken over the Elites' position in the Covenant.

In the Elite culture, names are considered a privilege, as only things of importance are given names. The Elites generally consider humans to be nameless, and resent that the humans have assigned the label "Elite" to them, as humans have no standing to be naming things. While, in Halo 2, they use such titles as "Elite," it is mostly likely only for the convenience of the average gamer who would not know the proper names. Because names are so important to the Elite society, Elite names are constructed from a series of parts, each one having a meaning. An example of this naming scheme is Ado 'Mortumee. "Ado" is his given name, which was all he had until he was considered an adult. As he became of age, he earned the right to carry the badge name "Mortumee." This name is made up of three parts: Mor, an adjectival descriptor, such as "fast" or "deadly," tum, his crèche or family name, and ee, an honorific indicating that he is a participant in the military. Most Elites will have names with this kind of construction. It appears that additional titles may be given to those of very high rank, such as Xytan 'Jar Wattinree. Since "Jar" is not a part of the standard Elite name, it may be assumed that it denotes Xytan's status as Imperial Admiral, although this has yet to be confirmed. There is no other reference, however, of other names with this sort of addition, as no other Elites above the rank of Zealot have been named.

Promotion in the Covenant military is by merit; a Covenant soldier must succeed to advance among the ranks. Success is often measured in scalps. An Ultra, for example, may have personally slaughtered thousands of individuals to reach that status.

History
The Elites once dwelt on a planet that had at one point been inhabited by the Forerunners. The Prophets, however, also lived on a Forerunner planet. It has been suggested, although never confirmed, that the two races lived, oblivious to one another, on the same world. It is unknown how or why, but at some point, the Prophets and Elites came together in a long and bloody war. An unknown Elite author described the two races' plight in a poem:

The Prophets eventually ended this war, although their motivations in doing so are unknown. They made peace by telling the Elites the legend of the Great Journey: that by seeking out holy rings scattered throughout the galaxy, obtaining sacred icons, and reunifying them with the Core, a "Great Journey" would begin. This Great Journey would transform believers into godlike beings, while destroying nonbelievers instantly. The Elites then became the bodyguards of the Prophets, who would search the galaxy for the Halos, thus starting the Covenant. The Writ of Union was drawn up in order to codify the Covenant. Its first canto clearly outlines the nature of the Covenant from the perspective of the Prophets:

In many ways the Elites are much like humans. They communicate, become protective of their troops and become angry and vengeful if other Elites are killed. They fear very little, and are never seen to show cowardice, even when death is imminent or unavoidable. When stuck with a plasma grenade, they may roar with pain and fury, but they never scream in horror as even the toughest humans are known to.

It is shown in the Conversations from the Universe booklet that the Elites have begun to question the refusal of the Prophets to accept humans into the Covenant. They claim variously that humans are "tenacious", that their technology is "limited, but...useful", that their battle techniques are "impressive", and that they are "excellent strategists". They seem to believe that humans, although weak, are honorable and brave. Certainly, some Elites believe that humans should be admitted to the Covenant. Some even believe that the humans are equal to them  - a considerable step for an Elite, or any member of the Covenant, to make.

Rank Structure Table
''* denotes a hypothesized rank. Very little about the Covenant fleet's structure is known, but many ranks can be assumed to exist.''

Covenant Elite Ranks

 * Councilor: Councilors are the political leaders of the Elites, and share power with the Prophets on the Covenant's High Council. Their ceremonial armor is quite distinct, a light silver/platinium color with a tall crested helmet. Like the Zealot and Honor Guard Elites, the Councilors are extremely skilled fighters who favor Energy Swords and Plasma Rifles. They also possess extra-strong energy shields and health.


 * Supreme Commander(Purple with Ornate Helmet and cloak): Shown in the Halo Graphic Novel, in the story Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor, the Supreme Commander is the overall commander of a particular fleet; in the Halo Graphic Novel, he is depicted as clad in bright violet armor, with a long cloak that wraps around his shoulders. This particular Supreme Commander was a friend and superior to Rtas 'Vadumee, and would later become the Arbiter. The reason the Arbiter was seen in Zealot Armor was because he was de-moted before his trial, then demoted again during the trail, then promoted all the way up to Arbiter.


 * Honor Guard(Orange/Red, Ornate armor): The personal bodyguards of the Prophet Hierarchs, the Honor Guards wear distinct, ceremonial red armor, with glowing orange edges which are similar in some ways to samurai armor. Ultra Honor Guards wear the same glowing armor but with white under-armor, and are generally regarded as stronger and higher in rank. An Ultra Honor Guard is seen in High Charity, with an honor guard helmet, white armor, and orange spikes. There are also two other variations which appear at the end of the level Gravemind. One seems to be a combination of an Honor Guard and an Ultra, the other is a combination of an Honor Guard and a Councilor. These variations are the result of a permutation glitch in the level's code. They usually operate in teams of two, with one Honor Guard wielding an energy sword and another dual-wielding plasma rifles. However, in cinematics they are seen carrying double-pointed spears, reminiscent of the oldest known weapons of the Sangheili during the Prophet-Sangheili War before the Covenant was formed. Honor Guards are hand chosen and blessed by the Prophets after repeated merit in battle. Since Elite ranks are graded by merit of inflicted damage and casualties on enemy forces over the career of a given Elite, it is a safe assumption to make that Honor Guards may have been directly responsible of the slaughter of tens of thousands of enemies.


 * Ship Master/Field Master/Zealot(Gold): The Generals and Admirals of the Covenant military; commanders of battalions, ships, and fleets. The Zealots are some of the toughest and most skilled Sangheili, are adorned with the best equipment possible and wear yellow/gold armour. In combat, they are constantly moving and seeking cover, making it difficult to maintain continuous fire on them. They also run faster than other Elites and the Master Chief, and fire in longer, more accurate bursts. Commanders are also equipped with overshields, allowing them to withstand considerable amount more damage than other Elites. Most Zealots fight with Energy Swords gauntlets and other close-combat weapons. Unlike other Elites, Zealots do not seem to throw any grenades, nor will they ever board a friendly vehicle. It is unclear as to how an Elite gains the rank of a Zealot, but it is speculated that not all the Ship and Field Masters are Zealots. Only a select few are chosen to be blessed by the prophets for acts of outstanding bravery and heroism. In Halo 2, this Supreme Commander was also depicted as wearing the gold armor of a Zealot as well; this has led to some confusion as to the nature of the Zealot rank, and whether it is a formal military rank or a title in the same vein as "Knight".


 * Ultra(White): Ultras command major operations within the Covenant. While Zealots handle large-scale operations such as the command of a ship, armored battalion or fleets, Ultras command major commando operations, such as the protection of a Scarab platoon. Like the Zealot, Ultras are extremely skilled warriors. They also possess extra-strong energy shields and health that can withstand three times as much damage as those possessed by Minor Elites. They often fight with heavy or dual-wielded weapons. Many also carry Energy Swords as their secondary weapon, but don't initially brandish it; when enemies get too close, sustain a certain amount of damage, or when they are stuck by a Plasma Grenade, Ultras let out a war cry, drop their currently wielded weapon and draw Energy Swords for close combat. They are particularly effective in close quarters combat, where their stronger energy shields and Energy Sword allow them take down large numbers of enemies rapidly and easily survive. An important Ultra, identified in the Graphic Novel as Rtas 'Vadumee (and referred to by fans as "Half Jaw" for his missing mandibles), fights along the Arbiter's side against the Brute-led and Prophet-backed insurrection.


 * Special Operations(Black): Covenant Special Operation Troopers are extremely skilled fighters often with decades of combat experience, sent in by the Covenant to accomplish the most dangerous and secretive of missions. In Halo 2, Spec Ops Sangheili have a black armor, showing subtly that they are no ordinary Sangheili without drawing too much attention like a Zealot, Commander, or Major Sangheili would from enemies in combat. Like Zealots and Commanders, Spec Ops Sangheili are constantly on the move and never stand still or expose themselves to enemy fire. They also have superior accuracy and fire in longer bursts. While Spec Ops Sangheili are identical to Majors in regard to their shields and health their superior skills set them apart by a considerable margin. They also do not "berserk" when seriously injured, unlike many other Sangheili. Most notably, Spec Ops Sangheili operate in squads and are extremely skilled and accurate grenade throwers. In Halo, they are the Covenant's elite shock troops, similar to the role played by the UNSC's Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, or Helljumpers. They were assigned to eliminate all Flood on a damaged Covenant cruiser "Truth and Reconciliation" and repair it for immediate departure. They were present when the Master Chief boarded that damaged cruiser to find what was left of Captain Jacob Keyes. They were also present on the Pillar of Autumn just before the first Halo was destroyed by its reactors going critical. In Halo 2, All Spec Ops Sangheili are equipped with Active Camouflage, and use it when needed.


 * Ossoona/Stealth(Active Camouflage)(Grey Armor): Translated as "Eye of the Prophet," these Sangheili serve as scouts, observers, and infiltrators, and are equipped with active camouflage, making them nearly invisible to the naked eye. The camouflage fluctuates slightly when these Sangheili fire their weapons or are shot, but they will not become fully visible until they are killed. The drawback of the active camouflage is that it disables the Sangheili's energy shields, making Osoonas vulnerable to damage. In Halo 2, however, Osoonas are now equipped with energy shields (with the expense of some of their invisibility). They are equal in rank to the Spec Ops Sangheili, and often brandish Energy Swords they activate after sneaking up on an enemy. The energy swords, however, cannot be active camouflaged, and are easily seen.


 * Ranger(Blue with Jetpack and Fully Plated Armor): These Sangheili are issued jetpacks and vacuum suits to protect them from the lack of air in space. They almost always dual-wield plasma rifles, signifying they are of relatively high rank. Their helmets completely encase their heads. They are usually seen traveling in small groups of 2-3 as fast attack assault troops. Rangers also generally make better decisions in combat than regular Sangheili.


 * Major(Red): Major Sangheili are veterans, wear red armor and are better equipped than Minors. They are overall more agile, more accurate, and more aggressive than Minor Sangheili, and seldom make tactical errors in combat. They are the physical equal of a SPARTAN. A single Major Sangheili can hold his own against an entire squad of Marines. In Halo 2, they can often be seen dual-wielding or carrying heavy weapons or other close combat weapons.


 * Minor(Blue): The most common and least experienced Sangheili wear blue armor. Minors are still skilled warriors superior to any human marine, but they are somewhat weaker than Major Sangheili - all Sangheili ranked higher than a Minor are seen as physically superior in strength and speed to a SPARTAN supersoldier. They often make tactical errors such as standing in one place while firing, or rushing forward into enemy fire. They also fire in shorter bursts, and have somewhat less accuracy. Along with Major Sangheili, they often lead squads of Grunts into battle.

Heretic Elite Ranks
Heretic Leader - Heretic Red/Thruster Pack: The leader of the Heretics. He wore reddish armor, similar to that of standard Heretic Elites, but the armor was upgraded with an Elite Ranger's thruster pack. This gave him a unique advantage in combat, but it was not enough for him to defeat the Arbiter, who slew him in the Battle of the Gas Mine. Prior to his death, he had come into contact with 343 Guilty Spark, who convinced him of the truth: the Great Journey was in fact lethal. The Hierarchs sent the Arbiter to quell this heresy, and, with 'Refumee's death, he did. 'Refumee wielded two plasma rifles.

Heretic Elite Major - Heretic Gold: Work as commanders of the Heretic Grunts and Heretic Elite Minors. They wear gold-colored heretic armor, and are equipped with Carbines and Sentinel Beams. A select few, closest to the Heretic Leader, wield energy swords. While not so skilled in the swords' use as Honor Guards, Councilors, Zealots or even Ultras, they are quite dangerous due to their crafty flanking maneuvers and teamwork.

Heretic Elite Minor - Heretic Brown: Group commanders of the Heretic Grunts. They wear brown heretic armor, and wield Carbines, and, occasionally, Sentinel Beams. They are excellent shots, far superior to normal Elite Minors, and perhaps even to normal Majors. They are skilled Banshee pilots, rather more so than their Covenant counterparts, but fly in pairs, often limiting their usefulness.

Anatomy and Physiology
Elites have an interesting physical appearance. Their jaw is quadruple-hinged, with an upper jaw and four mandible-like lips which are lined with sharp teeth. It is because of this unique mouth that humans have given them the nicknames "split-lip" or "squidhead". It is unknown, given this structure, how Elites chew, swallow food, or even speak. But this may only apply to speaking English, since in Halo 2 their language is translated from UNSC translation software, and,if possible, they actually attempt to speak English, it sounds very warbling,forced,and unnatural. Their hands only have four fingers; two middle fingers and two thumb-like fingers on the outside for grasping. Their legs are digitigrade, meaning possibly allowing them to run very quickly and jump large distances, at least when compared to ordinary humans and other species of the Covenant. Their hoof-like feet give them a good balance, as well as a nasty kick. Though it appears that the only disadvantage is a more husky and slow walk. It is possible that Elites have multiple hearts,. It may be because they are larger than humans, and thus require a greater amount of hearts to keep the the larger amount of blood pumping. They have purple blood, although it is not known what chemical makes their blood this color. It is assumed that they breathe oxygen or nitrogen, as they can breathe the same atmosphere as humans and cannot survive in a vacuum. They also appear to have a double set of pectoral muscles, which would add to their already impeccable strength. They have grayish-brown skin, and the majority of Elites have dark blue or black eyes, although there are a few exceptions. In the Halo Wars announcement trailer, the Elites are different on several points. They seem far more muscular, although this could be because they're wearing much thicker armor because of the cold weather. They also have a more animalistic growl, which could simply be expanding on the sounds they make in Halo 1. It is most likely that Ensemble Studios had altered the Elites appearance and that it was the trailer not the actual gameplay. Either way, it appears that Ensemble had just altered the Elites appearance for fancy effects, after all they are slightly different than Bungie in design taste and opinions. Although the height difference does not mean much; Xytan 'Jar Wattinree was known to be over eleven feet tall, though it could be due to a typo, but, it is only slightly possible he was wearing a head dress as a high ranked Elite could, and, given the limited knowledge on Elites, there are quite possibly many more of extraordinary height.

Intelligence
Elites are extremely intelligent and demonstrate it in combat. Elites are normally on the move when fighting, constantly running and ducking. When presented with a severely dangerous obstacle like a Warthog driving at them, they will leap out of the way. They are also smart enough to utilize cover, ducking behind crates or other obstacles when their shields are drained. It should be noted that not all Elites make use of cover: Zealots and Councilors charge their enemies with reckless aggression, regardless of any damage they sustain; only very seldom do they admit temporary defeat. They are quite capable of luring their enemies into traps by falling back into cover; as the enemy approaches, the Elite will spring from its position and land a massive melee hit on the unsuspecting opponent. Elites are excellent tacticians, renowned for their ferocity, yet they admit that humans are more tactically advanced. Perhaps the most conclusive statement that can be made, then, is that Elites are never to be underestimated.

Known Elites

 * Arbiter - ex-Supreme Commander of the Fleet of Particular Justice
 * Imperial Admiral Xytan 'Jar Wattinree - Imperial Admiral during Ninth Age of Reclamation
 * Zealot Commander Voro Nar 'Mantakree - 'Inanraree's successor as Ship Master of the ''Incorruptible
 * Heretic leader Sesa 'Refumee - Leader of Heretics based in Threshold gas mine
 * Councillor Soha 'Rolamee
 * Zealot Commander Orna 'Fulsamee - Ship Master of an unknown "covenant destroyer"
 * Zealot Commander Noga 'Putumee
 * SpecOps Commander Rtas 'Vadumee
 * Kusovai- Special Ops sub-commander
 * SpecOps Major Zuka 'Zamamee
 * SpecOps Major Huki 'Umamee
 * Major Isna 'Nosolee
 * Major 'Kasamee
 * Minor Ado 'Mortumee
 * Minor Bako 'Ikaporamee
 * 'Ontomee
 * 'Qualomee
 * Tano 'Inanraree - Ship Master of the Incorruptible
 * Y'gar 'Pewtrunoee
 * Uruo 'Losonaee
 * Zasses 'Jeqkogoee
 * Parala 'Ahrmonro

Weapon Compatibility
Because of their toughness and versatility on the combat field, Elites can use any weapon on the battlefield, be it Human or Covenant, even though most elites would rather die than use a human weapon. The Arbiter, it appears, has no particular objection to sullying his honor with a human weapon. However, this is most likely because his honor is already tarnished by his heresy. Most other Elites will use a human weapon if it is given to them by the Arbiter, although usually with a derogatory remark, such as, "Pah! Even as trophies, these weapons are useless!" But in the hands of an Elite, any human weapon, even the M6C Pistol can be deadly.

Although in some cases (In which some Elite's may refuse to accept) that human weapons can be superior to their Covenant counterparts. Quarantine Zone is a perfect example, although strong, the Elite's Plasma Rifles have no effect on the Flood, thus this an area where the Human Shotgun comes into play.

Trivia

 * The dialog spoken by the Elites of Halo 1 was made by reversing and slowing sound clips of Sergeant Johnson. "Wort wort wort" is the reversed phrase, "Go, go, go!".
 * Elites have a jaw structure much like the Predators from the Predator franchise.
 * The Elites seem to have been inspired mainly by the Predators, the Protoss of StarCraft, and possibly also the Alien from the movie of the same name.
 * The date in which Elites were first encountered by the UNSC is a subject of constant retconning. It was at first stated that John and Linda battled Elite Rangers in the Battle of Reach in 2552, but in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, it was established that the SPARTAN-III Beta Company had fought Elites as early as 2537. Furthermore, the Halo Wars trailer showed Elites, apparently sans energy shields, battling UNSC Marines even earlier (although no specific date has been established, it is likely to be roughly 2525).
 * Jason Jones at first wanted the Elites to have tails, but Shi Kai Wang talked him out of it by arguing that the Elites would look too animalistic. An additional point was that when the Elites sit, the only place their tails could go was folded between their legs, creating a somewhat awkward appearance.
 * The word "Sangheili" is speculated to be derived from the word "Elites" backwards. If you record the word "Elites" on a sound recorder, then reverse it and slow it down somewhat, it sounds like "Snagneilee" which looks and sounds like "Sangheili". This has yet to be the proven source of the word, though.
 * Some also believe that "Sangheili" could be derived from French sang, or blood, and Icelandic heil, or mind. "Blood Mind" certainly seems to describe the fierce Sangheili warrior race.
 * Sangheili's blood smells something like fresh tar.

Combat
Despite their advantages, Elites also have vulnerabilities:

Related Links

 * Elite Personal Energy Shield