Jiralhanae Honor Guardsman

"Rtas 'Vadumee"

- High Prophet of Truth

A Jiralhanae Honor Guard is a notably high Covenant Jiralhanae rank. Jiralhanae that occupy this rank serve as protectors for the Covenant's Hierarchs and other political figures during the Great Schism.

Description
The Jiralhanae Honor Guards took the place of the Sangheili Honor Guardsmen as the loyal Protectors of the Hierarchs after the assassination of the High Prophet of Regret by John-117. This Changing of the Guard was the beginning of the Great Schism. The Sangheili were incensed that their role of protecting the San 'Shyuum, which they had faithfully executed for a millennium, had been revoked and delegated to their rivals, the Jiralhanae.

The new Jiralhanae role is largely ceremonial, unless a San 'Shyuum's life is being threatened.

Equipment
Jiralhanae Honor Guards wear the same armor as the Sangheili Honor Guards but with slightly different platings. These plates have a yellow and red alternating pattern, bordered by black. This yellow/red alternating pattern is also seen on the thrones of the High Prophets. The helmet has been upgraded and made larger since Jiralhanae have larger heads than Sangheili and also have a yellow/red alternating pattern. They also have a red holographic Jiralhanae Captain flag mounted on their shoulder.

Honor Guards use the energy stave for ceremonial purposes. Jiralhanae Honor Guards are often armed with plasma rifles, the Brute Shots and sometimes the Covenant carbine. They are willing to use M90 shotguns if necessary.

Gameplay
Jiralhanae Honor Guards fight with their own weapons, which include the Brute plasma rifle, the Brute shot and sometimes the Covenant carbine. They can also use the shotgun. They always work in Pairs or Packs of two to three Jiralhanae and will go berserk when all but one are killed. Unlike their Sangheili counterparts, the Honor Guard helmet worn by Jiralhanae Honor Guards prevents them from receiving Headshots. This may be due to the fact that they wear their original Jiralhanae Helmets underneath, and since together, these greatly strengthen protection. It's completely impossible to headshot an Honor Guard Jiralhanae.

Jiralhanae Honor Guards are the highest rank of Jiralhanae seen in Halo 2 aside from Chieftain of the Jiralhanae, and are noticeably more difficult opponents than Jiralhanae Majors or Jiralhanae Captains. Their indestructible helmets render them immune to headshots and thus they must be killed with bodyshots, which can be a difficult task considering a Jiralhanae's enormous durability. Effective ways to kill these Jiralhanae include to Dual wield plasma rifles, unleash a full Round of needler fire, use the Covenant Carbine, use the beam rifle, or simply kill them with a plasma grenades as they are somewhat slow. fuel rod guns and Brute shots are also effective.

Trivia

 * The Jiralhanae Honor Guards in Halo 2 look the closest to their Halo 3 counterparts due to their armor, though the armor appears different, as it is not typical "power armor".
 * They are fought in three levels: Gravemind, High Charity and The Great Journey.
 * The Jiralhanae Bodyguard is believed to be the replacement for the Jiralhanae Honor Guard in Halo 3.
 * If a Jiralhanae Honor Guard is shot in the head several times with a ranged weapon, a helmet like the ones sported by regular Jiralhanae will come off from under the Honor Guard helmet which will remain on the Jiralhanae head.
 * It is possible that Brute Honor Guards are Captains in rank, as they have red Captain Flag attached to their shoulder.
 * Although speculation, it is possible that a Brute counterpart to the Sangheili Honor Guard Ultra may have existed, because their helmets were also forfeited to the Brutes. Although this seems unlikely as no Jiralhanae Honor Guard Ultra appears in Halo 2. Perhaps less organized in the wake of the Changing of the Guard, there may have been no need for such a rank.
 * In the beginning of the level Sacred Icon, the Arbiter approaches the Prophets in High Charity, and is shocked to see the Sangheili Honor Guards giving up their spears and helmets to Jiralhanae. It is odd how the helmets seemed to fit both heads perfectly, although the Jiralhanae have much larger heads than the Sangheili. Due to the strength of the Jiralhanae, it is possible that the helmets were bent in order to fit their head size due to the fact that their helmets appear larger than those of the Sangheili Honor Guards and that what Thel saw was merely the ceremonial changing of the guard.

List of appearances

 * Halo 2
 * Halo: Uprising