Jiralhanae



The Jiralhanae (Latin, Servus ferox ) are a race of ape-like creatures in the unified conglomerate races of the Covenant. The Humans have termed such warriors Brutes. They are an extremely savage race in general.

Overview
The Brutes have been around since the time of the destruction of the planet Harvest, yet driven into the background of society by the Elites. They seem to have high aspirations, and are extremely over-zealous in their belief of the Covenant's Great Journey. They became the Honor Guards of the Prophets after the High Prophet of Regret was slain by the Master Chief, resulting in the removal of the Elites from this traditional role. They protect the Prophets fiercely. They first appeared in the Sacred Icon level, but the only ones seen here are dead bodies. The first level you encounter them alive is Gravemind. Brutes are of Simian origin. They have thick, gray skin, and are covered with matted, black, tan, brown or white fur-like hair, the hair will change to a greyish silver color as they age. They have very sharp teeth and sometimes use them as a weapon. Standing nine feet tall, they are immensely strong (to the point of overpowering a SPARTAN in MJOLNIR armor in hand to hand combat, at least in raw strength) and fight hand-to-hand if they ever lose their weapon. The Brutes, with the exception of Tartarus (who perhaps channeled it from Forerunner technology during activation), did not use energy shielding in Halo 2. In Halo 3, most are equipped with Power Armor. Brutes are described in the video documentary (ViDoc) as "the barbarians in Rome" due to their brutish behavior. This is reflected both in their names, and that the name of the ViDoc is "Et tu, Brute". This quotation is famous in Roman history, as it's words are believed to be Julius Caesar's last words before he was murdered. Translated roughly from Latin to English, it means "And you, Brutus?", expressing Caesar's surprise at finding his friend Brutus among his killers.

They seem to prefer using the Brute Shot, which fires high-velocity grenades and has a long blade on its underside for melee attacks. Other weapons commonly used are: Examples of Brute names are Tartarus and Bracktanus. In Contact Harvest, it was revealed that the "us" at the end of their name is an honorific denoting maturity. For example, Tartarus would have been known as Tartar. The Brutes have a primitive cultural structure, and are split into tribes called "packs", all led by a single "Chieftain". A Brute becomes pack Chieftain by challenging the current Chieftain to a mortal duel; the victor claims the title. In general, Brutes have a pronounced dislike of the Elites. They believe that they can protect the Prophets better than them, and the Prophet of Truth used this to begin the Covenant Civil War during the events of Halo 2.
 * Brute Plasma Rifle (Halo 2 only)
 * Plasma Rifle
 * Carbine
 * Fuel Rod Cannon
 * Gravity Hammer (Fist of Rukt is a special type used by Tartarus)
 * Mauler (Halo 3 only)
 * Plasma Grenade
 * Spike Grenade (Halo 3 only)
 * Type-25 Spiker Carbine (Halo 3 only)
 * Type-3 Antipersonnel/Antimateriel Incendiary Grenade (Halo 3 only)

In many military records, Brutes are referred to as 'Bravo Kilos', since UNSC Marines have nicknamed Brutes 'Baby Kongs', a reference to King Kong of 20th century fame.

Brute Anatomy and Physiology
Brutes are a physically imposing enemy to face in combat. Standing at approximately 8-9 feet tall, they tower over their human opponents, and the majority of their Covenant allies. They have thick, grey skin that is resistant to damage.

They are covered in a thick, shaggy fur that may offer further protection. It covers most of the body except for the head and the shoulder blades. Brutes exhibit two colorations: brown and grey. This is perhaps an indication of age, since lower ranking Brutes are brown and Honor Guard Brutes and Tartarus himself are grey. In Halo 3, they are seen with shaved faces, which increases the fearful effect they have on opponents. Brutes have mixed red-and-blue blood (on first glance they look completely red, but on closer inspection one would see blue spots in pools of Brute blood. It is probably because Brutes have mixed blood content (iron for red color and copper for blue color). It is possible that when a Brute dies, the blood separates into these colors (just like plasma separates from red blood when left in a test tube), and naturally it's mixed, to possibly give it a dark purplish color.

Heavily muscled and possessed of an animalistic brutality and power, Brutes can rely on close combat to defeat their enemies, even more so than their Elite counterparts. Featuring characteristics Simian, Ursine and alien, their appearance matches their human given name.

Brutes have four digits on each hand including an opposable thumb. As such this allows them to make use of a variety of weapons both of Covenant and human design. Their feet have only two digits on each side. When it comes to ranged conflict Brutes show a tendency to use large, rapid firing, often powerful weapons. This may be indicative of their mentality and an extension of their brutal nature. The many spikes and serrated edges that adorn their race's weapons, vehicles and armor further exhibit this.

Brutes are by no means as stupid as they appear, and are often cunning tacticians. As such they can pilot vehicles, ships and command both land based and fleet encounters with strategic competence, if lacking in artistic flair.

A disadvantage for Brutes is their somewhat lumbering and clumsy movement indoors. Due to their size, Brutes cannot turn as quickly as Elites and Marines, who are more agile. Thus, their awkward movement becomes a distinct advantage for you to exploit when killing them, especially inside buildings and structures.

Brutes are known to descend into a berserk killing rage when all their packmates have been killed. Their incredible physical strength coupled with a dogged self determination to kill their target makes a berserking Brute a force to be reckoned with, powerful enough to occasionally kill Hunters.

The changes in Brutes between Halo 2 and 3 are: Brutes in Halo 2 have furry heads, no Power Armor, and have dark blue blood, while Brutes in Halo 3 have shaved heads (with exception of the beard), possess Power Armor, and have crimson-blue blood.

Brute Culture
Despite their savagery, Brutes have proven intelligent enough to achieve spaceflight and space-faring status, though their warlike nature meant they quickly collapsed into civil war, forced to climb their way back to their former status, learning nothing from the experience. Their warrior culture makes them formidable opponents, even for Elites, and they were incorporated into the Covenant. Their warrior culture is apparently patriarchally oriented, with rank measured by success, and success measured in terms of battlefield and sexual prowess. No (noticable) female Brutes have been seen serving in the Covenant military. Brute names are composed of two parts: the main part, e.g. "Tartar", with "us" added to signify that the individual has been in combat, giving the whole name "Tartarus."

Brutes are obviously carnivores, given their fearsome fanged jaws and propensity for violence. It has been stated that they feed on the flesh of their enemies, such as the UNSC Marines they face in battle, and have been seen eating the meat of a "Thorn Beast," apparently considered a delicacy among Brutes.

As part of the Covenant, Brutes were required as a prerequisite to convert to the Prophets religion worshipping the Forerunners. Previously, their culture revolved around the worship of totems and idols, but they made swift converts. As it is, the Brutes are now the most fanatical adherents to the Prophet's faith, evidenced by their continued belief in the Great Journey.

Even at a glance, the Brutes are the most primitive members of the Covenant, at least technologically. Though they employ powered armor, and use a selection of the Covenant's weapons such as the plasma rifle, their native technology is crude, propelling "spike" projectiles, often fitted with vicious metal blades for melee combat. The Prowler incorporates some anti-gravity mechanisms, but the Chopper uses two projectile cannons and an actual "wheel" in its systems.

Homeworld
Doisac is the name of the Brute homeworld. It possesses three satellites: Warial, Solrapt and Teash, and is the fourth planet of the Oth Sonin system. The gravity on the planet was approximately 2.0G while the atmosphere was 1.3 atm. Surface temprature was between -15C to 52C. The estimated population of the planet was approximately 12.5 billion. Its habitat is described as being dominated by magma and magnetism.

Brute Battlefield Tactics
Unlike Elites, who are masterfully skilled tacticians, the Brute combat mentality relies on overwhelming force and firepower to kill its opposition. Most Brute packs encountered in Halo 3 will often consist of 4-6 individuals; the number of each type of individual varies with the difficulty being played. Often these packs will consist of 1 Brute Captain, 1-2 Brute Majors and 2-3 Brute Minors. It can be twice that many if there is a chieftain in command near by. Whilst patrolling, Brutes exhibit a sense of calm and confidence, some have been found testing captured human weaponry whilst in this relaxed state. Once engaged in combat the Brutes hunch into a more apelike stance and begin firing upon their target(s). Often the target is subjected to a barrage of fire and explosives in excess of what Elites and Grunts can muster.

Brutes rely primarily on their own technology. They are initially found wielding Brute Plasma Rifles to deadly effect. These faster firing variants on the standard Plasma Rifle suit the Brute mentality well. Higher ranking members of the pack (often Captains) are fond of using the Brute Shot allowing a Brute pack to lay down a withering hail of explosive fire on an enemy position. In the later months of the Covenant Civil War, they become much better equipped, with many weapons of their own make such as Spikers and Incendiary Grenades.

Like the Elites, the Brutes can pilot most vehicles including Ghosts, Spectres, Banshees, and Wraiths. Brutes also have the ability to Board vehicles. In Halo 3 Brutes use two new vehicles, the Chopper and the Prowler.

With the advent of the Covenant Civil War, Brute weaponry is more commonplace. The Type-2 Antipersonnel Fragmentation Grenade, more commonly known as the Spike Grenade, is a creation of the Brutes themselves. It is suspected that with their newly found dominance amongst the Covenant Loyalists, the Brute Plasma Rifle has been replaced with the Type-25 Carbine or Spiker. The blades that adorn this weapon are testament to their barbaric nature and affinity for close quarters combat.

Brutes are also fond of explosives and will often use all types of Grenades in combat (particularly Spike and Incendiary grenades). They have also been known to use Fuel Rod Cannons, Rocket Launchers, and even Frag Grenades. For some reason, Brutes seem particularly fascinated with human Shotguns, perhaps attributable to the advent of the Mauler into the Covenant ranks. Their skill with the Covenant Carbine, makes them dangerous at mid to long ranges. On higher difficulties in High Charity, Brutes will use Battle Rifles, but this is quite rare.

The last surviving Brute of a pack will go berserk, charging at its enemies in a blind rage. This may be due to the strong bonds with the members of their pack. A Brute, after calming down from its rage, will sulk and mourn the loss of its comrades, even caress the bodies of the fallen. However, upon seeing its enemy, the Brute will abandon its sulking mood and once again become enraged. This mourning is a rare occurrence, almost never seen in combat, and only when there is a brief lull in the fighting.

Brutes are extremely resilient, and can take enormous amounts of damage. Before Halo 3, they lacked any form of equivalent to the Elite Personal Energy Shield but worryingly they don't seem to need to. As of Halo 3, regular adoption of Power Armor has been cycled into Brute ranks. However, the Power Armor can fall apart, and if you manage to do so, the Brute will charge and try to head-butt you.

Appearances
Chronologically, the first appearance in canon that the Brutes make is in Halo: Contact Harvest, where the Prophets send a Brute-operated vessel, rather than an Elite ship, to capture the "relics" on Harvest: actually the human occupants. The resulting hostilities led to the Human-Covenant War.

After the events at Harvest, the Brutes played an even more reduced role, absent from almost every battle or event in the war, petitioning the High Council for more participation within the Covenant military. They were next seen in Halo: First Strike acting as Temple Guards on the Unyeilding Hierophant. In Halo 2, they began to replace the Elites within the military, eventually replacing them completely after they withdrew from the Covenant, and in Halo 3 they make up the dominant caste among the Covenant armed forces. In Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, Brutes are shown loading human nuclear missiles aboard a destroyer for analysis, but play a relatively minor part.

Published Order
 * Halo: First Strike
 * Halo 2
 * Halo: Ghosts of Onyx
 * Halo 3
 * Halo: Uprising
 * Halo: Last One Standing

Brute Ranks
The Brute species is arranged in a pack society based on a hierarchy determined by viciousness and number of war kills. In Halo 2, Brute ranks were mostly determined by flags on their backs. Ranks in Halo 3 are differentiated physically by armor, equipment, and weaponry:

Rank System (from Lowest Rank to Highest Rank):
 * Minor Brutes
 * Stalker Brutes
 * Jump Pack Brutes
 * Major Brutes
 * Ultra Brutes
 * Body Guard Brutes
 * Brute Captains
 * Brute Major Captains
 * Brute Ultra Captains
 * Brute Chieftain-Weapons
 * Brute Chieftain-Armor

Trivia

 * The word "Jiralhanae" (지랄하네) is a Korean swear word meaning something in the league of a "stupid aggressive lunatic". It can also mean phrases like "that's bullshit."


 * Before the Vidoc: Et Tu Brute, leaked details implied that the Brutes would be playable multiplayer or campaign characters. Bungie stated before release that this was simply a rumour.


 * Brutes are also called "Baby Kongs" by UNSC forces, often shortened to "Bravo Kilos", as a reference to the 20th Centuries King Kong.


 * Since the Brutes have taken the Elites' place as the Covenant military leaders, they must now adapt similar traditions, such as color-coded armor, and a more complex ranking system. Gameplay reflects this change with the more challenging examples displaying the most elaborate armor.


 * The ViDoc, Et Tu Brute, shows Brutes wielding energy swords, however they are never seen doing so in the finished game. Et Tu Brute also shows a Brute Minor with a Brute Shot using the corpse of another Brute as cover from which to fire from, which has never been seen in Halo 3.


 * Servus is Latin for slave or servant. Ferox means "headstrong, spirited, courageous, warlike/wild, arrogant, unbridled". In a translation, their name means "headstrong (or other word) slave/servant".


 * In the Halo 3 level, the Ark, you can see a Brute Captain marking its territory in a number of humorous ways on a wall before he spots you.


 * In Halo 3, meleeing a Brute Chieftain will stop him from meleeing you for a few seconds as he reels from the blow.