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 super soldiers. They are powerful and fierce in combat.

Summary
Most Elites are approximately 8'6" tall and incredibly strong, fast, and have superior senses; even the muscles on their forearms are compared to iron. This strength allows them to rely on brute force when necessary, but prefer to use more intelligent tactics while in combat, often to the dismay 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. It is very similar to the MJOLNIR armor's shields, which were based on the Jackal's shields. Another aspect of Elite technology is their use of landing pods. Utilizing coffin-like Orbital Insertion 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, although most pass over human weapons when in battle with the exception of the Arbiter and Spec Ops Elites, claiming that they will not touch "heretic" weapons, many Elites have been known to fight hand to hand rather then touch a fully loaded human assault rifle nearby. They often train with other Elites when not in actual combat. They naturally hate humans, being their enemies, yet respect the human race's ability to have survived this long and to have caused the Covenant so much trouble. The Elite race also has respect for humanity's audacity and resolve, and are impressed by some of their tactics on the battlefield. 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 come out on top surprisingly often. The Elites realize this; some have even wondered why the Prophets have never offered the human race assimilation into the Covenant.

Elites have been confirmed to be allies to the humans of the UNSC in Halo 3.

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 casualties inflicted 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 foot soldiers and squad leaders, and the highest is the Councilor, who serves the Prophets until his inevitable death, however the Arbiter is considered a Sacred position to the Elite culture, and stays high in the hierarchy in terms of commanding units. 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 and the title of the guards of the Prophets. 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 and xenocide in the Civil War of the Covenant, or, "the great schism".

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 clamoring for the attention of the Prophets. 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," because that is how the humans translate their true name. 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. However recently this suffix is no longer in use as it would appear Elites are no longer in Loyalist Covenant military service. 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.

Each Elite "family" has its own unique Battle Poem.

Also, since almost no female Elites have been seen ingame or mentioned in most books, some may speculate that the female Elites are only present on the Sangheili homeworld (Sanghelios), and that only the sons of the Elites are sent into the Covenant to train as full fledged Elites. This may also mean that Elites have almost no knowledge of their biological parents.

History
The Elites once dwelt on a planet that had at one point been visited by the Forerunners, or had been in contact with 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 providing salvation for their doomed existence of fighting with the Flood. 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.

Anatomy and Physiology
Elites have an interesting physical appearance and anatomy. 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 and swallow food, or even speak. But this may only apply to speaking English, since in Halo 2 most of their language is translated from UNSC translation software, but some can speak English very well. It is possible that the tongue of an Elite is located on the roof of their mouth; it is also conceivable that Elite plates and bowls are shaped to allow them to "pour" the contents into their gullets. Their hands only have four fingers; two middle fingers and two opposing thumbs on the outside for grasping. Their legs are digitigrade, 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 hooves and leg structure give them excellent balance. It is unknown what or how Sangheili eat, but it can be assumed that they are carnivorous, since in the Infinite Succor the animals are used to feed the Elites. Elites have been revealed to have multiple hearts. It may be because they are larger than humans, and thus require a greater number of hearts to keep the larger amount of blood pumping, or it may simply be a typo. 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 or possibly cause their incredible strength. They have grayish-brown skin, and the majority of Elites have dark blue or black eyes, although there are a few exceptions. It has been theorized that the reason Elites seem to have dark blue eyes is because they wear eye coverings. This hypothesis comes largely from the Arbiter's appearance- when standing before the council in his armor, his eyes were dark, but after his armor was removed, his eyes became a much lighter orange. 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 Blur Studios (Ensemble Studios didn't make the actual trailer, Blur did) had altered the Elites appearance and that it was the trailer- not the actual gameplay. Elites in the actual gameplay shown at the E3 look much more like those in the other Halo games. Either way, it appears that Blur had just altered the Elites appearance for the effect; after all, they are slightly different than Bungie in design taste and opinions. The height difference does not mean much; Xytan 'Jar Wattinree, the imperial admiral, was known to be over eleven feet tall, though it could be due to an illusion and it is also possible he was wearing a head dress as a high ranked Elite could. However the height of an Elite usually averages out to about eight and a half feet.

Intelligence
Elites are extremely intelligent and demonstrate this in combat. Elites are normally on the move when fighting, constantly running and ducking, strafing and dodging when firing at the enemy. When presented with an obstacle, such as say, a Warthog driving at them, they will leap out of the way, and if a vehicle stops, they will attempt to board it or disable it. They are also smart enough to utilize cover, ducking behind crates or other obstacles when their shields are drained until they recharge. 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, usually it's a one hit kill if it is on on any difficulty higher than Easy. Elites are incredible tacticians, renowned for their ferocity and decisive thinking. Perhaps the most conclusive statement that can be made, then, is that Elites are never to be underestimated, no matter what rank.

Weapon Compatibility
Because of their toughness and versatility on the combat field, Elites can use any weapon on the battlefield, human or Covenant, 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! Except as trophies, these weapons are worthless!", or "Worthless piece of crap!" But in the hands of an Elite, any human weapon, even an M6C Pistol, can be deadly.

Combat
Despite their advantages, Elites also have vulnerabilities:

Rank Structure
Arbiter: The rank of Arbiter is bestowed upon a talented, high-ranked Elite warrior only in a time of need, such as the Grunt Rebellion, or the Taming of the Hunters, and most recently, in the events of Halo 2, the threat of heresy. Every Arbiter, however, inevitably dies in their duty, for, as the Prophet of Mercy put it, "The tasks one must undertake as Arbiter are perilous. Suicidal." The Arbiter rank is only temporary.

Councilor:These Elites share power with the minor Prophets on the High Council. They are one of the highest ranks an Elite can get. They have extra strong energy shields, a large headdress, and bear a single Energy Sword. They were taken to Delta Halo where most were killed by the Brutes during the Covenant Civil War in Halo 2.

Imperial Admiral: Revealed in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, the Imperial Admiral's role is to command the whole fleet of the Covenant. Only one such Elite, Xytan 'Jar Wattinree, is known, and it is likely that there is only ever one at a single time.

Supreme Commander: 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 SpecOps Leader Rtas 'Vadumee, and would later become the Arbiter.

Zealot/Field Master/Ship Master/Fleet Master: The Generals and Admirals of the Covenant military; commanders of battalions, ships, and fleets. Field Masters lead armies; Ship Masters command ships; Fleet Masters command armadas. 'Zealot' seems to be a general term, applying to all gold-armored Elites. Zealots appear to have been physically augmented somehow, as they are able to survive a whole clip from an M6C Magnum, or 2 Sniper Rifle head shots (However a clip of dual Magnums will kill them) although this may be due to higher-quality armor.

Honor Guard Ultra: These Honor Guards are above the normal Honor Guards, commanding them and leading them in combat. It is assumed that they have stronger armor and better shielding. They are seen clad in white armor with glowing Honor Guard plates.

Oracle Masters: Apparently advisers to the Council and to the High Prophets, specializing in intelligence gathering. Little beyond this limited information is known of the rank.

Elite Honor Guard: The Honor Guards are the personal guard of the Council, in particular the Prophet Hierarchs. They wear ornate, ceremonial red armor. Although they wield a large pike for ceremonial purposes, they generally utilize Energy Swords or Plasma Rifles in actual combat. It is believed, although not confirmed, that they are slightly below Zealots in the Covenant hierarchy.

Special Operations Commander: Special Operations Commanders command a troupe of regular SpecOps troops. They are immediately above Ultras in rank, the only cosmetic difference being more white on the Commander. They are only seen in Halo 2, in Rtas 'Vadumee. It is unknown how strong their shields are or how skilled they are in combat, because 'Vadumee is invincible and an ally.

Ultra Elite: These are the Covenant's Colonels and Captains, just below the golden-armored Zealots in rank. Several white Elite corpses were seen in Halo, presumably killed in combat with the Flood, but they do not appear in battle until Halo 2. They command operations, unlike the Zealots who command fleets or armies. Although they do not possess the same level of natural resilience as the Zealots, they use Overshields in combat to continue fighting long after their enemies are forced to retreat. They carry Energy Swords as backup weapons.

Special Operations Elite: Special Operations Elites are extremely skilled fighters, sent in by the Covenant to accomplish the most dangerous and difficult of missions. They have superior accuracy, fire in longer bursts, and have slightly stronger shielding than regular Elites. Most notably, SpecOps Elites operate in squads and are extremely skilled and accurate grenade throwers. They are equipped with an active camouflage system, but rarely use it except to get into position without notice.

Stealth: The Stealth Elites are the Covenant's assassins and spies, know as Ossoona, and they use Active Camo technology, as the Special Operations Elites do. This is not a rank per se, since Elites are only temporarily assigned Ossoona status by the Prophets. The title of Ossoona is only given to Major Domo Elites, since any lower rank is too inexperienced, and any higher rank too valuable. In Halo: Combat Evolved, they do not have energy shields, but are nearly invisible to the naked eye. In Halo 2, they have energy shields, but are still not as strong as normal. They're often used on ambushes, which, with the help of their active camouflage technology, allows them to take down many enemies, if they're unseen. They are also sent to gather intelligence. Another variant of the stealth Elite is rarely seen throughout Halo 2. They usually fight in pairs, such as the Hunters. They are usually cloaked and wield two plasma rifles each and, sometimes on harder difficulties, Energy Swords. You can only see their armor color when they have died. In Halo: Combat Evolved, they had a light blue color, lighter than minor Elite armor. In Halo 2, it is a mix of light brown, tan and silver. Only in certain levels and always on high difficulties will you see them, such as Metropolis on the Legendary skill level.

Pilot: Often mistaken for Major Elites these Sangheili are most numerous in the level Metropolis. They wear armour similar to Majors but theirs are crimson with a steel trim. They are equal in strengh and speed to Majors.

Major Domo: This veteran Elite warrior is the physical equal of the UNSC's SPARTAN-II. Overall they are more agile, more accurate, and more aggressive than Minors, and seldom make tactical errors in combat. A single Red Elite can hold its own against an entire squad of UNSC Marines. In Halo 2, they can often be seen dual-wielding, piloting Covenant vehicles, or carrying heavy weapons. They are roughly equal in gameplay to the Master Chief, but with inferior aim and tactics.

Ranger: Rangers are a voluntary group of Elites that work in the least forgiving environment of all: vacuum. Their helmets completely encase their heads, protecting them from the vacuum of space. They wear a variant of Elite armor optimized for zero-gee, no-atmosphere combat. Their armor is cobalt in color, brighter than that of the Elite Minor. They can pose a substantial threat, due to their unique movement options.

Minor Domo: The most common and least experienced Elite, Minor Elites are still skilled warriors superior to any human soldier, but they are somewhat weaker than Major Domo Elites or SPARTAN-IIs. Their energy shields are not quite as powerful, and 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 Domo Elites, they often lead squads of Grunts into battle.

There is also a Councilor Honor Guard on High Charity, although it is merely a glitch in the game and not an actual rank.

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 told him the true purpose of Halo. 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 Covenant 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. They are skilled Banshee pilots, but fly in pairs, supplementing there effectiveness.

Known Elites

 * Arbiter - ex-zealot 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
 * Councilor Soha 'Rolamee
 * Zealot Commander Orna 'Fulsamee - Ship Master of an unknown "covenant destroyer"
 * Spec-ops N’tho ‘Sraom
 * 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
 * Usze ‘Taham
 * Zasses 'Jeqkogoee
 * Parala 'Ahrmonro

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!".
 * The date in which Elites were first encountered by the UNSC is a subject of constant retconning. Initially Halo: The Fall of Reach stated that John and Linda encountered Elite Rangers as a new and unfamiliar species in the Battle of Reach in 2552, but in Halo: First Strike the Spartans at CASTLE Base seemed to recognize Elites when they encountered them. Furthermore, the Halo Wars trailer showed Elites, apparently without energy shields, battling UNSC Marines even earlier in 2531, although as the game is incomplete this is subject to change and may represent events that were covered up. Most recently, in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx it was established that the SPARTAN-III Beta Company had fought Elites as early as 2537, but the Spartans at Reach would not have known this due to the project's secrecy.
 * 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.
 * Sangheili's blood smells something like fresh tar.
 * It has been confirmed by EGM that the Elites will have the option to have customized armor, just like the Spartans will. The three armor selections are default, Raptor and Predator (Bungie hinted that there are more unannounced).
 * Although Elite melee attacks are devastating, a serious glitch causes the melee attcks of Heretic Elites to do no damage at all. However, the sound of a melee attack hitting the player is created, even if the player moves out of the way of it. Heretics wielding Energy Swords can still kill the player, despite this glitch.

Related Links

 * Elite Personal Energy Shield
 * Dead Shielded Elite