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.

All Elites are roughly 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 human marines. Their natural resilience is augmented by personal energy shields 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. 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.

There are several distinct Elite ranks, each with their own distinctions. 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, and the highest is the Councillor, 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 are appointed at birth, guard the Prophets inside their inner Sanctuary, but have little to no power over the Covenant; the Arbiter, who is only appointed in times of great need and is considered the blade of the Prophets. Although he technically also has very little power, Elites commonly follow his example and do as he says due to his religious significance.

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 is 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 the other Covenant client races, with the exception of the Prophets, to be below them in all ways. The Elites and Brutes are the only known races permitted to operate starships within the Covenant, though the crews are always a mix of races.

In the Elite culture, names are considered a privilege. Only things of importance are named. The Elites generally consider humans to be nameless, and resent the fact that humans have assigned the label "Elite" to them, as humans have no standing to be naming things. While in Halo 2, names such as 'Elite' are used, it is likely just for the convenience of the average gamer who would not know the proper names.

Because names are important to the Elite society, each element of the name has a meaning. Elite names are constructed from a series of parts. An example is Ado 'Mortumee. "Ado" is his given name, which is all he had until he was considered an adult. As an adult 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 (a créche name (his family name)), and ee (an honorific indicating 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. There is not other reference for this, however; no other Elites above the rank of Zealot have been named.

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Two Minor Elites guard the Silent Cartographer on Installation 04.

The Covenant military promotion is by merit. A Covenant soldier must succeed to advance. Success is often measured in scalps. An Ultra, for example, may have personally slaughtered thousands of individuals to reach that status.

The Elites once dwelt on a planet (name unknown, but speculated to be Sangheil) that had at one point been inhabited by the Forerunners. Unbeknownst to them, the Prophets also lived on this planet. 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:

On and on shall old war go, Without respite my blood will flow O’er your eyes ‘til they cannot see The impossibility of victory.

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:

So full of hate were our eyes that none of us could see Our war would yield countless dead but never victory. So let us cast our arms aside and like discard our wrath Thou, in faith, will keep us safe, whilst we find the path.

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The Arbiter enters the Sanctum of the Hierarchs.

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. Though, when stuck with a plasma grenade, they may roar with pain and fury, 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 them superior to Grunts- a considerable step for an Elite, or any member of the Covenant, to make.

Rank Structure

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An Arbiter.

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. However, every Arbiter in the history of the Covenant has died, because this rank is given only to those who have committed acts against the Covenant, but could still be useful to the Prophet Hierarchs.

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An Elite Councilor.

Councilors: Councilors are the political leaders of the Elites, and share power with the Minor Prophets on the Covenant's High Council. Their ceremonial armor is quite distinct, a silver color with a tall and ornate crested helmet. The Councilors are extremely skilled fighters who favor Energy Swords, but can use any weapon they are given. They also possess extra-strong energy shields, similar to those possessed by the also highly-ranked white "Ultra" Elites.

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.

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 Spec-Ops Leader Rtas 'Vadumee, and would later become the Arbiter.

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A Zealot Commander.

Zealot/Field Master/Ship Master/Fleet Master/- Gold: 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, although this may be due to higher-quality armor.

Elite Honor Guard.

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.

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An Ultra.

Ultra Elite - White/Silver: These are the Covenant's Colonels and Commanders, 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.

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A Spec Ops Commander.

Special Operations Commander - White: Special Operations Commanders command a troupe of regular Spec Ops troops. They 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.

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A Spec Ops Elite.

Special Operations Elite - Purple/Black: 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, Black 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.

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A Stealth Elite

Stealth - Black: The Stealth Elites are the Covenant's assassins, and they use Active Camo technology, as the Special Operations Elites do. 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.

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A Major Domo.

Major Domo - Red: 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.

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A Ranger.

Ranger - Vacuum Blue/Thruster Pack: 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.

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A Minor Domo.

Minor Domo - Cobalt/Blue: The most common and least experienced Elite, Minor Elites are still skilled warriors superior to any human Marine, but they are somewhat weaker than Red 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 Red Elites, they often lead squads of Grunts into battle.

Anatomy and Physiology

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A standing Elite without armor.

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The Arbiter kneeling without armor.

Elites have an interesting physical appearance. Their jaw is quadruple-hinged; they have an upper jaw, and then four mandible-like lips which are lined with sharp teeth, hence the human nicknames "split-lip" or "squidhead". It is unknown, given this structure, how Elites chew, swallow food, or even speak.

Elites have multiple hearts, although the precise reason for this in unclear. It may be because they are larger than humans, and thus need more blood to keep their body in working condition. They also appear to have a double set of pectoral muscles. Their hands have four fingers; two middle fingers and two thumb-like fingers on the outside for grasping. Their legs are digitigrade, meaning that they can run very quickly and jump tremendous distances. Their hoof-like feet give them superior balance, as well as a nasty kick. They have grayish-brown skin and dark purple blood. It is not known what chemical makes their blood this color, though it is assumed they breathe oxygen or nitrogen, as they can breathe the same atmosphere as humans and cannot survive in vacuum. The majority of Elites have dark blue/black eyes, but there are some exceptions, such as the Arbiter (golden/orange) and Rtas 'Vadumee (green).

In the Halo Wars announcement trailer, the Elites are different on several points. They are over three meters tall, and are far more muscular, although the latter could be because much thicker armor for cold weather purposes. They also have a more animalistic growl. It is possible that this is a subspecies of Elite, although Xytan 'Jar Wattinree was known to be over eleven feet tall.

Intelligence

A Covenant Elite Zealot from Halo 2.

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 tactitians, 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

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Rtas 'Vadumee strides forward.

• Arbiter - ex-Supreme Commander of the Fleet of Particular Justice
• Imperial Admiral Xytan 'Jar Wattinree
• Zealot Commander Voro Nar 'Mantakree
• Heretic leader Sesa 'Refumee
• Councillor Soha 'Rolamee
• Zealot Commander Orna 'Fulsamee - Shipmaster of the Truth and Reconciliation
• 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
• Y'gar 'Pewtrunoee

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!"

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 movie.
• 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, on Harvest (although no specific date has been established, it is likely to be roughy 2525).

Combat

A Minor Elite mows down enemies with a Shade.

A Zealot prepares to lunge.

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An early Elite study.

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An Elite multiplayer character model

Despite their advantages, Elites also have vulnerabilities:

Counter-Elite Tactics
M6D Pistol	The pistol's low rate of fire are ineffective against them. However, about five or six headshots will deplete a shield and kill whatever was behind it.
MA5B Assault Rifle	Not the most effective weapon, but useful for shield breaking.
M6C Magnum Sidearm	Effective if used in conjunction with a 'shield breaker' weapon, like the Plasma Pistol, since it's powerful against unshielded Elites.
BR55 Battle Rifle or Carbine	Highly effective against Elites, especially if used in conjunction with the Plasma Pistol. Both are a high step up from the MA5B. The BR55's 3 round burst or the Carbine's semiautomatic mode makes these workhorse weapons good all around.
SMG	Good when coupled with the Plasma Pistol or the Plasma Rifle, breaks shields quickly, and is excellent when it does.
Shotgun	Very effective weapon at close range, except against higher Elites armed with Energy Swords.
Sniper Rifle or Particle Beam Rifle	One shot will deplete an Elite's shielding on lower difficulty settings, but one head shot will kill them instantly.
Fragmentation Grenade	Elites have good reflexes and dodge most grenades thrown at them, but this behavior can easily be put to your advantage, despite it won't kill them instantly; it will destroy their shield. They're useful in narrow areas, close quarters, or for making the enemy break cover. One blast will only kill Stealth Elites.
Plasma Cannon or Shade	Very useful, though few and far between. Basically a 3 second way to break an Elite's shield and put it away.
Rocket Launcher or Fuel Rod Cannon	Very good against Elites in cover and for taking out groups of 2 or more, but for the sake of practicality, carry something else to switch to for one-on-one combat.
Plasma Pistol	Resist the urge to fire a charged shot; an Elite will most likely dodge it. Instead, fire continuously to bring down more quickly. This weapon's upgraded lock-on in Halo 2 makes it practical for shield breaking. An excellent tactic for killing an Elite very quickly, especially on Legendary, is to charge it up, fire at the target Elite, then quickly(while its shields are down) switch to the Battle Rifle for a headshot.
Plasma Rifle or Brute Plasma Rifle	Very effective if your aim is true. If not, the overheat can leave you vulnerable to a charging and angry Elite. Dual-wielding is good too. For the Brute variant, dual-wielding is necessary to avoid overheating of both guns.
Needler	Highly effective. If you catch an Elite in the open, fire a whole clip then retreat and the needles will home in on it, piercing its shield and killing it. An example of a "fire-and-forget" weapon.
Plasma Grenade	Run up close, or take good aim, then throw it at an Elite. If it becomes scared, it runs toward the rest of its squad, blasting them as well. Beware against higher ranking Elites or on higher difficulty levels as certain Elites, when stuck with a plasma grenade will attempt to rush you, killing you in the explosion. In these circumstances simply backpedal and fire at the Elite to stagger it until the grenade detonates.
Brute Shot	The grenades bounce high unless you hit first try and the explosion radius is small compared to other grenades, but can take out an Elite in only one or two hits.
Energy Sword	This weapon is effective at close quarters, and is fatal in one hit for lower ranking Elites. Two lunges are required to slay an Ultra Elite, even on the Easy difficulty.

Related Links

• Elite Personal Energy Shield

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