Unggoy: Difference between revisions

The '''Unggoy'''<ref>'''[[Halo: Ghosts of Onyx]]''', page 191 - "Unggoy: the Elite name for the Grunt race".</ref> (Latin, ''Monachus frigus'', meaning "cold monk". Unggoy also means "monkey" in certain [[wikipedia:Tagalog language|Tagalog]] dialects) are a small species of servant warriors in the unified races of the [[Covenant Empire|Covenant]]. They are the lowest rank, and are usually used as cannon fodder or hard-labor workers. They are usually mistreated by their higher ranking [[Elite]]s and [[Brute]]s. The Unggoy were one of the later species conquered and absorbed into the Covenant. In appearance, they have a combination of reptilian and mammalian features.<ref name="enc"/> They were the third Covenant species to be seen by [[human]]s. They are called '''Grunts''' by humans because they are weaker than their superiors and they perform the majority of the labor required by the Covenant, such as slavery and use as "cannon fodder", and "suicide bombers".

Grunts were the sixth race to be integrated into the Covenant, (not including [[Prophets]] and Elites) about 411 years before the events of ''[[Halo 3]]'', roughly coming to their indoctrination in [[2142]] on the [[Military Calendar]]. Before joining the Covenant, the Unggoy had attained [[Technological Achievement Tiers|Tier 6 technology]] on the [[Forerunner]] charts.

While they are mostly a slave race, the Unggoy have managed to retain their cultural identities, and have rebelled in the past more than [[Sixteenth Unggoy Disobedience|once]]. Unggoy are the lowest-ranked species of the Covenant. They are bitter rivals with the [[Jackals]], who are also one of the lesser species of the Covenant, and possibly a food source. The higher-ranking races of the Covenant often ignored this rivalry. The rising tensions with the Jackals and the general disinterest from the other Covenant races led to a [[Grunt Rebellion]] in 2152. During the Grunt Rebellion, the Grunts proved to the Prophets that they are surprisingly strong in numbers and can be deadly if they are motivated enough. Also, due to this rebellion, the Grunt homeworld was nearly [[glassed]].

Grunts are considered to be little more than an inferior slave race which they obey the other Covenant races out of fear, not will, because they have no political power in Covenant society; the highest political rank available to an Unggoy is a [[Deacon]]. However, within the Grunt community there is a strong hatred of other species; ''especially'' Jackals. It has been indicated that at some-time in the Covenant's history, in the [[39th Age of Conflict]] - The Age of Doubt - there was a Grunt Rebellion, where the conflict between the Grunts and Jackals escalated. Eventually, the conflict quelled, thanks in part to an unknown [[Arbiter (Rank)|Arbiter]], who was called upon during that period for that purpose. Even though losses were great for the Unggoy, this dissent meant that the Grunts remained at the lowest echelon of the Covenant. This fear, as well as the aforementioned war also led to a lack of political loyalty during the [[Covenant Civil War]], as the Grunts did not ally with a particular side, and stayed with whoever commanded them, most likely out of subservient fear to their immediate masters.  It is said that they feared the Brutes more than they feared the Elites. However, many held support for the Elites and still revered [[The Arbiter (Character)|The Arbiter]], pointing out to their comrades in ''Halo 3'' that they once served under the Arbiter.

Unggoy have small black and red, bead like eyes, although some have reddish orange eyes. Humans have termed such warriors Grunts, due to their size, and because of their speech patterns (as they often make odd squeaking and grunting noises). Grunts share several features with a number of [[Earth]] animals. Like simians, they walk on their hind legs, using their front legs to pull themselves along, as well as to grab and hold things. Like elephants, their skin hangs loosely over their skeletons, giving them baggy skin. Like lizards and fish, their skin is covered in thick scales and, like crocodiles, seems armored. Despite appearances to the contrary, Unggoy are actually [[wikipedia:Arthropods|arthropods]].<ref name="enc"/>

They are typically poor and cowardly warriors, are physically diminutive, wear inadequate armor making them very vulnerable to ballistic weaponry, and most of them are tactically inept. However, what they lack in ability they make up for with sheer numbers, as they breed relatively quickly and, if they are focused, are actually quite accurate with their weapon. In some cases, squads of Grunts have been known to overpower careless marines. The conflict on [[Harvest]], and thus the [[Human-Covenant War]], was in part started by an Unggoy named [[Yull]] tearing apart [[Osmo|Private Osmo]]. [[Special Operations Grunts]], who wear black [[armor]], are far more tenacious than the lower tiered ones, and have even been known to carry [[Fuel Rod Guns]], which makes them extremely dangerous foes.

While not overly intelligent or creative on the battlefield, they are one of the most cordial and sociable of the Covenant races as they possess a very strong pack mentality, often associating with each other in groups, instigating them to present danger when encountered in large numbers. This allows for their sense of cultural identity to remain, despite their extreme subservience to the other races of the Covenant. Grunts have been shown to gamble with each other and often play games; [[Hunting Rock|one in particular]] has two Grunts compete to kill the most [[Scrub Grub]]s. The Grunt pack mentality can be compared to the Brute pack mentality but less violent. Grunts are weak creatures and have the best chance of surviving in combat if they stick together. Brutes, however, possess a culture largely centered upon their united pack hierarchy and combat hardened predator instinct.

The intelligence of Grunts has often been hotly debated, as much of the source material contradict one another. In the [[Eric Nylund]] novels they have been described as dog-like and animalistic but at rare moments, intelligent, such as Kwassass, who inadvertently activates the [[Nova Bomb]] and is able to understand Admiral [[Danforth Whitcomb|Whitcomb]]'s threat. In ''[[Halo: The Flood]]'', Grunts are shown to be much more intelligent, pulling off military maneuvers and other actions, such as their attempt to put a grenade into [[Master Chief]]'s suit and [[Yayap]] who has a higher than normal intelligence for a Grunt (though he may have been one of many not mentioned in the novels or games). In game, their battlefield tactics are rather simplistic, but they are more than capable of using a variety of weapons and in ''Halo 2'' and ''Halo 3'' pilot vehicles such as the [[Ghost]], as well as [[Shade]]s. It is also worth considering that as a slave race, they are most likely left untrained and uneducated to make them easy to control. Grunts seem to outnumber the other races to a large degree and might offer impressive resistance if properly organized. Grunts have been called "cannon fodder" because their Elite or Brute leaders will often send them out to serve as a distraction, rather than actually having them effectively engage an enemy in combat. Therefore, it can be seen that Grunts are intelligent, but their low status does not allow them to fully utilize this intelligence.