Sangheili (Halo)

The Covenant Elite (Sangheili) is a fictional alien race in the video games Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, which acts as one of the two primary commanding species in their caste system.

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An Elite wields an energy sword in Zanzibar.

Elites are the generals of the Covenant military, the longtime guards of the Prophets, and the first of the races to join the Prophets in the Covenant. They stand roughly eight feet tall, although they hunch over in combat which makes them appear closer to human size. They are physically strong and capable of coordinating their units with brilliant battle tactics. They also wear armor, with the color indicating rank, and use a shielding system upon which the Master Chief's MJOLNIR armor is modelled.

Physiology

Elites are bipeds and bear a superficial resemblance to humans from a distance, an illusion shattered upon closer inspection. In addition to standing approximately 8 feet tall in a fully upright position, their head is more reptilian than humanoid with a quadri-hinged mandibled mouth which opens at the bottom, hence the "split chin" and "squid face" nicknames given to them by humans. Elite torsos are similar to the torso of a human, although the chest and abdomen are much wider, almost twice that of a well-muscled human. Elites also appear to have a double set of pectoral muscles and a more muscular back. Elite shoulders are nearly identical in structure to human shoulders, only longer in length and thicker. Their hands have four digits, two fingers and two opposable thumbs, which allow them to use most equipment designed for humans. Conversely, this allows humans with the correct understanding to operate Covenant equipment. The feet of Elites are digitigrade, which allows them to jump greater distances and run much faster than the human norm. The Elite toe configuration resembles the cloven hooves of various Terran mammals; although Elites wear a soled boot, the overall shape of the "hooves" are still visible.

As Elites can survive on Earth with no respiratory equipment, they apparently breathe oxygen. An Elite's body, muscles, and skeleton also seem to be composed of similar materials to those of the human body, though probably tougher and with a shorter recovery time. This can be especially seen in Halo 2, when the Arbiter receives a bullet wound in the chest and recovers fully within the space of a few minutes. It is notable that Elites possess a physical strength on par with Spartan-II soldiers outfitted with MJOLNIR Mark V armor, indicating a capacity to lift upwards of a ton and possibly break concrete with a single blow.

All of the Elites seen in the Halo series so far have had deep, masculine voices, although whether this is a product of their physiology or gender is undetermined. No female Elites have been known to have been encountered in either game.

Battle suit

Covenant Elites wear an all-over battle suit, augmented with stronger armor which covers the torso, arms, thighs, shins and head. These parts of the armor come in a variety of colors depending on rank and position within their own society. The armor is fitted on top of an all-over gray-green, skin-tight body suit (presumably made of some leather-like, bulletproof material), although the head and mandibled mouth is partially exposed. Elites apparently value their armor as gifts from the Forerunner, much like the other pieces of Forerunner technology they utilize. High-ranking or specialized Elites will have Forerunner glyphs on the back of their torso armor as a symbol of status or devotion.

The suit itself creates a shielding system which can absorb the impact of projectiles and diffuse the intense heat of plasma impacts. This shielding system was reverse engineered by human scientists using the Jackal's circular arm-shield to create the slightly more powerful shields installed in MJOLNIR battle armor Mark V and Mark VI.

Unlike the MJOLNIR armor, the Elites' suits do not allow them to survive in the vacuum of space, although a mask can be fitted to the suit over the Elite's exposed mouth, providing a supply of oxygen, and seals can be fixed between the armor plates, providing protection against decompression. Elite equipped in this way often have a jetpack and stabilizers to allow maneuverability in space.

Known Elite ranks and positions

• Councilor: Councilors are the political leaders of the Elites, and share power with the Prophets on the Covenant's High Council. Their ceremonial armor is quite distinct, a light silver color with a tall crested helmet. Like the Zealot and Honor Guard Elites, the Councilors are extremely skilled fighters who favor Energy Swords and Plasma Rifles. They also possess extra-strong energy shields and health, which are twice as strong as a Zealot's.

• Honor Guard/Ultra Honor Guard/ Councilor Honor Guard: The personal bodyguards of the Prophet Hierarchs, the Honor Guards wear distinct, ceremonial red armor, with glowing orange edges which are similar in some ways to samurai armour. Ultra Honor Guards wear the same glowing armor but with white under-armor. An Ultra Honor Guard is seen in High Charity, with an honor guard helmet, white armour, and orange spikes. There are also two other variations which appear at the end of the level Gravemind. One seems to be a combination of an Honor Guard and an Ultra, the other is a combination of an Honor Guard and a Councilor. They usually operate in teams of two, with one Honor Guard wielding an energy sword and another dual-wielding plasma rifles. However, in cinematics they are seen carrying double-pointed spears, reminicent of the oldest known weapons of the Sangheili during the Prophet-Sangheili War before the Covenant was formed. Honor Guards are hand chosen and blessed by the Prophets after repeated merit in battle. Since Elite ranks are graded by merit of inflicted damage and casualties on enemy forces over the career of a given Elite, it is a safe assumption to make that Honor Guards may have been directly responsible of the slaughter of tens of thousands of enemies. These are considered the greatest Elites within the entire Covenant, which is then multiplied for those who have reached the Ultra Honor Guard status.

• Zealot/Ship Master/Field Master: The Generals and Admirals of the Covenant army; commanders of battalions, ships, and fleets. The Zealots are some of the toughest and most skilled Sangheili and adorned with the best equipment possible. In combat, they are constantly moving and seeking cover, making it difficult to maintain continuous fire on them. They also run faster than other Elites and the Master Chief, and fire in longer, more accurate bursts. Commanders are also equipped with overshields, allowing them to withstand considerable amount more damage than other Elites. Most Zealots fight with Plasma Energy Swords gauntlets and other Close combat weapons. Unlike other Elites, Zealots do not seem to throw any grenades, nor will they ever board a friendly vehicle. The current Arbiter once held this rank before his failure at Installation 04. It is unclear as to how an Elite gains the rank of a Zealot, but it is speculated that not all the Ship and Field Masters are Zealots. Only a select few are choosen to be blessed by the prophets for acts of outstanding bravery and heroism.

• Ultra/Spec Ops Commander: Ultras command major operations within the Covenant. While Zealots handle large-scale operations such as the command of a ship or armored battalion, Ultras command major commando operations, such as the protection of a Scarab platoon. Like the Zealot, Ultras are extremely skilled warriors. They also possess extra-strong energy shields and health that can withstand three times as much damage as those possessed by Minor Elites. They often fight with heavy or dual-wielded weapons. Many also carry Energy Swords as their secondary weapon; when enemies get too close or when they are stuck by a Plasma Grenade, Ultras let out a war cry, drop their currently wielded weapon and pull the sword out for close combat. They are particularly effective in close quarters combat, where their stronger energy shields and Energy Sword allow them take down large numbers of enemies rapidly and easily survive. An important Ultra, identified as the "Spec Ops Commander" (and referred to by fans as "Half Jaw" for his missing mandibles), fights along the Arbiter's side against the Brute-led and Prophet-backed insurrection.

• Special Operations: Covenant Special Operation Troopers are extremely skilled fighters often with decades of combat experience, sent in by the Covenant to accomplish the most dangerous and secretive of missions. Like Zealots and Ultras, Spec Ops Sangheili are constantly on the move and never stand still or expose themselves to enemy fire. They also have superior accuracy and fire in longer bursts. While Spec Ops Sangheili are identical to Majors in regard to their shields and health their superior skills set them apart by a considerable margin. They also do not "berserk" when seriously injured, unlike many other Sangheili. Most notably, Spec Ops Sangheili operate in squads and are extremely skilled and accurate grenade throwers. In Halo, they are the Covenant's elite shock troops, similar to the role played by the UNSC's Orbital Drop Shock Troopers, or Helljumpers. They were assigned to eliminate all Flood on a damaged Covenant cruiser "Truth and Reconciliation" and repair it for immediate departure. They were present when the Master Chief boarded that damaged cruiser to find what was left of Captain Jacob Keyes. They were also present on the Pillar of Autumn just before the first Halo was destroyed by its reactors going critical. In Halo 2, All Spec Ops Sangheili are equipped with Active Camouflage, and use it when needed. In Halo 2, Spec Ops Sangheili have a dark blue or black armor, showing subtly that they are no ordinary Sangheili without drawing lots of attention like a Zealot, Ultra, or Major Sangheili would from enemies in combat.

• Ossoona/Stealth: Translated as "Eye of the Prophet," these Sangheili serve as scouts, observers, and infiltrators, and are equipped with active camouflage, making them nearly invisible to the naked eye. The camouflage fluctuates slightly when these Sangheili fire their weapons or are shot, but they will not become fully visible until they are killed. The drawback of the active camouflage is that it disables the Sangheili's energy shields, making Osoonas vulnerable to damage. In Halo 2, however, Osoonas are now equipped with energy shields (with the expense of some of their invisibility). They are equal in rank to the Spec Ops Sangheili, and often brandish Energy Swords they activate after sneaking up on an enemy. The energy swords, however, cannot be active camouflaged, and are easily seen. Several armor colors have been noted among Ossonas and Stealth Elites; in Halo they wore very light blue, while in Halo 2 they come in gray, bronze, and steel colors as well. Stealth Sangheili generally make better decisions in combat than that of regular Sangheili.

• Ranger: These Sangheili are issued jetpacks and vacuum suits to protect them from the lack of air in space. They almost always dual-wield plasma rifles, signifying they are of relatively high rank. Their helmets completely encase their heads. They are usually seen travelling in small groups of 2-3 as fast attact assault troops. Rangers also generally make better decisions in combat than regular Sangheili.

• Major: Major Sangheili are veterans and have better equiment then Minor's . They are overall more agile, more accurate, and more aggressive than Minor Sangheili, and seldom make tactical errors in combat. A single Major Sangheili can hold his own against an entire squad of Marines. In Halo 2, they can often be seen dual-wielding or carrying heavy weapons or other close combat weapons.

• Minor: The most common and least experienced tatical Sangheili. Minors are still skilled warriors superior to any human marine, but they are somewhat weaker than Major Sangheili. Minor Sangheili are the physical equal of SPARTAN supersoldiers, (all Sangheili ranked higher than a Minor are seen as physically superior in strength and speed to a SPARTAN supersoldier.) 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 Sangheili, they often lead squads of Grunts into battle.

• Heretic: These Elites have rebelled against the Covenant and have chosen exile on the Forerunner Gas Mine suspended in Threshold's atmosphere. Their armor is different from the Covenant variety. The back armor is adorned with ridges and some sort of gas storage. They lack helmets altogether and instead choose to affix globes over their eyes for protection and place breathing apparatuses between their mandibles. Their shielding technology is slightly different as well as it glows purple whenever it deflects damage. They are comparable in strength and intelligence to the Sangheili Majors of the Covenant. The Heretic Leader's armor is red and has blend of Heretic armor and Covenant Ranger armor.

The Arbiter

Main article: Arbiter (Halo)

The rank of Arbiter, introduced in Halo 2, is bestowed upon an Elite by the High Prophets during a time of serious need. The Arbiter acts as the Prophet's will, undertaking missions for the Prophets during incidents such as the Taming of the Hunters, the Grunt Rebellion, and most recently, during the threat of Heresy, he has emerged to lead the Covenant to victory. Many, especially Grunts, see the Arbiter as their Savior, and their peers consider him the "Will of the Prophets" or, in his military role, the "Blade of the Prophets". Every Arbiter was "created and consumed in times of extraordinary crisis", and has been martyred in the undertaking of his momentous tasks. The corpses (or perhaps only memorials of some sort) are housed in identical caskets stacked upon each other in the great Mausoleum of the Arbiters; it may be seen as a testament to the length of time the Covenant has been in place by the fact that the creation of an Arbiter seems to be a rather rare occasion, and yet there are hundreds of caskets in the Mausoleum. In the center of this room a silently levitating pod contains the sacred armor of the Arbiter, highly decorative and fully functional despite its apparent age.

The role of Arbiter can also be viewed as a punishment for Elites who have done terrible wrong in the eyes of the Prophets. They are usually sent on the missions that are the most dangerous and would bring certain death - the Arbiters tend to be skilled warriors, and would gladly go on these suicidal missions for redemption of honor in death.

Culture

Elites have a strong warrior culture, similar to that of the ancient Japanese; they fight for the glory of combat and to uphold the Covenant Oath. Elite names with the suffix "-ee" are used to denote warriorhood. Note that in-game, almost no Covenant characters are given actual names; all Covenant characters are referred to by their rank or position. Several Covenant characters are given names in the Halo novels.

Elites are typically promoted on the number of enemies they have killed and casualties inflicted on the opposing force, meaning that a single gold Elite may have slaughtered thousands before attaining that rank. The energy sword, an ancestral weapon, continues to be a favorite weapon for high-ranking Elite warriors, and is limited only to their use.

Respectful but authoritative commanders, Elites rarely fail to elicit a strong bond of loyalty with their troops: it was noted that Elite Arbiters suppressed the Grunt Rebellion and tamed the Hunters, and these two races remain faithful to the Elite when they are cast out of the Covenant. In the original Halo game, the Elites speak in their own untranslated language, which sounds like deep, throaty warbling and is the result of playing digitally modified sound clips of a man's voice (supposedly Sergeant Johnson's) backward. In Halo 2, the Elite speech is translated into English due to improved UNSC translation software (despite the fact that their mandibles are physically unfit to produce such exact acoustic language). Humans have also developed derogatory nicknames for Elites, mainly "squid face" and "split-chin", while Elites believe that only things of importance are named. However, they refer to the Master Chief as "the Demon" to denote his immense success against the Covenant in battle, as he has had hundreds of victories against the Covenant and escaped with tens of thousands of kills, as stated by Zuka Zamamee in Halo: The Flood, implying that the Master Chief is an evil and supernatural spirit.

Some Elites believe that the role and success of the SPARTANs is that of an Elite, as SPARTANs are "stronger, faster and more aggressive fighters. They fight more like Sangheili, even serving the same purpose. Able to inspire discipline and tenacity through the ranks." (Conversations from the Universe booklet) Elites believe that SPARTANs are a fully different class of warrior, and in some ways this is true. Inititally, Elites labelled all humans as inferior, but between (or near) the events of Halo 2 it was stated, "Even the smallest of them throw themselves at us in battle; if only the Unggoy were as dedicated." (Conversations from the Universe Booklet)

Stance in Covenant Civil War

After the Uprising of 2552, the Elites, Grunts and Hunters are now a seperate faction from the remainder of the Covenant. It is possible that this new faction could form an Allegiance with the UNSC, although this is only conjecture.

Sources

Halo: Combat Evolved

Halo 2

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