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 differences. 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 and guard the Prophets inside their inner Sanctuary, but have little to no power over the Covenant, and 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 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 and the most dependable. 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 replacing the Elites in the government. 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," it is mostly likely only for the convenience of the average gamer who would not know the proper names. 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. 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.

History
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.

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.

Covenant Elite Ranks
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."

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: 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.

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.

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 - 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.

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.

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.

Stealth - Black/Dark Grey: 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.

Ossoona: Ossoona is a temporary rank given by the Prophets. When the enemies of the Covenant must be observed rather than destroyed, the Ossoonas are used to spy. They do not often fight, carrying only a Plasma Pistol and six grenades. Although they are likely capable fighters, they do not keep their energy shields active, so as to remain unobtrusive. This puts them at a considerable disadvantage, since they have little chance of survival if surprised. The title of Ossoona is only given to Major Domo Elites. It is likely that Minors are not skilled enough for the task, and that upper ranks are too proud to sneak about in such a manner. Ossoona is not a rank, then, but rather a specialization. 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.

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.

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.

Heretic Elite Ranks
Sesa 'Refumee - 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 convinced him of the truth: the Great Journey was in fact lethal. 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 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, and perhaps even to normal Majors. They are skilled Banshee pilots, rather more so than their Covenant counterparts, but fly in pairs, often limiting their usefulness.

Anatomy and Physiology
Elites have an interesting physical appearance. 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, swallow food, or even speak. But this may only apply to speaking English, since in Halo 2 their language is translated for the gamer, and the only time when they're actually speaking English, it sounds very forced and unnatural. Their hands only 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, at least when compared to humans and other species of the Covenant. Their hoof-like feet give them superior balance, as well as a nasty kick.

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 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 their already impeccable strength. They have grayish-brown skin, and the majority of Elites have dark blue or black eyes, although there are a few exceptions. The Arbiter is one of these exceptions, as he has orange eyes, as is Rtas 'Vadumee, who has green.

In the Halo Wars announcement trailer, the Elites are different on several points. They are well over three meters tall, and 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 possible that this is a subspecies of Elite, although the height difference does not mean much; Xytan 'Jar Wattinree was known to be over eleven feet tall, and, given the limited knowledge on Elites, there are quite possibly many more of extraordinary height.

Intelligence
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

 * 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
Despite their advantages, Elites also have vulnerabilities:

Related Links

 * Elite Personal Energy Shield