Kig-Yar

"Jackals may be superior marksmen and they’re very sneaky, but that doesn’t make them excellent snipers — they’re way too bloodthirsty for that."

- Anonymous UNSC serviceman .

The Kig-yar (Latin Perosus latrunculus, translated to "Hateful Highwayman" ) are a saurian species which would serve the Covenant as mercenaries, and later the Covenant Loyalists. Humans have termed these vicious creatures Jackals, as they are known for their swiftness, viciousness and dexterity, even though they aren't the strongest Covenant race. Jackals will either serve as snipers or scouts within the Covenant due to their excellent sense of sight, smell and hearing. They were the first Covenant species encountered by UNSC forces.

Background
Jackals are mainly seen wielding Plasma Pistols, but they may carry Beam Rifles, Needlers, Plasma Rifles or Carbines. In Halo: Contact Harvest, they were shown to wield a Knife/Sword crystalline weapon that explodes after a Jackal has released its grip, due to fail safes inside of it. These aren't Energy Swords, as they are a purple-pink color, making it similar to the projectiles fired by the Needler. Sniper Jackals are equipped with Particle Beam Rifles or Covenant Carbines for maximum damage and range as seen in Halo 2 and Halo 3 respectively. Jackal snipers are also equipped with a plasma pistol which they will switch to if in close quarters with an opponent, however most of the time they turn around and retreat. If a player is playing campaign on Legendary, they are usually subject to many headshots, due to the Jackal snipers' placement in difficult places to be seen and killed. In addition, all but the snipers carry the hand-held energy shield. The most effective way of killing a Jackal is to throw a grenade at its feet.

Although this strategy is flawed when used in conjunction with the Tough Luck Skull in Halo 3 due to the high evasion rate. When shot in the small indent in their shields, or when caught by a non-lethal weapon shot, Jackals may recoil, leaving their torso open to any barrage. A reasonably-skilled sniper can exploit this indent from a distance. A melee attack is, as with plasma weaponry in general, an excellent way to take down a Jackal's personal shield. When its shield is down, a Jackal is more frail and easier to kill than a Minor Grunt. That isn't to say Jackals are weak, though: they have a decent amount of intelligence (just like Grunts when they aren't panicking). In both Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2, the Jackals are first encountered during the second level. The Jackals are never found on human ships in these games. This is because Jackals are pirates and would most likely raid the ship they were boarding, or possibly because the Jackals seem to be more of a defensive soldier, fighting from behind their shields. Yet in the book Halo: the Flood, they were mentioned coming aboard the Pillar of Autumn. This may be due to their shields being vulnerable to melee damage, limiting the Jackals' deployment options and making them vulnerable to close combat fighting, which was mostly what was taking place on the Autumn anyway. However, in Halo 3, they are encountered on the first level, Sierra 117. In Halo: Contact Harvest, they are stated to have larger spines on their back if male. If they are female, they have thick, callus-like plates on their head and shoulders, and their beaks are longer and crocked upwards.

Unlike Humans, Brutes, or Elites, Jackals are not brave and are by no means willing to give their life for their cause, unless for revenge. For example, if you approach a Sniper Jackal, it will immediately drop its weapon, pull out its Plasma Pistol and start fleeing, and hardly ever fight. They are aggressive, and this is due mostly to the fact that they are mercenaries, rather than religious fanatics, and this aggression may be a part of their overall nature. In battle, Jackals share many similarities with Grunts, although they are far more intelligent. Like Grunts, they are a weak subordinate race and are somewhat cowardly. Despite their efforts to assure the Covenant of their superiority over the Grunts, they often cower in battle and run away with their shields up in the air (though not with the high frequency of a Grunt). In Halo: Combat Evolved, if you throw a plasma grenade at their clawed feet, they will hardly ever run away, although it is possible that this is merely because the AI is not as advanced in the first game. Jackals are usually the only species of the Covenant that use overcharged plasma pistol shots. The cause for this fact is unknown, although it is likely that it is because their intelligence and logical thinking is far superior to that of the usual Covenant plasma pistol wielders, the Grunts.

Culture
Unlike races such as the Grunts, the Kig-yar was space-faring long before joining the Covenant. As such the Jackals are unique among Covenant races: rather than faithful followers of the Prophets' religion, they are mercenaries working for the Covenant. However, due to the long time they have been in the Covenant, a large number of them have accepted the Covenant religion.

The Halo 3 Bestiarum states that the Kig-yar government type is postindustrial capitalism, with a population of 978 million.

Once, the Kig-Yar culture was centered around rival clans sailing across Eayn's seas as pirates, raiding the encampments and settlements of rival clans. As the distances between the clans grew less, so too did the differences, and a united Kig-Yar race reached out to the stars in spacecraft, beginning to populate small asteroids around Chu'ot. Some of these saw opportunity, and became pirates once more, raiding merchant ships. These were apparently the Kig-Yar's only effective response to the overwhelming Covenant military juggernaut when they arrived in their home-system in 1342, the war between the two factions apparently culminating around sieges of redoubts on the asteroids surrounding their world, as stated in Halo: Contact Harvest though eventually in order to survive they accepted letters of marque: commissions from the Ministry of Tranquility to engage in the services of the Covenant, though often this was merely used as an excuse to continue raiding, this time preying on the ships of the Covenant's enemies, such as the humans.

When inducted into the Covenant, the Kig-yar were intended to fill the role later assigned to the Grunts as the Covenant's foot soldiers, however the temperament of the Jackals made this impractical. Instead, they were placed in roles that suited their abilities better such as scouts and being in teams of commando units which allowed the exploitation of their fine senses in the battlefield. They are also deployed as police forces on occupied worlds, although this was always done under the supervision of a member of the higher castes. The reason for this duty was unclear - it is not known if the Covenant feel that the Grunts could not be trusted with such roles or if the predatory nature of the Jackals allowed them a greater ability to police planets. 

Jackals have little status in the Covenant hierarchy and are subservient to all but the Grunts. Although they technically stand as equals with the Grunts, the reality is that Jackals are usually in an elevated position. While the other races consider the Grunts beneath notice, the Jackals are often purposefully cruel to them in order to assure themselves of their own superiority.

Eayn is the Jackal homeworld and is a satellite of the planet Chu'ot‎. It's primary moon is Y'Deio. The gravity is about 0.875 G's, making the inhabitants lighter on Eayn than on Earth. This is surprising, considering how fast Jackals move on Earth. Its color palette (green and blue) is that of Earth, indicating that it may have forests and oceans, but of course, its continents are shaped differently.

Like the other lower caste members of the Covenant, the Jackals are not represented on the High Council but are instead vetted by the Ministry of Concert. However, unlike the other castes, the Kig-yar do not vocally complain about their position but instead have selected to siphon off resources to their brothers. Whether the Covenant leadership was aware of this is currently unknown. After the Great Schism, they were promoted to where the Drones once were. 

Jackals are not permitted by the Elites to have more than one name, but Jackal society had never placed a premium on such things, so they don't care. Jackal names are invariably single syllable, with two consonants and one vowel, such as Yeg, Jak and Bok. The ranking authorities in Covenant society have been known to let Jackals eat prisoners alive. One notable example being the opening cutscene of The Arbiter in Halo 2, perhaps indicating that the Jackals are much more bloodthirsty and cruel than previously seen in combat. This probability is supported by the vicious screeches, squawks, and squalls that Jackals make in combat, and the UNSC remark stating that Jackals were "too bloodthirsty" to really be called snipers. The Jackals are despised by most Elites for their devious nature. Jackals are extremely bloodthirsty, vicious, and cruel even eating annoying Grunts under their command or any Grunt that the Elites feel deserve to be punished.

Jackals can live fairly peaceful lives with Humans, as is seen in the Cole Protocol. When they were finally ordered by the Prophets to attack and destroy the Humans of the Rubble, many of them even regretted the order. This is likely due to the pragmatic, merchant culture of their race. They can likely live happily with anyone in a relationship of trade.

Tactics
"They sure aren't as tough as their ships."

- Samuel-034

Their Shield is almost completely impervious to all Human firearms, and is strong against plasma based weaponry, but if a plasma weapon is fired at it for an extended period of time it will easily deplete the shield. The various ways of combating Jackals basically works like this: get an accurate weapon; like a carbine, and then fire at the Jackals exposed side, the Jackal will move the shield away and leave the body bare, fire a round into its head when able to and the Jackal will die. Another good way is to overcharge a Plasma Pistol and fire it at their shielding, deactivating it, giving you the time to melee them to death. In the later games, meleeing the Jackal will end up deactivating the shield, and sending the alien fleeing. In some occasions, the Jackal may stand its ground and attempt to kill you.



Halo: Combat Evolved
In Halo Combat Evolved Jackal Snipers (Marksman) do not exist. Jackals, upon seeing the player, sometimes turn towards them and start pointing, allowing you to kill them rather quickly. However, because they alert all other Covenant to your presence when they do, be prepared to start killing all other Covenant in the immediate vicinity. Jackals can be problematic because your allies pound away at the shield with no forethought, wasting time and allowing them to be killed by other Covenants soldiers. Their over-charged Plasma Pistol shots can be a problem because they are harder to dodge than in the other Halo games. They advance slowly towards you, allowing Grunts and Elites to advance behind the safety of their shields. Any weapon can effectively eliminate a Jackal itself. Throwing grenades behind or in front of them is effective, because they might jump to the side, exposing themselves, they might turn around and start backing towards you, or the grenade might kill them because they occasionally do nothing about it. Hitting them in the exposed hand can take quite a few shots from a Pistol, and they don't flinch nearly as much as in other games. A direct head shot will kill them instantly. Getting up close and personal with a Jackal works very effectively. If they roll to one side (often because you're shooting at them) continue to blast away until they are dead. Destroying their shield with an overcharged Plasma Pistol shot is very effective, allowing you to kill them quickly, and then take their plasma weapon. It takes two sniper shots in the chest to kill them (or one if their chest is exposed), which means that they may have more base health than Elite Minors, who require two chest shots with their shields fully charged. However, the best tactic is to use the Noob Combo. Basically, an overcharge with a Plasma Pistol to overload their shields. Then, take an Assault Rifle to their unprotected body. A quick melee attack or two should also be enough to kill them.

Halo 2
Jackals take on a whole new role in Halo 2, when compared to Halo: Combat Evolved. This role is a Sniper, or Marksmen. In Halo Combat Evolved, all Jackals were equipped with Energy Shields and a one handed firearm. Now in addition to regular Jackals with shields, there are Sniper Jackals who are extremely accurate. This new use of Jackals is best known in the Halo 2 level Outskirts in "Sniper Alley" (featuring 22 of them). In this alleyway, there are Jackals up in buildings with Beam Rifles that are very hard to get by. The use of sniper Jackals changes the game drastically, because up until now, all Covenant fighters were close range fighters, none of whom carried scoped weapons, and now the Covenant are utilizing tactics seen in Human warfare, in this case, more ranged combat. These Jackals can be very good at hiding and are excellent marksmen (especially on Heroic and Legendary difficulties) and can easily kill an unwary player. This made them the most irritating opponents in certain levels, with the player having exterminated most enemies only to fall to such a marksman. On Legendary, just one shot to any part of the body will be enough to kill the player. A well placed grenade will either, kill the Jackal, destroy the Jackal's shield leaving them vulnerable to attack, or cause them to dive/roll to the side which means they put their shield down and can be shot easily. Jackals, previously pictured to have weak bodies now seem to have better resistance to damage, it takes many shots to the body to kill a Jackal, even with its shield gone. However, a single head shot with a head shot enabled weapon (Battle Rifle, Sniper Rifle, Magnum, etc.) will kill them. Other tactics include: shooting their shield to make them flinch then killing them, or using a plasma weapon to quickly drain their shield energy. In Halo 2, Jackals can use Plasma Rifles, Needlers, and Carbines by trading weapons with them when playing as the Arbiter. You can also give Human weapons to Jackals in the level Sacred Icon, such as the Magnum, SMG, Shotgun, and the Battle Rifle. [Note] Jackal Snipers have a limit on how far they can see you, so on levels with vast open spaces, they can be sniped without ever being able to hit you. It should be noted that on the lower difficulty levels, they have a tendency to flee as you approach them, especially if they have had their shields removed.

Halo 3
The easiest way to take out shielded Jackals is simply shoot at them with a Battle Rifle or other accurate weaponry to the open sides of the shield where their weapon can be seen. This makes them flinch dramatically, moving their shields to the right or left. A head shot after that finishes them off quickly and easily. This can be done from a distance. Throwing grenades at them works well too, because they might jump to the side, exposing themselves, they might turn around and start backing towards you, or, the grenade might kill them because they face the grenade with the shield in front of them, being blown back and usually killed from the blast of the force of the grenade. Thankfully, compared to the Master Chief segment levels of Halo 2, the high concentration of nearly impossible to reach Sniper Jackals has been dramatically reduced in Halo 3. Within the "sniper alley" moments of Halo 3, many of the Sniper Jackals have been replaced with "Marksmen Jackals", who utilize Carbines rather than actual Beam Rifles. This has made Legendary mode on Halo 3 more playable, as these Marksmen Jackals will still kill you quickly, though you should be given barely enough time to react if you are careful and observant against them. Beware however, as the actual Sniper Jackals amongst them can still slaughter a player with one shot, just as they did in Halo 2. They are best countered with a scoped weapon of your own, and hitting them with a head shot while they still attempt to aim at you. Proper use of Deployable Cover and Bubble Shields will also give you an edge against them.

For Sniper Jackals, experience, memory, and patience will win the day. You must have a weapon with a scope, and you must cover every inch of viewable area before moving to the next bit of cover. Remember, if you can see them, they can see you, and shooting one will generally alert the other Snipers hiding close-by. When this happens they turn on their helmet lights, which could be equivalent to a SPARTAN targeting HUD slaved to their rifles, making them easier to see. Aim very slightly above this with the Carbine, Battle Rifle, Sniper Rifle or Beam rifle for a one-shot/one-burst headshot.

Co-op players will have a pretty easy time combating the Sniper/Marksmen Jackals as long as one of the players is patient enough to hang well back.

Halo Wars
In Halo Wars, Jackals play a powerful anti-infantry role, having been given the capability to inflict a number of casualties upon regular enemy infantry that are disproportionate to their own numbers, much like the UNSC Hellbringers-though having the advantage of longer range weapons. They are deployed in groups of two, and their default armament is the medium range Covenant Carbine. However, being geared towards a single role, the effectiveness of Jackals against armor and aircraft is highly limited, and will easily fall victim to vehicles. However, Infantry do, generally, defeat aircraft and the Jackal, in groups, will easily destroy enemy aircraft. Like nearly all units in Halo Wars, Jackals have multiple upgrades as listed below in the precise order researched.

Resource: 100

Population Count: 1

Defense Gauntlet: 200 supplies, 1st tech level. Adds a standard Kig-Yar Point Defense Gauntlet to every soldier, which provides some protection but eventually collapses under enemy fire.

Beam Rifle: 400 supplies, 2nd tech level (Age of Doubt). Replaces all Covenant Carbines with Beam Rifles, which provide superior range and power to attack.

Supreme Gauntlet: 700 supplies, 3rd tech level (Age of Reclamation). Upgrades all defense gauntlets, so that they no longer collapse under enemy fire.

Infected Jackals
Infected Jackals are found on multiple Skirmish and Multi-player maps, and will always carry a Covenant Carbine and wield a Defense Gauntlet, regardless of whatever they had before. The pigmentation of an Infected Jackal will also revert to the classic, greenish-yellow color of Flood biomass.

Rank Structure

 * Minor Jackal
 * Major Jackal
 * Ranger Jackal
 * Sniper/Marksman Jackal
 * Zealot Jackal
 * Infected Jackal Sniper in Halo Wars

Jackal Anatomy and Physiology
Jackals are avian in appearance, with feather-like quills on their heads and arms on males and calloused plates on females for protection from males during mating, and bird-like feet with deadly talons. Jackal Majors seem to be more muscular than Minors, with larger biceps and chests. They have three fingers on each hand with razor-sharp claws. Jackals have exhibited both beaks and razor sharp teeth that can easily rip flesh apart. Such a great variation may be indicative of a similar condition in saurids where the morphology differs wildly from birth to adulthood (lack of teeth in young and lack of feathers in adults) or something close to human races where different morphology may be a result of living in different environments.

Additionally, in Halo: CE it is observed that the Jackals wear a rudimentary type of armor; in Halo 2 and Halo 3, however, they are not afforded this luxury. They also have bare arms in all Halo games.

Though they are not a low-g species, they do have many qualities that are shared with species from low-g worlds. The female of the species lack the spiny plumage (said plumage's color serving as indication of the Jackal's mood) of the male; replacing it with calloistic plates at the forearms and the rear of the head. The "callous like" skin helps protect the female during courtship. When mating, the male can choose to fertilize the egg, in which a male is produced, whereas if the eggs are not fertilized a female is produced. Aside from the obvious differences in reproductive organs, the male and female of the species are more or less identical in appearance with no physical disparity or mass distribution between the sexes. 

ONI scientists have noted a great variance in skin tone and color between Jackals, usually a dark orange or green, and some are mottled or spotted with markings of various color. The purpose of color variation in Jackals is unknown, though it has been speculated to be tribal tattooing or camouflage suitable for their home world. Although the Jackals vary in skin color, their blood is purple in color similar to that of Elites, possibly showing a similar genetic or chemical makeup. They have a salty, stinky, occasionally acrid smell.

Though they are mainly carnivorous in appearance and indeed are known to consume flesh, apparently even that of other sentient beings, the Kig-Yar is omnivorous. They will eat fruits including an unknown type of melon that may be native to their homeworld.

Jackals seen thus far in the games have been predominantly left-handed; none have been seen wielding a firearm with their right hand. All Jackals wear their shields on their right arm.

The boots that Jackals wear are shaped similarly to the feet of birds. The number of bird-like physiological traits could be an indication of Avian ancestry. Several other bird features include keen eyesight, three clawed fingers like the first birds and possibly hollowed bones because they are fragile against melee attacks.

Because of their avian physiology and the hollow structure of their bones and lack of large calcium deposits, Jackals cannot be mutated by the Flood. The lack of calcium in their skeletons also makes them a poor source of food for potential Flood forms. However they have been observed as Combat Forms in Halo Wars.

Changes from Halo: Combat Evolved to Halo 2

 * In Halo: Combat Evolved, the Jackals wore more armor, often had helmets, had shorter, stubbier beaks, more jewel-like eyes, and came in two skin color variations: dark blue and dark red. In Halo 2, they are more avian looking and have only an orange skin color. Also they have pink reptile like eyes which flicker off and on when dead, but still stay pink. They also have larger biceps and chests. It is unknown why these changes happened, and if the Halo 2 Jackals are a different variety/race of Jackals than the ones in Halo or if the changes were mostly just graphical. Besides the aesthetic differences, there have also been changes in the way the Jackal Personal Arm Shield works and looks, and the addition of a sniper rank. In neither game do Jackals utilize Plasma Grenades, although they do carry grenades in Halo 2. One Bungie staff member quotes that "now they are scarier".
 * In Halo: Combat Evolved, Jackals hunt predominantly in pairs, usually one major and a minor, 2 minors, or sometimes 2 majors (though more than one pair may be present in certain areas). In Halo 2, shielded Jackals work primarily in teams upwards of four, though they are occasionally found in pairs. Sniper Jackals can also be found working in teams on occasions.
 * In Halo: Combat Evolved Jackals also had a more jaguar-like skin pattern, possibly for camouflage on their home world Eayn.
 * In Halo: Combat Evolved Jackals only used Plasma Pistols, although they do have programs and animations for using Plasma Rifles and Needlers, while in Halo 2 Jackals can wield more weapons of the Covenant and can even have Human weapons if given to them when playing as the Arbiter on Sacred Icon if they survive the Flood attack which is very rare.
 * In Halo 2 in the Sacred Icon (Level) they are able to be given a Covenant Carbine and still keep a hold on their shield.
 * In Halo 2 although they do not use them, Jackals may drop plasma grenades when killed.

Changes from Halo 2 to Halo 3

 * Jackals now wield the deadly Covenant Carbines without having to be given them, these Jackals are designated by some as "Marksmen Jackals" seeing that they are neither Snipers nor shield-bearing Jackals.
 * The Jackals in general wear more armor to protect themselves better, making it more difficult to kill a jackal from the front. It now requires at least two melee strikes to kill a Jackal in Halo 3 on the higher difficulties; the head gear also resembles the armor sported by some Jackals in Halo: Combat Evolved.
 * Jackals in Halo 3 are more muscular than in Halo 2 and Halo: Combat Evolved.
 * Their eyes are darker and more birdlike.
 * Jackals in Halo 3 appear no longer to wear the armored boots they wore in the previous Halo games. They feature huge talons on their feet in Halo 3.
 * Halo 3 Jackals have a massive "over-bite" and their razor-sharp teeth hang down over their entire bottom jaw.
 * Sniper Jackals wear a visor-like device on their heads that covers their left eye. It can be assumed this enhances their vision to allow for greater accuracy on the field of battle. When Jackal snipers sight a target, this visor emits a purple light; this functions both to warn the player and reveal the sniper's position. The visor, along with the now-slower targeting time for the creatures' Particle Beam Rifles, can best be described as an effort to balance the snipers out after Bungie's realization that they were too deadly in Halo 2. In certain levels, such as Sierra 117, the Sniper Jackals tend to hide in out-of-reach areas where they are very difficult to see. The best way to take out these Jackal Snipers is to wait for them to fire at you, it will not be an instant death (besides on Legendary and Heroic). After that, you should be able to see them clearly and use a Battle Rifle or other mid range weapon to take them out.
 * When a Jackal is holding a Carbine or Beam Rifle, it can't use a shield at the same time.
 * Jackals screeching is just reversed English phrases.
 * Their appearance is more bird-like than their reptilian Combat Evolved and Halo 2 counterparts. Their heads now resemble those of a crow or vulture in comparison to the heads of their counterparts which had heads like a reptile. The appearance of both Halo 2 and Halo 3 Jackals in Halo: Uprising suggests these are another race or subspecies.
 * There are much fewer Jackals wielding Beam Rifles (less than 20 in the whole game).
 * The Jackals are more powerful in rank, rising from the shadow of the Elites.

Changes from Halo 3 to Halo Wars

 * Can now wield both shields and rifles at the same time.
 * Can be outfitted with an indestructible shield.
 * Kig-yar Flood combat forms are introduced.

Changes from Halo 3 to Halo 3: ODST

 * Some Jackals wield weapons that they haven't used before in the series such as Needlers, and Plasma Rifles.
 * Jackal Marksmen no longer wear inactive defense gauntlets.
 * Marksmen no longer have a Plasma Pistol secondary weapon.

Trivia

 * In Halo 3: ODST; Huragok can project their energy shields onto Jackals.
 * The first Covenant John-117, Samuel-034 or Kelly-087 saw and fought was a Kig-Yar.
 * Jackals never drive or ride any vehicles in any Halo games with the exception of Spirits and Phantoms.
 * In the Halo book The Cole Protocol the Kig-Yar and the people of the Rubble are temporary allies, in a mutual agreement between the two parties.
 * In the Halo: Uprising comic series, both Halo 2 and Halo 3 Jackals appear. This likely means both types have different origins, possibly from different landscapes on their homeworld.
 * Jackals were the first Covenant species fought by human beings. Avery Johnson and Nolan Byrne fought two and killed both of them shortly before the Battle of Harvest.
 * Jackals, Prophets, Hunters, and Grunts are the only species that do not attempt to hijack vehicles, although Grunts can drive Ghosts and pilot Shade turrets.
 * The name Jackal comes from a wild dog that is similar to the wolf, and is a reference to their scavenger-like appearance and nature.
 * In Halo: The Flood, Bok, a Jackal, started to get infected by the Flood and was killed. Since Jackals lack sufficient calcium to make a Combat Form, though, it is possible that he was going to be converted into a Carrier Form instead.
 * The Jackals in Halo: Combat Evolved were shorter and more muscular than their Halo 2 and Halo 3 counterparts.
 * "Kig-yar" is Breton for "chicken" and Phonetic Welsh for "chicken meat".
 * Although Jackals carry grenades in Halo 2, they are never seen using them. This is possibly because of the fact that, in terms of game mechanics, they 'dual-wield' their energy shield with whatever other weapon they are carrying.
 * When playing as the Arbiter, you may give Jackals Plasma Pistols, Plasma Rifles, Magnums, and SMGs. They may also be given Covenant Carbines and Battle Rifles; however, this is due to an oversight, and the animation is flawed (they retain their shields), though it works to your advantage.
 * In Halo 2, Jackals feature a reloading animation for the Needler only.
 * All Jackals shoot left handed, including the use of sniper weapons, and are the only Covenant species to do so (with the exception of Rtas 'Vadum).
 * In Halo 3, Jackal Majors carry purple shields instead of yellow ones as seen in Halo 2.
 * In some levels of Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo CE, there are Jackals donning whitish colored shields, whether it's a glitch like the Honor Guard-Councilor or it's part of the ranking system is unknown. Other sightings include greenish-colored shields, also a possible rank indication.
 * The only known female Jackals are Chur'R-Yar and Chur 'R-Mut, who were both Ship Mistresses of Covenant Ships. They are also the only Jackals known to have multiple syllables in their names and the first female members of the Covenant mentioned in Halo canon. Speculation leads to that Jackals may have a naming system based on sex, rank or both.
 * In Halo: Combat Evolved, Jackals have different head designs than Jackals in Halo 2 or Halo 3.
 * Jackals are the only AI in Halo 3 that can run out of ammunition, but only when they are using the Plasma Pistol.
 * Like birds, female Jackals lay lots of eggs and male Jackals have feather-like protrusions (on males, presumably for display during mating season). Ship Mistress Chur'R-Yar hinted to this in Halo: Contact Harvest. Females, however, have extremely thick callouses on their backs and the back of their neck.
 * There is a glitch in Halo 2 in which you can turn a Jackal blue.
 * In Halo: The Fall of Reach their blood is said to be blue when in game it was purple.
 * The first time you see a Jackal in the Halo video games is in Halo: Combat Evolved, on the level Halo. They do not appear in the first level, Pillar of Autumn, due to the Covenant's mistrust of them on enemy vessels because of their pirating ways. However, in the book "Halo: The Flood", they were mentioned as boarding the Pillar of Autumn during their initial attack.
 * A dead Jackal is also found in the book Halo: Fall of Reach when John was examining the Covenant with a large bootprint imprinted on its back. It was apparently killed by an impatient Hunter who crushed it to death. This eventually led to the UNSC discerning their caste system, a major breakthrough in knowing the nature of their enemies.
 * They were firstly seen by Avery Johnson and then by Spartan-IIs, John, along with Sam and Kelly, aboard an unnamed Covenant ship (it was later destroyed thanks to Sam's sacrifice) . The Kig-yar was easily eliminated, as Sam remarks "They sure aren't as tough as their ships".
 * In the entire Halo Trilogy excluding Halo Wars, Jackals are your allies only once, in the Halo 2 level Sacred Icon.
 * It is possible to stick a grenade to a Jackal's shield, if you aim for the center of the shield (the gauntlet) it will stick to it.
 * There was a group of Jackals trained as rangers, eventually being replaced by the Drones as they were more suited for combat in space.
 * Jackals are known to eat other species of alien including Grunts. However, with the IWHBYD skull on in Halo 3, you can hear sleeping Grunts say "Umm, Jackal Stew". This means that maybe Jackals and Grunts have an eat-and-be-eaten relationship.
 * In the John-117 Monument two jackals are seen dragging away a marine, it was later said that they tortured him, and he was rescued by an unknown soldier.
 * Jackal Ship Masters are usually females, as seen in Contact Harvest and The Cole Protocol.
 * The Jackal's wrist shield was originally also going to be a shield for the Elites but it was changed into a personal energy shield.
 * Jackals are described as having a salty, occasionally acrid, smell associated with them.
 * A deleted Flood form was a Carrier form with a Jackal shield gauntlet. It is likely that they were Jackals turned into Carrier forms.
 * Jackals marksmen and snipers are among the few NPC to carry two different weapons (sniper/carbine and a plasma pistol) other than Elites or the Arbiter who often carry energy swords in addition to their primary weapon.

Gallery
Image:Halo3 Jackal.jpg|A Jackal Sniper from Halo 3. Image:Behindyou.jpg|Jackal about to meet a Pelican in the level Assault on the Control Room in Halo: Combat Evolved. Image:19317669-Full.jpg|A Minor Jackal on patrol on The Ark. Image:Jackal Lakeside.jpg|A Jackal Sniper from Halo 2 wields a Particle Beam Rifle. Image:Jackal.jpg|A Minor Jackal about to fire a charged Plasma Pistol. Image:1215645880 Jackal Blood.jpg|A Jackal's blood stain. Image:Cov jackalfinal.jpg|Vicious, screeching Jackals. Image:SHARPSHOOTER!.jpg|A Jackal Sniper with a Beam Rifle on Halo 3: ODST 

Internal

 * Jackal Point Defense Gauntlet
 * Jackals Unlimited Plasma Pistols