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Sangheili 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 8' tall, although they hunch over slightly 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 is similiar to the Master Chief's MJOLNIR Armor . In the actual game, a Sangheili without shields can survive about the same amount of damage as an average human marine.
The Sangheili is a remarkable species with great physical strength and resilience: strong, fast, and extremely capable with proper training. They are bipeds and bear a superficial resemblance to humans from a distance, an illusion shattered upon closer inspection. In addition to standing approximately 8' when in a fully upright position, their head is more reptilian than humanoid with a quadri-hinged , which allows them to jump greater distances and run much faster than the human norm. The Sangheili toe configuration resembles the Cloven Hooves of various Terran mammals; although Sangheili wear a soled boot, the overall shape of the "hooves" are still visible.
As Sangheili can survive on Earth with no respiratory equipment, they apparently breathe oxygen. The Sangheili'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, owing to the Sangheili's higher Evolutionary state; 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, presumably due to the increased strength of an Sangheili's immune-defense system.
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 colours, as is mentioned below. The armor is fitted on top of an all-over black, skin-tight body suit (presumably made of some leather-like, bulletproof material), although the mandibled mouth is partially exposed.
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.
Unlike the MJOLNIR armor, the Sangheili's suit does not allow it to survive in the vacuum of space, although a mask can be fitted to the suit over the Sangheili's exposed mouth, providing a supply of oxygen, and seals can be fixed between the armor plates, providing protection against decompression. Sangheili equipped in this way often have a jetpack to allow them maneuverability in space.
- : Councilors are the political leaders of the Sangheili, 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 Sangheili, 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.
- : 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. While it would be presumed that these Sangheili would be of very high rank they appear to have relatively weak shields. 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 Sangheili ranks are graded by merit of inflicted damage and casualties on enemy forces over the career of a given Sangheili, 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 Sangheili warriors within the entire Covenant, which is then multiplied for those whom have reached the Ultra Honor Guard status. The Councilor Honor Guard looks just like a Councilor with the Honor Guard glowing armor on it. Councilor Honor Guard seems to be even higher than the Ultra and is only seen at the end of the level "Gravemind"
- : The Generals and Admirals of the Covenant army; commanders of battalions, ships, and fleets. The Commander Sangheili are some of the toughest and most skilled Sangheili. In combat, they are constantly moving and seeking cover, making it difficult to maintain continuous fire on them. They also run faster than other Sangheili 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 Sangheili. Most Commander Sangheili fight with Plasma Energy Swords. Unlike other Sangheili, Commander Sangheili do not seem to throw any grenades, nor will they ever board a friendly vehicle. In ''Halo 2'', the overshields on Gold Sangheili are gone, leaving them with energy shields and health only equal to Spec Ops Sangheili and their great combat skills to protect themselves in combat. The current Arbiter once held this rank before his failure at Installation 04 . It is unclear as to how a Sangheili gains the rank of a Zealot, but it is speculated that not all the Commanders are Zealots. Only a select few are choosen to be blessed by the prophets for acts of outstanding bravery and heroism.
- : Ultras command major operations within the Covenant. While Zealots command operations such as the protection of a Halo, 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 3 times as much damage as those possessed by Minor Sangheili. 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 incredibly effective fighters, able to continue in sustained heavy combat long after most Sangheili warriors' shields would have been depleted. 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. Ultras has also been seen as Spec Op commanders, which then receive lower energy shields, but instead achieves active camouflage because of the dangerous and secret missions they are sent on. An important Ultra, within the plot of Halo 2, fights along the Arbiter's side, against the Prophet-sanctioned Brutes, Drones, and Jackals, who is only known as Half-Jaw.
- : Covenant Special Operation Troopers are extremely skilled fighters, 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 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.
- : These Sangheili 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 Stealth Sangheili vulnerable to damage. In ''Halo 2'', however, Stealth Sangheili 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. Minor Stealth Sangheili have a light grey colored armor with a slightly lower shield strength than the Minor Sangheili. The Major Stealth Sangheili have a bronze colored armor and have a slightly stronger shield strength than the Minor Sangheili. Stealth Sangheili generally make better decisions in combat than that of regular Sangheili.
- : 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. Rangers also generally make better decisions in combat than regular Sangheili.
- : Major Sangheili have an energy shields and health which are one and a half times stronger than a 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. They tend to lead Grunts into battle.
- : The most common and least experienced 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.
- : Translated as "Eye of the Prophet," these hand-picked Sangheili are used to make sure that the rest of the Covenant forces do not destroy all of the human technology. The make sure that any human technology worth analyzing is protected. It is unsure how these Sangheili are ranked with the other classes, but it seems that most other Covenant are unaware of their presence on the battlefield.
- : These Sangheili 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 rank of , introduced in '' Halo 2 '', is bestowed upon a Sangheili by the High Prophets during a time of serious need. The Arbiter acts as the Prophet's will, going on missions for the Prophets and during incidents such as the Taming of the Hunters, the Grunt Rebellion , and most recently, 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 those Sangheili who have done terrible wrong in the eyes of the Prophet s. 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 honour in death.
The Sangheili 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. Sangheili 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.
Sangheili are typically promoted on the number of enemies they have killed and casualties inflicted on the opposing force, meaning that a single gold Sangheili may have slaughtered thousands before attaining that rank. The energy sword, an ancestral weapon, continues to be a favourite weapon for high ranking Sangheili warriors.
Being respectful but authoritative commanders, Sangheili rarely fail to elicit a strong bond of loyalty with their troops: it was noted that Sangheili Arbiters suppressed the Grunt Rebellion and tamed the Hunters , and these two races remain faithful to the Sangheili when they are cast out of the Covenant. In the original ''Halo'' game, the Sangheili speak in their own untranslated language, which sounds like deep, throaty warbling and is the result of playing Sergeant Johnson 's voice clips backwards. In the ''Halo 2'' game, the Sangheili speech is translated into English. Humans have also developed derogatory nicknames for Sangheili, mainly "squid face" and "split-chin," while Sangheili 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 tens of thousands of deaths, as stated by Zuka Zamamee in Halo: The Flood, implying him to be an evil and supernatural spirit.
Some Sangheili believe that the role and success of the SPARTAN's is that of a Sangheili, as SPARTAN's 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 of the Universe booklet) Sangheili believe that SPARTAN's are a fully different class of warrior, and in some ways this is true. Innititally Sangheili 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." (Convesations from the Universe Booklet)
In Halo 2, the Sangheili is now a player-controllable character in multiplayer. For understandable reasons, the active camouflage has been disabled.
The only differences between the SPARTAN and the Sangheili players are they look and sound different. Contrary to popular belief, it is no easier to shoot an elite in the head than it is to hit a SPARTAN. In some cases the Sangheili can be harder to headshot due to their strange appearance, though this could be based upon opinion. While elites and SPARTANs look different, they have the exact same hitbox. The area that can be hit is exactly the same for SPARTANs as it is for elites, its just is located in a different area.
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