"On the blood of our fathers, on the blood of our sons, we swore to uphold the Covenant!"
-The Covenant Writ of Union
The Sangheili (Latin Macto cognatus, meaning "I glorify my kin" and nicknamed by humans "Elites") are a saurian species of fierce, proud strong, agile and intelligent warriors and skilled combat tacticians. Sangheili are named after their homeplanet, Sangheilos. Known to humans as Elites, due to their adeptness and skill in combat, the Sangheili formed the military backbone of the Covenant, for almost the entirety of its existence. They had a very strong rivalry with the Jiralhanae, which finally became open hatred during the Great Schism, and the conclusion of the Human-Covenant War.
Humanoid/reptilian body structure;
quadruple hinged mandibles with
dog-like teeth; binary vascular
system
Affiliation:
Covenant Empire, Covenant Separatists, Covenant Heretics, Holy
Federation of Sangheilos, United
Galactic Alliance, First Grand and
Holy Sangheili Empire, The
Sangheili Separatist Confederacy,
Sangheili Loyalist Alliance,
Sangheili Imperialist Enforcers,
Sangheili Separatist Union
Originally a found member of the unified conglomerate of races known as the Covenant, they later led the Covenant breakaway faction called the Covenant Separatists, who sided with the Humans against their former allies, due to the fact that the High Prophet of Truth and High Prophet of Mercy had ordered the genocide of the entire Sangheili race. This was established after the assassination of the High Prophet of Regret at the hands of the "Demon." It was the Sangheili who were ultimately responsible for the Prophet of Regret's death, and were seen as "unfit" to continue to guard the Prophets. The Prophets sought to achieve this through the use of the other Covenant races, mostly the Jiralhanae. The aftermath of the Great Schism formed the bedrock of the Covenant's ulitmate collapse.
Their homeworld Sangheilos, had at one point been visited by or had been in contact with the Forerunners. They revered the objects these "gods" had left, and considered tampering with them a heresy beyond any other. In 938 BCE they encountered the San'Shyuum , a race that also worshipped the Forerunners as gods, but had utilized Forerunner technology for their own needs, believing that the technology had been left behind as gifts for their "children." This sparked the Sangheili-San'Shyuum War due to the Sangheili branding the San'Shyuum as heretics. Even though the Sangheili were basically a race of warriors and soldiers, they suffered more losses due to the San'Shyuum having possession of a Forerunner Keyship/Dreadnought. By 876 BCE even the most loyal Sangheili were forced to admit that their race's survival depended on the usage of Forerunner technology and it could win them the war. Instead, the two sides came to an agreement which became a written document called the Writ of Union, which then lead to the creation of the Covenant.
The San'Shyuum were able to assuage the Sangheili by informing them of the Great Journey: By seeking out the Holy Rings/Halos scattered throughout the galaxy and utilizing them, a Great Journey would begin. This Great Journey would transform believers into godlike beings, while providing salvation for their doomed existence of fighting with the Flood. The Sangheili then became the bodyguards of the physically less imposing San'Shyuum, who would search the galaxy for Halos. The Writ of Union was drawn up in 852 BCE in order to codify the Covenant. Its first canto clearly outlines the nature of the Covenant from the perspective of the San'Shyuum.
Being one of the few races in the Covenant to achieve space-faring status without outside intervention, the Sangheili interaction with the San'Shyuum was intially strained due to the memories of the recent war. However, the two sides later formed a prosperous relationship, eventually laying the foundation for the modern Covenant hegemony.
During their membership with the Covenant, the Sangheili were technological and societal equals of the San'Shyuum. However, for a significant period, they found themselves as the dominant military muscle for the entire Covenant Empire, hardly surprising given their warlike, feudal nature of their homeworld, Sangheilos. What was surprising was the cyclical stability this feudal society was able to offer. Technological and medical advancement prospered, and the intelligent, aggressive Sangheili were peerless until they encountered the San'Shyuum. With exchange of goods and ideas, the Sangheili adapted to and eventually embraced the Covenant religion, grafting its tenets into their own belief system.
Human-Covenant War[]
When the San'Shyuum declared war on a previously unknown species called "humans", the Sangheili followed their lead without question. After a period of time, however, even though the San'Shyuum insisted that Humans were "unclean beings" that must be eliminated from the galaxy, some seasoned Sangheili veterans began to question the refusal of the San'Shyuum to even consider accepting the humans into the Covenant. These Sangheili seemed to believe that Humans, although physically weak, at least compared to themselves, were brave and even honorable. Some even believed that Humans were equal to them - a considerable step for a Sangheili, or any member of the Covenant to make. These few Sangheili admired how willing and brave the Humans were when fighting to survive against outright extinction, they even respected to a certain degree those few soldiers who were willing to stay behind and cover their comrades from a Covenant attack. A few Sangheili even had some degree of disrespect for the San'Shyuum before the Great Schism
The Great Schism[]
During the final months of the Human-Covenant War, the political shift caused by both the High Prophet of Truth and
Shipmaster Rtas'Vadum on the bridge of his flagship
Chieftain Tartarus started a slippery slope that ended in the dissolution of the Covenant between the Sangheili and the San'Shyuum. Originally, the Jiralhanae were viewed savagely aggressive and extremely goal-oriented, which the Sangheili viewed as a serious threat should the Jiralhanae ever begin to desire political power. This fear became reality when the Honor Guards of the San'Shyuum, originally a Sangheili exclusive appointment, was turned into a Jiralhanae exclusive appointment. This was directly caused by the death of the High Prophet of Regret at the hands of John-117, the Human "Demon" known as the Master Chief, despite Regret's protection from his personal guard of Sangheili Honor Guardsmen. Soon the Jiralhanae found themselves in new positions of power, such as Field Masters, Shipmasters and the complete replacements for the Sangheili as the absolute military power in the Covenant. At the same time, during the Battle of Installation 05, Arbiter Thel'Vadam and Rtas'Vadum (both of who dropped their "ee" suffix from the end of their name) discovered the truth of the Halo rings from the monitor 343 Guilty Spark and the deceit of the San'Shyuum.
These events led to the entire Sangheili species to secede from the Covenant, forming the Covenant Separatists . They were aided by a few of the member races within the Covenant, such as the Unggoy and Mgalekgolo, even though many apparently ended up siding with the Covenant Loyalists despite the Sangheili's efforts. The secession included a movement to destroy the treacherous Jiralhanae and San'Shyuum, and the destruction of the Flood at all costs, eventually resulting in the Sangheili's alliance with humanity, persuaded by Arbiter's
Sangheili and Jiralhanae in hand-to-hand combat.
counsel.
It is known that this civil war stretched from the Human homeworld, Earth, all the way back to Sangheilos as the Sangheili attempted to wrest their share of the hegemony away from their new-found enemies. The Jiralhanae stepped in to fill the military void in ever increasing numbers, sensing the vacuum and oppurtunity left by the departure of the Sangheili.
Fall of the Covenant Empire[]
Finally, after the Second Battle of Earth, the Sangheili and Humanity managed to stop and kill the Prophet of Truth, effectively dissolving the Covenant. However, the Sangheili and Humanity were coerced to deal with a more massive threat: The Flood. Finally, the Arbiter and Chief, after activating the newly constructed Installation 04B effectively ended the Flood threat forever.
After the Human-Covenant War ended, there has been speculation of competition between the UNSC and the Sangheili, when it came to examining Forerunner ruins and relics like the Artifact. However, by March 2553, the Sangheili and Humanity remain friendly to one another as evidenced by the conversation between Thel'Vadam and Lord Terrence Hood. All the Sangheili who fought in the Battle of Installation 00 agreed to depart Earth and return to Sangheilos, to guarantee it's safety.
As the Great Schism went on, the Sangheili continued their fight against the Jiralhanae. This was proving largely unsuccessful and the Sangheili were accepting serious losses. Without the Covenant to provide them with ships, technology, and repairs, they slowly lost warships and technologies they couldn't repair or replace. After the San'Shyuum went into hiding, the Sangheili began to prevail against the Jiralhanae, who in turn began to fight amongst themselves. Despite the hatred for the Jiralhanae, the Sangheili employed Jiralhanae who stayed at the Sangheili's side. Having abandoned the Covenant, the Sangheili were now in a state of mass confusion in regards to their religion, because even though the San'Shyuum lied to them, they had still given them purpose for their actions. The Sangheili were still religiously devoted to the Forerunners and were attempting to uncover the meaning behind their existence.
The Dark Era[]
In 2554, the Covenant Remnants was formed and many rogue Sangheili joined it, eventually leading to the whole race which provided the Sangheili with the required technology to make them powerful again. Eventually, after cultivating enough technology to continue on their own, they left the Covenant Remnants and formed the Holy Federation of Sangheilos. Arbiter wanted to use their new Federation as a peacekeeper faction to form a "different" Covenant with Humanity, but instead a lone Sangheili simply named "The Shipmaster" formed a large splinter cell and declared war on Humanity. He believed that the truth about Halo was a lie, and wanted to finish what the Covenant started. He however failed in his plan which ended with his death. The Holy Federation then stepped in and intervened, officially killing off the Shipmaster's loyalists and ending the war in 2557.
Peace resumed until 2568, when another splinter cell was able to succesfully convince his government that Humanity was planning an invasion of Sangheilos. With their full authorization, a Sangheili named Fleetmaster Krodom lead a reasonably medium sized Fleet to invade the recently repopulated world of Reach while doing it discreetly. This didn't last long, with a general distress call reaching Earth and the Frigate, UNSC Homeward Bound being sent to respond. This started the Reach War, which lasted for many months where the First Sangheili Civil War also sparked, with Krodom's forces, called the Loyalist Alliance and Field Marshall Uzhe'Nostrom's forces, the Separatist Confederacy battling it out. Nostrom allied himself with the crew of the Homeward Bound and together backfired Krodom's miniture Halo weapon called the Disruptor, effectively wiping out the Loyalist Alliance. However, Nostrom lost his life during a dual with Krodom. Krodom was killed in the blast and by the time UNSC and Sangheili (they had only just realized that Krodom's warnings of invasion were false) reinforcements arrived, the war was over. A memorial was set up as a symbol to those who died in the war.
Peace was continuous until 2592, where a misunderstanding led to all out war between Humanity and Sangheili, sparking the First Human-Sangheili War. This was over by 2595, with the signing of the Earth Accords. However one Sangheili by the name of Chava'Salsamee, who at the time was leader of the Separatist Union had attempted and successfully corrupted the Holy Federation of Sangheilos, forming in it's place the First Grand and Holy Sangheili Empire. He had only one goal in mind: To completely eradicate the human race. Their religion also changed to the worship of the Primals, a race of sentient gods that almost wiped out the Precursors, if not for being trapped in the Supreme Sphere. He plans to release the already recovered Primal found and to awaken one found on Earth. Forming a fleet comparable to the size of the entire fleet that destroyed Reach, he headed straight for Earth and evaded the UNSC Home Fleet, landing his flagship, the Begotten Angel on Earth and establishing a base. This marked the end of the Second Insurrection, due to the fact that Chava's forces basically wiped out the United Rebel Alliances and started the Second Human-Sangheili War. This war went well for the Sangheili until Chava decided to use Gamma Halo to wipe out all life on Earth. This failed with him losing not only another halo, but two supercarriers and a flotilla of seven CCS-Class Battlecruisers. Even worse, a mass rebellion back at Sangheilos causes the whole First Grand and Holy Sangheili Empire to fall apart, being restored to it's former non-imperial state. The Imperialist Enforcers decide that they should help restore their old religion and so forth are unable to send reinforcements to the UNSC. However this rebellion sparked a massive interplanetary battle to commence in Chava's fleet with three-quarters being separatists and the other quarter being Chava loyalists. Outnumbered, Chava's fleet abandons Earth, quickly routing but regrouping near Sangheilos. The Imperialist Fleet commences bombardment of Chava's "Super" Fortress, which eventually is breached by combined UNSC and Imperialist Ground forces, and eventually destroyed, with Falka, Chava's second in command dead, and Chava presumed dead.
The war continues until eventually Chava is killed and the remainder of the Separatist Union is wiped out and disbanded. However the Imperialists now had to deal with a more immediate threat which surprisingly was the UNSC itself. Now corrupted by Commander Joshua Reynolds, who had been feeding Chava information, the UNSC had lead a campaign to wipe out the Sangheili and United Socialist Rebellions and release the Primals from the Supreme Sphere. This sparked the First Apocalyptic War, described as the final war of the Dark Era and by far the most deadly. The Primals ended up extinct, Reynolds killed and the UNSC disbanded.
Galactic Peace[]
Unsure of what to do, the USR took over the UNSC's postion and with help from ONI formed the United Galactic Alliance, which the Sangheili were invited to join. They accepted, and Humanity and the Sangheili formed the military backbone of the UGA. The Sangheili fought to finally destroy the Covenant Remnants in the Second Apocalyptic War and will continue to serve as the UGA's military for thousands of years.
Description[]
Sangheili are generally between 2.2 meters tall and 2.6 meters tall including helmet and armor, have two fingers and two thumbs on each hand which are much larger than human fingers and thumbs, which make the Sangheili look ungainly when wielding small human weapons such as the pistol. They look vaguely like lizards or theropods, except for their jaws. When wearing armor, they take on a shark-like look because of the "fins" on the sides of their helmets. Their jaws are made up of four seperate mandibles attached to their face, similiar to those found on the lower jaws of snakes from Earth. The Sangheili are attributed for great strength and intelligence, and are praised for thier bravery and honor. Sangheili warriors augment these natural abilities further through the use of Energy Shields integrated into their armor Depending upon rank and mission objective, they are commonly seen in battle with Plasma Rifles, Needlers, Covenant Carbines, Needle Rifles and sometimes, if they are higher ranked, Energy Swords. Sangheili employ coffin-like Orbital Insertion Pods as well as Phantom and Spirit Dropships for military transit purposes and rapid-response operations. Historically, Sangheili have followed the Covenant mentality of maintaining hatred towards Humanity, believing them to be an affront to their religion and a challenge towards the Great Journey. However there are signs that this stance is being slowly abandoned as seen in the tentative alliance between the two enemies, forming the core allied faction at the end of Halo 2 and Halo 3, and eventually the United Galactic Alliance.
In Halo: Combat Evolved, upper ranks have a Forerunner symbol adorning their back. It is not known if the symbol varies from rank to rank. In Halo 3, Sangheili have Forerunner symbols on their arms and on the sides of their torso.
Anatomy and Physiology[]
Sangheili are muscular and stand around between 2.2 meters tall and 2.6 meters tall. Their jaws are
Sangheili Minor with Covenant Carbine
quadruple-hinged, with an upper jaw and four mandible like lips. With few exceptions, these mandibles are generally shown with six teeth each; many sources also depict an additional large fang on the tips of each mandible. Anywhere from eight to ten broader teeth have been observed mounted on the central jaw structure. In Halo Wars and Halo: Reach, the Sangheili are depicted with more numerous, more feral-looking teeth. In the Halo: Legends short The Duel the Sangheili female Han, Fal'Chavamee and Roe, keep their mandibles closed, using only the front two joints of their lower mandibles to speak, giving them a more humanoid appearence. While it may not actually be canon to the Halo universe, it is possible that the Sangheili (save Ripa'Moramee) don't usually use all four mandibles, except when breathing heavily; an example would be during combat situations, though this has yet to be confirmed. Sangheili smell with the use of two nostrils, each a little in front of and below the eye socket. Given their predatory nature, a Sangheili's sense of smell is likely very developed. However it must be noted that as a distinct race they may have omnivourus tendencies. The mandibles appear to be made for gripping small prey, which insinuates that the Sangheili evolved from a quadroped race and that they are much larger than their natural prey. Their hands are tetradactyl, having four digits; two middle fingers, and two opposing thumbs on the outside for grasping. Their legs are digitigrade, with short upper and lower legs, and elongated tarsals, using the distal and intermediate phalanges to support their weight when walking. This arrangement possibly allows them to run very quickly and jump large distances, compared to ordinary humans and other Covenant races. Their superior agility may also be attributed to their homeworld's higher gravity; the additional strength required to move normally in a high gravity environment would likely cause them to be more powerful in lower gravity situations. They also appear to have a double set of pectoral muscles, which contribute to their incredible strength.
Sangheili have at least two hearts, which circulate indigo-colored blood through their veins; the coloration is
The Sangheili's four mandibles.
most likely caused by bimetallic hemoglobin, possibly cobalt-iron, wheras the crimson-blooded Humans possess monometallic iron-based hemoglobin. Though there are many theories on the subject, the chemical formula(e) of Sangheili hemoglobin is still unknown. It is assumed that they breathe oxygen, as they can breathe the same atmosphere as Humans can without any trouble, and their homeworld has a nitrogen-oxygen atmosphere, similiar to Earth's.
Male Sangheili have grayish-brownish skin (which in Halo 2 looks spotted and scaly) and the majority of Sangheili have either dark blue, black, or brown eyes, although there are a few exceptions. It has been theorized that the reason Sangheili seem to have dark, blue eyes is because they wear eye coverings (which provide their in-game HUD). This hypothesis comes largely from the Arbiter's appearence - when standing before the High Council in his armor, his eyes were dark, but after his armor was removed, his eyes became a much lighter brown - and is also supported by the fact that in Halo: Combat Evolved, a Sangheili's eye color is always the same color as their armor. Sangheili have laterally-postioned eyes with slit-shaped pupils, large irises, and horizontal eyelids, though these traits can only be seen in Halo 3 - Sangheili in Halo 2 have all black eyes with no pupils except for the Arbiter, and in Halo: Combat Evolved they never blink. However, this is presumably result of animation.
In Halo: Contact Harvest, it is mentioned that the Sangheili are strange for bipedal species in that their knees do not bend backwards, but forwards. This unusual hinging does not impair their mobility on ground but climbing, especially on ladders, is difficult for them.
Intelligence[]
"Although Elites are naturally very intelligent, their culture's long dependence on a military-industrial schema has led to an emphasis on might over science. In some regards, the advent of the Covenant made this position easier-allowing the Elites to concentrate even more singulary on military endeavours, while Prophets took care of science and technology."
Halo 2 Sangheili Zealot
- 343 Guilty Spark in the Bestiarum
The Sangheili are intelligent and can demonstrate this in battle. Sangheili are normally on the move when fighting, constantly running and ducking, strafing and dodging when firing at an enemy. It should be noted that not all Sangheili make use of cover because of their superior strength, these are the Sangheili who hold the ranks of either Zealot or Councilor. The Sangheili seem to employ complex strategy only if it either improves success in battle, or it allows them to inflict more casualties on their enemies. In ship-to-ship combat, despite having the advantage of long-range weapons such as plasma torpedoes, the Sangheili prefer to maneuver in close in an attempt to board their opponent's vessel. These Sangheili 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 behind cover; as the enemy approaches, a Sangheili will spring from its position and land a massive melee hit on the unsuspecting opponent, and is especially even more dangerous if the hiding Sangheili is carrying an Energy Sword due to the weapon's lethal melee power.
The Sangheili are competent tacticians, known for their ferocity and decisive thinking. This is shown to be true in space ship-to-ship combat, even when horribly outnumbered; they can win a fight with only a few losses. An example of this is the Battle of Installation 00, when Truth's fleet outnumbered the Sangheili three-to-one, yet the Sangheili prevailed with at least the Assault Carrier, Shadow of Intent. However it should be noted that the Sangheili received and possessed ship technologies from the Prophet's study of Forerunner technology, perhaps a century or several centuries more advanced than that of Humanity. Examples include advanced reactor technologies with power outputs several orders of magnitude greater than Human reactor technologies, powerful shields capable of withstanding up to 3 MAC impacts, highly effective point defense laser turrets capable of fending off sizable barrages of Archer missiles and nuclear ordanance, and super-accurate Plasma torpedoes and Energy Projectors. Due to the lack of shielding on Human vessels, these plasma weapons were capable of outright destroying or disabling most Human vessels in one hit. The performance of their sub-light engines also far outstripped the manuvering capabilities of Human vessels. Due to their vast technology gap, the tactical and strategic intellect of the Sangheili with respect to Humans cannot be ascertained.
There were incidences, however, of smaller human fleets obliderating much larger Sangheili fleets such as Admiral Patterson's victory over Voro Nar 'Mantakree's fleet over Onyx. This, combined with Admiral Preston J. Cole's repeated victories over Sangheili fleets throughout his career with numbers to offset the Covenant's massive technological advantage, as well as the fashion in which the Sangheili lost over two thirds of their entire invasion fleet over Reach to nothing more than ablative tactics, gives reason to cast doubt on the Sangheili's actual mastery of naval warfare and calls into question issues of reliance on advanced technology. Indeed, this also appears to happen between the Sangheili and the Jiralhanae. Although the two possess similiar ships, the Sangheili possess slightly more sophisticated technology which gave them an edge over their Jiralhanae counter parts, such as the Counter Guidance Signal Technology used to disrupt the guidance of plasma torpedoes. The Jiralhanae's grasp of this technology in comparison to the Sangheili's was poor.
As much as Sangheili are, for the most part, competent when it comes to combat tactics and battle plans, their code of honor does get in the way of it as they have shown a preference for close combat with their foes, and the majority of their weaponry is suited for short-range fighting. The Energy Sword, the most prized weapon of the Sangheili, is the strongest example of this. Swords are often carried and used as primary weapons on the battlefield by Zealots and other superior officers, and although devastating in hand-to-hand combat, are useless at long range.
The Sangheili practises of commanders leading from the front and distinguishing leaders through colored armor has resulted in a very high attrition rate for Sangheili commanders. In many battles, Zealots have been killed early in the fighting (such as Noga 'Putumee), leaving their forces leaderless and uncoordinated. UNSC snipers have been specifically trained to pick out and eliminate high-ranking Sangheili. The Sangheili tradition of promotion through feats of arms on the battlefield has sometimes placed individuals of questionable tactical and strategic skill, such as Ripa'Moramee, into high-ranking positions, purely because of their ability to kill their enemies personally. However, it should be noted that this isn't common and certain Sangheili such as Thel'Vadam and Rtas'Vadum are brilliant tacticians.
What the Sangheili consider to be dishonorable has also limited their flexibility in battle. Being wounded is considered a dishonor by the Sangheili, and it has been seen that most Sangheili go berserk upon having their blood spilled and charge straight at their enemies for revenge. Others, such as Jora 'Konaree, have chosen to kill themselves after being seriously wounded in battle. The preference for most Sangheili to die rather than live wounded has resulted in unnessacary casualties. Retreat is viewed as a even greater dishonor, and many Sangheili have doomed themselves to be killed rather than retreat. The UNSC and Jiralhanae has very frequently attempted to take advantage of the Sangheili concept of honor to lure them into traps. Examples of this include the Battle of Installation 05 where Tartarus killed many Elites with the Fist of Rukt, Operation: FIRST STRIKE, Kurt's final actions in the Battle of Onyx, the Battle of Alpha Base on Installation 04, and Cole's last stand at Psi Serpentis. After the fall of the Covenant, the Sangheili's religious, superstitious, and political views have somewhat changed and have led to the realization that many of these beliefs are unnessacary and zealous rather than honorable. Although it was not favored, the Sangheili began taking after Human customs such as understanding blindly charging charging is in no way beneficial compared to finding a tactful solution, taking away the advantage enemies like the UNSC and Jiralhanae have attempted to use against them. This is something that is becoming more and more beneficial to the Sangheili, both culturally and militarily.
Culture[]
The Sangheili consider most other species to be inferior to them, both culturally and in fighting skill. Although Sangheili are naturally very intelligent, their culture's long dependence on a military-industrial scheme has led to
Sangheili Honor Guardsmen in High Charity
an emphasis on might over science. In some regards, the advent of the Covenant made this position easier-allowing the Sangheili to concentrate even more mono-manically on military endeavours, while Prophets deal with science and technology. Despite this, their adeptness at using and creating technology is evident. It is probable that they designed the Covenant Cruiser themselves. They demonstrated their superiority at space combat in the battle with the Jiralhanae over Installation 00.
Promotion in the Covenant military is by merit; a Covenant soldier must succeed to advance among the ranks. Success is often measured in scalps. A Zealot, for example, has personally slaughtered thousands of individuals to reach that status.
Raised from childhood to be warriors, other societal roles are treated as secondary endeavours or even hobbies, and are not honored at all. Elites are skilled in the usage of most Covenant weapons. One interesting example of this martial focus is that only aristocrats are allowed to wield swords and that sword-wielders are then no longer eligible for marriage; however, they may breed with any female they choose, married or otherwise, to ensure successful transmission of "swordsman" genes.
In many ways, the Sangheili are much like Humans. They communicate, are loyal to their superiors and comrades, become protective of their troops and become angry and vengeful if another Sangheili is killed. They fear very little, taking great pride in an ancient, honor-laden code. Even when mortally wounded, the Sangheili still charge towards the enemy in a doomed last minute attack. Sangheili honor also dictates that they always be the first ones into battle, and to never allow themselves to be captured alive. The most honorable captured Sangheili typically commit suicide while in prison to retain some measure of honor; often times when they are freed those who have not are executed anyway, as was the case with one of Thel'Vadam's ancestors. However, escaping or staging an uprising is acceptable, by the same example.
Respect and Honor[]
The Sangheili display respect and admiration for honorable fighters, whether they are allies of the Sangheili or not. It is not uncommon for the Sangheili to have such admiration for their adversaries. Sangheili respect and revere
A Sangheili defeating another in battle
veterans and often follow their lead. Their history is rife with victorious combatants welcoming the defeated enemy's remaining forces into their own arm, provided of course that they fought with honor. During the Unggoy Rebellion, the most tenacious of the Unggoy who survived the conflict were admitted for the first time into previously all-Sangheili forces, much to the Prophet's discontent. It is most likely that survivors of this group of Unggoy were among the Unggoy supporting the Sangheili during the Great Schism, out of respect, and dislike of the Covenant.
The Sangheili code of honor appears quite similiar to Japanese Bushido, sharing concepts such as skill in combat (with emphasis on swordsmanship), loyalty to master and family/clan, and views on death. Both systems promote death in battle as being the most honorable and proper way to die. If a warrior is critically injured, incapacitated, or captured, the only acceptable recourse is to commit ritualistic suicide, ensuring one's honor is kept intact. This was of such importance to Sangheili warriors that even if they were incapable of killing themselves, they requested the assistance of their fellow Sangheili in doing so.
Superstitions[]
Despite their martial nature, the Sangheili have reservations to the spilling of one's own blood. This is an extension of the belief that the blood of a warrior is his essence (honor); thus, to spill one's blood is to lose one's honor. As a result, in Sangheili culture, doctors are seen by many as the lowest members of society because they "...make (their) living slicing and causing another Sangheili to bleed without honor." This meant that the only 'honorable' way for a Sangheili to be injured or bleed out is from combat with the enemy. This belief also makes visiting a doctor very shameful for some Sangheili.
It is believed among the Sangheili that a weapon is only to be drawn if it is to be used, because a drawn weapon "demands blood."
Government[]
Sangheili government appears to be a feudal meritocracy and is partially democratic, as elders of different clans rule different areas. The ruler of these areas, a Kaidon, is elected by a group of council elders thar reside in that area. If a council elder believes that his vote was "ill advised" or "had second thoughts", it was considered a tradition for council elders to initiate some form of attack, such as sending assassins, against the Kaidon in order to "test the true merit of (the) ruler's martial abilities." The belief was that "a Kaidon who could not defend himself was not a true leader." Should the attack fail, the responsible elder will be executed immediately, and his family will be killed. However, punishment for this form of heresy was usually flexible. As such, if the elder did something honorable, such as attack the Kaidon himself, or attempted to make a final stand against the Kaidon, then he would probably have managed to save his family from certain death, although they might still be exiled.
Sangheili government saw a dramatic change after the Great Schism, with democracy quickly taking the place of the race's original meritocratic government. Eventually, meritocratic society was nothing but a symbol for the Sangheili people (much like the Monarchy is to the British) and democracy ruled. During the Second Human-Sangheili War, Chava took over and put in place a imperialist government which favored imperialism and Chava became emperor. This didn't last long and the original all-democratic state was restored after the Imperialist Revolution. The Sangheili has so far now remained democratic, even after it joined the UGA.
Family[]
Family history and lineage are greatly valued, with each family having their own unique "Battle Poem" detailing the deeds and actions of its members during times of war. These "epics" may have influenced the recitation of war poetry among the Mgalekgolo, due to their deep respect for Sangheili. It is theorized that Sangheili males are sent into service as warriors and soldiers, as no female Sangheili has been seen in combat roles. Whether sexual dimorphism exists in Sangheili or if there is a signficant difference in gender roles remains unknown.
Sangheili warriors form very close-knitted relationships, referring to their comrades as "brothers" and remaining intensely loyal to them. This loyalty is shown in the custom of greiving after the death of a fallen comrade, a ritual which includes prayer for the dead warrior.
Children[]
In some clans, Sangheili children are raised in "common rooms" to ensure that all start on equal footing and progress in rank by merit of their abilities. Members of some Sangheili clans rarely know their true fathers, and are usually raised by a maternal uncle instead. This may be a method of preventing status from being inherited in order to force children to make their own way in the world so they actively work for and earn advancement. However, as some children's fathers were Swordsmen who were granted the right to reproduce with an number of female Sangheili they desire, the use of a maternal uncle as a father-like figure may have also been used to allow children to be raised equally. Sangheili believe that copulation without regard for bloodline is uncultured. A popular pastime for Sangheili children is to hunt small rat-like creatures that live on their homeworld.
Naming[]
The Sangheili placed great value in names, and it is considered both a privlege and an honor for only those proved worthy. The Sangheili generally consider humans to be nameless (one notable exception being the Spartans encountered on the battlefield, whom they exclusively refer to as "Demons"), and resent that the humans have assigned the label "Elite" to them (although they have been given many other names far more derogatory, such as squid-head, split lip, hinge-head etc). The word "Elite" is often transposed as an English translation of their own name in-game and in other media.
The surname of each individual comes from their lineage. Thel'Vadam, for example, was from the Vadam lineage. Each lineage has its own state on Sangheilos, and each Sangheili from that state adopts the name of the lineage.
Sangheili names are constructed from a series of parts, each of them with a specific or special meaning. The first name is a given name that is attained at birth, which persists until adulthood. As they come of age, they earn the right to carry a badge name. This name is made up of three parts: and adjectival descriptor, such as "fast" or "deadly," a creche or family name, and the "-ee" suffix, an honoriffic indicating that the Sangheili is a military participant. Since the Great Schism, most Sangheili in the rebellious faction have removed their name of the "-ee" suffix, but many like Krodom and Chava'Salsamee prefer to keep it as they are stil bound by Covenant beliefs. Most Sangheili 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 Sangheili name, it may be assumed that it denotes Xytan's status as Imperial Admiral, although this has yet to be confirmed. There is only one other known instance of this naming structure: Voro 'Mantakree, who was given the additional title of "Nar" to denote his status as a Fleetmaster. Apart from the "-ee" suffix, the suffix "-ai" denotes swordsmanship, as with Bero 'Kusovai and Toha 'Sumai.
Homeworld[]
Sangheilos is the homeworld of the Sangheili species with a population of 8.135 billion. Sangheilos is the fourth planet in a Triple Star System of stars Urs, Fied, and Joori. The planet has two moons called Qikost and Suban. Many Forerunner artifacts exist on the planet, which are (or at least are) the topic of worship, as well as the cause of historical wars between the Sangheili and the San'Shyuum before the formation of the Covenant. Sangheilos is divided into provinces, which are subdivided into states. Each state is owned by a lineage, and everyone born in that state adopts the lineage's name as a surname. Each state is controlled by a Kaidon, who is advised by Council Elders.
Rank Structure[]
Sangheili are promoted based upon their skills, abilities, and the number of casualties they inflict upon their enemy. This is usually measured in scalps. A high-ranking Sangheili may have personally slaughtered thousands of enemies throughout his military career. The Sangheili armor becomes more complex as the rank increases, much like the Jiralhanae rank system.
Sangheili Minor
Sangheili Minor[]
The most common and least experienced Sangheili, Minor Sangheili are still extremely skilled warriors. They are technically the physical equivalent to a Spartan II. They possess shields that are weaker than Sangheili Major's, and are slightly stronger than MJOLNIR Mark VI. They are the possible Covenant equivalent of a Sergeant in ranking. Along with Major Domo Sangheili, they often lead squads of grunts into battle.
Sangheili Major Domo
Sangheili Major Domo[]
This veteran Sangheili warrior holds the ranking equivalent of a Lieutenant. Overall they are more agile, more accurate and more aggressive than Minors and rarely make tactical mistakes in combat. A single Major Domo and hold its own against an entire squad of UNSC marines. They can be seen leading Unggoy and Minor Sangheili into battle.
Sangheili Ultra
Sangheili Ultra[]
These are the Covenant's equivalent of a Colonel and Captain's, just below the purple-blue armored Zealots in rank. They command individual operations, unlike the Zealots who command fleets or armies.
Sangheili Ranger
Sangheili Ranger[]
The Rangers are a voluntary group of Sangheili 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 Sangheili armor optimized for zero-gravity, non-atmosphere combat, similiar in appearence to Halo 3's Flight armor permutation. Their armor is cobalt in color, brighter than that of the Sangheili Minor. They can pose a substantial threat, due to their unique movement options. There also variants that use their equipment to give them a tactical advantage planet side, flying above and shooting from the air, confusing and demoralizing the enemy, similiar to a Drone, but with more power and fewer numbers. They are often the security of a carrier in space. Indentification: Cyan Armor in Halo 2, Light Grey Armor in Halo: Reach, Jet Pack.
Sangheili Stealth Minor
Sangheili Stealth Minor[]
The Stealth Sangheili are the Covenant's assassins and spies, and they use Active Camo technology as their main ability, as the Special Operations Sangheili do. They're often used on ambushes, which, with the help of their active camouflage technology, allow them to take down many enemies. Members of this rank can be indentified by their brown armor. Image is not correct. Identification: Brown Armor, Active Camo.
Sangheili Stealth Major[]
The Stealth Sangheili are the Covenant's assassins and spies, and they use Active Camo technology as their main ability, as the Special Operations Sangheili do. They're often used on ambushes, which, with the help of their
Sangheili Stealth Major
active camouflage technology, allow them to take down many enemies. Members of this rank can be indentified by their brown armor. Image is not correct. Identification: Brown Armor, Active Camo.
Special Operations Sangheili[]
SpecOps Sangheili 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 Sangheili. Most notably, SpecOps Sangheili operate in squads, are extremely skilled and and accurate grenade throwers. They are equipped
Special Operations Sangheili
with a Active Camouflage system, but rarely use it, except to get into position without being noticed though they have also been known to sometimes operate similiarly to Stealth Sangheili using camo during battle. They can be seen leading SpecOps Unggoy into battle, but only in Halo 2. Identification: Purplish armor in Halo 3, Dark Red armor in Halo: Reach.
Special Operations Officer[]
Wearing pitch black armor, the Special Operations Officers, also known as commandos, lead SpecOps Sangheili and even SpecOps Unggoy. They possess all of the skills and equipment of their underlings. Identification: Black Armor.
Special Operations Officer
Special Operations Commander of the Covenant[]
The Special Operations Commander of the Covenant appears to be an even higher title than Field Master (perhaps around the same level as a Shipmaster or Fleetmaster), controlling all Spec Ops within the Covenant and taking missions personally from the San'Shyuum. Also, in Halo 2 and Halo 3, the only Sangheili known to hold this rank is Rtas'Vadum, who commands a Assault Carrier, a ship usually used by Prophets, showing his high rank. Identification: White Armor (To not be confused with Ultras)
Special Operations Commander of the Covenant
Sangheili Honor Guardsman[]
The Sangheili Honor Guardsman are the personal guard of the High Council, in particular the Prophet Hierarchs, but they were later replaced by the Jiralhanae. They wear ornate, ceremonial red and orange elaborately flanged armor which has a glow to it. Identification: Red/Orange/Yellow Armor.
Sangheili Honor Guard Ultra[]
Sangheili Honor Guardsman
Also known as the Lights of Sangheilos, Honor Guard Ultras are one of the most elite combat units of the Sangheili, named for the cluster of stars near the Sangheili home system. They are seen in clad in white armor with glowing Honor Guard plates, and wield Energy Staves. They are not to be confused with Honor Guard Councilors. Identifcation: Silver/Orange Armor.
Sangheili Honor Guard Councilor[]
Sangheili Honor Guard Councilors are the highest rank a Honor Guard can go. They are Sangheili who command certain regiments of Honor Guards, and answer directly to the San'Shyuum. They wear Councilor armor with Honor Guard plates. They use the usual orange glow found on the plates. Identification: Grey/Orange Armor.
Sangheili General[]
This rank seems to be the Sangheili equivalent of the Jiralhanae War Chieftains and have only been observed during the Fall of Reach, although some were encountered in the Dark Era. They were more common than the Zealot ranks, but had similiar roles. They do not appear to be a Zealot rank themselves, as indicated by a cutscene from Halo: Reach. They are more reckless than Zealots and use heavy weapons such as fuel rod guns more than the Zealot's preferred weapon, the energy sword. They have a heavy
Honor Guard Ultra
amount of shields and an incredible amount of health. Identifcation: Golden/Orange armor
Zealot[]
The Admirals and Generals of the Covenant military, Commanders of Battalions, Ships and Fleets. The Zealots are seperated into three sub-types:
Field Masters[]
Field Masters lead armies. They are the ones who usually wield energy swords and lead battalions of troops into battle. Their skill in battle is almost unmatched, and their tactical brilliance is never to be underestimated.
Ship Masters[]
Honor Guard Councilor
Ship Masters command a single ship. They are usually very highly skilled captains, being able to execute daring and honorable manuvers that not only achieve them victory in battle, but utter dominance in space combat.
Sangheili General
Fleet Masters[]
Fleet Masters command whole fleets. They can lead whole flotillas into battle against enemy vessels and prevail using excellent tactics and strategy, making them one of the most skilled fleet commanders to historically exist.
Field Marshall[]
Sangheili Zealot
The Field Marshall rank falls under the Zealot-class, but appears to outrank regular Zealots. Besides leading large-scale ground operations, Field Marshall's are known to lead small strike teams composed of Zealot officers. The only appearences of a Field Marshall was during the Fall of Reach, although some were encountered during the Dark Era. The Field Marshall rank was presumably removed after the Fall of Reach due to the power balanace of the Prophets who wanted to remain as the Covenant's religious leaders fearing that if there was a rebellion, a Field Marshall would be to powerful a force to handle. However, they were reinstated after the Great Schism, and have continued to serve ever since. Identification: Maroon/Purple Shade Color.
Supreme Commander[]
Sangheili Field Marshall
The Supreme Commander is the Covenant commander of a rather large or powerful fleet, fleets that are much larger than ones that Fleetmasters command. In the Halo Graphic Novel, a Supreme Commander is depicted as clad in bright violet armor, with a long cloak that wraps around their shoulders. This particular Supreme Commander, Thel'Vadam, was a friend and superior to SpecOps Commander of the Covenant Rtas'Vadum, and would later become the Arbiter of the Covenant. Another supreme commander, is Luro 'Taralumee of the Third Fleet of Glorious Consequence.
Imperial Admiral[]
Revealed in Ghosts of Onyx, the Imperial Admiral's role is to command the whole fleet of the Covenant. Only two such Sangheili, Xytan 'Jar Wattinree of the Covenant Separatists and later, Suto'Karmaee of the Separatist Union are known to hold this rank, and it is thought that only one is needed at one time. Imperial Admirals are usually in command of the entire Sangheili Navy until they retired and replaced.
Councilor[]
The Councilors share power with the minor Prophets on the High Council. They are one of the highest ranks a Sangheili can achieve. During the events of Halo 2, they were taken to Installation 05, where they were murdered by the Jiralhanae, though a few were saved by the Arbiter during the beginning of the Covenant Civil War. Only one Councilor is known by name: Soha 'Rolamee. Based on this, Councilors must be required to submit to a certain degree of military participation given "Rolamee's" "-ee" suffix. Indenfication:
Sangheili Councilor
Silver armor, large helmet with bronze and steel inner color design.
Thel'Vadam, a Supreme Commander
Other Ranks[]
Arbiter[]
In times of extraordinary crisis, the High Council bestows the rank of Arbiter on a single Sangheili. The most notable Arbiters are the ones of the Unggoy Rebellion, the Battle of Jericho VII, The Taming of the Hunters, Ripa'Moramee, and most notable of all, Thel'Vadam, the Arbiter who stopped the Covenant Heretics on the Gas Mine and then aiding the UNSC and Covenant Separatists in the Great Schism. The armor of the Arbiter is an ancient version of the current Sangheili harness, which has primitive active camouflage that only lasts for a variably short period of time. The San'Shyuum have also used the position of Arbiter to send those due to be executed unceremoniously on so-called "suicide missions" so that they can regain some of their lost honor and die a glorious death in battle, such as is the case for Thel'Vadam.
Kaidon[]
Kaidons are leaders of particular states of Sangheilos, and the heads of their lineages. They are advised by a Council of elders, and selected by this Council. They may also serve in the Covenant military (or Sangheili military after the Great Schism), though Kaidon does not appear to be a military rank itself.
Oracle Master[]
Oracle Masters are apparently advisers to the High Council and to the High Prophets, specializing in intelligence gathering and religious advise to high ranking Prophets and the Sangheilian Councilors. They seem to be few in number, as only one has ever been mentioned. Their name can be considered linked to the Monitor's of Installations, known to the Covenant as Oracles, perhaps metaphorically suggesting their level of intellect on par with that of a Oracle. Little beyond this limited information and speculation is known of this rank.
Aristocrat[]
The Aristocrats are important members of Sangheili society, allowed to wield Energy Swords. They are unable to marry, but allowed to mate with any female, married or unmarried, to "pass on the genes of sword fighting and the nobility."
Ossoona[]
Ossoona is a special rank of Sangheili that are meant to be spies and are not properly equipped for heavy combat, instead meant for information gathering on human weapons and military data. They are also referred to as the "Eyes of the Prophets," because "at times the Sangheili had an unfortunate tendency to destroy everything in their path, leaving very little for their analysts to analyse." One of the major items of information the Ossoonas were tasked with discovering was the location of Earth. It is a temporary rank only granted to those who have attained at least the rank Major Domo, the reason being that a Minor's lack of experience could cause them to be compromised. It is not given to Sangheili of higher rank because they are considered to valuable and would rather engage in combat. One example of an Ossoona was a Sangheili named Isna 'Nosolee from the book, Halo: The Flood.
Ascetics[]
The Ascetics are a special group of Sangheili made to ensure stability and purity. The Ascetic armor has been made to inflict a pyschological fear by the use of special elements in the armor, such as the two "tusks" protruding from the helmet and bright, glowing orange eyes. They do not appear in the games apart from an armor permutation in Halo 3.
Commando[]
Commando is a special Sangheili rank that was first observed in the Battle of Installation 04. It is a branch of the Special Warfare Group based upon pre-contact ground forces. Commando Sangheili possess hardened communication gear and up-link capable equipment that an ordinary Sangheili wouldn't have access to. Their armor is streamlined for better manuverability in close encounters. The armor is lightweight and advanced internal equipment increase the overall effectiveness of an individual Sangheili making them more deadly.
Prison Guards[]
Prison Guards are only seen in Halo Wars: Genesis and appear to serve as the security in a Sangheili prison.
Weapons Master[]
Weapons Masters are Sangheili engineers who maintain and improve equipment used by the Covenant.
Heretic Ranking Structure[]
Heretic Sangheili Minor[]
Indentification: Heretic Brown. Group commanders of the Heretic Unggoy. They wear brown Heretic armor, and wield Covenant Carbines, and occassionally, Sentinel Beams. They are excellent shots, far superior to normal Sangheili Minors. They are also skilled Banshee pilots, and fly in pairs, amplifying their effectiveness.
Heretic Sangheili Major[]
Identification: Heretic Gold. Work as commanders of the Heretic Unggoy and Heretic Sangheili Minors. They wear gold-colored Heretic armor, and are equipped with Covenant Carbines and Sentinel Beams. A select few wield energy swords. While not so skilled in the Energy Swords use as Honor Guards, Councilors, Zealots, or even Ultras, they are still quite dangerous due to their crafty flanking maneuvering and teamwork with other Heretics.
Heretic Sangheili Leader[]
Indentification: Heretic Red/Thruster Pack. Sesa'Refumee, the leader of the Heretics. The armor he wears is modified from standard combat harnesses, featuring body pieces with modified shapes and designs in shades of red, lack of helmet, and is upgraded with a Sangheili Ranger's Thruster Pack. This gave him a unique advantage in combat, but it was not enough for him to defeat the Arbiter, who sley him in the Battle of the Gas Mine.
Trivia[]
The dialogue spoken by the Sangheili in Halo CE was made by reversing and slowing sound of Sergeant Johnson. "Wort! Wort! Wort!" is the reversed phrase, "Go! Go! Go!". With the IWHBYD Skull turned on in Halo 3, they will occassionally say their trademark, "Wort! Wort! Wort!"
Jason Jones at first wanted Sangheili to have tails, but Shi Kai Wang talked him out of it by arguing that the Sangheili would look too animalistic, as opposed to being an intelligent race. An additonial point was that when the Sangheili sit, the only place their tails could go was folded between their legs, creating a seriously awkward appearence.
Sangheili culture is comparable to that of the ancient Spartan's of Humanity's past. Rank is achieved by success, and much of their lives revolve around war.
The Sangheili culture also seems to be based off the Yautja alien species from the film series Predator. Anatomically the two share similiarties as well, such as the split mouth, head shape (somewhat(elongated skull, split mandibles, no (visible) nose, etc.)), strength and reptillian appearence. Both species also have a very defined sense of honor and respect to their enemies as well. Also, they both use energy based weaponry, pretruding blades on their wrists, a combat harness, and an optical camouflage system.
Sangheili have 46 teeth.
It is mentioned in Ghosts of Onyx that Sangheili would rather die with their weapons out of energy than pick up fully loaded Human weapons, yet they show no shame when they obtain them in Halo 2 and Halo 3. They will sometimes even thank the player when handed powerful human weapons, such as the Rocket Launcher. This is likely because they are now Covenant Separatists, and longer view humans as Heretics, nor their weapons 'unclean.' But the case is not the same in Halo 2.
In Halo: Reach, if the player chooses to play as Elites in Firefight and has higher-ranking armor than the other elites around him/her, they will talk to the player in their language. They will sometimes also follow the player, this has also been seen with the other species, such as Unggoy, Kig-Yar and Skirmishers.
Although the player cannot dual wield, Elites are occassionally seen dual-wielding plasma rifles in Halo: Reach, the most common Sangheili to dual-wield is the Ultra.
The Sangheili has many head characteristics of the Xenomorph from the Alien series, especially the elongated skull.
In Halo: The Fall of Reach, a Sangheili is said to have green blood when it has purple in all game appearences to date.
They are, unfittingly, the very first Covenant species the player encounters in most of the Halo games: when you make your way to the bridge of the Pillar of Autumn in Halo CE, at the trial of Thel'Vadamee in Halo 2, in the opening cutscene of Halo 3, and the first Covenant "seen" in Halo: Reach at the beginning of Winter Continegency is an invisible SpecOps Elite, but only on legendary. In Halo Wars, they are seen in the first cutscene during a battle on Harvest fighting against UNSC Marines, but are not seen in Halo 3: ODST.
There has been a running inconsistentcy in the franchise regarding when humans first encountered the Sangheili. According to Halo The Fall of Reach, Elites had not been deployed to combat against the UNSC prior to the Fall of Reach when John-117 encountered one above Reach. However, this has been abandoned in later sources, most of which depict Sangheili being active in the field for most of the Human-Covenant War. Finally, the project page for Halo: Reach confirms that Elites have been observed in the field since the First Battle of Harvest in 2525.
In Halo CE, the Sangheili have three different types of helmet appearences. One is the classical shark-like helmet with the pointed cone at the peak of the helmet. The second is slightly different with a wide, crest-like and curved upper piece on the helmet instead of the classical conical helmet. The third is known in the game code as the "Elite special", stealth elites, the gold Zealots and the special operations officers all have a helmet very, very similiar in shape to the shark-like helmet. And with close inspection can it be noticed that it is slightly different in shape to the "shark" helmet.
An exclusive set of Sangheili Officer armor (which is Halo Reach Major Domo armor) was included along with the Legendary edition and Limited editions of Halo: Reach.
In Halo 3, Sangheili pupils turn to vertical slits upon death, whereas they are circular and centered when they are alive. This is because they have horizontal eye-lids, which can be seen when they blink, and this is simply their eyes closed while dead.
In Halo: Reach, the Sangheili HUD compass has Covenant markings instead of cardinial directions.
In Halo: Reach, If you activate night vision while aiming at a dead elite's eyes, the eyes will glow.
In Halo: Reach, many Sangheili ranks have more ornate and different armor than their Halo trilogy counterparts. Perhaps after the Fall of Reach, the Covenant gave Elites less ornate armor because it was easy to spot high-ranking officers, due to their special armor.
In Halo: Reach, When a Sangheili wields a Energy Sword, it slouches.
In Halo: Reach Firefight, the Sangheili night vision is blue.
In Halo 3, although the Sangheili and humans are united towards the end of the Human-Covenant War, they still refer to John-117 as "demon". It is unknown if that the Sangheili don't exactly know what to call him, or they are trying to show him respect.
In Halo: Reach, Sangheili player models feature an aim-assist system for the Plasma Pistol, Needler, Plasma Rifle and Plasma Repeater. The aim-assist projects a second redicule which leads a target, much like that of the Sabre. The second redicule is nearly identical to that of the Focus Rifle.
Elites are sometimes referred to as Echo Tangos, which could be a military form of ET, another name for them (much like Bravo Kilos (Baby Kongs) for Brutes).
When playing in firefight as an elite, AI controlled Elites will speak to the player in their own language, although the player still cannot understand them as their is no known translation.
Only higher ranked Sangheili are allowed to wield and use Energy Swords.
In Halo: Reach, the eyes of a Sangheili no longer glow during gameplay.
In Halo: Reach, a Sangheili will throw an Energy Sword in the air when it picks it up, unlike the Sangheili in Halo 3, who simply pick it up and turn it on.
If one were too examine the model of any Sangheili that has its face showing Halo: Reach, with two or more players signed in on the same console, the teeth and eyes of the Elite will have mysteriously disappeared. The cavities where the teeth once resided, however, will still be visible.
In Halo CE, mysterious (silver-blue shine with black secondary armor color, with standard minor armor) elite corpses can be seen in various levels, but are never seen alive or in combat, or anywhere else for that matter.
Several previews of Halo CEA gameplay have shown that Elites have had strong graphical overhauls, giving them more predatory appearences than in the previous games.
After the Great Schism, the Sangheili employed Unggoy and, ironically, Jiralhanae as slaves.
On Legendary difficulty, it takes 7 melee hits to completely kill an Elite, which could be a possible 7 reference, Bungie's lucky number.
Sangheili children, and adults, used Arums to learn patience.
According to Halo 4 article in May issue of Game Informer magazine, Elites will no longer be playable in Multiplayer.
In Halo: Glasslands it states that Sangheili smell faintly of leather to the Human nose.
Voice Work[]
Keith David - Thel'Vadam (Arbiter)
Robert Davi - Rtas'Vadum (Special Operations Commander in Halo 2, Shipmaster in Halo 3)
David Scully - Sangheili (Halo CE, Halo 2, Halo 3 and Halo Reach)
Miguel Ferrer - Sesa'Refumee (Heretic Leader)
Norm Woodel - Sangheili (Halo 2)
Ron Hippe - Sangheili (Halo 3)
David Sobolov - Ripa'Moramee (Arbiter), and Sangheili (Halo Wars)
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