Councilor- These Elites share power with the minor Prophets on the High Council. They are one of the highest ranks an Elite can achieve. They have extra strong Energy Shields, a large headdress and bear a single energy sword. They were taken to Delta Halo where most were murdered by the Brutes during the Covenant Civil War.
 |
Arbiter- The unique rank of Arbiter is bestowed upon an Elite warrior only in a time of dire need, sometimes as a way to let them die without shame. They undertake suicidal missions on behalf of the Hierarchs to gain honor upon their death. The current Arbiter was branded with the mark of shame and the only way he could escape execution was to become the Arbiter. Arbiters were "made and consumed" in desperate times such as the Grunt Rebellion, or the Taming of the Hunters and most recently, in the events of Halo 2, the threat of heresy. Every Arbiter, however, inevitably dies in their duty, for, as the Prophet of Mercy put it, "The tasks one must undertake as Arbiter are perilous. Suicidal." The Arbiter rank is only temporary, that is, until the Arbiter has fallen as a martyr, and is consequently forgiven. They are revered amongst the Covenant for their bravery and skills. In Halo 2, the rank of Arbiter is given to the disgraced former Supreme Commander of the Fleet of Particular Justice. Under his watch the Ascendant Justice was captured by the Master Chief and Installation 04 was destroyed. Rather than killing him, the Prophets allow the Commander to become the Arbiter, and to carry on his missions as the "Blade of the Prophets".
Imperial Admiral- Revealed in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, the Imperial Admiral's role is to command the whole fleet of the Covenant. Only one such Elite, Xytan 'Jar Wattinree, is known and it is likely that there is only one at a time.
(No picture available)
Supreme Commander- The Supreme Commander is the commander of a particular fleet. In the Halo Graphic Novel, he is depicted as clad in bright violet armor, with a long cloak that wraps around his shoulders. This particular Supreme Commander was a friend and superior to SpecOps Leader Rtas 'Vadumee and would later become the Arbiter.
Zealot/Field Master/Ship Master/Fleet Master- The Generals and Admirals of the Covenant military; Commanders of Battalions, Ships and Fleets. Field Masters lead armies; Ship Masters command ships; Fleet Masters command armadas. 'Zealot' seems to be a general term, applying to all gold-armored Elites. Zealots appear to have been physically augmented somehow, as they are able to survive a whole magazine from an M6C Magnum, or 2 Sniper Rifle head shots (However a magazine of dual Magnums will kill them) although this may be due to higher-quality armor and shielding available to them.
Honor Guard Ultra- The Lights of Sanghelios are one of the most elite combat units of the Sangheili, named for the cluster of stars near the Sangheili home system. It is assumed that they have stronger armor and better shielding than ordinary Honor Guards. They are seen clad in white armor with glowing Honor Guard plates and are known to wield Energy Staves. They are not to be confused with honor guard coucilors, which is a glitch.
Honor Guard- The Honor Guards are the personal guard of the High Council, in particular the Prophet Hierarchs. They wear ornate, ceremonial red armor. Although they wield a large pike for ceremonial purposes, they generally utilize Energy Swords or Plasma Rifles in actual combat. It is believed, although not confirmed, that they are slightly below Zealots in the Covenant hierarchy.
Spec-ops Commander- The Special Operations Command of the Covenant appears to be an even higher rank than Zealots (probably around the same level as a Ship Master), controlling all SpecOps within the Covenant and taking missions personally from the Prophets. Also, in Halo 2 and Halo 3, the only Elite known to hold this rank Rtas 'Vadum, commands a Assault Carrier, a ship usually used by Prophets, showing his high rank.
Regular Spec-ops- Special Operations Elites are extremely skilled fighters, sent in by the Covenant to accomplish the most dangerous and difficult of missions. They have superior accuracy, fire in longer bursts and have slightly stronger shielding than regular Elites. Most notably, SpecOps Elites operate in squads, are extremely skilled and quite accurate grenade throwers. They are equipped with an Active Camouflage system, but rarely use it, except to get into position without being noticed.
Stealth Elites- The Stealth Elites are the Covenant's assassins and spies, and they use Active Camo technology, as the Special Operations Elites do. In Halo: Combat Evolved, they do not have energy shields, but are nearly invisible to the naked eye. In Halo 2, they have energy shields, but are still not as strong as normal. They're often used on ambushes, which, with the help of their active camouflage technology, allows them to take down many enemies, if they're unseen. They usually fight in pairs and wield two plasma rifles each and, sometimes on harder difficulties, Energy Swords. You can only see their armor color when they have died. In Halo: Combat Evolved, they had a light blue color, lighter than minor Elite armor. In Halo 2, it is a mix of dark brown, tan and silver.
Ranger- Rangers are a voluntary group of Elites that work in the least forgiving environment of all: vacuum. Their helmets completely encase their heads, protecting them from the vacuum of space. They wear a variant of Elite armor optimized for zero-gee, no-atmosphere combat. Their armor is cobalt in color, brighter than that of the Elite Minor. They can pose a substantial threat, due to their unique movement options. There are 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, similar to a Drone but with more power and fewer numbers.
elite ultra- These are the Covenant's Colonels and Captains, just below the golden-armored Zealots in rank. Several white Elite corpses were seen in Halo, presumably killed in combat with the Flood, but they do not appear in battle until Halo 2. They command individual operations, unlike the Zealots who command fleets or armies. Although they do not possess the same level of natural resilience as the Zealots, they use Overshields in combat to continue fighting long after their enemies are forced to retreat. They are also known to always carry Energy Swords as backup weapons.
elite major- This veteran Elite warrior is the physical equal of the UNSC's SPARTAN-II. Overall they are more agile, more accurate, more aggressive than Minors and seldom make tactical errors in combat. A single Red Elite can hold its own against an entire squad of UNSC Marines. In Halo 2, they can often be seen dual-wielding, piloting Covenant vehicles, or carrying heavy weapons. They are roughly equal in gameplay to the Master Chief, but with somewhat inferior aim.
elite minor- The most common and least experienced Elite, Minor Elites are still skilled warriors superior to any human soldier, but they are somewhat weaker than Major Domo Elites or SPARTAN-IIs. Their energy shields are not quite as powerful and they often make many 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 Domo Elites, they often lead squads of Grunts into battle.
