Rank Structure

[«Ω» .Agean.]

Sangheili are promoted based upon their skills, abilities, and the number of casualties they inflict upon their enemy. This is usually measured by 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. The order of Sangheili rank is: Minor, Officer/Major, Stealth Minor, Stealth Major, Ranger, Special Operations, Special Operations Officer, Special Operations Commander of the Covenant, Honor Guard, Honor Guard Ultra, Ultra, Zealot (Zealot covers Shipmaster, Fleet Master and Field master; the last two are equal in rank, but Shipmaster, however, is the lowest Zealot rank), General, Field Marshal, Supreme Commander, Imperial Admiral and Councilor.


● 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 Delta Halo, where most were murdered by the Brutes, though a few were saved by other Sangheili and two were saved by Thel 'Vadam 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. Identification: Silver armor, large helmet with bronze and steel inner color design.

● Imperial Admiral: Revealed in Halo: Ghosts of Onyx, the Imperial Admiral is the highest known Covenant naval rank. Only one such Sangheili has been known to hold the rank, Xytan 'Jar Wattinree, and it is likely that there is only one at a time.

● Supreme Commander: The Supreme Commander is the Covenant commander of a rather large or powerful fleet. In the Halo Graphic Novel, a Supreme Commander is depicted as clad in bright violet armor, with a long cloak that wraps around his shoulders. This particular Supreme Commander, Thel 'Vadam, was a friend and superior to SpecOps Leader Rtas 'Vadumee and would later become the Arbiter of the Covenant. Another Supreme Commander is Luro 'Taralumee of the Third Fleet of Glorious Consequence.

● Field Marshal: The Field Marshal rank falls under the Zealot-class, but appears to outrank regular Zealots. Besides leading large-scale ground operations, Field Marshal's are known to lead small strike teams composed of Zealot officers. The only appearances of a Field Marshal were during the Fall of Reach. Identification: Maroon/Purple Shade armor.

● Zealot

- Fleet Master
- Field Master
- Shipmaster: Employed by the Ministry of Fervent Intercession, Sangheili Zealots serve as the admirals and generals 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 high ranking Sangheili below Imperial Admiral and Councilor. It is also possible that each rank has sub-ranks as well, since the rank of Field Marshal exists, though this is most likely superior to a "standard" Zealot. Identification: Golden (Halo: CE/CEA and Halo 2) or Maroon/Purple armor (Halo: Reach and Halo 4).

Honor Guards

● Honor Guard Ultra: Also known as the Lights of Sanghelios, 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, but they, like the regular Honor Guards, were later replaced by the Brutes. They are seen clad in white armor with glowing Honor Guard plates, and wield Energy swords. They are not to be confused with Honor Guard Councilors, which are the creations of a glitch. Identification: Silver and Orange armor.

● Sangheili Honor Guardsman: The Sangheili Honor Guardsmen are one of the personal guards of the High Council, in particular the Prophet Hierarchs, but they were later replaced by the Brutes. They wear ornate, ceremonial red and orange elaborately flanged armor which has a glow to it. Identification: Red, Orange, and Yellow armor.

Covenant Special Operations

● Special Operations Commander of the Covenant:

● Councilor: The Special Operations Commander of the Covenant appears to be an even higher title than Ship Master (perhaps around the same level as a Field Master or Fleet Master), controlling all Spec Ops within the Covenant and taking missions personally from the Prophets. Also, in Halo 2 and Halo 3, the only Sangheili known to hold this rank is Rtas 'Vadum, who commands a CAS-class assault carrier, a ship usually used by Prophets, showing his high rank. Identification: White or silver armor (Do not be confused with Ultras).

● Special Operations Officer: Wearing pitch black armor, the Special Operations Officers, also known as commandos, lead Standard Special Operations Sangheili and even Special Operations Unggoy. They possess all of the skills and equipment of their underlings. Identification: Black armor.

● Special Operations Sangheili: Special Operations 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 are accurate grenade throwers. They are equipped with an Active camouflage system, but rarely use it, except to get into position without being noticed though they have also been known to sometimes operate similarly to Stealth Sanghelli using camo during battle. They can be seen leading Special Operation Grunts into battle, but only in Halo 2. Identification: Purplish armor in Halo 3, Dark Red armor in Halo: Reach.

Regular Specialists

● Stealth Sangheili: 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 wear unshielded light blue armor or shielded brown armor.

● 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, similar in appearance to Halo 3's Flight armor permutation. Their armor can be cobalt in color, brighter than that of the Sangheili Minor, or a light gray. 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 firepower and fewer numbers. They are often the security of a Carrier in space. Identification: Cyan armor in Halo 2, Light Grey armor in Halo: Reach, Jet Pack.

Regular Infantry

The highest-ranking military personnel employed by the Covenant among their groundside forces, this rank has only been observed during the Fall of Reach. They have a heavy amount of shields and an incredible amount of health. Identification: Golden/Orange armor.

● Sangheili Ultra: These are the Covenant's Colonels and Captains, they command individual operations, and are identified with predominantly white armor.

● Sangheili Major: This veteran Sangheili warrior holds the ranking equivalent of a UNSC Lieutenant. Overall they are more agile, more accurate and more aggressive than Minor Sangheili and rarely make tactical mistakes in combat. A single Major Sangheili can hold its own against an entire squad of UNSC Marines. They can be seen leading Grunts and Minor Sangheili into battle.

● Sangheili Minor: The most common and least experienced Sangheili, Minor Sangheili are still extremely skilled warriors. They possess shields that are weaker than Sangheili Major's, and are slightly stronger then MJOLNIR Mark V. They are the possible Covenant equivalent of a Sergeant in ranking. Along with Major Sangheili, they often lead squads of Grunts into battle.

Covenant Remnant

● Storm Sangheili: An overwhelming number of Sangheili troops currently fall within the Storm Elite class. They are effectively the iron heart of the Covenant. Despite their substantial numbers, Storm Elites can lead smaller detachments of Unggoy and Kig-Yar, and are in turn led by Sangheili Commanders and even Zealots. Although a Storm Elite's armor is simple and sleek, it is more than competent for combat purposes and is typically used in conjunction with a Storm Rifle, or, in some rare cases, a Covenant Carbine. Storm Sangheili armor can come in all colors, but the standard color is blue.

● Sangheili Ranger: Sangheili Rangers are optimized to engage in combat operations within exotic environments such as space, radioactive sites and other hazardous locations. Within the Covenant Remnant Sangheili Rangers often operate in standard infantry formations similar to that of the Storm Elite, despite the use of extra-vehicular activity equipment, marginally heavier armor and gravity-mitigating thruster packs. This is likely due to a lack of sufficient personnel. The vast majority of military operations that involve deploying Rangers are extravehicular activity engagements, however some Ranger squads are deployed to terrestrial sites where their thruster packs provide a unique advantage against their enemies. They resemble their original Sangheili Rangers and share their armor design with the Unggoy and Kig-Yar Rangers. These Rangers also have a visor face-shield similar to the UNSC's MJOLNIR EVA Armor. In Halo 4 their armor comes in different shades of white, blue, and grey.

● Sangheili Commander: A collection of the most experienced and seasoned Sangheili troops from the previous war now compromise the Elite Warrior class, what is effectively an elevated role of nobility within the Covenant military body. Utilizing powerfully reinforced combat harnesses and typically armed with the devastating Fuel Rod Cannon, Elite Warriors are one of the most intimidating Covenant units currently in operation, violently engaging enemies with unhinged ferocity and brilliant strategy. They resemble a cross between the Sangheili General and the Jiralhanae War Chieftain.

● Sangheili Zealot: Cruel and without mercy, the Elite Zealot has always been the highest favored within the Covenant Military, although now it has taken a far more central role. As the most fervent adherents to the faith, Elite Zealots were often viewed as ruthless warmongers, even within the context of the Covenant, but with the absence of San 'Shyuum leadership, the Zealots have shifted into the more practical area of social and political leadership, operating as the consummate head of the Covenant Remnant. Politics notwithstanding, contemporary Elite Zealots still actively participate in combat operations, employing lethal special-operations weapons, equipment and experience in the field. They resemble the Special Operations Sangheili, mainly because of the replacing role of the Special-Operations Sangheili & the use of the weapons, equipment & experience, the Spec-Ops had used in many previous battles. In Halo 4 their armor comes in two colors, the standard dark red color and a deep blue which is wield by Jul 'Mdama and possibly several other high ranking Zealots.