Editing Honor Guard

[[File:Enc22-SangheiliHonorGuard.png |300px|thumb|A Sangheili Honor Guardsman employing the {{Pattern|Gheocin|combat harness}}.]]

'''Honor Guardsman''' is a notably high rank of highly-skilled [[Covenant]] warriors employed within the [[Covenant]] [[Covenant Honor Guard|Honor Guard]] unit. The Honor Guardsmen served to defend the [[San'Shyuum]] and other political figures, particularly the [[Hierarchs]].{{Ref/Reuse|sacred}}<ref>''Halo: Contact Harvest'', p. 381</ref><ref name="EVG">''[[Halo: The Essential Visual Guide]]'', p. 95</ref> The role was once exclusively adopted by [[Sangheili]] before the Great Schism changed the role in favor of their [[Jiralhanae]] rivals.

When the Prophets betrayed the Sangheili at the beginning of the Great Schism, some of the Sangheili Honor Guardsmen killed themselves after learning of their treachery,<ref>''Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe'', The Return</ref> although others decided to [[Fleet of Retribution|assist]] the [[Arbiter]] [[Thel 'Vadam]] and the [[human]]ity's [[United Nations Space Command|UNSC]] in fighting against the new Covenant leadership led by the Prophet of Truth and [[Tartarus]].{{Ref/Level|Id=H2GJ|Game=Halo 2|Level=[[The Great Journey]]}} Following the defeat of the Covenant, many of the former Sangheili Honor Guardsmen found themselves isolated and purposeless. A few Honor Guardsmen unwilling to ally with most of the [[Covenant remnants|remnant groups]] of the former Covenant pledged allegiance to the [[Banished]], specifically Shipmaster [[Let 'Volir]] who served [[Atriox]] in an unconventional arrangement, seeing opportunity in the service of the powerful mercenary organization. Evoking the traditions and accomplishments of their predecessors and using re-purposed ceremonial equipment of the old Covenant Honor Guard, these Honor Guardsmen are skilled swordsmen who match the Covenant's Honor Guard in fighting prowess.<ref>[http://www.haloarchive.com/forum/topic/9-canon-fodder-and-random-lore-chat/?do=findComment&comment=217240 ''Youtuber:'' Blitz Cards]</ref><ref name="HW2">''[[Halo Wars 2]]''</ref>

File:HTMCC-H2A Ultra Honor Guard.jpg|A Light of Sanghelios with a helmet.{{Ref/Note|The depiction is the one of the resulting permutations (with the helmet of Honor Guardsman) from the [[Honor Guard Councilor]] glitch in ''[[Halo 2]] [[Halo 2: Anniversary|Anniversary]]'' [[campaign]] level ''[[Gravemind (level)|Gravemind]]''.}}

The newer position of Jiralhanae Honor Guardsman was chosen for their stronger loyalty to the Prophets than the Sangheili during the [[Great Schism]] after the assassination of the High Prophet of Regret by [[John-117]].<ref name="HE145">'''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)]]''', ''page 145''</ref><ref name="gravemind">'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level, ''[[Gravemind (level)|Gravemind]]''</ref> The then-new Jiralhanae role was largely ceremonial, unless a San'Shyuum's life was being threatened.{{Ref/Reuse|HE145}} The Sangheili were incensed that their role of protecting the [[San'Shyuum]], which they had faithfully executed for millennia, had been revoked and delegated to their rivals, the Jiralhanae.<ref>'''[[Halo 2]]''', campaign level, ''[[Sacred Icon]]''</ref>  

After the [[Fall of High Charity]] however, some lesser-ranking [[Jiralhanae Bodyguard]]s served as the [[Prophet of Truth|High Prophet of Truth]]'s personal protectors instead of their Honor Guardsmen counterparts,<ref>'''[[Halo 3]]''', campaign level, ''[[The Covenant (Level)|The Covenant]]''</ref> presumably replacing them, whom most of Honor Guardmen protecting Truth were killed by [[John-117]] while attempting to repel the Spartan from ''[[Anodyne Spirit]]'' during the [[Scramble onboard Forerunner Dreadnought]].{{Ref/Comic|Id=HU|HU|Issue=[[Halo: Uprising Issue 3|#3]]}} However, a handful of Jiralhanae Honor Guardsmen survived the [[Battle of Installation 00]] aboard the ''Anodyne Spirit'' and later participated in the [[Second Ark Conflict]] [[Dhas Bhasvod's Covenant|under]] [[Dhas Bhasvod]] in [[2559]].

File:H2A-LOS1.png|An Honor Guardsman on High Charity.

File:HTV-Contact-HonorGuards.jpg|Two Sangheili Honor Guards with the [[Prophet of Mercy/Silver|Prophet of Mercy]] in ''[[Halo: The Television Series]]''.