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{{Era|FS|H2}}
{{Status|Canon}}
{{Ratings}}
{{Unit infobox
 
|variant=Cov
{{Covenant Rank Infobox
|image =[[File:HINF UnggoyUltra Render.jpg|300px]]
|name=Ultra
|name =Unggoy Ultra
|image=[[File:GruntUltra03.jpg|300px]]
|species = [[Unggoy]]
|species=[[Unggoy]]
|affiliation=*[[Covenant]]{{Ref/Reuse|H2}}
|weapons=*[[Plasma Pistol]]
*[[Covenant separatists]]{{Ref/Reuse|H2}}
*[[Needler]] (common)
*[[Covenant remnants]]
*[[Plasma Rifle]] (extremely rare)
**[[Banished]]{{Ref/Reuse|HINF}}
*[[Fuel rod gun]] (uncommon)
**[[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant]]{{Ref/Reuse|HSS}}
|equipment=*[[Methane environmental suit]]
|branch=
*[[Active Camouflage]] (Only on the ''Halo 2'' levels [[The Oracle (Level)|The Oracle]] and [[Regret (Level)|Regret]])
|mission=Assist command of [[lance]]
|vehicles=*[[Ghost]]
|equipment=
*[[Shade]]
|missions=Special Operations (infiltration and stealth)
|role=[[Lance]] leaders and infantry commanders
|notable=
|notable=
|affiliation=[[Covenant]], later [[Covenant Loyalists]]
}}
}}
'''Ultra''' is the the highest known [[Unggoy]] [[Covenant]] rank.
'''Unggoy Ultra''' is the highest known [[Unggoy]] rank in the [[Covenant military]],{{Ref/Book|Id=Enc142|Enc|Page=142-143}}{{Ref/Book|EVG|Page=87}}{{Ref/Book|Enc22|Page=240}} which was inherited by its remnant factions, such as the [[Banished]] and [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant]].{{Ref/Book|Enc22|Page=431}}{{Ref/Reuse|HSS}}
 
==Rank==
 
The Ultra Grunt is the highest [[Unggoy]] rank seen so far in the [[Covenant]] military. Like [[Ultra Elite]]s, Ultra Grunts wear distinct white/pearl-like armor<ref>''[[Halo 2]]''</ref>.


Ultra Grunts can sometimes be seen commanding lower classes of [[Grunts]] in battle, even leading black-armored [[Special Operations Grunts]] into combat, and it is rare for the player to find them when playing Halo on lower difficulties, such as [[Easy]] or [[Normal]].
==Overview==
===Roles and responsibilities===
Rarely seen, the Unggoy Ultra is the highest Unggoy rank seen so far in the [[Covenant military]]. These Unggoy, like their lower-ranking cousins, appear in groups. They are very intelligent, making as few tactical errors as [[Sangheili Major]]s although that doesn't make them perfect. They usually display even more bravery in combat than Special Operations Unggoy, and are more often used for specialized attacks, rather than generic military operations. Unggoy Ultras can sometimes be seen commanding groups of lower class Unggoy in battle.


Unlike [[Ultra Elites]], Ultra Grunts do not appear to have any immunity with their command. It is just as likely that two or three will be encountered leading a small group of Grunts, yet the Elites, (or [[Brutes]] in the [[Loyalists]]) are ultimately in complete command. These Grunts, like their lower-ranking cousins, appear in groups. They are very intelligent, making as few tactical errors as [[Major Domo]] [[Elites]].
===Organisation===
Unlike Sangheili Ultras, Unggoy Ultras do not appear to have any influence with their command. It is just as likely that two or three will be encountered leading a small group of Unggoy, yet the [[Sangheili]] or [[Jiralhanae]] during the [[Great Schism]], are ultimately in complete command; similar to the way that even low-ranking [[San'Shyuum]] outrank Sangheili [[Ship Master]]s.{{citation needed}}


These Grunts usually display more bravery in combat than a [[SpecOps]] unit, and are more often used for general missions, rather than specialized attacks.
===History===
Unggoy Ultras fought over the course of the [[Human-Covenant War]] and later the [[Great Schism]], including the [[Fall of Reach]],{{Ref/Reuse|HR}} [[Battle for Earth]],{{Ref/Reuse|H2}} and [[Battle of Installation 00]].{{Ref/Reuse|H3}} While many allied with [[Sangheili]] [[Covenant separatists|rebels]] during the Covenant civil war in [[2552#November|early November 2552]],{{Ref/Reuse|H2}} others remained loyal to [[San'Shyuum]] and the new [[Jiralhanae]] leadership ruled by the [[Prophet of Truth]].{{Ref/Reuse|H3}}


==Combat==
In the [[Post-Covenant War conflicts|post war period]], the rank of Unggoy Ultra has been used [[Battle of Installation 03|at least once]] by [[Jul 'Mdama's Covenant]].{{Ref/Game|Id=HSS|HSS|In-game unit}} Multiple Unggoy Ultras belonging to the [[Banished]] led by [[War Chief]] [[Escharum]] took part in the [[Battle for Zeta Halo]] in [[2560]] against the [[John-117|Master Chief]] and the [[UNSC]] remnants on [[Installation 07|Zeta Halo]]. Unlike their Covenant counterparts, the Unggoy Ultras now outrank low ranking Sangheili and Jiralhanae, but are still subordinate to Jiralhanae Captains.{{Ref/Reuse|HINF}}


Ultra Grunts usually throw more [[grenades]] and are far more accurate and deadly at a greater distance than the lower ranked [[Major Grunt|Major]] and [[Minor Grunt]]s. They are usually seen with [[Needler]]s or [[Plasma Pistol]]s. They can also take the same amount of damage Spec Ops [[Grunts]] do (more than three times as much as a Minor Grunt can), but they are still vulnerable to head shots (even though it may take more than one for lower-end weapons). Like [[SpecOps Grunts]], they are rarely caught sleeping on duty. They still panic if they know that they are being overwhelmed, but are more likely to go berserk than panic-especially if one of their comrades was killed by a grenade. An Ultra Grunt, compared to an average Minor Grunt, can take much more damage and usually takes two to three [[melee]]s instead of one to be killed, even on lower difficulties like Normal.
==Equipment==
Like [[Sangheili Ultra]]s, Unggoy Ultras wear distinct white/pearl-like{{Ref/Game|Id=H2|H2|in-game model}}{{Ref/Game|Id=HINF|HINF|in-game model}} or lilac armor.{{Ref/Reuse|Enc142}}{{Ref/Game|Id=H3|H3|in-game model}}{{Ref/Game|Id=HR|HR|in-game model}} Unggoy Ultras are seen with several armor variants, one as a standard armor, with the exact same use with the main combat harness most other Unggoy infantry ranks are seen with like [[Unggoy Minor|Minors]] and [[Unggoy Major|Majors]] alongside specialized [[Unggoy Heavy|Heavies]],{{Ref/Reuse|H2}} and the other one is with a cylindrical methane tank as well as a completely enclosed helmet, which enables the Unggoy to operate in vacuum areas. The said helmet would fall off after being shot at, saving the Unggoy from one single headshot.{{Ref/Reuse|HR}} Another similar chassis of this harness was used by the Banished during their conflicts on Installation 07 although it has some additional protection, including both in arms and legs.{{Ref/Reuse|HINF}} Unlike other Unggoy ranks, Banished Unggoy Ultras were known to also have personal [[Energy shielding|energy shield]], similar to [[Unggoy Bodyguard]]s who also wear white-colored armor in [[Warzone]] in UNSC's [[War Games]] simulations and making them the strongest regular Unggoy troops.{{Ref/Reuse|HINF}} Whenever if it was already once used by the Covenant earlier is unknown as it may have apparently never been seen used during the Great War.


==Background==
Another armor variant for Unggoy Ultra is a Ultra-class variant of the regular [[Special Operations Unggoy]] combat harness and is equipped with an [[active camouflage]] generator. This harness variant was used by the Covenant Unggoy Ultras to lead lower-ranking [[Special Operations Unggoy]], including during the [[Raid on the Threshold gas mine]].{{Ref/Level|H2|The Arbiter}}


The purpose of this rank designation has been generally unclear. They were first mentioned in ''[[Halo: First Strike]]'', pushing carts of cleaning fluid, implying that they were even lower than [[Grunt Minors]]. However, they were also seen inside the [[Scarab]] walker in [[New Mombasa]] along with high-ranking Elites ([[Minor]], [[Major]], and [[Ultra Elite|Ultra]]). They were also seen throughout [[New Mombasa]], [[Delta Halo]] and ''[[Cairo Station]]''. This led some to believe that they were "technicians" or engineers (Not to be confused with the [[Engineers (Huragok)|Engineer]] species) of some sort, but the production book, ''[[The Art of Halo]]'', confirms that they outrank [[Major Grunts]]. It has, however, been suggested that white armor actually signifies manual labor, while the more silver armor signifies Ultra. Still, there is not a sufficient color difference to make this a significant case. It may simply be that when author Eric Nylund wrote the book, he chose the color white because it was a color not previously seen in ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'', and did not know that [[Bungie]] would choose a similar color for the new Grunt rank. It is also possible that even though they are high ranking Grunts, they are not free from manual tasks.
==Gameplay==
Grunt Ultras fire their weapons at a higher rate and usually throw more grenades, being far more accurate and deadly at a greater distance than their lower ranked brethren. They also wield [[Needler]]s with greater frequency than their inferiors, though it is still common for them to use [[Plasma Pistol]]s. Ultras can take the same amount of damage Special Operations Grunts do (more than three times as much as an [[Unggoy Minor|Grunt Minor]] can), but they are still vulnerable to [[headshots]]. Like Special Operations Grunts, Ultras are rarely caught sleeping on duty. They still panic if they know that they are being overwhelmed, but are more likely to go [[Suicide Unggoy|suicidal]] than flee - especially if one of their comrades was killed by a grenade.
*In all games, if the Thunderstorm skull is activated, all Unggoy will be upgraded to this rank.
*In ''Halo: Reach'', Ultras wear a helmet that protects them from one headshot from any weapon weaker than the [[SRS99-AM sniper rifle|Sniper Rifle]]. Starting from this game, they will overcharge their Plasma Pistols.
*In ''Halo Infinite'', Banished Unggoy Ultras normally wield Needlers. Note that, despite wearing an armor almost identical to the one from ''Reach'', their helmets are only cosmetic, and Ultras still take one headshot to kill. Ultras and [[Unggoy Bouncer|Bouncers]] are equipped with the exact same helmets and harnesses. Bouncers, however, are equipped with energy shields and carry Disruptors. Like other Unggoy in the game, Ultras can throw [[plasma grenade]]s, and can arm two grenades and perform [[suicide attack]]s.


The rank is a rare achievement for an [[Unggoy]], due to the fact that this species has a high death rate. Ultra Grunts most likely delegate a great degree of respect from the Grunts under their command, as their combat prowess must be exemplary, or they are just ''very'' lucky.
==Production notes==
*If one plays ''[[Halo: Combat Evolved]]'' with an unsupported video card, but has at least 32 megabytes of video memory, all armor colors will be white, with some exceptions such as the [[Mgalekgolo]], which has led to some fans thinking that all the Unggoy in ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' are Ultras. However, white is the basic color of all models in the ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' engine. The models are rendered with no specific color until they are selected by an algorithm that determines which Unggoy variant to spawn, determined by the difficulty level (meaning higher difficulties are more likely to spawn Unggoy Majors) or colored by the actor variant and shader tags within the level/map cache file. There is a degree of randomness involved, as the player might notice an Unggoy Minor in one location die, then realize that it changes to an Unggoy Major. This is most noticeable when viewing maps with SparkEdit, a modding program. It renders all models based on their constituent bitmaps; the game engine adds the lighting effects and determines which variant to spawn when that part of the level is played. In SparkEdit, all models, except Mgalekgolo and [[UNSC Marine Corps|Marine]]s, have white armor, including Spartans.
*On the ''Halo 2'' campaign level ''[[The Oracle]]'', among the SpecOps reinforcements after the lab area is what appears to be an Unggoy Ultra. In ''Anniversary'' graphics, this Unggoy is also wearing a white version of the Unggoy SpecOps harness, rather than the standard combat harness. An Unggoy with the same gear and color can also be found as a dead body on the later level ''[[High Charity (level)|High Charity]]''. Together, these appearances seemingly imply there is an Unggoy SpecOps Ultra rank. In actuality, the appearance is result of a typo in the code. Each specific variant of an NPC with a specific voice actor are labeled in its spawn with a specific name. The glitched Unggoy is the result of mislabelled Sangheili variant name, <code>spec_ops_dog</code>, instead of the correct Unggoy one, <code>spec_ops_dop</code>. For the dead body on ''High Charity'', the non-existent variant name <code>honor_guard</code> was mistakenly applied to the deceased Unggoy. Subsequently, both of these errors resulted in the Unggoy pulling data from non-existent variants in their tags, thus the engine—faced with a issue like this—defaulted to white for the Unggoy having no color data to pull from. It also pulled onto them every possible variant permutation listed in their model tag; for the Unggoy in ''Halo 2'' classic, they only have one mask and backpack variant, so only those variants are pulled, leaving no noticeable error on the NPC's model outside color. However, in ''Anniversary'', where Unggoy have the combat and SpecOps harnesses as possible variant permutations, both are pulled on to the character. Thus, the Unggoy on ''The Oracle'' and ''High Charity'' in ''Halo 2: Anniversary'' has both the Combat and SpecOps masks and backpacks at the same time, clipping into one another.
*The Unggoy Ultra in ''Halo 3'' and ''Halo 3: ODST'' have been erroneously referred to as SpecOps Unggoy on Bungie.net.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://halo.bungie.net/news/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=h3campaign|Site=Bungie.net|Page=Halo 3 How-to: Campaign Scoring 101|D=21|M=07|Y=2013}} The game files, however, correctly lists them as Ultras.{{Ref/Game|ODST|:File:H3ODST UnggoyUltraTag.png|game files for "grunt_ultra"}}{{Ref/Game|ODST|:File:H3ODST UnggoySpecOpsTag.png|game files for "grunt_specops"}} The distinction between the Ultra and SpecOps Unggoy were clarified in ''[[Halo 3: The Official Strategy Guide]]''{{Ref/Book|[[Halo 3: The Official Strategy Guide]]|Page=131}} and the ''[[Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)]]''{{Ref/Reuse|Id=Enc142}}, both of which labelled the Unggoy in lilac armor as Unggoy Ultra, and the Unggoy in jet-black armor (which went unused in both games) as SpecOps Unggoy. The [[McFarlane Toys/Halo: Anniversary Edition Series 1#SpecOp Grunt|McFarlane ''Halo 3'' SpecOps Grunt action figure]] also correctly depicts SpecOps Unggoy in jet-black armor rather than the lilac armor.
*In ''Halo: Reach'', Ultras have a cylindrical methane tank and a full face mask. The shape of the methane tank appears to have been influenced by early concept art for ''Halo: Combat Evolved'', and designs later seen in the ''[[Halo Graphic Novel]]'', ''[[Halo: Uprising]]'', and ''[[Halo Wars]]''. They have been nicknamed "Keg Grunts" by [[Bungie]] due to the shape of the methane containers.{{Ref/Site|URL=http://gameinformer.com/mag/haloreach.aspx|Site=GameInformer|Page=2010 February Edition}}
*During the development of ''Halo: Reach'', the concept art of the Unggoy had inspired designers to give fully-enclosed helmets to most Unggoy units. Bungie design lead Sage Merrill had correspondingly set weapon damage to better reflect how the helmet better protects the wearer from headshots, but it inadvertently made the majority of the Unggoy requiring at least two headshots to be killed and created an "unfun" experience according to fellow design lead [[Lars Bakken]]. Consequently, a change was made to remove the helmet from almost all Unggoy units, with only the Ultra Unggoy retaining the helmet in the final release.{{Ref/YouTube|2iPQwXUBVsU|Bungie|Halo: Reach Firefight Preview}}


==Appearances==
==Gallery==
[[Image:Gruntiness.jpeg|right|100px]]
{{Linkbox|gallery=yes|gallerypage=Images of Unggoy Ultras}}
These Grunts are seen in both ''[[Halo: First Strike]]'' and ''[[Halo 2]]''. They are seen throughout ''[[Halo 2]]'', but are far more frequent in the [[Heroic]] or [[Legendary]] difficulty levels than the Easy or Normal ones.
=== ''Halo 2'' ===
<gallery>
File:H2 Grunt Ultra.png|An idle Unggoy Ultra.
File:Gruntulta H2.jpg|An Unggoy Ultra with a needler raised.
</gallery>
=== ''Halo 3'' ===
<gallery>
File:H3 Special Operations Grunt Cutout.png|Render of an Unggoy Ultra.
File:Grunt Ultra H3.jpg|An Unggoy Ultra standing guard.
</gallery>
=== ''Halo: Reach'' ===
<gallery>
File:Halo_Reach_-_Unggoy.png|Render of an Unggoy Ultra.
File:HReach-LNoS-Shielded-Unggoy.jpg|Multiple Unggoy Ultras onboard the ''Ardent Prayer''.
File:HR ChargedPlasmaPistol 3.png|An Unggoy Ultra fires an overcharged burst from a plasma pistol.
File:HR Firefight Gruntpocalypse.jpg|An Unggoy Ultra among other Unggoy ranks.
File:Reach FF Courtyard04.jpg|An Unggoy Ultra fighting alongside a [[Jiralhanae Captain]].
</gallery>
=== ''Halo 2: Anniversary'' ===
<gallery>
File:H2A-UnggoyUltra.png|An Unggoy Ultra.
File:H2A Unggoy Ultra.png|An Unggoy Ultra.
File:Halo 2 Anniversary Alternate Ultra.png|The glitched SpecOps Unggoy.
File:Halo2AnniversaryUnggoyUltra.jpg|An Unggoy Ultra.
</gallery>
=== ''Halo Infinite'' ===
<gallery>
File:HINF-EarlyUnggoyUltraconcepts.jpg|Early concept art of a Banished Unggoy Ultra.
File:HINF-UnggoyUltraconcept.jpg|Finalized concept art of the Banished Ultra.
File:HINF-PantslessUltra.jpg|Render of an Ultra.
File:HINF Banished Unggoy Ultra true.png|An Unggoy Ultra on Installation 07.
File:HINF GruntUltra Vista.png|An Unggoy Ultra on Installation 07.
File:HINF UltraGrunts.png|Some Ultras and Bouncers on Installation 07.
File:HINF Banished Ultra Unggoy grass.png|A Banished Unggoy Ultra standing in a field of grass.
File:HINF Banished Ultra Unggoy flowers.png|A pair of Banished Unggoy Ultras standing in a field of flowers on Zeta Halo.
File:HINF Banished Ultra Unggoy back.png|A Banished Unggoy Ultra seen from behind.
File:HINF Unggoy Ultra HoR.png|A Banished Unggoy Ultra inside the House of Reckoning.
File:HINF Banished Unggoy Ultra plasma grenade.png|A Banished Unggoy Ultra throws a plasma grenade.
File:HINF DeadUltra.png|A dead Banished Unggoy Ultra killed by the Master Chief on Installation 07.
File:HINF-UnggoyUltraSquadies.png|Banished Unggoy Ultras on [[Oasis (map)|Oasis]] in [[Firefight: King of the Hill]].
</gallery>


===''[[Halo: First Strike]]''===
==List of appearances==
 
*''[[Halo: First Strike]]'' {{1st}}
*''[[Unyielding Hierophant]]''- Two Ultra Grunts were seen pushing carts of cleaning fluid.
*''[[Halo 2]]''
 
*''[[Halo 3]]''
===''[[Halo 2]]''===
*''[[Halo 3: ODST]]''
*''[[Cairo Station (level)|Cairo Station]]'' (Easy and Normal less common, Heroic and Legendary more commonly)- Seen throughout the level, most noticeable are in the hangars, but also in the Commons areas.
*''[[Halo Legends]]''
*''[[Outskirts (Level)|Outskirts]]'' - Ultra Grunts attacked [[SPARTAN-117]]'s position in the building near the [[Pelican]] crash site.
**''[[Origins]]''
*''[[Metropolis (Level)|Metropolis]]'' - A few Ultra Grunts were present on the [[Scarab]] command deck.
*''[[Halo: Reach]]''
*''[[The Oracle (Level)|The Oracle]]'' - An Ultra Grunt is dropped to help the [[Arbiter (Character)|Arbiter]] with some other Spec Ops forces at the exit of the Flood labs.
*''[[Halo 2: Anniversary]]''
*''[[Gravemind (Level)|Gravemind]]'' (Legendary only) - Ultra Grunts aid the Brutes at the beginning of the level.
*''[[Halo: Spartan Strike]]''
*''[[Uprising (Level)|Uprising]]'' - If you are lucky, the Grunt assisting you in the turret will be an Ultra. This is very rare, though. On Heroic and Legendary, two Ultra Grunts are present near this turret.
*''[[Halo Infinite]]''
*''[[High Charity (Level)|High Charity]]'' - At the beginning of the level, and a few more times throughout the whole level, they are seen fighting the [[Flood]].
 
==Trivia==
*Sometimes an Ultra Grunt's armor appears slightly darker, possibly meaning that they are more experienced Ultra Grunts.
*If one plays ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' with an unsupported video card, but has at least 32 MB of video memory, all armor colors will be white, with some exceptions such as the Hunter - which has led to some fans thinking that all grunts in ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' are Ultras. However, white is the basic color of all models in the ''Halo: Combat Evolved'' engine. The models are rendered with no specific color until selected by an algorithm that would determine which Grunt variant to spawn, determined by the difficulty level (meaning higher difficulties are more likely to spawn Grunt Majors). There is a degree of randomness involved, as the player may notice a Grunt Minor in one location, die, then realize it is now a Grunt Major.<ref>This is most noticeable when viewing a map with SparkEdit, a modding program. It renders all models based on their constituent bitmaps; the game engine adds the lighting effects and determines which variant to spawn when that part of the level is played. In SparkEdit, all models (except [[Hunters]] and [[Marines]]) have white armor, including a [[Spartan]]</ref>.


==Sources==
==Sources==
<references/>
{{Ref/Sources}}
 


{{Grunt Ranks}}
{{Unggoy Ranks}}
[[Category:The Covenant]]
[[Category:Unggoy culture]]
[[Category:Grunts]]
[[Category:Ranks]]

Latest revision as of 16:29, July 30, 2024

Unggoy Ultra
Render of the Unggoy Ultra with a Rohakadu-pattern plasma pistol in Halo Infinite.

Function:

Assist command of lance

Species:

Unggoy

Affiliation:

 

Unggoy Ultra is the highest known Unggoy rank in the Covenant military,[4][5][6] which was inherited by its remnant factions, such as the Banished and Jul 'Mdama's Covenant.[7][3]

Overview[edit]

Roles and responsibilities[edit]

Rarely seen, the Unggoy Ultra is the highest Unggoy rank seen so far in the Covenant military. These Unggoy, like their lower-ranking cousins, appear in groups. They are very intelligent, making as few tactical errors as Sangheili Majors although that doesn't make them perfect. They usually display even more bravery in combat than Special Operations Unggoy, and are more often used for specialized attacks, rather than generic military operations. Unggoy Ultras can sometimes be seen commanding groups of lower class Unggoy in battle.

Organisation[edit]

Unlike Sangheili Ultras, Unggoy Ultras do not appear to have any influence with their command. It is just as likely that two or three will be encountered leading a small group of Unggoy, yet the Sangheili or Jiralhanae during the Great Schism, are ultimately in complete command; similar to the way that even low-ranking San'Shyuum outrank Sangheili Ship Masters.[citation needed]

History[edit]

Unggoy Ultras fought over the course of the Human-Covenant War and later the Great Schism, including the Fall of Reach,[8] Battle for Earth,[1] and Battle of Installation 00.[9] While many allied with Sangheili rebels during the Covenant civil war in early November 2552,[1] others remained loyal to San'Shyuum and the new Jiralhanae leadership ruled by the Prophet of Truth.[9]

In the post war period, the rank of Unggoy Ultra has been used at least once by Jul 'Mdama's Covenant.[3] Multiple Unggoy Ultras belonging to the Banished led by War Chief Escharum took part in the Battle for Zeta Halo in 2560 against the Master Chief and the UNSC remnants on Zeta Halo. Unlike their Covenant counterparts, the Unggoy Ultras now outrank low ranking Sangheili and Jiralhanae, but are still subordinate to Jiralhanae Captains.[2]

Equipment[edit]

Like Sangheili Ultras, Unggoy Ultras wear distinct white/pearl-like[1][2] or lilac armor.[4][9][8] Unggoy Ultras are seen with several armor variants, one as a standard armor, with the exact same use with the main combat harness most other Unggoy infantry ranks are seen with like Minors and Majors alongside specialized Heavies,[1] and the other one is with a cylindrical methane tank as well as a completely enclosed helmet, which enables the Unggoy to operate in vacuum areas. The said helmet would fall off after being shot at, saving the Unggoy from one single headshot.[8] Another similar chassis of this harness was used by the Banished during their conflicts on Installation 07 although it has some additional protection, including both in arms and legs.[2] Unlike other Unggoy ranks, Banished Unggoy Ultras were known to also have personal energy shield, similar to Unggoy Bodyguards who also wear white-colored armor in Warzone in UNSC's War Games simulations and making them the strongest regular Unggoy troops.[2] Whenever if it was already once used by the Covenant earlier is unknown as it may have apparently never been seen used during the Great War.

Another armor variant for Unggoy Ultra is a Ultra-class variant of the regular Special Operations Unggoy combat harness and is equipped with an active camouflage generator. This harness variant was used by the Covenant Unggoy Ultras to lead lower-ranking Special Operations Unggoy, including during the Raid on the Threshold gas mine.[10]

Gameplay[edit]

Grunt Ultras fire their weapons at a higher rate and usually throw more grenades, being far more accurate and deadly at a greater distance than their lower ranked brethren. They also wield Needlers with greater frequency than their inferiors, though it is still common for them to use Plasma Pistols. Ultras can take the same amount of damage Special Operations Grunts do (more than three times as much as an Grunt Minor can), but they are still vulnerable to headshots. Like Special Operations Grunts, Ultras are rarely caught sleeping on duty. They still panic if they know that they are being overwhelmed, but are more likely to go suicidal than flee - especially if one of their comrades was killed by a grenade.

  • In all games, if the Thunderstorm skull is activated, all Unggoy will be upgraded to this rank.
  • In Halo: Reach, Ultras wear a helmet that protects them from one headshot from any weapon weaker than the Sniper Rifle. Starting from this game, they will overcharge their Plasma Pistols.
  • In Halo Infinite, Banished Unggoy Ultras normally wield Needlers. Note that, despite wearing an armor almost identical to the one from Reach, their helmets are only cosmetic, and Ultras still take one headshot to kill. Ultras and Bouncers are equipped with the exact same helmets and harnesses. Bouncers, however, are equipped with energy shields and carry Disruptors. Like other Unggoy in the game, Ultras can throw plasma grenades, and can arm two grenades and perform suicide attacks.

Production notes[edit]

  • If one plays Halo: Combat Evolved with an unsupported video card, but has at least 32 megabytes of video memory, all armor colors will be white, with some exceptions such as the Mgalekgolo, which has led to some fans thinking that all the Unggoy in Halo: Combat Evolved are Ultras. However, white is the basic color of all models in the Halo: Combat Evolved engine. The models are rendered with no specific color until they are selected by an algorithm that determines which Unggoy variant to spawn, determined by the difficulty level (meaning higher difficulties are more likely to spawn Unggoy Majors) or colored by the actor variant and shader tags within the level/map cache file. There is a degree of randomness involved, as the player might notice an Unggoy Minor in one location die, then realize that it changes to an Unggoy Major. This is most noticeable when viewing maps with SparkEdit, a modding program. It renders all models based on their constituent bitmaps; the game engine adds the lighting effects and determines which variant to spawn when that part of the level is played. In SparkEdit, all models, except Mgalekgolo and Marines, have white armor, including Spartans.
  • On the Halo 2 campaign level The Oracle, among the SpecOps reinforcements after the lab area is what appears to be an Unggoy Ultra. In Anniversary graphics, this Unggoy is also wearing a white version of the Unggoy SpecOps harness, rather than the standard combat harness. An Unggoy with the same gear and color can also be found as a dead body on the later level High Charity. Together, these appearances seemingly imply there is an Unggoy SpecOps Ultra rank. In actuality, the appearance is result of a typo in the code. Each specific variant of an NPC with a specific voice actor are labeled in its spawn with a specific name. The glitched Unggoy is the result of mislabelled Sangheili variant name, spec_ops_dog, instead of the correct Unggoy one, spec_ops_dop. For the dead body on High Charity, the non-existent variant name honor_guard was mistakenly applied to the deceased Unggoy. Subsequently, both of these errors resulted in the Unggoy pulling data from non-existent variants in their tags, thus the engine—faced with a issue like this—defaulted to white for the Unggoy having no color data to pull from. It also pulled onto them every possible variant permutation listed in their model tag; for the Unggoy in Halo 2 classic, they only have one mask and backpack variant, so only those variants are pulled, leaving no noticeable error on the NPC's model outside color. However, in Anniversary, where Unggoy have the combat and SpecOps harnesses as possible variant permutations, both are pulled on to the character. Thus, the Unggoy on The Oracle and High Charity in Halo 2: Anniversary has both the Combat and SpecOps masks and backpacks at the same time, clipping into one another.
  • The Unggoy Ultra in Halo 3 and Halo 3: ODST have been erroneously referred to as SpecOps Unggoy on Bungie.net.[11] The game files, however, correctly lists them as Ultras.[12][13] The distinction between the Ultra and SpecOps Unggoy were clarified in Halo 3: The Official Strategy Guide[14] and the Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition)[4], both of which labelled the Unggoy in lilac armor as Unggoy Ultra, and the Unggoy in jet-black armor (which went unused in both games) as SpecOps Unggoy. The McFarlane Halo 3 SpecOps Grunt action figure also correctly depicts SpecOps Unggoy in jet-black armor rather than the lilac armor.
  • In Halo: Reach, Ultras have a cylindrical methane tank and a full face mask. The shape of the methane tank appears to have been influenced by early concept art for Halo: Combat Evolved, and designs later seen in the Halo Graphic Novel, Halo: Uprising, and Halo Wars. They have been nicknamed "Keg Grunts" by Bungie due to the shape of the methane containers.[15]
  • During the development of Halo: Reach, the concept art of the Unggoy had inspired designers to give fully-enclosed helmets to most Unggoy units. Bungie design lead Sage Merrill had correspondingly set weapon damage to better reflect how the helmet better protects the wearer from headshots, but it inadvertently made the majority of the Unggoy requiring at least two headshots to be killed and created an "unfun" experience according to fellow design lead Lars Bakken. Consequently, a change was made to remove the helmet from almost all Unggoy units, with only the Ultra Unggoy retaining the helmet in the final release.[16]

Gallery[edit]

Main-Superintendent.png Browse more images in this article's gallery page.

Halo 2[edit]

  • An idle Unggoy Ultra.

    An idle Unggoy Ultra.

  • An Unggoy Ultra with a needler raised.

    An Unggoy Ultra with a needler raised.

Halo 3[edit]

  • Render of an Unggoy Ultra.

    Render of an Unggoy Ultra.

  • An Unggoy Ultra standing guard.

    An Unggoy Ultra standing guard.

Halo: Reach[edit]

  • Render of an Unggoy Ultra.

    Render of an Unggoy Ultra.

  • Multiple Unggoy Ultras onboard the Ardent Prayer.

    Multiple Unggoy Ultras onboard the Ardent Prayer.

  • An Unggoy Ultra fires an overcharged burst from a plasma pistol.

    An Unggoy Ultra fires an overcharged burst from a plasma pistol.

  • An Unggoy Ultra among other Unggoy ranks.

    An Unggoy Ultra among other Unggoy ranks.

  • An Unggoy Ultra fighting alongside a Jiralhanae Captain.

    An Unggoy Ultra fighting alongside a Jiralhanae Captain.

Halo 2: Anniversary[edit]

  • An Unggoy Ultra.

    An Unggoy Ultra.

  • An Unggoy Ultra.

    An Unggoy Ultra.

  • The glitched SpecOps Unggoy.

    The glitched SpecOps Unggoy.

  • An Unggoy Ultra.

    An Unggoy Ultra.

Halo Infinite[edit]

  • Early concept art of a Banished Unggoy Ultra.

    Early concept art of a Banished Unggoy Ultra.

  • Finalized concept art of the Banished Ultra.

    Finalized concept art of the Banished Ultra.

  • Render of an Ultra.

    Render of an Ultra.

  • An Unggoy Ultra on Installation 07.

    An Unggoy Ultra on Installation 07.

  • An Unggoy Ultra on Installation 07.

    An Unggoy Ultra on Installation 07.

  • Some Ultras and Bouncers on Installation 07.

    Some Ultras and Bouncers on Installation 07.

  • A Banished Unggoy Ultra standing in a field of grass.

    A Banished Unggoy Ultra standing in a field of grass.

  • A pair of Banished Unggoy Ultras standing in a field of flowers on Zeta Halo.

    A pair of Banished Unggoy Ultras standing in a field of flowers on Zeta Halo.

  • A Banished Unggoy Ultra seen from behind.

    A Banished Unggoy Ultra seen from behind.

  • A Banished Unggoy Ultra inside the House of Reckoning.

    A Banished Unggoy Ultra inside the House of Reckoning.

  • A Banished Unggoy Ultra throws a plasma grenade.

    A Banished Unggoy Ultra throws a plasma grenade.

  • A dead Banished Unggoy Ultra killed by the Master Chief on Installation 07.

    A dead Banished Unggoy Ultra killed by the Master Chief on Installation 07.

  • Banished Unggoy Ultras on Oasis in Firefight: King of the Hill.

    Banished Unggoy Ultras on Oasis in Firefight: King of the Hill.

List of appearances[edit]

Sources[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e f Halo 2, in-game model
  2. ^ a b c d e Halo Infinite, in-game model
  3. ^ a b c Halo: Spartan Strike, In-game unit
  4. ^ a b c Halo Encyclopedia (2009 edition), page 142-143
  5. ^ Halo: The Essential Visual Guide, page 87
  6. ^ Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 240
  7. ^ Halo Encyclopedia (2022 edition), page 431
  8. ^ a b c Halo: Reach, in-game model
  9. ^ a b c Halo 3, in-game model
  10. ^ Halo 2, campaign level The Arbiter
  11. ^ Bungie.net, Halo 3 How-to: Campaign Scoring 101 (Retrieved on Jul 21, 2013) [archive]
  12. ^ Halo 3: ODST, game files for "grunt_ultra"
  13. ^ Halo 3: ODST, game files for "grunt_specops"
  14. ^ Halo 3: The Official Strategy Guide, page 131
  15. ^ GameInformer, 2010 February Edition
  16. ^ YouTube - Bungie, Halo: Reach Firefight Preview

v • d • e
 
Unggoy ranks and titles
Infantry
Minor • Major • Ultra
Specialists
Other

Banished — Conscript • Mob • Prowling • Bloodfuel • Assault • Mule • Suicide • Heavy • Ultra • Bouncer • Jockey • Thrall-taskmaster • Commander • High Sumpter

Yapyap's rebellion — Cannon Fodder • Heavy • Rider • Jockey
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