Arbiter

Were you looking for the Halo 2 level The Arbiter, former Arbiters Fal 'Chavamee or Ripa 'Moramee, or current Arbiter Thel 'Vadam?

"The Taming of the Hunters, the Grunt Rebellion. Were it not for the Arbiters, the Covenant would have broken long ago."

— Prophet of Mercy.

The title of Arbiter is the highest possible honor bestowed upon a Covenant Sangheili by the Hierarchs during a time of need. It is the greatest religious rank of the Sangheili, although councilor rank higher in political matters. The Arbiter acts as a sort of field general, going on missions for the Prophets and during incidents such as the Taming of the Lekgolo, the Unggoy Rebellion, Human-Covenant War, and most recently, the threat of the heretics led by Sesa 'Refumee.

Arbiters are sent on highly perilous and suicidal missions in times of need. On these missions, the Arbiter is expected to die and to become another great martyr of the Covenant on their path to the Great Journey.

Purpose

Originally, the title of Arbiter was a grand privilege among the Sangheili; it was a symbol of extremely significant honor. However, at some point between 2142 and 2525, the contemporary Arbiter, Fal 'Chavamee, refused to accept the Covenant religion and was branded a heretic by the Prophets. The resulting chain of events, which led to the deaths of both 'Chavamee and a high-ranking kinsman named Haka, led to the Prophets changing the role of the Arbiter significantly. The title was thereafter given to disgraced Sangheili in order for them to regain their honor by way of suicidal missions of great importance to the Covenant as a whole.

Many members of the Covenant, especially the Unggoy, see Arbiters as saviors; Arbiters' Sangheili peers consider them as the living embodiment of the "Will of the Prophets" or, in their military role, the "Blade of the Prophets". Every Arbiter is "created and consumed in times of extraordinary crisis", and has been martyred in the undertaking of his momentous, though suicidal tasks, as explained by the Prophet of Mercy. Their corpses - or presumably memorials in some cases - are housed in identical caskets in the Mausoleum of the Arbiter. In the center of this room is a floating pod that contains the armor of the Arbiter when one is not currently appointed. This armor, while highly decorative, is fully functional as battle armor.

When an Arbiter is chosen, he is usually a highly skilled Sangheili warrior. The rank of the Sangheili prior to becoming Arbiter presumably has no effect on the chance of becoming Arbiter, though higher-ranked Sangheili have better chances due to their more extensive experience and superior skill. The rank of Arbiter can be considered a very prized reward.

Though considered a status of high command, the Arbiter is condemned to a life of suicidal missions to regain his honor. This includes the current Arbiter, Thel 'Vadam, who was branded a heretic for his failure to protect one of the sacred Halo rings from the so-called "Demon", SPARTAN John-117. Although the Arbiter is a singular warrior, he has the authority to give orders to other Covenant soldiers; this command can be likened to that of a UNSC four-star general.

Most Arbiters can be considered an equal to a SPARTAN-II supersoldier, as both are incredibly highly skilled in combat and vehicular activities and have the ability to instill morale even in the strongest or weakest of troops.

Armor

Each Arbiter receives a unique set of armor, that is built according to an age-old design. The very nature of the Arbiter means that they are sent on dangerous, often suicidal missions, where recovery of the corpse and the armor it wears may be impossible. The armor of the Arbiter is kept in the Mausoleum of the Arbiter until it is bestowed upon a new holder of the title. It is composed of a silvery-bronze colored metal with ornate engravings and metal work, indicating the Arbiter's ceremonial nature. However, it is fully functional as a combat suit, incorporating a Heads Up Display, an energy shielding system, and active camouflage. The armor incorporates a form-fitting bodysuit and blue restraining straps; these may be to prevent the Arbiter from removing the armor. Contrary to the claims of the Hierarchs, the Arbiters' armor is generally, if not always, replaced between wearers, as it is often irreparably damaged when an Arbiter is killed. This was the case with Ripa 'Moramee, whose body was pushed several kilometers off the Apex and was subsequently destroyed by a supernova.

The technology used in the armor is similar to the standard Sangheili Combat Harness, though it is of an older design. While modern Covenant active camouflage has a virtually unlimited duration, the Arbiter's camouflage lasts only for a few seconds, though still enough to give him a tactical advantage.

The armor may be subject to some small amount of customization. Ripa 'Moramee was taller than most Sangheili, at over 8'1, while Thel 'Vadam stands at 7'10''. Further, when first donning the armor, 'Vadamee lacked mandible guards or a shoulder-mounted light that he possessed after the Great Schism, where his active camouflage was also significantly upgraded. 'Moramee's armor, unlike 'Vadam's, featured a functionally unlimited capacity for using active camouflage.

Known Arbiters

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Ripa 'Moramee, the seventeenth Arbiter in the line of Immaculate Succession.

This is a list of all known Arbiters in chronological order.

• Fal 'Chavamee - Arbiter during the period between the discovery of the Unggoy and the contact with humanity. 'Chavamee's refusal to accept the Covenant religion led to the rank of Arbiter being converted into a badge of shame.

• Unidentified Arbiter during the Taming of the Lekgolo, tasked with pacifying the Lekgolo resistance.

• Unidentified Arbiter during the Unggoy Rebellion, tasked with quelling the uprising.

• Ripa 'Moramee - The seventeenth Arbiter in the line of Immaculate Succession who led Covenant forces on Harvest, Arcadia, and a Flood-controlled Shield World.

• Unidentified Arbiter during the Battle of Jericho VII.

• Unidentified Arbiter during the Fall of Reach. It is possible this Arbiter and the one at Jericho VII are the same.

• Thel 'Vadam - Arbiter who defeated the heretics led by Sesa 'Refumee and later led the Covenant Separatists during the Great Schism.

Trivia

• In Halo 3, the Arbiter's armor is different from its appearance in Halo 2. The Arbiter's mandibles in Halo 2 are unprotected, while in Halo 3, the armor covers the mandibles. Also, the Halo 2 Arbiter armor is silver/gray, while the Halo 3 armor is closer in coloration to copper or bronze, though this is due to the improved lighting effects, as his armor is grey in levels with sparse light. Similarly, the Arbiter has a flashlight on his left shoulder, but it only works when playing with other players or a guest.
• The Arbiter was originally meant to be called the "Dervish". The name was changed because it might create an unintended parallel between the game and the real-life conflict between the Western World and the Middle East. In the Spanish version of Halo 2 and Halo 3, the Arbiter is called "Inquisidor". This is because the cognate (similarly spelled word) "árbitro" means "umpire" instead of "Arbiter."
• Before Halo 2 was released, the Elite bipeds in Multiplayer had the armor of an Arbiter, but their armor was changed to the regular Elite armor.
• In Halo 2, the Arbiter's right side shoulder armor contains a mini sculpt of the Legendary Difficulty Skull. This can be seen in cut scenes and in co-op.
• An arbiter is someone that settles negotiations and disputes between parties. Decisions made by an arbiter are legally binding and endorsing.

Gallery

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  Fal 'Chavamee, the last Arbiter to bear the title as a badge of honor.

• Cov arbiter render v2 3.jpg

  An earlier, less traditional concept of Ripa 'Moramee's armor.

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  A later concept of 'Moramee's armor.

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  Thel 'Vadamee accepts the title of Arbiter.

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  'Vadamee at audience with the Hierarchs.

List of appearances

• Halo 2 (First appearance)
• Halo 3
• Halo Wars
• Halo: Ghosts of Onyx (Mentioned only)
• Halo: Evolutions - Essential Tales of the Halo Universe
  • The Return (Mentioned only)
• Halo Wars: Genesis
• Halo Legends
  • Origins
  • The Duel