Sangheili High Councilor

Councilor is the highest Sangheili rank (though an Arbiter is religously more significant).

Background

Councilor is the believed to be the highest rank attainable for an Elite of the Covenant, militarily or politically, although in religious significance, an Arbiter is far superior. They act as members of the High Council, along with the Lesser Prophets. They hold power directly under the Hierarchs, making them very significant to Covenant society..

Councilors have been described as "aristocratic" by lesser races. Only one Councilor's name has ever been stated, that of Soha 'Rolamee. The structure of his name indicates that he has participated in the military, and in fact, it is likely that every Councilor Elite is required to participate in the Covenant military.

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Combat

Not only politicians, it is mandatory for Councilors to participate in the covenant military, as warfare is the main reason of duty for Sanghelli. Councilors are masters of warfare as well as political leaders. They typically wield the iconic Energy Sword, which is also a status symbol that the wielder is of significant social status. Only several other Elite ranks are culturally permitted to wield Energy Swords - Supreme Commanders, Zealots, The Arbiter, Special Operations Elites, Ultras, and possibly Imperial Admirals. They are also, albeit infrequently, armed with single-wielded or dual-wielded Plasma Rifles which they fire with unsurpassed accuracy. Like an Ultra Elite, as soon as a enemy comes to close it will let out a war cry and pull out a Energy Sword. However, they are adept with any weapon, United Nations Space Command or Covenant. They also grudgingly accept Brute weapons, although they hold them in disdain, probably considering them heretic technology.

Councilors are also the only rank of Elite that do not waver upon being hit by a melee attack. They stand their ground and do not flinch as other Elite ranks do.

A Councilor shown from behind.

While they are greatly skilled in combat and maintain strict combat discipline, they are augmented by their shielded armor, which is superior to that of all lesser Elite ranks, including Zealots and Ultra Elites. They can withstand significant damage before falling in battle, and can sustain over three M90 Shotgun blasts at close range and can even survive a direct M19 Rocket Launcher impact. They can even survive more than one blow from The Fist of Rukt. Also, they can survive multiple plasma grenade sticks and will survive many melee hits to the back.

Physical Appearance

Councilors are easily recognizable by their aristocratic and unique ceremonial helmets - large, distinct and oddly shaped crowns affixed upon standard Elite combat helmets. Their armor (identical to all other Elite ranks despite being far more resistant to damage) and helmets are a pearlescent white, just like those of the Ultra Elites, or a mettalic-like color. When not in combat, councilors can often be seen in black-ish purple ceremonial robes and helmets in a shape similar to their combat helmets as seen in the Halo 2 level, The Heretic.

Appearances

Halo 2

Two Elite Councilors converse at the Council Chamber about the fate of the Arbiter.

The Councilors are exclusive to Halo 2, and are never seen in Halo: Combat Evolved. Their infrequence in numbers leads to their appearance being only four times throughout the entire campaign.

• The Heretic - Elite Councilors were seen in the Council Chamber of High Charity during the shaming of the former Supreme Commander of the Fleet of Particular Justice before he was anointed Arbiter.
• Civil War of the Covenant
  • Uprising - Many Elite Councilors were taken to the surface of Installation 05 (Delta Halo) shortly before the start of the Civil War of the Covenant to prepare for the activation of the ringworld by the Sacred Icon at the Control Room of Delta Halo. However, they were massacred by Tartarus's Brutes at the beginning of the civil war, although a few were taken alive at the Bastion of the Brutes.
  • The Great Journey - While the Arbiter was on his path to invade the Brute-controlled Control Room and prevent the activation of Installation 05, he passed through the Bastion of the Brutes and came across a small force-field prison guarded by Brutes and Jackals. The Arbiter unlocked the cages, bringing forth two Councilors and two Hunters. One Councilor was armed with an Energy Sword, another with dual-weilded Plasma Rifles. Later, in the climatic battle that defeated Tartarus, numerous Councilors fought with their Energy Swords against the Brute Chieftain, alongside many SpecOps Elites, however many fell to the Fist of Rukt.

Trivia

• The headdresses of Councilors are reminiscent of the queen alien's head from the Alien series.

• It is possible to make a Councilor an enemy and invisible. Just get the Assassins skull and kill the Hunter prisoners and the other Councilor, and he will become your enemy and invisible.