Sangheili Zealot
From Halopedia, the Halo wiki
Template:Covenant Rank Infobox A Zealot is a rank specifically for the Sangheili [1].
Background
With the exception of Councilor, Zealot is one of the highest ranks attainable by an Elite.
However, Zealot is also a very generic term for an Elite with official command responsibilities. Zealots hold the command offices of Supreme Commander[2], Fleet Master, Ship Master, and Field Master. They outrank Ultra Elites, though through speculation, may be on the same rank as Honor Guard Elites.
While some Zealots are strictly relegated to non-combat fleet or field command posts, they sometimes operate on the front lines, and are greatly experienced and skillful at combat, having killed "countless" enemies of the Covenant before attaining their post.
Combat
Zealots are much harder to fight than other Elites. In Halo: Combat Evolved, Zealots are known to wield Energy Swords and Plasma Rifles. They are significantly tougher than regular Major Elites as they shoot faster and tend to actually pursue, hunt, and kill their target. They also have shields that are twice as strong as those of a Major Elite. They are much faster than lower Elites and can jump rather far. They are also far harder to hit and they duck behind obstacles to avoid fire. When found with Energy Swords they are highly dangerous and should be dealt with quickly. They are very powerful and smart, and are a force to be reckoned with.
The best way to deal with a Zealot is at a longer ranges, as they almost always wield swords. Also, due to their strong shields, it is advisable to use heavy weapons, such as the sniper rifle and rocket launcher, if they are available. The M6D pistol is only moderately effective, taking 16 headshots to kill a fully-shielded Zealot on Normal difficulty. If you are forced into close-quarters combat with a Zealot, you should use a shotgun.
However, the player must exercise extreme caution and have very good timing, as it takes several blasts to kill a Zealot, and they can run faster than you can backpedal. The plasma pistol is also effective, as it can completely disable their shields with a single overcharged shot. Like any other Elite, a Zealot will be briefly stunned after the overcharged shot disables their shields. The player should use this opportunity to quickly switch to another weapon, preferably one capable of making headshots (e.g. the M6D), and finish off the Zealot. Finally, another tactic is to stick the Zealot with a plasma grenade while it is charging.
In Halo 2, their shields are not quite as strong, being equal to those of a Major Elite, but they can be fought in much the same way. They are still very deadly in close-quarters, so the player should keep their distance. In addition to the tactics mentioned in the preceding paragraph, dual M6C Magnums can be very effective at close ranges so long as you stay outside of their sword's reach. Dual Needlers are also effective. Also, Zealot AI is noticeably different in Halo 2: Zealots are always found wielding Energy Swords, ceremonial weapons befitting their high rank. If, as the Arbiter, you give them another weapon, they will not fire it; instead, they will use it as a makeshift melee weapon.
Titles
Because "Zealot" is the highest military grade for a Sangheili, though there appears to be a variety of rank titles for Zealots, and some Zealots are subservient to others. Some of the known titles include:
- Supreme Commander: These are the highest known titles for a Zealot Sangheili. Supreme commanders are in charge of entire fleets of starships, as well as all ground forces within those fleets. The only known Supreme Commander was the Arbiter, being in charge of the Fleet of Particular Justice. It is not, however, clear that Supreme Commanders are Zealots, as the Arbiter was shown at alternating times with ornate purple armor or the armor of a Zealot. This may be nothing more than a ceremonial position aboard their flagship.
- Fleet Master and also, possibly another name for De Facto Commander: This rank normally acts as the normal Ship Master, and controls only one ship, but when a fleet needs to do an special objective, the Fleet Master acts as the commander for the ships participating in that objective (normally called Task Force). Voro Nar 'Mantakree was a Fleet Master/De Facto Commander, and was in charge of leading a task force to Onyx to pursue the Bloodied Spirit.
- Shipmaster: This rank is equivalent to the UNSC Navy's Captain rank. Ship Masters command Starships within the Covenant, but they still fall under the command of their fleet's Supreme Commander and De Facto commander/fleet master. An example of this is Orna 'Fulsamee, who was the ship master of an unknown destroyer. Many believe that Orna Fulsamee commandeered a CCS-class Battlecruiser, though he actually commands a destroyer. It mentioned it at the opening pages of Halo: The Flood. The title of Ship Master is not exclusive only to the Zealot rank. This is supported by the fact that before the Battle of Voi, the Covenant's Special Operations Commander, Rtas 'Vadum was promoted to the Shipmaster of the Assault Carrier, Shadow of Intent [3]. He seemed to still be an Ultra Sangheili
- Field Master: This rank is equivalent to the UNSC Army and Marine Corps numerous General ranks. Field Masters command entire armies, Legion strength or greater. Unlike Human Generals, Field Masters take a much more active role in combat, as in charging into the battle with their troops rather than giving orders from a HQ miles away from the conflict. They are in charge of all warriors of any race within that army, as well as all armor, air support, and material utilized by that army. An example of this is Noga 'Putumee, who led forces against Human forces during the Battle of Installation 04.
Known Zealots
Supreme Commanders
- The Arbiter - former Supreme Commander of the Fleet of Particular Justice
Fleet Masters
- Voro 'Mantakree - De facto Fleet Master of the Second Fleet of Homogenous Clarity
Ship Masters
- Orna 'Fulsamee - Ship Master of the Truth and Reconciliation.
- Tano 'Inanraree - Ship Master of the Incorruptible
- Qunu - Ship Master of the Far Sight Lost
Field Masters
- Noga 'Putumee - Field Master in the Fleet of Particular Justice
Physical Appearance
Zealots wear distinct gold armor with a Forerunner glyph on the back, often with tan lining, and their shields are (in Halo: CE) more powerful than those of their subordinates. Their gold armor gives them away in some situations.
Trivia
- The Zealots featured thus far have not had a black secondary color like lower ranking Elites. In Halo: Combat Evolved, they are solid gold. In Halo 2, they have a brown/tan secondary color. It is unknown if this armor is given to all Zealots or if there are variants which have black as the secondary color. Given the frequency of the featuring of Zealots seen by players, all Zealots are likely issued this color scheme.
- In Halo 2, Zealots' gold color shines when you shine your flashlight on them.
- In the StarCraft RTS game series, developed by Blizzard Entertainment, there is a race similar to the covenant with a melee unit called a "zealot" with heavy shields and twin energy blades.
- In Halo: Combat Evolved, Zealots will immediately roar and go 'Berserk' when they see an enemy.
- Zealots do not appear in Halo 3.
