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Sangheili (Halo)

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Sangheili
Halo series character
File:Sm OXM-SpecOpsEliteRender-0.jpg
An Elite as seen in Halo 3.
First gameHalo: Combat Evolved (2001)

Elites are a fictional alien race in the Halo series by Bungie Studios. Until a civil war in Halo 2, they serve as one of the two primary commanding species in the caste system of the Covenant, an alliance of alien races. The species, called Sangheili in the Covenant language, is portrayed as physically strong and capable of brilliant military strategy; they serve as one of the player's most dangerous enemies in both Halo: Combat Evolved and Halo 2. Learning that their leaders have betrayed them, the Elites ally with their one-time enemies, humanity, during Halo 3. Borne of a fierce and proud warrior culture, Elites are promoted for their kills on the battlefield, and wear armor denoting their rank.

Elites were one of the first enemies to appear during development of Halo: Combat Evolved, and players experience almost half of Halo 2's campaign through the eyes of an Elite known as the Arbiter. In Halo 3, the third and fourth players in cooperative mode play as two new Elite characters, N'tho 'Sraom and Usze 'Taham. In addition to marketing, Elites have been featured in two different action figure series, produced by Joyride Studios, as well as a collectible figure in the Halo ActionClix game.

Character design

File:Shieldandswordeq0.png
An Elite, as it appeared during Halo's production in 1999.

The Elites were one of the first enemies to be developed during the production of Halo: Combat Evolved, and underwent numerous cosmetic changes during their development. Bungie artist Shi Kai Wang developed numerous concept sketches of the characters before settling on a final design; early Elites had more conventional jaws, arrow-shaped heads and horns.[1] A pre-release trailer video of Halo: Combat Evolved was presented to the public on E3 2000, included a early model of the Elite.[2] Minor changes were still made to the characters after E3, including the addition of a personal energy shield.[2] A early design for the Majordomo-class Elite is seen wielding an Energy Sword and carrying a triple-layered energy shield, which did not make it into the final game.[2]

In The Art of Halo, Bungie concept artist Shi Kai Wang noted that project lead Jason Jones had, at one point, been insistent on giving the Elites a tail.[3] While Wang thought it made the aliens look too animalistic, the idea was eventually dropped due to practical considerations, including where the tail would go when the Elites were driving vehicles.[4] "At one point, we considered just having the Elites tuck their tails forward, between their legs," Wang noted, "But [we] abandoned that... for obvious reasons."[4]

Attributes

Society

File:Supremecommander.jpg
Two Elites, the Supreme Commander (left) and Ultra Rtas 'Vadum (right) as they appear in the Halo Graphic Novel

Elites are the main fighters of the Covenant up until the events of Halo: Ghosts of Onyx; until Halo 2, they also serve as the sole protectors of the Covenant Hierarchs.[5] The race has a strong warrior culture, fighting for the glory of combat and to uphold the 'Covenant Oath'.[6] Elites are promoted on the number of enemies they have killed and casualties inflicted on the opposing force.[7] All Elites wear armor, the color of which serves to indicate rank;[8] this armor contains a built-in, recharging energy shield, and occasionally an active camouflage system.

Tactically brilliant,[7] the Elites nonetheless value integrity and honor, even in their foes.[9] In the Conversations from the Universe booklet that comes with the Halo 2 Limited Edition, Elites openly admire the tenacity of the humans they fight, and wonder why the Prophets do not admit them into the Covenant; according to Halo: Contact Harvest, the Elites consider the best opponents to be worth taking as allies.[10]

Little is explained about the non-military aspect of the Elites; according to Bungie's backstory of N'tho 'Sraom, Elites begin compulsory military service at the end of adolescence, and remain unmarried with no close ties outside their family.[9] The Elite homeworld is mentioned as Sanghelios in Halo 3; it is intimated that in their tours of duty Elites rarely return home.[11]

Appearance

The average Elite stands at eight feet, six inches (2.6 meters).[12] They have a quadruple-hinged jaw, with an upper jaw and four mandibles lined with sharp, pointed teeth. Elites have hands with only four digits; two middle fingers and two opposing thumbs on the outside for grasping. Their legs are unguligrade, allowing them to run very quickly and jump large distances. Finally, they are extremely strong,[7] able to match the strength of a Spartan-II equipped with the powered exoskeleton present in the MJOLNIR battle armor. Little is known of their internal anatomy, although it is mentioned in the book Ghosts of Onyx that Elites have multiple hearts and purple blood.[13]

Appearances

multiplayer

Elites can also be selected on online multiplayer on halo 3 and be customised in different ways like colour and helmatesA Elite on xbox live

Halo series

See also: Halo: Combat Evolved, Halo 2, and Halo 3

The Elites are introduced as one of the primary enemies in 2001's Halo: Combat Evolved. They are imposing, both to enemies and allies; if their Elite commander is killed, Covenant Grunts will panic and flee the player.[14] In the 2003 adaptation of the game, Halo: The Flood, it is revealed that Elites serve not only as commanders of infantry and ships, but also as liaisons to Covenant Prophets (although Ship Masters view these Elites with contempt.)[15]

Elites return in Halo 2, occasionally allies when the player assumes contol of the Arbiter. During the game, the Prophets replace the old Elite guards with the Elite's rivals, the Brutes. Covertly, the Prophets give the Brutes carte blanche to massacre the Elites,[16] sparking a civil war in the Covenant; the Elites ultimately join forces with the humans on the ringworld Delta Halo in order to stop the Brute Tartarus from activating the ring. Eric Nylund's book Ghosts of Onyx elaborates on the schism; after the events of Halo 2, Brute and Covenant ships clash over Delta Halo, attacking not only each other but any Flood attempting to escape the ring.

In Halo 3, the Elites journey to Earth after the loss of the Covenant city, High Charity, to the Flood's leader Gravemind. There, they glass half of the African continent in a costly but ultimately successful bid to prevent a Flood infestation of Earth.[17] The Elite fleet, along with allied humans, then travel through a slipspace portal to the the Ark; there, they fight both Flood and the High Prophet of Truth's forces. In the resulting conflict, Truth is killed and the Flood are destroyed; the war with humanity ends. The Elites under the Arbiter's command pay their respects to the fallen on Earth, then proceed to head for their homeworld.[11]

Appearances in other media

The addition of a Elite model in Halo 2 multiplayer has led to Elites being used in a variety of machinima productions; for example, This Spartan Life features an Elite named "DJ Octobit" who spins tunes.[18] Elites, known as "aliens", also play an important role in the plot of Red vs. Blue; the character Tucker's alien child, "Junior", turns out to be the messiah of his race, and becomes embroiled in a plot to control the alien's religion.[19]

Cultural impact

Merchandise

File:Ranger elite figure.jpg
One of the Halo 2 series Elites.

The Elites have been featured in several action figure series. One of these being a series based on Halo 2 and published by Joyride Studios. The default version of the figure was described as having good stability and complementing other figures in the series; this was the first of two designs produced, with the second being an Elite Major model.[20] Reviews of this model criticized it for having loose articulations and for lacking the ability to stand on its own, but praised its paint job.[21] A second series of Elite figures were released after the release of Halo 2.[22] The character was also included as a collectible figure in the Halo ActionClix board game, which was released as promotional material before the release of Halo 3.[23]

Critical reception

The Elites have been well-received as both villains and allies. The artificial intelligence of the Elites in Halo: Combat Evolved was positively noted upon the game's release;[24] different ranks of Elites would behave differently towards the player. The ability to experience the storyline of Halo 2 from the Covenant perspective was described as a "brilliant stroke of game design".[25] Allowing the player to assume the role of an Elite was described as providing an unexpected plot twist, and allowing the player to experience a "newfound complexity to the story".[26] In addition, some reviewers thought that this provided the series with a significant plot element- IGN referred to it as the "intriguing side story of the Arbiter and his Elites"- and its elimination in Halo 3 was pointed to as responsible for reducing the role of the Arbiter within the series plot.[27] In addition, Elite were often considered superior to human Marines as allies, as the alien characters have the ability to take large amounts of damage, having a personal shield and superior default weapons.[25] They were also described as reducing the amount where the player has to play without backup characters, and increasing the amount of tactical combat. With dependable allies, the human player has more time to react, based on the actions of their comrades.[25]

References

  1. ^ Bungie (2006-02-10). "One Million Years B.X." Bungie.net. Archived from the original on 2006-02-10. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b c Bungie Studios, 2005. Halo 2 Multiplayer Map Pack (Xbox Extras: "Halo E3 2000". (in English).
  3. ^ Trautmann, Eric (2004). The Art of Halo. New York: Del Ray Publishing. p. 37. ISBN 0-345-47586-0.
  4. ^ a b Trautmann, Eric (2004). The Art of Halo. New York: Del Ray Publishing. p. 38. ISBN 0-345-47586-0.
  5. ^ Arbiter: We have always been your protectors. - Bungie Studios (2004). Halo 2 (Xbox). Microsoft. Level/area: The Arbiter.
  6. ^ Rtas 'Vadumee: On the blood of our fathers. On the blood of our sons-we swore to uphold the Covenant. Covenant Troop: Even to our dying breath. Rtas 'Vadumee: Those who would break this oath are heretics. Worthy of neither pity nor mercy. Even now they use our Lords' creation to broadcast their lies. - Bungie Studios (2004). Halo 2 (Xbox). Microsoft. Level/area: The Arbiter.
  7. ^ a b c Bungie, ed. (2001). Halo: Combat Evolved Instruction Manual: The Elites. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 19.
  8. ^ "The Covenant Primer". Bungie. 2004-04-29. Retrieved 2007-10-31. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  9. ^ a b Smith, Luke (2007-07-31). "The Tru7h About Co-Op in Halo 3". Bungie.net. Retrieved 2007-08-02. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  10. ^ Staten, Joseph (2007). Halo: Contact Harvest. New York: Tor. p. 151. ISBN 0-7653-1569-6. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)
  11. ^ a b Rtas 'Vadum: Things look different, without the Prophets' lies clouding my vision. I would like to see our own world. To know that it is safe. / Arbiter: Fear not. For we have made it so. - Bungie Studios (2007). Halo 3 (Xbox 360). Microsoft. Level/area: Halo.
  12. ^ "the Junkyard: Character Viewer Elites". the-junkyard.net. The Junkyard. Retrieved 2007-10-31.
  13. ^ Nylund, Erc (2006). Halo: Ghosts of Onyx. New York: Tom Doherty Associates. p. 372. ISBN 0-765-31568-. {{cite book}}: Check |isbn= value: length (help)
  14. ^ Bungie, ed. (2004). Halo 2 Instruction Manual. Microsoft Game Studios. p. 4.
  15. ^ Dietz, William (2003). Halo: The Flood. New York: Ballantine Books. p. 6. ISBN 0-345-45921-0.
  16. ^ Tartarus: Excellent work Arbiter. The Hierarchs will be pleased. Arbiter: The Icon...is my responsibility. Tartarus: Was your responsibility. Now it is mine. A bloody fate awaits you and your incompetent race. And I, Tartarus, Chieftain of the Brutes, will send you to it. Arbiter: When the Prophets learn of this they will have your head. Tartarus: When they learn? Fool. They ordered me to do it. - Bungie Studios (2004). Halo 2 (Xbox). Microsoft. Level/area: Quarantine Zone.
  17. ^ Rtas 'Vadum (arrogantly): Did you not hear? Your world is doomed. A Flood army, a Gravemind, has you in its sights! You barely survived a small contamination. / Lord Hood: And you, Ship Master, just glassed half a continent! Maybe the Flood isn't all I should be worried about. - Bungie Studios (2007). Halo 3 (Xbox 360). Microsoft. Level/area: Floodgate.
  18. ^ Staff (2005-08-19). "A talk-show in a virtual war-zone". happynews.com. Retrieved 2007-11-01. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  19. ^ Rooster Teeth Productions (2007-06-09). Red vs Blue episode 99: "Repent, The End is Near".
  20. ^ Staff (2004-01-17). "Action Figure Reviews: Elite (Halo)". The Armchair Empire. Retrieved 2007-10-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. ^ J' Tonallo (2004-12-07). "Action Figure Reviews: Elite, Red (Halo)". The Armchair Empire. Retrieved 2007-10-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  22. ^ Staff (2005-09-25). "Ranger Elite (Halo 2)". The Armchair Empire. Retrieved 2007-11-01. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  23. ^ McElroy, Justin (2007-06-05). "Halo ActionClix take shape, due in September". Joystiq. Retrieved 2007-10-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. ^ Fielder, Joe (2001-11-09). "Halo: Combat Evolved for Xbox". GameSpot. Retrieved 2007-11-08. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  25. ^ a b c McLain, Alex (2007). "The Big One". Microsoft Corporation. Retrieved 2007-10-25.
  26. ^ Kasavin, Greg (2004-11-07). "Halo 2 for Xbox Review". Gamespot. Retrieved 2007-10-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  27. ^ Goldstein, Hillary (2007-09-23). "Halo 3 Review". IGN. Retrieved 2007-10-25. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
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