Why the Elites/jackals/grunts look different

Games Halo 5: Guardians
1

A lot of the Halo community have expressed their feelings on the "new look"for the covenant species. These opinions have ranged between positive feedback and very negative feedback, but let’s delve deeper into the Halo universe to find out why exactly the covenant look and act different.

Let’s look at the facts and theories to why the covenant has changed so drastically:

Out of the three species its without a doubt that the halo 4 jackal looks significantly different from the bungie games. People have given this a lot of hate saying that 343i has ruined what jackals looked like. But before anyone else says this, let’s look at why the new jackals look so different. There are three sub-species of jackal(Kig-yar) that we know of so far; Ruutian, Ibie’shan, and T’voan. The sub-species we see in Halo 4 are the Ibie’shan, who originate from the isloathed volcanic continent of Ibie’sh. This subspecies posses a more reptilian or raptor look as our basic jackal posses a more bird like resemblance.

Due to long periods of isolation from their Ruutian cousins, the Ibie’shan Kig-Yar have diverged in evolutionary terms from the majority of their species, to deal with different selection pressures. Ibie’sh, their home continent, is an isolated volcanic island on Eayn, whose conditions favour those Kig-Yar with more reptilian than avian traits. These characteristics make them visually distinct from both Ruutians and T’vaoans. Some of these traits include a significant under-bite, more reptilian jaws, larger teeth and low-set eyes. It is believed by Xenobiologists that these are actually characteristics that Ibie’shans retain from their ancestors, while the other sub-species of Kig-Yar have lost them.

Here are some theories on the Sangheili and Unggoy races:

Elites (Sangheili):
The elites in Halo 4 also look different in size, coloration, and jaw. There’s not much info on the elites new look. This may be 343is depiction of the elite or it could be a subspecies of Sangheili. What is known is that these elites are storm elites. Storm elites are a group of elites that hold onto the values of the old covenant, and led by Jul mdama. From the looks of it these storm elite may as well be a subspecies. In halo 2 anniversary opening scene we see a group of elites and arbiter speaking to spartan locke. these elites resemble the original models for elites from the bungie titles. Does this means that we may see two species of elites battle eachother in halo 5?

The grunts (Unggoy):
The grunts seen in halo 4 are believed to be genetically mutated by the Covenant or a different sub species of Unggoy. That doesn’t mean that this isn’t just a new look. It may be, but only time will tell for these little canon fodder.

So, will we see a mix of all the subspecies in halo 5? What do you guys think.

Leave your ideas below in the comments :relaxed:

2

The *real Halo fans should know this.

3

they (343) already adressed this.
its less an evolutionary diverge as it is but their phenotypes kinda like ethnicity is in humans.

this is probably because they want bad guy elites to look one way and good guy elites another.

4

> 2533274870591903;3:
> they (343) already adressed this.
> its less an evolutionary diverge as it is but their phenotypes kinda like ethnicity is in humans.
>
> this is probably because they want bad guy elites to look one way and good guy elites another.

Great point.

It’s definitely what the H2A prologue suggests. The Arbiter’s Elites chatting w/ Locke and his squad look just like Bungie’s Elites from H2. Obviously these guys look nothing like the Elites we saw in Halo 4, Spartan Ops, Nightfall, or the Escalation comics series.

5

Its mostly just pretty standard phenotypical variation. and as stated above it does make it easier to tell the “good” elites from the “bad” elites. as the elites are very clan/family based it makes sense for most members of one faction to have similar physical traits.

6

I honestly wouldn’t mind seeing all variations in the game, so say a General elite was dropping down, its scripted as a general with (say storm covie) general armor but the elite itself when you take a closer look could be the version from halo reach, where the teeth are really sharp and jagged, but you replay the mission and it looks like a halo 3 elite, where the mandibles dont curve inwards as much, but its still got the same armor. I do believe elites vary in their skin color as well.
So what I’m saying is the model is randomly chosen but the armor remains. This can be applied to all species as well, especially Kig-Yar.

Speaking of Kig-Yar, both male and females take to battle on the front lines and theirs a different between them, males have feathers/spines and females have hard plates on their neck, so this will be interesting to see. Since skermishers are low in population from the battle of reach they could have a rare chance to be randomly generated.
I’d also like to see Kig-Yar driving vehicles and using turrets because thay are pefectly capable of doing that, and to see them pick up better from the battle field or even taking better weapons from grunts when there’s no elites or brutes around.
If you’'re sneaking around and haven’t disturbed and enemies you should be able to see jackels and grunts arguing, if there’s an elite nearby he might come up and break up the fight or you hear him laughing from it instead.

7

I’d love so see classic elites fight against h4 elites

8

If we’re fighting the covenant again in halo 5, please make them the ferocious, dominating aliens that they are made out to be. They make out the covenant to be this unforgiving and horrible group but you never really saw that in game. The only games that showed it were reach and 4. Reach during exodus and 4 during composer. I want to fight the covenant that almost made humanity extinct. Not little aliens with birthday poppers in their heads or skinny little bird/reptiles that run away once you bust their shield. If we’re going to colonie cities and the covenant is attacking, I want to see like Halo 4 prologue style with banshees dive bombing and elites impaling the citizens and the jackal in composer that pounced on the scientist and then killed him. That’s how the covenant should act in my book.

9

> 2533274820441404;7:
> I’d love so see classic elites fight against h4 elites

Halo 5 has so much crazy story potential. The whole “Locke hunting Chief as a possible traitor” thread running through it all is pretty badass in itself, but then you have:

  • ONI propaganda / smear campaign as explored in #HuntTheTruth
  • Blue Team potentially in the game with Chief
  • Buck, Romeo, TBD in the game with Locke
  • The Arbiter clearly back and in command of his own faction of Elites, working w/ Locke and ONI (?) & maybe fighting Brutes?
  • Dr. Halsey working with Jul and what remains of the Covenant
  • The Didact and Prometheans (if they’re even in Halo 5)
  • The mystery of where all the Prophets went after Halo 3
  • The mystery of where the surviving Forerunners went at the end of the Forerunner trilogy (343 GS is alive and looking for them)
  • The budding human insurrection that may require Chief to take human lives for the first time 30+ years
  • The possible return of The FloodI feel like my expectations are too high given all this cool stuff going on and I’m going to be let down. :frowning:
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> 2533274800197828;9:
> > 2533274820441404;7:
> > I’d love so see classic elites fight against h4 elites
>
>
> Halo 5 has so much crazy story potential. The whole “Locke hunting Chief as a possible traitor” thread running through it all is pretty badass in itself, but then you have:
> - ONI propaganda / smear campaign as explored in #HuntTheTruth
> - Blue Team potentially in the game with Chief
> - Buck, Romeo, TBD in the game with Locke
> - The Arbiter clearly back and in command of his own faction of Elites, working w/ Locke and ONI (?) & maybe fighting Brutes?
> - Dr. Halsey working with Jul and what remains of the Covenant
> - The Didact and Prometheans (if they’re even in Halo 5)
> - The mystery of where all the Prophets went after Halo 3
> - The mystery of where the surviving Forerunners went at the end of the Forerunner trilogy (343 GS is alive and looking for them)
> - The budding human insurrection that may require Chief to take human lives for the first time 30+ years
> - The possible return of The Flood
> I feel like my expectations are too high given all this cool stuff going on and I’m going to be let down. :frowning:

I thought we killed guilty spark at the end of halo 3 when he went rogue?

11

> 2533274857165616;6:
> I honestly wouldn’t mind seeing all variations in the game, so say a General elite was dropping down, its scripted as a general with (say storm covie) general armor but the elite itself when you take a closer look could be the version from halo reach, where the teeth are really sharp and jagged, but you replay the mission and it looks like a halo 3 elite, where the mandibles dont curve inwards as much, but its still got the same armor. I do believe elites vary in their skin color as well.
> So what I’m saying is the model is randomly chosen but the armor remains. This can be applied to all species as well, especially Kig-Yar.
>
> Speaking of Kig-Yar, both male and females take to battle on the front lines and theirs a different between them, males have feathers/spines and females have hard plates on their neck, so this will be interesting to see. Since skermishers are low in population from the battle of reach they could have a rare chance to be randomly generated.
> I’d also like to see Kig-Yar driving vehicles and using turrets because thay are pefectly capable of doing that, and to see them pick up better from the battle field or even taking better weapons from grunts when there’s no elites or brutes around.
> If you’'re sneaking around and haven’t disturbed and enemies you should be able to see jackels and grunts arguing, if there’s an elite nearby he might come up and break up the fight or you hear him laughing from it instead.

I completely agree. It would be great to have this incorporatedo I halo 5. All it is, is subspecies code generated at random at start of mission, death, or check point. For those who have played minecraft, we see this all the time with zombies and creepers. In minecraft there’s a slight chance a zombie villager may spawn or a zombie with a sword, and with creepers there is a very little chance to find a charged creeper. If minecraft can accomplish something like this, so can halo 5.

12

> 2533274919437201;10:
> > 2533274800197828;9:
> > > 2533274820441404;7:
> > > I’d love so see classic elites fight against h4 elites
> >
> >
> > Halo 5 has so much crazy story potential. The whole “Locke hunting Chief as a possible traitor” thread running through it all is pretty badass in itself, but then you have:
> > - ONI propaganda / smear campaign as explored in #HuntTheTruth
> > - Blue Team potentially in the game with Chief
> > - Buck, Romeo, TBD in the game with Locke
> > - The Arbiter clearly back and in command of his own faction of Elites, working w/ Locke and ONI (?) & maybe fighting Brutes?
> > - Dr. Halsey working with Jul and what remains of the Covenant
> > - The Didact and Prometheans (if they’re even in Halo 5)
> > - The mystery of where all the Prophets went after Halo 3
> > - The mystery of where the surviving Forerunners went at the end of the Forerunner trilogy (343 GS is alive and looking for them)
> > - The budding human insurrection that may require Chief to take human lives for the first time 30+ years
> > - The possible return of The Flood
> > I feel like my expectations are too high given all this cool stuff going on and I’m going to be let down. :frowning:
>
>
> I thought we killed guilty spark at the end of halo 3 when he went rogue?

We didn’t kill it, just damaged

13

> 2533274885566464;12:
> We didn’t kill it, just damaged

actually we did destroy 343gs, but ONI found a piece of his body with remnants of his original chakas personality on it.

14

anyone remember how effective the active camo was in halo 2,3 and odst… and how bad it is in reach and 4… in halo 5 i want to hear the arbiter or one of his elites quote 3jaw (his name escapes me and i CBA to go find it) taunting one of the storm elites, “your armor system is not as ‘new’ as ours, your camo will not last forever.” then proceed to kick their -Yoink- lol.

but seriously, i like the style of the halo 2-odst elites more (yes i know the only elites in odst were corpses on the floor) than the reach, and h4 elites so im looking forward to the arbiter and his crew kicking the new models -Yoinks!-

15

> 2533274803267398;13:
> > 2533274885566464;12:
> > We didn’t kill it, just damaged
>
>
> actually we did destroy 343gs, but ONI found a piece of his body with remnants of his original chakas personality on it.

Wait so ONI rebuilt him?

16

And that’s your dailey science lesson, tune in next week to learn about rocket launcher sub-species and why it looks different in halo 5

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> 2533274905016756;16:
> And that’s your dailey science lesson, tune in next week to learn about rocket launcher sub-species and why it looks different in halo 5

This was by no means a nerd science lesson, it was to sum up why the covenant look different in halo 4 since a lot of ppl complain that 343 sucks for modelling the covenant weird. I was just clearing it up and explaining that the original covenant species are still around that the ones we saw in 4 were only subspecies.