[b][u]If you have absolutely no interest in Halo's canon, it is [i]highly[/i] recommended that you hit the Back button immediately. I prefer civil discussion, and "Who cares?" doesn't count. Also, a few minor spoilers are in the thread, but nothing Bungie hasn't already said or shown.[/b][/u] In every Halo game including Elites, they've been pretty clear-cut. Blue means Minor Domo. Red means Major Domo. White or silver means Ultra [Or SpecOps Commander]. And gold means Zealot. Those were your base ranks, not factoring in Honor Guards or Councilors. They [i]stayed[/i] that way. Halo: Reach seems to have disrupted the Zealot's appearance and function heavily, having been replaced apparently. I've seen a few threads floating around on the disappointment here. A few of my friends and myself were also confused by this, but perhaps there is an answer... While all the ranks up to Ultra seem to have retained their former glory, the ranks of Zealot, [i]General[/i], and [i]Field Marshall[/i] have been brought to the table as offenders of past experience. The Zealot is, apparently, something completely different than it was before. Before, the scary golden swordsman. Now... [I]Purple?[/i] Am I seeing things correctly? Proof can be seen in [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92Bbw-KHajs&feature=player_embedded]"The Battle Begins"[/url] at about thirty seven seconds in. At first glance, this Elite they zoomed in on appears to be the Field Marshall. However, this was the Elite accompanying the Field Marshall, and not the same. You can tell by the lack of the "eyebrows" on the front of the helmet, the shoulders, and the fact that the Field Marshall had a sword-- This one is using the knuckle dagger. In case you can't get a good still, [url=http://images4.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100729152935/halo/images/3/37/Reach-Field_Marshall_face_closeup.png]this is the Zealot[/url]. When compared to [url=http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100807041225/halo/images/5/54/EliteZealot.JPG]this[/url], it is definite. To put the nail in the coffin that Zealots are changed, if that wasn't enough evidence? The achievement [url=http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100717211654/halo/images/8/81/Reach_Achievement_10.png]Your Heresy Will Stay Your Feet[/url], awarded for killing a certain Zealot before he escapes in the fifth mission, shows the same helmet, in that same purple color. Zealots are [i]not[/i] gold anymore. But our golden foes are not as dead as they seem, with their reincarnation seeming to be the "General" variant. The General seems to be an even higher rank than the Zealot, given that they are [i]Generals[/i], and unlocked at a higher rank. To prove that these unheard of enemies are gold, I bring [url=http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100731081941/halo/images/2/2f/Sangheiligeneral.jpg]a screenshot[/url] and [url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnamP-tcDig]a video, skip to 39 seconds in.[/url] These Generals seem to be the same thing as our old Zealots, in color and in actions... So what does that make the Zealots? I propose that Zealots and Generals are the same thing. Before anybody goes and jumps off the deep end, allow me to explain. Zealots are high-ranking, and Elites focus [i]highly[/i] on Honor, status, and combat prowess rather than practicality. Their system's way of ascending in status is by paying it in scalps. The better the killer, the higher the rank. And Honor-bound aliens love something very dearly: Recognition. What better way to get recognition than with bright gold armor? What I am proposing is that the "Zealot" skin in Halo: Reach is actually a combat variant, while the "General" is a more ceremonial armor. Elites are smart, they know what's practical. The purple-red, almost [i]magenta[/i] color of the Zealots and Field Marshalls are better for stealth, and overall more combat practical, and retain a more traditional Covenant design when compared with the Ultras and Officers seen in Reach [Officers just being an over-hyped Major, apparently]. Bright gold? Not so much. It's an attention grabber, rather than a practical combat application. And comparing the General's armor to everything else, it is [i]similar[/i], but has a different, more brutal and ceremonial appearance-- Possibly based on ancient Sangheili designs. It does not look [i]anything[/i] like other armors. But you're talking about an Honor-based culture. One based on the concept of "Killing everything makes you better than everyone else, and the more people who see you do it the better." They like [i]status[/i], rather than practicality. Thus, while a purple color would make more sense, most would forgo it for gold-- Signifying their status. This could [i]heavily[/i] explain why we have only seen golden Zealots in the past few games. To back up this theory, I bring you Thel 'Vadamee [The Arbiter of Halo 2 and 3] as the [url=http://images1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20061213202151/halo/images/3/30/Supremecommander.jpg]Supreme Commander[/url], from [i]The Last Voyage of the Infinite Succor[/i]. He wears purple here, but when he appears before the Council in Halo 2, he wears the golden armor of a Zealot. Now, why would he do that? Because the armor is a choice. To further back up my statement, the [url=http://images3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100807035149/halo/images/4/40/EliteFM.JPG]Field Marshall[/url] is a combination of both the General and the Zealot. [url=http://images2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100729152217/halo/images/a/a8/Reach_%22The_Battle_Begins%22-Elite.png]It uses the more standard design [i]and[/i] color of the Zealot, while using the clearly less practical but more intimidating shoulders of a General... And with the two "eyebrow" horns.[/url] It gives an idea of the best of both worlds for an Elite-- Practical combat armor with plenty of ceremonial attire to make one's status clear. While this theory isn't currently provable, it can be proven easily. It just depends on whether or not Generals and Zealots act and function the same in Halo: Reach, which can solidify or destroy this statement. [quote][b][U]TL;DR[/b][/u][/quote] Zealot and General mean the same thing in Halo: Reach and are just different sets of armor for the same rank depending on personal preference, practicality or flashiness.