Note two things: 1. Only species important to the story are listed here. While there are other major species of import in a few galaxies, those that are not important to the story are not listed. 2. Some species here are not in the story yet, and may not show up for a while. I have simply put them all here at the present time to browse at your convenience.
oOo
Major Species:
[As organized by universe in random order. Please note that only species important to the story are listed here; while there are other major species of import in a few of these galaxies, those that are not important to the story are not listed. For obvious reasons, humanity is not listed.]
Star Trek:
Vulcan:
Notable Vulcan: Spock, Sarek
Homeworld: Vulcan
Vulcans are a bipedal humanoid, sentient species originally coming from the planet Vulcan. They are known for their strict adherence to logic, disdain of emotion, and stoicism, alongside their brilliant minds. They were also one of the founding members of the United Federation of Planets. Outwardly, Vulcans appear to be nearly identical to humans except for their long, pointed ears and upward-sweeping eyebrows. Vulcans grow bodily hair and males of the species grow facial hair in a similar way to humans, though most males prefer to shave their facial hair off. Vulcans give live birth, and their reproductive systems are so similar to those of humans that the two species are capable of having offspring together.
In contrast to their external similarities, the internal systems of Vulcans are quite different from those of a human. Their hearts are where the human liver is, and beats several hundred times per minute. Vulcan blood is green, and thus bruises and skin tint often take on a greenish color. They have much higher metabolisms than humans, and require less sleep.
Perhaps the most intriguing part of Vulcans are their brains. Vulcans are able to control some elements of their bodily functions through sheer willpower: for instance, they can ignore an amount of pain if they so choose to do so. In addition, Vulcans are touch-telepaths. Though considerable training is required to use this ability to the fullest (such as to telepathically suggest or compulse others to do things), simpler contacts, such as reading emotions, are natural.
Vulcan society is strictly logical. Once, Vulcans were an extremely violent and emotional people (even by human standards) that constantly waged war on one another. As their technological level increased, the Vulcans eventually reached a point where their violent nature threatened the extinction of their species. At this point, a Vulcan named Surak devised a new philosophy. He maintained the root cause of the problems on Vulcan was the uncontrolled outpouring of people's emotions. He and his followers swore themselves to an ethical system based on purely emotional principles. While some Vulcans left, becoming the Romulans, the remaining Vulcans continue the system to this day, abiding by logic above all else. It is with logic that they moved through the stars and created the Federation, and it is by logic that they will go ever onwards into the cosmos.
Star Wars:
Wookies:
Notable Wookies: Chewbacca, Chief Tarpal
Homeworld: Kashyyyk
Wookies are a hairy, bipedal mammalian sentient species that hail from the jungle forest world of Kashyyyk. Able to grow nearly three meters in height, they are covered from head to toe in a shaggy coat of hair that comes in shades of brown, black, gray, and white. Wookies are omnivorous, with a preference for meat but the ability to eat a wide variety of substances, including wild plants and berries. Wookies have two sexes, males and females. Females look much the same as males apart from being slightly smaller, and give live birth to young. Most of their kind understand Galactic Basic, but are unable to speak it due to their vocal structure.
Wookies also have extendable claws which they use exclusively for climbing: anything else would violate their honor code. Despite their fearsome appearance and sometimes volatile temperament, Wookies are regarded by many as intelligent, sophisticated, loyal, and trusting. Wookies disdain wearing clothing, as they are covered in fur and have no need of it for either warmth or modesty.
Mass Effect:
Turians:
Notable Turians: Garrus Vakarian, Councilor Sparatus, General Adrian Victus, Primarch Fedorian
Homeworld: Palaven
Turians are an avian-descended species from the planet Palaven. The planet has a weak magnetic field, which resulted in most species on Palaven, Turians included, evolving a metallic 'exoskeleton' to protect themselves. This carapace stops low-level radiation exposure, but does not act as armor. Turian features are avian, making them resemble humanoid birds or raptors. Turians are viviparous and give birth to live young. There is no great distinction between males and females of the species in physical appearance other than females lack the swept-back cranial crest found on males and have larger, cat-like eyes. Turians are a predator species, with forward-facing eyes, sharp teeth, and two long, proportionally-thick fingers tipped with talons. They are one of two levo-protein based species within the galaxy, the other being the Quarians. They are also recognizable by their voices, which have a unique flanging effect.
Turians are known for their militaristic and disciplined culture. They were the third race to join the Citadel Council, earning their seat through defeating the Krogan Rebellions. The species then assumed a niche as the Council's peacekeepers. Sometimes seen as imperialistic and rigid by other species, their species forms the vast majority of soldiers and starships of the Citadel Fleet. They are respected for their public service ethic (it was Turians who created the Citadel Security police force), but many other species see them as having a militaristic monopoly throughout the stars.
Turian society is highly regimented and very organized, known for its strict discipline and work ethic. All Turians from ages 15 to 30 serve the state in some capacity, from administrators to engineers to sanitation workers. However, most join the military for their mandatory service. It's uncommon to see a Turian who hasn't passed through Hierarchy boot camp. The military is not merely an armed force: it's an all-encompassing public works organization. The military acts as the civic police, firefighters, the merchant marine, and engineers for Turian public works.
Quarians:
Notable Quarians: Admiral Rael'Zorah, Admiral Han'Gerel, Admiral Shala'Raan, Admiral Daro'Xen, Tali'Zorah
Homeworld: Rannoch
Quarians are a nomadic species of humanoid aliens known for their technological prowess. Quarians are quite similar to humans in terms of bodily size, features, and distinctions between males and females of the species. However, there are a few notable differences between Quarians and humans: the former are levo-protien based while the latter are dextro, the former do not have ears, but rather auditory canals, Quarians can see ultraviolet light, have two long fingers and a thumbs on each hand, and three long, distinct toes on each foot. Quarians give live birth and have red blood, much like humanity.
The most notable feature of the Quarian species are their infamously weak immune systems. When Quarians lived on their homeworld of Rannoch, there were few microbes or diseases present. The Quarians had a symbiotic relationship with the environment. However, eventually, the Quarians created a race of synthetic servants called the Geth who gained sentience and rebelled against their creators. The Geth drove the Quarians off Rannoch, wiping out 99% of the species. Ever since being driven off, the Quarians have lived aboard the ships of a huge Migrant Fleet, and worn enviro-suits to compensate for the close quarters and poor atmospheres of ship-board life. Quarian enviro-suits are a necessity for a member of their race to merely survive. They are typically very close-fitting affairs, with a tinted full-faced mask so the individual may see. The suits of each individual are all different, with various blacks, gray, and violets making up the majority of the coloring. The suits are often connected to life-sustaining cybernetics, and can help pump antibiotics, combat drugs, and other substances into a Quarian's blood stream if necessary.
Quarians almost never take off their suits. There are specialized sterilized 'clean rooms' in the Migrant Fleet where Quarians may do so to mate, give birth, or undergo surgery. Apart from parents or a mate, Quarians are almost never exposed to others. Linking suit atmospheres is seen as the most intimate thing a Quarian can do. While each person may become sick, they will eventually adapt to the other and are able to be with them unsuited.
Ultimately, Quarians are a very close-knit species that distrusts outsiders. Any threat to the Migrant Fleet and the ships within is a threat to the Quarian species as a whole. The only time Quarians usually are seen by the other denizens of the galaxy is on their Pilgrimage, a coming-of-age ritual where a young Quarian must go to the wider galaxy and bring back a gift that will help the Fleet.
Salarians:
Notable Salarians: Mordin Solus, Dalatrass Linron, Councilor Valern
Homeworld: Sur'Kesh
The second species to join the Citadel, Salarians are a bipedal race of warm-blooded amphibians from the planet Sur'Kesh. Salarians possess a hyperactive metabolism: they think fast, talk fast, move fast, and require only an hour of sleep a day. To Salarians, other species seem sluggish and slow-witted. However, their hyperactive metabolism results in them having a lifespan of only about thirty to forty years. Salarians have long, thin bodies and faces, with a pair of horns sweeping up from their skull. Skin varies in color, from bright reds and greens to more common shades of blues and grays.
Salarians lay eggs: unfertilized eggs produce males and fertilized eggs produce females. Once a year, a Salarian female will lay a clutch of dozens of eggs. Societal rules prevent all but a fraction from being fertilized. As a result, 90% of the species is male, and the species is run through dynastic matriarchal lineages.
Salarians are known for their observational capacity and non-linear thinking. This manifests as an aptitude for research and espionage. They are constantly experimenting and inventing, and it's generally accepted that they always know more than they let on.
Asari
Notable Asari: Councilor Tevos, Liara T'Soni
Homeworld: Thessia
Asari are a blue-skinned monogendered bipedal sentient species from the planet Thessia. Asari resemble humans in facial and body structure, including five-fingered hands and feet. In place of head hair, Asari possess semi-flexible cartilage-based scalp crests that grow into shape. These are rigid, and do not 'flop' around. Asari blood is purple, and their average lifespan is a massive thousand years. In addition, all Asari are born biotics, but it is up to the individual whether they want to hone those talents or not.
Asari are a monogendered species. They give live birth and nurse their young with breast milk, and have 'female' characteristics to other species. Interestingly, Asari have a unique method of reproduction. Instead of egg-laying, mitosis, or internal sexual intercourse, Asari reproduce through a process called 'melding'. A 'mother' Asari (the one that will give birth to the infant) will attune her nervous system with her partner's. This takes a second set of genes from the 'father' to pass on to the child. Notably, Asari can reproduce with any species, though the child will always be an Asari. Asari can also meld for non-reproductive purposes, such as to share or receive another individual's memories.
The Asari rose on Thessia, a world with abundant qualities of element zero. In the infancy of the species, Thessia was discovered by the Protheans. The Protheans rapidly accelerated Asari development under the guise of a benevolent goddess called Athame. When the Protheans departed, they left a beacon there with a Virtual Intelligence called Vendetta inside it. The Asari built a temple to Athame around the beacon, and used its secrets to advance their race into the powerful in the galaxy. The beacon is a closely-guarded state secret, as it would not only break the laws the Asari themselves created, but discredit the idea the species rose to such heights on their own merit.
When the Asari, helped by the Prothean beacon, reached the stars, they encountered the Mass Relay system and a derelict space station called the Citadel. They took over the Citadel, and when they encountered the Salarians, the two species swiftly formed the Citadel Council to govern the galaxy. The Citadel now encompasses dozens of sentient races, with the Asari at the de-facto head. The species is known for diplomacy, and provides the diplomatic arm of the Citadel Council to the Turians' military power, the Salarians' science and espionage, and humanity's jack-of-all trades talents.
Drell:
Notable Drell: Thane Krios
Homeworld: Rakhana
Drell are a bipedal reptilian race from the planet Rakhana. Their appearance is roughly similar to humans, though with scaled skin and their ring and middle fingers fused. Drell sexual dimorphisms seem to be largely similar to humans: females have breast-like protrusions, longer frills on their heads, and give live birth. Drell possess perfect eidetic memory, and can remember nearly every event of their lives with flawless accuracy.
The Drell homeworld of Rakhana was a barren and lifeless desert wasteland. Around the 1380s AD, the already-arid Drell homeworld began a rapid descent into lifelessness due to over-industrialization. The Drell had not developed spaceflight, and so faced certain doom. Many centuries later, the Hanar made first contact with the Drell. In the following ten years, the Hanar would transport a total of 375,000 Drell to their homeworld Kahje. The remaining billions left on Rakhana would die with their planet, fighting over ever-dwindling resources. While the Drell are not a major race or Council Race, they have been a part of galactic civilization for over two centuries, and thrive in coexistence with the Hanar.
Empyrean Iris:
Drev
Notable Drev: Sunny/Chalan, Kanan/Cannon, General Kazna
Homeworld: Anum (Humanized: Anin)
Drev are a bipedal, four-armed sentient species from the planet Anin. They range from seven to eleven and a half feet in height, though are typically nine to ten. They have powerful legs that end with two short, hoove-like toes, and four arms with three fingers and a thumb on each. Their skin is gray, and connects parts of a colored outer carapace that protects a Drev in important areas. Carapaces range a wide variety of colors, including those on the ultraviolet spectrum. More colorful carapaces are considered more attractive. Drev have amazing eyesight: they can see in full color vision including several humans cannot pick up, ultraviolet light, and can detect magnetic lines in the atmosphere of a planet. Despite this, they are considered to have poor night vision.
Drev give live birth. Drev reproductive organs are internal until needed for sexual intercourse; apart from their internal reproductive organs, male and female Drev are exactly alike in both internal biology and external appearance. Drev are herbivores, and cannot consume animal products. Drev have a thick neck that ends in a powerful bird-like head. They do not technically have beaks, though their snouts look beak-like. While they can understand and speak many languages, they do not possess lips and thus cannot pronounce certain words. Drev blood is thick and orange. They breathe oxygen through holes in their neck, which can also secrete mucus much like a human nose.
Drev live in clans on the planet Anin. Each clan has a governmental and religious leader, each who is helped by a council of generals and acolytes respectively. Drev believe in animism: everything has a spirit. While the Drev do not pray to these spirits, they venerate them and ask them for help.
Drev are a proud and militaristic race. They place a high emphasis on personal combat and honor, and use duels as both a way to court a prospective mate and to settle disagreements. Drev fight as married couples on the battlefield, called 'battle pairs'. They also have a high sense of honor, considering lying or even using ambush tactics to be the height of dishonor. Due to this, they also disdain many forms of technology, especially military technology. They fight in personal combat using spears, and do not have anything resembling artillery, a navy, or any form of military vehicles. Drev also have strong parental instincts, regardless of their gender: children are not to be harmed, ever, and the children of those killed in battle, even if enemies, are swiftly adopted and welcomed as their own flesh and blood.
Vrul
Notable Vrul: Dr. Kril
Homeworld: Unnamed
Vrul are a small insectoid sentient species. Interestingly and uniquely among sentient species, Vrul get their energy through photosynthesis. While they can eat, this is reserved for very simple sources of glucose, with light serving as their main source of nourishment. They have four spindly legs beneath an upward torso, and four arms with multiple filaments that protrude when the hand opens. Vrul poses an insectoid head with two large, hexagonal, fly-like eyes and two horn-shaped antennae. The species can walk on their legs; however, they primarily move around through sacks of helium on their back, which they use to float through the air. They breathe carbon dioxide through the use of lungs.
Vrul reproduce by laying eggs. All Vrul have male and female capabilities, meaning they can both lay and fertilize eggs (though they cannot both lay and fertilize their own eggs). Vrul society is organized in a caste system based upon reproduction. Eggs are laid in large incubation chambers, and fertilized after the layer has departed. It is considered a necessary civic duty to either lay or fertilize. Vrul larvae go through multiple stages of development. If a larvae is disturbed or taken out of its egg during a specific stage, it will result in a specific 'class' of Vrul.
Warhammer 40,000:
Adeptus Astartes (Space Marines)
Notable Space Marines: (too many to list)
Homeworld: the God-Emperor originally created the first Marines on Terra; since then, they are born and created on countless planets throughout the galaxy
Adeptus Astartes, or Space Marines, are genetically engineered super-soldiers who serve the Imperium of Man. While they are taken from human males and still considered human, their augmentations are so extreme that they are no longer truly classified as homo sapiens, but rather Adeptus Astartes. All Imperial and xenos records list Space Marines as human and not a separate species, but their augmentations and history are so extreme it would be prudent to provide background.
When the Emperor of Mankind conquered Terra during the Unification Wars, he strove to unite the rest of the galaxy under his banner to end the horrors of the Age of Strife. To this end, he used his own genes to create twenty superhuman sons called the Primarchs to act as generals to conquer the stars. However, the Dark Gods of Chaos, seeing this as a threat to them, intervened and scattered the Primarchs throughout the galaxy. Without the Primarchs, the Emperor used their genes to modify normal human men into super-soldiers. The result were the Space Marines, eight-foot tall super-soldiers that have two hearts, three lungs, bones the strength of ceramite, an immunity to nearly any form of toxin or poison, the abilities to heal and scar wounds nearly instantly, see in the dark, spit acid, and, most importantly, connect to heavy power armor due to an under-skin implanted known as the Black Carapace.
Each Space Marine has the genes of their Primarch, and thus often takes on the physical appearance of their gene-sire. They also have a tendency to take on whatever abilities or flaws their Primarchs have. When the Primarchs were found during the Great Crusade, they swiftly took command of their respective Legions and conquered the stars. However, half of the Primarchs were seduced by the Dark Gods of Chaos, and took the majorities of their Legions with them in damnation.
After the Horus Heresy, the Traitor Legions were driven into the Eye of Terror. Four Primarchs were dead: two Loyal, two Traitor, and the Legions in shambles. The Primarch of the Thirteenth Legion, Roboute Guilliman, with the begrudging support of his remaining loyal brothers, ordered the Legions to be disbanded into smaller chapters so that no one man could command the power to bring the Imperium low again.
Through the following centuries, the Loyalist Primarchs were either killed, mortally wounded and placed in status, or simply disappeared. However, their blood lives on through the Marines, who follow the rituals of their parent chapter, and their gene-line. The Marines are now split into chapters of approximately a thousand men each (though it depends on the chapter in question). While each chapter is different, with some bloody, brutal, and completely uncaring of 'mortal' human casualties, others dark and mysterious, and others shining beacons of home to mankind, each is still descended from one of the Primarchs, and each carries with them the power of a super-soldier and a will to utterly crush the enemies of the Imperium of Man.
Necrons:
Notable Necrons: Trazyn the Infinite, Orikan the Diviner, Szarekh the Silent King
Homeworld: Unknown
The Necrons are a completely robotic humanoid race whose technological prowess is unmatched by any other intelligent species in either their home galaxy or any other.
Millions of Terran years ago, the Necron were a species of flesh and blood known as the Necrontyr. Born upon a world cursed by radiation, they lived short, miserable lives. Suffering was common, and lifespans were short due to cancers and other illnesses caused by the radiation. However, they nevertheless managed to carve out an empire throughout the stars. They were split into dynasties, similar to human kingdoms in a sense. These dynasties were governed by a council called the Triarch, comprised of three monarchs called "phaerons". The head of the Triarch was known as the Silent King, for he addressed subjects only through the other two phaerons.
The last days of the Necrontyr occurred during the reign of Szarekh, the last of the Silent Kings. Slightly before this time period, the Necrontyr had encountered an ancient and extremely intelligent species known as the Old Ones. This species were masters of all forms of technology, and of life and death itself. However, the Old Ones refused to share the secrets of immortality with the Necrontyr, which ignited a burning, terrible jealous hatred throughout the species. Why should others have everything at their fingertips when their own lives were cut so brutally short?
The Necrontyr thus declared war on the Old Ones, seeking to wipe them from the stars and take the secrets of immortality for themselves. This was called the War in Heaven, and it was a war the Necrontyr could not win… Until they found something else.
Seeking a weapon to unleash on the Old Ones, the Necrontyr found a sentience far more ancient than any corporeal species in creation, including the Old Ones. These were entities of pure energy spawned in the birth of the first stars eons ago that fed off solar flares and magnetic radiation. The Necrontyr called them the C'tan, or Star Gods, and it was they that would ultimately transform the Necrontyr into Necrons and irreversibly change the fate of the galaxy.
The C'tan offered the Necrontyr everything they ever wanted: the secrets of immortality and victory over the Old Ones in the War in Heaven. Thus a pact was made between Szarekh the Silent King and the C'tan. The Necrontyr were subjected to biotransferrance, a process where their organic bodies were replaced by living, immortal metal. However, the Necrontyr had been deceived, for the C'tan glutted themselves upon their souls, utterly destroying them and leaving the new Necrons metallic husks and their eternal slaves.
The War in Heaven continued, and the Necrons combined with the Star Gods were unstoppable. Entire sectors were annihilated, for this was war on a scale unimaginable to any other race, using weapons that could bend reality on a galactic level. In the end, the Old Ones were destroyed, and the Necrons and Star Gods were ascendant.
However, Szarekh had bided his time, and at the moment of victory, the Necrons turned on the C'tan and shattered them, trapping their tiny pieces into eternal prisons. Though the cost of the War in Heaven and the revolt was high, the Necrons had won. Yet, they were still weak, and so the Silent King ordered his species to build great tomb complexes and sleep for sixty million years. When his orders were carried out, Szarekh destroyed the protocols that allowed him to control his race and left the galaxy for the space between stars, for it had been his decision that failed them.
Long have the Necrons slept. Yet, in the past few millennia, many have begun to awaken. The time is now nigh, and once more a galaxy of lesser races shall fear the wrath of the Necron Infinite Empire.
Eldar:
Notable Eldar: Eldrad Uthran, Asdrubael Vect, Yvraine
Homeworld: Unknown
During the War in Heaven, the Old Ones, desperate to turn the tide against the unstoppable might of the Necron Infinite Empire and the raging Star Gods, created several species as biological weapons to fight for them. One of these was the Eldar, also known as the Aeldari.
The Eldar are an ancient and highly advanced species of humanoid aliens whose vast empire once extended the breadth and width of the known galaxy. They are taller and more slender than humans, with pointed ears and incredible grace and beauty. Each Eldar is born a potent psyker, and the species is still able to use the Webway of the Old Ones as their means of FTL travel through the galaxy.
After the War in Heaven and the fall of the Old Ones, the Eldar ascended when the Necons began their great sleep. Conquering the galaxy, they established a great empire there, the likes of which haven't been seen since. They were masters of technology, and so advanced that there was no need for physical labor; indeed, there was no need beyond pursuing whatever an individual wanted. This was what led to their downfall, for the Eldar experience emotions at a scale much higher than any other race.
The Aeldari Empire descended into hedonism and debauchery. With all the required necessities of life without individual effort, the Eldar began to look inward, seeking ways to explore the full range of emotion and sensation. Soon, as the Aeldari Empire was consumed with the worst sort of debauchery imaginable, the psychic energies of the entire race collected in the Warp, and a new Chaos God was born in a terrible mirror image of what the Eldar had become: Slaanesh, the Dark God of unimaginable excess of the senses.
The birth of Slaanesh caused a rip in the fabric of space and time in the heart of the Aeldari Empire now known to the Imperium of Man as the Eye of Terror. This birth scream killed off nearly the entirety of the Eldar species and the pantheon of their gods, their souls consumed by Slaanesh. However, those tiny few who, disgusted, had left the empire, survive on huge moon-sized vessels called Craftworlds. Some others, terrible pleasure cults that were within the psychic-proof Webway when the Fall happened, also survived, as did a few backwater planets and the Webway-based servants of the Aeldari god of trickery, Cegorach. The Eldar are thus split into different groups: the Craftworld Eldar, remnants of lost glory, the sinister Drukari, remnants of the terrible hedonism of the Eldar Empire, the Exodites, simple folk who follow the old ways, and the Harlequins, terrifying servants of Cergorach who oppose Slaanesh at every turn.
Ultimately, the Eldar are a dying race. When they die, their souls must be trapped in specialized psychic gems called soulstones, or they will be devoured by the Dark God of Unimaginable Excess. They are few and far in between, but their race is still characterized by haughty pride, a sense of superiority to all other races, and, depending on the group in question, either the terrifying powers of old or the murderous sadism of the fallen empire.
Halo:
San'Shyuum:
Notable San'Shyuum: The Prophets of Truth, Mercy, and Regret
Homeworld: Janjur Qom
The San'Shyuum, called 'Prophets' by humanity, are a hairless, bipedal species with long, nearly serpentine necks and limbs. They have elongated faces and slick skin with fleshy beard-like growths, or wattles, beneath their chins. Many San'Shyuum, especially the elderly members of the High Council aboard High Charity, have a degree of difficulty moving around. The species is three-fingered and three-toed, with two long fingers and a thumb. San'Shyuum also give live birth to their young.
The San'Shyuum are the highest 'class' and species within the Covenant, with the Sangheili as a second/equal. While in Covenant society, there is not necessarily a set role based on species, the San'Shyuum are usually thought of as religious leaders. They make up the three leading Prophets of the Covenant and the majority of the High Council. The San'Shyuum also make up the ruling religious caste of the Covenant, and it is their responsibility to study Forerunner artifacts and use them to develop new technologies. It is also the responsibility of the San'Shyuum to manage political affairs, keep order, and fully understand and advance the Great Journey.
Sangheili
Notable Sangheili: Arbiter Thel 'Vadam, Commander Rtas 'Vadum
Homeworld: Sanghelios
The Sangheili are a saurian sapient species known for their warrior culture and combat skill. Known as 'Elites' to humans for their role in the Covenant's military hierarchy, they are one of the Covenant's two founding species and make up its military backbone. Sangheili are bipedal, with leathery skin covered in many parts with scales. They are very muscular and tall, standing between seven and nine feet in height. Their jaws are quadruple-hinged, with an upper jaw and four teeth-covered lower mandibles arranged in two tiers. Sangheili lay eggs rather than give live birth.
Sangheili are naturally very intelligent. However, due to their military role in the structure of the Covenant, this intelligence is usually used for military tactics rather than science or technology. The Sangheili are the Covenant's warriors, and are raised from birth to be soldiers. Any other societal roles are treated as secondary or even hobbies. Due to their strength, speed, reflexes, and intelligence, Sangheili make excellent soldiers, though their warrior culture has resulted in some strange beliefs, such as disdaining doctors, and a tendency to look down on other species as inferior. Sangheili are promoted by merit, measured in personal kills. A high-ranking Sangheili soldier may have personally slaughtered thousands to reach their rank. Their military and physical prowess, combined with their intense religious zeal, make the Sangheili both a powerful warrior race and a most dangerous enemy.
Jiralhanae
Notable Jiralhanae: Cethegus, Tartarus
Homeworld: Doisac
The Jiralhanae, known by humans as 'Brutes', are a mostly carnivorous sapient mammalian species. Hailing from the planet Doisac, the Jiralhanae are the latest addition to the Covenant. Immensely strong, surpassing even Sangheili and Spartan-II's, the Jiralhanae place more emphasis on brutality over wisdom or tactics. Jiralhanae are bipedal mammals that share similar traits to bears and gorillas on Earth. They have thick, leathery skin covered in tan, gray, white, brown, rust-red, or black fur. Jiralhanae have three digits on each hand plus opposable thumbs, and two-toed feet ending in thick claws. They are carnivorous, and known to eat the flesh of their enemies such as humans.
Jiralhanae society is dominated by a fierce pack culture and focus on lineage. Their species is an authoritarian dictatorship controlled by the strongest male, whose dominance is said male's social, martial, and sexual success. Each pack is led by a chieftain, who controls it. The only way to advance to patriarch is to kill the current incumbent in a duel to the death. Jiralhanae females act as mothers and caretakers; no female has ever been observed in a military role.
Some Jiralhanae hold a fervent belief in the Great Journey; others care little of religion. They act as the Covenant's elite shock-troops, with a great emphasis on hand-to-hand combat. Their fighting style is brutal and personal, with emphasis on crushing the opponent. The Jiralhanae also have a profound hatred for the Sangheili: the Jiralhanae want to ascend to the top of the Covenant's military hierarchy, whereas the Sangheili see them as brutal, socially inferior and a threat.
Unggoy
Notable Unggoy: N/A
Homeworld: Balaho
Unggoy, known as 'Grunts' to humanity, are a species of short, squat, amphibian-evolved lifeforms that serve the Covenant as menials and cannon-fodder soldiers. Unggoy society came to be on their homeworld of Balaho, where they managed to create a thriving sentient world. However, the biosphere of Balaho collapsed due to massive over-industrialization. The Unggoy and their defenseless homeworld were shortly thereafter discovered by the Covenant. Unlike many species that joined the Covenant due to faith or mutual beneficence, the Unggoy were conquered by force and thus compelled to serve the Covenant in lowly positions as the fourth race within the empire.
Unggoy resemble primates, with leathery skin, flat, three-toed feet, and oversized arms. However, they also possess a crab-like exoskeleton. Unggoy breathe methane gas, and must wear breather masks at all times to compensate for the other Covenant species' use of oxygen. Their blood is thick, light-blue, and bioluminescent. They lay eggs, and spend their childhood in a larval stage before rapidly growing up.
Unggoy are thought to be unintelligent by both humanity and the other races of the Covenant. However, they have been seen to be incredibly resourceful and knowledgeable, able to understand many languages, including human ones, at once. This lack of intelligence may be due to their poor training and education within the Covenant. It should be also noted, however, that Unggoy have a terrible tactical sense and lack of bravery; whenever their Sangheili officers are killed, Unggoy foot soldiers usually run. Unggoy have a strong pack mentally, and this, combined with their tenacity and sheer numbers, makes them a surprisingly formidable foe when there are many of them on the battlefield.
Despite their lowly status, most Unggoy are fanatically faithful to the Covenant religion. While there are many tensions between them and other Covenant species, especially the Kig-Yar, they faithfully serve as menial laborers and foot soldiers.