How tall are Elites in the Halo lore? Sanghelli race explained

The Sanghelli alien race in the Halo universe— also known by the name Elites, a title given to them by humans—is one of the races in the series that come from planet Sanghelios and were originally part of the Covenant faction. 

Warriors by culture, they are known for having impressive combat skills. Their intimidating nature is emphasized by their height, as they are known for being significantly taller than the humans in Halo lore. We’re going to look at the Sanghelli/Elites a little more closely to see just how tall these guys are. 

How tall are the Sanghelli/Elites in Halo lore?

According to the book Halo: The Essential Visual Guide, the Elites can stand anywhere from 2.25 meters tall to 262 meters tall. In terms of measuring height via feet, this ranges from 7.38 feet to 8.6 feet. 

Halo: The Essential Visual Guide was released in 2011 and is an official book written as a collaboration between 343 Industries and DK Publishing that dives into all aspects of the Halo lore, from locations to characters and the various alien races seen throughout the series. It is a handy encyclopedia for all things Halo and a trustworthy source for lore thanks to the book mostly being overseen and written by the lead writer for the Halo universe at 343 Industries, Jeremy Patenaude. 

As well as writing general Halo fiction, Patenaude also ensures that a range of written material stays true to the canon of the Halo world. It’s safe to say, seeing as Patenaude authored most of the visual guide, that the information within the book is as true and canon to the Halo lore as it is possible to be, so this is likely the closest estimation we will get to the true height of the Elites. 

The visual guide also mentions that the Elite seem a little shorter than their actual heights due to the armor, which is designed in a way that gives them a rather hunched position (and probably a pretty poor posture). The Sanghelli might only seem a little taller than the tallest of humankind when you see them in their armor because of this, but the truth is that they are significantly bigger than the humans in the Halo universe, with most of them standing between seven and a half and eight and a half feet tall when not armored up.