: I don't read the comics. So, he was already officially redesigned before
: this, huh? Why? Why is it necessary to redesign nearly every single thing
: just because? The only designs from Bungie-era Halo that has been retained
: for material taking place after Halo 3 are Covenant vehicles and a few
: Covenant weapons, and I think that's because the same guy who designed
: them in Reach designed them for Halo 4 as well. Bungie had problems with
: consistency in design, particularly with the Brutes, but they weren't
: nearly as bad as 343I. And no "It takes place five years after Halo
: 3" isn't an excuse. The armor of the Arbiter is as far as we know
: something that remained unchanged for centuries, being a traditional
: Sangheili design. That design existed before the Prophets changed the role
: and status of the rank of Arbiter, and for all we know it predates the
: formation of the Covenant. That armor was part of Thel Vadam's identity
: and was arguably the second most iconic thing in the Halo series after the
: Chief's armor... which was also redesigned for no good reason — and has no
: plausible explanation — in Halo 4.

Why wear the armor put on you by a race that betrayed and lied to you for years? That is like a former Nazi who felt disillusioned after World War 2 about the group he fought for continuing to wear the uniform they gave him into battle. Remember, the Arbiter was a position of disgrace seeking final greatness/attonement by dying in battle for the Prophets and reclaiming lost glory. Donning the armor of the Aribter gives credence to the system the Prophets put into place which was a giant lie and the reason for the Great Schism in the first place.