History Main / FantasticRankSystem

** Praetor: probably close to an Army Captain, Fenix held this rank
** Executor: probably close to a Brigadier (1-star) General, Tassadar held this rank
** Judicator: member of the [[FantasticCasteSystem governing caste]], Aldaris was one of them

* In ''Series/StargateSG1'', the Goa'uld have the rank of First Prime, which is comparable to a RealLife Field Marshal.
* In ''Series/BabylonFive'':
** Minbari ranks include Alyt and Shai Alyt. The first is essentially a ship captain/commodore, while a Shai Alyt is a general officer and possibly the commander-in-chief of the military (the two known holders' job).
** Narn ranks include General and "Warleader," the latter of which is seen to command large ''G'Quan''-class cruisers or squadrons of ''Frazi''-class fighters.
** It's not clear in the Earthforce ranking system whether Major ranks higher or lower than Captain (there is evidence for both), and the same service appears to have Colonels, Captains, Generals, and Admirals. Some but not all of this is explained by the difference between Marines/Infantry and Fleet officers. It's also not clear what Mr. Garibaldi's rank is except in supplemental source material, where it's given as Chief Warrant Officer.
* In the ''Series/DoctorWho'' story ''Inferno'', the [[PuttingOnTheReich Republican Security Force]] of the MirrorUniverse had ranks that were basically SS ranks translated into English -- the Brigadier became the Brigade Leader, Sergeant Benton's counterpart was Platoon Under Leader Benton, and Liz Shaw (a civilian scientist in the Franchise/{{Whoniverse}}) had the Captain-equivalent rank of Section Leader.
* ''Series/RedDwarf'''s rank structure has never been quite clear, but Dave Lister's rank of Technician Third Class is the lowest rank with Rimmer only barely outranking him (and clearly outranked by everyone else). While a couple of different specializations of Sergeant and a few officer ranks have been established, the full rank structure has never been declared. That said, this is a universe where the [[OverrankedSoldier cooks are officers]].
* ''Series/BattlestarGalactica1978'' has a fairly straightforward system using familiar sounding ranks. A Commander commands a Battlestar. Immediately beneath him is a Colonel. A Captain leads the Viper wing, and leads a squadron, and has a Lieutenant as a wingman. Other Lieutenants command two-Viper elements, and have a Flight Sergeant wingman. There are also Flight Corporals. Weirdly, Lieutenant Zac dies to evoke pathos in the first episode, on his very first Viper patrol. Nepotism? He is Commander Adama's son, after all.
* ''Series/BattlestarGalactica2003'' follows a similar but more fleshed-out rank system, with enlisted ranks including Private, Corporal, Sergeant, and Petty Officer/Chief Petty Officer, and commissioned ranks including Ensign, Lieutenant (JG), Lieutenant, Captain, Major, Colonel, and Commander, with Flag ranks Rear Admiral and Admiral. Although the Officer ranks are associated primarily with the fleet, there has also been at least one Marine with the rank of Lieutenant. It's unclear if the Marines use the same commissioned ranks as the Colonial Fleet. Captains and Majors serve as CAP with most Viper/Raptor pilots being ranked Lieutenant (new pilots and pilots in training are given the rank of Ensign); Dr. Cottle, the ship's chief medical officer, was a Major, and most department heads so far (such as the ''Pegasus'' chief engineer and Galactica's Landing Signal Officer) have been Captains or Majors. Majors have also been shown to serve as executive officers, like Colonels, though it's not clear if this is standard practice or due to personnel shortages.
* The Peacekeepers from ''Series/{{Farscape}}'' have some odd ranks, which use the real-world terms to mean different things. A junior officer is actually called Officer. The rank of Senior Officer appeared once, but the rest of her team was mercenaries so where that fits on the normal chain of command is unknown. A Lieutenant is anywhere from just above Officer to one step short of a Captain and how they keep track is unknown; at one point one Lieutenant pulled rank on another. A Captain commands a carrier and any support ships. Above that are Commander, Admiral (only seen once in the EarlyInstallmentWeirdness), and Commandant; exactly how those relate to each other is never really clear. Special Forces seems to have it's own rank structure, with a single squad containing a Captain, two Lieutenants, and the only two Sergeants ever seen on the show.

* ''TabletopGame/Warhammer40000'':
** The Imperial Guard have several additional ranks, such as "Lord General Militant" and "Colonel-Commissar". The latter denotes that the character is both a regiment's [[ThePoliticalOfficer commissar]] and its commanding officer, which is extremely rare but [[Literature/GauntsGhosts not unheard-of]]. Artillery regiments typically replace the rank of private with "gunner". Depending on the world it was raised on, an Imperial Guard regiment may have unique cultural names for its officers and noncoms as well.
** The Tau's very extensive and complicated caste and rank system. Click [[http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Caste_System Here]] for more info. One of the more notable elements is a dozen or so terms for fine degrees of the term "first among equals."
** The SpaceMarines get a lot of mileage from adding "Brother" in front of ranks (Brother-Sergeant, Brother-Captain) though it's not clear whether or not it's reserved for the Grey Knights, along with the ubiquitous "Battle-Brother". Also, the commander of the naval vessel that an Astartes company travels in is called Shipmaster, not Captain. The only Captain associated with a company of Astartes is the Brother-Captain in overall command.
** Various Chapters have variation on this as well: the [[Literature/SpaceWolf Space Wolves]] replace Scouts with Blood Claws, Devastators with Long Fangs, Librarians with Rune Priests...
** Dark Eldar have the ranks of Warrior, Sybarite, Dracon and Archon for the Kabalites, and Wytch, Hekatrix, Syren and Succubus for the Wytch Cults.
* Task Force Game's ''TabletopGame/{{Starfire}}''.
** Nexus magazine #8 and #12 had articles on the militaries of the Khanate of Orion and Protectorate of Rigel, including their rank structure.
** Nexus magazine #11 had some information about the rank system of the Tangri Confederacy. Most ranks were a description of the holder's duty post, such as "Commander of Orbital Base 10". Some were more general, such as "horrax" (commander of a Tangri horde's military forces), "anak" (ruler of a Tangri horde) and "arn-hahorrax", the overall commander of the CFC (Confederation Fleet Command).
* ''TabletopGame/RenegadeLegion'' claims to use a ranking system inspired by ancient Greece, but a casual examination of its rank tables reveals that the TOG uses ranks that are taken from the ''modern'' Hellenic Navy (which from the time that Renegade Legion is set in could well be considered 'ancient Greece,' as modern times are closer to antiquity than they are to the Renegade Legion future).

* The ''Series/BabylonFive'' tie-in games flesh out the rank systems for most of the races in that universe, including some of the relatively minor players. Some of this work is rather in-depth.
* In ''Tabletopgame/BattleTech'', the Clans have their own unique rank system. This was done by Nicholas Kerensky as part of program to unite the former SLDF, by eliminating the cultural divisions that tore them apart:
** Warrior: Technically, any individual who pass training. Those warriors without a rank are equivalent to Privates.
** Point Commander: Leads a Point, the smallest Clan unit. A Point's composition varies, it can be 1 [[HumongousMecha BattleMech]], 2 tanks or aerospace fighters, 5 Elemental [[PoweredArmor battlearmors]], or 25 [[CannonFodder regular infantry]].
*** Point 1-5: In larger Points (such as infantry or ship crews), veteran Warriors are designated Point 1 through 5. These are equivalent to [=NCOs=].
** Star Commander: Commands a Star, a unit consisting of 5 Points. Can also command a Nova, a combined arms unit of a Elemental Star and a [=OmniMech=] Star.
** Star Captain: Commands a Binary (a unit that has two Stars), Supernova (2 Novas), or a Trinary (3 Stars or Novas).
** Star Colonel: Commands a Cluster, a unit consisting 4-5 Binaries, Trinaries, Supernovas, or Supernova Trinaries.
** Galaxy Commander: Commands a Galaxy, a unit consisting of 3-5 Clusters.
** saKhan: Second in command of the Clan.
** Khan: Leader of the Clan and its entire military forces.
** ilKhan: Khan of Khans, a rank given during times of crisis and when the Clans are united.
* Realm Legions in ''TabletopGame/{{Exalted}}'', when divided into smaller groups, name those groups after parts of a dragon -- fangs for 5-man squads, scales for groups of 5 fangs etc. -- and title the officer in charge of each group, for the most part, [group]lord -- e.g. the leader of a scale is a scalelord.

* In ''VideoGame/RatchetAndClankFutureACrackInTime'', Alister Azimuth is a "Four Bolt Magistrate".
* In ''Franchise/{{Halo}}'', the [[ScaryDogmaticAliens Covenant]] have a completely different rank system, with different ranks existing for different races.

* ''VideoGame/StarCraft'': The Protoss have a different rank structure, though only three ranks are ever mentioned in the original game.
** Praetor: probably close to an Army Captain, Fenix held this rank
** Executor: probably close to a Brigadier (1-star) General, Tassadar held this rank
** Judicator: member of the [[FantasticCasteSystem governing caste]], Aldaris was one of them

* ''Franchise/TheElderScrolls''
** While the [[BadassArmy Imperial Legion]] does have some real-world ranks throughout the series and in the backstory (recruits, troopers, sergeants, commanders, captains, optio, centurions, legates, generals), they also have a few fantastical ranks (knight errant, knight bachelor, Knight of the Garland, Knight of the Imperial Dragon[[note]]''Morrowind'', the game where those ranks show up, implies that they belong to a separate but intertwined rank system -- the upper ranks of the Imperial Legion is noted to be dominated by knightly orders, and a few characters are referred to by both a mundane rank not on the Legion's game-mechanical ranking system (such as Captain and General) ''and'' the knight [something] rank the game-mechanics say they have.[[/note]]).
** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', the ranks for the Imperial Legion and House Redoran (the [[ProudWarriorRace Proud Warrior House]] of the Dunmeri [[TheClan Great Houses]]) are explicitly military, and they are nothing like real-world, medieval or not. The Redoran ranks are, in fact, Dunmer titles of nobility, and they are also fantastic (Hireling, Retainer, Oathman, Lawman, Kinsman, House Cousin, House Brother, House Father, Councilman and Archmaster). ''Morrowind'' has many factions with hierarchies with unusual ranks, but those two are the only ones that are close to ''military''[[note]]the Fighters Guild is a ''guild'' even if many of the ranks are martial in style, and while the Blades have publicly known military-bodyguard members and technically is a knightly order, the ones that show up in ''Morrowind'', including the player, are all part of the clandestine espionage aspect of the faction, with the ranks named in that spirit[[/note]]
** ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIVOblivion Oblivion]]'' adds [[http://www.uesp.net/wiki/Oblivion:Dremora#Ranks an entirely separate rank system]] for the [[OurDemonsAreDifferent Dremora]], ranging from Churl (similar to an army private) on up to Valkynaz (combination of a general and a duke). These also qualify as a FantasticCasteSystem.

* Each [[FeudalFuture House]] in the [[ProudWarriorRaceGuy Auroran Empire]] in ''[[VideoGame/EscapeVelocity EV Nova]]'' has as its highest-ranked warriors a ''thurokiir'' and ''mundokiir''. The ''mundokiir'', meaning "heart of crushed garnet, the eye of fury," is equivalent to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs in stature. Meanwhile the ''thurokiir'', meaning "obsidian heart, arbiter of reckoning," is responsible for maintaining the House's honor. In the words of Eamon Flannigan:
--> "He is the black-hearted winner of rough justice, the darker side of simple morality, for as any student of life must know, it is violence that is the leveler; be it physical violence, political force, or the force of justice."
* The [=iOS=] game ''VideoGame/RavenmarkScourgeOfEstellion'' includes both this trope and FantasticHonorifics, although a few ranks are borrowed from the Romans. TheEmpire of Estellion's army is called the Imperial Mark. All soldiers start in the Earthbound Corps (i.e. enlisted), with the "Earthbound" being the rank of a common soldier. A Militum is in command of a Dagger (small unit). A Signum is a staff-level Earthbound and has the authority to operate without Ravenborne (officer) supervision. The Ravenhood is the officer corps composed of Ravenborne graduates on their track to nobility. A Decurion can command Dagger-level operations such as scouting or raiding. A Centurion is a mid-level officer in command of an infantry Trine (three Daggers in formation) or a cavalry Deuce (two Daggers in formation). A Magister is a support rank given to [[AWizardDidIt caster]]-type officers, which sits lower on the hierarchy than a Centurion. A Legate commands a Mark (a medium-sized force). A Rook is in charge of 5 Marks (AKA a Bannermark), and is also a [[FantasticHonorifics Fantastic Honorific]] equivalent to a Lord. The Altus Rook is in command of all the Bannermarks in the Empire answerable only to TheEmperor. Given that Estellion is a meritocracy (specifically created by the first Emperor in order to avoid the pitfalls of the overthrown Carsis feudalism), any commoner has the option of attaining a noble rank through the practice of Ravenhood, which requires a term of service in the Mark of no less than 22 years (or 36 as an administrator). Once one has achieved Ravenhood, the title holds for 2 generations before it must be earned again. If a family has managed to hold the title for 10 unbroken generations (very rare), it becomes a noble House. The eleventh generation's firstborn inherits the title and becomes a Rook.
** In contrast, the neighboring Commonwealth of Esotre uses mostly standard US Army ranks, except their generals are called Iron Dukes/Duchesses, while the supreme commander of all forces is called the Archduke.

* ''VideoGame/CrusaderKingsII'' has a dynamic rank system that generates titles based on combinations of character rank, culture, religion, and style of government. Some are historical ([[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince-bishop prince-bishop]][[note]]Christian bishop who is also a secular count[[/note]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_Mayor lord mayor]][[note]]count-level mayor[[/note]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shah shah]][[note]]feudal king of Persian culture group[[/note]], [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petty_kingdom petty king]][[note]]independent duke in Celtic, Anglo-Saxon, Scandinavian, or East African cultures[[/note]]), while others are fictional (wali-emir[[note]]Muslim MerchantPrince, i.e. duke-level mayor[[/note]], witch-king[[note]]Slavic or Suomenusko pagan priest who is also a secular king[[/note]]).
* ''VideoGame/DeusEx'': Dig deep enough and you'll find that [[AncientConspiracy Majestic 12]] has a system of security clearance levels based off of Thomas Aquinas's [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_angelic_hierarchy#Choirs_in_medieval_theology Christian angelic hierarchy]], followed by an integer and a letter ([=Angel 0A=] being the lowest level, [=Angelic 1B=] the second lowest, and so on). The highest clearance level is simply "God" and is likely reserved solely for [[BigBad Bob]] [[GodhoodSeeker Page]].
* ''VideoGame/{{Destiny}}'': Most of the enemy races have some kind of ranking system, though these are ascribed equivalents in English by humans.
** The Fallen "ranks" reflect their scavenger/piratical ways, with ranks going up from Dreg to Vandal to Captain. Above Captains sit Barons, and above them sits the Kell of a House.
** The Hive, being a race of [[OmnicidalManiac genocidal]] [[ReligionOfEvil religious]] crusaders, have "ranks" to suit that, going up from Thrall to Acolyte to Knight.
** The Vex, being a pseudo-robotic race with strong BlueAndOrangeMorality going for them, don't really have any kind of ranking system, as each unit fulfills a different function within their collective. The "leaders" are merely larger-scaled platforms for a Vex "mind" with extra computational power.
** The Cabal, being somewhat patterned off of the Roman Empire, have ranks to suit, from Legionary to Phalanx to Centurion. They're also the only race to have any kind of additional ranking system that we've discovered, with titles going from Bracus, up to Val, then Valus, then Primus, then an Evocate-General or Primus of All Legions. At the very top is the Dominus. Previously, the Cabal had an Emperor, but he was overthrown by a military coup. [[spoiler: Later, during ''Destiny 2: Beyond Light,'' with the Cabal Empire forced to flee their homeworld, the daughter of the exiled emperor, Caiatl, takes the throne and titles herself Empress. She also introduces the rank of Optus, held exclusively by Psions, but where exactly they fit in the rank structure is unclear.]]
*** The Cabal also use a Roman-inspired unit structure, with smallest to largest formations being squads, maniples, centuries, cohorts, and then legions, led by a Primus. Auxiliary units are also mentioned, such as a strategic intelligence maniple that performs after-action analysis.
*** The elite Red Legion seems be divided into Fractures, which are further subdivided into Scales, Bridges, and Masses. It also has multiple Primuses, probably also owing to its immense numbers.
* The ''VideoGame/GearsOfWar'' comic books give the Locust Horde their own rank system:
** Uzil (High General), so far only held by the BigBad of the first game, Uzil RAAM (originally just called ''General'' RAAM), and his predecessor Uzil Sraak.
** Zamil (General), held by the BigBad General Karn of the ''Judgement'' spin-off game.
** Theron (Commander), although in game the Theron Guards comprise a specific class of EliteMooks who don't often command other troops or seem to bodyguard Therons.
** Krav (Captain)
** Vold (Lieutenant)
** Vurl (Sergeant)
** Maag (Private)
** Ketor (High Priest), a technically non-military role held by the BigBad of the second game, Skorge.
* Police ranks in ''VideoGame/DiscoElysium'' are pretty standard, except for "Yefreitor". It modifies an existing rank, and identifies the holder as having turned down a promotion to a higher rank. [[spoiler:For example, Lieutenant Double-Yefreitor Harrier Du Bois turned down a promotion for captain twice.]]

* ''Webcomic/DarthsAndDroids'': Among other changes made to the plot of ''Franchise/StarWars'', "Darth" has become the title of address for a retired Jedi, regardless of moral standing. Yoda takes the name Darth Sain while in hiding.

[[folder:Anime and Manga]]

* ''Manga/{{Naruto}}'''s rank system goes:
** Genin -- Most peacetime children seem to pass this at age 10-12, when they have a basic grasp of taijutsu, genjutsu, and ninjutsu.
** Chuunin -- Requires passing a grueling exam and impressing your superiors with your maturity.
** Jonin -- Requirement: badassery. They serve as military commanders, and have mastery of at least two elemental chakra natures. No exam is known, as chuunin are simply promoted to the rank when the higher-ups deem them fit.
*** Special Jonin -- Individuals who are jonin-level in one specialized area, such as interrogation[[note]]Ibiki[[/note]] or teaching[[note]]Ebisu[[/note]])
** Jonin Squad Leader -- In Konohagakure, the Jonin Squad Leader is the highest-ranking normal shinobi in the village, only surpassed by the Kage. They command all the village's shinobi forces, including other regular Jonin. They partake in important decisions, such as the selection of a new Kage.
** Kage -- The highest attainable shinobi rank in a village, acting as the leader of the village. The Kage is usually the strongest shinobi in the village, and is beloved by the village population.
*** S-rank -- An unofficial designation given to powerful Kage-level shinobi. The criminal organization Akatsuki is comprised of mostly S-ranked members.
* Border in ''Manga/WorldTrigger'' classifies their agents as follows:
** C-ranks, who are trainees and are not allowed to fight real combats.
** B-ranks, who are agents in teams with regular combat prowess.
** A-ranks, who are agents in high-ranked teams capable of defeating a black trigger user.
** S-ranks, who are agents with black trigger capable of soloing multiple enemies.
*** Command in the field is usually given to the combatant with the highest rank or the oldest (usually most experienced) combatant.
*** The neighbors' ranks are shown with the stars on their uniforms. Soldiers with fewer stars are positioned higher in the chain of command.
* ''Manga/FairyTail'' uses a lettered grading system to denote the difficulty of the various jobs that guild members can take on. They also have the desgination of S-Class Mage, reserved for the strongest Mages in a guild.
** Normal: These are available to all members in the guild, and vary in difficulty.
** S-Class: Extremely dangerous jobs, where even the smallest mistake can result in death. Only S-Class Mages are allowed to take these jobs. Non-S-Class mages are allowed to take these assignments under the condition that an S-Class Mage is accompanying them.
** SS-Class: These are more difficult than S-Class jobs, and can only be undertaken by an S-Class mage.
** 10 Year Jobs: These are incredibly dangerous tasks and are named such because no Mage has managed to complete the task in the last 10 years.
** 100 Year Jobs: Same as a 10 Year Job, but is a job that no Mage has been able to complete in a hundred years. These are the most dangerous jobs.
* In ''Literature/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon'', adventurers are assigned a level based on their abilities. They can level up by defeating powerful monsters and upgrading their stats with their respective Gods. There is no confirmed level cap, but most of the adventurers seen in the series fall into the level 1-4 range. Level 5 adventurers are considered exceptionally strong and serve as commanders within their familia, and Level 6 adventurers are the strongest individuals around and normally serve as executive officers/captains within a familia. There are only 2 confirmed Level 7 adventurers, and only one of them is named.
* In ''Webcomic/OnePunchMan'', the Hero Association divides its registered Heroes into classes. The classes are further divided into numerical ranks. A hero must reach the #1 rank of their current class in order to be considered for a promotion to the next class, with the only exception being S-Class. They are the following:
** C-Class: There are currently 390 heroes in this class. While still stronger than the average person, they are still the weakest and lowest class, and most of their deeds consist of catching purse-snatchers and stopping petty crimes. They have to fulfill a quota of heroic deeds in order to maintain their hero license. Most newcomer heroes begin here.
** B-Class: There are currently 101 heroes in this class. Heroes ranked B-Class and up no longer need to fulfill any quotas.
** A-Class: There are currently 38 heroes in this class. A-Class heroes are exceptionally powerful, and tend to be the most popular ones.
** S-Class: The most powerful heroes, each of which are said to be as strong as an emergency army division. They are able to to handle Demon and possibly Dragon threats on their own, as well as protect entire cities. There are 17 heroes in this class.

* In ''Anime/MobileSuitGundamSEED'', ZAFT has no formal rank system, though they do have a chain of command based on positions, as designated by Uniform colors. The majority of ZAFT personnel wear Green uniforms, mostly technicians and soldiers. Captains and Commanders wear Black, though so do the military bureaucrats. Individuals with considerable military achievements wear White, and act as Commanding Officers. Purple is worn by those in the PLANT's Supreme Council, and are de facto Flag Officers. Elite pilots (and top graduates) wear Red, and while they don't outrank Greens, they do serve as [=NCOs=].
* In ''Manga/{{MAR}}'' the villainous army known as Chess naturally had theme ranking.
** King -- The Supreme Commander, Founder, and creator of the Anti-Human philosophy of the army.
** Queen -- Second in Command
** The 12 Zodiac Knights -- Commanders, Specialists, Champions, and Monsters make up their ranks, usually acquired via "Klingon Promotions"
** Bishops -- Lieutenants, they are still frighteningly powerful, capable of destroying an enemy garrison single handedly.
** Rooks -- The lowest officer rank, they weren't too powerful, more on the level of an expert bounty hunter or veteran soldier, but still deadly by normal standards.
** Pawn -- Foot soldiers given basic weapons and matching uniforms. The equivilants to well trained soldiers, not conscripts. Not a threat to the heroes, but to the average citizen quite deadly.
* In ''Literature/RebuildWorld'', hunters are ranked based on the number and quality of the relics they're able to bring back. The higher your rank, the better the equipment you are authorized to purchase and use. Akira begins as a temporary Hunter, but later ranks up to an official Rank 10 Hunter from the relics he brings back. He continues to rank up and purchase better equipment with Alpha's guidance, gaining access to an [[{{BFG}} anti-materiel rifle]] when he hits Rank 17 and later a license to rent vehicles when he reaches Rank 20. It turns out that there is a major threshold at the 50th rank where powerful rounds that used to cost 5 million aurum each suddenly cost 500 (prompting a SpitTake from Akira). Those restrictions are due to only those kinds of bullets being a threat to government forces.
** The Lion Steel MegaCorp that Reina's bodyguards Shiori and Kanae are from rank their NinjaMaid and BattleButler servants from Fourth through First grade, with the primary basis for rank being how brainwashed they are to be loyal to the company. Due to that narrow definition, Shiori and Kanae are in the fourth grade (Shiori due to her UndyingLoyalty to Reina, and Kanae due to being a BloodKnight.)
* ''Literature/Overlord2012'': Adventurers show their rank via small metal plates they hang around their necks. The ranks are copper, iron, silver, gold, platinum, mythril, orichalcum, and adamantite.

* ''ComicBook/UltimateGalactusTrilogy'': "My name is Geheneris [=HalaSon=] Mahr Vehl, rank of Pluskommander, officer of the Kree Void Navy. Pluskommander is a rank roughly analogous to Captain"

[[folder:Films -- Live-Action]]

* ''Film/IronSky'' has typical [[ThoseWackyNazis SS]] ranks with titles like Nachrichtenübermittlungs-Oberführer (roughly means "message flow brigadier").

* ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':
** The King of Westeros' advisers have titles like "Master of Laws" (i.e. attorney general or justice minister), "Master of Coins" (i.e. secretary of trade or finance minister), and "Master of Ships" (i.e. secretary of the navy). In A Feast For Crows, Cersei's paranoia and lust for power inspire her to cull the word "Master" out of everyone's titles, so that they don't start thinking that they are anything more than advisers; Master of Ships, for example, becomes Grand Admiral and Master of Coins becomes Lord Treasurer.
** The highest-ranking official, second only to the king himself (and ''the'' highest governmental office that can be held by a commoner), is the Hand of the King. Ostensibly the Hand merely carries out the King's instructions, but in practice he often rules the realm in all but name. According to ''Literature/TheWorldOfIceAndFire'' this actually started off as a joke in-universe (the first king referred to his chief supporter as his "strong right hand" and the latter took the symbol as a reference), but by the "modern" setting it's treated very seriously.
** The highest military rank in Westeros is Warden, of which there are only four at any given time, named after the four cardinal directions (Warden of the North, South, East, and West). The title is traditionally held by the current ruling Lord of Houses Stark, Tyrell, Arryn, and Lannister respectively, but as the office is functional and not merely ceremonial, exceptions are occasionally made due to circumstance (as when King Robert bestows the title of Warden of the East on Jaime Lannister during the current Lord Arryn's minority).

* Creator/LinCarter's ''Thongor of Lemuria'' stories had the following military ranks:
** Otar: Commander of 100 men
** Daotar: Leader of 10 Otars (1,000 men)
** Daotarkon: Army commander and leader of 10,000 men
* The aliens of ''Literature/{{Animorphs}}''. The Yeerks have Sub-Visser and Visser, both followed by number designations (Visser Three, Visser One, Sub-Visser 56) and the Andalites have Aristh (cadet),Prince, Prince Commander, War Prince and probably others.

* In ''Fanfic/BeyondTheDawn'', the Russian Tolkien-derivative novel by Olga Chigirinskaya, Morgoth's army has military ranks, in Ah'enn (a ConLang of Angband's followers by Natalia Vassilieva):
** The common grunt with no special name
** [[SergeantRock Rhankar]]
** [[EnsignNewbie Antar]]
** Korna'taero
** [[TheCaptain Dhol'taero]]
** [[ColonelBadass Aikyet'taero]]
** Sauron himself is an [[GeneralRipper Ayan'taero]]
* In the ''Literature/DragonridersOfPern'' novels, the ranks of dragonrider are Weyrleader, Wingleader, Wingsecond, Rider, and Weyrling, roughly equivilent to Air Marshall, Group Captain or Squadron Leader, Flight Lieutenant, Flying Officer and Cadet. One oddity, however, is that the Weyrleader's Wingsecond is shown to effectively outrank Wingleaders, despite a technically lower rank and inferior dragon type.
* The Ankh-Morpork City Watch in the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' novels mostly uses real ranks (although not necessarily real ''police'' ranks). One oddity, however, is the very junior rank of "Lance-Constable".
* In the ''Franchise/DoctorWhoExpandedUniverse'', known ranks of the Guild of Adjudicators (SpacePolice with religous undertones) are Squire, Adjudicator, Adjudicator Secular, Adjudicator Spiritual, Provost-General, Adjudicator In Extremis, and Pontifex Saecularis.
* Sardaukar military ranks in Frank Herbert's ''Franchise/{{Dune}}'' universe.
** Levenbrech: Roughly in between a sergeant and a lieutenant (pretty similar to a Warrant Officer, especially as used in the [[UsefulNotes/RussiansWithRustingRockets Russian]]/[[UsefulNotes/RedsWithRockets Soviet]] [[UsefulNotes/RussiansWithRifles tradition]] that doesn't really do [=NCOs=]).
** Noukkers: Officers of the Imperial bodyguard who are related to the Emperor by blood.
** Bashar (often Colonel Bashar): An officer a fractional point above Colonel in the standardized military classification. Rank created for military ruler of a planetary subdistrict. (Bashar of the Corps is a title reserved strictly for military use.) The title appears to be derived from an Arabic word that might roughly translate as "executor" (in the sense of "one who executes the orders of another").
** Caid: Officer rank given to a military official whose duties call mostly for dealings with civilians; a military governorship over a full planetary district; above the rank of Bashar but not equal to a Burseg. This is also Arabic, from ''qā'id'', meaning "leader".
** Burseg: Commanding general.
** The prequel novels establish other ranking systems used prior to that one. The original League of Nobles titles in the Armada were Supreme Commander (Field Marshal), Primero (General/Governor), Segundo (Colonel), Tercero (Lieutenant Colonel), Cuarto (Lieutenant), Quinto (Sergeant), and Sexto (Corporal), which are just the Spanish words for "First" through "Sixth". Presumably, other titles to fill in the gaps also existed, but the books never mentioned them. During the Butlerian Jihad, a system similar to the one used by the Sardaukar was estalished. Key differences included the title of Supreme Bashar (Field Marshal), the rank of Bashar being the equivalent of a General, Burseg being a Colonel-equivalent, and the addition of the rank of Bator (Lieutenant Colonel). The rank of Immenbrech is also mentioned as being used during and after the Jihad and is a rough equivalent to a Sergeant.
* Literature/TheDraka have more or less the same ranks as a regular military, but all ranks have names taken from AncientGrome. Thus in the first novel, Eric is a Centurion, his father is a Strategos and his father's superior is the Dominarch. ([[http://www.changingthetimes.net/draka/app02.html Full list of ranks here.]] Centurion's roughly equivalent to Captain, Strategos is General, and Dominarch is Chief of Staff.)
* The Canim of the ''Literature/CodexAlera'' have one of these. Three ranks in their warrior caste are defined in the books: huntmaster (equivalent to sergeant), battlemaster (equivalent to general) and warmaster (outranks battlemaster, essentially general + feudal lord). The [[ReligionIsMagic ritualist]] caste also has a rank system, but little of it is revealed other than that senior ritualists are addressed with the honorific "master" and hold a great deal of influence both in their own caste and in Canim society as a whole.
* The 9-foot-tall HumanAliens on Valennia in ''Literature/TheLostRegiment'' continuously circumnavigate the world. Each horde is divided into clans. A clan chief is called a Qarth. The leader of the entire horde is called a Qar Qarth (sort of like King of Kings). His heir apparent is called a Zan Qarth. The Tugar horde has a title called a Sword Master, which refers to the highest-ranking general, and the Qar Qarth's second-in-command. The Merki horde has a similar title called a Shield Bearer, although Shield Bearers combine general duties with that of bodyguards. At least two Shield Bearers are mentioned: one to the Qar Qarth and one to the Zan Qarth. A Shield Bearer's primary duty is to the horde, so one of his responsibilities is to kill his charge (with honor, if possible) if this will benefit the horde.
* In Creator/MikhailAkhmanov's ''Literature/ArrivalsFromTheDark'' series, the [[HumanAliens Faata]] have their own system of ranks. Some of these are described in the novels: Pillar of Order (ship captain or colony leader; chosen based on ability and age), Standing by the Sphere (Pillar of Order's assistant without any real power; the sphere is the Faata symbol of power), Strategist (chief military commander; second-in-command; also known as the Sky Protector), Intermediary (responsible for communicating with aliens; third-in-command; also known as Speaker with Bino Tegari [their term for sentient aliens]), Keeper of Communications (responsible for communicating with the ship/colony's organic computer and controlling all "T'ho" [semi-sentient castes making up the ServantRace]; fourth-in-command; chosen based on telepathic ability).
* The Calvarian army in ''Literature/TheReynardCycle'' has one based on Old English:
** Each Regiment of ten thousand soldiers is commanded by a ''Latteowa'', which we would consider a Colonel.
** ''Heafodcarls'' are equivalent to Captains of companies a hundred strong, assisted by a ''Lyftcarl'', or Lieutenant.
** The role of sergeant is performed by a ''Prafost''.
* In ''Literature/RememberToAlwaysBeBrave'', the ranks are based on Ancient Rome, if a bit more streamlined, and the main character himself moves up a few.
** ''Tiro'' (Recruit) > ''Milites'' (Private) > ''Decanus'' (Sergeant) > ''Centurion'' (Captain) > ''Tribune'' > (Major) > ''Legate'' (Colonel) > ''Dux'' (General)
** Along with a specialist/warrant officer branch for selective specialization in fields and branches:''Discens'' (Apprentice) > ''Immunes'' (Journeyman) > ''Magister'' (Master)
* ''Literature/TheWheelOfTime'':
** The Aes Sedai (female magic-user) ranks are Novice (the lowest level of initiate), Accepted (journeyman mages, having passed a difficult test of character and given greater latitude in choosing the direction of their studies), and full Aes Sedai (having passed a very difficult test of magic use and been bound by a magical artifact to follow the order's ObstructiveCodeOfConduct). The highest rank, equivalent to the Pope, is the Amyrlin Seat; she is assisted by the Keeper of the Chronicles (think vice-president). Below them are the heads of the Ajahs, seven sub-orders with differing philosophies governing the use of magic, each of whom has a different title usually related to the order's philosophy. Green (the "Battle Ajah"), for example, titles its head the Captain-General. Below them is the Hall of the Tower (think "magic legislative branch") comprised of twenty-one Sitters. Other important ranks include the Mistress of Novices, charged with overseeing the education of new initiates.
** When the main protagonist forms an order of male magic-users, he mimics the basic Aes Sedai ranking system with a military twist, with Soldier (low-level initiate), Dedicated (journeyman), and Asha'man (master-level magic-user). His [[TheStarscream second-in-command]] begins styling himself "the M'Hael" ("the Leader") and assigning new ranks like "Tsorovan'm'hael" ("Storm Leader") and "Baijan'm'hael" ("Attack Leader"), which are meant to be reminiscent of [[PuttingOnTheReich Nazi ranks]].
* in ''Literature/GodClads'' the the god class have a system that determines what level of power they have over reality called spheres and circles (taking inspiration from heaven spheres and hells circles of Dantes hell) starting from the first sphere up to the ninth sphere (circles do the same). as a godclad gets up the power scale they have more and more say over reality.

* ''Literature/HonorHarrington'':
** The Royal Manticoran Navy breaks the rank of captain into captain, junior grade and captain, senior grade. At the end of ''On Basilisk Station'', Honor is given a two-step promotion from commander to senior grade captain.
** Under the Committee of Public Safety regime in the People's Republic of Haven (''The Short Victorious War'' through ''Echoes of Honor''), all military ranks were to be preceded with "citizen", e.g. Citizen Petty Officer, Citizen Captain. They also required the use of the full rank rather than the honorific "sir", which the People's Navy hated (partly because it was cumbersome in combat).
* Militar ranks are a bit complicated in ''Literature/RedRising'' and ''Literature/IronGold'' on account of the FantasticCasteSystem. Gray Legionnaires use standard military ranks, and Blue Captains are simply in charge of a ship's day-to-day operations. It's Gold naval ranks that start to diverge from reality:
** Praetor: A Gold officer in command of a single ship or a small group of ships.
** Imperator: The equivalent of an admiral in command of a large fleet of ships.
** [=ArchImperator=]: The highest ranking officer in the entire military.
There's also Legates, who function as diplomatic envoys but also serve as soldiers if need be.

* In Literature/WarriorCats, each Clan has the following ranks:

* In ''Literature/{{Destroyermen}}'', the Grik equivalent of an admiral is "General of the Sea". Eventually, after they develop aviation, they create the rank of "General of the Sky".
* in ''Literature/VirtuousSonsAGrecoRomanXianxia''the ranking system is different for every culture, as every culture has its understanding of the way to the top of the divine mountain; for example, the Greeks have four realms (Civic, Sophic, Heroic, and Tyrannical) with ten sub-levels in each realm. And so forth and so forth for every culture on the planet.

** The first few editions of the game (''TabletopGame/OriginalDungeonsAndDragons'',
* ''TabletopGame/BasicDungeonsAndDragons'' and ''TabletopGame/AdvancedDungeonsAndDragons1stEdition'') [[https://dungeonsdragons.fandom.com/wiki/Level_title featured ranks for all classes]].

** Starfleet for the most part uses the same rank structure as the United States Navy, albeit with the word "seaman" changed to "crewman". There's also a couple oddities like ''Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' at one point using "crewman first class" instead of plain "crewman" for the E-3 grade[[note]]US Navy enlisted ranks go seaman recruit, seaman apprentice, seaman, with everything after that being non-commissioned officers[[/note]], and a "fleet captain" rank used a couple times in TOS.
*** The movies, and occasionally the TV series', would sometimes also throw in the rank of Commodore, which is not from the US Navy at all (but pulled in from the Royal Navy). It lies between Captain and Admiral, and would theoretically be someone in charge of a small fleet of ships (probably similar to the "Fleet Captain" rank mentioned above)
*** Commodore ''was'' a rank in the US Navy, at the O-7 (one star) level. However it was abolished as an official rank in 1983 and replaced with Rear Admiral (lower half). It is still used as an honorary title, given to Captains (O-6) who are in command of multiple units, such as a fleet of ships or an aviation squadron.

For real ranks, see UsefulNotes/CommonRanks, (usually) has nothing to do with RankInflation. Related to RandomPowerRanking, which is for ranking PowerLevels. Also related to SpaceNavy, which often uses one of these. See also FantasticHonorifics, which can overlap. Compare FantasticNamingConvention and FantasticShipPrefix.

[[folder:Anime and Manga ]]

* In ''LightNovel/IsItWrongToTryToPickUpGirlsInADungeon'' adventurers are assigned a level based on their abilities. They can level up by defeating powerful monsters and upgrading their stats with their respective Gods. There is no confirmed level cap, but most of the adventurers seen in the series fall into the level 1-4 range. Level 5 adventurers are considered exceptionally strong and serve as commanders within their familia, and Level 6 adventurers are the strongest individuals around and normally serve as executive officers/captains within a familia. There are only 2 confirmed Level 7 adventurers, and only one of them is named.

* In ''LightNovel/CrestOfTheStars'', the Star Force of the Humankind Empire of Abh employs a unique rank system; commissioned officers are for example collectively known as "flyers" and are divided into two categories, namely "flyer by His/Her Majesty's decree" (flag officer) and "flyer by memorial to the throne" (field and junior officers). The specific ranks (with rough equivalents to real life naval ranks in parentheses) are as follows:

* In ''LightNovel/RebuildWorld'', hunters are ranked based on the number and quality of the relics they're able to bring back. The higher your rank, the better the equipment you are authorized to purchase and use. Akira begins as a temporary Hunter, but later ranks up to an official Rank 10 Hunter from the relics he brings back. He continues to rank up and purchase better equipment with Alpha's guidance, gaining access to an [[{{BFG}} anti-materiel rifle]] when he hits Rank 17 and later a license to rent vehicles when he reaches Rank 20. It turns out that there is a major threshold at the 50th rank where powerful rounds that used to cost 5 million aurum each suddenly cost 500 (prompting a SpitTake from Akira). Those restrictions are due to only those kinds of bullets being a threat to government forces.

* ''Manga/Overlord2012'': Adventurers show their rank via small metal plates they hang around their necks. The ranks are copper, iron, silver, gold, platinum, mythril, orichalcum, and adamantite.
* ''LightNovel/GoblinSlayer'' has the Adventurer's Guild ranks. All ranks are named after the material used to make an adventurer's ID tag and are:

[[folder:Films - Live-Action]]

* In the Literature/NewJediOrder, the Yuuzhan Vong have an elaborate ranking system among their castes; the Supreme Overlord, a GodEmperor, is at the top, followed by the four main castes (castes are equal, ranks go from top to bottom):

[[folder:Live Action TV ]]

[[folder:Tabletop Games ]]
* In ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', the Imperial Guard have several additional ranks, such as "Lord General Militant" and "Colonel-Commissar". The latter denotes that the character is both a regiment's [[ThePoliticalOfficer commissar]] and its commanding officer, which is extremely rare but [[Literature/GauntsGhosts not unheard-of]]. Artillery regiments typically replace the rank of private with "gunner".
** Depending on the world it was raised on, an Imperial Guard regiment may have unique cultural names for its officers and noncoms as well.
** Also from ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'', the Tau's very extensive and complicated caste and rank system. Click [[http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Caste_System Here]] for more info. One of the more notable elements is a dozen or so terms for fine degrees of the term "first among equals."
** ''TabletopGame/{{Warhammer 40000}}'''s SpaceMarines get a lot of mileage from adding "Brother" in front of ranks (Brother-Sergeant, Brother-Captain) though it's not clear whether or not it's reserved for the Grey Knights, along with the ubiquitous "Battle-Brother". Also, the commander of the naval vessel that an Astartes company travels in is called Shipmaster, not Captain. The only Captain associated with a company of Astartes is the Brother-Captain in overall command.

[[folder:Video Games ]]

[[folder:Western Animation ]]

** While the [[BadassArmy Imperial Legion]] does have some real-world ranks throughout the series and in the backstory (recruits, troopers, sergeants, commanders, captains, centurions, legates, generals), they also have a few fantastical ranks (knight errant, knight bachelor, Knight of the Garland, Knight of the Imperial Dragon[[note]]''Morrowind'', the game where those ranks show up, implies that they belong to a separate but intertwined rank system -- the upper ranks of the Imperial Legion is noted to be dominated by knightly orders, and a few characters are referred to by both a mundane rank not on the Legion's game-mechanical ranking system (such as Captain and General) ''and'' the knight [something] rank the game-mechanics say they have.[[/note]]).

** Theron (Commander), although in game the Theron Guards comprise a specific variety of EliteMooks.

** The Cabal, being somewhat patterned off of the Roman Empire, have ranks to suit, from Legionary to Phalanx to Centurion. They're also the only race to have any kind of additional ranking system that we've discovered, with titles going from Bracus, up to Val, then Valus, then Primus. At the very top is the Dominus. Previously, the Cabal had an Emperor, but he was overthrown by a military coup. [[spoiler: Later, during ''Destiny 2: Beyond Light,'' with the Cabal Empire forced to flee their homeworld, the daughter of the exiled emperor, Caiatl, takes the throne and titles herself Empress.]]

** In contrast, the neighboring [[TheKingdom Commonwealth of Esotre]] uses mostly standard US Army ranks, except their generals are called Iron Dukes/Duchesses, while the supreme commander of all forces is called the Archduke.

* ''Film/IronSky'' has typical [[ThoseWackyNazis SS]] ranks taken UpToEleven with titles like Nachrichtenübermittlungs-Oberführer (roughly means "message flow brigadier").

** The prequel novels establish other ranking systems used prior to that one. The original League of Nobles titles in the Armada were Supreme Commander (Field Marshal), Primero (General/Governor), Segundo (Colonel), Tercero (Lieutenant Colonel), Cuarto (Lieutenant), Quinto (Sergeant), and Sexto (Corporal). Presumably, other titles to fill in the gaps also existed, but the books never mentioned them. During the Butlerian Jihad, a system similar to the one used by the Sardaukar was estalished. Key differences included the title of Supreme Bashar (Field Marshal), the rank of Bashar being the equivalent of a General, Burseg being a Colonel-equivalent, and the addition of the rank of Bator (Lieutenant Colonel). The rank of Immenbrech is also mentioned as being used during and after the Jihad and is a rough equivalent to a Sergeant.

** Levenbrech: Roughly in between a sergeant and a lieutenant.

[[folder:Film]]

* In ''LightNovel/RebuildWorld'', hunters are ranked based on the number and quality of the relics they're able to bring back. The higher your rank, the better the equipment you are authorized to purchase and use. Akira begins as a temporary Hunter, but later ranks up to an official Rank 10 Hunter from the relics he brings back. He continues to rank up and purchase better equipment with Alpha's guidance, gaining access to an [[{{BFG}} anti-materiel rifle]] when he hits Rank 17 and later a license to rent vehicles when he reaches Rank 20.

* Creator/{{FASA}}'s ''Renegade Legion'' claims to use a ranking system inspired by ancient Greece, but a casual examination of its rank tables reveals that the TOG uses ranks that are taken from the ''modern'' Hellenic Navy (which from the time that Renegade Legion is set in could well be considered 'ancient Greece,' as modern times are closer to antiquity than they are to the Renegade Legion future).

* Lin Carter's ''Thongor of Lemuria'' stories had the following military ranks:

** In ''[[VideoGame/TheElderScrollsIIIMorrowind Morrowind]]'', the ranks for the Imperial Legion and House Redoran (the [[ProudWarriorRace Proud Warrior House]] of the Dunmeri [[TheClan Great Houses]]) are explicitly military, and they are nothing like real-world, medieval or not. The Redoran ranks are, in fact, Dunmer titles of nobility, and they are also fantastic (Hireling, Retainer, Oathman, Lawman, Kinsman, House Cousin, House Brother, House Father, Councilman and Archmaster). ''Morrowind'' has many factions with hierarchies with unusual ranks, but those two are the only ones that are close to ''military''[[note]]the Fighters Guild is a ''guild'' even if many of the ranks are martial in style, and while the Blades have publicly known military-bodyguard members, the ones that show up in ''Morrowind'', including the player, are all part of the espionage side of the faction, and the ranks are named in that spirit[[/note]]

* ''VideoGame/DeusEx'': Dig deep enough and you'll find that [[AncientConspiracy Majestic 12]] has a system of security clearance levels based off of Thomas Aquinas's [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christian_angelic_hierarchy#Choirs_in_medieval_theology Christian angelic hierarchy]], followed by an integer and a letter ([=Angel 0A=] being the lowest level, [=Angelic 1B=] the second lowest, and so on). The highest clearance level is simply "God" and is likely reserved solely for [[BigBad Bob]] [[AGodAmI Page]].