History Main / RankUp

* In early seasons of ''[=~M*A*S*H~=]'', Lt. Colonel Flagg from Military Intelligence was a recurring character. In the fourth season he became Colonel Flagg. This paralleled the head of 4077th going from Lt. Col. Blake to Col. Potter, because Flagg couldn't be subordinate to the CO; otherwise his orders could be easily countermanded.

* Happens lots in the [[HonorHarrington Honor Harrington]] series, both to the main character (Who has gone from a Commander to a full Admiral.) and much of the cast (Many characters from previous books reappear promoted. [[AnyoneCanDie Those that don't die anyway]].)

Contrast this with LimitedAdvancementOpportunities.

** Jack's first act as a general? To promote Sam Carter from major to colonel. She had started the series at Captain before being promoted to Major.

** Mustang remarks on [[spoiler:the [[TearJerker tragic]] {{irony}}]] of this.
-->'''Mustang''': [[spoiler:Promoted two ranks higher in death. Major General Hughes, huh? You said you were going to support me by working under me. How are you going to do that when you have a higher rank than me? You fool]].

** Also, online matches promote ''you''. Each online player gets a RankUp after they have scored enough points in online matches, though officer ranks additionally have the "be in the top X% of the global ladder" requirements. While rank insignia don't have any immediate gameplay effects, online players are much more inclined to follow a star-rank player.

** Jack's first act as a general? To promote Sam Carter from major to colonel.

** Gaara, however, takes this further by going from [[NewMeat Genin]] to the [[FourStarBadass Kazekage]].
* In ''OnePiece'', Captain Smoker gets promoted by the Marines to Commodore. Commodore Smoker is not too happy about his promotion as he feels he didn't deserve it, but he does use his new leverage to operate wherever he wants.

* Anakin Skywalker rises through the jedi ranks throughout the ''StarWars'' series.

** Subverted in also in that even though Ed ranks up from a civilian to a major within the story, it happens on the instant when he signs the state alchemist contract.

* Happens in ''[[{{Babylon5}} Babylon 5]].'' Lieutenant JG David Corwin is promoted to full lieutenant. Lt. Commander Susan Ivanova is promoted twice: first to Commander and later to Captain. (Commander Jeffrey Sinclair's appointment as ambassador to Minbar probably doesn't count, since ambassador is not a military rank.)
* For ''Babylon 5'', Ivonova eventually makes general, as shown in the second DistantFinale. [[spoiler:Actually, she gets ''canonized'' in the first one, along with several other characters.]] Other characters on B5 to get promotions possibly include Captain Lochley (she is a colonel in ''The Lost Tales'', but it's not clear if it was a promotion or just part of a rank restructuring) and Zack Allen (goes from officer to chief of security. Since Station Security is set up more like a police department than a military force, those appear to be the only two named ranks, though Zack does end up replacing Garibaldi's first right-hand man after the first one [[TheMole shoots Garibaldi in the back]]. Sinclair's situation is more along the lines of being ReassignedToAntarctica [[spoiler: and ReassignmentBackfire]].

** Johnny Rico in the ''StarshipTroopers'' film starts off as a private and gets promoted to squad leader, then sergeant, then lieutenant. The same for his ex-girlfriend, who goes from a lieutenant to a captain.

-->'''Vader:''' [gives instructions] You are in command now, '''Admiral''' Piett.

-->Wiggum: Lou, you're promoted to chief of police.
-->Lou: Sweet.
-->Wiggum: And Eddie, you're promoted to Lou.
-->Eddie: Nice. And, uh, who's gonna be Eddie?
-->Wiggum: We don't need an Eddie.
---> TheSimpsons

Most of the time, military personel are required to be in a certain rank for X amount of months or years before you are even allowed to be promoted. This justifies the reason why you don't often see military promotions in television or movies.

After this promotion expect the character, if he is not a protagonist, to go in one of two directions. Either his increase in responsibility makes him a more [[AscendedExtra important character in the series,]] or his responsibility causes him to have to [[DemotedToExtra spend less time with his friends.]] The middle ground is rare.

This is not simply a military trope. Large companies have a ranking system also, but these promotions have little impact on the story, unless the character is striving for it (in which most of the time they never get it).

Not related to [[CharacterLevel Level Up,]] where [[TookALevelInBadass taking a level in badass]] includes numbers and stats, not titles and authority.

* FullmetalAlchemist subverts this. Major Hughes is promoted two ranks to Brigadier General and stays a mostly important part of the story. [[spoiler:However, he is promoted posthumously, and instead of being a major character he becomes a major plot point.]]

* Almost all of the Konoha 12 ninja are promoted in between the TimeSkip. {{Naruto}} himself averts this, being now possibly '''the''' most powerful ninja in the village but having one of the lowest ranks.

[[folder:Films]]
* Anakin Skywalker rises through the jedi ranks throughout the StarWars series.
* Jim Gordon ranks up to his comic book rank of Commissioner in TheDarkKnight.
* ''TheEmpireStrikesBack''. Darth Vader is strangling Admiral Ozzel.
->Vader: [[YouHaveFailedMe You have failed me for the last time]], Admiral. Captain Piett?
->Piett: Yes, my lord?
->Vader: [gives instructions] You are in command now, '''Admiral''' Piett.

* The hero of ''[[RobertHeinlein Time Enough For Love]]'''s [[ShowWithinAShow story-within-the-story]] "The Man who was Too Lazy to Fail" got promoted over and over again while never actually doing anything.

* In {{Chuck}}, Major John Casey gets promoted to Colonel toward the end of Season Two.
* In early seasons of ''{{MASH}}'' Lt. Colonel Flagg from Military Intelligence was a recurring character. In the fourth season he became Colonel Flagg. This paralleled the head of 4077th going from Lt. Col. Blake to Col. Potter, because Flagg couldn't be subordinate to the CO otherwise his orders could be easily countermanded.
** Also, in the last season or so Klinger is promotoed from Corporal to Sergeant, and Father Mulcahey from 2nd Lt. to 1st.
* ''NYPDBlue'': Detective Martinez takes the Sergeant's exam and passes, so he can get PutOnABus to another precinct. (Earlier he had been promoted from undercover cop to detective, but it was never shown or made a deal of.)
** Bobby Simone gets promoted to Detective First Class (or whatever it's called) in a big ceremony.
** NewGuy John Clark is promoted to Detective for meritorious service; at the same time Sipowitz is promoted to Detective 1st class, which pisses off John Clark Sr.

* ''BarneyMiller'': In the last episode Barney gets promoted to Inspector, and uniformed officer Levitt gets promoted to Detective.
* Jack O'Neill of {{Stargate SG-1}} gets a double treatment: promoted from Colonel to Brigadier General in season 8, and to head of Homeworld Security in season 9.
** Jack's first act as a General? To promote Sam Carter from Major to Colonel.

* On ''StarTrekTheNextGeneration'' Riker got a field promotion to Captain when Picard was captured by the Borg. When Picard was rescued Riker got demoted back to Commander.
** Wesley was promoted from Boy to Acting Ensign, to actual Ensign.
** In the episode "[[LowerDeckEpisode Lower Decks]]" several ensigns are concerned about who will be promoted. After the one Most Likely To got killed in action her friend was promoted but he didn't feel he deserved it.
* More Star Trek:

** Major Kira Nerys gets bumped to Lt. Col in the Bajoran Militia (and then commissioned as a Starfleet Commander).
** Troi went for a promotion to Commander; the test's SecretTestOfCharacter was whether or not she'd send a friend (Geordi) on a SuicideMission in order to save the ship.
* ''GomerPyleUSMC'': an episode revolved around Gomer and the rest of his platoon going for Corporal. (Or maybe it was PSC to PFC, it's been a long time since I've seen the episode.) Gomer didn't want to at first, he "liked being the backbone." (Privates are - or were - called the Backbone of the Marine Corp.)
* Happens in ''[[{{Babylon5}} Babylon 5]].'' Lieutenant JG David Corwin is promoted to full Lieutenant. Lt. Commander Susan Ivanova is promoted twice: first to Commander and later to Captain. (Commander Jeffrey Sinclair's appointment as Ambassador to Minbar probably doesn't count, since Ambassador is not a military rank.)
** Johnny Rico in the StarshipTroopers film starts off as a private and gets promoted up to Squad Leader, then Sergeant, then Lieutenant. The same for his ex-girlfriend, who goes from a Lieutenant to a Captain.
* For ''BabylonFive'', Ivonova eventually makes General, as shown in the second DistantFinale [[spoiler: Actually, she gets ''canonized'' in the first one, along with several other characters.]] Other characters on B5 to get promotions possibly include Captain Lochley (she is a Colonel in ''The Lost Tales'', but it's not clear if it was a promotion or just part of a rank restructuring) and Zack Allen (goes from Officer to Chief of Security. Since Station Security is set up more like a police department than a military force, those appear to be the only two named ranks, though Zack does end up replacing Garibaldi's first right-hand-man after the first one [[TheMole shoots Garibaldi in the back]]. Sinclair's situation is more along the lines of being ReassignedToAntarctica [[spoiler: and ReassignmentBackfire]].
* Captain Tony Nelson and Captain Roger Healey of IDreamOfJeannie were promoted to Major late in the first season or early in the second.
* In the show TwentyFour, Tony gets promoted to director of CTU in season 2.

* DarkHeresy uses a system of ranks to represent the characters "leveling up" to a certain extent.

* In ''{{Exosquad}}'', Lt. J.T. Marsh is promoted to [[ColonelBadass Wing Commander]] mid-second season. Appropriately, this coincides with him assuming command over two more mecha squadrons, while [[spoiler:the former [[TheChick Chick]] Nara Burns]] becomes the official leader of the eponymous Able Squad. (In practice, however, the two new squadrons rarely appear and Marsh still commands the Able Squad whenever it is sent on a solo mission.)
* ''TheSimpsons'': when Homer became a missionary and went to a pacific island, he promoted Bart to Man of the House, Lisa to Boy, and Maggie to Brainy Girl. "The toaster can fill in for Maggie."
** As noted in the page quote, when Police Chief Wiggum was promoted to commissioner, he promoted Lou to Police Chief, and Eddie to Lou.
* Spoofed on ''ThePenguinsOfMadagascar'', when Private is promoted to Private 1st Class. "Of course, [[StatusQuoIsGod we'll still call you Private.]] First Class is implied."

* RealLife: During the AmericanCivilWar Elisha Hunt Rhodes went from private to Colonel.
* Another RealLife example: during the WorldWarOne and the [[RedOctober Russian Civil War]], the Czech adventurer Radola Gaida got promoted from a civilian pharmacist to general

----

* Almost all of the Konoha 12 ninja are promoted in between the TimeSkip. Naruto himself averts this, being now possibly '''the''' most powerful ninja in the village but having one of the lowest ranks.

* Jack O'Neill of {{Stargate SG-1}} gets a double treatment: promoted from colonel to brigadier general in season 8, and to head of Homeworld Security in season 9.

* Anakin Skywalker rises through the jedi ranks throughout the StarWars series.

** Gaara, however, takes this further by going from [[NewMeat Genin]] to the [[FourStarBadass Kazekage]].

* In ''{{Exosquad}}'', Lt. J.T. Marsh is promoted to [[ColonelBadass Wing Commander]] mid-second season. Appropriately, this coincides with him assuming command over two more mecha squadrons, while [[spoiler:the former [[TheChick Chick]] Nara Burns]] becomes the official leader of the eponymous Able Squad. (In practice, however, the two new squadrons rarely appear and Marsh still commands the Able Squad whenever it is sent on a solo mission.)
* DarkHeresy uses a system of ranks to represent the characters "leveling up" to a certain extent.

* In ''OnePiece'', Captain Smoker gets promoted by the Marines to Commodore. Commodore Smoker is not too happy about his promotion as he feels he didn't deserve it, but he does use his new leverage to operate wherever he wants.
* In ''Catch-22'' Scheisskopf is constantly promoted. He begins as a Lieutenant, but by the end of the book, is a Lieutenant General in charge of the whole army.

* ''TheSimpsons'': when Homer became a missionary and went to a pacific island, he promoted Bart to Man of the House, Lisa to Boy, and Maggie to Brainy Girl. "The toaster can fill in for Maggie."
** As noted in the page quote, when Police Chief Wiggum was promoted to commissioner, he promoted Lou to Police Chief, and Eddie to Lou.
* The hero of ''[[RobertHeinlein Time Enough For Love]]'''s [[ShowWithinAShow story-within-the-story]] "The Man who was Too Lazy to Fail" got promoted over and over again while never actually doing anything.
* RealLife: During the AmericanCivilWar Elisha Hunt Rhodes went from private to Colonel.

* ''TheEmpireStrikesBack''. Darth Vader is strangling Admiral Ozzel.
->Vader: [[YouHaveFailedMe You have failed me for the last time]], Admiral. Captain Piett?
->Piett: Yes, my lord?
->Vader: [gives instructions] You are in command now, '''Admiral''' Piett.

* Another RealLife example: during the WorldWarOne and the [[RedOctober Russian Civil War]], the Czech adventurer Radola Gaida got promoted from a civilian pharmacist to general

* In the show {{24}}, Tony gets promoted to director of CTU in season 2.

** Gaara, however, takes this further by going from [[NewMeat Genin]]to the [[FourStarBadass Kazekage]].