Military rank

An individual's military rank was their placement within a military hierarchy. The military forces of the Galactic Republic, the Confederacy of Independent Systems, the Chiss Ascendancy, the Galactic Empire, the Alliance to Restore the Republic, the New Republic, Imperial Remnants, the First Order, and the Resistance all utilized military ranks in their hierarchy.
==Description==
===Overview===
A military rank was an armed forces title used to denote a military officer's placement within an established military hierarchy and structure. Military ranks were divided into army and navy forces, although governments such as the Galactic Empire used military ranks for other organizations, such as the Imperial Security Bureau.Thrawn
===Galactic Republic===
====Republic Defense Coalition, Judicials, and other forces====
The Republic's enforcement agencies, such as the Republic Defense CoalitionThe High Republic: Light of the Jedi and the Judicial Department utilized ranks.Rise of the Separatists The RDC used the ranks of admiral, naval captain, ensign, and petty officer. The rank of provost marshal was used within the Judicial Department by both its leader and the leader of the Judicial Academy.Tarkin Judicials also used the rank of naval captain and lieutenant.
====Republic Military====
The Republic Military consisted of multiple cadres of officers in at least two military branches, the Grand Army of the Republic and the Republic Navy. The Armed Forces of the Galactic Republic consisted of clone trooper officers operating in army and naval roles, Jedi officers, and non-clone and non-Jedi Republic officers. Jedi officers used the military ranks of High Jedi General, Jedi General, and Jedi Commander. These Jedi ranks allowed for Jedi officers to lead both ground and space forces.
Clone officers used their own ranking system for their cadre. Clone Marshal Commander was a corps-level rank that was achievable for a clone trooper,Dark Disciple and was followed by Clone ARC Commander and Clone Commander. The ranks of Clone CaptainStar Wars: Complete Locations and Clone major followed,Star Wars: Complete Vehicles and then Clone Lieutenant, Clone Sergeant, Clone Corporal, and Clone Private. Clone Private was the lowest rank in the Republic Army.Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes Prior to officially graduating from training, clones used the rank of clone cadet. Clone Commander, Clone Captain, and Clone Corporal were also used as naval ranks.
Non-clone and non-Jedi Republic officers used multiple military ranks. Governor-General was a military and political rank within the Republic, when galaxy sector was under a state of emergency. Adjutant General was a senior military rank for both the Grand Army of the Republic and the Republic Navy. For the Republic Navy, flag officer ranks consisted of Admiral and Rear Admiral. Following flag ranks, was the rank of naval Captain and Lieutenant Commander. Lieutenant was a subordinate junior officer rank.Star Wars: Force Collection In the Republic, the rank of midshipman was also used. In the Grand Army of the Republic, the rank of General was used,Collapse of the Republic as was Brigadier General and the subordinate rank of colonel. The rank of captain was additionally used in the military's Republic Intelligence branch. The rank of Master Chief was additionally used.
===Chiss Ascendancy===
The military of the Chiss Ascendancy contained the Chiss Defense Force and the Chiss Expansionary Defense Fleet. Following a Chiss officer's promotion to a flag officer, the Chiss had to renounce all family ties and pledge themselves fully to the military. The military ranks of Supreme Admiral and Supreme General were at the pinnacle of the hierarchy, and followed by Fleet Admiral and Senior General, Admiral and General, Mid Admiral and Mid General, and lastly Commodore. Subsequently, senior officers ranked at Senior Captain, Mid Captain, Junior Captain, Senior Commander, Mid Commander, Junior Commander, and Lieutenant Commander. Junior officers were given the rank of lieutenant, and was followed by Senior Warrior, Mid Warrior, and Junior Warrior.Thrawn Ascendancy: Lesser Evil Personnel within Chiss Academies could hold the rank of colonel. Older cadets of the Chiss Ascendancy held the rank of Senior Cadet.Thrawn Ascendancy: Chaos Rising
===Confederacy of Independent Systems===
The armed forces of the Confederacy of Independent Systems maintained a composition of Separatist officers and droid officers. Senior-ranking Separatist officers used multiple ranks, including the Separatist Army ranks of General and colonel.Kanan 9 Subordinate to those ranks was commandant, commander, and Captain. In the Separatist Navy, the flag officer rank of Admiral was used, as was captain.
Droid officers, ranging from ST-series military strategic analysis and tactics droids, T-series military strategic analysis and tactics droids, OOM command battle droids, and standard B1-series battle droids used a variety of ranks in army and naval capacities. ST-series droids could use the ranks of general and commander, while T-series droids utilized commander, as did OOM command battle droids. The commander rank was used in an army and naval role. B1-series battle droids used the ranks of captain, lieutenant, sergeant, and corporal.
===Galactic Empire===
====Overview====
The Imperial Military was the successor of the Republic Military, adopting the use of the rank insignia plaques and certain military ranks. Imperial military ranks were used in the Imperial Army, the Imperial Navy, the Imperial Starfighter Corps, and certain COMPNOR agencies such as the Imperial Security Bureau. The Sith Lord Darth Vader held no formal rank in the Imperial Military. Instead, he was regarded as a "lord" rather than answering to a direct rank. Thanks to the power imbued within him by Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine,Darth Vader (2017) 12 however, he was regarded as the informal Commander-in-Chief of the military. In the aftermath of the Cylo Hijacking, Vader was named the supreme commander of the Imperial fleetStar Wars: The Rise and Fall of the Galactic Empire by Palpatine, who formally invested the powers of the Supreme CommanderDarth Vader (2015) 25 in Vader's new position. All the same, Vader still considered his rank to be "lord" and continued to hold that title.Doctor Aphra (2016) 35
====COMPNOR====
====Imperial Army====
The Imperial Army and the Imperial Starfighter Corps used ground-based military ranks, despite the Imperial Starfighter Corps pertaining to the Imperial Navy. The Imperial Security Bureau used both ground-based and naval ranks.Dawn of Rebellion These military ranks included that of general officer ranks, such as Grand General,Aftermath: Life Debt General, vice general, and brigadier general. Subordinate ranks included colonel and lieutenant colonel,Lords of the Sith and rank of major was also used, inferior to the colonel-level ranks.
More junior ground-based ranks in the Galactic Empire included the army rank of commander, captain, and the lesser rank of lieutenant.Rogue One: A Star Wars Story Following ground-based military ranks included that of staff sergeant,Aftermath: Empire's End first sergeant,Star Wars: Rogue One: The Ultimate Visual Guide Sergeant major, and sergeant. The rank of corporal was followed by that of specialist and private.Solo: A Star Wars Story The Official Guide
====Imperial Navy====
The Imperial Navy's officer corps had a variety of naval military ranks in its structure. Flag officers used Admiral of the Navy, grand admiral, fleet admiral, admiral, vice admiral, rear admiral, and commodore. There were also sector admirals in the navy's structure.Star Wars: The Rebel Files Academies could train Imperial officers to captains of the line, and flag captains also existed in the Imperial Navy. The Imperial Navy additionally used commander, lieutenant commander, captain, and gunnery captain. Subsequent naval ranks were senior lieutenant, lieutenant, second lieutenant, junior lieutenant, and ensign. Warrant Officer was another military rank used in the navy.Star Wars (2020) 21 Prior to graduation, Imperial cadets could be given the rank of Cadet First Class, as well as yeoman.
====Imperial Starfighter Corps====
The Imperial Starfighter Corps, despite being part of the navy, used several ground-based military ranks. Such ranks included colonel and major,Alphabet Squadron and furthermore used the rank of second lieutenant commander, subordinate to that of major.TIE Fighter 3 The Imperial Starfighter Corps also utilized senior lieutenant, lieutenant, and flight officer.TIE Fighter 1
====Other branches====
The Galactic Empire used joint political and military titles, allowing individuals to both govern an area as well as command military forces. Grand Moffs were at the echelon of the hierarchy, governing oversectors and the military assets within. Moffs followed, with each Moff governing a galactic sector. Subsequent were star system and planetary governors, including Lieutenant Governors and Acting Governors.Victory's Price
The Imperial Academy system utilized the rank of commandant,Star Wars Rebels: Spark of Rebellion while Captain-Inspector,Doctor Aphra (2016) 19 Inspector, and Lieutenant-Inspector were used by the Empire's Inspectorate agency.Doctor Aphra (2016) 15 The rank of sublieutenant was also used in the armed forces of the Empire.
===Alliance to Restore the Republic===
The Alliance Armed Forces consisted of multiple branches, each using military ranks as part of their organization. The Alliance Army, Ordnance and Supply, Rebel Alliance Intelligence Service, Rebel Alliance Starfighter Corps, Support Services, and Sector Command all used the rank of general. Subordinate ranks included colonel, major, commander,Legends of the Alliance captain, lieutenant, First Sergeant,Battlefront: Twilight Company sergeant major, logistics sergeant,Lead by Example sergeant, corporal, and private.
The Rebel Alliance Navy used naval ranks, such as admiral, commodore,Star Wars (2020) 21 naval captain,Moving Target: A Princess Leia Adventure commander, lieutenant commander, lieutenant,and ensign.
===New Republic===
The New Republic Defense Force shared multiple ranks with the preceding Rebel Alliance. Naval ranks included Fleet Admiral, admiral, commodore, naval captain,Shadow Fall commander,Star Wars: Squadrons lieutenant commander, lieutenant, and ensign. Ground-based ranks included general, Lieutenant General, major, commander, captain, lieutenant,Star Wars: On the Front Lines Staff Sergeant, sergeant major,Aftermath sergeant, corporal, and private.
===First Order===
 
The First Order was a military junta, with its military ranks displayed on rank insignia on their military uniforms. The military ranks of Allegiant General and Grand Marshal allowed the bearer to command both ground and space forces. First Order Army ranks included those of general, colonel, major,Star Wars Battlefront II commander, captain,Age of Resistance - Kylo Ren 1 first lieutenant,Galaxy's Edge 1 lieutenant,Star Wars: Tales from the Galaxy's Edge – Last Call and sergeant. The Order also used the rank of high colonel.Shadow of the Sith
First Order Navy ranks included senior ranks such as admiral, naval captain, commander, lieutenant, ensign, Chief Petty Officer, Warrant Officer, and Petty Officer. The First Order starfighter corps used multiple ranks, including major, commander,TIE Fighter Owners' Workshop Manual and lieutenant. The First Order Security Bureau also used multiple military ranks, such as colonel, commander,Poe Dameron 13 and lieutenant.Poe Dameron 7
===Resistance===
The Resistance, was led by a general, although there were other generals within the organization.Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker: The Visual Dictionary Additionally, there were multiple flag officer ranks, including admiral, vice admiral, and commodore. The Resistance navy additionally used the rank of naval captain and commander. The colonel rank was used by the Resistance Starfighter Corps, which also used the ranks of commander, lieutenant commander, fighter captain, and lieutenant. The ground forces used major, captain, lieutenant, and sergeant.Star Wars: The Last Jedi: The Visual Dictionary Ensign was additionally used within the organization. Resistance military ranks were displayed on rank badges, red denoting army ranks and blue denoting naval ranks.Star Wars: The Force Awakens: The Visual Dictionary
===Sith Eternal===
The Sith Eternal used multiple ranks within their military, including admiral, naval captain, Sith trooper commander, petty officer, lance corporal, and corporal. Allegiant General carried over from the First Order.
===Other factions===
Various factions used standard military ranks for their armed forces. Planetary defense forces and local planetary armed forces used ranks such as general, admiral, captain, and others. The Mon Cala planetary defense services and Mon Calamari monarchy overall used the rank of Grand Admiral,Star Wars (2015) 44 Admiral, Commander,Darth Vader (2017) 17 Captain of the Guard, Fleet Captain,Star Wars (2015) 48 and Captain Third Class. The Gungan Grand Army, in addition to the ranks of general and captain, also used the rank of Bombad General.
The Kilji Illumine, a zealous Unknown Regions faction, was led by a Generalirius, considered to be similar to Generalissimo. The Illumine Kilhorde consisted of the ranks of general and colonel. The Nikardun Destiny, an Unknown Regions expansionist empire, was led by General Yiv the Benevolent, and the military ranks consisted of generals and tactical commanders. The leader of the Utapau Skyforce utilized the military rank of Air Commodore. Prince-Admiral was both a royal and military rank, used by Jonashe Solo of ancient Corellian royalty.
==Appearances==
==Sources==
*Star Wars: The Force Awakens: New Adventures
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*Star Wars: Rogue One: Rebel Dossier
*Star Wars: The Last Jedi: Heroes of the Galaxy
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*Star Wars: Smuggler's Guide
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==Notes and references==
==External links==
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