- This article is about military ranks used in the World of Avatar. For other similar uses, see Military (disambiguation).
Military ranks are a system of hierarchical relationships employed to clearly define a chain of command within the military.
Water Tribes[]
Army[]
The chain of command is not well defined in the Water Tribe. There is no overall military commander of the Water Tribes and as such, command is divided between the two polar factions.
Tribal chief[]
Chief Hakoda and a council of warriors from the Southern Water Tribe discussed the invasion plan for the Day of Black Sun.
A tribal chief (首長, shǒuzhǎng),[1] or a chieftain, is the leader of a Water Tribe settlement. Several chiefs were present in the Southern Water Tribe, which consists of various villages scattered along the region of the South Pole.[2] All of these chiefs are virtually equal in power and serve more as figures of guidance rather than authoritative political figures. There is one sole chief of the Northern Water Tribe who seems to have more power than his southern faction counterparts. In principle, however, all chiefs are equal and convene together to make decisions. The chief of the Northern Water Tribe is advised by a council made up of the most influential members of the tribe. Master Pakku and Princess Yue were among these people in Aang's day.[3] The structure of the position changed after the Hundred Year War, which resulted in one chief controlling both the Northern and Southern Tribes.[4]
Known Tribal Chiefs include:
- Chief Arnook (Northern Water Tribe)[3]
- Chief Hakoda (Southern Water Tribe)[5]
- Chief Unalaq (Northern and Southern Water Tribes)[4]
- Chief Tonraq (Southern Water Tribe)[6]
- Chiefs Desna and Eska (Northern Water Tribe)[6]
General[]
General is the highest rank in the Water Tribe Army. Known generals include:
- General Tonraq (Northern Water Tribe)
Lieutenant[]
There have been subtle hints which imply the existence of a lieutenant-like position in the military of the Water Tribe. Bato may be the lieutenant of the Southern Water Tribe, as he wears a uniform different from that of the other warriors and is shown to act in a high-ranking position second only to Hakoda. It is also suggested that Hahn was a lieutenant of the Northern Water Tribe, as evidenced by his close relationship to the governing family and being entrusted with the critical mission to capture Zhao.
Possible lieutenants include:
Earth Kingdom[]
Army[]
The Earth Kingdom Army is commanded by the Council of Five. The council is the highest authority in the Earth Kingdom military, apart from the Grand Secretariat of Ba Sing Se and the Earth Monarch, and oversaw the country's entire war effort against the Fire Nation during the Hundred Year War. The council is headed by General How, the commanding officer of the military. Among the council members is General Sung, who defended Ba Sing Se's Outer Wall from attack by a giant drill. The other three generals were briefly seen but remain unnamed.[7]
General[]
General How and General Sung discussed plans for the invasion of the Fire Nation in the Council of Five's headquarters.
General is the highest rank in the Earth Kingdom Army. Each general is in charge of bases located in the Earth Kingdom or can serve as members of the Council of Five in Ba Sing Se.
Known generals include:
- General Duanmu[8]
- General How (Head of the Council of Five)[7]
- General Fong[9]
- General Khièu[8]
- General Nong (former claimant to the Earth Kingdom; defeated)[10]
- General Wei[11]
- General Sung[12]
- General Yiwen[8]
Captain[]
A captain is a second-in-command of a company of soldiers or a squadron. In Omashu, it was shown that captains are of a high enough rank to be able to speak with the Monarch of Omashu and discuss military affairs.
Known captains include:
- Captain Boqin[13]
- Captain Buo Ren[14]
- Captain Yung[15]
- Earthbender captain[16]
- Omashu captain[17]
Corporal[]
A corporal is a soldier more experienced than a private, with additional leadership duties. The earthbender captain seemed to trust his corporal enough with handling the powerful General Iroh.
Known corporals include:
- Earthbending corporal
Air Force[]
The Earth Kingdom maintains an air force which was created after the Hundred Year War. It started with the adaption of the Fire Nation's model of the hot air balloon,[18] though by 171 AG, it employed Cabbage Corp airships, one of which was used to transport the captured Avatar Korra and Asami to Ba Sing Se on the orders of the Earth Queen Hou-Ting.[19]
Captain[]
A captain is an officer who commands an airship and its crew.
Known captains include:
Earth Empire[]
Army[]
The military of the Earth Empire was an armed force established by Kuvira for the purpose of unifying the Earth Kingdom following its fragmentation due to Zaheer. It had a clearly defined chain of command, denoted by rank insignias worn on the left sleeves of its members' uniforms.
General[]
There were several generals serving in the military of the Earth Empire.[20] Kuvira also personally held the title of general.[21] As leader of the Earth Empire, Kuvira wielded absolute authority over the new military dictatorship.
Known generals include:
Sergeant[]
After Kuvira herself, sergeants, indicated by three chevrons on their left sleeve, were the joint-highest known ranking officer in the Earth Empire's military alongside commanders. Baatar Jr. wore a unique and modified sergeant insignia as second-in-command.
Known sergeants include:
Commander[]
Regional commanders were officers who controlled large portions of the Earth Empire for Kuvira during her attack on Republic City. Commanders were considered equal in rank to sergeants and reported directly to Kuvira. Following Kuvira's surrender, one commander, Guan, refused to capitulate to Avatar Korra and the United Forces. He also ran reeducation camps.
Known commanders include:
Corporal[]
Higher in rank than privates, a corporal wore two chevrons on their left sleeve.
Known corporals include:
Private[]
The lowest ranking soldier in the Earth Empire's military, a private made up the rank-and-file of the infantry and was denoted with a single chevron on their left sleeve.
Known privates include:
Fire Nation[]
Army[]
- Main article: Fire Army
The Fire Nation Army is the largest and primary branch of the Fire Nation military and was involved in a significant number of ground operations, primarily against the Earth Kingdom, during the Hundred Year War. The army is comprised of both nonbending footsoldiers and firebenders[22] and employs a number of different vehicles, such as the tundra tank.[23]
General[]
General Bujing proposed a battle plan during a war meeting inside the Fire Lord's throne room.
General (將軍)[24] is the highest rank in the Fire Nation Army, though different generals vary in their position and the extent of their power. Responsibilities taken by generals include commanding invasion forces and overseeing the production of weapons, and they also work with the Fire Lord to construct battle plans in aid of the nation's military efforts. During the Hundred Year War, meetings held by Fire Lord Ozai were attended by numerous generals whose collective goal was to develop a battle plan that would decisively lead to the conquest of the Earth Kingdom. An affront to a general is considered to be an affront to the Fire Lord himself, as shown when Prince Zuko disagreed with one of the general's proposals during a war meeting and was subsequently required to defend his honor in an Agni Kai against his father.[25]
Known generals include:
- General Bujing[25]
- General Iroh[22]
- General Gong[26]
- General Onomu[27]
- General Oraso Eiko[28]
- General Shinu[29]
- General Shu[30]
- General Mak[18]
- General Mung[31]
- General Uyanga[32]
- General Yeoh[33]
Colonel[]
A colonel is usually a military title rated as the highest or second-highest field rank below the general, or "flag" grades. In some small military forces, it can be the highest rank held. A colonel can be placed in charge of a fortress or be in charge of a certain fighting group, such as the Yuyan Archers or the Rough Rhinos.
Known colonels include:
Captain[]
Captain (隊長),[35] also a rank in the Fire Nation's Navy and air force, is an officer rank below colonel. Usually, captains led units into battles. Some captains were in charge of garrisons.
Known captains include:
First Lieutenant[]
First lieutenant is an officer rank below captain.
Known first lieutenants include:
Sergeant[]
Sergeant is an officer rank below lieutenant. Sergeants wear a similar outfit to privates but have an additional red headpiece on their helmet that curves up to form two spikes. They may also drape a formal cloth over their uniform, which displays the badges they have earned.[38][39]
Known sergeants include:
Drill sergeant[]
Drill sergeant is a special type of sergeant responsible for training new recruits. They wear the same uniform as regular sergeants.[38]
Known drill sergeants include:
- The Headmaster (prior to becoming a school principal)[41]
- The Fire Nation drill sergeant[38]
Private[]
Private is the lowest rank in the Fire Nation Army, assigned to new recruits, who are trained by their drill sergeant to become soldiers through a number of intensive exercises designed to break them down and build them back up again. Activities include learning how to ride a komodo rhino, receiving an official uniform, and performing manual labor.[38]
Known privates include:
[]
- Main article: Fire Nation Navy
The Navy is the Fire Nation's aquatic fighting force and is the biggest navy in the Avatar World, larger even than that of the Water Tribe. The navy split into at least two fleets, the Eastern and Western fleets, and is commanded by admirals. Separate ships have their own commanding officers.
Admiral[]
Admiral Zhao commanded the Fire Nation Navy during the Siege of the North.
Admiral (艦長)[42] is the highest rank in the Fire Nation Navy, preceded by commander. The title has been used since the inception of the navy and gives whoever bears the title high authority and command over an entire fleet. Admirals are appointed directly by the Fire Lord.[43]
One notable bearer of the title was Admiral Zhao, who held the position for approximately one month and was famous for several feats during that time. One was the capture of Avatar Aang through the employment of the Yuyan Archers, though he subsequently lost the Avatar to the banished Prince Zuko.[43] Zhao later led the Fire Navy during the Siege of the North and, during the invasion, killed the Moon Spirit, Tui. Consequently, Zhao was dragged into the Fog of Lost Souls by the Ocean Spirit, La.[30]
Named admirals of the Eastern and Western Fleets, Admiral Chan[44] and Admiral Liang respectively, commanded around 100 AG. After the Hundred Year War, Admiral Dalja Ro ended up forming the Fire Nation's Relief Fleet, providing aid to others across the world.[45]
Known admirals include:
- Admiral Chan[44]
- Admiral Dalja Ro
- Admiral Jeong Jeong (prior to desertion)[36]
- Admiral Liang
- Admiral Yueya[46]
- Admiral Zhao[30]
Commander[]
A commander is in charge of the captains and responsible for carrying out an admiral's commands. They are also placed in charge of blockades and a considerable number of ships but still have nowhere near as much power as an admiral.
Known commanders include:
- Mamushi[47]
- Southern Raiders commander[48]
- Yon Rha (formerly)[48]
- Zhao (prior to gaining the rank of Admiral)[49]
Captain[]
Azula's ship captain oversaw Azula's personal vessel.
A captain is an officer charged with overseeing a particular vessel or, less commonly, naval base. He is under the direct command of a commander. A captain could also oversee a royal vessel, a position held, for example, by Azula's ship captain. Captain is also a rank in the air force.
Known captains include:
- Azula's ship captain[9]
- Ketu Harbor captain[50]
- Captain Li[3]
- Captain Lu Ten[51]
- Captain Zhao (prior to gaining the rank of Commander)[49]
Lieutenant[]
A lieutenant is the lowest ranking officer in the Fire Nation military. A lieutenant is under the direct command of the captain of his ship. They have more power than ordinary soldiers, but not by much.
Known lieutenants include:
Private[]
Privates are not considered officers and are under the command of a ship's lieutenant.
Intelligence operative[]
Intelligence operative is the position responsible for overseeing the Navy's communication, tracking the movements of its ships, and thwarting counterintelligence efforts. Intelligence operatives work in Fire Navy communication towers, where they check the reports relayed by messenger hawk and send out information wherever it needs to go.[52] They will also warn ships if their location is compromised.[48]
Air Force[]
The Fire Nation Air Force is the airborne branch of the Fire Nation's military and was only operated during the final stages of the Hundred Year War. The air force was put out of commission during the battle at Wulong Forest, when the airship fleet was destroyed by Sokka, Suki, and Toph.[53][54]
Captain[]
Captain was a rank in the Fire Nation Air Force. Captains were given command of Fire Nation airships and their crews. Captain is also a rank in the Fire Nation Navy as well as the Fire Nation Army.
Known captains include:
United Republic of Nations[]
United Forces[]
Iroh, a United Forces general, commanded the Forces against Amon and the Equalists.
Commander-in-chief[]
The president serves as commander-in-chief of the United Forces since the office's creation in 171 AG.[55] The president has unilateral control of the United Republic's military affairs.
Known commanders-in-chief include:
- President Raiko
- President Zhu Li Moon
General[]
General is the highest rank one can achieve in the United Forces. Generals are in charge of leading the United Forces' fleet of battleships wherever they are needed.[56]
Known generals include:
- General Iroh
Admiral[]
Admiral is a naval officer rank and one of the highest ranks in the United Forces, ranking below the commanding general and commander-in-chief.
Known admirals include:
- Admiral Tung[57]
Commander[]
Commander is the second-highest known rank in the United Forces Navy, after admiral,[57] and also have the power to lead fleets of battleships. Commanders also commanded outposts in United Republic territory.
Known commanders include:
Captain[]
Captain is a known rank in the United Forces.[58] Presently, no named captains of United Forces are known.