“Mamor” is a Japanese word meaning “protect.” It’s where Mamoru Kodai gets his name, and it’s the title of a monthly magazine about military matters from Fusosha Publishing. It enters the Yamato record books because of a unique article all about rank; not just IRL, but also in pop culture such as anime and movies.

This 6-page article was published in Mamor Vol. 214. It was the December 2024 issue, published October 21.

Char Aznable or Susumu Kodai, who is more important?

Learn about military ranks and enjoy anime and movies even more!

Major Char appears in the popular multi-generational anime Mobile Suit Gundam. How important is a major? Did you know that Susumu Kodai and Yuki Mori, the main characters of Space Battleship Yamato, were both lieutenant colonels? If you don’t know about military ranks, you may not fully understand the true human drama depicted in familiar works. Learn about them in this special feature and enjoy that masterpiece once again!

Rank list of main characters for each work introduced in this column

The ranks at their time of first appearance are listed in the table
Click here for a larger PDF

How do the ranks of characters in entertainment works compare?

Let’s take a look at some famous works that feature military organizations and check the ranks of the characters. Each work depicts a different military organization, so it’s not easy to compare them, but knowing the ranks will add depth to the story.

“Private 2nd class” is “Private” in English. The movie Saving Private Ryan uses this as the title. However, this is a story about the search for Private Ryan, who went missing during the Normandy landing, and the main character is Captain Miller, played by Tom Hanks.

The rank of “sergeant” is a non-commissioned officer who directly commands soldiers, and sergeants are often portrayed as experienced veterans. Saving Private Ryan features the reliable Sergeant Horvath. On the other hand, other films that show the “demon” side of sergeants include Sergeant Hartman, an instructor at the Marine Corps training camp in Full Metal Jacket, and Sergeant Foley, an instructor at the Naval Candidate School in An Officer and a Gentleman, who pushes the students to the limit. But at the end of the film, he salutes and sees them off as they graduate, outranking him as second lieutenants. This vividly depicts the contrast between ranks.

INSET CAPTION: Lieutenant Bright from Mobile Suit Gundam punches Sergeant Amuro, who is tired of repeated battles and ignores orders to sortie, in an attempt to persuade him. When Amuro argues back, Bright spits out, “You’re spoiled.”

On the other hand, Amuro Rei from Mobile Suit Gundam was originally a civilian, but was commissioned midway through the story and became a sergeant at the age of 16. As he is drawn into battles against his will, he witnesses the deaths of his comrades and grows as a person, even as he struggles.

Hikaru Ichijo from Super Dimension Fortress Macross also appears as a sergeant in the Skull squadron at the age of 17, and although he displays problematic behavior such as repeatedly disobeying orders and being rebellious, he gradually grows through actual combat. After that, he is promoted to a company commander, has subordinates, and falls in love with the heroine. Although he has various conflicts, the work also depicts his inner growth as the story progresses and his rank increases.

Looking at the officers who are ranked higher than non-commissioned officers, Char Aznable from Mobile Suit Gundam is a major (when he first appears) and is later promoted to colonel. In Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence, David Bowie plays Army Major Jack Celliers. The head of the prison camp is Captain Yonoi, played by Ryuichi Sakamoto. Major Celliers is a higher rank, but Captain Yonoi is always the one giving orders to the prisoners.

Captain Mitchell from Top Gun has risen to the rank of colonel in Top Gun Maverick, but his rival Iceman has been promoted to general. However, when the two meet again, they are filled with friendship as former comrades, transcending their rank difference.

Roy Mustang from Fullmetal Alchemist has been a colonel for a long time in the story, so those around him call him “Colonel” with affection, but at the end of the story he is finally promoted to brigadier general. He has the ability to control fire, but because he cannot use it on rainy days, his subordinates call him “useless,” and he shows a comical side considering his rank.

In The Bridge on the River Kwai, Colonel Saito, the head of the prison camp, orders the captured officers to do hard labor, but Colonel Nicholson (Alec Guinness) refuses, saying it violates the Geneva Convention. In the first half of the story, the two are at odds, but in the end, Colonel Saito accepts Colonel Nicholson’s British military spirit. Saito sympathizes with Nicholson, who tries to fulfill his role as an officer, despite the national conflict.

Among the main characters of the general class, Captain Juzo Okita from Space Battleship Yamato is a general (admiral) in the remake series Yamato 2199, and also serves as commander-in-chief of the United Nations Space Forces and the United Space Fleet.

ABOVE LEFT: The protagonist of Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Hikaru Ichijo, was a civilian but was caught up in a war and joined the Earth Unified Forces.

ABOVE CENTER: Char Aznable from Mobile Suit Gundam is a major. The mobile suits (robots) that he pilots on the battlefield are red, and he is also known as the “Red Comet” for his great military achievements in the past. He is quite well-known in the series.

ABOVE RIGHT: A scene from Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence in which Captain Yonoi (Ryuichi Sakamoto) is about to kill a prisoner when he is kissed by Celliers (David Bowie), and he faints in shock.

LEFT: Lieutenant Colonel Hughes from Fullmetal Alchemist brags about his daughter to Colonel Mustang on the phone, even though he is at work. The two have known each other since the military academy and are close friends and comrades in arms. Later, Colonel Mustang stands in front of Brigadier General Hughes’ grave. “Oh no, it’s starting to rain,” he says, pulling his hat down low and showing no weakness to anyone, as he cries for his friend.

In fact, there was a deeper meaning behind it. Rank in “famous episodes”

I don’t know what intention the author has in assigning ranks to characters in entertainment works, but when compared to the ranking systems of modern world armies and the Self-Defense Forces, it seems that there is a different way to enjoy them.

Lieutenant Colonel Hughes from Fullmetal Alchemist discovers an important secret of the national military while on the job, but is attacked by someone and killed in the line of duty. In the scene where the funeral of Hughes is held, after he has been promoted two ranks to Brigadier General, Colonel Mustang is shown complaining that Hughes, who was also his best friend and had once said that he would “help him from below,” was promoted above him, and then he cries.

Captain Juzo Okita from Space Battleship Yamato is given the rank of Space Admiral in the remake series. In the real world, Kousaku Aruga of the battleship Yamato was a naval colonel, and Isoroku Yamamoto, commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet, was an admiral (posthumously promoted to Fleet Admiral), so this is a realistic concept.

During the Russo-Japanese War, just before the time of Golden Kamuy, the organization of the former army in the real world was such that the division commander was a lieutenant general, the chief of staff was a colonel, the regiment commander was a lieutenant colonel, the battalion commander was a major, and the company commander was a captain, so Lieutenant Tsurumi’s position as platoon leader is reasonable.

Colonel Mitchell from Top Gun Maverick should have been a general given his achievements, but as his callsign “Maverick” suggests, he is a person who does not fit in with the organization, so even though he is a colonel, which is the rank of a commander, he still serves as a test pilot. It can be said that this is a realistic portrayal of a pilot who “continues to refuse promotion and sticks to the field.”

On the other hand, the age of the characters and the speed of their promotions are what make the character ranks more fictional. In the entertainment world, it is common for commanders to be underage. Also, Amuro from Mobile Suit Gundam is a civilian at the beginning, but in the middle of the story, he formally joins the military and reaches the rank of sergeant. After the war, he is promoted to second lieutenant and then captain in about one year. In the Self-Defense Forces, it would normally take about six years to achieve the same level of promotion, so this is an unusual speed. Unfortunately, Amuro did not attend the military academy, so this is the end of his career path.

On the other hand, Amuro’s superior officer, Bright Noah, an elite who graduated from the military academy, is 19 years old and despite only half a year of military experience, he becomes the second captain of the White Base as a lieutenant, then becomes a lieutenant colonel in the Earth Federation Forces, and continues to climb the ladder of success. Char, who crosses swords with Amuro many times as an enemy, also went from major to colonel in one year.

Although his promotion is not as unusual, Susumu Kodai from Space Battleship Yamato is promoted from third lieutenant to first lieutenant at the age of 20 in the remake series. He then appears as the captain of the battleship Yunagi at the age of 24, and as the third captain of Yamato at the age of 27, as a second lieutenant. Also, Yuki Mori became a first lieutenant at age 19, a second lieutenant at age 26, and captain of the supply carrier Asuka. Both were given command of large ships before they turned 30.

Looking at the character ranks in detail like this allows you to enjoy the work from a different angle.

LEFT: Lieutenant Tsurumi of Golden Kamuy plots to steal gold bars hidden by the Ainu. He uses various strategies to stand in the way of Sugimoto and his friends.

CENTER: In the remake series Yamato 2205, Yuki Mori’s rank was set as Lieutenant Commander. Picture is from Be Forever Yamato Rebel 3199, Chapter 2.

RIGHT: A scene from Top Gun. Iceman (Val Kilmer) and Maverick (Tom Cruise) arguing in the locker room.

Knowing the ranks will help you enjoy entertainment works even more

We’ve reviewed the military ranks depicted in anime and movies, but what kind of impressions do members of the Self-Defense Forces, who are members of organizations with military ranks in Japan, have when they see them? We spoke to Associate Professor Teruaki Aizawa, who uses entertainment works in his classes at the National Defense Academy of Japan.

Before the war, there was a manga called Norakuro, which faithfully depicted the ranks. The main character, a dog, enlists and progresses through the ranks from private to captain. However, after the war, things changed and there were almost no works that clearly depicted ranks.

Associate Professor Aizawa of the National Defense Academy of Japan, an expert on the history of the Self-Defense Forces and maritime security, who is also familiar with the entertainment industry, explains, “Since military matters have been shunned in Japan since the war, military-like ranks have been avoided in entertainment as well.”

For example, in the first film of the Godzilla series, and other Toho special effects films, the organization tasked with defeating the monsters is referred to as the “Defense Force,” using the original military organization’s name. In the world of TV dramas, the “Science Special Search Team” in Ultraman and the “Ultra Security Team” in Ultra Seven are also referred to as “team members,” with no ranks except for the team leader. In the Godzilla series as well, ranks for team members were not mentioned until the 1984 version of Godzilla.

According to Associate Professor Aizawa, the earliest work to establish ranks in a visual work was the 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam, and the first clear appearance of ranks was in the 1989 film Godzilla vs. Biollante, with the Defense Agency’s Special Strategic Operations Room Director, Colonel Sho Kuroki. The reason for this is that in 1989, the Cold War ended, and at the same time, the image of the Self-Defense Forces improved due to international cooperation and disaster relief efforts.

A prime example of this is Space Battleship Yamato. The 1974 TV anime did not mention the ranks of the characters, but since Yamato 2199, which pursued realism, character ranks have been set in detail.

“These days, depicting ranks has become inevitable in order to ensure realism. Things that were avoided in the past are now treated as settings that add depth. This is thought to reflect the change in public consciousness toward the military and the Self-Defense Forces.”

However, this is entertainment. It is true that characters who behave unconventionally are what attract us.

Associate Professor Teruaki Aizawa

As a member of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, he served as the captain of the minesweeper Hachijo. After retiring from the military, he served as a specialist in the Regional Policy Division of the Asia-Pacific Regional Affairs Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and a specially appointed researcher at the Ocean Policy Research Institute of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation. Since 2020, he has been an associate professor at the National Defense Academy of Japan.