Predacon and Maximal official ranks
Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2009 8:57 pm
I wrote this awhile ago for my own fanfic reference and recently posted it to another board that has the subject going on. It's some of my theories about how the BW characters might line up in an official rank structure. It's based on the USMC ranks since that's what I'm familiar with myself (I was an NCO). Tell me your thoughts.
Officers, Maximal
Optimus Primal- An O-3 Captain, barely. It seems the Axalon was his first solo deployment and he's a brand new commander (Rattrap even points this out). He's reeks of that 'just out of the Academy' bearing. [Some of the speeches he gives are almost verbatim the ones I've gotten from young officers.]
Rhinox- W-1 Warrant Officer (field specialist) for security systems engineering. Not really a unit officer, but does provide command in his field of specialty. Might be why he never took command of the Maximal unit himself when Primal was dead or absent.
Officers, Predacon
TriPredacus Council- O-8 or O-9s. A powerful part of the Predacon Alliance. They do refer to themselves as Generals and maybe they're the top guys in whatever's left of the Predacon military structure. Or maybe they're just in charge of one military unit (ie: warships) and there are other Generals of equal or greater ranks in charge of other units. Given the different specialities in Transformers' warfare, this seems the most likely.
Megatron- He's a "field commander" in one bio of him, so I'd guess he was an 0-5 Lt. Colonel in the Pred army. Depending on how many enemies he made, he might've been held back from advancing. Also, he seems to fall under the command of the TriPred Council since they know him well ("brilliant, but a rogue").
Tarantulas- We know he's a lt. in the Predacon secret police forces. Probably O-2.
Scorponok- he was second-in-command, but that could have been a field promotion by Megatron for their specific unit. I picture him more as an E-3/E-4, really.
Inferno- given a "sub commander" field promotion by season three. Obviously this means nothing in the actual rank structure of the Predacons overall, but to Megatron's unit he's officially a Lt.
Enlisted / NCOs, Maximal
Depth Charge- E-8 First Sergeant. I always wondered if the symbols on the front of his wings were his rank insignia... it seems to be a sort of chevron with 3 stripes. Anyway, he was in charge of security for an entire colony so he's high, probably a senior enlisted, assisting the officers with making decisions and in charge of the personnel and administration. This also makes sense in the power dynamic between him and Primal as DC has much more field experience, but since Primal is an officer, he technically has to answer to him. He even gives him a nasty little salute in 'Deep Metal.'
IDK if the rest of the Maximals really had ranks. They want to have a vote about electing a leader, so there's not really a chain of command until Optimus makes Rattrap his 2nd.
Enlisted / NCOs, Predacon
Dinobot- I see him as enlisted and definitely not an officer. After all, he wants to advance in the ranks through force, not politics. Maybe E-6 or E-7. He also has no respect for command by appointment and challenges... well, everyone at some point.
Ravage- Hard to say since he went on a solo mission and therefore doesn't seem to have his own unit. OTOH, he answers directly to the Generals.
The rest of the Predacons in the show are just grunts, though they always seem to expect some sort of "reward" for doing well which could be in the form of a field promotion. In fact the ones that show loyalty to Megatron are generally given acknowledgment in the form of rank.
Officers, Maximal
Optimus Primal- An O-3 Captain, barely. It seems the Axalon was his first solo deployment and he's a brand new commander (Rattrap even points this out). He's reeks of that 'just out of the Academy' bearing. [Some of the speeches he gives are almost verbatim the ones I've gotten from young officers.]
Rhinox- W-1 Warrant Officer (field specialist) for security systems engineering. Not really a unit officer, but does provide command in his field of specialty. Might be why he never took command of the Maximal unit himself when Primal was dead or absent.
Officers, Predacon
TriPredacus Council- O-8 or O-9s. A powerful part of the Predacon Alliance. They do refer to themselves as Generals and maybe they're the top guys in whatever's left of the Predacon military structure. Or maybe they're just in charge of one military unit (ie: warships) and there are other Generals of equal or greater ranks in charge of other units. Given the different specialities in Transformers' warfare, this seems the most likely.
Megatron- He's a "field commander" in one bio of him, so I'd guess he was an 0-5 Lt. Colonel in the Pred army. Depending on how many enemies he made, he might've been held back from advancing. Also, he seems to fall under the command of the TriPred Council since they know him well ("brilliant, but a rogue").
Tarantulas- We know he's a lt. in the Predacon secret police forces. Probably O-2.
Scorponok- he was second-in-command, but that could have been a field promotion by Megatron for their specific unit. I picture him more as an E-3/E-4, really.
Inferno- given a "sub commander" field promotion by season three. Obviously this means nothing in the actual rank structure of the Predacons overall, but to Megatron's unit he's officially a Lt.
Enlisted / NCOs, Maximal
Depth Charge- E-8 First Sergeant. I always wondered if the symbols on the front of his wings were his rank insignia... it seems to be a sort of chevron with 3 stripes. Anyway, he was in charge of security for an entire colony so he's high, probably a senior enlisted, assisting the officers with making decisions and in charge of the personnel and administration. This also makes sense in the power dynamic between him and Primal as DC has much more field experience, but since Primal is an officer, he technically has to answer to him. He even gives him a nasty little salute in 'Deep Metal.'
IDK if the rest of the Maximals really had ranks. They want to have a vote about electing a leader, so there's not really a chain of command until Optimus makes Rattrap his 2nd.
Enlisted / NCOs, Predacon
Dinobot- I see him as enlisted and definitely not an officer. After all, he wants to advance in the ranks through force, not politics. Maybe E-6 or E-7. He also has no respect for command by appointment and challenges... well, everyone at some point.
Ravage- Hard to say since he went on a solo mission and therefore doesn't seem to have his own unit. OTOH, he answers directly to the Generals.
The rest of the Predacons in the show are just grunts, though they always seem to expect some sort of "reward" for doing well which could be in the form of a field promotion. In fact the ones that show loyalty to Megatron are generally given acknowledgment in the form of rank.