Attack on Titan is one of the most popular and complex anime with a relatively simple ranking system.
The anime doesn’t rely as heavily on the ranks, but they play a crucial role in the plot.
Additionally, soldiers of various ranks in AOT have contributed in different ways to fight Titans outside the walls.
While some of the soldiers helped keep the people inside the walls safe, others came in direct contact with the Titans.
Separate factions are performing different tasks to ensure the safety of the people of Paradis.
Therefore, to understand them better, here’s an overview of the ranking system in Attack on Titan.
Military in Paradis Island

The ranking system in Attack on Titan resembles the military ranking system in real life.
The Military here is the armed forces of the people of Paradis Island to protect them from Titans.
Additionally, the ranks specifically on the Island of Paradis, are divided into three factions:
- Military Police Regiment
- Garrison Regiment
- Scout Regiment (Survey Corps)
Military Police Regiment

The Military Police faction is responsible for maintaining order inside the Walls and protecting the King from harm. They act as guardians for the Royal family.
Therefore, only a few cadets are selected for such an important task. The Military Police is primarily responsible for protecting Wall Sina.
Only the top 10 cadets get to join the Military Police during the training of the recruits.
However, despite such high requirements, the Military Police is also the most corrupt faction in the entire AOT universe and the most incompetent.
Their symbol consists of a green unicorn with a white horn and mane.
Additionally, the Interior Police is also the branch of the Military Police Regiment, serving mainly to shut up anyone having too much information about the Royal family and Titans.
Garrison Regiment

Garrison Regiment is responsible for protecting all three walls and maintaining orders within them.
The soldiers of the Garrison Regiment are tasked with patrolling around and evacuating citizens in case the walls are breached.
Furthermore, they are also responsible for taking out the titans in emergencies.
The Regiment falls somewhere between the two large factions, coming second to the Survey Corps to tackle the Titans.
Additionally, compared to the Military Regiment, Garrison is much less corrupt and incompetent.
Furthermore, some Garrison soldiers, specifically the ones on the southern side, are experienced in handling Titans.
The Garrison Regiment has a pair of red roses with white leaves and a vine as their symbol.
Scout Regiment

The Scout Regiment, also known as the Survey Corps, is the most commonly seen faction in the anime and the most important as well.
The Survey Corps consists of the most Elite and powerful soldiers tasked with the critical duty of tackling Titans directly.
Additionally, the Scout Regiment has the vital task of recovering the lost territory from the Titans.
Only the bravest of the soldiers from the Training Corps, who are ready to sacrifice their lives, join the Scout Regiment.
Furthermore, because of the complex tasks that the Regiment deals with, the soldiers are incredibly well-trained and exceptionally strong.
What’s more, some of the squads in the Regiment have different tasks centralized on their primary duty.
Although the Survey Corps is the most crucial faction in the Military, it is also the most underfunded as well.
The Regiment was constantly threatened with disbandment at the beginning of anime due to their heavy losses and zero result.
However, under Erwin’s leadership, they greatly improved and gathered valuable information about Titans.
Additionally, their symbol consists of a pair of wings, one blue and one white.
Cadet Corps

The Cadet Corps is linked to the Military but is not part of the three main factions.
The faction is mainly responsible for educating and training the recruits who plan to join one of the big three factions.
Additionally, the Cadet Corps is responsible for the evaluation of the recruits as well.
They are responsible for checking their eligibility and qualification throughout the training periods.
All recruits are equally trained in hand-to-hand combat, horse riding, and learning the use of the ODM gear.
Once the cadets graduate, they can decide which of the main three factions they wish to join.
However, only the top 10 Cadets with the highest score can join the Military Police Regiment.
Their symbol consists of a pair of crossed swords, which is much more straightforward than the other Regiments.
Read more:
Island of Paradis Military Ranking system
Following is the ranking system followed in the Military of the Island of Paradis:
- Commander in chief
- Commander
- Squad Leader
- Commanding Officer
- Officer
- Soldier or Cadet
Commander-in-chief

The Commander-in-chief is the highest-ranking Officer on the Island of Paradis.
The Officer has authority over the three main divisions: the Military Police, the Garrison, and the Survey Corps.
Additionally, the commander-in-chief holds superior powers in matters concerning the Miltary law, and the decisions made cannot be argued against.
Furthermore, he also has the power to decide the defendant’s fate in the Military Court.
Commander

The rank of the Commander is assigned to the highest-ranking Officer in each of the three Regiments.
Furthermore, all three Military divisions have their own Commanders.
The commanders are responsible for making decisions regarding their particular Miltary Regiment.
Additionally, they develop plans for tackling issues in their area of experience and keep an eye over their specific Regiment.
Squad leader

The squad leaders are second-in-command and are handpicked by the Commander of the particular Military division they serve.
In Survey Corps, each squad leader has a specific job centralized around the Regiment’s general duties. Moreover, Hange’s squad is responsible for researching Titans.
In comparison, Levi’s squad is the special operations squad and the most Elite amongst the other squads, tasked with directly killing the Titans.
Commanding Officer

The commanding officers are lower in rank compared to squad leaders.
The officers are superior to cadets and lead a small group of soldiers in the fight.
Additionally, they are chosen for their level-headed thinking and the ability to lead the soldiers.
Officer

There isn’t much information about the role of officers in the attack on titan anime.
However, they are superior to the average cadets in terms of strength and ability.
Soldier or Cadet

The lowest rank in the Military of Paradis Island is of the Cadets.
They serve all the high-ranking officers and are given tasks by their squad leaders specifically.
Most of the characters in the main cast are initially soldiers, not having the authority to make decisions on their own.
Attack on Titan Character Rank Table
Characters | Rank |
---|---|
Eren Yeager | Soldier |
Mikasa Ackerman | Officer |
Connie Springer | Officer |
Jean Kirstein | Commanding Officer |
Levi Ackerman | Squad leader or Captain |
Mike Zacharius | Squad leader |
Erwin Smith | 13th Commander of Scout Regiment |
Hange Zoe | 14th Commander of Scout Regiment |
Armin Arlert | 15th Commander of Scout Regiment |
Dot Pixis | Commander of Garrison Regiment |
Nile Dok | Commander of Miltary Police Regiment |
Darius Zackly | Commander-in-chief |
Read more:
What is Eren’s rank?

The series’s main protagonist, Eren Yeager, ranked 5th in all of the 104th Training Corps.
However, his rank in Survey Corps isn’t explicitly mentioned throughout the anime, and he is considered a soldier.
Additionally, Eren works directly under Levi, so most fans speculate that he has a higher ranking than the other squads’ soldiers.
Moreover, he also has more freedom compared to most of the soldiers.
Many fans believe it’s due to his importance in the Military and due to his Titan-shifting powers.
What is Mikasa’s rank?

Mikasa Ackerman ranked top in her class in the 104th Training Corps.
Additionally, in the anime, Mikasa becomes an Officer in the Scout Regiment after the time skip.
Furthermore, Mikasa is in the Special Operations Squad, which is the most Elite squad in the Survey Corps.
She possesses great skill and is the strongest among her rank of fellow soldiers.
Moreover, Mikasa mainly joined the Survey Corps to protect Eren.
Who is the 15th Commander of the Survey Corps?

The 15th Commander of the Survey Corps is Armin Arlert. He became the Commander after Hange’s death in the year 854 of the anime.
The 14th Commander, Hange Zoe, took over the Survey Corps on Erwin’s instruction just before he died.
Similarly, Hange passed their position to Armin before sacrificing themself to save the rest of the Survey Corps soldiers.
Furthermore, Armin is the best option for the next Commander due to his high intellect and tactical abilities on the battlefield.
Who is the strongest character in Attack on Titan?

Captain Levi Ackerman of the Survey Corps is the strongest soldier in the whole AOT Universe.
Most Fans believe it would be unfair to choose someone with Titan-shifter powers as they have an advantage.
However, Levi has bested even the strongest Titan-shifters like Zeke without anyone’s help.
Moreover, Levi is a mere human with no special powers, yet he requires no assistance in taking care of the Titans.
Additionally, most fans are not even sure about how many Titans Levi has killed single-handedly, which showcases how powerful he really is.
Read more: 15 Strongest AOT Human Characters Ranked