History Main / EarnedStripes

* ''Series/DadsArmy'': In "A. Wilson (Manager)?", Sergeant Wilson is promoted to Lieutenant of the Eastgate platoon, he supposedly walks around town in officer's uniform trying to find servicemen to salute him. Due to a paperwork mix-up, every other member of the platoon (except Pike) receives a letter telling him he has been promoted to sergeant. They all show up at parade wearing sergeant's stripes and HilarityEnsues.

* In Series/StargateSG1, no one makes a big deal of it, but Sergeant Harriman (aka "Walter") goes from being a US Air Force Master Sergeant (E-7) to a ''Senior'' Master Sergeant (E-8) and by the end of the series' run, he's become ''Chief'' Master Sergeant, making him the senior non-commissioned officer at Cheyenne Mountain. His shoulder stripes change each time to match his new rank.

* In ''VideoGame/HeroOhHero'', the suspiciously video-gamelike {{Dungeon Crawl}}s which Raulians use to gather resources have classes which individuals can level up in. Getting a new level in a given class leads to a snazzier colour scheme, [[http://www.neorice.com/hoh_398 as Sari demonstrates.]]

* ''Literature/WheelOfTime''

* ''Tabletop/Warhammer40K'' and ''TabletopGame/WarhammerFantasy'':

* Shydivers habitually wear the parachute closing pin as necklace. The unofficial rule is that one may wear it only after his or her first free fall. Wearing one signifies one has passed the elementary training and is dedicated to the sports.

** While the Imperial Guard uses something like modern military rank insignia, the SpaceMarines use their own, but generally the higher up they are the more gold there is on their armor. SpaceMarines even have service studs embedded on their faces, one for every century of service.
** While Orks have indicators of rank like amount of defeated enemy heads on their spikes, the easiest way to tell who's in charge [[LargeAndInCharge is through size.]]

* ''Film/TheMummy'': The Medjai order have tattoos that denote their being part of the order and where they stand in it.

* By the end of ''Series/AdamTwelve'', Pete Malloy has earned two stripes and two stars. He was always a training officer, but in the later seasons he's one step below Sergeant.

* In Series/StargateSG1, no one makes a big deal of it, but Sergeant Harriman (aka "Walter") goes from being a Master Sergeant of the US Air Force (E-7) to a ''Senior'' Master Sergeant (E-8) and by the end of the series' run, he's become ''Chief'' Master Sergeant, making him the senior non-commissioned officer at Cheyenne Mountain. His shoulder stripes change each time to match his new rank.

* Martial arts schools sometimes use belt systems to indicate rank. Usually from white belts being basic trainees and black belts being masters.

* In Chinese elementary and secondary schools, student prefects are generally marked with red stripes on their uniforms. The ranks go from one stripe (class prefect), two (grade prefect), to three (head boy/girl). [[http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2011/05/05/five-stripes-rise-and-fall-of-china%E2%80%99s-youngest-political-star/ So wearing ''five'' stripes is generally considered grounds for some heavy mockery]].

* In Chinese elementary schools, student prefects are generally marked with red stripes on their uniforms. The ranks go from one stripe (class prefect), two (grade prefect), to three (head boy/girl). [[http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2011/05/05/five-stripes-rise-and-fall-of-china%E2%80%99s-youngest-political-star/ So wearing ''five'' stripes is generally considered grounds for some heavy mockery]].

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* In the ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' expanded universe, the stripes down the sides of Han Solo's trousers mark him as a recipient of one of his home planet's highest honors for courage under fire.
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** In [[Series/StarTrek the original series]], officers wear stripes on their sleeves to denote rank.

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* ''Warhammer40K'' and ''WarhammerFantasy'':

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* ''WesternAnimation/StarWarsCloneWars''. Some hairless characters invoke the system through jewelry. Ashoka wore a line of beads on her head that emulated the rat-tail, [[spoiler: and removed them when she was expelled from the order.]]

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* This is an automatic process in ''TabletopGame/WerewolfTheForsaken'', where gaining Renown makes glowing tattoos appear on the werewolf's body while they are in the Shadow, as signs of Luna's favour.

** The Seanchan change their hair to indicate inclusion in the "Blood", those who claim to be descendants of the last great empire-builder. Low Blood shave their temples, high Blood shave one whole side of their heads, and members of the royal family are completely bald. When someone loses rank, which happens often, they have to cover their head until some of the hair grows back.

Supertrope to ColorCodedPatrician, and HatOfAuthority. Often overlaps with PrestigeClass. Compare PowerMakeover when the power itself causes the transformation rather than ritual. Contrast SlaveBrand, where a mark is given to indicate that you're lower on the totem pole, and is often by forced on rather than granted by merit.

* By the end of ''{{Series/Adam-12}}'', Pete Malloy has earned two stripes and two stars. He was always a training officer, but in the later seasons he's one step below Sergeant.

*** Bajoran Militia generals have epaulets added to the standard uniform.

->'''Captain Malcolm Reynolds:''' Beg pardon, but would you be Warrick Harrow?
->'''Sir Warrick Harrow:''' ''Sir'' Warrick Harrow. The sash.
->'''Mal:''' ''(blankly)'' The sash.
->'''Sir Warrick:''' It indicates lordhood.
->'''Mal:''' And it's... It's doing a great job.
-->-- "[[Recap/FireflyE04Shindig Shindig]]", ''Series/{{Firefly}}''