History Main / ElitesAreMoreGlamorous

* ''{{Sharpe}}'' books by Bernard Cornwell are focused on small group of skirmisher riflemen, and quite often portay them as highly superior to regular rank-and-file infantrymen of the British Army who are hardly able to achieve anything without the help of protagonists.

* In a SpeculativeFiction example, most ''StarTrek'' series (and all the movies) follow a ship (always named ''Enterprise'' or ''USS Enterprise'') that is often referred to as the "flagship of Starfleet" or "the best in the fleet". Those that didn't either followed one of the most strategically positioned bases in the Galaxy (''DeepSpaceNine''), or a brand-spanking-new ship that is oftened referred to as one of the most advanced ships in the fleet (''StarTrekVoyager''). (Strictly speaking, there are many points in the series where the ''Enterprise'' is neither the flagship nor the most technically-superior ship in the fleet. Always, though, it has the best crew by far.)
* On ''DS9'', "Red Squad" the elite cadets of Starfleet Academy in the episode ''Valiant''.

* The USA in ''CommandAndConquer: Generals'' gives you an entire military made up of mostly elites. Special Forces Army Rangers are your basic infantry.

* ''The Tough Guide to the Known Galaxy'' claims that the [[http://www.rocketpunk-observatory.com/spaceguideS-Z.htm#space_fighters entire point]] of having SpaceFighter is to have RecycledInSpace fighter pilots -- "males in their early twenties, known for their swagger, coolness, and [[BoldlyComing fast moves on any attractive female of an interbreedable species]]."

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** The upcoming title ''Black Ops'' is continuing this trend.

* Averted by the eponymous ''IngloriousBasterds'' - They were regular soldiers, though they spent the war operating behind enemy lines in a role typically performed by Commandos.
-This troper took notice of Lt. Raine's Devil's Bridge Patch and Wiki's Ranger diamond.

Presumably happens because of the RuleOfCool: famous units and battles are simply more "special". Also, since special forces units consists of [[TheSpartanWay better trained]] soldiers with high qualifications and (usually) superior equipments, its generally [[WillingSuspensionOfDisbelief more believable]] for them to succeed. For works based on RealLife, this focus can simply reflect historical TruthInTelevision, as is the case with ''BlackHawkDown'' and ''{{Band of Brothers}}''.

* All the named and important characters that are shown fighting in ''CodeGeass'' are elite soldiers of some kind. The Black Knights consists of the Zero Squad, led by [[ActionGirl Ace Pilot Kallen]], the Four Holy Swords, led by Todoh, and former resistance members who've been promoted due to seniority. Britannia, meanwhile, has the bulk of its military power seemingly consisting of Suzaku and the Lancelot, Cornelia and her Glaston Knights, Schneizel's faction and cool toys, and the Knights of Rounds. Regular soldiers are usually just cannon-fodder. Even the China arc focuses mainly on Li Xingke and those loyal to him.

* Section 9 in ''GhostInTheShell'' could be seen as an elite counter-terror police unit (the name itself is speculated to be a homage to the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GSG-9 GSG-9]]). When a government conspiracy wants them neutralized, they have to send the in-series equivalent of japanese Navy-[=SEALs=].

Interestingly, the writers often have no idea what the unit designations actually refer to. "Army Ranger," "Navy [=SEALs=]," "Special Forces," and "Green Berets" are all conflated into generic commandos with overlapping roles. Also, a green beret is a uniform item and not actually the name of a unit.

* In a shady example, ''BandOfBrothers'' focuses on soldiers of the 101st Airborne. On the other hand, there's not much that would distinguish the story from a story about a non-paratrooper except for the few scenes where Easy Company makes its drops.
* And again in ''ThePacific'', which focuses on two Marines.