History Main / KyuAndDanRanks

* ''VideoGame/D4DJGroovyMix'' features them, known as Grades (for kyu ranks) and Stages (for dan ranks) in the English version. You have to play a set of 3 or 4 songs of similar difficulty on Manual mode in succession, and make it to the end without your lifebar reaching 0; the amount of life gained or lost for each type of judgement depends on the course (easier courses allow recovering health when hitting notes, but harder courses don't, and eventually start taking life away on a Good or even a ''Great''). Completing the course awards a Grade/Stage title based on it. Grades 5 through 1 are available for free, while Stages 1 through 9 and the Peak class require a [=D4PASS=]. Note that unsubscribing from [=D4PASS=] will lock you back out of missions for Stage 1 and above once your paid period expires, but you can keep a Stage 1-10 title equipped as long as you don't switch it out.[[labelnote:Legacy info]]Previously (before the summer 2022 update that introduced courses), each tier had a set of four missions you need to clear, usually something like "Clear this song on that difficulty or higher" or "Clear this song on Expert with ''x'' or less Bad/Good/Great notes" (note that judgements lower than the one mentioned would also count, so if your missions required 10 or fewer Great notes, then getting 11 Goods would fail it). Grades 5 through 1 and Stages 1 through 5 were available for free with Stages 6-10 being locked behind [=D4PASS=].[[/note]]

* ''VideoGame/D4DJGroovyMix'' has them, although in the English version the kyu and dan ranks are called Grades and Stages, respectively. The Stage Qualifiers have you earning DJ Road ranks by completing objectives for each rank (such as "clear ''x'' song on ''m'' difficulty or higher", "clear ''y'' song on Expert with ''n'' or fewer misses", or "clear ''z'' song on Expert with a Full Combo"); when you clear all four objectives, you earn a title based on your rank and move up to the next set of objectives. The ranks go from Grade 5 to Grade 1 (5th through 1st kyu), then Stage 1 to Stage 5 (1st through 5th dan). [[{{Freemium}} Purchasing a D4PASS]] unlocks Advanced Stage Qualifiers, which comprise Stages 6 through 10 (6th through 10th dan).

Often used in video games as a method of GameplayGrading. Some games may replace "kyu" and "dan" for game-specific or [[CulturalTranslation for localization purposes]], but it's still this trope all the same.

Often used in video games as a method of GameplayGrading.

* ''VideoGame/D4DJ Groovy Mix'' has them, although in the English version the kyu and dan ranks are called Grades and Stages, respectively. The Stage Qualifiers have you earning DJ Road ranks by completing objectives for each rank; when you clear all four objectives, you earn a title based on your rank and move up to the next set of objectives. The ranks go from Grade 5 to Grade 1 (5th through 1st kyu), then Stage 1 to Stage 5 (1st through 5th dan). [[{{Freemium}} Purchasing a D4PASS]] unlocks Advanced Stage Qualifiers, which comprise Stages 6 through 10 (6th through 10th dan).

* ''Manga/ShonanJunaiGumi'': [[SadistTeacher Yoko "Nanno" Minamino]] is a 5th dan karateka, and notably one of the few enemies the Oni-Baku ''couldn't'' beat in a fight (they had to use blackmail).

* ''VideoGame/D4DJ Groovy Mix'' has them in all but name. The Stage Qualifiers have you earning DJ Road ranks by completing objectives for each rank; when you clear all four objectives, you earn a title based on your rank and move up to the next set of objectives. The ranks go from Grade 5 to Grade 1 (basicaly 5th through 1st kyu), then Stage 1 to Stage 5 (1st through 5th dan). [[{{Freemium}} Purchasing a D4PASS]] unlocks Advanced Stage Qualifiers, which comprise Stages 6 through 10 (6th dan through 10th dan).

* ''Anime/KenichiTheMightiestDisciple'':

[[folder: Anime and Manga ]]

* ''Manga/SangatsuNoLion'' is a manga about a teenager in professional shogi. As such, whenever the story focuses on that particular aspect of his life, the terms are mentioned every now and then, usually when introducing a new player.

[[folder: Tabletop Games ]]

[[folder: Video Games ]]

[[folder: Visual Novels ]]

* ''VideoGame/BeatmaniaIIDX'' has the Dan'inintei (rank certification) mode, which has ranks from 7 kyu up through 10th dan, then finally Kaiden. Each rank has a set of four songs that is significantly harder than the songs for the rank immediately below them, and to qualify for a rank, a player has to clear all four songs in a row, on a single albeit somewhat-easier-than-normal life bar.

* In ''VideoGame/{{Mabinogi}}'', skills begin at rank F and go up to A, where they continue to 9 through 1. Once a skill is rank 1, you can begin earning Dans by winning competitions against other rank 1 users.

[[folder: Manga and Anime ]]

* ''VideoGame/BeatmaniaIIDX'' has the Dan'inintei (rank certification) mode, which has ranks from 7 kyu (5 kyu in DoublePlay) up through 10th dan, then finally Kaiden. Each rank has a set of four songs that is significantly harder than the songs for the rank immediately below them, and to qualify for a rank, a player has to clear all four songs in a row, on a single albeit somewhat-easier-than-normal life bar.

[[IThoughtItMeant Is not about]] ranks between [[VideoGame/{{Huniepop}} a Casanova-tutoring love fairy]] and [[VideoGame/StreetFighterAlpha a pink-clad joke of a fighter]].

* The first two ''[[TetrisTheGrandMaster Tetris: The Grand Master]]'' games have grading systems that closely resemble kyu and dan ranks, with grades going from 9 to 1 (the ''kyu'' part), then S1 through S9 (the ''dan'' part). The first TGM game has the titular "Grand Master" rank after S9, while [=TGM2=] adds the M grade between S9 and GM. ''[=TGM3's=]'' grades bear less resemblance to kyu and dan ranks, since it has, after S9, [[RankInflation m1 through m9, followed by Master, Master K, Master V, Master O, and Master M, and of course, GM]].

* Many {{Mahjong}} video games will rank players on a kyu and dan system. Most start players at 10th kyu and increase their rank when they win matches, or decrease their rank if they lose. The [[http://www.ma-jan.or.jp/ Japanese Professional Mahjong League]] also uses a dan ranking system for professional players, though a dan rank in the professional league is obviously much harder to obtain than the same dan rank in a game.

* ''VideoGame/{{Tekken}} 5'' , ''6'' and ''Tag 2'' also uses kyu and dan ranks. However, if you want one in the arcade version, you need a card for the game.

* Sakaki Shio, the karate master from ''KenichiTheMightiestDisciple'', refers to himself as 100th dan in brawling. Nobody's willing to challenge it.

* ''{{beatmania}} IIDX'' has the Dan'inintei (rank certification) mode, which has ranks from 7 kyu (5 kyu in DoublePlay) up through 10th dan, then finally Kaiden. Each rank has a set of four songs that is significantly harder than the songs for the rank immediately below them, and to qualify for a rank, a player has to clear all four songs in a row, on a single albeit somewhat-easier-than-normal life bar.

* In ''{{Mabinogi}}'', skills begin at rank F and go up to A, where they continue to 9 through 1. Once a skill is rank 1, you can begin earning Dans by winning competitions against other rank 1 users.
* In ''{{Aion}}'', Abyss rank is a 9 kyu and 9 dan ranking system, where kyu ranks are called "Soldiers" and dan ranks are "Army Officers". Kyu ranks are gained by earning Abyss points, and lost by spending Abyss points to purchase equipments, consumables, or greater stigma skills. Dan ranks instead require GP (Glory Points / Honor Points), and such ranks are restricted to the top 1,000 players with the most GP per faction on each server. Players holding 5th dan or higher (100 spots per faction per server) can transform into powerful [[SuperMode Guardian Generals]].

[[AC:Manga and Anime]]

[[AC:Tabletop Games]]

[[AC:Video Games]]

[[AC:Visual Novels]]

* ''{{Tekken}} 5'' , ''6'' and ''Tag 2'' also uses kyu and dan ranks. However, if you want one in the arcade version, you need a card for the game.