Fantastic Caste System: Difference between revisions

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* In ''[[The Stormlight Archive]]'', the populations of most of the the major countries are divided into darkeyed common people, and the lighteyed leaders. Within these categories the people are further divided into ten nahns (the darkeyes) and ten dahns (the lighteyes) with the tenth being the lowest and the first the highest. It's possible to work your way up the ladder, through work (such as military service, or through marriage, well-off darkeyes can sometimes marry into a lighteyed family, and thus possibly have lighteyed children. Also anybody that has a Shardblade and/or Shardplate is automatically important regardless of their birth (it's even commonly believed in-story that if a darkeyed man wins a Shardblade in a battle, his eyes will actually change colour although whether this is actually true is unclear).
* In ''[[The Stormlight Archive]]'', the populations of most of the the major countries are divided into darkeyed common people, and the lighteyed leaders. Within these categories the people are further divided into ten nahns (the darkeyes) and ten dahns (the lighteyes) with the tenth being the lowest and the first the highest. It's possible to work your way up the ladder, through work (such as military service, or through marriage, well-off darkeyes can sometimes marry into a lighteyed family, and thus possibly have lighteyed children. Also anybody that has a Shardblade and/or Shardplate is automatically important regardless of their birth (it's even commonly believed in-story that if a darkeyed man wins a Shardblade in a battle, his eyes will actually change colour although whether this is actually true is unclear).
* In [[Star Trek: Vanguard]], alien [[Precursors]] the Shedai are divided between the ranks of the Nameless, each confined to only one body, and the elite ''Serrataal'' with individual names, e.g. The Maker, The Wanderer, The Myrmidon, who can take multiple forms simultaneously.
* In [[Star Trek: Vanguard]], alien [[Precursors]] the Shedai are divided between the ranks of the Nameless, each confined to only one body, and the elite ''Serrataal'' with individual names, e.g. The Maker, The Wanderer, The Myrmidon, who can take multiple forms simultaneously.
** Also in the [[Star Trek]] novels, and as a result of the Quch'Ha plague seen in ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise|Star Trek Enterprise]]'' season four, many Klingon families of the 22nd-23rd centuries lost their forehead ridges. A division between those who retained them and those who lost them resulted in an unofficial caste system within the Klingon Empire. The ridgeless Klingons - the Quch'Ha, or "unhappy ones" - were somewhat undesirable in the social hierarchy. Some Quch'Ha disguised their status with artificial foreheads. The two Klingon races are discussed in depth in [[Star Trek: Forged in Fire]] and [[Star Trek: Seven Deadly Sins]] in particular.
** Also in the [[Star Trek]] novels, and as a result of the Quch'Ha plague seen in ''[[Star Trek: Enterprise]]'' season four, many Klingon families of the 22nd-23rd centuries lost their forehead ridges. A division between those who retained them and those who lost them resulted in an unofficial caste system within the Klingon Empire. The ridgeless Klingons - the Quch'Ha, or "unhappy ones" - were somewhat undesirable in the social hierarchy. Some Quch'Ha disguised their status with artificial foreheads. The two Klingon races are discussed in depth in [[Star Trek: Forged in Fire]] and [[Star Trek: Seven Deadly Sins]] in particular.
** In [[Star Trek: Typhon Pact]], the Gorn caste system is explored in some depth. It includes Political, Warrior, Technologist and Labourer castes. The Tzenkethi also have a caste system of sorts, with different echelons into which their citizens are placed after testing in youth. However, they dislike it when people use the term "caste system" to describe it.
** In [[Star Trek: Typhon Pact]], the Gorn caste system is explored in some depth. It includes Political, Warrior, Technologist and Labourer castes. The Tzenkethi also have a caste system of sorts, with different echelons into which their citizens are placed after testing in youth. However, they dislike it when people use the term "caste system" to describe it.
** The Yrythny in the [[Star Trek Deep Space Nine Relaunch]] are divided between the Houseborn and the Wanderers. Yrythny breed by laying eggs in the water, which develop as tadpoles before coming ashore later in childhood. Those young which come ashore at the same House at which they were laid are Houseborn, and make up the ruling caste. "Wanderers" are considered inferior on account of having gotten "lost". Tensions between the castes are high, and a full-blown revolutionary war was seemingly brewing among the Wanderers as of This Gray Spirit.
** The Yrythny in the [[Star Trek Deep Space Nine Relaunch]] are divided between the Houseborn and the Wanderers. Yrythny breed by laying eggs in the water, which develop as tadpoles before coming ashore later in childhood. Those young which come ashore at the same House at which they were laid are Houseborn, and make up the ruling caste. "Wanderers" are considered inferior on account of having gotten "lost". Tensions between the castes are high, and a full-blown revolutionary war was seemingly brewing among the Wanderers as of This Gray Spirit.
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== Live Action TV ==
== Live Action TV ==
* ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series|Star Trek the Original Series]]'' episode "The Cloud Minders". The Stratos cloud city dwellers believed the "troglyte" (troglodyte) miners had race-based inferior intellects and used them as slaves, but the miners were actually suffering from zenite gas poisoning.
* ''[[Star Trek: The Original Series]]'' episode "The Cloud Minders". The Stratos cloud city dwellers believed the "troglyte" (troglodyte) miners had race-based inferior intellects and used them as slaves, but the miners were actually suffering from zenite gas poisoning.
* The Minbari caste system in ''[[Babylon 5]]''. The Minbari have three castes: Religious, Soldier and Worker (as per the page quote), which each have three representatives on the Minbari ruling council. The Religious and Soldier castes constantly fight each other for dominance while the workers [[Hufflepuff House|are ignored or even forgotten, including by the story]]. The Minbari system was consciously modeled on the Medieval European idea that society was divided between those who work (peasants, serfs, and craftsmen), those who fight (knights and other members of the aristocracy), and those who pray (priests, nuns, and monks).
* The Minbari caste system in ''[[Babylon 5]]''. The Minbari have three castes: Religious, Soldier and Worker (as per the page quote), which each have three representatives on the Minbari ruling council. The Religious and Soldier castes constantly fight each other for dominance while the workers [[Hufflepuff House|are ignored or even forgotten, including by the story]]. The Minbari system was consciously modeled on the Medieval European idea that society was divided between those who work (peasants, serfs, and craftsmen), those who fight (knights and other members of the aristocracy), and those who pray (priests, nuns, and monks).
** Though amusingly enough, {{spoiler|the working class ends up the dominant caste.}}
** Though amusingly enough, {{spoiler|the working class ends up the dominant caste.}}
** [[Word of God]] says that most of the Minbari warships are owned by the worker and religious castes and chartered to the warriors. This explains why the Minbari were able to keep their end up against the Shadows without the help of the Warrior Caste. It also hints that the system is probably complex involving turf wars and assignments of jurisdiction to castes that have little relation to their nominal purpose. Delenn is more a stateswoman then a priestess though she was one of the Sisters of Valeria in her youth.
** [[Word of God]] says that most of the Minbari warships are owned by the worker and religious castes and chartered to the warriors. This explains why the Minbari were able to keep their end up against the Shadows without the help of the Warrior Caste. It also hints that the system is probably complex involving turf wars and assignments of jurisdiction to castes that have little relation to their nominal purpose. Delenn is more a stateswoman then a priestess though she was one of the Sisters of Valeria in her youth.
* The Bajorans in ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine|Star Trek Deep Space Nine]]'' once had a caste system in which one's caste dictated one's profession. During the Cardassian occupation, the caste system was abandoned so that everyone could devote themselves to the task of fighting off the Cardassians, and the Bajorans did not return to the system after the occupation ended.
* The Bajorans in ''[[Star Trek: Deep Space Nine]]'' once had a caste system in which one's caste dictated one's profession. During the Cardassian occupation, the caste system was abandoned so that everyone could devote themselves to the task of fighting off the Cardassians, and the Bajorans did not return to the system after the occupation ended.
** One episode has a time traveling Bajoran, claiming to be the Emissary, try to restore the caste system, which would have cost Bajor its chance at Federation membership. Sisko eventually challenged the time traveller for the Emissary title after caste-based discrimination lead to violence on the station.
** One episode has a time traveling Bajoran, claiming to be the Emissary, try to restore the caste system, which would have cost Bajor its chance at Federation membership. Sisko eventually challenged the time traveller for the Emissary title after caste-based discrimination lead to violence on the station.
** Founders > Vorta > Jem'hadar > "Everyone else" was the most basic rule in the Dominion.
** Founders > Vorta > Jem'hadar > "Everyone else" was the most basic rule in the Dominion.
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** As the quote above shows, the [[Our Elves Are Better|Elves]] in [[Lorwyn]] aren't just [[Can't Argue with Elves|smug, superior jerks]] to everyone else, but also to ''each other''.
** As the quote above shows, the [[Our Elves Are Better|Elves]] in [[Lorwyn]] aren't just [[Can't Argue with Elves|smug, superior jerks]] to everyone else, but also to ''each other''.
** The Bant shard (the shard composed mostly of White mana with Green and Blue supporting it) in the ''Shards of Alara'' series/trilogy employs a rigid caste system based on the acquisition of sigils, marks of great valor. While it is possible to move up depending on how many sigils one obtains, it's still monumentally difficult. The lack of black and red mana—meaning virtually no magic can cause unnatural deaths or aimless destruction, but at the same time no magic that supports ambition, desire, or emotional content—doesn't help.
** The Bant shard (the shard composed mostly of White mana with Green and Blue supporting it) in the ''Shards of Alara'' series/trilogy employs a rigid caste system based on the acquisition of sigils, marks of great valor. While it is possible to move up depending on how many sigils one obtains, it's still monumentally difficult. The lack of black and red mana—meaning virtually no magic can cause unnatural deaths or aimless destruction, but at the same time no magic that supports ambition, desire, or emotional content—doesn't help.
* The Tau Empire in ''[[Warhammer 40000]]'' have four castes loosely based on the four Hindu Varnas but with [[Theme Naming|Elemental Theme Naming]]: the "Fio" (Earth) caste performs manual labour as well as scientific research, the "Kor" (Air) caste covers piloting and transportation, the "Por" (Water) caste deals with politics and diplomacy, and the "Shas" (Fire) caste serves as the Tau military. There is also a fifth caste: the "Aun" (Ethereal) caste, who govern the empire. In addition, caste members have a rank for their place within the caste. In ascending order from lowest to highest: Saal, La, Ui, Vre, El, and O. For example, a "Fio'La" is the equivalent of a factory labourer, a "Shas'Vre" is the equivalent of a military veteran or officer, and an "Aun'O" is the equivalent of a king or emperor. A Tau's caste and rank make up part of their name.
* The Tau Empire in ''[[Warhammer 40,000]]'' have four castes loosely based on the four Hindu Varnas but with [[Theme Naming|Elemental Theme Naming]]: the "Fio" (Earth) caste performs manual labour as well as scientific research, the "Kor" (Air) caste covers piloting and transportation, the "Por" (Water) caste deals with politics and diplomacy, and the "Shas" (Fire) caste serves as the Tau military. There is also a fifth caste: the "Aun" (Ethereal) caste, who govern the empire. In addition, caste members have a rank for their place within the caste. In ascending order from lowest to highest: Saal, La, Ui, Vre, El, and O. For example, a "Fio'La" is the equivalent of a factory labourer, a "Shas'Vre" is the equivalent of a military veteran or officer, and an "Aun'O" is the equivalent of a king or emperor. A Tau's caste and rank make up part of their name.
* In [[Traveller]] the entire Third Imperium depends on the team spirit of the ruling class. Unlike other empires the Third Imperium does not have an ethnic group as it's cadre. Instead it has a caste.
* In [[Traveller]] the entire Third Imperium depends on the team spirit of the ruling class. Unlike other empires the Third Imperium does not have an ethnic group as it's cadre. Instead it has a caste.
** The Zhodani have psionics, semi-psionics, and "proles". The proles are always happy because if they are so presumptuous as to be unhappy [[Mind Manipulation|arrangements can be made]].
** The Zhodani have psionics, semi-psionics, and "proles". The proles are always happy because if they are so presumptuous as to be unhappy [[Mind Manipulation|arrangements can be made]].
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== Video Games ==
== Video Games ==
* The Protoss from ''[[Starcraft]]'' have three castes: Judicators (priests and rulers), Templar ([[Proud Warrior Race Guy|warriors]]) and Khalai (workers, [[Hufflepuff House|mostly unheard from in the game]]).
* The Protoss from ''[[StarCraft]]'' have three castes: Judicators (priests and rulers), Templar ([[Proud Warrior Race Guy|warriors]]) and Khalai (workers, [[Hufflepuff House|mostly unheard from in the game]]).
** The only manual labor in the game is done by automated probes. This begs the question of why you even need the Khalai.
** The only manual labor in the game is done by automated probes. This begs the question of why you even need the Khalai.
*** [[Fan Wank|Maybe the Khalai run the probes from inside the nexus?]]
*** [[Fan Wank|Maybe the Khalai run the probes from inside the nexus?]]
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{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Speculative Fiction Tropes]]
[[Category:Speculative Fiction Tropes]]
[[Category:Fantastic Caste System]]
[[Category:{{PAGENAME}}]]
Retrieved from "https://allthetropes.org/wiki/Fantastic_Caste_System"