Officers were put through one of several prestigious academies across the galaxy that raised ambitious men and women who would perfectly echo the Imperial mantra of control through authority. The upper echelons of the Empire included those whose influential families afforded them preferred treatment and advancement. Īmong these officers were those Imperial who authentically believed in the legitimacy of the Galactic Empire, and sought to expand its influence in the galaxy, as well as those who joined the Imperial Military with the intention of earning a comfortable livelihood at the expense of the Empire's opponents. Pride and ego resulted in situations where a new commanding officer would order changes to their command, such as changes for what was allowed aboard a starship, entirely to wipe away traces of the preceding commander and the culture they had instilled. Officers understood that exploiting the mistakes of others was a way to advance their own careers. This created a culture of shifting blame on others for mistakes and attempting to avoid exposure of committing unprincipled actions. Since its creation, the Empire inherited a complex military hierarchy, within which many Imperial officers discovering that most of them were permitted promotions. Common traits among those officers were ambition, ruthlessness, and strong approval of Emperor Palpatine's plans to destroy the rebellion. Officers were high-class soldiers who held various positions of responsibility, authority, and duty within the various branches of Galactic Empire's armed forces. ' ―Captain Cerasus Ehllo, to his wife Aryssha

Star Wars canon ranks of Imperial Navy