Thread:The S/@comment-995426-20191013102503

I was wondering if there might be any value in creating a Category:Paramilitary as a subcategory of Category:Military, for groups and characters. In this category I would include independent ninja clans like the Foot Clan (IDW), private mercenary companies like Darkwater (IDW), and non-state militias like the Mighty Mutanimals (IDW). For the purposes of categorization, the definition would not necessarily include officially-organized police forces like the New York Police Department, no matter how well armed, because they are the career police authorized to enforce law in a jurisdiction. However, it might include paramilitary forces deputized into police operations, especially in settings where it is harder to enforce the rule of law, like in the Wild West or in After the Bomb scenarios.

I'm not entire sure where the distinction of military vs. paramilitary exists in settings like feudal Japan. Obviously, in the Edo period, there was a shōgun, the subordinate daimyō, and their bound samurai, all of whom could be considered state military forces. But I'm not sure how ninja clans of the era would have been classified. It is primarily for this reason that I decided to discuss this with you before I did anything. 