Sociosexual hierarchy examples in film: Sigma Sephiroth vs Alpha Barbossa.
As a quick reminder, here are the ranks in the male sociosexual hierarchy:
Alpha: dominant leader. Sigma if loner.
Beta: top followers.
Delta: everyman.
Gamma: the envious.
Omega: the outcast.
Lambda: gay.
Objection: "In my experience, true alphas don't refer to themselves as 'alphas'"
Alphas don't make the socially autistic blunder of rendering the implicit status hierarchy explicit. That is the strategy of their envious detractors, whom alphas are always deflecting, just as attractive women are always deflecting unwanted attention from unworthy males. There is a tacit conspiracy at the top to suppress the unruly, born of rude necessity.
Whether one observes chimpanzee troupes or CGI cutscenes, one finds the status hierarchy is a perpetual battleground. The latter is more fun, so here's a cutscene depicting a Gamma challenging a Sigma:
Angeal vs. Genesis vs. Sephiroth | YT
Genesis is the Gamma, Angeal the Beta, and Sephiroth the Sigma.
"The world needs a new hero!" Gamma envy.
Genesis is all bluster and flourish, but he lacks the character and strength to back up his arrogance. He doesn't care that his challenge of Sephiroth is trashing an expensive training room located in a dangerous Mako reactor. He doesn't care about hurting humble Angeal, who only cares about Genesis' welfare. Look at Angeal's stricken face when Genesis is injured. As Genesis walks off, he has to get in the parting word, a Gamma trait. Sephiroth warily watches him leave, a sharp contrast to his genuine concern for Angeal.
Notice how Sephiroth returns Genesis' affronts. Genesis pushes him back, so Sephiroth pushes him up, then down. Genesis sneakily hits Sephiroth and Angeal with energy, so Sephiroth hits Genesis with energy while he's distracted. Genesis attacked from below while he thought Sephiroth couldn't see, so Sephiroth attacks from below the pipe.
Sephiroth is a Sigma, not because Sigma is somehow better than Alpha, but because Sigma has no desire to lead the group. Sephiroth is an introvert. Whereas Angeal sees the trio as a band of brothers, Sephiroth sees them as individuals. Sephiroth's eyes are on the horizon of his limitless ambition. He makes no effort to reform Genesis, instead dominating and taunting him. Angeal mildly rebukes this attitude, saying "All hail Sephiroth, eh?" Genesis erupts, unable to bear a slight to his flamboyant pride.
Genesis' element is Fire because he embodies flamboyance. Angeal is Earth because his noble Beta character stabilizes the group. Sephiroth projects focused blue sword energy because the Sigma sociopath is the ultimate solo slayer, able to navigate social hierarchies yet bound to none.
(Angeal does not use projected magic in the battle, which is consistent with lore. Canon does not explicitly give him an Earth elemental affinity, but his archetype of hand-to-hand brawler fits the Earth theme. It doesn't have to be explicit for the video to achieve mythic resonance.)
If Sephiroth is not an Alpha, then who is? In the Pirates of the Caribbean, Captain Hector Barbossa is a great example of an Alpha who would rather reign in Hell than serve in Heaven. He mutinies against Sigma Jack Sparrow because Alphas are always contesting to dominate the group. They live to lead.
As for the vast majority of the pirate crew, they are Deltas.