Mai Kobayashi
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Mai Kobayashi is a fictional character in the Super Robot Wars series. She has appeared as a playable character in the Super Robot Wars Alpha series and Super Robot Wars Original Generation series. In canon, she is one of the pilots for the SRX Altered Banpreios, and is joined by fellow pilots Ryusei Date, Raidis F. Branstein and sister Aya Kobayashi.
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[edit] Personal Data
Name: Mai Kobayashi
AKA: Levi Tolar
Voice Actor: Ai Orikasa
Status: Psychodriver
Rank: Unknown
Affiliation: SRX Team (Alpha 1/3, OG 2), Aerogaters (Alpha 1, OG 1; As Levi Tolar)
Relatives And Personal Affiliations: Aya Kobayashi (Sister), Kenzo Kobayashi (Father),
Mecha: Judecca (Alpha 1, OG 1), R-Gun Powered (Alpha 1, OG 2), SRX Altered Banpreios (Alpha 3)
[edit] Personality And Traits
A quiet, gentle girl, Mai Kobayashi is the youngest daughter of Dr. Kenzo Kobayashi, the creator of the T-Link System. Despite her youthful appearance, Mai is a rather mature person, often providing support for her teammates. Like her sister, Aya, she is a powerful Psychodriver, and equally able to provide the psychic energy needed to utilize the R-Gun (which was intended for her to use), alongside the SRX, in order to unleash the HTB (Hyper Tronium Buster) Cannon combination attack. Mai develops a close relationship, more or less, a crush, with SRX Team pilot Ryusei Date.
[edit] History
Mai Kobayashi began as a test subject in one of Dr. Kenzo Kobayashi's research with the T-Link System many years ago, before the events of Original Generation occurred. However, a lab explosion stopped the experiment; Mai was nowhere to be found, and was presumed dead. When the Aerogaters began their invasion of Earth, a powerful Psychodriver called Levi Tolar, the priestess of Judecca and leader of the invading forces, ordered the Earth to surrender within 30 days, or face utter destruction. Refusing to give in, the Earth forces would retaliate, and eventually defeat Ingram Prisken and his R-Gun Rivale and many other Aerogaters. This would prompt Levi to launch in the mighty Judecca, acting as the living core for the machine, and face the Original Generation cast.
During battle, Radha Bairaban reveals that Levi Tolar is, in fact, the missing Mai Kobayashi. Levi wouldn't hear of such words, for she believed she was solely an Aerogater warrior. Chance would come to the Original Generation cast when Levi started to receive a headache, while losing control of Judecca. Levi would be defeated, and the Judecca destroyed, but not before revealing the mass of Zfylud crystals in Meteor-3 was taking form, into that of Septuagint. The Earth forces would barely manage to destroy Septuagint, thus ending the Aerogater invasion.
Mai Kobayashi would appear in Original Generation 2, as Kenzo's youngest daughter. She would be assigned to the SRX Team for learning purposes and become the pilot for the R-Gun. However, unknown to most of the cast, Mai was, in fact, Levi Tolar: after the lab accident, Mai was kidnapped and brainwashed by the Aerogators into thinking that she was Levi. At the site where Septuagint was destroyed, the remains of Judecca was found. The core of the unit was discovered, and inside lay Levi, alive and unconscious. Seeing an opportunity to use the Psychodriver to power the functional T-Link System for the SRX, Levi's memories would be altered (back) into that of Kenzo's supposed daughter, Mai. Aya Kobayashi, Mai's supposed sister, would also have her memory altered, so that the two of them would have heightened emotions, enabling the T-Link System to be used to its full advantage. However, Levi was still buried deep beneath Mai's subconsciousness, and would try unsuccessfully to convince Mai to turn against her comrades and pilot the Judecca again. But support from the cast, especially Ryusei Date and Aya, would prevent Levi's presence within Mai to control her, and allow her to make her own decisions, free from any influence. Mai would choose to fight alongside the SRX Team for the rest of Original Generation 2.
Levi Tolar's origins in the Alpha timeline is similar to the Original Generation timeline, albeit the fact she was convinced to join the Londo Bell forces against the Aerogaters. After being freed from the mind-control of Judecca, Levi pilots the R-Gun and fights the invaders. Levi would reappear in Alpha Gaiden, piloting the R-Gun again in the final battle against Shu Shirakawa and his Neo Granzon. When she appears in Alpha 3, Levi now goes by her original name, Mai Kobayashi, having recovered most of her memories. News of Aya's apparent death after the SRX is nearly destroyed by Hazal Gozzo's Vaikran hits her hard, but she is instrumental in making Ryusei recover his fighting spirit. When the SRX Banpreios rolls out, Mai becomes one of its supporting pilots, but since Aya is not present, the T-Link System could not be utilized to the fullest of its abilities, that is, until the Alpha Numbers reach the Balmarian homeworld and rescue the captured Aya. With her sister in the Banpreios, the unit's capabilities are heightened, thanks to the psychic abilities of the two.
In the animated Super Robot Wars Original Generation: The Animation, Mai appears as one of the operators aboard the Hagane.
[edit] Trivia
Since it is a trend that many Balmarian characters and mechs are named in Hebrew origin, the name Levi Tolar might possibly be translated as Rabbi Torah. Although Levi is one of the twelve Israelite tribes that is dedicated for jobs in the temple (such as priests), a rabbi, however, is a teacher in Judaism who teaches the law of God. Torah in Hebrew means the Law, or can specifically refer to the first five books of the Old Testament: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. This also matches Mai's dedicated background music, Marionette Messiah.
