Space Battleship Yamato characters

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This is a list, with biographical details, of major characters appearing in the anime series Space Battleship Yamato and its American dub, Star Blazers. Note that not all the American voice artists are known for the first two seasons (owing to their non-union status they were not credited in the show's closing titles), and a different group of actors provided voices in the third season.

Contents

[edit] Yamato Crew

Many of the family names of Yamato crewmembers were taken from famous samurai, some specifically from members of the Shinsengumi: Okita, Hajime, Hijikata, Yamanami, Yamazaki, and Tōdō. In many cases, characters only went by one name in Star Blazers (examples: Nova, Sandor, Dash, Orion). Full names were provided by Tim Eldred in the 1995 Star Blazers trade handbook.

[edit] First season

  • Captain Juzo Okita (沖田十三 Okita Jūzō?) (Captain Abraham Avatar): the stern captain of the Yamato, utterly devoted to his mission to save Earth from the Gamilon threat, even at the cost of his own life. He is in fact dying, and becomes increasingly ill during the course of the first season, but remains convinced that he will live to see his home world again. He regards Mamoru Kodai almost as a replacement for the son he lost in battle, and sorely regrets his death in battle at Pluto. He transfers these feelings to the younger brother Susumu, though the latter's insubordination occasionally vexes him. Even when his illness leaves him bedridden, he remains a source of advice to the crew, and to Kodai in particular. His Japanese surname comes from real-life Shinsengumi captain Okita Sōji and his given name from Unno Jūzō.
  • Susumu Kodai (古代進 Kodai Susumu?) (Derek Wildstar): a young orphan, it was the death of his parents during a Gamilon planet bomb attack that drove him to follow in his older brother Mamoru's footsteps and join the Earth Defence Force. He is initially hot-headed and prone to bursts of anger, and blames Captain Okita for the death of his brother in battle. However, he matures during the first season thanks to his responsibility as the Yamato 's battle chief, and ultimately Okita nominates him acting captain when he is unable to continue. He is also a talented pilot, flying his own Cosmo Zero fighter as the leader of the Black Tigers, and in the second season frequently joining the Cosmo Tigers in battle. In "Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato: In the Name of Love" Kodai, alongside with the deceased Yuki, escorted by Teresa, rammed the Yamato into the ship of White Comet Empire, apparently being killed in the explosion. His Japanese given name means "to go forward, to improve".
  • Mamoru Kodai (古代守 Kodai Mamoru?) (Alex Wildstar): the older Kodai brother and captain of Missile Ship 17, the Yukikaze (Paladin in Star Blazers), Mamoru sacrifices his life in the first episode to enable Okita's stricken flagship to escape the battlefield, insisting he could not face the souls of his dead comrades if he fled. In fact, it emerged his ship had crash-landed -- in one piece -- on Titan, and he had been captured alive by the Gamilons, but the ship in which he was a prisoner was stricken and crashed on Iscandar, where Queen Starsha healed him. He fell in love with his rescuer and decided to stay on Iscandar, fathering a daughter named Sasha. His Japanese given name means "to protect".
The character of Mamoru Kodai was originally planned to have appeared midway through the series as a scarred space pirate under the guise of Captain Harlock. When the series' episode count was cut, these plans had to be scrapped and his storyline was quickly wrapped up with his appearance on Iscandar. However, this space pirate angle still remains in Leiji Matsumoto's Space Battleship Yamato manga.
  • Yuki Mori (森雪 Mori Yuki?) (Nova Forrester): initially Dr. Sado's nurse, Yuki gained the additional responsibilities aboard Yamato of operating the radar, performing computer calculations, taking care of the crew's morale and searching planets for food sources. She is from the outset attracted to Kodai, but conceals her true feelings with girlish glee. As the only significant female crewmember, she is also frequently the victim of fan service. In "Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato: In the Name of Love" Yuki died from the results of her injuries when earlier she was shot by a member of the White Comet Empire on Desler's ship. Her Japanese name means "forest snow", creator Matsumoto being fond of female characters with "Yuki" (snow) as part of their name. Her family name may come from Oda Nobunaga's favorite page, Mori Ranmaru.
  • Daisuke Shima (島大介 Shima Daisuke?) (Mark Venture): a quieter and more level-headed complement to his friend Kodai, Shima becomes chief navigator and helmsman of the Yamato. He suffers from a lack of self-confidence in his ability to control the mighty vessel, despite skilfully saving it on many occasions. In the second season he falls in love with Teresa of Telezart by interstellar radio, and is heartbroken when she elects to remain on her world in the face of the Comet Empire, though he vows to carry on the fight in her name. He was eventually killed by Gamilian troops, then while floating in space, he was rescued and revived by Teresa. In Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato: In the Name of Love, he was ordered by Kodai (Wildstar) to evacuate Yamato. Hence, he was never killed in this movie. His Japanese given name means "great helper", while his family name may come from feudal warlord Shima Sakon.
  • Jiro Shima (島次郎 Shima Jirō?) (Jordy Venture): Shima's pre-pubescent younger brother who remains on Earth during the series. He remains confident in the ability of Yamato to save the world, particularly with his older brother at the helm, and even in the face of public doubt. His Japanese given name means "second son".
  • Shiro Sanada (真田志郎 Sanada Shirō?) (Stephen Sandor): the science officer aboard Yamato, Sanada is earnest and dedicated, his ideas frequently saving the ship from destruction. His limbs are bionic, the result of a childhood accident which claimed the life of his sister and left him bitterly resentful of science's arrogance. He was a classmate of Mamoru Kodai, and blames himself for not having repaired the Yukikaze properly before it went into battle. When Susumu Kodai becomes acting captain, Sanada is frequently a source of advice. Sanada is the elder spokesperson for the crew after the deaths of Okita and engineer Tokugawa sr. Compare to the "Comet Empire" series and to "Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato: In the Name of Love", Sanada sacrificed his life alongside with Siato (Sgt. Knox) in detonating explosive devises in the Comet Empire's core. His Japanese name comes from real-life daimyo Sanada Masayuki.
  • Dr. Sakezo Sado (佐渡酒造 Sado Sakezō?) (Dr. Sakezo Sane): the most humorously-drawn character in the series, Dr. Sado is frequently a source of comic relief, usually through pratfalls resulting from his love of Japanese wine (sake). Though originally a vet (albeit an unsuccessful one), he becomes the ship's surgeon. He is good humoured and always willing to give advice, but he can become deadly earnest when chiding others' behaviour. In Japanese he is always addressed as sensei, giving the double meaning of both "doctor" and "teacher". His Japanese given name is written with the same kanji as the word shuzo ("sake brewing"), though his drinking habits were significantly toned down for Star Blazers, his sake given as mineral water or soy milk. In "Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato: In the Name of Love", Sado, along with his cat Mi-Mi, were killed while he was tending to the wounded.
  • Mi-kun (ミーくん Mī-kun?) (Mimi): Dr. Sado's pet cat, apparently the closest he has to family. Left behind on Earth during the first season, he is brought aboard the Yamato in the second season. He is based on Leiji Matsumoto's own cat Mī-kun. Note that in Star Blazers Mimi is female. Mi-kun has also appeared in other Leijiverse stories such as Captain Harlock where he was Doctor Zero's cat.
  • Analyzer (アナライザー Anaraizā?) (IQ-9): a squat, human-sized robot who originally worked in the EDF's hospital, Analyzer joins the Yamato crew on his own request, believing it to be the only place he can truly prove himself. He is capable of extending his arms, separating into independently-moving pieces, withstanding forcefields and sensing various forms of energy, but is unable to restrain himself from sexually harassing Yuki on several occasions (not shown in Star Blazers). He is in fact in love with her, but when she proves unable to return his affections, he settles for friendship. Something of a wisecracker, he frequently forms a double-act with Dr. Sado. He is also capable of becoming intoxicated, narrowly avoiding disaster on one occasion (though in Star Blazers he states that he has programmed himself to emulate human hiccups).
  • Chief Hikozaemon Tokugawa (徳川彦左衛門 Tokugawa Hikozaemon?) (Chief Patrick J. Orion): the middle-aged, balding chief engineer aboard Yamato and an old comrade of Okita. He left behind a grandchild on Earth of whom he is extremely fond. Determined to remain at his post no matter what happens, he suffocates in the last episode of the second season as the engine room fills with fumes. His Japanese name comes from real-life shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu.
    • Japanese voice artist: Ichirō Nagai
    • American voice artist: Gordon Ramsay
  • Sukeharu Yabu (薮助治 Yabu Sukeharu?) (Travis Sparks): Tokugawa's portly assistant engineer. He believes the Yamato is doomed to fail in its mission to save Earth, and thus decides that humanity should make a new home on Iscandar; to this end he and nine other mutineers kidnap Yuki (their "Eve") and hide on a crystal island. However, a tsunami and volcanic eruption destroy the island and kill the mutineers, though Yuki is rescued.
  • Yoshikazu/Giichi Aihara (相原義一 Aihara Yoshikazu/Giichi?) (Homer Glitchman): chief communications officer, Aihara becomes homesick during the journey to Iscandar after discovering his father on Earth was dying; in his madness he steals a spacesuit and attempts to float home before being rescued by his comrades. Note that in Japanese, the kanji for his given name can be read in two ways; the reading "Yoshikazu" is used in episode 10 of the first season, but (owing to an error) he gives his name as "Giichi" in the third season.
    • Japanese voice artist: Shinji Nomura
  • Yasuo Nanbu (南部康雄 Nanbu Yasuo?) (Dashell 'Dash' Jordan): bespectacled sub-chief of ship's defences, operating the gun turrets in Kodai's absence. He may be named after Imperial Japanese Army weapons designer Kijiro Nanbu.
    • Japanese voice artist: Kazuo Hayashi
    • American voice artist: Eddie Allen
  • Saburo Kato (加藤三郎 Katō Saburō?) (Peter 'Pete' Conroy): the leader of the Black Tiger fighter squadron (second in authority to Kodai), Kato is a gifted though level-headed pilot, often putting his life on the line for his comrades. In the second season he is leader of the first squadron of the Cosmo Tigers, piloting a later model of fighter craft and stationed on the Moon; he and his men volunteer to join the Yamato under Kodai's command. He dies flying Kodai and Sanada back to the Yamato safely; however, this was covered up in Star Blazers, and indeed the original Japanese makers appeared to regret killing the character, as they later introduced his identical twin. His name may be a combination of WWII Japanese Army hero pilot Takeo Kato and Navy ace pilot Saburo Sakai.
  • Akira Yamamoto (山本明 Yamamoto Akira?) (Jefferson Davis Hardy): one of the Black Tiger pilots, recognisable by the shock of hair covering his eyes, Yamamoto has only one appearance in the first season, in which his fighter is shot down just before the Yamato undergoes a major warp speed test. Almost left behind, he is waved into the hangar by Kodai, and is injured in a crash-landing. He has a more significant presence in the second season, as commander of the Cosmo Tigers' second squadron; his plane is also stolen by the space marine Saito, who towers over him. He is killed in the final attack on the Comet Empire when his plane is shot down and crashes (not shown in Star Blazers). His Japanese name comes from the World War II naval commander Isoroku Yamamoto. In Star Blazers he was given a southern United States accent; in his single first season appearance, he was mistakenly referred to as Conroy.
  • Commander Heikuro Todo (藤堂平九郎 Tōdō Heikurō?) (Earth Commander Charles Singleton): moustached leader of the Earth Defence Force, who in the first season sends the Yamato on its voyage to Iscandar to save the world, and reports to it via long-distance communication. In the second season he attempts to stop Kodai and the other crew from stealing the Yamato, but becomes convinced by their faith that he must let them go, as they are "Okita's children". His Japanese name is believed to come either from Tōdō Heisuke of the Shinsengumi, or Admiral Heihachiro Togo.
  • Cook Kaoru Shintani (新谷かおる Shintani Kaoru?) - (Mel "Slops" Mulligan) Chief Cook of the Yamato Galley. He tells Captain Okita to get out of the kitchen in episode 10. Based on Leiji Matsumoto's assistant Kaoru Shintani who eventually became a manga artist and creator of Area 88. Matsumoto would more directly base another character on Shintani in the form of Yattaran from the Captain Harlock series.
    • Japanese voice artist: Akira Kimura
  • Akira Nemoto (根本明 Nemoto Akira?) - (Frederick Lance) One of the Yamato's Commandos, he accompanies Kodai on the mission to destroy the Reflection Satellite Gun on Pluto. He is electrocuted when he steps into an electrified corridor. His death was covered up in Star Blazers, and his survival is further implied by an off-hand reference to "Lance" in a subsequent episode.
  • Wahiko Sugiyama (杉山和彦 Sugiyama Wahiko?) - (Harold Kato) Another commando on the mission to destroy the Reflection Satellite Gun on Pluto, he is shot by guards protecting the gun. His death was edited out of Star Blazers.
  • Hayashi ( Hayashi?) - (Merrill Ryder) A member of the Navigation Group, he is seen on the 2nd Bridge during the coffee break in episode 15.

[edit] Second season

  • Captain Ryu Hijikata (土方竜 Hijikata Ryū?) (Captain Draco Gideon): a famous captain whose battle tactics are legendary, and is given command of the new super-battleship Andromeda. Kodai comes to his attention when the Yamato refuses to give way to the larger ship; initially dismissing the acting captain as an upstart, he is charged with preventing Kodai from stealing the Yamato, but the younger man's confidence inspires him to let him leave. Hijikata later leads the EDF's battle against the Comet Empire's fleet, and it is only his inspired thinking that defeats them; however, he is ultimately killed battling against the Comet Empire's space station, Gatlantis. In the alternate version of the story presented in Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato, however, Hijikata is the captain of a crippled spaceship at the edge of the Solar System who assumes command of the Yamato when rescued, but dies during the battle against the Comet Empire. His Japanese name comes from real-life deputy leader of the Shinsengumi, Hijikata Toshizo.
    • Japanese voice artist: Akira Kimura
    • American voice artist: unknown
  • Sergeant Hajime Saito (斎藤始 Saitō Hajime?) (Sergeant Webb Knox): the commander of a contingent of space marines stationed on Planet 11, rescued by the Yamato after a fierce Comet Empire attack. Uncouth and belligerent, he and his men refuse to respect the crew of their new home and frequently get into fights, frustrated at their reduced role as "passengers". However, on the surface of planet Telezart, inside Desler's flagship and within the Comet Empire's own space station, Saito and his men prove their worth in ground combat. Saito is the last surviving member of the team, and sacrifices himself to detonate explosives in the Comet Empire's power centre (though in Star Blazers it was indicated that he escaped). His Japanese name comes from real-life Shinsengumi captain Saito Hajime.
  • Hyōgo Tōdō (藤堂兵吾 Tōdō Hyōgo?) (Corporal Kane): Second-in-Command of the Space Marines. He was likely killed inside the White Comet Gatlantis in the final battle.
    • Japanese voice artist: Toshihiko Kojima
  • Jirō Tsurumi (鶴見二郎 Tsurumi Jirō?): Cosmo Tiger 3rd Squadron commander. Tsurumi got little screen time. His fate is unknown, but he was likely killed in the final battle with the Comet Empire with the other Cosmo Tigers.
  • Yasuhiko Yamada (山田安彦 Yamada Yasuhiko?) (William Peale): Yamato's interrogator. He tortured Mazor in a futile attempt at extracting intelligence from him.
  • Hyota Arakome (新米俵太 Arakome Hyōta?) (Neville Q. Royster): an extremely nerdy (and comically-drawn) scientist cadet, addressed by all but Kodai -- including his superior officer and senpai Sanada -- as shinmai (meaning "newbie", but also being a different reading of the kanji in his family name). Despite his clumsiness, he proves his worth as a scientist and engineer, and in one episode comes up with an idea to use the wave motion gun as propulsion to save the ship that even Sanada did not think of. However, in the final battle against the Comet Empire he is killed shortly after locating Gatlantis's power centre (not shown in Star Blazers).

[edit] Yamato: The New Voyage

  • Tasuke Tokugawa (徳川太助 Tokugawa Tasuke?) (Patrick J. Orion Jr.): son of the late Chief Tokugawa, he is a cadet training to follow in his father's footsteps. He later becomes Yamazaki's assistant engineer aboard the Yamato.
  • Sho Yamazaki (山崎奨 Yamazaki Shō?) ("Chief"): chief engineer aboard the Yamato from Yamato: The New Voyage onwards. His Japanese name comes from the real-life Yamazaki clan.
    • Japanese voice artist: Mikio Terashima
  • Shigeru Sakamoto (坂本茂 Sakamoto Shigeru?): an ace fighter pilot who joins the training mission. A born hot-dogger, his stunts earn him a slap in the face from acting captain Kodai. He is not seen again after The New Voyage, although he does appear in the Playstation 2 games.
  • Tetsu Kitano (北野哲 Kitano Tetsu?): a trainee navigator, he is put in charge of ship's weapons during a battle simulation, but when he panics and fires too soon, he nearly destroys the fighter squadron. He is not seen again after The New Voyage, although he does appear in the Playstation 2 games.

[edit] Be Forever, Yamato

  • Captain Keisuke Yamanami (山南敬助 Yamanami Keisuke?): stand-in captain of the Yamato, and a former colleague of Okita and Hijikata. His Japanese name comes from real-life samurai and co-founder of the Shinsengumi, Yamanami Keisuke.
  • Shiro Kato (加藤四郎 Katō Shirō?) (Cory Conroy): Cosmo Tiger pilot and younger brother of the late Saburo Kato.
  • Sasha Kodai (古代サーシャ Kodai Sāsha?): introduced as Sanada's niece Mio Sanada (真田澪 Sanada Mio?), she substitutes for Yuki aboard the Yamato. It emerges that she is actually the half-human daughter of Mamoru Kodai and Starsha, and like all Iscandarians has grown into the equivalent of a human teenager in the space of a year.

[edit] Third Season

  • Ryusuke Domon (土門竜介 Domon Ryūsuke?) (Jason Jetter) (v.a. Hideyuki Tanaka): A new recruit assigned to the Kitchen. Originally resentful of his position, he quickly learns to accept it. A focal character in Series 3, he often becomes involved in missions outside of his kitchen duty.
  • Takeshi Ageha (揚羽武 Ageha Takeshi?) (Takeshi "Flash" Contrail) (v.a. Toshio Furukawa): A new member of the Cosmo Tigers. His father did not support his decision to become a pilot, but allowed him to remain with the Yamato at his wife's insistence.
  • Hajime Hirata (平田一 Hirata Hajime?) (Alan Hardy) (v.a. Kazuyuki Sogabe): A member of the Kitchen crew, he serves as a mentor to new recruit Domon. He is killed in the Yamato's first battle against the Galmans when the ship is infiltrated by enemy soldiers.
  • Namio Sakamaki (坂巻浪夫 Sakamaki Namio?) (v.a. Shigeru Chiba): Yamato 1st Cannon Gunner
  • Goro Raiden (雷電五郎 Raiden Gorō?) (Goro "Buster" Block) (v.a. Shingo Kanemoto): A very tall, hulking member of the Navigation group.
  • Heiji Bando (坂東平次 Bandō Heiji?) (Heiji "Beaver" Bando) (v.a. Kaneto Shiozawa): A new recruit assigned to the Science group.
  • Dairoku Akagi (赤城大六 Akagi Dairoku?) (Ace "Toughy" Diamond) (v.a. Daiki Takayama): Works in Engine Room. Former space trucker.
  • Haruo Nishino (仁科春夫 Nishina Haruo?) (Ben "String" Bean) (v.a. Akira Murayama): A 1st Cannon gunner. He is a friend of fellow gunner Sakamaki.
  • Tsutomu Makunouchi (幕之内勉 Makunouchi Tsutomu?) (Tsutumu "Whizzer" Makunouchi) (v.a. Satoru Inagaki): A husky, bespectacled member of the Kitchen crew.
  • Akiko Todo (藤堂晶子 Tōdō Akiko?) (Wendy Singleton) (v.a. Kazuko Sugiyama): Granddaughter of Heikuro Todo and works as his secretary. Has a mutual attraction with Aihara.

[edit] Allies of humanity

  • Starsha (スターシャ Sutāsha?): queen of the dying planet Iscandar, and one of its last survivors, Starsha reaches out to the endangered people of Earth in the first season, offering a device called Cosmo-Cleaner-D (Cosmo-DNA in Star Blazers), which would cleanse the planet of deadly radiation. She sends her sister Sasha to the Solar System bearing this message, together with plans for a faster-than-light space drive. However, when the Yamato arrives, she confesses that she had actually possessed the means to send the device to Earth, but had wanted to test humanity's worthiness to survive, an action she regrets. Though willing to help Earth, she chooses to remain on her homeworld and face its ultimate fate with dignity. She has also rescued and healed Mamoru Kodai, who chooses to remain with her. In Yamato: The New Journey she sends her husband and child (also named Sasha) away from Iscandar before detonating the planet's doomsday bomb in order to defeat the plans of the Black Nebula and prevent Desler from sacrificing himself. Her spirit appears to her daughter in Be Forever, Yamato. She and Sasha are nearly identical in appearance to Yuki (albeit longer-haired), though this is a coincidence.
    • Japanese voice artist: Michiko Hirai (season 1), Miyuki Ueda (New Voyage and Be Forever)
    • American voice artist: Lydia Leeds
  • Sarsha (サーシャ Sāsha?) (Astra): Starsha's identical sister, also of royal blood. Sasha travels to the Solar System to deliver Starsha's message to Earth, but her ship is shot down and crashlands on Mars. After leaving her escape pod she suffocates in the Martian atmosphere before being found by Kodai and Shima.
  • Teresa (テレサ Teresa?) (Trelaina): a telepathic young woman living on the planet Telezart in a hovering palace, who has mastered anti-matter and whose prayers generate a powerful energy. She watched her world, an interstellar hub, degenerate into all-out war, but prayed so fervently that she destroyed all life forms. When the Comet Empire threatens our Galaxy, she sends messages to Earth attempting to warn them of the danger, bringing the Yamato to her world; during the Earth ship's journey she falls in love with Shima over radio. However, though she refuses to leave her world and become a part of Earth, her love for Shima overcomes her pacifism and she destroys Telezart in an attempt to slow down the Comet Empire. She survives in her spacecraft and travels to the Solar System, where she discovers Shima's corpse floating in space and resuscitates him using her own tears. With her last remaining power, she then destroys Zwordar's dreadnaught and saves Earth from destruction. In the alternate version of the story told in the movie Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato, Teresa plays a similar role, but she is composed entirely of anti-matter (and naked), and does not fall in love with Shima. Moreover, at the end of the movie she does not destroy Zwordar's ship, but instead her spirit urges Kodai to do so using the Yamato.
    • Japanese voice artist: Mari Okamoto (Miyuki Ueda in Arrivederci, Yamato)
    • American voice artist: Lydia Leeds

[edit] Gamilons

The Gamilons are a race of humanoids from the planet Gamilas in the Large Magellanic Cloud, 148,000 light years from Earth. They are biologically indistinguishable from humans aside from their blue skin (though owing to an animation error they were given pink skin for the first ten episodes of the original series). Many of those who appear in the series are named after high-ranking members of the Nazi party. We seldom see Gamilon civilians (it being a highly-militarised society), and the few female Gamilons who appear in the series are invariably concubines.

  • Leader (Lord) Desler (デスラー総統 Desurā Sōtō?) (Leader Desslok): leader of the militant people of the dying planet Gamilas, Desler intends to wipe out the human "barbarians" and migrate his people to Earth. Initially contemptuous of humanity and its struggles to survive, he comes to respect the Yamato as it surpasses endless trials on its journey to Iscandar. He even attempts to use his dying, volcanically-active planet as a weapon against the Earth ship, but the ensuing battle results in the near-total destruction of his civilisation, and he swears revenge. Apparently killed at the end of the first season when his own Desler cannon backfires and destroys his flagship, he re-emerges in the second season having been resuscitated by the advanced medicine of the Comet Empire. Emperor Zwordar grants him the chance to destroy the Yamato, but ultimately he comes to realise that his desire for revenge has made him no better than the Comet Empire, who live solely for conquest; it is Yuki's attempt to protect a wounded Kodai that convinces him that humans are capable of the same love he feels for his people, and he withdraws from battle, aiming to rebuild his civilisation (which becomes known as the Galman Empire). Before departing off in the Comet Empire series, he shares an important detail about a potential weakness in the White Comet.
Although initially an enemy to Earth, he informs Earth Defense Force of the dire situation planet Iscandar was in when he returned to Gamilus to find the Black Nebula Force mining for resources to fuel their warmachine. He later becomes an ally of the Yamato when Iscandar was plunged into warp and when the Black Nebula Force pursued Iscandar threatening Starsha after Gamilus exploded. Working together with the crew of Yamato, his bitterness lifted and he acclaimed his love for Starsha. Starsha however sacrifices herself and her planet to stop the giant Gobra sent to secure the planet's resources for war purposes. Because of her sacrifice, Desler had a renewed sensation of love and peace he had never realized was inside his heart. He departs at the end of the battle on a good term with Earth and Yamato.
A couple of years after the destruction of Gamilus, Desler wanders the Milky Way Galaxy, and finds his ancestral home planet Galmania which is occupied by the Bolar Federation. He quickly amounts a counter-attack to free his people, and in doing so proclaims himself as the new Emperor who is set on ridding the galaxy of the cruel Bolars. However, because of his quick quest to secure the entire Milky Way Galaxy, his officers had become war-mongerers who would use planet destroying hyperion missiles to eliminate any enemy or resistance. One such missile had gone astray and entered into Earth's Sun causing accelerated nuclear fusion to the point that the Sun was to collapse in less than a year. Unaware of the situation his forces had caused to Earth, Yamato was sent to search for a new suitable planet for Mankind. The crew of Yamato was hit by Desler's Galman forces when they intervened a neighboring system called Birth when fighting broke there. Because of the intervention, Galman officers and generals made it a top priority to destroy or capture the ship. Yamato was literally captured inside a super hangar of the Galman Eastern Task Force fortress, and taken to be presented to Desler after losing many ships and men. Upon presentation, Desler blew up into a fury over his general's negligence to his orders to stay far from Earth's solar system, and apologized to the crew of Yamato. He then learned about how his own war machine was the reason Yamato was dispatched to search for a new home planet to emigrate to, and how his own forces delayed and caused much damage to the Sun. He offers to help Earth by dispatching his own fleet of scientists who could restore the proper nuclear fusion to the Sun. This however proves to be futile as the Sun worsens from their manipulation. Out of scientific ideas, he provides coordinates to a planet like Earth called Phantom. Phantom however was not a suitable planet, as it was a living organism able to project itself as a planet to protect Queen Mariposa from the Bolars. Upon Yamato's discovery of this fact, Queen Mariposa is escorted and protected by the crew of Yamato to her home planet Guardiana where she offers the hydro-cosmo-pen-cannon to correct the Sun's erratic nuclear fusion. Desler following Yamato learns of the Queen's homeplanet, and although he doesn't conquer the planet, he nevertheless adds planet Guardiana to his empire to sway the all people of the galaxy (Galman and Bolar) towards peace as her people's culture are pacifists and peacetalkers. Stability and peace is spread throughout the Milky Way Galaxy.
It is however not until the Dinguilu people who try to conquer Earth using Aquarius to bring massive floods where Desler performs one last helping assistance for Earth and Yamato when the ship itself was converted into an H-bomb and could not fire at the enemy surrounding her. Apparently, Desler was away on a mission when a galaxy from a different dimension manifests and collides with the Milky Way Galaxy turning his imperial city into a graveyard. When he returned, he had found white roses left behind by the crew of Yamato. Wearing one of the white roses on his uniform, he informs the Yamato crew that he understood their dire situation and Earth, and eliminated the Dinguilu people who were about to open fire on the helpless bomb converted ship. In the last scene where Yamato ultimately self destructs to break a 10 trillion ton water column from hitting Earth, Desler is found atop his ship with tears around his eyes as he watches Yamato settle in an ocean in space.
His Japanese name is believed to come from Nazi Germany's Adolf Hitler, and Desler's title Sōtō (総統?) is the Japanese translation of führer. Leiji Matsumoto has claimed this similarity is in fact a coincidence, and that Desler comes from "Death-Ra" (also written as デスラー in Japanese).
    • Japanese voice artist: Masato Ibu
    • American voice artist: Eddie Allen (seasons 1 & 2)
  • General Hiss (ヒス Hisu?) (General Krypt): Desler's toadying right-hand man, Hiss tries his best to please his leader, apologising for every embarrassing mistake and passing his anger on to his underlings. However, during the climactic battle on Gamilas he implores Desler to make peace with the humans, earning him a bullet in the chest (not shown in Star Blazers, in it's place is a reuse of dialogue footage between Desler and Hiss where Desslock now merely reprimands Krypt for engaging in defeatist talk). His Japanese name comes from Hitler's deputy Rudolf Hess.
    • Japanese voice artist: Keisuke Yamashita
    • American voice artist: unknown
  • Commanders Shultz (シュルツ Shurutsu?) and Gantz (ガンツ Gantsu?) (Colonel Ganz and Major Bane): the leaders of the Gamilons' frontline base on Pluto, Shultz and Gantz are among the first to encounter the dangerous new Earth ship Yamato. However, even armed with a powerful weapon, the Reflection Satellite Cannon (Reflex Gun in Star Blazers), the bumbling duo are unable to stop the Earth ship and are forced to abandon their base. Recognising that they can never return home in disgrace, Shultz orders the entire fleet to launch an all-out attack on the Yamato, but they are destroyed; Shultz's command ship attempts a kamikaze run (though in Star Blazers this was toned down to an accidental near-collision) before being deflected into an asteroid.
    • Japanese voice artists: Takeshi Obayashi (Shultz) and Kenichi Ogata (Gantz)
    • American voice artists: unknown
  • General Talan (タラン Taran?) (General Talan / Sergeant Masterson): one of Desler's most loyal generals, Talan appears only twice in the first season; however, in the second season he has a more significant presence, as commander of the scattered remnants of the Gamilon empire. He is more level-headed than his leader and is able to convince Desler to abandon his flagship when all is lost. He is also an extremely skillful pilot, rescuing Desler from the Comet Empire's pursuing ships. He was mistakenly renamed "Sgt. Masterson" in season 3 of Star Blazers.
    • Japanese voice artist: Kōji Yada
    • American voice artist: unknown
  • General Domel (ドメル Domeru?) (General Lysis): a famed general with many victories under his belt, and a powerful physique to match his ego, Domel is put in charge of the campaign against Earth and offers to destroy the Yamato in his leader's name. However, despite using both outright force and psychological warfare, he too is defeated in battle time and again, culminating in a scheme to destroy the Earth ship on planet Balan which succeeds only in the destruction of the Gamilon base there. Offered one last battle for honour, he challenges the Yamato to meet him at the Rainbow Cluster; so meticulous is his planning that he very nearly succeeds, and it is only quick thinking (and luck) on the part of the Yamato crew that destroys his fleet. He then attaches his command ship to the underside of the Yamato and self-destructs in a vain attempt to complete his mission (though in Star Blazers it was indicated he planted a bomb on the Argo's underside and detached. This was followed by a reuse of dialogue footage between Lysis and Vulgar now indicating that because the bomb's blast didn't destroy the Argo they were returning to Gamilon in disgrace). He is credited with the invention of a device called the Instant Matter Transporter (Space Matter Instant Transforming Equipment, or SMITE, in Star Blazers), capable of teleporting whole battle fleets into the vicinity of an enemy vessel, which is used later by Desler himself. His Japanese name comes from Field Marshal Erwin Rommel; Rommel was known as "The Desert Fox" and Domel is called "The Space Wolf". His English name comes from lysis, the Greek term for cell-death or decomposition.
  • Goer (ゲール Gēru?) (Volgar/Vulgar): one-time commander of the Gamilons' waypoint base on planet Balan, he reacts to his replacement by Domel angrily, getting drunk and trashing his decadently-decorated room (this scene was cut from Star Blazers). Desperate to prove himself to Desler, he attempts to fight the Yamato on his own terms, but is defeated resoundingly; he also informs Desler of Domel's plan to sacrifice the base in an attempt to destroy the Yamato, leading to a critical delay which enables the Earth ship to escape. However, he comes to admire Domel's loyalty to the Gamilon cause, and assists him in his battle for honour. His Japanese name comes from Luftwaffe commander Hermann Göring; the spelling of his English name is uncertain as it was not captioned.
    • Japanese voice artist: Osamu Saka
    • American voice artist: Mike Czechopoulos
  • Captains Getto (ゲットー Gettō?), Berger (バーガー Bāgā?), Kreuz (クロイツ Kuroitsu?) and Heidern (ハイデルン Haiderun?): captains who serve under Domel in the battle at the Rainbow Cluster, having earned great acclaim at, respectively, the Ruby, Sapphire, Diamond and Omega war fronts. The first three command carriers launch (respectively) fighters, divebombers and torpedo planes, while the last commands a battle carrier launching a single heavy bomber which carries a drill missile designed by Domel. All four captains fly into battle themselves alongside their men, though Kreuz is not shown (due to an oversight by the animators).
  • Vandevil (バンデビル Bandebiru?) (Garrat): commander of a Gamilon battle carrier in season 2, he sends a fleet of dive-bombers to attack the Yamato when it is paralysed by a swarm of corrosive bacteria. However, before he can destroy the Earth ship, his own vessel is similarly rendered powerless, and he is forced to retreat in disgrace. His humiliation earns him a bullet from Desler (not shown in Star Blazers).
  • Generals Barreled Action (バレルド・アクション Barerudo Akushon?), C. Frage (シー・フラーゲ Shī Furāge?), Das Lugens (ダス・ルーゲンス Dasu Rūgensu?), Meiser Nom Drum (マイセル・ノム・ドラム Maiseru Nomu Doramu?): Desler's remaining generals in Season 2.

[edit] Galman Empire

  • Geider (ガイデル Gaideru?) (Smeerdom): Eastern District Army Commander.
  • Dagon (ダゴン Dagon?)
  • Histenberger (ヒステンバーガー Hisutenbāgā?) (Smellen)
  • Keeling (キーリング Kīringu?): Imperial Army Chief of Staff
  • Fraken (フラーケン Furāken?) (Luchner Von Ferrell)
  • Helmeyer (ヘルマイヤー Herumaiyā?) (Nayzmayo)
  • Gustav (グスタフ Gusutafu?)
  • Frauski (フラウスキー Furausukī?) (Cranshaw): Technology Major
  • Heiger (ハイゲル Haigeru?)
  • Gehlen (ゲーレン Gēren?)

[edit] Comet Empire

The people of the Comet Empire appear in the second season; like the Gamilons they are identical to humans aside from their green skin.

  • Emperor Zwordar the Great (ズォーダー大帝 Zwōdā taitei?) (Prince Zordar): the undisputed leader of the Comet Empire, Zwordar's sole aim in life is to conquer and subjugate the Universe. To this aim, he travels space in an enormous city-planet, Gatlantis, surrounded by a powerful plasma shield which resembles a gigantic comet, capable of annihilating planets in its path, and launching fleets of warships to conquer any useful worlds -- or destroy them if they resist. Having subjugated the entire Andromeda Galaxy, his next target is Earth. Frustrated time and again by the incompetence of his minions -- and interference from the mysterious Teresa of Telezart -- he takes matters into his own hands at the end of the second season, launching a massive dreadnaught from the shattered remains of Gatlantis with the intent of destroying all life on Earth. His Japanese name is based on the word "sword".
  • Lady Sabera (サーベラ Sābera?) (Princess Invidia): Zwordar's consort (his daughter in Star Blazers), though unlike other citizens of the Comet Empire she has pink skin. She has great ambition and is jealous of the favour Desler has in Zwordar's eyes; it is her treachery that ruins the Gamilon leader's plan to destroy the Yamato, for which the Emperor never forgives her. Her Japanese name is based on the word "sabre", while her English name comes from the Latin term for jealousy.
  • Goenitz (ゲーニッツ Gēnittsu?) (General Dire) and Razela (ラーゼラー Rāzerā?) (General Gorse): members of Zwordar's court and co-conspirators with Sabera to destroy Desler's reputation, a plan which earns their Emperor's anger. When their plans enable the Yamato crew to cripple Gatlantis, Zwordar abandons them to destruction aboard the doomed space station (not shown in Star Blazers). The name "Dire" comes from the Latin term for an ill-omen, while "Gorse" comes from the Middle English verb meaning "to stab".
  • Mil (ミル Miru?) (Morta): a political commissar placed aboard Desler's flagship, he reports to Sabera and her conspirators. The Japanese word miru is a verb meaning "to watch", while his English name Morta comes from the Latin word for death.
    • Japanese voice artist: Osamu Ichikawa
    • American voice artist: unknown
  • Admiral Cosmodart Nazca (コズモダード・ナスカ Kozumodāto Nasuka?) (General Naska): young leader of the Comet Empire's vanguard force to conquer the Solar System; initially scornful of the aging Earth ship Yamato, when defeated he begs Desler for help, only to be turned away. Likely named after the Nazca Lines.
  • Admiral Goland (ゴーランド Gōrando?) (General Torbuck): sadistic leader of the Comet Empire's missile fleet and famous hunter of dinosaurs. Despite being placed under Desler's command at Telezart, he violates orders and engages the Yamato head-on, but his arrogance leaves him at the mercy of the Earth ship's wave motion gun.
  • General Zurvival (ザバイバル Zabaibaru?) (General Scorch): scar-faced commander of a tank contingent stationed on planet Telezart to meet the Yamato, he faces Saito's space marines in intense ground combat. Fighting to the last man, he is killed in a pistol fight with Saito himself (toned down to simply being knocked out in Star Blazers). His Japanese name is based on the word "survival".
    • Japanese voice artist: Kosei Tomita
    • American voice artist: unknown
  • Mazor (メーザー Mēzā?): a pilot captured by the Yamato, he refuses to answer questions -- even under torture -- but loosens up when Dr. Sado introduces him to sake. However, it is but a ruse to enable him to escape and return to his fleet, but they spurn him as a former captive. Such is his loyalty to the Comet Empire that he makes a kamikaze run into the Yamato, killing himself, rather than join the Earth crew.
  • Destar (デスタール Desutāru?): a sub-commander in Goland's missile fleet, he refuses to allow the former captive Mazor to return and orders him to his death. This provokes a deadly attack from the Yamato which destroys him and his ships.
  • Gern (ゲルン Gerun?) (General Manic): commander of the Comet Empire's carrier fleet. In the final assault on the Solar System he is stationed too far away from Valsey's battle fleet and is caught unawares by a full-scale attack by Earth fighter-bomber squadrons; unable to devise a strategy to resist the assault, he commits suicide in shame shortly before his ship explodes.
  • Admiral Valsey (バルゼー Baruzē?) (General Bleak): in charge of the Comet Empire's main warfleet, stationed at Procyon and Sirius and thus missed by the Yamato during its journey to planet Telezart. As Gatlantis approaches our Galaxy, Valsey's fleet begins its advance on the Solar System, routing Earth's defences and very nearly driving home the invasion thanks to the main weapon of Valsey's flagship, the Flame Direct-hit Gun ("Magma-Flame Gun" in Star Blazers), a wave motion gun which fires into a teleportation field. However, Hijikata leads them into the rings of Saturn, where the weapon proves to be a liability, and Valsey and his fleet are destroyed. His Japanese name comes from William Halsey, Jr., admiral of the United States 3rd Fleet during much of World War II.
    • Japanese voice artist: Chikao Ohtsuka
    • American voice artist: unknown

[edit] Black Nebula Empire

The people of the Black Nebula Empire live on the metal planet Dezarium in the Black Nebula, a double-galaxy 200,000 light years from Earth. Although humanoid, they are in fact bionic, having given up the pleasures of human flesh in exchange for longevity. They appear in the movies Yamato: The New Voyage and Be Forever, Yamato.

  • Deider (デーダー Dēdā?): commander of the flagship Pleiades. When the Gamilas fleet attacks the Black Nebula forces mining their homeworld and cause the planet's destruction, Deider in turn attacks them and pins them down in the seas of Iscandar. When the Yamato attacks, he attempts to position his ship between the Earth vessel and Iscandar to discourage use of the Wave Motion Gun, but is destroyed when Iscandar moves to safety due to volcanic eruptions.
  • Mölders (メルダーズ Merudāzu?): supreme commander of the Black Nebula Empire's forces in the Large Magellanic Cloud, leading from his massive space fortress, the Autostar Goruba, which fights off both the Yamato and Desler's fleet.
  • Alphon (アルフォン Arufon?): a high-ranking officer in the Black Nebula Empire's invasion of Earth, he gains his own quarters on the conquered planet, and saves the life of a wounded Yuki, with whom he falls in love. When she proves unable to return his affections, he releases her to join a human resistance movement, and vows that if she defeats him next time they meet, he will help her to stop the invasion. In fact he is mortally wounded by another soldier, but he dies in Yuki's arms, confessing to her that life has been empty and meaningless for his people since their conversion to bionics.
  • Sada (サーダ Sāda?)
    • Japanese voice artist: Yumi Nakatani
  • Kazan (カザン Kazan?)
  • Grotus (グロータス Gurōtasu?)

[edit] Bolar Federation

[edit] Deingilians

The people of the planet Deingil, who appear in the movie Final Yamato, are descendants of Earth humans rescued from our planet by unknown aliens (whom they now regard as gods) during a flood 10,000 years ago. They developed an advanced empire on their new homeworld (as well as grey skin) and have become extremely arrogant and militant. Most of them were wiped out when their homeworld was flooded by the planet Aquarius.

  • Lugal (ルガール Rugāru?): supreme leader of the Deingilians, he escapes his drowning homeworld aboard the enormous space station Uruk. He is impassive when told his wife and younger son perished, believing that only the strong should survive, and decides that Earth should become the new home of his people, planning to use Aquarius to flood it. Spurning the very idea of "charity", he sets about exterminating the human race, ensuring it cannot even leave Earth before flooding. He kills his own elder son when the latter fails to destroy the Yamato, shows no concern when he accidentally shoots his younger son, and self-destructs Uruk -- killing all living within its city -- when its purpose has been served. He is also seen to ride into battle (aboard a mechanical horse) alongside his troops.
  • Lugal de Zahl (ルガール・ド・ザール Rugāru Do Zāru?): elder son of the Deingilian leader, a young military commander who shows no mercy to his enemies, and has no qualms about firing on unarmed civilian transports, or even rescue ships tending to the wounded. However, when defeated by the Yamato (as well as a fleet of Earth warships) he is humiliated before his father, and becomes ever more determined to destroy the Earth ship, but when the rest of his fleet is destroyed, he turns tail and flees the battlefield, only to crash into the Neutrino Beam Shield of Uruk.
  • Dingil Boy (ディンギルの少年 Dingiru no Shōnen?): the younger son of the Deingilian leader, and the only survivor of the drowned homeworld rescued by the Yamato crew. He stows away aboard the Earth ship when it sets off to fight deZahl's fleet, hoping to learn more about humanity. He learns the alien concept of self-sacrifice when he sees another warship take a deadly missile hit for the Yamato; he is so impressed that he jumps in front of Kodai and is shot by his own father. His real name is never given and is just called Bōya.

[edit] References

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