Appearance Codes: YTV1 = Yamato TV Season 1 (Quest for Iscandar)
YTV2 = Yamato TV Season 2 (Comet Empire)
YTV3 = Yamato TV Season 3 (Bolar Wars)
AY = movie, Arrivederci Yamato
YNJ = movie, Yamato New Journey
BFY = movie, Be Forever Yamato
FY = movie, Final Yamato
Known in Japanese as "Uchuu Senkan Yamato", and strangely mistranslated
as "Space Cruiser Yamato", the Argo was the first Earth ship able to
travel faster than light. Built from the wreckage of the World War
II Japanese battleship, Yamato, the Argo is the pride of the Earth
Defense Fleet. Length = 265.8 metres, width = 34.6 metres, height =
77 metres.
Its primary weapons are its main shot cannons and its giant Wave Motion Gun. Also in its battery are a complement of anti-missile missiles, bow and aft torpedo launch ports, side assault missiles, stack missiles, Wave Motion cartridge guns, anti-aircraft pulse-laser cannons, anti-missile screen gun, asteroid polarity shield, reflector force-field, and the Black Tiger fighter squadron.
Derek Wildstar is the young man who becomes Deputy Captain of the Argo
after its commander, Captain Avatar, becomes too ill to actively lead.
Born in 2181, he is 18 in 2199. At 11, he and his older brother,
Alex, were orphaned when
their parents were killed in the aftermath of a
Gamilon planet bomb attack. Derek's character matures gradually
throughout the first two seasons of Star Blazers, going from a brash
and hot-headed kid to a tempered and wise leader. Derek's blossoming
relationship with Radar Operator Nova is explored and developed just
as gradually as the seasons progress, making for a depth of character
seldom seen in American science fiction. Wildstar also functions
as the Star Force's Combat Group leader. Hence, his uniform colours
are red and white. He also leads the
Black Tiger fighter squadron
in his SuperStar (CosmoZero) fighter craft.
Appears in: YTV(1,2,3) AY YNJ BFY FY
Nova (Yuki Mori)
Nova, one of the few female members of the original 114-hand
Star Force crew, has a plethora of duties on the Argo. Not only
does she function as the Radar Operator for the main bridge,
she also seems to double as Dr. Sane's assistant nurse in times
of need, and heads the On-ship Living Conditions and Survey/Analysis
teams. She is 18 when she joins the Star Force for its mission
to Iscandar in 2199. Her uniform colours are black on yellow.
Between missions, Nova acts as the aide to the Earth Defense Force Commander. When the Black Nebula Empire invades Earth, Nova is left behind by the fleeing Star Force crew, and after escaping capture, joins the Earth Partisan Army in an attempt to repel the Empire's occupation forces.
When fighting the Comet Empire, it was Nova's show of courage and love for Derek Wildstar that caused Gamilon Leader Desslok to have a change of heart and cease fighting Earth. This one act was the crux in events that would change Earth's galaxy forever.
Appears in: YTV(1,2,3) AY YNJ BFY FY
Mark Venture (Daisuke Shima)
Venture is the leader of the Star Force's Navigation Group. Friend of Wildstar since their days as cadets, Mark Venture acts as a more cool-headed counterbalance to his friend and rival. He is 18, born in 2181. Holding his position of Chief Navigator since his enlistment in 2199, his uniform colours are green on white.
Mark does not get a romantic interest until the Second Season, when he slowly becomes infatuated with Trelaina of Telezart as she feeds the Star Force vital information over the radio as they seek out her planet. Mark is emotionally crushed when, after finally meeting Trelaina, she remains on Telezart where she turns it into an explosion of antimatter in the path of the Comet Empire.
Trelaina is not the only source of vexation in Mark's life. His secret and unrequited love for Nova is not revealed until he lies near death in the movie Final Yamato.
Appears in: YTV(1,2,3) AY YNJ BFY FY
Captain Avatar (Captain Juhzoh Okita)
Admired even by Leader Desslok of Gamilon, Captain Avatar was the Argo's first commander. Originally the commander of the last Earth fleet to fall before the Gamilon's, at the Battle of Pluto, he took on the mission to Iscandar despite his suffering from radiation poisoning. Avatar's brilliant strategies (combined with the advanced technology from Iscandar) led the Star Force to victory over the Gamilon's assaults, and his mentorship of Derek Wildstar guided the brash youngster into a position of leadership and responsibility.
Avatar's only son was killed in the Battle of Pluto, as was Derek Wildstar's older brother Alex (or so it was thought). Avatar himself never got to touch Earth soil again, dying just before the Star Force landed on Earth in 2200. We learn in the movie Final Yamato that he was kept in cryogenic suspension for some time until the Earth physicians could revive him and cure his sickness. He then went on to lead the Star Force again in its fight against the Deingillians.
Appears in: YTV(1,2,3) AY YNJ BFY FY
Sandor (Shiroh Sanada)
Sandor is 28 in 2199, and joins the Star Force as its Chief Technician, Leader of the Engineering Group. His uniform colours are blue on white. Sandor is somewhat of a technical genius, improvisationalist, and logical thinker. He is an old friend of Derek Wildstar's brother, Alex. We discover that he is also a cyborg, having bionic limbs due to a roller coaster accident as a child.
Being the senior member of the main bridge crew after the deaths of Captain Avatar and Chief Engineer Orion, Sandor serves as a mentor to Wildstar and the rest of the executive officers. The Star Force owe many of its victories to Sandor's technical wizardry.
"Sandor" is a shortened form for the Greek name, Alexandor. Ironically, both Sandor and his good friend Alex Wildstar share the same first name.
In 2202, Sandor takes on the responsibility of raising Alex Wildstar's daughter, Sasha, introducing her to people as his niece, "Mio".
Appears in: YTV(1,2,3) AY YNJ BFY FY
Doctor Sane (Doctor Sakezoh Sado)
The skillful doctor of the Star Force, born 2152, is 47 when he joins for the maiden voyage. Sane's character design is quite a bit more comic than that of the rest of the crew, looking like he belongs in a Charlie Brown comic strip. This appearance seems to fit his jovial, yet odd, personality as well. In IQ-9's own words, "He's a little eccentric..." He is a little person as well, standing at about 4.5 feet. Though he is really a veterinarian, he is the only one responsible for keeping Captain Avatar alive throughout the journey to Iscandar. Dr. Sane's and his pet cat, Mimi (Mi-kun) provide comic relief to most situations, though, in a few, he provides some elderly wisdom to the crew.
The good doctor is actually quite an alcoholic, though the American script of Star Blazers has replaced the drinking of sake wine with "spring water" or "soybean milk". Sane's Japanese first name, Sakezoh, is a phonetic pun sounding like a word that means "drunk".
Appears in: YTV1, YTV2, AY, YNJ, BFY, YTV3, FY
Mimi (Mi-kun)
Mimi is Dr. Sane's cat, and the mascot of the Star Force. She seems to like to drink Sane's sake wine. Mimi is female in Star Blazers, while Mi-kun is male in the Japanese story.
Appears in: YTV1, YTV2, AY, YNJ, BFY, YTV3
IQ-9 (Anaraizah [Analyzer])
Aside from Dr Sane, Robot IQ-9 seems to provide the rest of the comic relief present in both Star Blazers and Yamato. One cannot look at him and be reminded of a cross between "The Robot" from Lost in Space and R2-D2 from Star Wars. It is certain that IQ-9's mechanical and character design came before Star Wars, though.
Given Earth's comparably crude technology, IQ-9 represents an extraordinary accomplishment in artificial intellegence. He proudly announces himself a 9th-Series Genius Robot. While Star Trek's android, Mr Data, suffers no end of obstacles in his attempt to become more human, IQ-9 seems to have no difficulty simply programming human traits into himself at will.
IQ-9's super-human mental abilities and physical strength succeed in saving the Star Force on more than one occasion. He is assistant to both Chief Engineer Sandor and Dr Sane, and seems to have a rather childish infatuation with Nova. In the Japanese version of Star Blazers, we get to see IQ-9 pulling up Nova's skirt as he rolls by on more than one instance. These scenes were edited out of Star Blazers (perhaps thankfully).
Appears in: YTV(1,2,3) AY YNJ BFY FY
Alex Wildstar (Mamoru Kodai)
Derek Wildstar's older brother, Alex, is 10 years his senior. Alex and Derek both joined Earth Defense when they were old enough to fight against the Gamilons. Alex was believed to have been killed in the Battle of Pluto. But, unknown to all, he was captured by Gamilons who crashed their ship on Iscandar while taking him in for interrogation. Alex was found by Queen Starsha and nursed back to health on Iscandar where he soon fell in love with the Queen.
Alex is discovered at the end of the Star Force's first mission to Iscandar. Glad to finally see his brother again, he nevertheless decides to remain on Iscandar with Starsha. Nearly two years later, when Iscandar is handed over to the Black Nebula Empire, Starsha seals Alex and their daughter, Sasha, in an escape pod destined for the awaiting Argo. Alex returns to Earth and is killed in Be Forever Yamato saving the Commander during the occupation of Earth.
Appears in: YTV(1, 3(as a mirage)) YNJ BFY
Jordy Venture (Jiro Shima)
Mark Venture's younger brother idolises him above all others. Jordy never loses faith in the ability of the Star Force to save Earth. He seems about 9 or 10 when Mark leaves on the trip to Iscandar. he shows up in the first two TV seasons and in the Final Yamato movie.
Appears in: YTV(1,2) AY FY
Conroy (Saburoh Kato)
Conroy is the Second Leader of the Black Tiger fighter squad. His uniform colours are yellow on black, with a white collar. A little pugnacious, he was probably the best fighter pilot in the Earth Defense Force. Though it is not shown in Star Blazers, Conroy died after he successfully piloted Wildstar and Sandor to safety after they had invaded the Comet Empire and destroyed its Energy Center. The decision to kill off Conroy was probably regretted later by the Japanese script writers.
Appears in: YTV(1,2) AY
Cory Conroy (Shiro Kato)
Perhaps killing the original Conroy (Saburoh Kato) off was not such a good idea. Even his replacement, Sakamoto, in New Journey could not replace his character. So, the writers of Yamato decided to bring onboard Conroy's younger look-alike brother, Shiro Kato, in the movie Be Forever Yamato.
But since Star Blazers only covers the TV series, we do not see this "new" Conroy until the 3rd season. He is referred to as "Cory Conroy", and we are left to assume that he is the same as the original Conroy, whose death was not mentioned in Star Blazers. He might as well be the same, since Cory Conroy's appearance, personality, and position on the crew is the same as that of his brother.
Appears in: YTV3 BFY FY
Homer Glitchman (Yoshikazu [Gihchi] Aihara)
Homer is the Star Force's Chief Communications officer. His exact age is unknown (probably same as Wildstar et al). His uniform colours are black on yellow, with white collar.
Most known for his spell of homesickness during the trip to Iscandar, and his subsequent attempt to jump ship and float thousands of light years back to Earth, Homer is a little more emotional than most, and is very protective of his equipment and duties. He finally becomes infatuated with the daft granddaughter of the EDF Commander in the 3rd Season.
Appears in: YTV1, YTV2, AY, YNJ, BFY, YTV3, FY
Dash is Derek Wildstar's second-hand man in the Star Force's Combat Group. This bespectacled Star Blazer is usually seen co-ordinating weaponry operations. His uniform colours are red on white, with white collar. Whether the name, Dash, was intended to be a first name or a last is not known. Thanks to a minor glitch in the English translation of his lines, Dash apparently does not know a Gamilon plane from a Gamilon destroyer, as he looks at the destroyers on the main video panel and exclaims, "Those are Gamilon planes, I'd know them anywhere!"
Appears in: YTV1, YTV2, AY, YNJ, BFY, YTV3, FY
Eager (Kenjiroh Ohta)
Assistant Pilot Eager is the fellow with the Southwestern accent. Freckled and a little heavy-set, he is the principal operator for the Wave Motion Sensor and Video System, and is the Mark Venture's second-hand man in the Navigation Group. His uniform colours are green on white with a white collar.
After TV Season 1, we see very little inthe way of character development in either Eager or Dash. Like Dash, we do not know if Eager's name was meant to be a first or a last name.
Appears in: YTV1, YTV2, AY, YNJ, BFY, YTV3, FY
Orion, Sr. (Hikozaemon Tokugawa)
57 years old and bald, Chief Engineer Orion is the Leader of Engine Operations Group. Uniform colours are orange on white. He is an old friend of Captain Avatar, and often provides the mentorship for the younger crewmembers in his absence. Orion was killed when Comet Empire Prince Zordar's dreadnaught pummeled the Argo with cannon fire in the last episode of TV Season 2. This was not shown in Star Blazers.
Appears in: YTV1, YTV2, AY
Orion, Jr. (Tasuke Tokugawa)
Though referred to only as "Orion", this is the son of the original Orion (though he looks young enough to be his grandson). Orion Jr. is out to live up to his father's name and reputation, though he is just a cadet in late 2201 when he joins the Star Force for its training mission in Yamato: New Journey.
Appears in: YNJ, BFY, YTV3, FY
"Chief" (Shoh Yamazaki)
Yamazaki is the Engine Operations Group Leader who takes over after Orion, Sr., dies. Uniform colours are orange on white. He is referred to only as "Chief" in Star Blazers.
Appears in: YNJ, BFY, YTV3, FY
Hardy (Akira Yamamoto)
Hardy is a Black Tiger pilot and friend of Squad Leader, Conroy. The casting director for TV Season 2 was savvy enough to give Hardy a distinct, southern American accent. It's clearly artificial, though it adds depth to the character. Hardy must fly by instinct rather than vision, for he always has a shock of hair hanging down covering one entire side of his face.
His uniform colours are usually yellow on black with white collar. He makes a brief appearance during the first trip to Iscandar, when the Star Force almost leaves him behind during its first space warp (the Star Blazers script mistakenly calls him "Conroy" in this scene). Being small, he is often physically abused by Sgt Knox and his fellow Space Marines when tempers flare. Hardy dies when his Astro Fighter crashes into the underside of the Comet Empire (again, not shown in Star Blazers).
Appears in: YTV1, YTV2, AY
Hardy (Hito (Hajime) Hirata)
No relation to the pilot, this "Hardy" is a cook in the On-ship Living Conditions Group in 2205 during the Bolar Wars. He is a mentor to Jason Jetter, and gets shot by a Galman soldier while trying to keep Jason from harm.
Appears in: YTV3
Shigeru Sakamoto
Sakamoto is basically a replacement character for Conroy, brought on board as a new cadet during Yamato: New Journey. He gets punched in the face by Wildstar after showing off aerobatic maneuvers in his Astro Fighter, and must run around on deck in his underwear. But, we never see him after that, as he is replaced by the "other" Conroy (Cory).
Appears in: YNJ
Tetsu Kitano
Kitano is a new cadet on the Star Force's training mission during Yamato: New Journey. He is to join the Navigation Group. Nevertheless, he is put at the Combat Group helm while Wildstar is leading the Astro Fighters on a run. In a panic, he fires the Argo's main guns at an asteroid belt before the Astro Fighters have had the chance to leave the area. He redeems himself by judiciously firing at the Black Nebulan fleet when the time is right. Like Sakamoto, we do not see him after this film.
Appears in: YNJ
Flash Contrail (Takeshi Ageha)
A new cadet during the 3rd Season, Contrail is assigned his first choice: Black Tiger Squad. He is a good pilot, and falls in love with Queen Mariposa of Planet Guardiana. In the end, is guided by a vision of her to crash his Astro Fighter into one of the Bolar's Black Hole Cannons. This act of being blinded by love inspires Desslok (possibly misinterpreting it) to step up his attack on the Bolars.
Appears in: YTV3
Jason Jetter (Ryusuke Domon)
Jason joins the Star Force along with Contrail in Season 3, but receives an assignment of kithcen duty from Wildstar. This causes much resentment until his supervisor, Hardy, teaches him the value and honor of all positions on the Star Force. In the end, Jetter is killed by a Bolar fighter while opening the canopy covering the HydroCosmogen Cannon.
Appears in: YTV3
Lance (Akira Nemoto) and Cato (Wahiko (Kazuhiko) Sugiyama)
Members of the Combat Group invasion team during the assault on the Reflex Gun on the Gamilon base on Pluto.
Ryder is a member of the Navigation Group on the Second Bridge. He and his crewmen chart stars and course. He is last known lines were his description of Nova's coffee, "black, and strong enough to melt the spoon".
Appears in: YTV1
Sgt. Knox (Hajime Saitoh)
Obnoxious and oafish Space Marine leader rescued with his troops from planet Brumas (the 11th planet of our solar system). Knox is actually a complex character, carrying feelings of frustration and guilt about his defeat at Brumas and the loss of so many of his troops. He deals with this by hitting people. But, despite his difficulties taking orders from Derek Wildstar, it is Knox who sends Wildstar and Sandor back to their plane, and stays on the Comet Empire to detonate the hydrogen bombs that the Star Force invasion team has planted in its Energy Center. Whether it is apparent from the footage in Star Blazers or not, Knox is incinerated in the explosion.
Appears in: YTV2, AY
Royster (Hyota Arakome)
Royster is the nerdy character in the Second TV Season who is a member of Sandor's Engineering Group. His "pea-shooter" idea of using the recoil of the Wave Motion Gun to impell the Argo out of Desslok's force-field trap saves the Star Force. He has a phobia of starflies. Royster is killed when Zordar's dreadnaught attacks (not shown in Star Blazers).
Appears in: YTV2, AY
Sparks (Sukeharu Yabu)
Morale got pretty low on the first trip to Iscandar. Engine Operations Group member, Sparks, talked early-on of remaining on Iscandar. When the Star Force finally reached Iscandar, he and 9 other crew members abducted Nova and attempted to mutiny. All but Nova were killed when the Iscandarian island to which they fled sank into the sea.
Appears in: YTV1
This is the wise and stately leader of the entire Earth Federation military, the Earth Defense Force. The Commander is sympathetic to the wishes of the Star Force not to overhaul the Argo even when the Earth Defense Committee is not.
Appears in: YTV1, YTV2, AY, YNJ, BFY, YTV3, FY
General Stone (Commander's Staff Advisor)
Stone is the advisor to the Commander. But, equally loyal to the Earth Defense Committee, Stone is resentful of the Commander's attempt to allow the Star Force to embark on the unauthorised mission to Telezart. He is also opposed to the Commander's decision to allow Captain Gideon to assemble the Earth Fleet without authorisation until the threat of the Comet Empire is shown to be immenant.
Appears in: YTV2, AY
Captain Yamanami
Collegue of Captains Avatar and Gideon, chosen to lead the Star Force on its mission to the Black Nebula Empire's home planet, Dezarium in Be Forever Yamato. Yamanami dies when a huge missile grazes the main bridge, and part of the roof falls on him.
Appears in: BFY
Captain Gideon (Captain Ryu Hijikata)
and General Slate (Hyperion Fleet Captain)
Gideon is the captain of the new EDF flagship, Andromeda, during TV Season 2. Sent out to stop the Star Force from its unauthorised mission, Gideon faces them down but decides to let the Star Force go, trusting in the wisdom Avatar instilled in them. Captain Slate's fleet is wiped out by the Comet Empire Fleet's shock cannons, but Gideon's strategies manage to defeat the fleet. Still, his own fleet is destroyed in the path of the White Comet itself. He radios the Star Force of a possible weakness in the Comet's underside.
Gideon's role in Arrivederci Yamato is as acting commander of the Argo.
Appears in: YTV2, AY (Gideon only)
See Translation Note.
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