{"id":30966,"date":"2020-10-09T19:39:14","date_gmt":"2020-10-10T02:39:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/?p=30966"},"modified":"2023-02-14T14:15:01","modified_gmt":"2023-02-14T22:15:01","slug":"590a","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ourstarblazers.com\/vault\/590a\/","title":{"rendered":"Earth Characters catalog"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Cyborg Sanada<\/h3>\n

This is a little off the path, but still worthy of note. In the original Series 1, we learn that Sanada has bionic arms and legs as the result of a childhood accident. We briefly see them again in the Comet Empire story, but after that they play no role at all. Fans were waiting to see if they would be an element in the reboots, but they didn’t come up in 2199<\/em> and we later learned that they were written out of the story altogether. At least in the anime. <\/p>\n

Michio Murakawa’s still-unfinished 2199<\/em> manga brought them back, but in a surprise twist gave them to Shinya Ito. In a flashback chapter, we learn that he lost his arms in a battle against Garmillas and they were replaced by bionic arms. This, too, played no part in the anime version, but if we consider it part of the canon, we begin to see into his anti-robot sentiment and his general nihilistic demeanor.<\/p>\n

See more in an analysis of the manga flashback here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Mamoru Kodai<\/h3>\n

For 2199<\/em>, Mamoru\u2019s story was revamped. His character was given a deeper friendship with Sanada and a third friend from youth was introduced (Kaoru Niimi). What separates him from his original counterpart is the fact that he actually dies on Iscandar, his soul grafted to the Cosmo Reverse System. He forsakes his soul to revive Yuki for Kodai, leaving his experience in New Voyage<\/em> and eventual demise in Be Forever<\/em> unadapted. Except it wasn\u2019t. <\/p>\n

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When the new character Norran (who we\u2019ll get into later) abducts Yuki in 2199<\/em> Episode 20, his commander recreates Mamoru\u2019s suicide-bomber smokescreen to allow Norran to escape with “Yurisha” and bring honor to their home planet Zalts. Later, in Ark of the Stars<\/em>, the veteran Galunt pilot Vance (of the Berger fleet) fills Mamoru\u2019s shoes. How? More to come in the New Voyage elements’<\/em> battles section.<\/p>\n

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Akira Yamamoto<\/h3>\n

Akira was given a gender-bender treatment for 2199<\/em>, becoming a female of the same name. A spiritual successor to the original Akira was created – named Akio – and killed off-screen in the war with Garmillas. Just like his original counterpart in real life, Yamamoto was beloved for his piloting skills and heart-throb looks. What does that leave Akira with? A chance to fill the combined shoes of Takeshi Ageha and Ryusuke Domon\u2019s original counterparts from Yamato III<\/em>. More to come on them.<\/p>\n

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Tasuke Tokugawa, Sho Yamazaki and Tetsuya Kitano<\/h3>\n

This trio of characters was originally introduced in New Voyage<\/em>. Tasuke is Tokugawa\u2019s grandson, Yamazaki was “always part of the engine room staff” (off-screen) and Tetsuya Kitano was top of his class in every field at the youth warriors academy. 2199<\/em> decided to make the healthy effort of introducing these fellows early on. That said, they fill smaller roles. Tasuke shows up in a video call to Tokugawa, along with his kid sister Aiko. Yamazaki works as Tokugawa\u2019s assistant, filling half of the conceptual role of Captain Dan from Yamato III<\/em>. Near 2202<\/em>\u2019s end, Tokugawa tells Yamazaki to fill his shoes when he dies. Kitano? He\u2019s mostly been a rookie relief officer for Kodai in times of trouble. In 2205<\/em>, he\u2019s in charge of training Yamato<\/em>\u2019s new recruits, edging closer to his original counterpart.<\/p>\n

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Shiro Kato<\/h3>\n

This one\u2019s more complex. In Be Forever<\/em>, Shiro is introduced as Kato\u2019s younger brother, who vows to fulfill his brother\u2019s duty of serving aboard Yamato<\/em>. After certifying his skills, he joins the crew. His appearance is practically identical, his voice actor is the very same. His name – Shiro – means white, or “new.” Have we had a “new Kato\u201d yet? There are two candidates: Akio Yamamoto and Tsubasa Kato. Akio, who was “like a brother to Kato,” may have partially been created to tick that box early on. Or, given that Kato\u2019s son in 2202<\/em> has mysteriously manifested his father\u2019s eyebrow scar and a vested interest in his father’s fighter jet(s), maybe he\u2019s meant to fill the future shoes of “new Kato?” <\/p>\n

Writer’s Note 1: Whatever the case may be, Harutoshi Fukui – the Script Composer for the reboot series since 2202<\/em> – addressed this topic in a recent 2205<\/em> interview. He’s vowed to not introduce Shiro Kato or any “look-alikes” like him in any of his Yamato writing.
\n(Read the interview here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

Writer’s Note 2: Following the previous interview, Script Writer Hideki Oka addressed the topic once more in the 2205<\/em> Chapter 1 Program Book. This is what he had to say:
\n“I had many discussions with Mr. Fukui about whether Shiro Kato would exist or not in the world of 2205. We couldn\u2019t come to a conclusion, so we didn\u2019t show him on screen. I personally think he does exist, but if so I don\u2019t think he would have to be a fighter pilot.”
\n(Read the full interview here<\/a>.)<\/p>\n

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Captain Osamu Yamanami<\/h3>\n

Introduced in Be Forever<\/em> as “a former training instructor at the youth space warrior academy, and a friend of Okita\u2019s,\u201d Yamanami did little to stand out from the two previous Yamato<\/em> Captains, Okita and Hijikata. He was the lesser, proclaimed as such and he died a pitiful death. A sad character. <\/p>\n

For 2199<\/em>, he was introduced early on as Kirishima<\/em>‘s XO under Okita. When the ship was passed on to Hijikata, he went with it. Once Hijikata was banished to the 11th planet in 2202<\/em> and Kirishima<\/em> was decommissioned, Yamanami was tasked with Captaining Andromeda<\/em>. <\/p>\n

Throughout 2202<\/em>, he experienced an existential crisis. Receiving his original counterpart\u2019s “might makes right\u201d mindset, he pursued victory with the WMG fleet. After losing most of Earth\u2019s greatest warriors at the battle of Saturn, he wished to live and die aboard the newly refitted Andromeda<\/em>: Just like the revived Okita wished to do in Final Yamato<\/em>. But unlike Okita, Yamanami wasn\u2019t allowed to sacrifice himself. He\u2019s told to live and dust himself off, to live with the consequences of his actions. In 2205<\/em>, he fulfills his original\u2019s role as space warrior academy instructor, joining Yamato<\/em> on its new voyage to complete the circle.<\/p>\n

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Mio Sanada \/ Sasha<\/h3>\n

Who is Mio? A quirky, clairvoyant, childlike figure who was kept secret by Sanada for over a year to quell potential outrage over her existence. In an effort to keep her safe and repay his debt to his old friend Mamoru, he adopts her. She has two identities: Mio and Sasha. Of course, she\u2019s also Mamoru and Starsha\u2019s daughter, named after Starsha\u2019s deceased sister. Since Mamoru and Sanada were good friends, he feels indebted to him. For this reason, and to protect both her identity and Mamoru\u2019s position in the military, he adopts Sasha and renames her Mio (after his long-lost sister).<\/p>\n

For 2199<\/em>, Yurisha was created to help guide Yamato<\/em> on its trip to Iscandar. However, to create stronger intrigue – and a stronger connection to the original Sasha – she inherited several of Sasha\u2019s quirks and roles from Be Forever<\/em>. Clairvoyance, capable of feeling others and their position in the universe? Check. Active and emotional support for Kodai while Yuki\u2019s gone? Check. Can\u2019t understand the difference between her familial love for Starsha and others romantic love for Kodai? Check. Looks like Yuki, was kept secret for a year by Sanada (during her coma) and has a quirky personality? Check, check and check.<\/p>\n

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To create a strong metatextual bond between Yurisha and her genetic look-alike Yuki, the latter received Sasha\u2019s adoption story element. In 2199<\/em>, Yuki\u2019s parents died in an undisclosed tragic accident. After this tragedy, Ryu Hijikata adopted her as his own daughter. This was done to keep her safe from the media\u2019s prying eyes, but also because he was good friends with her parents, whom he feels indebted to. Kodai telling Sasha about her father\u2019s death? Shifted to Kodai telling Starsha about the original Sasha\u2019s death. <\/p>\n

What about Yuria Misaki, the third link? She fills the role of Yurisha\u2019s second identity, by means of possession. But how she acts as Yuria-sha more closely compares to a different classic Yamato<\/em> character named Ruda. We\u2019ll get to her soon enough!<\/p>\n

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Yamato III<\/em>\u2019s New Crew<\/h3>\n

Of the many new crew members originally introduced in Yamato III<\/em>, one was promoted to the very beginning of the reboot continuity: Hajime Hirata. Originally, he was introduced as a former classmate of Kodai\u2019s, who came from the same batch of students at the Space Warrior Academy. Just like Yamazaki, he\u2019d apparently always been on the ship, quietly serving his own purpose. In Yamato III<\/em> he was in charge of the Lifestyle Unit. (Which became the Logistics Unit in 2199<\/em>.) His main purpose is to guide the young, hot-blooded and rebellious academy graduate Domon. <\/p>\n

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Ryusuke Domon wants desperately to become the next Kodai, applying to join Yamato<\/em>\u2019s crew to fulfill his youthful ambition. But after his parents die in a missile collision caused by Galman-Gamilas, the young boy weeps and blames Kodai and Yamato<\/em> for not saving them. He applies for a gunnery position, but Kodai puts him in the Lifestyle Unit. In spite of this, he borrows a gun battery to prove his skills, hitting his target.<\/p>\n

Hirata becomes his “senpai\u201d – just like Hirata is a senpai to Kodai in 2199<\/em> – and proceeds to teach him that every department has a purpose; that Kodai\u2019s job isn\u2019t easy. After a short scene where Hirata explains how Kodai\u2019s efforts on the ship double that of other staff members – without due appreciation – he shows Domon a cup of lemon tea. “This is all I can do for him. But I do it nonetheless.\u201d Everyone has a purpose. And once Domon sees Kodai\u2019s appreciation for the tea, his doubts fade. His anger shifts to Galman-Gamilas. And he\u2019s later appointed Kodai\u2019s Tactical Chief.<\/p>\n

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In 2199<\/em>, Hirata\u2019s role remains unchanged. He makes his lemon tea, enjoys his position, was Kodai\u2019s classmate, and speaks highly of the man. But where\u2019s Domon\u2019s part in Hirata\u2019s story? It was relegated, in part, to Akira Yamamoto. She applies for a pilot\u2019s position, but is sent to the Logistics Unit on Kato\u2019s orders.<\/p>\n

Like Domon, Akira shares Kodai’s orphan status, something they bond over. She wants to desperately avenge her brother as a pilot, since he fell in battle with Garmillas. In their first fighter skirmish with Garmillas, she sneaks aboard a Cosmo Zero and proves her skills. Kodai explains to her the value of the Logistics Unit, but nevertheless allows her to join the Pilot Unit in recognition of said skills. Which brings us to Ageha.<\/p>\n

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Takeshi Ageha was a young, handsome, and initially cold genius pilot who applied to join Yamato<\/em> after his mother\u2019s choice to kill herself (over the cruelty that forces her son to fight for Earth\u2019s survival). Throughout Yamato III<\/em>, he establishes a friendship with Domon, rejects his father\u2019s desire to have him become the heir of his military contractor company, falls in love with a quirky brown-haired girl with an affinity for the supernatural, becomes Yamato<\/em>\u2019s next cool ace pilot, and finally gives his life to save Yamato<\/em> and the universe. Which allows the love of his life – Ruda – to remain happy. What a wealth of personality! Why isn\u2019t he a character in the reboot? Because he was split up into eight separate people.<\/p>\n

Cool, emotionally distant ace pilot who reveals their feelings only in battle? Akira Yamamoto.<\/p>\n

Heir to a military industrial giant who\u2019d rather join Yamato<\/em> and find true love? Nanbu.<\/p>\n

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Young, difficult to read boy who falls for a girl his age with supernatural abilities? Hoshina.<\/p>\n

Has a shaky bond with an engineer who knew his father? Shima.<\/p>\n

Gives his life by flying his fighter into an enemy structure for both Yamato<\/em> and the love of his life? Klaus Keyman.<\/p>\n

Lays down his life for an alien girl with a shaky promise, begging her to save Earth? Ito.<\/p>\n

Tragic love and a tearful embrace at the end? Kodai, but his suffering doesn\u2019t last.<\/p>\n

Businessman father affiliated with military production? Even that element has been redistributed, this time to the 2205<\/em> version of Domon.<\/p>\n

Given all this, we shouldn’t expect Ageha to appear in any capacity that closely resembles his Yamato III<\/em> counterpart.<\/p>\n

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\nMiyako Kyozuka and Heiji Bando<\/em><\/p>\n

What about the other Yamato III<\/em> academy recruits? They’ve almost all made their way into Yamato 2205<\/em>. Let’s review: Miyako Kyozuka was a medical student who studied under Dr. Sado, Heiji Bando was comedic relief and part of the technical division with Sanada, and Goro Raiden was the new Cosmo Hound\u2019s assistant pilot. For 2205<\/em>, these three have been given an early entry into the reboot universe, alongside the last remaining recruit from New Voyage: Shigeru Sakamoto. But it\u2019s all for a unified purpose.<\/p>\n


\nGoro\/Caroline Raiden and Shigeru Sakamoto<\/em><\/p>\n

These four characters, alongside Rysuke Domon and Tasuke Tokugawa, are all Youth Warrior Academy mates in 2205<\/em>. Miyako hangs out with everyone. Bando and Tokugawa are a duo who bond over their dead fathers. Domon\u2019s grown quiet ever since his father\u2019s death. Goro is part of the reboot universe, but this time he\u2019s the father of a recruit. 2205<\/em> establishes that Goro and his daughter Caroline left for Japan during the height of the Garmillan invasion of Earth. Over the years, she\u2019s become a hardened marine who shares a close bond with the smartmouthed ace pilot Sakamoto. He was expected to return, but one tidbit worth sharing is this: Sakamoto and Tetsuya Kitano never came back to the story after the original New Voyage<\/em>. They appeared in the Be Forever<\/em> Playstation 2 game, but otherwise stayed “off camera” until the 2021 Aquarius Algorithm<\/em> novel.<\/p>\n


\nHaruo Nishina and Namio Sakamaki<\/em><\/p>\n

Two other recruits from Yamato III<\/em> also returned in 2205<\/em> Part 1: Namio Sakamaki (Gunnery Captain) and Haruo Nishina (Gunner). Namio serves as Hyuga<\/em>\u2019s Tactical Chief while Nishina serves as Yamato<\/em>\u2019s Gunnery Captain in place of Nanbu. According to the 2205 Character Profiles, Namio has served on Yamato<\/em> since 2199<\/em> as its First Gunner. In 2202<\/em>, he served aboard a manned Dreadnought at the Mars Front in the year 2203, breaking the twin-gun long distance record. He’s a longtime friend and rival of Nishina. Nishina was originally set to join Yamato<\/em> in 2199<\/em>, but had to stay behind due to injuries. We can infer that these were incurred during the Garmillan bombing run on Yamato<\/em> in the first two episodes. <\/p>\n

Writer’s Note: This article previously stated that Dairoku Akagi from Yamato III<\/em> made his return as well. But following the 2205 website’s second Character and Mecha profiles update, Akagi has been disconfirmed. The name of this new character is Shoji Wakasa. That said, this doesn’t rule out whether or not he’ll fulfill Akagi’s small role in spirit. Shoji is a survivor from the Enceladus garrison that first encountered Baruze’s Gatlantean army at Saturn in 2202<\/em>. He’s joined this voyage to help educate new engine staff, such as the new character Kuri Tetsuo. <\/p>\n


\nShoji Wakasa, Dairoku Akagi and the group portrait<\/em><\/p>\n

One more thing before we close off on this new group of characters. In one scene of 2205<\/em> Part 1, we are treated to a graduation photo. At this point in the movie, we recognize all but two: The tall man standing behind Caroline and the short-haired boy at the far left (who looks suspiciously like Ageha). <\/p>\n

In a March 2022 Yamatalk event, the list of candidates for participation in this photo has confidently increased, but at the same time become so much more apparent. Takeshi Ageha and Tetsuya Kitano\u2019s big brother (a new role created for Kitano\u2019s Be Forever<\/em> PS2 game counterpart) are both set to return in REBEL 3199<\/em>, which begins in 2207. Bearing this in mind, the boy on the far left is almost definitely Ageha. <\/p>\n

As for the scarred man, he\u2019s either Caroline Raiden\u2019s American father Goro Raiden – who writers Fukui and Oka have confirmed exists – or, based on his similarity to Tetsuya Kitano, he\u2019s the latter\u2019s older brother and a senior space academy faculty member.<\/p>\n

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Makoto Harada, Saburo Kato and his father<\/h3>\n

Makoto Harada was a fresh, new character introduced in 2199<\/em>. She filled the conceptual shoes of Dr. Sado\u2019s head nurse from Yamato III<\/em>, Miyako Kyozuka – who returns for 2205<\/em>. But what about Makoto\u2019s personality and character? Let\u2019s get into the history:<\/p>\n

Two arcs from Yamato III<\/em> inspired her creation.
\n1: The Pioneer family arc.
\n2: Akiko Todo and Yoshikazu Aihara\u2019s romance. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

The Pioneer family is a short 2-episode arc in Yamato III<\/em> that plays concurrently with the Reflex Gun base arc, dealing with three Earthling emmigrants who\u2019ve lived on the uninhabited icy planet of Barnard’s Star Planet 4 for at least a year. The SOS signal sent out by the son of the family was given to Mamoru Kodai\u2019s ship in 2199<\/em>\u2019s 4th episode. <\/p>\n

This family\u2019s composed of a traditionalist old man, his compliant son and his pregnant wife. A radiation sickness spreads, caused by their poor living conditions. It takes the life of the old man, his son and possibly\u2026 the unborn child. But whether or not he\u2019ll born with defects or complications, the pioneer\u2019s daughter heads back to Earth on an evacuation shuttle, intending to raise the child regardless of consequences.<\/p>\n

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Akiko and Aihara\u2019s romance was a sweet and bubbly relief from the harsh battles and struggles against nature that were emblematic of the Yamato III<\/em> story. Out of pure coincidence related to their positions in life, they meet at an airport, bonding over common human decency. But when time comes for Yamato<\/em> to head out, Aihara has doubts about leaving Akiko behind. If they fail, he\u2019ll never see her again. He doesn\u2019t even know her name. Eventually, it turns out that she\u2019s the daughter of Commander Todo, who comes to visit just before they leave. Aihara\u2019s overcome with embarrassment, but shows open affection for Akiko. Later, when they part ways, he promises he\u2019ll come back once they\u2019ve found a new home for Earth.<\/p>\n

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2199<\/em> took the kernels of potential from these arcs and spread them out, weaving a subtle background narrative. Makoto borrows the general appearance and role of the pioneer\u2019s daughter and Akiko. The basic premise of the traditionalist pioneer, his son and Aihara\u2019s poor romance skills were transferred to Ace Pilot Saburo Kato and his strict Buddhist monk father. Kato and Makoto meet each other regularly, seeing as Kato keeps hurting his hand by punching lockers. They bond off-screen, culminating in a moment of mutual embarrassment during the line-crossing ceremony, when Kato compliments Makoto for her cute maid outfit. It\u2019s later revealed that she fell for him that day. <\/p>\n

Early on in Yamato<\/em>\u2019s voyage to Iscandar, Makoto ends up locked inside an irradiated spaceship on the icy moon of Enceladus. Near the end of their journey, she gets pregnant with Kato\u2019s child and does her best to force Saburo to reject his father\u2019s traditionalist dogma. They get married onboard. However, she\u2019s worried their child will be born with complications due to the conditions they\u2019ve faced in space\u2026 and she was absolutely correct. <\/p>\n

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2202<\/em> presents the harsh, unseen follow-up to the pioneer arc from Yamato III<\/em>. Makoto\u2019s child was born with planet bomb syndrome, Okita\u2019s sickness. And Yamato<\/em> has to once again leave Earth to save the universe from a cataclysmic event. Only this time, Kato isn\u2019t sure he can leave. He wants to, but he doesn\u2019t want to abandon his wife and daughter. Torn between his duty and his family life, Makoto holds him, telling him to go. She\u2019ll wait for him. Unfortunately – unlike Aihara – Kato never came home. The fate of the pioneer\u2019s son couldn\u2019t be avoided.<\/p>\n

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Akiko Todo<\/h3>\n

While we\u2019ve dipped into part of Akiko Todo\u2019s romance with Aihara in Yamato III<\/em>, this doesn\u2019t cover the full spectrum of inspiration taken from this character. As with Dagon, seemingly every single aspect of her has been utilized in the reboot. Let\u2019s dive in.<\/p>\n

Akiko was Commander Todo\u2019s daughter, an old fashioned beauty of a youth with a gentle heart, carrying both knowledge and appreciation for family, flowers, universal peace and a romantic disposition. She’s a Yamato<\/em> nadeshiko (meaning “personification of an idealized Japanese woman\u201d) in everything, black hair exempt. When she first meets Aihara, they bury a dead bird in a mound dressed with white Chrysanthemum flowers. She explains what they mean, gifting one to Aihara as a token of remembrance. When they part ways, Aihara expresses a deep disappointment in not having asked Akiko for her name. More on this in the “Yamato III<\/em> Elements\u201d section.<\/p>\n

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2199<\/em> gave Akiko\u2019s romance and kindness to Makoto and her knowledge of the language of flowers to Yurisha. The meaning of the Azure crystal flowers, however, was “life.” These flowers came to aid Yuki, rather than ending up as being symbolic for her hinted-at death. Akiko being the object of love for Aihara was shifted to Yuki becoming the object of love for Norran, a character who stands in for both Lt. Alphon from Be Forever<\/em> and Aihara in terms of romance.<\/p>\n

2202<\/em> gave Akiko\u2019s gentle disposition and sensitive heart to Commander Todo\u2019s deceased wife, Chiaki Todo. The love for chrysanthemum flowers in particular was split between Chiaki and her daughter Saki, who both expressed joy at seeing these flowers of death in a flashback. Where Chiaki splits from Akiko however, is when she takes her own life to escape the cruelty of a war-torn world. Unlike Chiaki, her daughter Saki does live on in spite of the hardships, intending to create a better world no matter the cost.<\/p>\n

The connection between Akiko and Chiaki has a real-world aspect as well: the same voice actress performed both roles.<\/p>\n

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Narratively, Saki became an embodied bastardization of the hopeful message Akiko Todo carried almost 30 years ago. Akiko\u2019s hope came to naught, because the world hasn\u2019t changed much since then. Japan\u2019s birth rates have plummeted, compliance and conformity to the general idea that “things will just get better\u201d have given the next generation a bitter world and responsibility they\u2019d rather not have. Young women like Saki represent a cold, realistic approach to Akiko\u2019s mentality from Yamato III<\/em>: that gentleness and love is unbearable in the modern world. To survive, we need to steel ourselves, fight our emotions and become baby-making machines to ensure mankind survives the next century. Thankfully, love and hope returns to Saki\u2019s eyes come the end of 2202<\/em>. A hope for tomorrow.<\/p>\n

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Captain Dan<\/h3>\n

Captain Dan was a quiet and rugged weather satellite engineer who sent an SOS to Yamato<\/em> in Episode 11 of Yamato III<\/em>, calling for their aid. Once he\u2019s temporarily picked up, he reunites with Takeshi Ageha, the son of an old friend. Aboard Yamato<\/em>, he experiences the injustice of superior officers like him receiving better meals, while cadets receive what\u2019s comparatively from the gutter. He bonds with Ageha. He questions why Yamato<\/em>\u2019s mission supersedes his own, how they can leave him with his problems. But slowly, he accepts what must be done to protect Earth\u2019s interests.<\/p>\n

Eventually, his station\u2019s attacked by Dagon. He slowly bleeds out, but not before Ageha has the chance to see him. That\u2019s when he tells the boy that he should believe in Earth\u2019s future, that they shouldn\u2019t give up the dream of peace. That his dad is proud of him. Ageha cries his heart out as Dan fades away.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

For 2199<\/em>\u2019s 11th episode, Dan\u2019s story was restructured. The quiet and reserved engineer role was given to Yamazaki, as was his connection to Ageha\u2019s (read: Shima\u2019s) dad, Daigo. Along with his surprise connection to Daigo, Yamazaki also reveals the truth behind mankind\u2019s first contact with Garmillas to Shima. At the time, Captain Okita was ordered to fire at the aliens before they gained the initiative. Okita refused, but later came to ponder whether or not he made the right decision as a soldier. This was inherited from Captain Dan.<\/p>\n

During that first battle, Sho Yamazaki served under Shima\u2019s dad, Captain Daigo Shima. When first contact was confirmed, Daigo told his son that he was going to talk with the aliens, that peace with them was possible. Ironically enough, he was forced to be the first to fire, since Okita refused. This resulted in Daigo\u2019s death, a plum role he inherited from Dan. He told Yamazaki to tell his son that peace with the aliens is still possible. Several years later, Yamazaki imparts this knowledge to Shima, who\u2019s just as hurt as Ageha was. <\/p>\n

The sparse food situation and commentary about how it can affect morale? It became a subtheme of Episode 15, depicted and delivered by Yabu, Hirata and Sanada.<\/p>\n

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Professor Simon<\/h3>\n

Professor Simon was a fairly minor character in Yamato III<\/em>. During his tenure as acclaimed researcher, he discovers that a planet-destroying missile has spelled premature doom to our Sun. Presenting this data to the EF President, he\u2019s told to wait for more expert opinions before he can publish it; before he can act on Simon\u2019s proposal to either fix the Sun or emigrate from Earth. The experts later come to laugh at Simon\u2019s data, denying it on the basis of improbability.<\/p>\n

In 2202<\/em>, Professor Redrauz was introduced to help better bridge knowledge of the ancient Akerius progenitor race to the audience. In his introduction – mirroring Simon\u2019s – he presents data and a proposition to the Interim Military Governor of the 11th Planet, Captain Hijikata. He wants to mount an expedition to planet Stravase, known for its Akerius ruins. The knowledge to be gained from these ruins, according to him, could help Earth advance in ways unimaginable. But just like the EF president, Hijikata shuts him down and tells him to wait for official approval from Earth. <\/p>\n

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Captain Mizutani and the EDF Officers<\/h3>\n

Not just a great band name!<\/em><\/p>\n

Final Yamato<\/em> tried realizing the unexplored idea behind a WMG-fleet in two stages. <\/p>\n

1: After a mass departure from Earth, an initial battle at Saturn is held. Most of the WMG-fleet is routed and lost, but not Mizutani.<\/p>\n

2: The eight surviving ships unite under Captain Mizutani. They aid Yamato<\/em>\u2019s crew at the movie\u2019s midpoint, with one ship and officer taking a missile barrage for Yamato<\/em>. This officer goes down with a salute. At two separate instances, Mizutani and his destroyer Fuyuzuki<\/em> help evacuate ships that are beyond repair. It happens again near the end of the movie when Fuyuzuki<\/em> takes on Yamato<\/em>\u2019s surviving crew, before Okita sets out to stop Aquarius.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

2202<\/em> adapted every scene involving the WMG-fleet, but with some added flavor and depth. Captain Mizutani was split up between Kozo Tani of the Aldebaran<\/em> and Tetsutaro Ozaki of the Watatsumi<\/em>. The unnamed officer who gave his life to save Yamato<\/em> split his duties with Shuntaro Yasuda of the Apollo Norm<\/em> and Kozo Tani, who himself is partially inspired by the Andromeda<\/em> Captain from Farewell<\/em>. <\/p>\n

At 2202<\/em>‘s battle of Saturn, Captain Ozaki commands the Enceladus Defense Force. He receives the brunt of Gatlantis surprise attack, being left with only six Kongo-class ships and eight escorts. After receiving aid from the Andromeda<\/em> fleet, his surviving ships presumably retreat to Mars for repairs. Later at Saturn, the WMG-fleet is almost completely wiped out. As most of the ships sink into the White Comet\u2019s anti-gravity, Yasuda of the Apollo Norm<\/em> uses the last of his fuel to push Yamanami and his Andromeda<\/em> away. He then shields Andromeda<\/em> with his own ship from anti-gravity missiles, going down with a salute.<\/p>\n

Andromeda<\/em> then proceeds to help evacuate Yamato<\/em>\u2019s crew from the field. At the battle of Mars, Kozo Tani likewise shields Garmillan ambassador Burrel from heavy missile fire. The ships he used were automated, so he remained unschathed. <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

In Episode 25, Ozaki is present for Yamato<\/em>\u2019s second evacuation with his Watatsumi<\/em> ship. He leads the effort and escorts the remaining crew back to Earth, fulfilling his role as 2202<\/em>\u2019s version of Mizutani.<\/p>\n

<\/br><\/p>\n

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