Section One: The Pirates

Captain Harlock Captain of the space pirate ship Arcadia, approximately twenty-eight years of age. Harlock feels disillusioned with the earth and his people, and has left to seek his destiny in the Sea of Stars (what we less bombastic folks call "space"). He has not forsaken his home, nor completely lost hope in humanity, he merely seeks a higher standard. Those who choose to accompany him aboard the Arcadia are bound by no oath beyond the promise to fight for their own beliefs. His priorities lie in personal honor and duty to his conscience above any sense of prescribed duty to the State; an Objectivist or an Anarchist, depending on your point of view (though Harlock also has a healthy disdain for the indulgent rich and cares far too much for the welfare of others to really qualify as an Objectivist; indeed, in hoarding the food stolen form the earth government, he is essentially doing their job for them by safeguarding the future of earth's citizens). While an historical pirate fought only for personal wealth, Harlock's status as a pirate is earned by his defiance of the system. Rock on, man! Harlock's youth is mostly unknown; aside from his claim that he was "born an outlaw," the Space Pirate series doesn't delve into much about where Harlock came from, picking up the story when Harlock is in his twenties and traveling with Tochiro Oyama. In My Youth in Arcadia, Harlock is seen first serving as an officer in the Earth's Solar Federation, but whether he began as a military officer or joined up later to help combat the Illumidas invasion is never specified, though the battleship he commands in that war, the Deathshadow, certainly has its share of Jolly Rogers. The film also features the only existing account of the loss of Harlock's right eye, though he begins the story with his scar unexplained (and it remains unexplained.) In spite of its title, the film doesn't say much about Harlock's youth, either, other than that he grew up in Heiligenstadt, Austria, where he met Maya, the woman who may have been his wife (not to be confused with Mayu, Harlock's goddaughter.) In spite of all his efforts, Harlock always remains unwelcome on earth, but continues to struggle for his world's safety regardless, and invariably returns to his vigil even after securing earth's victory over its invaders.

Toshiro "Tochiro" Oyama Tochiro is Harlock's best friend and designer/builder of the space battleship Arcadia. What he lacks in height-which is considerable-he makes up for in brains and sheer tenacity. Despite his general awkwardness around women (which is more or less matched by his enthusiasm for them,) he succeeds in winning the love of fellow space pirate Emeraldas. In the original Space Pirate series, the two have a child, Mayu, though in every other Harlock story, the pair are in love but seem damned to spend their lives apart. Eventually, Tochiro succumbs to illness, but the Arcadia's central computer retains his consciousness, allowing Tochiro to become one with his creation. While the Galaxy Express 999 and Endless Road SSX versions of Tochiro's death-both attributed to an "incurable space disease"-make no bones about the fact that Tochiro deliberately transfers his mind into the computer (from within the wreck of Harlock's old ship, the Deathshadow) Space Pirate is more enigmatic about the whole affair. In fact, as the computer itself remains mute throughout most of the series, Tochiro's post-mortem presence on the Arcadia is treated very much in the manner of a haunting. Working under great stress and a bad case of anemia, he trades his life for his creation (shades of Hiram Abiff here; at least Tochiro got to keep his bowels.) In 999, he contracts his illness while in pursuit of the murderous Count Mecha, while in SSX, most poignantly, he becomes ill after passing unprotected through a wormhole in a desperate attempt to save Emeraldas from certain death. In no version of the story is Tochiro killed in battle and buried in the wreck of one or the other Arcadia, despite what has been claimed elsewhere. The film My Youth in Arcadia is the only source for Tochiro's proper name, Toshiro. "Tochiro" is actually a nickname, as an American might substitute Rick for Richard (though most nicknames aren't the exact same length as the proper name. I didn't invent the damn language.)

Queen Emeraldas Sharing her name with her vessel, Emeraldas (note the spelling; it's not "Esmerelda") first describes herself in My Youth in Arcadia as a "free space trader," (never mind the abundant skulls-and-crossbones on her ship and attire,) a status which undoubtedly changed when she threw her lot in with Harlock, Tochiro, and the Tokargans, a decision which symbolically promotes her to the status of hero, and rewards her with the same painful-looking scar that many other Matsumoto heroes have earned in the process, including Harlock, Zoll of Tokarga, and Antales. In the Space Pirate series, it's somewhat reversed: Emeralda (as she's known in the original series) is already fighting the good fight, and Harlock and Tochiro eventually throw in their lot with her. If Emeraldas were a highschool student, she'd probably spend a lot of time writing depressing poetry about dying trees and wearing pasty-faced makeup; she mostly lives a solitary existence aboard her otherwise empty battleship (in the Eternal Voyager Emeraldas TV special, she actually does have a crew, but they don't live to see the end credits,) pining for her lost love Tochiro and all too willing to believe that fate will give her no rest. She'll never back down from a fight, but she's far less fulfilled by her destiny than Harlock, and anyone outside her immediate circle of friends is likely to regard her with great fear and apprehension. She shares a strong friendship with Galaxy Express 999's Maeter (newer anime has them as sisters, though this obviously wasn't the case in the older stories,) and feels a detached fondness for Tetsuro Hoshino, but doesn't really let anyone get too close to her, even abandoning her own daughter after the pain of Tochiro's death. Emeraldas is not known to actually be queen of anything.

Tadashi Daiba The newest member of Harlock's crew in the Space Pirate series, Tadashi is the son of Dr. Tsuyoshi Daiba, an astronomer murdered by the invading Mazone. His mother Mitsuko died in an accident on Neptune's moon Triton and was blamed for the incident by the earth government to cover up their own mishandling of the affair; consequently, Tadashi feels little love for the earth. Harlock invites him to board the Arcadia as a member of the crew, which, after some initial skepticism, Tadashi accepts, as it affords him his best chance to kill as many Mazone as he can. While he never abandons his quest for vengeance, he does mellow out somewhat after his bloodlust comes close to getting him killed on multiple occasions. He becomes good friends with Kei Yuki, though the two never become romantically involved. Tadashi appeared again in Harlock Saga, carrying on the (unspecified) work of his late father. Against the advice of a mysterious blond who departs on a mysterious train, Tadashi agrees to forge a gold ring for Alberich of the Nibelungen clan, who takes it and leaves Tadashi for dead. Tochiro arrives too late to stop Alberich, and invites Tadashi to join him and fight aboard the Arcadia, as his father had once done. All this happens in a single episode, and Tadashi is given precious little to do throughout the remainder of the series. Perhaps if the entire Ring Cycle had been animated, instead of merely the first part, we'd have seen some more development. Most recently, Tadashi appeared in Endless Odyssey, wherein most of his story from Space Pirate is repeated: his father is killed, and he boards the Arcadia to seek revenge. He's not so outright blood-lusty as in the original series, but his recklessness still causes much trouble for his newfound comrades. Tadashi Daiba is in no way related to Tadashi Monono from Endless Road SSX.

Kei Yuki At only sixteen years of age, Kei is nevertheless ranked as one of the Arcadia's staff officers. After assaulting a military officer, she was rescued by Harlock when he raided the ship transporting her back to earth (and prison.) Her own family dead, Kei chooses to remain on the Arcadia and becomes her navigator and science officer. The youngest crew member next to the fourteen-year-old Tadashi Daiba, Kei makes it her business to watch over the hotheaded newcomer and try to keep him out of trouble, saving his life on numerous occasions. While far more levelheaded than he, she's not one to be trifled with, and is a crack shot in a gunfight, as well as a hell of a shamisen player. Kei also appeared in both 999 films (on the green Arcadia now,) as well the Endless Road SSX series. In SSX, Kei becomes one of Harlock's crew after her father, a newspaper publisher specializing in anti-Illumidas propaganda, sacrifices himself to protect the Arcadia. She becomes a big sister to the young Revi Bentselle, and risks her life to obtain medicine to diagnose Tochiro's worsening medical condition. Within her subconcious, Kei holds the key to the Treasure Island of space, which may contain the secret to earth's salvation. In the Endless Odyssey series, Kei has moved up the ladder to captain of her own ship and crew, but she is captured early on and used as bait, along with the Arcadia's other alumni, to draw Harlock into a trap. It naturally fails, and Kei afterwards rejoins the crew of the Arcadia. An early Captain Harlock TV series book, written in english and obviously published before the show had been made, states that Kei has a good understanding of biology, and makes the badly-translated and hilarious assertion that "she helps Harlock biologically." However, she doesn't, either way you interpret it.

First Mate Yattaran Never mind the responsibility of defending an ungrateful earth from an alien invasion; Yattaran's real area of devotion lies in building plastic model kits of World War II planes and tanks, the Arcadia itself, and even the Space Cruiser Yamato-wave motion gun and all. Anything else pales in importance. A mathematical prodigy who was doing advanced calculus in his grade school years, Yattaran ran away from highschool when a cute girl gave him the brush-off (hey, we've all been there.) He happened across the Arcadia at a time when the ship was having some maintenance issues, and demonstrated a knowledge of the inner workings of the spacecraft second only to Tochiro Oyama, her designer and builder. Yattaran and the Arcadia's medical officer, Dr. Zero, had been friends in their school days, and were reunited when Yattaran joined the crew. Yattaran gets the occasional chance to play captain whenever Harlock is away from the ship, and augments his normal outfit with a tablecloth cape for the occasion. Though he often seems single-minded in the pursuit of his hobby, inside he longs for someone to share his interests. Yattaran also appeared in Harlock Saga, where he appears on the Arcadia alongside Tochiro for the first time, and in the Endless Odyssey mini-series. Yattaran is based upon Matsumoto's real-life pal Kaoru Shintani, creator of Area 88 and plastic model enthusiast.

Mimay Mimay is the last survivor of the Juran race in the Antares system. Jura was stripped of all animal life when Mazone infiltrators incited the inhabitants to nuclear combat, in order to create a garden paradise for their queen, Lafresia. Rescued by a young Harlock, Mimay pledged her life to him in return, and became his closest companion. The precise nature of their relationship is never specified, though she is clearly quite capable of the occasional flash of jealousy. Mimay appears to have no mouth, but can absorb liquid through her general mouth area, and subsists entirely on alcohol (much like the ship's doctor.) She also possesses formidable psionic powers, and while generally quiet and retiring, she has no qualms about blowing Mazone soldiers full of holes when the need arises. Mimay is the only member of the crew that Harlock allows to accompany him when he finally leaves earth for good. She appears in the original Space Pirate series, as well as both Galaxy Express 999 (the movie) and Adieu, Galaxy Express 999, and in the Endless Odyssey mini-series. In a sharp contrast, Mimay appeared in Harlock Saga as a completely human-looking woman, but with a similar history and abilities. In Wagner's Ring Cycle, (which, according to Matsumoto, was always the source of the character's name) on which this anime is based, Mimay was a male, and his name was spelled "Mime." (I've spelled it differently for what I should think would be obvious reasons.) In Harlock Saga, Mimay is of the long-lost Nibelungen clan, sister to Alberich, and instead of playing the harp, she plays a huge pipe organ that controls time. Mimay guards the Rheingold, a substance with the power to undo Valhalla, homeworld of the gods, and the universe with it. She and Harlock still seem to share their "special friendship," and we still aren't told just how deep that runs. Mimay should not be confused with La Mimay, who appears in the Arcadia feature and the SSX series.

Dr. Zero Dr. Zero is one of Matsumoto's recurring character types, i.e. the perpetually drunk medical officer. His drinking never seems to interfere with his practice; in fact, he even prescribes a good shot of saké on occasion. Dr. Zero's research into Mazone physiology allowed for the creation of the Mazone detectors attached to the sidearms used by Harlock and co. throughout the original series. He has no known family, and dotes on his orange tabby cat Mi (a version of whom appears in nearly every Matsumoto anime) as if it were his own child. His passion for saké frequently puts him at odds with the ship's cook Miss Masu, who doesn't take kindly to having her supplies pilfered. Dr. Zero doesn't tend to become involved in combat, but he can fly a space fighter when the need arises, or when the Mazone really piss him off.

Chief Engineer Maji Maji was once an officer in the Earth Federation fleet, and served as chief engineer on the Braves under Captain Yamanaka. He unwittingly married a Mazone spy who bore him a daughter (Mazone reproduce asexually) named Midori. After the death of his wife at the hands of Captain Yamanaka, his daughter was kidnapped by other Mazone, and Maji boarded the Arcadia after learning Harlock was investigating the same aliens he suspected were responsible for Midori's disappearance. He eventually finds her, but the reunion, alas, is not a happy one. Maji has a fondness for young Mayu Oyama, as she reminds him of his lost daughter. He's small in stature-like almost all of the Arcadia's crew-but that doesn't stop him from facing down Harlock when he believes Midori is in danger. After the war with the Mazone is won, Maji oversees the construction of a home for children orphaned in the conflict.

Masu Tsunajima Miss Masu is the Arcadia's resident cook. Whether or not her culinary skill is up to snuff may never be known, as none of the crew particularly care to get on the bad side of a woman who waves and hurls carving knives about when she's in a bad mood. She's forever threatening to add Mr. Bird and Dr. Zero's pet cat Mi to the menu after catching them raiding her supplies for the umpteenth time, and has no truck with picky eaters. She also must keep a close eye on her saké to keep it out of the good doctor's hands. Masu is unmarried and has no children, mistakenly believing that her true love Gozo Otowara deliberately stood her up on the night of the summer festival. Though she eventually learns the truth, she has only the time for a few words of reconciliation before Gozo is lost to the Mazone. Miss Masu appeared first in the original Space Pirate Captain Harlock series, and would not be seen again until the Endless Odyssey mini-series.

Kiddodo and Taro Ama Two of Maji's engineering staff, Kiddodo (the short one) and Taro Ama (the less short one) spend much of their off-duty time playing chess and racing mice. Kiddodo's claim to fame is his direct descent from the ancient pirate Captain Kidd; Taro Ama's claim to fame is, apparently, that his pal Kiddodo is descended from Captain Kidd.

Tadashi Monono Tadashi Monono is a young orphan who has lost his entire family to the Illumidas invasion. With virtually no money for food, Tadashi decides to kill Harlock for the sizable bounty placed on his head (in the Endless Road SSX series.) Harlock wins the duel, but spares Tadashi's life, and invites the homeless boy aboard the Arcadia, where his low opinion of Tochiro's cooking earns him the position of ship's cook. He eventually learns to pilot a Spacewolf, and becomes a big brother to the young castaway Revi Bentselle, whether he likes it or not. While nowhere near as bloodthirsty as his counterpart Tadashi Daiba in the Space Pirate series, Tadashi is still eager for some payback against the Illumidas, and has very definite notions of what a "real man" should be expected to put up with. His admiration of Harlock and Tochiro's courage causes him to act rashly at times, but he also comes through in a clinch on several occasions, and proves himself as a valuable member of the crew and someone to whom Harlock can pass the torch when the time comes for him to depart. Tadashi Monono appears only in the SSX series, and is in no way related to either Tadashi Daiba or Galaxy Express 999's Tetsuro Hoshino, with whom he is often confused.

La Mimay La Mimay is of the Alozaran race in the Algol system, a world which, like Tokarga, was conquered and milked dry by the Illumidas. She is first seen working as a secretary for Prime Minister Triter, the spineless puppet leader of the Illumidas-occupied earth (as seen in My Youth in Arcadia.) She warns Zoll of Tokarga, whom she has fallen in love with, that his planet is set to be destroyed (a job which they had offered to Harlock, and which he flatly refused,) and they form an alliance with Harlock, Emeraldas, and Tochiro, who has built the Arcadia in secret beneath the Illumidas Occupation Force HQ. After Harlock is banished from earth, La Mimay remains with him as chief of communications. La Mimay is deathly afraid of the sentient glowing disk the Arcadia encounters in its travels, believing it to be the "Golden Goddess" of Alozaran legend, whose appearance supposedly signals the ends of all things. When it becomes apparent that the way to the mythical planet Arcadia (which Harlock and company are seeking in the SSX series,) is guarded by the golden being, she only very reluctantly agrees that the ship should press on. La Mimay is not the same character as the Mimay that appeared in Space Pirate and Galaxy Express, possessing no psychic abilities, and never said to be alcohol-dependent. A character chart in the My Youth in Arcadia Roman Album lists the two as blood relatives, but frankly, this is clearly bunk; the two are entirely different species, and never once meet. She is also not, as has been misreported, a cyborg, though a cyborg spy does impersonate La Mimay in SSX episode nine.

Dr. Ban Ban is the Arcadia's medical officer in the SSX series. He was rescued by Harlock when his ship was attacked by the Seawolves (a bunch of real space pirates,) who murdered all passengers but himself and his charge, Revi Bentselle. A gruff but kind man, and one of the only Matsumoto doctors who doesn't have a bottle in his mouth 24/7, Ban ultimately diagnoses Tochiro's space sickness as terminal, and struggles to keep the bad news from the rest of the crew, at Tochiro's insistence. Despite his promise, he must eventually tell Harlock of his friend's impending death. In Galaxy Express 999, Maeter's father, whose spirit is contained in the amulet she wears, is also named "Dr. Ban," but there's no indication ever given that the two characters are supposed to be one and the same; indeed, it seems outright impossible that there could be any connection between them at all. Don't ask me, man; I only work here.

Revi Bentselle Revi is a young girl who was traveling home to earth with Dr. Ban when a group of brigands named the Seawolves attacked her transport, killing everyone else aboard. She had hoped to be reunited with her father, a former Solar Federation captain, upon her return to earth, but circumstances have forced her to remain aboard the Arcadia. Her father has been shanghaied into Illumidas servitude, but he ultimately calls off his attack upon the Arcadia in order not to place his daughter in jeopardy, withdrawing from the field of combat and entrusting her care to Harlock. Revi is unaware of her father's new role as a reluctant Illumidas lackey, and believes he will return to see her at Christmastime, which, unknown to her, he does, just in time to save the Arcadia and his daughter from destruction. Following the Illumidas defeat, Harlock leaves Revi on earth with Tadashi Monono and Dr. Ban before returning to the Sea of Stars once more.

Chief Engineer Doscoi The Arcadia's chief engineer in the SSX series, Doscoi is frustrated by the long journey in search of the mythical planet Arcadia. He begins to believe that Harlock in fact knows the location of Arcadia, but is feigning ignorance for some ulterior purpose. When a cyborg spy infiltrates the ship, Doscoi is framed for the sabotage of the main engines, and he and Tadashi Monono almost throw down over Tadashi's accusations of betrayal. Once the spy is revealed, Tadashi apologizes, and after giving him a good-natured punch in the face, Doscoi accepts the "kid" as a fellow pirate and comrade.

Mr. Bird Bird is both Harlock and Tochiro's pet, and in the feature My Youth in Arcadia, he is seen to have been the pet of Zoll's sister Mira, and endlessly mimics her pleas for her brother's return. How exactly he (or she) fits a spine, esophagus, windpipe, or musculature within his hair-thin neck is a forever-unanswered mystery. He's clearly smarter than your average bird, recognizing Tochiro's eyeglasses after six years, (not to mention recalling his old master's fondness for diesel-powered ships,) but still constantly risks what neck he has stealing food from Miss Masu's kitchen. His beak is often kept tied shut to prevent such indiscretions, but it rarely seems to slow him down. His kleptomania coupled with his smoking and saké drinking make him a very bad role model for the kiddies, and parents should take care to ensure that their little ones aren't following Bird down the long road to Hell.

Mi-Kun In Space Pirate Captain Harlock, Mi (whose name is a shortening of Mimay, from The Ring of the Nibelungen, the second character name to be inspired from that source) is the pet of Dr. Zero, who acquired him one rainy night when Mi's mom, who was injured and probably not long for this world, dropped her kitten off at the doctor's office. The lonely Zero gratefully accepted his new "son" and took him along after joining the Arcadia's crew. Along with Mr. Bird, Mi makes it a habit to snatch any food that isn't nailed down-which includes most food, frankly-and has even been trained by his lush of a master to steal saké bottles from the kitchen (I'd hate to be bitten by a cat with such jaw strength,) proving once again that a life of crime can be blamed on one's upbringing. In Endless Road SSX, Mi-kun is found and taken aboard by Revi when the Arcadia is restocking its stores, not realizing the kitten contains an implant that allows the Illumidas to eavesdrop on Harlock and the crew. The device is safely removed and, under Revi's care, Mi-kun grows up to be a nice, law-abiding cat. Mi-kun also appears in Space Cruiser Yamato as Dr. Sado's cat, in Galaxy Express 999: Eternal Fantasy as Tetsuro Hoshino's cat, and in enough other places that it should come as no surprise to find that Mi-kun was Matsumoto's own cat.

Wawa the robot Appearing only in a few episodes of the Space Pirate Captain Harlock series, ship's robot Wawa describes himself as "a genius who can do anything." We can only take his word on this issue, as he has a scant amount of screen time. No explanation is ever given as to why the robot has such an exceedingly silly name, but the universe is full of mysteries.

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