Cyborg Sanada
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 and we later learned that they were written out of the story altogether. At least in the anime.
Michio Murakawa’s still-unfinished 2199 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.
See more in an analysis of the manga flashback here.
Mamoru Kodai
For 2199, Mamoru’s 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 and eventual demise in Be Forever unadapted. Except it wasn’t.
When the new character Norran (who we’ll get into later) abducts Yuki in 2199 Episode 20, his commander recreates Mamoru’s suicide-bomber smokescreen to allow Norran to escape with “Yurisha” and bring honor to their home planet Zalts. Later, in Ark of the Stars, the veteran Galunt pilot Vance (of the Berger fleet) fills Mamoru’s shoes. How? More to come in the New Voyage elements’ battles section.
Akira Yamamoto
Akira was given a gender-bender treatment for 2199, 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’s original counterparts from Yamato III. More to come on them.
Tasuke Tokugawa, Sho Yamazaki and Tetsuya Kitano
This trio of characters was originally introduced in New Voyage. Tasuke is Tokugawa’s 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 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’s assistant, filling half of the conceptual role of Captain Dan from Yamato III. Near 2202’s end, Tokugawa tells Yamazaki to fill his shoes when he dies. Kitano? He’s mostly been a rookie relief officer for Kodai in times of trouble. In 2205, he’s in charge of training Yamato’s new recruits, edging closer to his original counterpart.
Shiro Kato
This one’s more complex. In Be Forever, Shiro is introduced as Kato’s younger brother, who vows to fulfill his brother’s duty of serving aboard Yamato. 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” 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’s son in 2202 has mysteriously manifested his father’s eyebrow scar and a vested interest in his father’s fighter jet(s), maybe he’s meant to fill the future shoes of “new Kato?”
Writer’s Note 1: Whatever the case may be, Harutoshi Fukui – the Script Composer for the reboot series since 2202 – addressed this topic in a recent 2205 interview. He’s vowed to not introduce Shiro Kato or any “look-alikes” like him in any of his Yamato writing.
(Read the interview here.)
Writer’s Note 2: Following the previous interview, Script Writer Hideki Oka addressed the topic once more in the 2205 Chapter 1 Program Book. This is what he had to say:
“I had many discussions with Mr. Fukui about whether Shiro Kato would exist or not in the world of 2205. We couldn’t come to a conclusion, so we didn’t show him on screen. I personally think he does exist, but if so I don’t think he would have to be a fighter pilot.”
(Read the full interview here.)
Captain Osamu Yamanami
Introduced in Be Forever as “a former training instructor at the youth space warrior academy, and a friend of Okita’s,” Yamanami did little to stand out from the two previous Yamato Captains, Okita and Hijikata. He was the lesser, proclaimed as such and he died a pitiful death. A sad character.
For 2199, he was introduced early on as Kirishima‘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 and Kirishima was decommissioned, Yamanami was tasked with Captaining Andromeda.
Throughout 2202, he experienced an existential crisis. Receiving his original counterpart’s “might makes right” mindset, he pursued victory with the WMG fleet. After losing most of Earth’s greatest warriors at the battle of Saturn, he wished to live and die aboard the newly refitted Andromeda: Just like the revived Okita wished to do in Final Yamato. But unlike Okita, Yamanami wasn’t allowed to sacrifice himself. He’s told to live and dust himself off, to live with the consequences of his actions. In 2205, he fulfills his original’s role as space warrior academy instructor, joining Yamato on its new voyage to complete the circle.
Mio Sanada / Sasha
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’s also Mamoru and Starsha’s daughter, named after Starsha’s 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’s position in the military, he adopts Sasha and renames her Mio (after his long-lost sister).
For 2199, Yurisha was created to help guide Yamato on its trip to Iscandar. However, to create stronger intrigue – and a stronger connection to the original Sasha – she inherited several of Sasha’s quirks and roles from Be Forever. Clairvoyance, capable of feeling others and their position in the universe? Check. Active and emotional support for Kodai while Yuki’s gone? Check. Can’t 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.
To create a strong metatextual bond between Yurisha and her genetic look-alike Yuki, the latter received Sasha’s adoption story element. In 2199, Yuki’s 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’s prying eyes, but also because he was good friends with her parents, whom he feels indebted to. Kodai telling Sasha about her father’s death? Shifted to Kodai telling Starsha about the original Sasha’s death.
What about Yuria Misaki, the third link? She fills the role of Yurisha’s second identity, by means of possession. But how she acts as Yuria-sha more closely compares to a different classic Yamato character named Ruda. We’ll get to her soon enough!
Yamato III’s New Crew
Of the many new crew members originally introduced in Yamato III, one was promoted to the very beginning of the reboot continuity: Hajime Hirata. Originally, he was introduced as a former classmate of Kodai’s, who came from the same batch of students at the Space Warrior Academy. Just like Yamazaki, he’d apparently always been on the ship, quietly serving his own purpose. In Yamato III he was in charge of the Lifestyle Unit. (Which became the Logistics Unit in 2199.) His main purpose is to guide the young, hot-blooded and rebellious academy graduate Domon.
Ryusuke Domon wants desperately to become the next Kodai, applying to join Yamato’s 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 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.
Hirata becomes his “senpai” – just like Hirata is a senpai to Kodai in 2199 – and proceeds to teach him that every department has a purpose; that Kodai’s job isn’t easy. After a short scene where Hirata explains how Kodai’s 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.” Everyone has a purpose. And once Domon sees Kodai’s appreciation for the tea, his doubts fade. His anger shifts to Galman-Gamilas. And he’s later appointed Kodai’s Tactical Chief.
In 2199, Hirata’s role remains unchanged. He makes his lemon tea, enjoys his position, was Kodai’s classmate, and speaks highly of the man. But where’s Domon’s part in Hirata’s story? It was relegated, in part, to Akira Yamamoto. She applies for a pilot’s position, but is sent to the Logistics Unit on Kato’s orders.
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.
Takeshi Ageha was a young, handsome, and initially cold genius pilot who applied to join Yamato after his mother’s choice to kill herself (over the cruelty that forces her son to fight for Earth’s survival). Throughout Yamato III, he establishes a friendship with Domon, rejects his father’s 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’s next cool ace pilot, and finally gives his life to save Yamato and the universe. Which allows the love of his life – Ruda – to remain happy. What a wealth of personality! Why isn’t he a character in the reboot? Because he was split up into eight separate people.
Cool, emotionally distant ace pilot who reveals their feelings only in battle? Akira Yamamoto.
Heir to a military industrial giant who’d rather join Yamato and find true love? Nanbu.
Young, difficult to read boy who falls for a girl his age with supernatural abilities? Hoshina.
Has a shaky bond with an engineer who knew his father? Shima.
Gives his life by flying his fighter into an enemy structure for both Yamato and the love of his life? Klaus Keyman.
Lays down his life for an alien girl with a shaky promise, begging her to save Earth? Ito.
Tragic love and a tearful embrace at the end? Kodai, but his suffering doesn’t last.
Businessman father affiliated with military production? Even that element has been redistributed, this time to the 2205 version of Domon.
Given all this, we shouldn’t expect Ageha to appear in any capacity that closely resembles his Yamato III counterpart.
Miyako Kyozuka and Heiji Bando
What about the other Yamato III academy recruits? They’ve almost all made their way into Yamato 2205. 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’s assistant pilot. For 2205, these three have been given an early entry into the reboot universe, alongside the last remaining recruit from New Voyage: Shigeru Sakamoto. But it’s all for a unified purpose.
Goro/Caroline Raiden and Shigeru Sakamoto
These four characters, alongside Rysuke Domon and Tasuke Tokugawa, are all Youth Warrior Academy mates in 2205. Miyako hangs out with everyone. Bando and Tokugawa are a duo who bond over their dead fathers. Domon’s grown quiet ever since his father’s death. Goro is part of the reboot universe, but this time he’s the father of a recruit. 2205 establishes that Goro and his daughter Caroline left for Japan during the height of the Garmillan invasion of Earth. Over the years, she’s 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. They appeared in the Be Forever Playstation 2 game, but otherwise stayed “off camera” until the 2021 Aquarius Algorithm novel.
Haruo Nishina and Namio Sakamaki
Two other recruits from Yamato III also returned in 2205 Part 1: Namio Sakamaki (Gunnery Captain) and Haruo Nishina (Gunner). Namio serves as Hyuga’s Tactical Chief while Nishina serves as Yamato’s Gunnery Captain in place of Nanbu. According to the 2205 Character Profiles, Namio has served on Yamato since 2199 as its First Gunner. In 2202, 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 in 2199, but had to stay behind due to injuries. We can infer that these were incurred during the Garmillan bombing run on Yamato in the first two episodes.
Writer’s Note: This article previously stated that Dairoku Akagi from Yamato III 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. He’s joined this voyage to help educate new engine staff, such as the new character Kuri Tetsuo.
Shoji Wakasa, Dairoku Akagi and the group portrait
One more thing before we close off on this new group of characters. In one scene of 2205 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).
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’s big brother (a new role created for Kitano’s Be Forever PS2 game counterpart) are both set to return in REBEL 3199, which begins in 2207. Bearing this in mind, the boy on the far left is almost definitely Ageha.
As for the scarred man, he’s either Caroline Raiden’s American father Goro Raiden – who writers Fukui and Oka have confirmed exists – or, based on his similarity to Tetsuya Kitano, he’s the latter’s older brother and a senior space academy faculty member.
Makoto Harada, Saburo Kato and his father
Makoto Harada was a fresh, new character introduced in 2199. She filled the conceptual shoes of Dr. Sado’s head nurse from Yamato III, Miyako Kyozuka – who returns for 2205. But what about Makoto’s personality and character? Let’s get into the history:
Two arcs from Yamato III inspired her creation.
1: The Pioneer family arc.
2: Akiko Todo and Yoshikazu Aihara’s romance.
The Pioneer family is a short 2-episode arc in Yamato III that plays concurrently with the Reflex Gun base arc, dealing with three Earthling emmigrants who’ve 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’s ship in 2199’s 4th episode.
This family’s 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… the unborn child. But whether or not he’ll born with defects or complications, the pioneer’s daughter heads back to Earth on an evacuation shuttle, intending to raise the child regardless of consequences.
Akiko and Aihara’s romance was a sweet and bubbly relief from the harsh battles and struggles against nature that were emblematic of the Yamato III 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 to head out, Aihara has doubts about leaving Akiko behind. If they fail, he’ll never see her again. He doesn’t even know her name. Eventually, it turns out that she’s the daughter of Commander Todo, who comes to visit just before they leave. Aihara’s overcome with embarrassment, but shows open affection for Akiko. Later, when they part ways, he promises he’ll come back once they’ve found a new home for Earth.
2199 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’s daughter and Akiko. The basic premise of the traditionalist pioneer, his son and Aihara’s 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’s later revealed that she fell for him that day.
Early on in Yamato’s 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’s child and does her best to force Saburo to reject his father’s traditionalist dogma. They get married onboard. However, she’s worried their child will be born with complications due to the conditions they’ve faced in space… and she was absolutely correct.
2202 presents the harsh, unseen follow-up to the pioneer arc from Yamato III. Makoto’s child was born with planet bomb syndrome, Okita’s sickness. And Yamato has to once again leave Earth to save the universe from a cataclysmic event. Only this time, Kato isn’t sure he can leave. He wants to, but he doesn’t want to abandon his wife and daughter. Torn between his duty and his family life, Makoto holds him, telling him to go. She’ll wait for him. Unfortunately – unlike Aihara – Kato never came home. The fate of the pioneer’s son couldn’t be avoided.
Akiko Todo
While we’ve dipped into part of Akiko Todo’s romance with Aihara in Yamato III, this doesn’t 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’s dive in.
Akiko was Commander Todo’s 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 nadeshiko (meaning “personification of an idealized Japanese woman”) 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 Elements” section.
2199 gave Akiko’s 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 and Aihara in terms of romance.
2202 gave Akiko’s gentle disposition and sensitive heart to Commander Todo’s 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.
The connection between Akiko and Chiaki has a real-world aspect as well: the same voice actress performed both roles.
Narratively, Saki became an embodied bastardization of the hopeful message Akiko Todo carried almost 30 years ago. Akiko’s hope came to naught, because the world hasn’t changed much since then. Japan’s birth rates have plummeted, compliance and conformity to the general idea that “things will just get better” have given the next generation a bitter world and responsibility they’d rather not have. Young women like Saki represent a cold, realistic approach to Akiko’s mentality from Yamato III: 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’s eyes come the end of 2202. A hope for tomorrow.
Captain Dan
Captain Dan was a quiet and rugged weather satellite engineer who sent an SOS to Yamato in Episode 11 of Yamato III, calling for their aid. Once he’s temporarily picked up, he reunites with Takeshi Ageha, the son of an old friend. Aboard Yamato, he experiences the injustice of superior officers like him receiving better meals, while cadets receive what’s comparatively from the gutter. He bonds with Ageha. He questions why Yamato’s mission supersedes his own, how they can leave him with his problems. But slowly, he accepts what must be done to protect Earth’s interests.
Eventually, his station’s attacked by Dagon. He slowly bleeds out, but not before Ageha has the chance to see him. That’s when he tells the boy that he should believe in Earth’s future, that they shouldn’t give up the dream of peace. That his dad is proud of him. Ageha cries his heart out as Dan fades away.
For 2199’s 11th episode, Dan’s story was restructured. The quiet and reserved engineer role was given to Yamazaki, as was his connection to Ageha’s (read: Shima’s) dad, Daigo. Along with his surprise connection to Daigo, Yamazaki also reveals the truth behind mankind’s 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.
During that first battle, Sho Yamazaki served under Shima’s 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’s 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’s just as hurt as Ageha was.
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.
Professor Simon
Professor Simon was a fairly minor character in Yamato III. 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’s told to wait for more expert opinions before he can publish it; before he can act on Simon’s proposal to either fix the Sun or emigrate from Earth. The experts later come to laugh at Simon’s data, denying it on the basis of improbability.
In 2202, Professor Redrauz was introduced to help better bridge knowledge of the ancient Akerius progenitor race to the audience. In his introduction – mirroring Simon’s – 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.
Captain Mizutani and the EDF Officers
Not just a great band name!
Final Yamato tried realizing the unexplored idea behind a WMG-fleet in two stages.
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.
2: The eight surviving ships unite under Captain Mizutani. They aid Yamato’s crew at the movie’s midpoint, with one ship and officer taking a missile barrage for Yamato. This officer goes down with a salute. At two separate instances, Mizutani and his destroyer Fuyuzuki help evacuate ships that are beyond repair. It happens again near the end of the movie when Fuyuzuki takes on Yamato’s surviving crew, before Okita sets out to stop Aquarius.
2202 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 and Tetsutaro Ozaki of the Watatsumi. The unnamed officer who gave his life to save Yamato split his duties with Shuntaro Yasuda of the Apollo Norm and Kozo Tani, who himself is partially inspired by the Andromeda Captain from Farewell.
At 2202‘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 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’s anti-gravity, Yasuda of the Apollo Norm uses the last of his fuel to push Yamanami and his Andromeda away. He then shields Andromeda with his own ship from anti-gravity missiles, going down with a salute.
Andromeda then proceeds to help evacuate Yamato’s 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.
In Episode 25, Ozaki is present for Yamato’s second evacuation with his Watatsumi ship. He leads the effort and escorts the remaining crew back to Earth, fulfilling his role as 2202’s version of Mizutani.