Dark Nebula Empire Aesthetics
Whether intentional or not, the general aesthetic of the DNE soldiers from Be Forever has seemingly inspired the visual depiction of Garmillas military police and imperial guards. And just like with the DNE’s citizens, the eerie similarities between most individual imperial guard members in 2199, 2202 and 2205 is the result of technological advancements that really makes you question their inherent humanity.
“… when the Astro Coast Guard Fleet was founded, it was determined that replenishment of personnel was not possible, and Imperial Guard headquarters made a dreadful decision about the development of children. They selected the best members of every grade, such as general and executive members, and cloned them to create fleet personnel. This policy could be called the principle of ultimate pure blood.”
“It is said that Great Garmillas was anxious about co-existence with second-class subjects from subordinate planets and the successive formation of the volunteer forces, and nationalists among the aristocracy who frowned on the policies of the Emperor were not few in number. As such, they accepted the demonic behavior of Gimleh, and secretly gave him their support.”
Read more about them here.
Yamato’s maintenance bots
In Yamato III’s second episode, a batch of new and unique robots was introduced to help aid Yamato. They’re hardly seen throughout the series, but their inclusion is nonetheless worth mentioning.
2205 seems to have taken note. Aboard Shiro Sanada’s ship Hyuga, four dozen AU19 Analyzer units participate! They come in three different color schemes, each color signifying their role aboard the ship. Three leader units lead the three sections, each with a unique personality and complex A.I.
Distrust between Sanada and Analyzer
This minor element of Yamato III Episode 3 became a huge deal in 2199’s 9th episode. In the former, Analyzer struggles with having his knowledge and skills validated by Sanada. This became the foundation for the Clockwork Prisoner episode, where Analyzer’s ability to perform well as Yamato’s main computer is questioned by Sanada, when contact is established with the Garmillan mechanical life form “Alter.”
Scarlet Scarf Sequence
Episode 7 of 2199 has a somber insert song sequence, where we hear a re-recorded Scarlet Scarf sung by Isao Sasaki. Shots shift from many of Yamato’s crew members engaged in the mundanity and joys of being on a long journey. This was inspired by the 1977 Movie’s take on the same premise, mixed with the Scarlet Scarf sequence in Episode 6 of Yamato III. From the movie we got shots of Kodai and Yuki (instead of Okita) saying farewell to Earth. From Yamato III we received shots of Yamazaki and Dr. Sado. 2199 Ep 7 has tons of homages and references to Yamato III.
Technological union between Earth and Garmillas
After setting aside their greater differences in Yamato III, Earth and Galman-Gamilas combine to create a united scientific task force meant to solve Earth’s solar crisis. This union is headed by Shiro Sanada and Frausky.
For 2202, a similar scientific union of manpower and technology is created under the banner of the Time Fault. By utilizing the Time Fault’s faster processing, Garmillas creates a working replica of their unique Salezar sun, placing it near the 11th planet to test the survivability of Garmillans living under it.
2205 made even stronger connections in a sub-plot featuring former Yamato engineer Sukeji Yabu. He is sent to Earth as a technological exchange officer with an experimental Geschval subspace engine. But due to the current political climate – a result of Dessler’s declaration of war with the Bolar Federation – Garmillas tech can’t be tested within Earth’s sphere of direct influence. To circumvent this, Yabu joins up with Yamato, installs the engine on the new Cosmo Hound, and helps save the day to the best of his abilities.
Magnetron probes, Black Hole bombs and other upgrades
Scattered throughout the original series are various upgrades to Yamato, such as magnetron probes and a deep space sonar. These were heavily featured in Yamato III, but 2199 introduced them earlier in the reboot timeline.
The deep space sonar was used to track Frakken in his dimensional submarine, as in Yamato III. The magnetron probes were used to recreate the iconic Asteroid Ship and Asteroid Ring techniques. Their in-universe purpose was to help serve the earlier Earth migration scheme: The Izumo Plan. They’re retroactively brought in for Yamato’s 2202 arsenal.
The Black Hole bomb? It was a Bolar Federation specialty weapon. When fired, it produces an artificial black hole, sucking in enemy ships. In 2202, Gatlantis saps Telezart of its anti-matter and pours it into giant antimatter missiles. When fired, these create an artificial anti-gravity pull that drags down any ship it comes into contact with.
Kodai’s closed-off heart
While touched on in the first series, Yamato III brings back an easily forgotten aspect of Kodai’s character: His penchant for internalizing stress and pain to keep his crew motivated. Episode 5 of Yamato III in particular uses some striking cinematography and poetic descriptions of Kodai’s mental state by Hirata to convey this.
For 2199, its final episode was given the task of portraying Kodai in his secretly broken state. But unlike in Yamato III… everyone can tell he’s falling apart on the inside.
Analyzer and Dr. Sado’s brotherly bond
The original saga depicted a lot of the slapstick with these two, including gag moments like Dr. Sado’s pig in the first episode of Series 1. One such scene in Yamato III saw the pair bond over Sado wanting the two of them to stay together forever. Another scene from the third series depicted Sado trying to get Analyzer drunk, to which the robot says he’s incapable of consuming liquids. With the gift of hindsight, these aspects from Yamato were more naturally integrated into 2199’s depiction of them, opting to present a more familial or brotherly bond, forged through experiencing many conflicts.
Celestella’s death
Throughout 2199, Dessler is accompanied by a freshly-created character by the name of Celestella. She’s his personally-appointed propaganda minister, and much to his dismay, a telepath (who not so secretly loves him). She’s from the Jirel race, colloquially referred to as the sirens or witches of space. Beyond telepathy, Jirellians are capable of reading your emotions.
Naturally, fear of her race rose throughout the ages, culminating in Garmillas committing to a war of extinction against them. By the end of the series, her bleeding heart goes from metaphor to stark reality as she’s shot by the man she loves after she accidentally reads his heart like an open book. After seeing the pain within him, she commits to taking her life, but even that is robbed from her by Dessler’s guard. After she stoutly supported Dessler’s empire of oppressive peace in conversation with Yuki.
In Yamato III, Desler’s regime persecutes a religious sect which worships Mother Shalbart, a millennia-old space deity capable of transmitting her visage to the hearts of true believers. She preaches peace in the universe for all living things, inviting many desperate souls to seek Shalbart, her planet of peace. In 2199, this is Starsha’s role. In the same vein as Mother Shalbart, she too proposes a pacifist modus operandi.
Near the midpoint of the series, one of Dessler’s senior officials reveals himself to be a true believer of Shalbart. Proclaiming his piety, he holds out a locket depicting Mother Shalbart, begging for her blessing. He’s shot in the back by a furious Dessler. His staff is shocked. But this shouldn’t come as a surprise, seeing as his stance throughout Yamato III was that true peace can never be achieved by pacifist religions. Only through applying the mighty force of a galactic empire. A stance the unfortunate Celestella believed to her dying breath.
It’s also interesting (and somewhat controversial) to note that the Jirellians were inspired by a manga-only character named Jura, who had the same look and abilities. She was the subject of a single spinoff chapter (see it here) created by Leiji Matsumoto. The controversy arises because all other Matsumot-specific elements were expunged from 2199 to avoid copyright conflicts. Somehow this one stayed in.
Chrysanthemums
Yamato 2202’s 21st episode begins with a memorable image: Earth’s last four seasons of peace, cut short before the almost decade-long war with Garmillas. They’re observed by the wife of Commander Todo (Chiaki Todo) and their daughter Saki. While fleeting in its beauty, this scene could be a sneaky reference to Yamato III
There, Todo’s granddaughter Akiko earnestly wishes for the day to come when all four beautiful seasons can be peacefully observed on Earth again, a wish shared by her love interest Aihara. The prospective lovers first meet by pure coincidence in an airport, after finding a dead bird. Laying it to rest in the soil outside, they adorn its grave with a white chrysanthemum flower. The pair would later go on to carry chrysanthemums in their respective notebooks, to remind themselves of their bond and shared desire.
The chrysanthemum is generally seen as a symbol of loyalty and devoted love; an expression of sympathy. In Japan, white ones represent purity, grief and truth, often seen at funerals. The yellow part symbolizes the sun and the light (immortality).
Planet Berth/Galman Sect
During the prison planet story in Yamato III, the crew learns of the ancient Shalbart religion. Its followers – native to the planet, yet imprisoned for their beliefs – are persecuted and deprived of their freedoms. At the same point in time, this religion is also spreading on Dessler’s new homeworld, Galman. Like the Bolar Federation, he has a zero tolerance policy. 2205 combined these two story elements.
In 2199, the religious persecution element from Yamato III was transformed into racial persecution of the Jirel witches. In 2202, Dessler is at first reluctant to change his ways, spiting the Godlike Teresa for allowing his ceaseless tragedies to occur. But by the end of the series, he sets out on a redemptive journey to pay for his sins. When he stumbles upon planet Galman, he finds his ancestral homeworld’s people stuck in chains, beaten and murdered openly on the streets for daring to believe in what appears to be the Shalbart religion. Dessler liberates them, then departs.
Once Dessler leaves, the two head priests of the Galman sect set out to liberate the rest of planet Galman.
Gaidel’s Grooming
This will likely be the silliest reference yet, if legitimate: Intimate scalp grooming. What a quaint and novel story element, huh? No, seriously, this might be an actual detail from Yamato III referenced in 2202.
In Yamato III, we are introduced to the new face of Dessler’s forces in the Milky Way Galaxy, Commander Gaidel. He’s got a clean-shaven head and the creators really wanted you to understand how seriously he takes his grooming. In Episode 13, Frakken – the commander of the Space Submarines – is invited by Gaidel to be briefed about his next assignment. Gaidel must have double-booked this appointment, because he’s caught completely off guard in the middle of being groomed.
2202’s new character Nol is the proud clone – or son, depending on how you look at it – of Goland, Gatlantis’ famed missile fleet commander. Like his original counterpart, he’s bald. But unlike Gaidel, he has facial hair. This is important because Nol, who is younger than him, doesn’t have facial hair. But he has a full set of hair on his head… until an attendant shaves it mostly off, leaving only a mohawk in place. Yes, I realize that this is a bit ridiculous but I still don’t believe this was a coincidental inclusion. There’s even a precedent for a reference like this from Yamato II Episode 15 as well, when Dr. Sado grooms Shima in preparation for his meeting with Teresa.
Swimming on Shalbart
When Yamato arrives at Planet Shalbart in Yamato III, they’re greeted by vast, green vistas and sapphire-colored waves of blue. Oh, and some nudists taking a dip in the ocean. You don’t remember this being referenced in the reboots? Sure you do.
In 2199 Ep 24, Yamato drops anchor in Iscandar’s ocean. As outlined previously in this article series, this entire episode is structured around Yamato’s arrival at Shalbart, meaning we get tons of small nuggets of referential material to chew on. One of these is what some anime fans would call a “beach episode” element, where the crew take their first dip into the ocean since… well, since Earth’s ocean vaporized.
While this manner of plot progression fits perfectly into 2199’s subliminal goal of trying to capturing the modern day “moe” demographic, always know that the impetus for this scene didn’t come from some calculating executive; it likely came straight from the heart of 2199’s Chief Director Yutaka Izubuchi, who himself worked on Yamato III.
And Shalbart’s Roman-style architecture? It’s referenced in one of Yurisha’s memories from childhood in 2199 Ep 14.
Garmillan Jetpack Troopers
In Farewell, Yamato 2 and New Voyage, Dessler had both mechanical and human soldiers, but none wore jetpacks. In Yamato III‘s military parade held in his honor, a whole slew of jetpack troopers drift on by, never to be used in actual battle throughout the series’ run. But they were there. (Jetpack-wearing troopers from the Dark Nebula Empire show up to invade Earth in Be Forever, but they’re not Gamillan so they don’t count in this instance.)
In 2199’s penultimate episode, the late-stage Yamato III introduction of the Garmillan jetpack troopers merged with the visual iconography of the Dark Nebulan invasion force from Be Forever to create a memorable blend of old and new during Abelt’s boarding of Yamato.
Okita’s final call with Todo
After failing to completely halt Uruk’s advance in Final Yamato, Captain Okita contacts Commander Todo.
“I’m sorry Commander. We couldn’t stop it.” Todo acknowledges Yamato’s effort and says it’s all right. “I know you did your best Okita.”
This scene became a much more intimate one in 2202. Instead of Okita calling Todo, it’s his own daughter Saki. After failing to halt the White Comet’s advance in Episode 21, she reports the failure to her father. The scene from Final Yamato repeats verbatim, but with some added fatherly love on his part. What doesn’t change is Todo’s next move; he speeds up what little means they have to evacuate Earth’s citizens, just like in Final Yamato.
Destruction of Uruk
In battle with Uruk’s forces, Yamato ends up stuck in its rocky surface. To stop Yamato’s ceaseless advance, Emperor Lugal decides to blow up his own home via a self-destruct sequence. He mourns it, but nonetheless sees it as a necessary evil. For 2202, Zordar commits to destroying Zemulia for the same reasons, in the exact same scenario. The actual destruction of Zemulia then pays visual homage to Uruk’s destruction.
Okita’s Desire to Rest in Earth’s Ocean with Yamato
This is explicitly expressed by Okita at the end of Final Yamato. It’s a wish that sadly never comes to pass, seeing as he has to settle with Aquarius’ primordial sea. But there’s a cute homage to this wish in Age of Yamato. There, for WWII’s bicentennial anniversary, Japan rebuilds the Battleship Yamato and sinks it back into the ocean, giving the symbol of Japan and war itself an eternal rest. Until it presumably became the base for what would become the Space Battleship!
Spirits of the dead
In Farewell, spirits of deceased crew members show up on Yamato’s bridge to give Kodai emotional support. Before that, Okita himself spoke through his stone epitaph. In The New Voyage, the deceased Starsha speaks to her child from the cradle of the universe. In Be Forever, Sasha repeats this act. The movie’s credits depict the golden outlined deceased crew members from Farewell.
Yamato III allowed Yamato’s crew to meet and interact with projected mind ghosts of deceased friends and family members on Planet Phantom. And Final Yamato brought Okita back to life completely. What’s the deal with these spirits? And why are they important to the story?
2199 explored the superficial aspects of these tales by utilizing witch’s magic and ancient magical tech to produce illusions rooted in memory. We even see Mamoru Kodai’s spirit haunt and speak via the Cosmo Reverse.
But 2202 took the Farewell depiction of Okita and Yamato’s bridge crew to the next level. By channeling the world of the dead to our world, Teresa claims to be able to confer the thoughts and feelings of those who’ve previously left us. What allows this to occur? The strong bonds and ties these people have with the people they connect to. Bonds that transcend time and space. That said, there’s no definitive proof that the spirits Yamato’s crew was haunted by were the real deal. That’s purposefully left up to personal interpretation.
Miyuki and Kodai’s strained relationship
In Resurrection, Kodai and Yuki’s daughter Miyuki seemingly hates dad for abandoning her and Yuki to become a space vagrant. This broken family dynamic, a result of an absent father and mother, was seemingly shifted to the Todo family in 2202. There, Saki Todo becomes the spunky and cold-mannered girl, unable to properly show the daughterly affection she carries for her father. Her mother matters a great deal to her, but unlike Miyuki, she’s initially scared to show it. Come the end of 2202, Saki mends things with her father and openly talks about mom again. With affection. Oh, and like Miyuki, Saki secretly always respected Captain Susumu Kodai. This is expressed and reflected through her actions in 2202’s last couple of episodes.
The Defeated and the Living
Throughout the reboot, some characters from the original timeline(s) have either vanished into thin air, bit the dust early, or gone on to outlive their progenitors. Here’s a complete list of characters who fit these criteria, where they originally died and where they are now:
The Living: Sukeji Yabu, Redof Hyss, Fomto Berger, Akira Yamamoto, Kotetsu Serizawa and Kozo Tani.
Having lost faith in Earth’s chances to survive with Iscandar’s help, Yabu attempted to establish a patriarchy with Yuki Mori as its Queen on Iscandar. He died in a karmic natural disaster. After going AWOL in 2199, Yabu joined up with the newly-introduced Wolf Frakken, becoming a main engineer for Dimensional Submarine UX-01, a ship gifted to Frakken by the new character Gul Dietz. In 2205, Yabu returns to Yamato with a newly-created Wave Motion Core. He’s on a secret mission.
Hyss was killed by Dessler in a fit of rage over a call for surrender. Hyss’ role in this scene was shifted to the older Talan brother, Velte, but no shots were ultimately fired. Hyss outlived his original counterpart in 2199, eventually coming to be Garmillas’ democratically-elected Prime Minister. In the first part of 2205 however, he sadly loses his life during the annihilation of planet Garmillas. But not without first thanking Dessler for finally showing his true colors; of which he never experienced in the first Yamato series.
In Series 1, Berger was part of Domel’s fighter group. He lost his life during the Star Cluster Battle. In the reboot, Berger survived the Star Cluster Battle and would go on to establish a bond with Yamato’s crew during the events of Ark of the Stars. He remains a firm Dessler loyalist, however, still staking his life to protect the system he always knew in 2205. Perhaps he has some insight into Abelt’s noble cause, courtesy of his own friendship with the late Domel?
Yamamoto’s original counterpart died in battle against the White Comet City Empire, in both Farewell and Yamato 2. 2199‘s Yamamoto survived her original self’s death by a combination of luck, skill and the power of love. In 2205, she serves as a flight instructor.
Serizawa’s original version (never named) appeared in Farewell and Yamato 2, then in a deleted scene from The New Voyage. But then he disappears. In the reboot universe, he remains an important side character with an increasingly prominent role, equal to that of Todo himself.
Kozo Tani is the name given to the Captain of Aldebaran in 2202. His appearance is borrowed from Farewell‘s unnamed Andromeda Captain, who loses his life shortly after being introduced. While we can’t confirm Kozo Tani’s survival, we can say that Aldebaran seemingly survived the Gatlantean war of 2202.
The Damned: Mamoru Kodai, Analyzer (AU-09), Jiro Tsurumi and Lt. Alphon (Ito, Norran, Keyman).
Mamoru originally lived out his life on Iscandar with Starsha, only to later become a central figure of Earth’s military following her death. He’d later forsake his own life to give Commander Todo an opportunity to escape execution by the Dark Nebula Empire in Be Forever. In 2199, Mamoru Kodai lost his life on Iscandar in mysterious circumstances. It’s said that he died from his wounds, but the state of Iscandar’s technological prowess does raise an eyebrow. He gives his soul for the CRS system, which ends up being used to revive the dead Yuki Mori.
If we discount Analyzer’s death in Farewell, he actually goes on to survive all the way up to Resurrection in the classic saga, where he still lives. In 2202, Analyzer joined a large roster of characters who upheld Farewell’s slaughterfest tradition, an iconic character killed off for the first time in over 40 years. Curiously enough, Dr. Sado himself survived, presenting the reboot with a unique conundrum: for the first time in the series, one lives without the other. A new batch of AU-19 Analyzers has been produced to staff the Hyuga under Sanada in 2205, but it remains to be seen if they’ll carry on Analyzer’s spirit.
Tsurumi was as quickly introduced as he was forgotten by Yamato 2’s narrative. We never saw him again after his initial appearance. In 2202, he became the subject of a memorable sacrifice and subsequent death sequence on Telezart. This scene was itself inspired by the death of the Dengil boy from Final Yamato.
Lt. Alphon was a blond-haired DNE invader and spy with a flair for the dramatic, introduced and lost in Be Forever. He filled Dessler’s empty shoes in that story as a tall, brooding, blond alien with a poetic demeanor. In the reboots, he’s died three times at this point, at one time even bearing his original name of Keyman. The details are in his Character profile.
Science is Magic
In the 1960’s, renowned SF author Arthur C. Clarke wrote a book called Profiles of the Future: An Inquiry into the Limits of the Possible, in which he established what is today referred to as “Clarke’s Three Laws.” The third and most popular of these laws was once briefly referenced by Dr. Sado in Final Yamato, then later once again by Shiro Sanada in 2199.
Sado was referencing ancient Babylonian scriptures and how they accurately predicted the incoming arrival of the progenitor water planet of Aquarius, whereas Sanada was commenting on the absurdity of harnessing and utilizing the power of the soul – via the CRS system – to restore planet Earth to its former natural glory.
These are the three laws:
1. When a distinguished but elderly scientist states that something is possible, he is almost certainly right. When he states that something is impossible, he is very probably wrong.
2. The only way of discovering the limits of the possible is to venture a little way past them into the impossible.
3. Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.