Star Blazers
Data file #1-The Characters
This
is a quick guide, with illustrations where available, to the major characters
of the Star Blazers series as portrayed in my Visions series. Many of these
notes are fan speculation. They are not canon but are reasonable guesses made
by myself for this series of tales.)
The
first section covers canon characters. The second section will cover original
characters I made up for the Visions universe or characters
borrowed ("crossed-over") from other fictional universes.
Section One-Canon
Characters
- CANON CHARACTERS-EARTH. This list will cover
some main characters-This is not a complete list of Star Blazers
characters.
1. Primary Canon Characters-Star Force. (Crew: Argo/Yamato)
(This covers the characters as they were in late 2201-early
2202, as right after Star Blazers/Yamato2)
Derek
Wildstar--Commander,
Space Battleship Argo
Japanese name: Susumu Kodai
First
appeared in the first episode of Star Blazers-series 1 (SB-1). Born in
2181 (canon storyline...he was born in July 2178 in my alternate Visions
universe), he began as a newly graduated Midshipman who was assigned to Mars
base in the summer of 2199. He was assigned to the space battleship Argo
shortly afterwards as its Combat Group Leader, a hothead driven by his
desire to avenge his parents. He initially blamed Captain Abraham Avatar,
the Admiral in command of the Star Force and the Argo, for the apparent
death of his brother Alex Wildstar
and was a rival of Mark Venture, the Argo's Navigation Group
Leader. In time, though, he matured, accepting the increasing trust of Avatar
as he weakened on the mission to Iscandar, as well as the friendship of
Venture, Stephen Sandor,
Orion, Dash, Homer, Eager, IQ-9, Dr. Sane, Hardy, and Conroy. He also
gradually noticed the love of Nova Forrester and began to reciprocate her love towards the
end of the mission to Iscandar in the year 2200, during which he also
became Deputy Captain, finally replacing the dying Avatar as the de facto
commander of the Argo. A year after the Argo's return, in the
fall of 2201, Wildstar was again the de facto skipper of the Argo
when he was attacked by forces of the Comet Empire on a patrol mission.
After he and other Star Force members interpreted a message from Trelaina of
Telezart and data regarding the White Comet, they stole the Argo
to investigate the mystery after initially being ordered to remain on Earth by
the Earth Defense Command.
Later
permitted to investigate the mystery in a subsequent communication from the Earth Defense Commander, General Charles Singleton,
Wildstar grew as an individual and a person as he led the Star Force to
Telezart as they fought both the Cometines and Desslok of Gamilon.
Having aided Venture in his decision to return to the Star Force after Trelaina
apparently died with Telezart, Wildstar was assigned to command a carrier
squadron during the Battle of Saturn-Titan by Admiral Draco Gideon. He commanded
the Argo well, allowing it to barely survive the destruction of the
Earth Defense Fleet. He learned how to defeat the Comet Empire city-ship thanks
to the aid of Captain Gideon before he died. Desslok, who favored the Terrans
after observing their bravery and devotion in their final battle, also aided
him. Finally, he commanded the final battle against the city-ship, leading an
invasion of it and then presiding over its destruction, fighting on even after Prince
Zordar practically demolished the Argo, aided in what was a
near-suicidal final attack run by Nova, to whom he proposed just before what
would have been the Argo's final attack run. Allowed to survive
by Trelaina, he and Nova then took the Argo home.
Derek
Wildstar is a man of action, and an exceptionally young commander, being
intelligent, brave and highly principled but somewhat naïve. He is very devoted
to his duties, demanding nothing less but 100% from his subordinates. However,
he can be a faithful friend to his subordinates in times of need and will even
give his enemies a chance to explain their actions. Woe to anyone in the wrong
side of his gun, though. He is a skilled fighter pilot, gunner, tactician and is fearless in man-to-man combat, very much
Earth's Samurai. He is also very tender and emotional and is devoted to Earth,
his friends, and to Nova, the one true love of his life. He can sometimes be a
bit obsessive and will push himself to exhaustion.
Other Notes: (for Visions saga): Promoted to Captain by the Earth
Government in December 2201 and given formal command of the Argo. Also married Nova in late December of 2201. Was also Combat
Group Leader of the Argo until December 2201, now commands from the
Captain's chair. He also occasionally plays guitar and
keeps himself in shape with Kendo training. Comes from
Mark
Venture--Deputy
Captain, Navigation Group Leader, Space Battleship Argo
Japanese name: Daisuke Shima--No alternate or fan
names.
First
appeared in the first episode of Star Blazers-series 1 (SB-1). Born in
2181, (canon universe; he was born in May 2178 in my Visions universe) he began
as a newly graduated Midshipman who was assigned to Mars base in the summer of
2199 with Derek Wildstar. He was assigned to the space battleship Argo
shortly afterwards as its Navigation Group Leader, and quickly gained the
respect of Captain Avatar for his calm, rational, thoughtful approach to
problems on the Iscandar mission, serving as a steady head to cool Wildstar's
often impulsive solutions to battle problems. This earned him the friendship of
many crewmembers but made him a rival of Wildstar. The fact that he was also a
close friend of Nova and a perceived rival for her hand didn't help matters, either.
However, he and Wildstar worked out their rough spots and made a great team by
the end of the Iscandar mission in 2200.
Wildstar
respected Venture enough to confide in him while he was investigating the
matter of the White Comet in the fall of 2201, and he and Sandor helped
Wildstar in plotting the theft of the Argo after the EDF denied them
permission to head for Telezart. However, he hesitated slightly at the last
minute, not finally agreeing to commit mutiny and risk his career as a
freebooter until right before dawn on the day the Argo was to depart. He
was faithfully there to take the helm of the Argo from Wildstar himself
right before takeoff and was a firm believer in the mission. He developed a
rapport with Trelaina as she spoke to the Star Force over sub space radio; a
rapport that turned into love. When the Argo arrived at Telezart, his
love for Trelaina grew into a heart-rending relationship that made him almost
renounce his post on the Argo to remain with her. However, knowing what
his duty was and realizing that she had to fight Zordar for the sake of the
universe, she "returned" with him to the Argo only to leave
him there to do his duty, which he was only able to return to with the help of
Wildstar and Nova. After Trelaina's sacrifice of herself and Telezart, Venture
threw himself into his work, hoping that Trelaina had survived. He fought
gallantly with the rest of the Star Force against overwhelming odds until the
last battle with Desslok's forces, when he was killed while attempting to warn
Nova of Gamilon snipers. With his body drifting in space, The
crew of the Argo mourned Venture, but his body was found by Trelaina,
who had survived the destruction of Telezart. Revived by Trelaina and nursed by
her, he was sadly returned to the Argo by Trelaina, who swore she would
remain a "part of him forever" while he recovered and returned to his
duties. He was taken back to Earth by Derek and Nova at Trelaina's request to
be slowly made well in order to return to his duties as the Argo's Chief
Navigator and Wildstar's new Deputy Captain/Executive Officer.
While
Derek Wildstar is impulsive, Mark Venture is more level-headed and thoughtful,
being a very dedicated officer himself. He is as faithful a friend as Wildstar
is, and has a very deep streak of gallantry, having once fought with Sergeant
Webb Knox of the Brumus Space Marine Detachment because the Marine had
insulted Trelaina. He is a little less prone to anger than Wildstar, becoming
moody and depressed when something bothers him. In his way, though, he is as
driven about his work as Derek is.
Other Notes: (for Visions saga): Highly decorated for his
bravery, he is now a full Commander and Wildstar's promotion of him to Deputy
Captain has been formalized by the Commander. Comes from around
Nova
Forrester (Wildstar)--Head Nurse,
Living Group Leader, Space Battleship Argo
Japanese name: Yuki Mori--Alternate or fan
names Nova Wildstar (post-marriage).
First
appeared in the first episode of Star Blazers-series 1 (SB-1). Born in
2181, (in the canon universe, she was born in February 2178 in my Visions
universe) she was newly commissioned and serving as a nurse at an EDF military
hospital when she first encountered Wildstar and Venture looking at her with
their mouths open. This was largely because she bore an uncanny resemblance to Astra
of Iscandar, the sister of Queen
Starsha of Iscandar, who died in a spacecraft crash on Mars
bearing her sister's message to Earth. Nova quickly proved to be quite a Staff
officer, as it was found that she not only made a fine nurse but also made a
great Radar, Analysis, and Biological Survey officer. In the second episode of
SB-1, Nova was summoned to the Argo along with Wildstar and Venture,
chosen as a charter member of the Star Force by Captain Avatar. She quickly
gained the respect of Avatar, Wildstar, and Venture for her no-nonsense work
attitude, intelligence, and precision on the bridge, in Sickbay, and on survey
missions. Not long after they met, Wildstar, Venture, and Nova were working
together as an inseparable team.
As
Living Group Leader, Nova was responsible for the crew's welfare on the long
cruise. She quickly discovered that Derek Wildstar had no family remaining on
Earth. Having nursed him early on for a wound he gained in a flying mission,
Nova began to care for him in a psychological sense, as she decided to befriend
the brash young officer who was putting everyone else off with his anger. Near
the end of the Iscandar mission, Derek Wildstar finally returned Nova's
affections. Derek's love for her finally became heartbreakingly evident when
Nova repelled a final poison gas attack by Desslok of Gamilon by turning on the Cosmo-DNA machine
as the Argo neared Earth, with the effort coming within a hair of taking
her life. (Note: In Yamato, Yuki did
die at this point.) Derek finally swore his love for her while
carrying her inert form around the ship; she woke up in his arms healed soon
after Captain Avatar breathed his last and performed a dance in his arms on the
bridge. (In Yamato, Yuki literally came back
to life after Admiral Okita [Capt. Avatar] died-it
has been speculated that Okita somehow brought about
her return to life?)
One
year later, in 2201, Nova was assigned to a post in the Commander's office on
Earth while also continuing to aid Doctor Sane as his nurse while longing for
Derek Wildstar's return. When the mystery of Trelaina and the White Comet was
discussed between Wildstar, Venture and Sandor, Nova was in on the discussions.
She offered guesses, but Derek did not ask her to mutiny with the rest of the
crew, haltingly telling her at a closed underground city that "he had
something important to do". Nova later joined the mutiny anyhow against
Doctor Sane's objections, but didn't tell Derek until they met aboard ship and
had a quarrel, at which time he apologized for not asking to her join the plot,
telling her he wanted her safe on Earth. She served faithfully in her old post, growing slowly closer to Derek and helping Venture get
over some of his angst over Trelaina after she disappeared with Telezart. Much
later, when the Star Force had its final confrontation with Desslok of Gamilon,
Nova boarded the Gamilon flagship with the rest of the crew, looking for Derek.
She found her wounded love confronting Desslok with a drawn side arm while
about to collapse and shielded him with her own side arm, body, and tears,
causing Desslok to change his mind about fighting Earth. As Derek was
unconscious, it is she who actually heard Desslok's instructions about how to
attack the Comet Empire city-ship and told Derek later at a briefing. Some time
later, Nova again guessed Derek's intentions when he ordered the Argo abandoned
in the wake of Zordar's final murderous attack on the battleship. She remained
behind in order to help him send the Argo on its last mission. Derek
proposed to her right before they agreed to send the ship on what could have
turned out to be been a suicide run. (These were supposed to be their final moments
together in Yamato 2, and Yuki had already given her life for Susumu at
this point in Arrivederci Yamato). However, the last-moment
arrival of Trelaina of Telezart with an unconscious Mark Venture allowed Derek
and Nova to return to Earth with the Argo and
plan their future together.
Nova
is very serious about her work and works with the same intensity and dedication
that Wildstar and Venture do, and she equals or probably even surpasses these
two men for out-and-out bravery. She can be a tough officer one moment and a
skilled and gentle nurse and counselor the next moment. She has a deep poetic streak
and is equally dedicated to Earth, her work, and to Derek Wildstar, whom she
protects like a cougar guarding her cubs.
Other Notes: (for Visions saga): As in SB/Yamato, Nova is
a trained recon pilot; she has been trained to fly the new Cosmo Tiger II Armed
Recon plane and can hold her own in a dogfight. She is now a Senior Grade
Lieutenant, and she married Derek Wildstar on 26 December, 2201. Comes from
around
Stephen
Sandor--Mechanical
Group Leader, Space Battleship Argo
Japanese name: Shiro Sanada.
First
appeared in the third episode of SB-1, he is introduced as the Argo's
"Chief Mechanic", and is much older and more experienced than many of
the other young Midshipmen who have joined the Star Force. However, in Yamato,
his given title is "Mechanical Group Leader".
Early
on, he is seen as a genius scientist and engineer who can work up new
technology out of a hat, a fine skill as the Argo constantly needs
repairs due to enemy attack and much of its technology is new and untested. It
is seen that he gets along well with Captain Avatar, has a good rapport with
IQ-9, who often assists him, and that he seems to be looking over young Derek
Wildstar. In episode #18 of the series, when he and Wildstar are trapped
together on a mission to disable a Gamilon Magnetron Fortress slowly shaking
the Argo apart, it is revealed that Sandor sympathizes with Wildstar's
pronouncement about having done "stupid things" in his past. Sandor
has made his own mistakes, one of which seriously wounded him. As a boy, on a
jet coaster on a lunar amusement park, he flew a jet car too fast and caused a
fatal accident that killed his sister and maimed him, causing him to lose his
arms and legs, which were replaced with cyborg parts. He blamed himself for
that accident and for what happened to Alex Wildstar. The older Wildstar was
his classmate at the Space Fighters' Training School, and even though he was
quiet and studious while Alex was a sports star and extrovert, they were
friends. Years later, when Alex gained command of a missile frigate, Sandor was
in charge of its maintenance before Alex took off in a fleet under Avatar's
command in the battle that seemingly cost him his life. Later, learning that
Alex was lost with his ship, Sandor blamed himself for not repairing his
friend's ship better. Derek advised him to let go of his guilt, but he didn't
do so until he met Alex alive again on Iscandar near the end of the mission and
forgave himself.
A
year later, Sandor provided the technical expertise that helped Wildstar decode
Trelaina's message and he guessed that the White Comet was not a natural
phenomenon. His on-the-spot skills, along with the knowledge of Orion (the Argo's
Engineer), allowed the Argo to be repaired and refitted in record time
to serve again as a fighting ship when the Star Force mutinied. His talents
held the battered warship together throughout the cruise to Iscandar and the
war with the Comet Empire, and he personally accompanied Wildstar into the
Comet Empire city with a boarding party and provided the expertise to blast the
fortress' energy center. (He died at that point in
the film Arrivederci Yamato, remaining behind with Sgt. Knox (Col.
Hajime Saito) to set the charges that blew the energy center. He survived in Yamato
2.) He then returned to the Argo minus one of his bionic legs,
which was shot off, returning home with other wounded when Wildstar ordered the
Argo abandoned after Zordar blasted it after the Comet Fortress was
destroyed. On Earth, he survived to serve again another day. Sandor is a very
serious and unflappable officer with an apparently cold, icy logic who serves
as a great friend and surrogate older brother to many of the young members of
the Argo's crew, particularly Wildstar and Venture. He also has a good relationship
with Nova; both of them refer to the robot IQ-9 (whom they both have to endure)
as "Tinwit" and try to keep him out of trouble.
Other Notes: (for Visions saga): Sandor is described as a
Lieutenant Commander, and he is Russian in ancestry, which seems to fit his
Eastern-European sounding US series last name.
Admiral Abraham
Avatar--Former Captain, Space Battleship Argo (Deceased-2200)
Japanese name: Jyuzo Okita.
Born
in 2154 in the canon Yamato/SB universe, (his birth year is 2151 in my Visions universe), he was apparently an
associate of the Earth Defense Forces Commander, Charles Singleton, as well as an
associate of the well-known engineer
Patrick Orion in his prior military career. In the late
summer/early fall of 2199, he was the commanding Admiral of the United Nations
Space Defense Fleet at its last stand at the battle of Pluto, where it was
apparently attacking the Gamilon base there. His flagship was an Earth
Battleship with the Pennant Number of 225 (I
named her the
The
message was analysed and found to contain plans for a
faster-than-light drive known as the wave motion engine, as well as an
invitation to come to Planet Iscandar, located 148,000 lightyears away in the Great
Magellenic Cloud. Avatar was appointed as the Captain of the rebuilt space
battleship Yamato, which was
dispatched to head to Iscandar and back in one year before the radiation from
the Gamilons' planet bombs seeped into the underground cities of the devastated
Earth and killed humanity. Avatar renamed the Yamato the Argo in
memory of the legendary Argo of
Greek mythology; the ship which undertook a long journey to search for the
Golden Fleece. However, Avatar had been wounded during the last stand of the
Earth Fleet, and he suffered from a form of radaition
sickness. Avatar and his crew, the Star Force, attacked theGamilon
base at Pluto, stopped the planet bombs, and headed off on the long journey
towards Iscandar, where he served as a father and guide for the Star Force.
Increasingly weakened by the illness that was killing him, he appointed Derek
Wildstar as his Deputy Captain halfway through the cruise, only ratifying the
fact that Wildstar was increasingly filling his shoes as the commander of the Star
Force. By the time the Argo was
within sight of Iscandar, at the Battle of Gamilon, Avatar was too weak to
actually command on the bridge any longer, but he advised Wildstar in that last
battle. Growing ever more frail and weak, he lived only long enough to come
within sight of Earth and died in 2200 before the Argo even landed again. Honored by a portrait placed above
his former command chair on the bridge of the Argo, and honored with a great statue at his burial place at
Heroes' Hill at the edge of the Megalopolis, Avatar is revered and remembered
as a great hero of Earth and is still an inspiration to the Star Force.
Dr. Sakezo
Sane--Chief Medical Officer, Space Battleship Argo
Japanese name: Sakezo Sado.
Born
in 2153 in the canon Yamato/SB universe, (his birth year is the same in my Visions universe), he was apparently a
noted doctor practicing as a veterinarian and drafted back into the service by
the UNSDF. He was the Chief Medical Officer on the Argo's first voyage to Iscandar and her second voyage to
Telezart. He is a brilliant and competent doctor, but he is very eccentric and
likes to drink his so-called "Spring Water", which is probably
water....about 35% of the time. When he is indulging in stronger substances, he
is even more eccentric, but he is still a competent surgeon, well-known for
dispensing hard-headed common sense advice to the crew...usually in an angry,
high-pitched scream. Irregardless of his eccentricies, he is still a valued member of the Star
Force.
Patrick J.
Orion--Chief Engineer, Space Battleship Argo
Japanese name: Hikozaemon Tokugawa.
Born
in 2143 in the canon Yamato/SB universe, (his birth year is the same in my Visions universe), he is an old associate
of Captain Avatar who was named to serve as the Chief Engineer of the Argo during the first voyage to Iscandar.
A well-regarded member of the crew, who was like a friendly uncle to the
younger offiicers and enlisted personnel, he was a
valued part of the crew when he mutinied and helped Stephen Sandor refit the Argo in a very short time in September of
2201 when Wildstar decided to mutiny and investigate Trelaina of Telezart's message. Severely wounded in the last battle
with Zordar's Dreadnought (he
died at this point in the original Yamato 2 version of the Comet Empire
tale: this death was not shown in Star Blazers) Orion took some time to recover (as portrayed in the
Visions universe and other fanfiction tales, as well as in one of the US comic book
series), but he returned to his post and continues to serve with honor,
although he may be considering retirement soon due to his advanced age.
IQ-9--Survey And Analysis and Medical Robot.
Japanese name: Analyser.
His
"birth" year is unknown for certain, but it is known that IQ-9, an
Analysis Robot of the Ninth Class, has artificial intelligence, is a genius,
and is almost as eccentric as one of his usual working partners, Dr. Sane, with
whom he shipped out with on the Argo
in 2199 when he volunteered before Captain Avatar. He has been a member of the
crew ever since, and still works well with Stephen Sandor as a technician, and
works as a partner to Nova...and he is a great working partner of hers, when
he's not obsessed with Nova's eyes...dresses...skirts...and other such things.
In his more eccentric moods, he insists he is the great love of Nova's life and
insists he can suffer heartbreak. He seems to be aware of Nova's deep
relationship with Derek Wildstar, but it is uncertain why he can't compute the
meaning of the old proverb "two is company, three is a crowd." In
spite of the fact that he gives the Captain quite a headache, he is still a
valued member of the Star Force.
Homer
Glitchman-Communications Officer-Space Battleship Argo
Japanese name: Yoshikazu "Giichi" Aihara.
He
was appointed to the Star Force in the fall of 2199. He is somewhat emotional
and high-strung, given to excitable and irrational behavior when stress
hits--such as when he intercepted messages on the way to Iscandar that
indicated his father was dying of radiation sickness. However, despite his
quirks (such as ongoing rivalry with Mark Venture), he is a valued and
hard-working Communications officer, having served on the Argo on the mission to Iscandar, her
patrol cruise between 2200 and 2201, and on the journey to Telezart. He remains
a valued member of the Star Force.
Christopher
Eager-Tactical Radar Officer and Assistant
Pilot-Space Battleship Argo
Japanese name: Kenjiro Ota.
Appointed
to the Star Force in the fall of 2199, Eager served as Mark Venture's
right-hand man and tactical radar officer on the first journey to Iscandar in
2199 and again rejoined the Star Force in 2201 for the journey to Telezart. His
down-home mannerisms and corny humor tend to mask the fact that he is a very
capable officer. For part of my Visions
storyline, he is replaced on the Argo's
bridge by an original character known as Holly Parsons due to injuries he
incurred in a bombing raid in early 2202.
Dashell
"Dash" Jordan-Chief Artillery Officer-Space
Battleship Argo
Japanese name: Yasuo Nanbu.
Appointed
to the Star Force in the fall of 2199, Dash filled out the Argo's bridge crew by serving as Derek
Wildstar's right-hand man operating the ship's main guns, auxiliary cannons,
pulse lasers, and missile systems. He again served with the Star Force in 2201
on the journey to Iscandar, and in my Visions storyline, he has now advanced
upwards to serve as the Argo's
new Combat Group Leader after Derek Wildstar's formal promotion to Captain of
the Argo. He gets along well
with Homer, his closest buddy and shipmate, but also has a tendency to be
excitable, sometimes seeming to be a little trigger-happy with the Argo's guns until told otherwise by
Wildstar or Sandor.
To read the Second Part of this index for Other Star
Force and Earth characters:
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To return to the Index for the Data File:
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To return to the Index for Visions-The
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