[Legend of the Galactic Heroes] A look at the appeal of Siegfried Kircheis, Reinhard's other half!

2025.07.29

The story of "Legend of the Galactic Heroes" unfolds from the perspectives of the two main characters, Reinhard von Lohengramm and Yang Wen-li. Siegfried Kircheis appears as Reinhard's ally and provides him with various forms of support as his adjutant. This time, we'll focus on Kircheis and explore his appeal as a person.

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Kircheis, Devoted to His Friend

Kircheis Smiling Gentle
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten

Siegfried Kircheis is a close friend of Reinhard von Lohengramm, the protagonist of the Galactic Empire. They grew up together, and even after joining the military, he continued to support Reinhard's path to dominance as his other half. Let's take a look at Kircheis's background, his achievements since joining the military, and his appeal.

Kircheis's Early Life

Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten

As Reinhard's aide, Kircheis supported the development of the Galactic Empire and Reinhard's path to dominance. Let's start with his childhood. What was his childhood like, and how did he meet his future ally Reinhard? Events from his childhood had a major impact on Kircheis's life, so be sure to check it out.

Kircheis Born as an Ordinary Child

Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten

Kircheis was born as the son of a low-ranking official in the Ministry of Justice, and unlike Reinhard, he grew up in an ordinary family. Until he met Reinhard, he lived an ordinary life, but his life changed dramatically. Although there are few descriptions of Kircheis's childhood, it seems he had no particular passion for anything up until then, and simply spent his days in a daze.

Becoming Friends with Reinhard, Who Moved In Next Door

Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten

Kircheis's life had been uneventful until one day, Reinhard moved in next door. His meeting with him was fateful, and as they were classmates, they immediately hit it off and became good friends. Reinhard was a lower-ranking nobleman, so despite the difference in their social status, Kircheis was touched by his kindness and treated everyone equally, which greatly changed Kircheis's life.

Kircheis falls in love with Annerose for the first time

Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten

His meeting with Reinhard was a turning point in his life, but it was his sister, Annerose, who captured his heart. From the moment they first met, he felt the same impact as first love, but soon after, Annerose was summoned to the emperor's harem, and he felt a sense of loss. The loss of Annerose was a traumatic experience for Kircheis, and he set out with Reinhard to get his sister back.

Enrolls in Junior School with Reinhard

Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten

With Annerose taken from him, Reinhard's hatred for the Empire grows intense. He believes that the quickest way to get his sister back is to become a minion and achieve great things. Kircheis agreed with his idea, and the two of them enrolled in military academy. Before enrolling, Reinhard confided in Kircheis that he would usurp the Empire, and Kircheis swore to dedicate himself to his friend.

What did Kircheis accomplish as a soldier?

Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten

After graduating from the military academy, Kircheis embarked on his military career alongside Reinhard. He serves alongside Reinhard as his adjutant, and while they maintain a close friendship, they are often viewed by those around them as a master-servant relationship. Despite this, Kircheis continues to support Reinhard as he strives to achieve his path of dominance, fulfilling various roles as his other half. Let's take a look at Kircheis's military achievements.

Serving as Reinhard's adjutant

Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten

After graduating from the Imperial Military Academy, Reinhard enlisted in the military and continued to serve alongside Reinhard as his aide. Although he is merely a subordinate, their relationship is almost like that of master and servant, and Kircheis begins to call him "Lord Reinhard." He is dedicated to supporting Reinhard as he tries to usurp the Empire, and acts as his only source of advice.

Skills so impressive that even Yang Wen-li praised them

Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten

Although Kircheis continues to serve Reinhard as his aide, he sometimes marches alone to the battlefield when ordered by Reinhard. This brings him face to face with Yang Wen-li of the Free Planets Alliance, and the two engage in a tactical duel on equal terms. Yang highly values Reinhard's talent, despite him being his enemy, and holds Kircheis in the same high regard. At the same time, he is touched by Reinhard's popularity as someone with a subordinate like Kircheis, and sees him as a troublesome opponent.

Attending the Prisoner Exchange Ceremony as a Representative

Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten

In the year 488 of the Imperial Calendar, Kircheis represented the Empire at the prisoner exchange ceremony with the Free Planets Alliance. It was held at Iserlohn Fortress, where he met face-to-face with Yang Wen-li and Julian Mintz of the Free Planets Alliance. Kircheis continued to lead fleets to pacify the borders and take other actions to help Reinhard seize real power in the empire, continuing to work hard until the Lohengramm dynasty was established.

Destroying the aristocratic families without harming any of his allies

Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten

The aristocratic families were a major obstacle to Reinhard's usurpation of the Empire, but Kircheis succeeded in significantly weakening their forces without shedding a single drop of his allies' blood. Leading a fleet of 800 ships himself, he realized that the enemy fleet's lack of unity meant that he could inflict a major blow simply by causing confusion, and as a result achieved great success. Kircheis had other great achievements, but the fact that he achieved a bloodless victory is a great indication of his talent.

What were Kircheis's abilities as an adjutant?

Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten

Kircheis serves as Reinhard's aide, but since the story of Legend of the Galactic Heroes revolves around Reinhard and Yang Wen-li, his abilities and capabilities are often unclear. Here's a summary of Kircheis's abilities as an adjutant based on his past performances! See for yourself whether he's worthy of being Reinhard's aide.

Kircheis, often offering advice as an aide

Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten

Many of the admirals who appear in "Legend of the Galactic Heroes" seem to act with overconfidence in their own abilities. The more talented and surviving they are, the more likely they are to listen to the advice of their subordinates. Reinhard is an oddity among them, but he will not listen unless he is convinced by the content. However, Kircheis' advice is well-reasoned and he listens to it obediently, so there is no doubt that he values Kircheis's tactical acumen.

He has a perspective that Reinhard doesn't have

Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten

The reason Reinhard listens to Kircheis's advice is because of his unique perspective. Reinhard, a genius, certainly displays overwhelming power on the battlefield, but he only thinks about strategy and deployment, and his soldiers pay him no attention. However, when Kircheis tells him that they should give the soldiers a rest, he is surprised at what he had never thought of doing, and goes ahead and does so. It is clear that Kircheis has a tactical eye, but at the same time, he also has a flexibility that Reinhard lacks.

He fights on equal terms with Schönkopf

Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten

Kircheis has a hidden talent for fighting since he was a child, and he's also skilled in hand-to-hand combat. He was even able to fight on equal terms with Schönkopf of the Free Planets Alliance Rosenritter Corps in ground combat, and he even demonstrated his excellent fighting skills in zero gravity. Kircheis is not only intelligent but also physically strong, making him too good to serve as Reinhard's adjutant.

Kircheis and Reinhard share a strong bond

Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten

Kircheis and Reinhard had a fateful encounter as children, and their relationship remained strong even after they joined the military. As is clear from the scenes depicting the two together, the strong bond between them is clear. We've picked out a few episodes that epitomize the relationship between Kircheis and Reinhard, so take a look at their relationship again.

After joining the military, he calls him "Lord Reinhard"

Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten

As a child, Kircheis would call Reinhard "Reinhard," but after joining the military, he began calling him "Lord Reinhard." Reinhard says that he has started calling him "sama" without even realizing it, which is likely a sign of his determination to continue supporting him as his aide. It's not unnatural given the difference in status between an ordinary citizen and a lower-ranking noble, but Reinhard seems to feel uncomfortable with Kircheis calling him "sama."

A Relationship That Remains the Same, Even as a Subordinate

Even though they became close friends after joining the military, Kircheis continues to respect Reinhard both in private and in public. Despite their superior-subordinate relationships, the two remain close friends. Although his language remains polite, Reinhard trusts Kircheis, and Kircheis will not betray Reinhard. This can be seen from his reunion with Annerose, who has entered the harem.

Saving Reinhard by Offering Himself as a Shield

To achieve his ambitious goal of usurping the Empire and reclaiming Annerose, Kircheis has been Reinhard's hands and legs, removing any obstacles that get in his way. Reinhard finally seized control of the Empire, but was attacked after the end of the Lippstadt War. He was in a desperate situation, but Kircheis risked his own life and took the bullet in his place, which proved to be a fatal wound and led to his death.

A Word Carved on the Gravestone

Kircheis, who took Reinhard's place, was granted the title of Archduke when the Lohengramm dynasty was established. While everyone mourned Kircheis's death, Reinhard, unable to hide his shock, fell into a state of shock. Eventually, he inscribed the words "Mein Freund" (My friend) on Kircheis's gravestone, and although it was just one word, it contained all of Reinhard's feelings for Kircheis.

What kind of person was Kircheis?

Kircheis died at the young age of 21, but up until that point, he had achieved immeasurable accomplishments as Reinhard's aide. His accomplishments were also highly esteemed by the military officers around him, demonstrating the magnitude of his presence. To understand what kind of person Kircheis was, we'll take a look at some of his many scenes that best capture his personality and charm.

A pure and honest character, rare among military personnel

Kircheis is a character who seems to complement Reinhard's shortcomings. Compared to Reinhard's passionate nature, Kircheis is gentle and affable. Furthermore, Reinhard tends to agree with Oberstein's opinions, who sometimes shows no qualms about committing cruel acts, while Kircheis disagrees with them. This statement is made in keeping with Kircheis's upright and honest nature, and shows his desire to proceed in a clean manner.

He's so nice you'd never guess he was a soldier

Kircheis has a friendly personality, and Reinhard praises his strengths, saying things like, "He finds good in even the most useless people," and "He's a teacher who can develop his students' strengths." He gives off the impression of being a nice person, and he actually treats the Earth Cult members kindly, earning him a reputation as a "nice person." However, he once made a prophetic statement that "nice people don't live long," and this turned out to be true.

He had no interest in any women other than Annerose

Tall and handsome, Kircheis once attracted the attention of women during his successive promotions. However, his heart was only ever with Annerose, and he ignored the advances of other women. Kircheis had never felt the attraction of any other woman, and Annerose was the perfect woman for him.

Kircheis: A Passionate Man Who Fought for His Friends

Kircheis died at the young age of 21, but he continued to serve Reinhard and support him until the very end. He truly fought for his friend, and it can be said that his entire life was dedicated to regaining the days he spent with Reinhard and Annerose. As such a popular character, it is sad that he left the story so early, but this speaks to the magnitude of Kircheis' presence.