"Legend of the Galactic Heroes" features two main characters, Reinhard and Yang Wen-li, who fight on different sides. There are also other fascinating characters in "Legend of the Galactic Heroes," each portrayed as an excellent subordinate. We'll introduce all the main characters that appear in "Legend of the Galactic Heroes."
A space opera centered around two heroes!
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
"Legend of the Galactic Heroes" is a story set in the galaxy, depicting battles, scheming, and political intrigue, centered around the two characters Reinhard von Lohengramm and Yang Wen-li. On the Galactic Empire side, Reinhard becomes emperor and strives to unify the galaxy, while on the Free Planets Alliance side, Yang Wen-li blazes through the battlefield with his cunning and tactics. Both sides are packed with must-see developments. We'll be taking a look at the key characters who shape the story of "Legend of the Galactic Heroes," so be sure to check it out until the end!
The Two Protagonists Who Shape the Story of "Legend of the Galactic Heroes"
Reinhard von Lohengramm
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
Reinhard von Lohengramm, the protagonist of the Galactic Empire, was born as the eldest son of a lower-ranking noble family on the Empire's capital planet, Odin. He lived happily with his older sister Annerose and his ally Kircheis, but one day an official from the Imperial Household Ministry summoned Annerose to serve as the schoolyard harem, and with his sister taken away from him, Lohengramm began to hate the Empire. Despite being a lower-ranking nobleman, he rose through the ranks in an unprecedented way for an Imperial soldier, eventually ascending to the throne as Emperor and achieving galaxy unity.
Yang Wen-li
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
The protagonist of the Free Planets Alliance is Yang Wen-li, raised by his father, the captain of an interstellar trade ship. Since childhood, he has aspired to become a historian, and at the age of 15, he enrolled in the military academy because he could study history for free. There, his talent as a strategist was discovered, and he achieved great success in battles such as the Battle of Iserlohn and the Battle of Astarte, eventually rising to the rank of Field Marshal at the youngest age in the history of the Alliance. Yang Wen-li also earned the nickname "Miracle Yang" due to his success in achieving victories despite numerous disadvantages.
Key Figures of the Galactic Empire
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
The Galactic Empire, the first unified, autocratic government of all humanity, was officially called the Goldenbaum Dynasty Galactic Empire and was founded by military officer Rudolf von Goldenbaum. Many years later, the birth of Reinhard von Lohengramm marked a major turning point in the history of the Galactic Empire. Reinhard was originally a low-ranking nobleman, but he eventually rose to become Emperor of the New Galactic Empire, but let's start by introducing the people close to him who supported him.
Siegfried Kircheis
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
Siegfried Kircheis, Reinhard's ally, was in love with Annerose's sister, but was shocked when she was chosen to enter the emperor's harem. However, the person who was even more shocked than he was was none other than his ally, and together they went to the Imperial Military Academy in order to usurp Annerose. Even after joining the Imperial Army, he continued to support Reinhard as his adjutant, achieving numerous accomplishments.
Annerose von Grünewald
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
Annerose von Grünewald, Reinhard von Lohengramm's older sister, was the person who inspired Reinhard to aspire to galactic unification. After accepting the offer to become the emperor's mistress, she began living apart from her family and then became focused on the future. However, even after joining the royal family, she still makes time to see her brother and Kircheis, which are her only moments of peace.
Hildegard von Mariendorf
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
Hildegard von Mariendorf, nicknamed Hilda, served as Reinhard's chief secretary and soon married him. Before serving as his secretary, she took herself hostage and went to Reinhard's camp, where she pledged her loyalty to him. After losing Kircheis, Reinhard began to lose his true self, but Hilda continued to support him not only politically but also in his personal life, guiding the soon-to-be-born Lohengramm dynasty towards becoming the person Reinhard had envisioned.
Rudolf von Goldenbaum
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
Rudolf von Goldenbaum, who founded the Galactic Empire and became its first emperor, was originally a soldier belonging to the Galactic Federation. However, after retiring from the military, he entered politics and founded the Goldenbaum Dynasty Galactic Empire in the year 310 of the Space Era, transforming what had previously been a constitutional monarchy into an absolute monarchy. After becoming emperor, his stance of excluding the weak became more pronounced, and he accelerated his own deification.
Key Admirals of the Lohengramm Faction
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
Reinhard had his ally and capable aide-de-camp, Kircheis, by his side, but he also had many other talented subordinates, allowing him to gradually rise in status within the Empire through military exploits. Let's take a look at the key admirals of the Lohengramm Faction who helped propel Reinhard to the position of Emperor. Without their efforts, Reinhard's rise to power would not have been possible, and they are all charming and powerful characters, so keep an eye out for them.
Wolfgang Mittermeyer
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
Wolfgang Mittermeyer, one of the key admirals in Lohengramm's camp, was the most trusted figure after Kircheis's death. He later became First Admiral and was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Starfleet. He was close friends with Reuenthal, and was known to the public as the "two pillars of the Imperial Army," excelling in fleet command and hand-to-hand combat techniques, achieving numerous accomplishments.
Oscar von Reuenthal
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
Oscar von Reuenthal distinguished himself as a subordinate of Reinhard, and when the Lohengramm dynasty of the Galactic Empire was established, he was appointed Chief of the General Staff. He is depicted as continuing to serve as governor of the new territory, but ends up starting a rebellion and being fatally wounded. However, he remains friends with Reinhard, and before dying he kills someone who has made insulting remarks about him, which is discussed as having had a major impact on later history.
Carl Gustav Kempf
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
Carl Gustav Kempf is a former Valkyrie pilot and a celebrated ace pilot. After joining the von von von von der Reuhengramm camp, he became known as a brave general. Although not many battle scenes are depicted, there is no doubt that he played an active role, as he was praised for his military achievements by Reinhard and was set to be promoted. However, he suffered a major defeat at the Battle of Iserlohn due to Yang Wen-li's ploy, and was the first of the major admirals to lose his life.
Ernest Mecklinger
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
Ernest Mecklinger is not only a key admiral in the Lohengramm camp, but also a man of culture, possessing a distinguished poet, painter, and musician background. He is seen playing an active role on Reinhard's staff and in military affairs rather than on the battlefield, and when Hilda becomes Empress, he takes on the position of Chief of Staff, contributing to the glory and development of the Galactic Empire of the Lohengramm dynasty.
Fritz-Josef Bittenfeld
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
Fritz-Josef Bittenfeld rose to the rank of major admiral after catching the attention of Reinhard. He also made a great achievement at the Battle of Amritsar, defeating two fleets, but was defeated by a counterattack from the 13th Fleet led by Yang Wen-li, resulting in a failure to defeat the Allied forces. Nevertheless, he is depicted as achieving great military prowess in subsequent battles, and his greatest achievement was probably the defeat of Merkatz, who had defected to the Free Planets Alliance.
Cornelius Lutz
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
Known as the "Master of Guns," Cornelius Lutz once advised Reinhard, who was a captain at the time. He later served as a capable fleet commander for the Lohengramm faction, as seen in the Battle of Amritsar and the Battle of Lippstadt. He steadily rose through the ranks, but ultimately lost his life in an incident that would later become known as the Urvashi Incident, after engaging in a gunfight to save Reinhardt from an attack.
August Samuel Warren
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
August Samuel Warren, highly respected by his subordinates, ultimately served as a commander in the Lohengramm camp. He rose to this high position thanks to his achievements in the Battle of Amritsar and the Battle of Lippstadt, as well as his decisive role in harassing Yang Wen-li's fleet. However, the cost was great, causing significant damage to his own fleet, and Reinhard gave him the mission of defeating the Earth Cult as an opportunity to redeem himself.
Paul von Oberstein
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
Paul von Oberstein served as Reinhard's chief of staff, primarily in charge of military and political strategy. Above all else, he prioritizes efficiency and effectiveness in order to achieve his goals, and is portrayed as a cold-hearted person with little sense of humanity or ethics. Although he is recognized for his great abilities and achievements, he is also disliked by the other major admirals as a heretic.
Key Figures of the Free Planets Alliance
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka/Production IG/Tokuma Shoten
While Reinhard led with charisma, Yang Wen-li primarily commanded his subordinates through his popularity and affability. The members of the 13th Fleet were all inspired by his spirit of trying to end the war with as little bloodshed as possible, and they faithfully carried out the plans he had devised. Let's take a look at the key figures of the Free Planets Alliance who supported Yang Wen-li.
Julian Mintz
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka/Production IG/Tokuma Shoten
Julian Mintz was Yang Wen-li's protégé and future successor. Inspired by Yang, he embarked on a military career, achieving numerous accomplishments. When he turned 18, Yang Wen-li passed away, but he subsequently assumed the position of acting commander of the revolutionary army and eventually even had an audience with Reinhard, who became emperor. This led Yang to pursue his dream of becoming a historian, and he wrote a biography of Yang Wen-li's life.
Frederica Greenhill
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
Frederica Greenhill, Yang Wen-li's adjutant and a member of the 13th Fleet, fell in love at first sight with the then-21-year-old Yang Wen-li during the escape from El Fasil. She then joined the military in order to get closer to him. He has an incredible memory and is skilled in information and administrative processing, and is portrayed as a very sensible person. Later, Yang proposes to him and they get married, and for a while he changes out of his military uniform and into an apron.
Dusty Attenborough
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
Dusty Attenborough was a junior of Yang Wen-li at the military academy and serves as the squadron commander of the fleet he leads. While he aspired to be a journalist as a student, his parents forced him into military academy. However, there is an episode in which, during his first year, he broke curfew and tried to climb over the wall, and was discovered by Yang Wen-li, but he managed to avoid punishment by pretending not to notice.
Olivier Poplin
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
Olivier Poplin appears as an aerial combat ace. During the Free Planets Alliance's invasion of Imperial Territory, he is assigned to the 13th Fleet and is depicted excelling in hand-to-hand combat. His military achievements include shooting down over 250 enemy aircraft, a figure that places him in the top 10 all-time ace pilots in Imperial Alliance battles. He was also the mentor who taught Julian and Karin aerial combat techniques, and it can be said that their success is entirely thanks to Poplan.
Alex Caselne
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
Alex Caselne is in charge of the rear-line operations of Yang Wen-li's fleet. While he's well on his way to becoming an elite, he doesn't really exude that elite vibe. He met Yang Wen-li when he was appointed Deputy Director of Administration at the Military Academy, and the two developed a bond that led to them recognizing each other as rare friends. After Yang's death, he recognized Julian's talent and supported him, and he continued to carry out his duties until the end of the Battle of Shiva.
Walter von Schönkopf
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka / Production IG / Tokuma Shoten
Walter von Schönkopf serves as captain of the Rose Knights (Rosenritter) Regiment, composed of defectors from the Galactic Empire. It is none other than Schönkopf who sets the tone for Yang Wen-li's fleet, and he is a master of hand-to-hand combat and land battle command, making a major contribution to the Free Planets Alliance's victory in the Battle of Iserlohn. He continues to be appointed as a key member of the 13th Fleet, and is depicted as having played an important role in preventing an assassination attempt on Yang.
Wilibald Joachim von Merkatz
The exploits of these men of exceptional ability are a must-see!
Source: Legend of the Galactic Heroes © Yoshiki Tanaka/Production IG/Tokuma Shoten
We've introduced the main characters of "Legend of the Galactic Heroes." What do you think? Many characters appear on both the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance, and the exploits of those close to Reinhard and Yang are particularly captivating. Behind the scenes, the two main characters are able to excel thanks to the efforts of the main admirals and their lieutenants, and if you pay attention to their actions and words, you will find "Legend of the Galactic Heroes" even more interesting.
