The cast of Legend of the Galactic Heroes is almost as immense in scale as the series itself. So immense, in fact, that at the beginning of the show (and of each subsequent season) they have to put subtitles bearing their names for each of their on-camera appearances! Here is a list of these truly memorable individuals who helped shape the face of history forever.
As always, please beware of spoilers. Humans are only human after all.
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The Galactic Empire and Free Planets Alliance
Third Parties
The Dominion of Fezzan
The Dominion of Fezzan is an autonomous region within the Galactic Empire. Comprising a planet-state within the eponymously named Fezzan Corridor, it's been able to serve as a neutral party in the Alliance–Imperial War by facilitating trade between the Empire and Free Planets Alliance. By the reign of Kaiser Friedrich IV, the Dominion of Fezzan had become an economic superpower. General Tropes
- Balance of Power: At the beginning of the series, the semi-independent Fezzan served as the fulcrum for the balance of power between the Empire and Alliance. Militarily it's weak compared to the other two, but its strategic and economic importance guaranteed that if one of the bigger powers were to move against it, the other would come to its aid and gain the upper hand.
- City of Spies: As the ostensibly neutral third party between two major superpowers, Fezzan essentially serves as a Planet of Spies. Fezzan's government plays into the role by subtly exerting its influence within both the Alliance and the Empire to keep them both at one another's throats.
- Covert Group with Mundane Front: Fezzan was intended to be this for the Earth Church, with Boris Konev later on remarking to Yang's Fleet how most Fezzanis aren't in on it. In practice however, Fezzan under Adrian Rubinsky is a Renegade Splinter Faction that serves his interests, as much as he feigns neutrality to every faction.
- Crippling Overspecialization: As valuable as Fezzan is, it's otherwise all but defenseless
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture:
- Compared to the rest of the Empire, Fezzan is much more analogous to late-20th Century Western European societies, including Switzerland and specifically the City of London.
- Its political and economic position as a go-between for hostile nations is also similar to that of Hong Kong prior to its reunification with China. After Fezzan's brought back into the fold by Reinhard, the agreement made with Nicholas Boltik for a provisional authority to help Fezzanis transition to Imperial rule has echoes of the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: The backstabbing, manipulative and conniving environment cultivated in Fezzan has allowed it to prosper as a neutral hub. But it's also this same environment that damns them when Reinhard finally has had enough and invades.
- Let No Crisis Go to Waste: Fezzanis are known to be very quick to exploit the constant, bloodied back-and-forth of the conflict for monetary gain.
- Multinational Team: Fezzan is decidedly more multicultural than the rest of the Empire in their names and lifestyle, with its founders being traders hailing from Earth as a front for the Terraists.
- Playing Both Sides: Fezzan's leaders and most successful businessmen have a habit of pitting the Empire and Alliance against each other for their own benefit, often switching sides whenever convenient.
- Privately Owned Society: Fezzan generally comes across as this. Aside from the Landesherr and a handful of government posts, Imperial oversight is minimal to almost nonexistent. Thus, its merchants are free to conduct business and run their own affairs as they see fit, so long as they stay clear of Adrian Rubinsky’s way.
- Proud Merchant Race: Fezzani citizens have gained a reputation for being cunning traders and entrepreneurs. This also manifests in negative stereotypes of them being smug to a fault and generally manipulative.
- Suddenly Significant City: While Fezzan has consistently been a major economic and strategic hub, after becoming Kaiser and reasserting Imperial control over the planet, Reinhard von Lohengramm moves his capital there, becoming the new center of human civilization.
- Truce Zone: Fezzan is introduced this way. Despite being officially under control of the Empire, it remains politically neutral and does not allow any military vessels from either side to enter its space. Naturally, this makes the planet a valuable waypoint for refugees, spies, and traders looking to take advantage.
- War for Fun and Profit: Although lacking a strong military force of its own, Fezzan engages in the trading of arms, intel, and advanced weapon technology. Most notably, it sold the Artemis Necklace automated orbital planetary defence system to both the Free Planets Alliance, and then later to the rebellious Maximilian von Castrop. Fezzan's also a major channel for the transfer of military technology from the Empire to the Alliance, ensuring little technological gap existed between the two opposing powers.
- We Are Everywhere: Due to their economic and underground networks, Fezzanis could be found just about everywhere in both the Empire and Alliance which isn't getting to the Terraists among their ranks.
Adrian Rubinsky
Landesherr Adrian Rubinsky
Voiced by: Kiyoshi Kobayashi (main series), Hideaki Tezuka (Die Neue These) (Japanese), Jason Douglas (Die Neue These) (English)
Last Landesherr of Fezzan. Went underground when the Empire invaded and annexed his planet and worked with the Terraists to subvert the Imperial cause until his capture and subsequent demise from a brain tumor.
- Ambiguously Brown: His skin tone is darker than average Imperial citizens, but lighter than black men like Sithole and Machengo.
- Bald of Evil: Well, he is amoral and ruthless, as well as completely bald. In Die Neue These he has sideburns but remains bald on top.
- The Chessmaster: Rubinsky is perhaps one of the most skilled ones in the entire series, being able to hold his own against even the likes of Reinhard and Oberstein while playing every side to his advantage.
- Double Agent: He's revealed to be an agent for the Earth Church, though his true allegiance is to himself.
- Death Seeker: Brain tumor aside, having his illegitimate son killed filled him with so much regret that he became this. Later on he asks if Dominique would be willing to give him another child. Dominique's reply is "so you can kill him too?", but when she leaves the room, Rubinsky replies to himself, "No, so he can kill me".
- Didn't See That Coming: While Rubinsky correctly predicted Reinhard going along with the kidnapping of Erwin Josef II to justify invading the Alliance, he never expected him to use the same opportunity to seize and annex Fezzan outright.
- Dragon with an Agenda: The Terraists use him to spread their influence through the universe, but it's clear he'd get rid of them at the first opportunity.
- Enlightened Self-Interest: Rubinsky's actions are as much done to maximize Fezzan's interests as they are in the name of bolstering his own power. This falls apart, however, once Reinhard sets his sights on bringing Fezzan back in line and making it his new capital.
- Everyone Has Standards: Though he nominally serves the interests of the Earth Cult, even he finds the notion of the sort of all-encompassing theocracy envisioned by the Terraists to be abhorrent.
- Evil Virtues: As manipulative and ruthless as Adrian Rubinsky is, he does take his duties as Fezzan's Landesherr seriously. His actions which include abandoning the Earth Church to its fate are as much done in Fezzan's financial interests as for his own bid for power.
- Going Native: Rubinsky cares much about his own well-being and that of Fezzan rather than the Terraists he answers to.
- The Heavy: Be it for the Terraists or for himself, for almost the entire series if something bad ever happened at either side of the galaxy, 8 out of 10 bet he's arranged it behind the scenes. He also gets plenty of Villains Out Shopping scenes.
- It's All About Me: In the end, his true allegiance is to himself and to Fezzan, seeing the latter's political and economic standing as important for his own agenda.
- A Lighter Shade of Black: For all of Rubinsky's cutthroat and insidious scheming, he's still not the worst or most irredeemable living antagonist in the entire series. That dishonor would go to Job Trunicht and the Terraists.
- Nerves of Steel: He can stay calm and relaxed even with a gun pointed at him. That being said...
- Not So Stoic: The gun in question was pointed at him by his illegitimate son, Rupert. After that son is gunned down by his bodyguards, Rubinsky is clearly shaken by Rupert's death.
- Not in This for Your Revolution: Despite serving the Earth Church, he's ultimately working to serve himself and Fezzan's interests. The moment the Terraists try to set their plans into motion, he all but jumps ship.
- Offing the Offspring: Killed his illegitimate son Rupert Kesserling since he tried to overthrow Rubinsky.
- Plausible Deniability: Many in both the Empire and Alliance come to suspect Rubinsky of being involved with various plots in some manner. Yet due to both insufficient evidence and some smooth sleight-of-hand on Rubinsky's part, he'd been able to escape scrutiny for the most part until the Empire's annexation of Fezzan itself.
- Playing Both Sides: His entire game plan is focused around playing the various factions against one another to ensure that every other power continues to consider Fezzan essential to the Balance of Power, thus allowing the planet to preserve its autonomy.
- Red Baron: "Black Fox of Fezzan."
- Sharp-Dressed Man: Whether in the OVA or Die Neue These, he's often seen wearing crisp suits and smart casualwear, befitting his status in Fezzan.
- Suicide Attack: After a fashion: he had rigged several powerful bombs in the center of Heinessenpolis to explode the minute an implant in his skull no longer could detect his brainwaves. Already dying from a brain tumor, he deliberately unplugged his life support machine, hoping to catch Reinhard in the blast. He failed, but the damage to the city was considerable and the death toll in the thousands.
- Taking You with Me: Realizing that he's dying from a brain tumor and that his chance to seize power is lost forever, he tries instead to take out Reinhard while he's in Heinessen using remote explosives planted across the former Alliance capital, rigged to blow up upon his own death. The gamble ultimately fails, but still kills thousands of innocent lives.
- Villainous Breakdown: Downplayed. While still keeping his composure, it's clear that Rubinsky does not take Reinhard outsmarting him and figuring out his schemes lightly.
- War for Fun and Profit: In contrast to the Earth Cult, that have greater plans for each side of the conflict, the only thing he cares about is Fezzan's economic stability and how to exploit both nations' Forever War for more income.
Dominique Saint-Pierré
Dominique Saint-Pierré
Voiced by: Fumi Hirano (main series), Mie Sonozaki (Die Neue These) (Japanese), Janelle Lutz (Die Neue These) (English)
A Fezzani singer and dancer who was the long-time companion of the former Fezzani governor-general, Adrian Rubinsky.
- Adaptational Personality Change: The OVA version is just cold overall, but her Neue These counterpart is far more expressive, even if she can be just as calculating.
- Beneath Notice: Despite Dominique's close ties with Rubinsky, following the latter's death she's let go by Imperial investigators after finding no evidence incriminating her.
- Call It Karma: She tells Rubinsky his brain tumor is probably a curse caused by killing his son and aiding the Terraists.
- The Confidant: She serves as this for Rubinsky.
- Everyone Has Standards: While she's not a particularly moral person, Dominique shows displeasure after aiding Rubinsky in killing his own son by keeping tabs on Rupert Kesserling.
- Everything's Sexier in French: Well, she has a French-sounding name and provides most of the scarce fan service on the show.
- Fashionable Asymmetry: Her hair is always covering her right eye. Subverted with her Neue These version, where both eyes are uncovered.
- Ms. Fanservice: She provides some eye-candy in a series where there is almost none.
- Only Friend: She seems to be the only person Rubinsky really trusts.
- Pet the Dog: While she doesn't care much about Elfriede, she at least motivates her to take care of her child.
- The Stoic: She never loses her calm tone, which contrasts with her flamboyant way of dressing.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: It's not known what happens to her after being released in the aftermath of Rubinsky's death.
Rupert Kesserling
Rupert Kesserling
Voiced by: Hirotaka Suzuoki (main series), Kenji Nojima (Die Neue These) (Japanese), Y. Chang (Die Neue These) (English)
The secretary of Adrian Rubinsky and also his illegitimate son.
- Adaptational Attractiveness: His main series counterpart wasn't much to look at, while his New Thesis self is borderline a Pretty Boy.
- Adaptation Dye-Job: Auburn hair in the original series, black haired in Die Neue These.
- Arc Villain: He is The Man Behind the Man behind multiple incidents on both the Alliance's and Empire's sides during the second season.
- Ambition Is Evil: Was the second most powerful person in Fezzan and would really like to be the first as soon as possible.
- Bastard Bastard: Is the result of one of Rubinsky's affairs, who doesn't really care about him outside of his talent in politics. He turned into a pretty cruel man.
- Big Bad Wannabe: Thought he could take Rubinsky's place with the right cards and then move even higher. Too bad, Rubinsky had even better cards.
- Dropped a Bridge on Him: He and Rubinsky have staged a long chain of events that would eventually lead to the Empire's full invasion on the Alliance. As soon as he decides he doesn't need his father anymore, he is shot by Rubinsky's security, and besides a discussion with Dominique, he or his family dynamics are never mentioned again.
- Evil Redhead: In contrast to his bald father, he has auburn and fancies himself as more ruthless than Rubinsky.
- Four Eyes, Zero Soul: His Die Neue These counterpart wears glasses and is just as ruthless and manipulative as his original self.
- Like Father, Like Son: Kesserling took quite a bit from his biological father, including his scheming and manipulative tendencies though not enough to succeed in toppling Rubinsky.
- Might Makes Right: A firm believer that those who have more power are the victors.
- Not Even Bothering with an Excuse: Unlike Rubinsky, who at least pays lip service to the Terraists for so long as it serves his interests, Kesserling barely hides his disdain for the Earth Church.
- Rewarded as a Traitor Deserves: Told Dominique his plan to overthrow the Terraists and Rubinsky, and was looking for any weaknesses... whom she tells about it right away.
- The Starscream: To both the Rubinsky and the Terraists.
- Too Clever by Half: Kesserling may be a competent and manipulative schemer by Fezzani standards but proves woefully outmatched by his own father, and pays for it with his life.
- We Can Rule Together: Tries to pull Terraist bishop Degsby to his side by making him the ruler of Earth, while also drugging and filming him for blackmail. While the bishop isn't a good guy either, he only laughs at the proposal.
Boris Konev
Boris Konev
Voiced by: Yasuhara Yoshito (main series), Masami Kikuchi (Die Neue These) (Japanese), Micah Solusod (Die Neue These) (English)
A Fezzani merchant who captained the ship Berezka and later The Undutiness, and had briefly served as a secretary at Fezzan's embassy on Heinessen.
- Beleaguered Bureaucrat: Albeit briefly. When Fezzan is taken over by the Empire, he stays around to help the Fezzani High Commissioner and his remaining delegation, who are now unemployed, before going into hiding himself.
- The Captain: In addition to his business ventures, Boris operates the merchant ship Berezka with a small but loyal crew. Cazelnes later gives Boris a new vessel, The Undutiness, as compensation for the loss of the Berezka after the latter was destroyed during Julian's sojourn to Earth.
- Childhood Friends: Boris was a close friend from Yang's childhood, who the latter recalled as a mischievous child who'd gotten in trouble for playing a lot of pranks. This doesn't stop Yang from entrusting Julian's protection with him for a while.
- Honest Corporate Executive: Boris is shownrevelations about [[spoiler:their true mac to be fairly benevolent to his subordinates and others under his employ, in contrast to the common stereotype of Fezzanis. So long as they do their job well, he will support and vouch for them.
- The Informant: He uses Fezzani connections in the galactic underground to both provide valuable intel to Yang's Fleet and deceive Reinhard in whatever way he could. He also uses these links to help identify Terraists trying to stir trouble after Yang's death.
- Knight in Sour Armor: He's one of the nicest merchants in Fezzan, who also happens to be a close ally of Yang's Fleet and later on the Iserlohn Republic. He's also incredibly cynical about government, and while opposed to Reinhard, he seems to be doing so more as a favor for his friends and associates than any commitment to democracy.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Despite his relative prosperity and prominence in Fezzani circles he clearly wasn’t in on the Terraist conspiracy in Fezzan.
- Not in This for Your Revolution: Boris makes it clear that he'd rather be making money than getting directly involved in the conflict, and considers dying in said conflict to be a worthless venture. He nonetheless helps Yang and his associates out because it's what friends do.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Boris comes off generally nonchalant and jaded. He also has a dismissive view of the Earth Church as a band of delusional cultists, having worked with pilgrims going to Earth. The revelations regarding Fezzan's role as a Terraist front and the Earth Church's true plans, however, genuinely shock him.
- Reassigned to Antarctica: Adrian Rubinsky had him "assigned" to Heinessen both to keep an eye on Yang and to prevent potential interlopers like him from being a threat. Boris, however, simply doesn't follow the implicit orders given to him and when Fezzan is conquered, spends some time helping the now-unemployed delegation before going into hiding.
Nicholas Boltik
Governor-General Nicholas Boltik
Voiced by: Jinnai Tatsuyuki (main series)
Nicholas Boltik was the last Fezzani High Commissioner to the Galactic Empire and the personal secretary of Landesherr Adrian Rubinsky, until he chose to collaborate with Reinhard von Lohengramm in his plan to unite the galaxy under his rule. He later became the Governor-General of Fezzan under the reformed Empire.
- Beleaguered Assistant: As Rubinsky's personal secretary, Boltik reported to him on different developments in galactic politics, including the Battle of Astarte, the rise of Reinhard von Lohengramm and Yang Wen-li, and the internal conflicts in the Empire and the Free Planets Alliance. While it's not immediately obvious, however, it gradually grows evident that he's stifling under Rubinsky which eventually leads to his defection towards Reinhard.
- Defector from Decadence: He ultimately turns on Rubinsky, believing that it's in Fezzan's best interest to side with and be assimilated by Reinhard.
- Les Collaborateurs: He comes to believe, and promotes the idea, that working with Reinhard is in the best interests of Fezzanis.
- Locked Out of the Loop: Downplayed. From what could be gleaned, despite his high position he was neither a Terraist nor in on the Earth Cult's schemes, though it's implied he knew of them.
- Meet the New Boss: Deliberately invoked, at least in spirit, by Boltik upon being made Governor-General by Reinhard, rationalizing that it would help Fezzanis more easily transition to Imperial rule.
- The Scapegoat: The bombing on Fezzan that took the life of Minister of Industry Silverberch was organized by Rubinsky, but had Lang frame Boltik for it and make it look like he committed suicide. The revelation that not only was Boltik wholly innocent but was killed for a crime he didn't commit would ultimately doom Lang.
- Token Good Teammate: Boltik was just about the only high-ranking Fezzani official shown to have no ulterior motives other than doing his job and is rewarded by Reinhard by being made the administrative head of Fezzan after becoming Kaiser. He's also shown to be innocent of a crime orchestrated by Rubinsky.
- You Are in Command Now: Following Fezzan's fall to the Empire, Boltik is thrust into the role of Governor-General by Reinhard.
Other Third Parties
Job Trunicht
Chairman Job Trunicht
Voiced by: Unshō Ishizuka (main series), Kazuhiro Anzai (Die Neue These) (Japanese), Dave Trosko (Die Neue These) (English)
Trunicht was the Chairman of the Free Planets Alliance's High Council for much of the series and was generally a very slimy person. His defining characteristic, as commented on by many characters over the course of the series, was his utter shamelessness. Trunicht was willing to do whatever it took to maintain his position and privileges, and did not truly believe in the concept of democracy if it didn't serve his interests.
While he was Chairman he retained the services of a vigilante group called the Patriotic Knights Corps and was also shown to have strong ties to the Earth Cult.
- Ain't Too Proud to Beg: Trunicht is revealed to have very little pride and has no depths to which he will not sink in order to ensure his own survival and position: If he must go down on his knees and beg to survive, then that is what he will do. Even Reinhard is disgusted by it, but is forced to keep him alive out of pragmatism.
- Asshole Victim: If it was anybody else, we would be horrified at an unarmed civilian getting gunned down in cold blood without trial by an Imperial officer, but it's Trunicht so it's okay.
- Chronic Backstabbing Disorder: This man will sell out anything and anyone in order to save his own hide. Luckily Reuenthal provided the universe a great service before dying himself.
- Enemy Mine: He is willing to work with erstwhile foes if their interests align, though it's made clear that this lasts only for so long as it suits his interests alone.
- Even Evil Has Standards: Not much, but it still shows.
- As much of an opportunist as Trunicht is, he's not going to back plans that would be suicidal to his reputation or personal well-being, be it the invasion of the Empire or the later coup.
- While Trunicht is willing to manipulate the Terraists for his own ends, even he considers their plans too insane.
- Hypocrisy Nod: Trunicht is self-aware regarding his flagrant hypocrisy and willingness to turn on everyone at any moment. He simply doesn't care, so long as he gets to survive and accrue more power.
- It's All About Me: More than just about everyone else in the series, Trunicht is incredibly egotistical and only ever loyal to himself. He would do anything if it means personal gain or self-preservation, no matter how reprehensible his actions are.
- Jerkass Has a Point:
- Early on, he opposes a plan to invade Imperial space from the recently captured Iserlohn, bringing as justification the fact that, with the strain of economy and shortage of manpower, they simply can't afford to escalate things further. Yang, Greenhill and others can see he's only doing it to preserve and even increase his power (as he's only the Defense Secretary at this time), but have to admit his official reasons are right.
- Also early on, he mentions that he has no great love for a democratic system that would allow a self-serving opportunist like himself a clear shot at power that can be easily exploited and abused. You do almost have to admire his candor... Almost.
- Karma Houdini Warranty: For much of the series, Trunicht manages to emerge relatively unscathed, seemingly eluding justice at every turn. It's not until Reuenthal finally has enough of him that he at last gets what's coming.
- Karmic Death: Is shot by Oskar von Reuenthal in his office after taking his shameless selfishness one step too far. Reuenthal may have just fought a losing rebellion against Kaiser Reinhard, but he does not take kindly to hearing Trunicht slandering Reinhard with his "feces-stained tongue."
- Manipulative Bastard: His M.O. All he does is more or less for his own personal gain and power.
- Never My Fault: When Mittermeyer and Reuenthal attack Heinessen in order to demand the Free Planets Alliance' surrender, he blames Yang for it, as Yang destroyed the Artemis Necklace (despite the fact that Yang saved his miserable life by doing so). Bewcock points out that Yang warned them countless times that relying on hardware was a terrible idea and that it was corrupt politicians and opportunistic admirals who allowed the situation to become nigh-unsalvageable.
- He also shows this in a mix with Straw Hypocrite. Yes, the democratic system was what allowed him to rise to power... except he ignores the fact that he was given power in the first place because others believed in him, and he was the one who used it for his own, corrupt desires. Essentially, he blames democracy for giving an opportunist like him a chance to be a manipulative asshole, instead of realizing he could very well have been a benevolent leader but simply chooses not to.
- Not in This for Your Revolution: Despite working with the Terraists, ostensibly to give them greater influence within the Alliance in exchange for political support, Trunicht is just as quick to abandon them the moment they risk implicating himself.
- Pragmatic Villainy: Trunicht is willing to make reasonable concessions and compromises that work in Yang's favor as well as the Terraists' and the Empire's, if only to secure his own power, as well as increase his chances of staying alive once the dust settles.
- Playing Both Sides: Trunicht plays everyone against each other for his own personal gain, whether it's the Alliance government, the Empire, or even the Earth Church.
- The Quisling: Shamelessly accepts a role in the Imperial occupation force's administration after the collapse of the Free Planets Alliance.
- Sleazy Politician: He's a flatterer and a demagogue whose only consistent agenda is gaining and keeping power. As a minister (and later the leader) of the Free Planets Alliance, he uses passionate appeals to patriotism to gain public support while crushing dissent through his secret ties to paramilitary fanatics, all the while using the power and influence he gains purely for his own selfish gratification. He's no less sleazy once he defects to the Empire, similarly exploiting and aggravating the feuds among the Imperial military's higher ranks in hopes of profiting from the chaos.
- Smug Snake: Trunicht practically revels in his role as a slippery, deceptively charming, manipulative backstabber who only looks after his own self-interest, and he has a water rat's instinctive ability to know when to abandon a sinking ship. The only one able to best him in the end is Oskar von Reuenthal, who has no qualms with just shooting the guy when Trunicht comes by to gloat about it in the aftermath of Reuenthal's failed rebellion.
- Stopped Caring: While Trunicht is still willing to spin some PR, invoke Plausible Deniability, and shift his stated ideals as needed, he makes little effort otherwise to conceal his disregard for anything (or anyone) other than himself.
- The Sociopath: He's aware that nearly everything he does is borderline unethical at best and a blatant abuse of his position at worst. He just doesn't care; he looks after himself, and himself alone
- As the above quote exemplifies, though the writers refrained from using him to make a point.
- One main facet of Trunicht's character was how completely unabashed he was about his goals; namely personal power and comfort by any means. He provides a Character Filibuster early on in the series essentially outlining how messed up the Free Planet Alliance's "democracy" is by letting someone like him into power in the first place.
- Ungrateful Bastard: See Never My Fault.
- Vetinari Job Security: Trunicht is able to elude efforts to dispose of him by virtue of his connections, keen self-preservation skills, and manipulative tendencies. Even to the point of shamelessly getting away with being an Imperial collaborator until he's finally shot dead by Reuenthal.
- Villain with Good Publicity: Trunicht is a popular leader of the Alliance with enough public support to stay in power. However, he changes his ideals whenever it's convenient for elections and has a private terrorist group to take care of anyone who openly protests.
- You Are in Command Now: Following the disastrous invasion of the Empire, Trunicht becomes Chairman of the Alliance, managing to stay in power long enough to witness its surrender, signing the Treaty of Ba'alat with the Empire.
Church of Terra
The Church of Terra
- "Terra is my mother. Terra in my hands."
A popular religion in both the Empire and the Free Planets Alliance. As its name implies, the base of Terraism is on our very own Planet Earth, which largely declined in influence after a rebellion by the colonies and the establishment of the Goldenbaum Dynasty. The doctrine and beliefs are not touched upon during the series itself but it's known that the leading bishops wanted to reestablish Earth as the center of galactic civilisation and many ordinary people worked hard to make the pilgrimage back to the cradle of humanity. Originally just a minor inconvenience, they began to make their influence felt when Reinhard moved to crush the Free Planets Alliance once and for all, and masterminded many of the assassinations and events that drove the plot forward towards the end of the series.
In addition to assassination, the Earth Cult had connections to many people in positions of power which it exploited regularly. Its members were not above the use of brainwashing and drug addiction, and in a pinch, the many pilgrims who lived in their complex in the Himalayas served as an instant army of fanatics. Needless to say, the series did not have many nice things to say about their religion.
- Ancient Conspiracy: Arguably deconstructed. The Earth Church had been involved in Imperial and Alliance affairs behind the scenes for generations, with the ultimate aim of usurping power from both and returning the center of human civilization to Earth. The moment the Terraists finally decide to make their move, those centuries of plotting fall apart due to various factors out of their control, though not without taking out Yang in the process.
- Beneath Notice: Although both the Alliance and Empire are aware of the Earth Church's existence, the Terraists have generally kept a low enough profile that they're seen more as eccentrics rather than a threat to wider society. This, coincidentally, also allows them to infiltrate the militaries of each faction and get into a position to assassinate Yang and Reinhard, though the latter ends in failure.
- Black Cloak: When they're not using disguises or civilian getups, the cultists usually wear nothing but black robes even when attacking soldiers.
- Bomb-Throwing Anarchists: Their favorite method is to set explosives and make as many casualties as possible, then use unrest to start riots. If a high-ranking officer gets killed as well, it's even better for them.
- Brainwashing for the Greater Good: The Terraists use a synthetic psychoactive drug called Thyoxin to not only brainwash followers for their cause, but also as a means to keeping said cultists under their control. The drug, however, is shown to have averse side-effects among some people, resulting in madness.
- Cannon Fodder: The cultists are generally shown to be ill-equipped, if not drugged-up zealots who die in droves before professional soldiers. The catch being, especially on Earth, there are a lot of them.
- Conspiracy Placement: Terraists who are shown to be suddenly traitorous Imperial and Alliance soldiers tend to carry religious banners, books and drugs on their person.
- Contempt Crossfire: The Earth Church is barely tolerated by both the Empire and Alliance, with most generally viewing Terraists as deluded zealots.
- Covert Group with Mundane Front: While the Earth Church's existence is well-known enough by both the Empire and Alliance, it secretly operates a number of proxies and front organizations right under everyone's noses. These include the Patriotic Knights Corps in the Alliance and the nominally Imperial world of Fezzan, though most of its denizens are unaware of its intended purpose.
- Create Your Own Hero: They are indirectly responsible for Yang's and Reinhard's climb in ranks, but later use it to their advantage. Then the advantage stops as both of them get powerful and savvy enough to notice when they are manipulated.
- Cyanide Pill: When the Empire launches a raid against the Earth Church's Odin branch, many of the cultists follow their local leader, Bishop Godwin, into committing suicide through small vials of poison. The soldiers, however, manage to apprehend Godwin before he could join his flock in death.
- Establishing Character Moment: When the Earth Cult's branch on Odin is raided by Imperial troops and throngs of near-feral zealots are gunned down, the local bishop instructs his remaining flock to commit suicide through poison. He hesitates to consume his vial, however, before the soldiers manage to apprehend him, setting the stage for how hypocritical and abhorrent the Terraists' leadership, especially De Villie, really are.
- Fantastic Drug: Thyoxin is the Church's to-go method to brainwash/punish/reward their followers.
- Hoist by His Own Petard: The Cult seeks to make Earth the very heart of human civilization once again. And for a short while it did, but not as it intended following Reinhard's campaign to purge the Cult.
- How the Mighty Have Fallen: Eventually, the Terraists are reduced to fractured cells held together by De Villie, and are finally wiped out for good after a failed bit to kill Reinhard and his family.
- I Have Many Names: While formally called the Church of Terra, its members are known variably as Terraists, the Earth Church, and the Earth Cult.
- Insignificant Blue Planet: Ever since the rebellion of the Sirius Republic, Earth has been a galactic backwater, almost entirely uninhabited and forgotten. The Earth Cult is attempting to restore its former glory by any means possible.
- Keystone Army: Subverted. Reinhard's purge succeeds in wiping out much of the Earth Church, though it's not until Archbishop De Villie is taken out that it is finally wiped out for good.
- Meaningful Name: "Terraism" is only one consonant shy of "terrorism." Guess what their M.O. is.
- Oddly Small Organization: Played With. While the temple on Earth and a couple of branch offices seem to be all they have, their influence is far and wide, extending to various secret proxies and front groups. A few strategic raids by the Empire, however, and they are almost completely wiped out.
- The Omniscient Council of Vagueness: Their higher-ranking members are portrayed as a crowd of cloaked figures, monitoring the situation in the galaxy in a dark cave or room.
- Path of Inspiration: The Cult plays this up, repacking an ultranationalist and Earth-centric agenda into a seemingly benign image of Earth as the salvation for all mankind. This coincidentally gives its leaders a network of fanatics and useful idiots at their beck and call.
- Redshirt Army: Common cultists die in droves when facing against a properly trained army, although they usually manage to take at least a few enemies with them.
- The Remnant: It's implied that the Cult was founded by loyalists of the original United Earth Government, which seems to be reinforced by how its main temple is said government's central bunker in the Himalayas.
- Spanner in the Works: The Earth Church constantly tries finding ways to thwart even the most surefire plans from the Alliance and Empire, whether to advance its goals and sow further chaos, or especially later on, out of spite just to deny their enemies the satisfaction of victory.
- Skeleton Government: After Reinhard purges the Cult's HQ on Earth, the Terraists' leadership is largely reduced to just Archbishop De Villie and his Puppet King.
- Taking You with Me: When all else fails, Terraists will resort to suicidal attacks, taking down as many of their targets as they can.
- Vestigial Empire: The Earth Cult used to be a real power player, but by the time of the story, Trunicht and Rubinsky are using them, not the other way around. The movement itself, meanwhile, has become little more than a cudgel for Archbishop De Villie, who doesn't even care much for what his followers believe.
- You Have Outlived Your Usefulness: The Terraists are shown to be more than willing to take advantage of desperate and delusional figures, including disgraced Commodore Andrew Falk, promising them salvation (or at least some reward) if they do what's asked, only to then dispose of them the moment that task is accomplished.
De Villie
Archbishop De Villie
Voiced by: Banjo Ginga (main series), Hideyuki Hori (Die Neue These), Kellen Goff (Die Neue These) (English)
The General Secretary and de-facto leader of the Terraist Church. He works under the Grand Bishop to mastermind the war between the Alliance and Empire to gather power for himself.
- Bald of Evil: The original anime series only. He does have hair in Die Neue These at least.
- Beneath Notice: While De Villie holds significant power within the Church, this doesn't mean much on the geopolitical scheme of things. He nonetheless exploits this to his advantage, knowing that few would suspect a cult figure to be a conniving mastermind.
- Big Bad: He is the de-facto leader of the Terraist Church, the secret masters of Fezzan, and desires both the Alliance and the Empire to be gone entirely, masterminding the war between them and going behind even his own master's back to do so. Almost every opposition Yang and Reinhard face, including each other, is either directly sponsored by the church and their associates, or ended up where they are by the church's design, and he solidifies himself as this when the Grand Bishop dies and he fully takes over via a Puppet King.
- The Chessmaster: While not quite as smart as he thinks he is, De Villie still manages to play the Church of Terra, the Empire, Alliance and Fezzan to his tune for some time.
- Dirty Coward: When confronted by Julian he tries to keep a calm, mocking voice but quickly divulges all the secrets of the Church and Julian quickly surmises he's hoping to trade information in return for being allowed to live. Cathartically, this falls on deaf ears as he's left to linger in pain before being shot dead.
- Dragon Ascendant: While always basically running the show, De Villie survives the Grand Bishop's suicide to take over himself, planting his puppet in charge to rule from the shadows for the rest of the show.
- Dragon-in-Chief: He's far more involved in the schemes of the Church than the Grand Bishop. De Villie strings along the organization for his own benefit and with the death of their "leader" quickly places a brainwashed pawn in his place to take power in all but name.
- Dragon with an Agenda: De Villie doesn't care about returning mankind to Earth, he's just signing off with the religious extremists because he finds them a convenient avenue to manipulate the Empire and Alliance in the name of getting power for himself.
- Flat Character: In contrast to the litany of characters fighting for their belief in how the galaxy ought to be run, De Villie seems to believe in nothing but gaining power for the sake of it and his motives never get any deeper than simply wanting to rule everything through the Church, whose beliefs he doesn't even buy into.
- Hiding Behind Religion: Even though Terraism was a Path of Inspiration, most of its clergy genuinely believed in their tenets of Earth being sacred and were well-known for their asceticism. De Villie, however, believed nothing of that and saw the Church as simply a tool to seize power. During one episode, he was shown secretly indulging in hard liquors.
- Inconsistent Spelling: It's not for subtitles to use "De Villie", "De Villiers" and "De Ville" instead.
- It's All About Me: De Villie is the only other character in the series who can give Job Trunicht a run for his money in terms of being purely driven for power and personal gain, not even buying into the Earth Cult's teachings at all.
- Last Villain Stand: In the finale with all Church's big name members dead, their operations stopped and being reduced to just a dozens of members, he leads a suicidal raid against Reinhard's family.
- The Man Behind the Man: He's been setting his sights on crumbling the Empire and Alliance for sometime and the likes of Trunicht, Rubinsky and even the operations leading to the rise of Reinhard and Yang being done as a means for him to get a grip over the galaxy.
- Manipulative Bastard: De Villie will stop at nothing for personal power and causes countless military conflicts and terrorist attacks just to benefit himself.
- Meaningful Name: De Villie sounds just close enough to "devil" in pronunciation, which aptly sums up his manipulative and destructive scheming under religious pretenses.
- Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: Unlike the rest of the cult, he only pretends to care about their cause of making Earth prosperous and populated once again, but he's just in it for power. This is particularly demonstrated in one scene where he preaches purity, only to enjoy a bottle of whisky when no one's looking.
- Obviously Evil: In case you couldn't tell the archbishop of a terrorist cult is bad news, his name is De Villie and he's even nastier than one would expect.
- Sinister Minister: He's the Archbishop of a church that serves as the Ancient Conspiracy behind the war, and masterminds every misfortune for the sake of power.
- Smug Snake: Convinced he's the ultimate Chessmaster in the work but his machinations result in Reinhard and Yang rising to the point they can influence galactic affairs, which winds up wiping out the church and his bid for power.
- Straw Hypocrite: He claims to be a fervent follower of Terraism but in reality they're just a convenient vehicle to gain power, not even caring what they stand for as long as he can use them.
- Taking You with Me: Realizing that the Earth Cult has been crushed beyond repair his own bid for power is gone forever, De Villie decides to launch a suicidal Last Villain Stand with his remaining followers against Reinhard, purely out of spite.
- Villainous Breakdown: Gradually undergoes this as his plans unravel especially after Rubinsky turns on the Terraists, and much of the Cult itself is purged by Reinhard.
