Characters / Legend Of The Galactic Heroes The Goldenbaum Dynasty

Goldenbaum Crest

The original ruling system of the Galactic Empire.

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As always, please beware of spoilers. Humans are only human after all.

Kaisers

Rudolf von Goldenbaum

Kaiser Rudolf von Goldenbaum

Voiced by: Chikao Ohtsuka

Founder and first ruler of the Galactic Empire. Starting his career as an officer in the Galactic Federation Armada, Goldenbaum was able to use his status and popularity as a military hero to pursue a highly successful political career, becoming the first (and, as history would later reveal, only) man to hold the offices of President and Prime Minister of the Galactic Federation simultaneously. This concentration of power in the hands of one man set the stage for an increasingly authoritarian regime, with Goldenbaum first proclaiming himself President for Life, then abolishing the Galactic Federation altogether and proclaiming himself the first Kaiser of the new Galactic Empire.

As Kaiser, Rudolf's reign was incredibly brutal, persecuting both political dissidents and ordinary citizens engaged in proscribed activities and lifestyles through the use of summary punishments, a secret police, and a heavy-handed court system. To support his rule and maintain order, he delegated power to a network of trusted and exceptionally talented subordinates who would go on to form the core of the Empire's nobility. His most infamous piece of legislation was the Inferior Genes Exclusion Act, designed to "purify" the Empire by weeding out the poor, the physically and mentally handicapped, and other people he considered inconvenient; its enforcement killed billions.

Rudolf's legacy would cast a long shadow, setting the stage for the conflict between his Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance founded by political dissidents fleeing from Goldenbaum rule.

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• The Ace: Graduated first in his class at the naval academy. The deadliest naval commander of his age. A genius politician and extremely effective ruler. None of which meant he was benevolent.
• Adaptational Ugliness: While Rudolf was depicted as a fairly handsome man in the OVA's, his Neue These appearance gives more of a feral look to showcase his brutality as he rises to power.
• Adaptational Villainy: In the light novel series, while Rudolf's hands are far from clean, his founding of the Empire is one that promotes peace and stability after the mess that was the Galactic Federation, with the later atrocities of the dynasty being committed by his successors. In the OVA and other adaptations, he is the one who instituted and enforced many of those acts.
• Ambition Is Evil: He embodies exactly what Reinhard and Yang absolutely cannot become. Assured of his own capability to guide all of humanity on the "right" path, Rudolf ensured he gained so much power he could run the galaxy as a complete tyrant, purging the human race of any traits he saw as undesirable, promoting those that matched his own close-minded views and wracking up a death toll in the billions in the process.
• Awesomeness by Analysis: Applied in an Evil Genius-like way though it may have been Rudolf was known for his debating abilities and when he caught even superior officers for betraying one of what he called the "four vices" of humanity, was noted for having unassailable logic that caused all of his opponents to fold.
• The Bad Guy Wins: Of his own time. At his death the sole objective of his which he failed to achieve was to have a son as his heir, though it is heavily implied that the realization that HE might have been the source of his son's defects drove him to an early grave. Otherwise Rudolf died succeeding in forcing his own bigoted views on the galaxy and even after his own passing the resistance against him was smashed by his High Nobles, with his Goldenbaum Dynasty flourishing for hundreds of years. The catharsis sets in with the final finish of his regime, which ends with the almost laughably incompetent campaign of the Lippstadt League.
• The Chessmaster: Monstrous man and horrific bigot that he may have been, Rudolf was intelligent and knew who to make deals with and which supporters to surround himself with to gain the leverage he needed to take over the galaxy. Unfortunately blessed with foresight as well, Rudolf was able to fortify his legacy by empowering the High Noble class he created and the resources he saw they received allowed them to swiftly crush the attempted rebellion after his death.
• Corrupt Politician: While he'd claim it was best for everyone, Rudolf's rise in politics saw him playing Loophole Abuse and making underhanded deals to secure power so he could take absolute control of mankind.
• Cult of Personality: Even before proclaiming himself Kaiser, Rudolf had cultivated one around himself, allowing him to garner a sizable following and win one election after another.
• Culture Police: He was highly socially conservative, and many of his policies were aimed at cracking down on "unhealthy" lifestyles and personal activities.
• Dark Messiah: Refers to himself as having the "holy duty" of protecting humanity, with said rhetoric being used to justify the genocide that was enacted on behalf of his Inferior Genes Exclusion Act.
• Disproportionate Retribution: When a close friend of his, Ernst Falstrong, was assassinated, Rudolf had 20,000 people executed in retaliation for being "conspirators" of the attack. In the process, helping set a precedent for his successors down the line to dispose of anyone remotely deemed guilty of crimes against the Empire.
• Dramatic Irony:
  • His "law of the jungle" speech talks about how weak people lead to society losing its vitality. Cue 500 years later, he is accurately describing most of the High Nobility, while some of his own descendants would have fallen afoul of his policies. Compounding the irony, the man who most fits Rudolf's ideal in the setting's present is Reinhard von Lohengramm, who is actively working to undermine Rudolf's legacy and establish a more meritocratic regime.
  • His efforts to promote an all-Caucasian, Germanic nobility went hand-in-hand with discrimination against non-white ethnicities, with many of them ultimately leaving for the Alliance once the opportunity arises. By the time the series begins, however, the noble/commoner divide that marginalised all serfs as a collective rather than specific groups had ironically led to racism itself being largely forgotten, clearing the way for a smoother transition when the diverse population of the former Alliance were integrated into Reinhard's New Galactic Empire.
• Egocentrically Religious: The only time he mentions religion it's to justify his power to implement the infamous Inferior Genes Exclusion Act and when questioned uses his authority to outright dissolve the parliament.
• The Emperor: The first to take up the mantle of Kaiser and by far the most ruthlessly efficient in carrying out his Empire's evil policies.
• Establishing Character Moment: Early in his career, Rudolf was a young legal affairs officer attached to a Galactic Federation Armada unit patrolling the shipping lanes around Rigel. Even at that point, he became known for zealously prosecuting fellow soldiers (including superior officers) for what he deemed the "four vices" of alcohol, gambling, drugs and homosexuality. While seen at the time as him dealing sorely-needed justice to a decrepit system, this foreshadowed his meteoric rise to power, and the kind of brutal regime he would usher in after becoming Kaiser.
• Final Solution: Through his diabolical Inferior Genes Exclusion Act, as implemented by his right-hand man Ernst Falstrong, Rudolf oversaw those he deemed unfit to live by his own bigoted views executed, with roughly four billion dead and a drastic decline in future populations thanks to mass sterilization.
• Founder of the Kingdom: Created the Galactic Empire and its ruling Goldenbaum dynasty.
• From Nobody to Nightmare: He rose from being a promising commander to founder of the Empire in the course of a few years.
• General Ripper: During his tenure as a commander, Rudolf was noted for his brutality in defeating the space pirates, in particular demanding his men destroy the vessels of enemy crafts even after they'd surrendered, fixated on defeating his opponents.
• Glorious Leader: Rose to power on promises to reform the Galactic Federation's corrupt bureaucracy. Once he had absolute power, however, he became a brutal tyrant.
• A God Am I: Rudolf believes himself a "superior human" who literally holds the divine right to decide who lives and dies, even writing actual policy to enforce his insane delusion.
• Heir Club for Men: A firm believer in this; according to the books he even selected his daughter's husband for her.
• Heteronormative Crusader: Decried "homosexuality" as a "vice" of humanity and is stated to have slaughtered them out of horrific prejudice believing they corrupted his society.
• Hiding Behind Religion: While his denomination is never mentioned during his "Law of the Jungle" speech in reference to implementing the Inferior Genes Exclusion Act Rudolf makes reference to his "holy" duty to protect humanity from "inferior" persons.
• Hot Blooded Sideburns: While Rudolf was clean-shaven in the military, as a politician and during his first few years of being Emperor, by his 9th year as Emperor he grew a pair of lengthy sideburns extending to either side of his chin as seen in his Profile Picture. He was also known for his bombastic speeches and larger-than-life personality.
• Hypocrite: Rudolf was known to criticize obesity as a sign of laziness and lack of discipline, but he was a Big Eater himself and this habit caused him to suffer from gout in his later years.
• Improbable Age: When Rudolf retired from the navy he had become an admiral at the age of just 28.
• Irony: Rudolf was succeeded by his grandson through his eldest daughter, as his only son was rumored to suffer from congenital defects — a harsh blow for a ruler so committed to genetic purity through eugenics.
• Jumping Off the Slippery Slope: It's believed even by some in the Alliance that Rudolf may not have started out evil, and might have had some self-restraint early on in his career. That went out the window, however, once he gained any semblance of power and influence.
  João Rebelo: "Until Rudolf von Goldenbaum got his hands on power, even if he was rather self-righteous, perhaps he was no more than a reformer burning with ideals and conviction. That changed completely once he had authority. He travelled the road from simple self-affirmation to self-deification."
• Karma Houdini: Played with; while he was never physically punished for his crimes, the novels state that having a son with genetic defects weighed heavily on his mind and ultimately contributed to his death.
• Karmic Death: In the books it's stated that the realization that HE might be the source of his son's genetic defects is what ultimately killed him, since he was still physically fit when he died.
• Kill the Poor: Believed poverty was a symptom of genetic unfitness, and the unfit deserved to be weeded out through "the law of the jungle."
• Knight Templar: Adamantly despises leisure activities and lifestyles he deems unhealthy and is so ardent about weeding them out he's willing to order arrests, torture, lobotomies and even executions to ensure his vision for the world isn't corrupted.
• Lack of Empathy: Coldly orders the poor and handicapped be sterilized, worked to death or outright shot without passing a second glance.
• Large and in Charge: As one might have expected of a self-centered Social Darwinist, Rudolf himself had an impressive figure, being in good shape and standing at 6'5" and nearly 220 lbs. Tellingly, he was even nicknamed the "Steel Wall".
• Large Ham: As one would expect from the vile Corrupt Politician, Rudolf was prone to booming speeches, passionately echoing of his hopes and dreams for his ideal future for humanity. Historians are even said to have likened his shouts to thunder.
• Laser-Guided Karma: While it didn't really happen while he was still alive, Rudolf's Social Darwinist and fascist agenda was gradually undone, ironically enough, by the very Empire he founded. Whether it's some of his own descendants being homosexual, the High Nobles growing more hedonistic and decadent as opposed to his "law of the jungle" rhetoric, or the Inferior Genes Exclusion Act sliding into ineffectual obscurity until it's finally revoked a century before the events of the series. This isn’t even getting to what happens after Reinhard enters the picture, who proceeds to finish off what remains of the Goldenbaum dynasty’s system.
• Loophole Abuse: Before Rudolf von Goldenbaum, no one had ever been both President and Prime Minister of the Galactic Federation at the same time due to the sheer amount of power this would have placed in the hands of one person. However, the prohibition was only customary, not legal — hence why he was able to get away with it in the first place.
• Manipulative Bastard: Rudolf was said to be quite corruptive in his approach to playing the people. He did deeds that made them feel safe and knew what to say so he could take control and force his iron will down upon humanity.
• Master Race: Rudolf is heavily implied to hold this view out of narcissistic self obsession. After determining that there were superior and inferior humans as per his judgement, he went out creating the High Nobles—revered as genetically superior people in the Goldenbaum Dynasty—who shared his characteristics for ancestry and appearance.
• Meaningful Name: A double whammy.
  • He is an Adolf Hitler rip-off with "dolf" in his name.
  • His last name translates to "Golden Tree" and the Empire sprouted from him.
• Narcissist: A notable facet of his bigotry. Rudolf clearly viewed himself as a genius commander and leader and the pinnacle of humanity. Even the objects of both his purges and creation of High Nobles come back to himself: he was a straight, white, Germanic, physically fit and successful in a socioeconomic sense. Anyone running contrary to this found themselves at best put into a lower caste; at worst in a forced labor camp, sterilized or outright executed without trial. Those aligning with his characteristics suddenly found themselves at the top of society, enjoying the privilege of wealth and even being allowed to torment their "lowers" as per Rudolf's design. The novels also state that the reason he killed Magdalena was because he didn't want to admit that he had the genetic makeup that could produce a handicapped offspring, because that would completely destroy his worldview.
• A Nazi by Any Other Name: He's an autocrat with a German name committed to enforcing brutal policies in the name of genetic purity, and his rise to power explicitly mirrors that of Adolf Hitler.
• Nepotism: To secure support for his nascent Empire, Rudolf bestowed titles to his friends and closest allies, elevating them to the status of aristocrats regardless of their actual competence. Their descendants come to comprise the High Nobles.
• Not-So-Well-Intentioned Extremist: The most charitable interpretation of his actions. Rudolf believed the four vices of humanity were "alcohol, drugs, gambling and homosexuality". He clamped down on lifestyles incorporating any of these and as he gained more power ordered increasingly draconian policies, beginning a conquest to eradicate anything he personally didn't like from humanity.
• Politically Incorrect Villain:
  • Rudolf's views of a strong race of people are those of Caucasian ethnicity with Germanic names, as the historians stated. Additionally he's stated to have "slaughtered homosexuals", believing they were a vice of humanity, had the poor and disabled killed or sterilized and can be inferred to have crafted a very sexist society as well as per his favor for male heirs ruling.
  • Furthermore, Rudolf barred all non-white citizens from membership in the Nobility. His selection of only those who were white and of Germanic descent, or at least those who could pass for such, to be Nobles caused all non-white humans to be relegated to the commoner class and serfdom with no hope of advancing into the echelons of high society. While it's unlikely the Inferior Genes Exclusion Act was applied to racial minorities within the Empire, the discriminatory status quo persisted for so many centuries that by the time the main events of the series begin, virtually all of the non-white citizens had long fled to the Free Planets Alliance.
• Posthumous Character: He's been dead for five centuries by the time the series starts, but his legacy lives on to this day. Both Yang and Reinhard are explicitly compared to Rudolf: Reinhard uses Rudolf's rise to power as a model for his own but abhors the society he created, while Yang is viewed with suspicion by the political elite of the Free Planets Alliance because he's an immensely talented and popular war hero like Rudolf was.
• Predecessor Villain: Founded the Empire which Yang Wen-li fights against, and also established the system of nobility that Reinhard seeks to overthrow.
• President Evil: Briefly after being elected. Rudolf declares himself President for Life by weaseling his way in as Prime Minister as well, quickly accumulating power and stripping humanity of much of their freedom before just declaring himself Emperor.
• Roaring Rampage of Revenge: When his right hand overseer of the Inferior Genes Exclusion Act was killed by rebels, Rudolf responded with fury at the slight against his regime and ordered tens of thousands be put to death claiming they were suspects in Ernst Falstrong's assassination.
• Shadow Archetype: To both Reinhard and Yang.
  • To Reinhard, as he was a military genius who used that reputation to take political power from the establishment. In Reinhard's case he took it from the high nobles. In Rudolf's he took it from the republicans. Both make sweeping reforms (Rudolf takes power away from the people, Reinhard gives that power back) and start Imperial dynasties. Yet for all of his benevolent intentions, Reinhard often sacrifices millions of lives for military glory and ego, much like Rudolf did.
  • To Yang, who is also a military genius hailed as a hero by the people (who push him to attain political power). However, Yang tries to stay as far away from becoming Rudolf as possible, and is afraid that he might become a similar monster if he gives in to his frustrations with his government. This is one of the reasons that Yang wants nothing to do with politics and power, even when his allies like von Schonkopf wish he would seize the many opportunities he had to either take power or let his enemies eliminate themselves. Yang had the opportunity to wipe Reinhard out, but chose to stick to his republican beliefs when Job Trunicht has the Free Planets Alliance surrender, winning be damned. That being said, Yang's son and widow basically inherit power from him.
• Smash the Symbol: To solidify his reign and the permanence of his new order, Rudolf has every vestige of the Galactic Federation purged. Starting with the old institutions and symbology, this eventually leads to even whole cities and worlds being thoroughly demolished and remodeled to more closely fit his Germanic tastes. Die Neue These in particular shows how Odin was established as the Empire's capital with the demolition of the futuristic metropolis that had existed on it.
• The Social Darwinist: The Inferior Genes Exclusion Act goes without saying, but even before that he was reversing the Galactic Federation's social welfare policies on the grounds that they provided too much support for the "unfit."
• The Sociopath: Rudolf's got a profound Lack of Empathy for anyone who fails him, from his subjects who have the audacity to be born with sexualities or imperfections that don't meet his personal standards and lovers who bare him a child with the same problems, often putting his targets to death without a second thought. Additionally he's got a need to constantly climb higher and higher, needing more power for himself until he's literally dictating humanity's future and keeping an iron-clad grasp on control, caring for nothing but his own ambition.
• Straight Edge Evil: Rudolf abhorred drugs and alcohol and kept himself in excellent physical shape even into his 80s. As part of his obsession with a strong image he held his tenets of great health as a mark for genetic fitness and executed or imprisoned those who failed to meet his standards as undesirables at whim. Though ironically, his large appetite eventually undid some of that health, developing gout in his later years.
• Universally Beloved Leader: Subverted. Rudolf is loved by his inner circle of "superior" citizens who he includes on the basis of their wealth and genetic heritage. While he makes the right alliances to fight off a citizen's revolt even after his own death, Rudolf's only love is from his equally self-centered members of his cabal.
• Villainous Glutton: While he wasn't a fat man (at least not at first), he was known for eating large quantities of food, a habit that eventually caused him to develop gout. However, his appetite for food was vastly exceeded by his appetite for power.
• Villainous Legacy: Nearly every aspect of the ongoing conflict, including the Empire's present state, can be traced back to something Rudolf created or did. The Free Planets Alliance was founded by a band of persecuted dissidents who ultimately fled the Empire due to his tyrannical policies, and Reinhard's efforts to reform the Empire are checked at every turn by the aristocracy he set up to rule the Empire, which is another reason Reinhard systematically gets rid of the High Nobles. The chief exception to this is the Terraist conspiracy, which has even deeper roots.
• Villain with Good Publicity: While he did have critics, Rudolf's popularity for keeping humanity safe during his time on the frontier lead to him winning election after election by landslides. Ironically, this democratic support is exactly what allowed him to become the fascist monster who would force all mankind to submit to his rule. He lost it after the Inferior Genes Exclusion Act, since even most of his supporters felt that he was going too far.
• We Have Become Complacent: Rudolf sees the Galactic Federation as having become a decadent borderline-failed state, and rides on the widespread public disillusionment. By the time the masses realized what his true goals were, however ,it was too late.
• Would Hit a Girl: When a mistress gave birth to his son and the boy was born with a congenital defect, he had her killed.
• Would Hurt a Child: Heavily implied. When Rudolf's mistress births a child with a genetic defect, he has her and all present for the birth killed alongside their families to cover up that it happened at all. No word is given on the child's fate but given the type of man his father was, it likely wasn't anything pleasant.
• You Are What You Hate: It's implied that HE was the source of his son's genetic defects, and that on some level knowing this is what killed him.
• Young Conqueror: Beyond his military exploits (becoming a rear admiral at only 28), he gained a strong foothold in the Galactic Federation's parliament, and soon gained more power over the government until he outright proclaimed himself Emperor.

Friedrich IV

Kaiser Friedrich von Goldenbaum IV

Voiced by: Osamu Saka (main series), Minoru Inaba (Die Neue These) (Japanese), Bill Flynn (Die Neue These) (English)

The 36th and antepenultimate Kaiser of the Goldenbaum dynasty, considered by everyone, even himself, to be a mediocre and hands-off sovereign whose chief concerns seem to be his gardening and consorts.

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• Anticlimax Boss: Despite being the object of Reinhard's hatred for much of the first part of the series, he unexpectedly dies of a heart attack not long after the Battle of Amritsar.
• Authority in Name Only: Despite having absolute power on paper, in practice Friedrich IV's rule is very hands-off, with Lichtenlade managing the Empire in his name.
• Bread and Circuses: Another likely explanation behind Friedrich IV's balls and social events. He does these to keep the Empire's aristocracy placated, while also refusing to favor any single High Noble.
• Create Your Own Hero: Reinhard would not have set out on his quest to overthrow the Goldenbaum dynasty, had he not taken Annerose to be his concubine. A discussion with Lichtenlade shows that he invoked this trope so he could create the man who would save the Empire by ending the dynasty that plagued it for many years.
• The Cycle of Empires: Can be quite philosophical about it, when Lichtenlade counsels him to curb Reinhard's rapid rise through the ranks, he meditates that the Goldenbaum dynasty has not existed for the whole of human history, nor that it should be eternal. His only care at this point is that if the Goldenbaum dynasty had to come to an end, then let it be a magnificent one.
• End of an Age: Friedrich IV in time would be considered the last "true" Goldenbaum sovereign, by virtue of not being an outright puppet. Fittingly enough, due to his public perception of mediocrity, he'd also be known as the "Kaiser of the Ashes".
• Ephebophile: While an exact date isn't given, his purchasing of the sexual servitude of Annerose from her father would have occurred when she was only 14 or 15 years old.
• Foil: Towards Rudolf von Goldenbaum himself. Whereas his ancestor forged the Empire and extolled vitality for much of his reign, Friedrich IV is generally portrayed as an old man keeping it from falling apart, with the Goldenbaum Dynasty imploding into Civil War almost immediately after his death. In addition, whereas Rudolf ruled with an iron fist, Friedrich is content with a more hands-off approach, leaving the day-to-day affairs of ruling to Lichtenlade.
• The Hedonist: In his youth, Friedrich IV gained such a reputation for indulging in personal pleasure that he spent much of the wealth saved by his spendthrift father, Otfried V in the years following his coronation. This is downplayed by the time Reinhard enters the picture, with Friedrich IV instead shown seemingly being more fixated on gardening and social galas than anything else.
• Inadequate Inheritor: Friedrich IV, despite his own talents, considered himself mediocre and incapable of properly running the Empire. This coincidentally fueled his belief that his own dynasty's time in the sun was coming to an end.
• It Is Beyond Saving: Surprisingly, he believes this about his own dynasty. He holds that it's become so corrupt and decadent, that there's nothing he could ever do to preserve it, especially in the face of highly capable people like Reinhard on the rise, and if nothing else, he wants it to go out with a bang instead of a whimper. Notably, he doesn't think humanity will really be that worse off once it's gone.
• Karma Houdini: For all of Reinhard's antipathy towards him, and the corruption of the regime he perpetuates, Friedrich dies of an offscreen heart attack after the Battle of Amritsar. Then again, this is the man who paved the way for Reinhard to take over the Empire, perhaps intentionally. We also don't see particular villainous acts committed by him on screen. Of course, his death also kicks off the Succession Crisis that will lead to the downfall of the Goldenbaum Dynasty, and even that could have been part of his plan.
• Know When to Fold Them: It's suggested that a major reason why he doesn't seem interested in stopping his own dynasty's decadence is because he both recognized that its days are numbered, and that Reinhard would play a role in its collapse. It's also implied that he considers the notion of Reinhard seizing control as an improvement.
• Last of His Kind: For all intents and purposes, Friedrich IV winds up being the last "proper" monarch of the Goldenbaum dynasty, with his successors being little more than short-lived puppets fought over by Reinhard and the High Nobles.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: It's not outright stated, but this is almost certainly the case. He pretends to be an ignorant, useless old man, but he was among the first to figure out just how talented and dangerous Reinhard really was. He also had one of the longest reigns in Imperial history, as he was smart enough not to play favorites with Braunschweig and Littenheim, while never naming a successor after his son Ludwig's death. Not only did he do nothing to prevent Reinhard from gaining more power when he was fully capable of doing so, but continuously promoted Reinhard to even more powerful positions. In short, he was subtly paving the way for Reinhard to take over the Empire.
• Orcus on His Throne: He isn't shown doing anything heinous, nor doing much of anything outside of gardening and social events, delegating the task of running the Empire to Lichtenlade. It's also implied, however, that he's doing this deliberately to further accelerate his own dynasty's collapse.
• Playing Both Sides: Friedrich IV is revealed to have used his political power to slyly keep the High Nobles, specifically Braunschweig and Littenheim, in check by refusing to play favorites following his son Ludwig's death. In doing so, he staved off potential civil war while he's still alive. He also uses his authority to subtly pave the way for Reinhard's rise to power.
• Stopped Caring: He can see the corruption and decadence that plagues his dynasty, but does nothing to stop it outside of subtly keeping the High Nobles in check. He even knows that Reinhard is gunning for him, but continues to promote him and grant him successively greater power.
• Unexpected Successor: Was one, he originally had two older brothers who were ahead of him in the line of succession, only for his eldest brother to be framed for treason by his second brother who was later killed when this was discovered. In fact, while still a prince he became so indebted a random shopkeeper lent him 22,000 marks out of pity on the proviso that it be repaid 20 times over should he come to the throne, and was surprised when he received his repayment of 440,000 marks.
• We Have Become Complacent: In an ironic mirror to Rudolf, Friedrich IV sees his own dynasty and the Empire it lords over as having become a blight so corrupt and decadent that he'd rather have someone like Reinhard finish the job.
• While Rome Burns: Downplayed. He could see the rot slowly tearing apart his dynasty and the Empire as a whole, but opts instead to focus on gardening and social galas. Or so most believe. In actuality, rather than salvaging the situation using his absolutist power, he instead accelerates his own regime's collapse by subtly paving the way for Reinhard's rise.

Erwin Josef II

Kaiser Erwin Josef von Goldenbaum II

Voiced by: Hiroko Emori (main series)

The 37th and penultimate Kaiser of the Goldenbaum dynasty. He ruled over the Galactic Empire In Name Only for about two years, with Prime Minister Reinhard von Lohengramm holding most of the power, before "abdicating" and setting the stage for the final collapse of the old order.

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• A Child Shall Lead Them: Erwin Josef was only five years old when he's placed on the throne, and clearly had no idea what was happening around him.
• Anticlimax Boss: Subverted. He's propped up by a pro-Goldenbaum Government in Exile, but is seemingly found dead not long after the Alliance itself is finally conquered by Reinhard. The last episode, however, reveals that he may still be alive somewhere.
• Gilded Cage: In his time as Kaiser and nominal head of a pro-Goldenbaum Government in Exile, he's effectively nothing more than a glorified captive kept placated by luxuries and toys.
• How the Mighty Have Fallen: The Goldenbaum dynasty, once respected and feared, slid into a nadir it would never have a chance to recover from with Erwin Josef's "reign".
• Inadequate Inheritor: The young Kaiser was a spoiled brat who'd barely been given any preparation, if at all, when he was put on the throne. This is deliberately invoked by both Reinhard and Lichtenlade, as it meant that he's far more controllable.
• Kidnapped by an Ally: He's abducted by Count Alfred von Landsberg and Leopold Schumacher, two exiled Lippstadt Rebellion veterans in order to "free" the young monarch from Reinhard's grasp and prop him up as the head of a Government in Exile hosted by the Alliance.
• Never Found the Body: By the time Reinhard's Fleet discovered a now-insane Landsberg after conquering the Alliance and the fall of the Government in Exile, it's initially believed that the mummified corpse being served by the insane noble was the former Kaiser. The final episode of the OVA reveals that said corpse wasn't Erwin Josef. This heavily suggest that he's still alive somewhere.
• No Historical Figures Were Harmed: Erwin Josef is similar to Puyi, the last Emperor of China, who briefly ruled his country in name as a child until his regent was eventually forced to abdicate on his behalf.
• Puppet King: Being a child without any real allies or proper backbone, he's reduced to being at the mercy of Reinhard over his brief "reign" and later on even more briefly as the figurehead for a vestigial Government in Exile in the Alliance.
• Royal Brat: Erwin Josef's a young boy who was clearly raised spoiled, and proves to be much more of a nuisance to his caretakers than to the people seeking to dethrone him.
• While Rome Burns: While the Empire writhes in Civil War, Erwin Josef II spends his days throwing tantrums and playing in seemingly blissful ignorance, that is when he's not being kept in line by his caretakers.
• Unexpected Successor: As Kaiser Friedrich IV never bothered choosing his heir, he's made the designated successor by Reinhard and Lichtenlade, being the son of the late Crown Prince Ludwig. This comes off as even more unexpected, as the High Nobles had their own preferred heirs they wished to install on the throne, and Ludwig's line had been politically sidelined in the years following his death.

Katharin Kätchen

Kaiserin Katharin Kätchen von Goldenbaum

Katharin Kätchen was the Galactic Empire's first and only female monarch under the Goldenbaum Dynasty. As a great-granddaughter of Otfried V through his third daughter, she was given the position by Reinhard von Lohengramm following the "abdication" of Erwin Josef II, and ultimately heralded the end of nearly five centuries of Goldenbaum rule.

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• Anticlimax Boss: The house Rudolf von Goldenbaum built with such terrible pomp and circumstance is quietly deposed with the stroke of a pen.
• A Child Shall Lead Them: More exaggerated than with Erwin Josef II, as Katharin Kätchen's just eight months old upon ascending the throne.
• Dramatic Irony: Rudolf had done everything he could to avoid having a female heir, only for his line to culminate with one on the throne, even if briefly. Doubly ironic is how the Lippstadt Rebellion was also fought over which female heir would take the throne, something that Rudolf himself could have never entertained.
• Hidden Backup Prince: While descended from Otfried V through his third daughter, Katharin's claim is low enough that her father and regent, Viscount Offer von Pegnitz, was a nobody by High Noble standards even after being promoted to a Duke. The documents of abdication he signed on her behalf coincidentally also guaranteed the Pegnitz family's new noble rank as a duchy and granted Katharin a lifelong annuity of 1.5 million Imperial Marks. Also justified, due to how the Lippstadt Rebellion and kidnapping of Erwin Josef II pruned the line of succession of everyone else.
• Not Worth Killing: Whether due to personal morals, pragmatism, or Katharin Kätchen herself being far too young to be guilty of her line's sins, Reinhard instead spares her life and even grants her a lifelong annuity alongside her father's titles.
• Puppet King: Much more so than her predecessor, Katharin's entire purpose is to serve as a formality and legal crutch to justify the final stages of Reinhard's scheme. Her father, meanwhile, is likewise shown to be a glorified stooge with no interest in politics or the military whatsoever and seems relieved when Reinhard finally drops the charade by assuming the throne.
• Short-Lived Leadership: Her reign would last only about a year before she abdicates the throne to Reinhard, through her father. Ending Goldenbaum rule with nary a shot fired.
• Small Role, Big Impact: On top of her short "reign", Katharin Kätchen's only ever seen on-screen once in the OVA. Yet it would be under her nominal rule that the remaining vestiges of the old status quo previously held up by Duke Lichtenlade are swept aside and Reinhard solidifies his own position as Kaiser even before he formally assumes the throne.
• Sole Survivor: She winds up being the last known Goldenbaum of her generation not counting Erwin Josef II, who's still alive somewhere.

Other Nobles and Citizens

Otho von Braunschweig

Duke Otho von Braunschweig

Voiced by: Osamu Kobayashi (main series), Jiro Saito (Die Neue These) (Japanese), Patrick Seitz (Die Neue These) (English)

A Duke who strongly believes in the eugenics propaganda of the Galactic Empire. Married to one of the Kaiser's daughters, Braunschweig is an ambitious man who would do anything to get his family on the imperial throne. Despite a massive ego, Braunschweig is a very inept commander and makes many poor military decisions, even against the concerns of his advisors.

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• Adaptational Nice Guy: Only slightly but future incarnations of Braunschweig do seem to value his family beyond just a tool for gain and honor:
  • In the stage play when he receives the news of his nephew's death rather than an indignant rant about the ingratitude of the commoners he's actually brought to tears before he composes himself to order the planet be nuked into oblivion.
  • The DNT version, though still a repulsive coward, does pause to ask Ansbach if his family has been given safe passage from the fortress before trying to make his own escape.
• Adaptational Ugliness: The OVA version of Braunschweig is the sort of classically handsome statesman that you'd see in a piece of celebratory artwork. The DNT version is plain bordering on ugly, with blunt, brutish features and a layer of middle-aged fat befitting the Corrupt Politician he is.
• Anti-Mutiny: Subverted. The Lippstadt Rebellion is presented by him as a defiant fight to restore the status quo, out of loyalty to the Goldenbaum Dynasty. Most however, even among his High Noble supporters, see right through the ruse that it's a glorified coup.
• Arc Villain: While always a thorn in Reinhard's side, Braunschweig becomes this during the Lippstadt Rebellion, leading the forces of the rebellion in defiance of the newly selected Kaiser and has to be stopped by Reinhard and his fleet directly
• Aristocrats Are Evil: He's the most powerful of the Imperial High Nobles, and a prime example of their collective arrogance, greed, callousness, and (ultimately) utter impotence.
• Bad Boss: When a single noble survives a fortress defense battle, the mere suspect of treason leads the monstrous duke to have the man executed.
• Big Bad Wannabe: Braunschweig fancies himself a cunning mastermind with eyes on being the de facto leader of the Empire. In reality he's an idiot in well beyond his depth and after failing to assassinate Reinhard, is forced to retreat where his constant poor tactical decisions lead him to a swift loss, with even Reinhard's followers saying with dismay they miss facing challenging opponents like Yang.
• Can't Take Criticism: Braunschweig is utterly incapable of taking criticism as anything but an attempt at undermining him. As the Lippstadt Rebellion progresses, he gradually alienates the few subordinates both honest and intelligent enough to confront him over the flaws in his plans, increasingly isolating himself in an echo chamber of flatterers and sycophants. Ultimately this is why he lost the war, as he had plenty of smart and competent underlings who could have steered him to victory (Ansbach, Ferner, Streit, Merkatz and Fahrenheit among others), but he refused to listen to them.
• Dirty Coward: Braunschweig demands his soldiers fight to their last ounce of strength and condemns anyone who does anything less as a traitor. Despite his rhetoric, he still has the gall to flee himself when the going gets tough and when he's caught and "persuaded" to commit suicide, he dies with a look of terror on his face as he struggles to break free and run.
• Dramatic Irony:
  • Otho von Braunschweig makes a great show about upholding Goldenbaum orthodoxy and specifically Rudolf's ideals, even though his daughter (and by extension himself) would have been excluded from the line of succession by virtue of being a woman, if not put to death.
  • As revealed in Die Neue These, his daughter, Elisabeth von Braunschweig is shown to have no personal animosity towards (and being good friends with) Wilhelm von Littenheim's child, Sabine, despite their fathers being sworn enemies united only by their hatred of Reinhard.
• Early-Bird Cameo: In Die Neue These, Braunschweig, Flegel and Littenheim are in the audience◊ when Reinhard is promoted to fleet admiral, but we're not formally introduced to them until Seiran.
• Enemy Mine: Before Kaiser Friedrich's death, Braunschweig and Littenheim were rivals, each trying to maneuver their respective daughters as the next Kaiserin. When Reinhard and Lichtenlade proclaimed Erwin Josef as Kaiser, the two men made common cause and formed the Lippstadt League.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Subverted. The news of his nephew Baron Scheidt seems like it would stir such feelings in him... only for Braunschweig to angrily rant about the defiance of the rebelling "peasants" living on Westerland for daring to strike out against their betters. The novel's narration of his thoughts even makes it apparent losing his nephew was akin to a possession being taken from him.
• Fat Bastard: Downplayed. He's not that fat in Die Neue These, but he's got a fleshy enough face to stand out from most of the rest of the cast, emphasizing his role as a bloated aristocratic parasite.
• Fatal Flaw: Pride. Braunschweig was a very proud man due to his beliefs in the eugenics propaganda of the Galactic Empire. He strongly believed righteousness was on his side because he was fighting to uphold the Goldenbaum Dynasty, ignoring that it was a system that had been oppressing its citizens for 500 years. His arrogant pride negatively backfired on him in several ways.
  • His pride in his lineage and believing in the Empire's eugenics system led Braunschweig to overestimate himself as a tactician and general and believed everything he did was justified simply because of his genes. However, his pride and arrogance left him unable to realize that he wasn't the gifted strategist he believed himself to be and was basing his skills off of his lineage rather than actual experience, of which he had none. This caused him to constantly make strategical blunders that needlessly got his own soldiers killed as he valued 'fighting gloriously' rather than heeding sound strategical advice.
  • Braunschweig's pride and arrogance made him unwilling to listen to the legitimate criticisms of his military commanders, instead taking said criticisms as a means to undermine his authority. This often pushed him to ignore his followers who were honest and sincere while pointing out his mistakes and instead surround himself with sycophants who praised everything he did. Because he wouldn't hear the arguments of his stable-minded followers, such as Merkatz and Ansbach, Braunschweig was prone to making rash and poorly thought-out choices.
  • After Westerland revolted and killed Braunschweig's nephew, the Prince's immediate response was to launch a nuclear attack, though it was motivated by his wounded ego rather than anger at his nephew's death. Ansbach insisted on merely punishing the ringleaders and Merkatz attempted to protest it, but Braunschweig refused to listen. After Westerland was destroyed, the majority of Braunschweig's common soldiers abandoned him and most of the nobles of the Lippstadt League either surrendered, joined Reinhard or committed suicide out of disgust. Braunschweig only acted out of wounded pride and rage when he destroyed Westerland, not thinking at all of the consequences of such an atrocious action.
  • Following the wake of Westerland's destruction, Braunschweig turns to wine and merrymaking to reject the reality of his situation and agrees with Flegel's plan for 'one final battle'. Fahrenheit protests this plan and insists on remaining in Geiersburg Fortress, but Braunschweig accuses him of cowardice and launches the fleet. This would lead to the defeat of the Lippstadt Rebellion and Braunschweig's own death by being forced to swallow poison by Ansbach.
• Foil: To Reinhard. Both are fleet admirals, but Braunschweig comes from an extremely distinguished family and got all of his power from his birth. He is an older man, knows nothing about warfare, never listens to his advisors and to top it all off a brunette. Reinhard comes from a very minor family, is a military genius, had to claw and fight to get what he has, is very young, listens to his advisors and is blonde. After the civil war, Reinhard is in danger of taking over some of Braunschweig's bad habits, such as considering the lives of some subordinates as expendable, but because he not only surrounds himself with good people, but also makes good use of their advice, he stays on the right path.
• General Failure: Braunschweig ignores Arthur von Streit's advice to have Reinhard assassinated, instead wishing to face the tactical genius in battle head on. He sends out an utter moron with 50,000 ships (a third of all their military strength) simply because he feels that man is a nuisance. Later, he orders a planet nuked in response to an uprising, which causes him to lose a massive amount of favor amongst his followers. Afterwards he decides to order a last attack on Reinhard's fleet, rather than keeping his men in their impregnable fortress. If Marquis Littenheim didn't exist, this guy would be by far the most incompetent commander in the series.
• Hate Sink: There is nothing redeeming about Duke Braunschweig. He starts a rebellion against the Galactic Empire, claiming that it's for a righteous cause when in reality, he's just fighting for power, privilege and outrage at Reinhard rising in the ranks despite his lineage. When he rebels, he enlists Merkatz's help by threatening his daughter all the while claiming he's doing what's right, then proceeds to constantly undermine his authority and ignore his advice. He treats anyone who's not a noble as little more than cattle and shows no qualms about sending his soldiers out to die while he remains in the comfort of Geiersburg Fortress. Despite believing himself a master strategist and tactician, Braunschweig is a very poor military leader and keeps making strategical blunders that would've been prevented had he listened to his commanders. But he truly crosses the line when he orders a nuclear strike on Westerland for no reason other than his wounded pride. Then for all his calling of others cowards, he himself was craven at heart. Instead of facing his desired suicide with dignity, he instead trembled in fear and tried to back out, only for Ansbach to make him drink poison. Braunschweig was the embodiment of everything wrong with the Galactic Empire and deserved to die.
• The Hedonist: A much more flagrant (and ultimately self-destructive) case than with Friedrich IV. Duke Braunschweig revels in excess and finery, which becomes even more pronounced as the Lippstadt Rebellion goes on. This eventually leads to farcical parties with his remaining High Noble sycophants even as Reinhard's Fleet moves ever closer.
• Hypocrite:
  • After the Lippstadt Rebellion starts to unravel, he gives an impassioned yet ineffectual speech denouncing anyone who would run away from the coming battle as a Dirty Coward — then immediately makes an aside comment to one of his aides revealing he's made an escape shuttle ready for himself.
  • For all his grandstanding about eugenics and Rudolf's "law of the jungle" rhetoric, he actively suppressed the fact that his daughter had inherited a hereditary disease, which would have rendered her ineligible to the throne under the Inferior Genes Exclusion Act.
• Irony: Believes in Eugenics, but his link to the Goldenbaum dynasty is a wife and daughter carrying a hereditary disease, further driving home his hypocrisy.
• It's All About Me: For all his grandstanding about restoring the Goldenbaums and the privileges of the High Nobility, he's ultimately a self-serving aristocrat who cares more for himself than even his own allies.
• Lack of Empathy: Throws waves of his men at the enemy with little strategy beyond overwhelming the opposition and cares nothing for those killed in the ensuing conflict.
• Politically Incorrect Villain: Buys into the Imperial eugenics policies and despises commoners, viewing them like cattle.
• Sanity Slippage: He delusions of grandeur become more pronounced as the Lippstadt rebellion drags on, acting as though he's still making his Decadent Court power plays even as the reality of imminent defeat at the hands of Reinhard's Fleet sinks in.
• Smug Snake: Despite being severely lacking in intelligence, Braunchsweig is convinced that his noble blood makes him inherently superior to others, actually believing in his own stupid decisions.
• Stupid Evil: Unable to conceive of any threat to what he believes to be his own impervious power, Braunschweig orders one of his own territory's planets nuked in response to a rebellion, despite his own soldiers pointing out the detrimental consequences of doing so. After ignoring their suggestions, Braunschweig quickly finds himself losing allies to both abandonment and suicide out of sheer disgust and swiftly loses his fight against Lohengramm.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: While he technically puts aside his feud with Marquis Littenheim to deal with Reinhard, the two can't stand each other's presence, and go out of their way to sabotage each other. This makes it easier for Reinhard to defeat them separately.
• Undignified Death: Fully deserving of it Braunschweig gets the worst one in the series. After trying to steel himself and commit suicide by poisoned wine to avoid capture and execution, he finds himself unable to take his life and has to be held down and have the drink forced down his throat: murdered by his own servants to publicly save his honor. The humiliation doesn't even stop there as his corpse is disemboweled and stuffed with a rocket launcher for Ansbach to try and kill Reinhard with, splashed with blood when the assassination attempt fails and then ejected into space by Reinhard's men for fear there could be a bomb in his coffin. A truly satisfying Humiliation Conga.
• Ungrateful Bastard: He leaves Merkatz in charge of holding Geiersburg Fortress, while he himself leads a fleet to fight Reinhard. Reinhard's forces proceed to curbstomp Braunschweig's fleet. It looks like Braunschweig is doomed, but then Merkatz comes in and saves the day. Does Braunschweig thank him for saving his worthless life? No. He screams at Merkatz, demanding an explanation for why he didn't come to the rescue sooner. Despite the fact that Merkatz was instructed to stay behind.
• While Rome Burns: Even as Reinhard's Fleet moves closer towards Geiersburg Fortress and more of the Lippstadt forces are lost, Braunschweig spends more time getting drunk and hosting parties to sate his remaining High Noble sycophants than salvaging the mess he's brought them all in. This also disgusts his retainer, Arthur von Streit to the point of eventually entering Reinhard's service after the latter becomes Kaiser.

Wilhelm von Littenheim

Marquis Wilhelm von Littenheim

Voiced by: Mikio Terashima (main series), Eiji Hanawa (Die Neue These) (Japanese) Tyler Walker (Die Neue These) (English)

A Marquis who is Kaiser Friedrich IV's son-in-law through his marriage to Princess Christine. Littenheim is staunchly pro-Goldenbaum and is a rival to Duke Braunschweig due to both of the men's daughters being in line for the throne. Littenheim had the rank of Fleet Admiral (High Admiral in the OVA) due to his prestigious noble birth, but he lacked any real talent in battle.

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• Bad Boss: Littenheim destroys his own supply ships to clear a path for himself to escape back to Garmisch Fortress after suffering a heavy defeat at the hands of Kircheis, killing a good number of his own soldiers. This leads to his death later on when a disgruntled survivor, Commander Laudisch, detonates Seffle particles in the fortress to kill Littenheim in revenge.
• Dirty Coward: Littenheim killing his own soldiers of the supply fleet just to save his own skin qualifies him as this.
• Enemy Mine: Despite having a rivalry with Braunschweig over the line of succession to the Goldenbaum throne, he nonetheless forms a pact with him and lays the groundwork for the Lippstadt League, in mutual opposition to Reinhard.
• General Failure: Downplayed. While Littenheim does have some measure of competence with military matters compared to Braunschweig, it becomes clear that he's way out of his league and is ultimately more concerned with prestige and saving his own skin.
• Hoist by His Own Petard: When Commander Laudisch angrily throws the corpse of his subordinate Paulus at Littenheim, who was killed when Littenheim fired on the supply fleet of which Paulus was a member, Littenheim orders Laudisch shot dead. Little did he know that Laudisch was carrying Seffle particles on his body, and the shots triggered an explosion that blew up the command center of Garmisch Fortress and killed Littenheim and everyone in the room.
• Hidden Depths: The DNT adaptation of him seems to possess this. In this version, Littenheim was the one who suggested that Braunschweig designate a tactical specialist for the war against Reinhard. He later pointed out that Rentenburg Fortress was a critical logistics center and they couldn't allow it to fall into enemy hands, encouraging Braunschweig to deploy Armored Grenadier Commander Ovlesser to guard the fortress.
• Hypocrite: For all his claims of upholding the Goldenbaum Dynasty's honor, he actively suppressed the fact that his daughter had inherited a hereditary disease, which would have rendered her ineligible to the throne under the Inferior Genes Exclusion Act, and actively had anyone who knew of it assassinated.
• Karmic Death: Littenheim is killed by Commander Laudisch, a surviving soldier of the supply fleet that he had destroyed so he could escape from Kircheis and head back to Garmisch Fortress.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: Despite being working partners with Braunschweig as heads of the Lippstadt Rebellion, it's clear almost from the beginning that if not for Reinhard, Littenheim wouldn't be caught dead being in the same room with his "ally", spending almost as much time undermining said ally's authority as he does offering valuable advice.
• Too Clever by Half: Compared to Braunschweig, he is shown in DNT to have some competence as a military commander. Compared to someone like Reinhard, however, this means comparatively little.

Flegel

Baron Flegel

Voiced by: Issei Futamata (main series), Tōru Furuya (Die Neue These) (Japanese) Jason Liebrecht (Die Neue These) (English)

A young Baron and Brauschweig's nephew. An unpleasant, elitist man, Flegel bears an intense grudge against Reinhard for constantly stopping the crimes that Flegel believes are his right to commit as a High Noble.

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• Adaptational Attractiveness: The OVA version of Flegel looks like a sleazy caricature of the kind of European nobleman seen in medieval illustrations. The DNT version, in contrast to Braunschweig, looks more conventionally handsome as befitting his upbringing, but no less repulsive.
• Adaptation Distillation: The DNT series doesn't cover his attempt to have Annerose assassinated and instead he stays on the sidelines until the confederated aristocrats rebellion where he acts as his uncle's right-hand.
• Adaptation Dye-Job: Brown haired in the OVA series, blonde in DNT.
• Arch-Enemy: He sees himself as this to Reinhard, and thinks the feeling has to be mutual. Truthfully, Reinhard barely regards him as annoyance, only notable for his attempt on Annerose's life.
• Aristocrats Are Evil: Like most of the High Nobles he's a complete asshole who believes he can abuse and kill common folk as he pleases. Like Braunschweig he also takes it further by making sure millions are killed for rebelling against food shortages caused by the Lippstadt Rebellion in the first place.
• Bad Boss: When his attempt to have Annerose killed and disgraced fails he ensures his own safety by seeing his co-conspirator killed and orders the deaths of all the thugs he hired to assist him.
• Beard of Evil: Die Neue These gives him a goatee, and he's just as despicable as past incarnations.
• Defiant to the End: Subverted. While Flegel tries to die defiantly charging into single combat against one of Reinhard's admirals, his subordinates promptly shoot him when he tries to kill his aide for refusing his insane order. As Flegel dies unable to comprehend the betrayal of "mere commoners" he expires in pain with a horror-stricken expression on his face, mechanically muttering praise to the Empire.
• Dirty Coward: Flegel talks a big game about wanting to die a glorious death when he's in control, but when Mittenmeyer beats him in fair combat he tries to order him shot dead, even if it means everyone else onboard his flagship dies in the process. When he's fatally wounded by his subordinates, he dies horrified in shock, losing it in situations where he's not in complete control.
• The Dragon: Just as ruthlessly elitist as his uncle Braunschweig, Flegel takes to acting as his mouthpiece and moves to order the execution of any who question the former.
• Face Death with Dignity: Subverted. He attempts to go down a valiant nobleman's death in "glorious" combat, which just happens to be a suicidal charge with his ship. When his subordinates finally have enough and kill him, however, he dies with an ignoble expression more befitting of his cowardly nature, even while robotically muttering praise to the Empire with his dying breath.
• Glory Hound: Wants nothing more than to either gloriously fight Reinhard or die trying, and he doesn't care how many of his men he has to sacrifice to get it.
• Hypercompetent Sidekick: Not Flegel himself, but the crew of his flagship, led by staff officer Leopold Schumacher, are shown to be not only much more competent than him but also the reason he's even still alive at all. The moment Flegel tries to go for an "honorable" death by suicide charge despite Schumacher's advice, however, he's shot dead by that same crew, who flee to Fezzan.
• Hypocrite: Much of the smears and disdain Flegel has for Reinhard are in actuality applicable to himself. As for all his flouting of High Noble superiority and virtue, he's a spoiled overly ambitious cretin who benefits from the patronage of a corrupt system to further abuse it.
• Karma Houdini Warranty: Flashbacks and prequels show he had a long list of atrocities on his resume before joining the rebellion, making his inglorious death long overdue.
• Meaningful Name: "Flegel" is a Germanic term for an insolent and rude person.
• The Neidermeyer: Flegel is an Imperial equivalent. Even prior to the Lippstadt rebellion, he held a high rank within the Imperial military owing to his political connections, despite having no actual military experience and being barely able to make commands other than throwing bodies at foes.
• No Full Name Given: In neither version of the series is Flegel's full name ever given.
• Politically Incorrect Villain: Fully buys into the Goldenbaum's eugenics and believes commoners to be physically and mentally inferior to men like himself.
• Revenge by Proxy: Flegel's hatred of Reinhard is so great that he concocts a nasty scheme to get Reinhard's sister Annerose killed and disgraced in the public eye, specifically just to hit Reinhard where it hurts.
• Royal Brat: As the nephew of Braunschweig, he is a spoiled, sociopathic little creep who views anyone not of noble standing as beneath his notice and at the mercy of his whims.
• Smug Snake: Believes himself a dashing war hero and thanks to his ego falls for obvious traps Reinhard lays for him, eventually leading to his fleet being drawn out and annihilated while he can just scream in rage.
• Stupid Evil: Like uncle, like nephew. Flegel takes to ensuring his uncle's ordered nuking of Westerland is carried out and can't comprehend that the mass population of the Galactic Empire might think ill of their faction for committing a war crime.
• Undignified Death: After demanding his men die in "glorious" combat with him and trying to shoot his aide for refusing his order, Flegel's other men promptly fatally shoot him. Instead of going out like a war hero he dies with a twisted expression of horror on his face at the betrayal and the men of the ship ignore his order to flee the pointless war.
• Ungrateful Bastard: Just about the only reason Flegel's still alive by the final stages of the Lippstadt Rebellion is due to the efforts of his far more competent subordinates, all of whom he barely even considers as people. After pushing them too far one last time, said underlings finally have enough and kill him.
• Villainous Breakdown: He was already agitated by Reinhard and his subordinates in stopping what he believes is his right to kill and torture whoever he wants. In his last moments during the Lippstadt Rebellion, he loses it in every battle, which is constantly taken advantage of by Reinhard’s officers. In his final battle, he insists on a suicide charge against one of the top officers to give a “magnificent end” to the Goldenbaum dynasty. When the captain of his ship calls him out for clinging onto his entitlement, Flegel is finally shot to death, perishing in shock while ranting the Empire’s motto.

Gregor von Mückenberger

Fleet Admiral Gregor von Mückenberger

Voiced by: Hidekatsu Shibata (main series), Ikuya Sawaki (Die Neue These) (Japanese), Bruce DuBose (Die Neue These) (English)

Gregor von Mückenberger was a high-ranking admiral in the Imperial Fleet in the waning years of the Goldenbaum Empire. For several years he served as the chief of the Space Fleet and Reinhard's superior officer.

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• Arc Villain: Early on in the series, Mückenberger serves as Reinhard's antagonistic superior within the military.
• Cassandra Truth: Warned the High Nobles that they shouldn't underestimate Reinhard's political and military capabilities. By the time some of them started to realize he was right, Reinhard was already crushing them.
• Establishing Character Moment:
  • When Mückenberger is first introduced, he's shown being a stern commander seemingly full of himself, yet also willing to hear what his subordinates have to say, giving a firm hint that he's not just a bumbling aristocrat.
  • When he first becomes fully aware of Reinhard in the Gaiden prequels, he rants briefly over the "blonde brat's" insolence, before begrudgingly admitting how tactically sound his plan for thwarting the Alliance is and gives his authorization to use it. Foreshadowing his later relationship with Reinhard and how he ultimately comes to respect him.
• Feeling Their Age: On top of coming to respect Reinhard von Lohengramm, Mückenberger also begins growing weary of political power plays as his age finally catches up to him. This further contributes to his decision to ultimately step aside and retire peacefully.
• Generation Xerox: His father Wilhelm von Mückenberger was a Vice-Admiral who died during the Second Battle of Tiamat, and who in his dying moments wanted his son to join the military. Gregor followed his father's wish and rose through the ranks way higher than his father.
• Heel Realization: After years of being dismissive of Reinhard and attributing his rise through the ranks due to nepotism, Reinhard's triumph at the Battle of Astarte made him reconsider his previous assessment. Reinhard's crushing victory over the Alliance Invasion Armada later on, however, finally made him realize that the young man was a military and political genius.
• Hot Blooded Sideburns: A consistent physical trait in his portrayals in both the OVAs and DNT, where he also gets a mustache.
• Ignored Expert: He not only declines the thinly-veiled offer by Brauschweig and Littenheim to join their nascent Lippstadt League, but warns them against making an enemy of Reinhard. Said warnings come to haunt Brauschweig by the final stages of the Lippstadt Rebellion.
  Mückenberger: "I will give you one piece of advice. That brat...no, Marquis Lohengramm is a genius in war and politics. If you persist on making light of him, it will cost you dearly."
• Karma Houdini: Among the Imperial High Command's old guard, Mückenberger arguably had the most fortunate fate of them all. On top of stepping aside from Reinhard's rise to power, sparing himself from the chaos surrounding the Lippstadt Rebellion, he gets to spend the rest of his days in peaceful retirement with his reputation intact.
• Know When to Fold Them: Realizing Reinhard's rise to power is all but unstoppable now, he simply and calmly retires after the death of Friedrich IV, making clear to Reinhard he has no interest in playing politics any more. As far as history knows, Mückenberger gets to live the rest of his life in peaceful retirement.
• Noble Bigot: Downplayed. While still very much emblematic of the Goldenbaum dynasty's old guard, Mückenberger was nonetheless a genuinely experienced and respected commander, who's willing to hear out upstarts like Reinhard in spite of his personal misgivings regarding their class, giving them their due if they do well. Barring his attempt to have Reinhard inadvertently killed during the Fourth Battle of Tiamat, he was also never shown to be overtly cruel.
• Oh, Crap!: A very gradual and subdued one, but Mückenberger comes to not only recognize Reinhard's genius and ambitions, but also realize that it's foolish to make an enemy out of him. This also motivates his honorable resignation.
• Old Soldier: He was clearly an older Admiral by the time of the death of Friedrich IV, with lots of experience.
• Only Sane Man: Downplayed. While Reinhard sees him as being just as hidebound and unimaginative as the rest of the old guard dominating Imperial High Command, Mückenberger is shown to be a genuinely competent commander who comes to see the young upstart for who he is. He also smartly decides to retire shortly after Friedrich IV's death, realizing that the High Nobles' nascent rebellion is doomed to fail.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Downplayed. Despite his own upbringing as a High Noble and personal misgivings with Reinhard, Mückenberger is nonetheless willing to hear him out and acknowledges his successes as needed. He also tries to not waste the men under his command needlessly.
• Right for the Wrong Reasons: Mückenberger correctly assesses that someone as young as Reinhard shouldn't be able to rise up the ranks so quickly under standard protocol, but attributes this to nepotism from the Kaiser rather than any genuine brilliance. It's not until later, however, that he realizes how wrong he had been.
• Secret-Keeper: In the Gaiden prequels, Mückenberger keeps it a secret from Lüneburg that he's aware that elements of the Imperial Court had set him up to be killed indirectly, believing that it's better that he die with some honor at the hands of the Alliance's Rosen Ritters than return with an ignoble fate awaiting him.
• Up Through the Ranks: Unlike many of his High Noble peers, Mückenberger made a conscious effort to rise through the military's ranks, at least insofar as his social status allowed him. This also made him more competent and astute in contrast to those who simply bought their ranks by virtue of their titles or connections.
• Uriah Gambit: Tried to get Reinhard sacrificed during the Fourth Battle of Tiamat, but not only did Reinhard survive, he played the most important role in defeating the enemy forces.
• Villain Respect: If Mückenberger could really be considered a villain, he certainly comes to genuinely respect Reinhard's talents.

Heydrich Lang

Heydrich Lang

Voiced by: Hitoshi Takagi (main series)

The Vice-Minister of Internal Affairs and the second man to Oberstein. Oberstein also appointed him as the Chief of the Internal Security Department.

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• Asshole Victim: After a long time, Lutz, as a dying gift, has assembled a legal case against Lang regarding his involvement in Fezzan's bombing, finally giving Reinhard an excuse to get him arrested and for Kessler to send him to execution.
• Dirty Coward: He's ultimately a spineless parasite of the old system that does whatever Oberstein or Rubinsky tell him to. He folds like a card house whenever an officer gets angry at him, but defaults to Smug Snake the moment he's in the clear.
• Even Evil Has Loved Ones: Even though he's a corrupt bureaucrat, it's noted that he's a decent family man and occasionally donates money to charity.
• Fat Bastard: He's quite round, bald and as selfish as he's cowardly.
• Frame-Up: The bombing on Fezzan that took the life of Minister of Industry Silverberch was organized by Rubinsky, but he asked Lang's investigation to condemn Rubinsky's former colleague Nicholas Boltik for it and make it look like Boltik committed suicide.
• The Friend Nobody Likes: Despite having a high civil position in the Empire, pretty much everyone in Reinhard's Fleet hates him for thinking too high of himself and for using insensitive remarks about other officers. Even Oberstein, who Lang calls his only ally, is annoyed by his presence.
• It's All About Me: Whenever he properly does his job or helps Rubinsky's conspiracy all comes to benefits promised to him at that particular point time.
• Playing Both Sides: He thinks Oberstein and Rubinsky have the same goals, but Oberstein's loyalty ultimately lies with Reinhard and he's only keeping him around in case he'll slip something up about Rubinsky. And to be The Scapegoat if the situation needs one.
• Secret Police: What Internal Security Department is, as it allows Oberstein to spy on and arrest Imperial citizens for "better security". Even Reinhard doesn't know the office uses more authority than they're supposed to have.
• Speak Ill of the Dead: As he's already awaiting his death sentence, he glees at the note that his Arch-Enemy Reuenthal died before him.
• Too Clever by Half: Downplayed. Lang isn't a fool, but thinks far too highly of his own capabilities that it eventually backfires on him once Reinhard finally finds a legal excuse to have him killed.
• Too Good for Exploiters: He's all too happy to with his position, if only due to the considerable leeway it grants him and how much he could get away with it. Subverted, however, when the system ultimately works against him.
• Villain with Good Publicity: Lang is one of the few remnants of the Goldenbaum's regime who was allowed to keep his position. Unfortunately for Reinhard, the "small fry" has been conspiring with Rubinsky against him, and keeping him around caused significant damages to the New Galactic Empire.

Ovlesser

High Admiral Ovlesser

Voiced by: Daisuke Gōri (main series), Tsuyoshi Koyama (Die Neue These) (Japanese), Bryan Massey (Die Neue These) (English)

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• Adaptational Dye-Job: In Die Neue These, he has green hair, while in the original series he was an Evil Redhead.
• Alas, Poor Villain: At least in Die Neue These, Mückenberger visits his tomb and laments the way he died.
• Axe-Crazy: As pointed out by Reuental, the man was born to beat people to death. He even wields a battle-axe.
• Beard of Evil: A full beard in the original and a more stylized goatee in Die Neue These, but remains a beast on the battlefield.
• Blood Knight: Relishes in the possibility of cutting people with his battle axe.
• Boom, Headshot!: This is how Ansbach finishes him off.
• The Brute: Has this role in the Lippstadt League.
• Defiant to the End: As he lays bleeding out, he keeps throwing soldiers with his bare hands while yelling he's innocent.
• Dumb Muscle: He might be an utter beast in hand-to-hand combat, but is easily lured into a trap by Reuental and Mittermyer.
• Even Evil Has Standards: He might be a brute and dismissive of others, but he clearly would never betray his comrades.
• Evil Is Bigger: The man is huge. Taller than Kircheis and broader than Kempf.
• Facial Markings: Has a scar on his face. He refuses to get rid of it, even though he easily could.
• Meaningful Name: Ovlesser sounds like "of lesser," denoting to a lower nobility, character, personality, or intellect.
• Old Soldier: He is nearing 50 at Reinhard's Fleet Admiral ceremony and slaughters enemy soldiers left and right during the civil war.
• Unwitting Pawn: Of Oberstein and of Reinhard by proxy; by sparing his life and sending back to Geiersburg Fortress. They also had all of his soldiers publicly executed without Ovlesser's knowledge. Braunschweig reasonably (but ultimately falsely) suspects the reason Ovlesser was the only soldier allowed to return is because he betrayed him in some way and in his paranoia has him executed for treason, sowing seeds of mistrust between the nobles.

Ansbach

Commodore Ansbach

Voiced by: Makio Inoue (main series), Hiroki Tochi (Die Neue These) (Japanese), David Matranga (Die Neue These) (English)

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• Everyone Has Standards: Despite his loyalty for Braunschweig, he's clearly outraged at the Westerland Massacre, and downright says the Goldenbaum Dynasty can't survive if it cuts off its own limbs.
• Evil Virtues: Loyalty. He's completely loyal to Duke Braunschweig, no matter how unworthy he is of Ansbach's allegiance. Also Courage. Despite knowing he would most likely be killed, he still tries to assassinate Reinhard and kills Kircheis instead.
• Last Villain Stand: He's technically the very last of the High Nobles that Reinhard faces, having Braunschweig suicided and killing Kircheis.
• Mutual Kill: Fatally injures Kircheis and immediately after commits suicide by Cyanide Pill.
• My Master, Right or Wrong: He's completely loyal to Braunschweig, and despite personally disliking the atrocities committed by the High Nobles, he follows his orders without question.
• Noble Demon: While a follower of the Lippstadt nobles, he at least has a code of honor, something his superiors sorely lack.
• Small Role, Big Impact: He only appears on a few episodes, but he's responsible for one of the most important deaths on the imperial side, Siegfried Kircheis.

Sussanna von Beenemünde

Marquise Sussanna von Beenemünde

Voiced by: Toshiko Fujita

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• Arc Villain: Plays this role with a dash of Greater-Scope Villain during the Gaiden series.
• Blood from the Mouth: As she dies from being executed via poison for an assassination attempt, blood leaks from her mouth.
• Hot Consort: Kaiser Friedrich IV's previous subject of affection, until he switched to someone younger.
• Murder by Suicide: As punishment for attempted assassination, the Kaiser himself requests to give her poison in a glass, and then have it forced into her mouth once she refused.
• Small Name, Big Ego: For all her power and influence, she's ultimately just a bit player and collateral damage in the Goldenbaum-era Decadent Court, unmourned by anyone.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: She dies in the same episode as she's introduced, but she gives a good early impression just how screwed up the Goldenbaum's nobles are.
• Woman Scorned: She holds an incredible grudge against Annerose because Kaiser Friedrich IV started favoring Reinhard's sister instead of her and even tries to kill her personally.

Richard von Grimmelhausen

Admiral Richard von Grimmelhausen

A Viscount and senior officer among the Imperial Navy’s top brass who was the superior of Reinhard and Kesler during his starting moment as a flag officer. Appearing only during the Gaiden series, he was seen as a frail old man often dismissed by Fleet Admiral Mückenberger and the overprivileged nobles. However, he plays just as much of a role in the young man’s rise to power, recommending him to Freidrich IV and other materials among his legacy to support his future reign.

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• Excellent Judge of Character: He is one of two people who immediately see how capable Reinhard is, the other being Friedrich IV. He is also all too aware of where the High Nobility is heading and thus quietly supports Reinhard's rise.
• General Failure: Downplayed. Grimmelshausen had resigned himself even in his younger years to being a talentless commander who's not destined for great deeds. He was, however, exceptionally good at recognizing talent and reading people, even helping Reinhard's rise, albeit discreetly.
• Kicked Upstairs: After the Battle of Van-Fleet, Grimmelshausen's promoted to the rank of Admiral, both at the behest of Friedrich IV and to as a means of semi-retiring him from the Imperial High Command, as he'd be kept out from active duty as much as possible.
• Obfuscating Stupidity: He looks like a frail old man on the outside, but has been quietly supporting Reinhard from the sidelines. He even went as far as to write whole memoirs of his life, which record all the abuses of the High Nobles throughout the Empire, which he passes on to the future leader.
• Old Retainer: As aide-de-camp and friend to the future Friedrich IV, a young Grimmelshausen helped him in privately settling the many domestic scandals that were prevalent during the late Goldenbaum Dynasty, and continued to work closely with the Kaiser in that regard. It was probable that it's during his tenure as aide-de-camp when he started compiling all the High Nobles' misdeeds.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: While it took a while for Mückenberger to recognize his talent, Grimmelhausen saw the potential within Reinhard almost immediately and did what he could to support him.
• Unexpected Inheritance: Entrusts his memoirs to Kesler that records all of the abuses of the High Nobles during his life, who he then gives to Reinhard. The young commander is surprised to find this and is more than grateful for the gift, even when he refuses to use it for blackmail, hoping to gain power through merit. Reinhard hands it back to Kesler for safekeeping until the latter gets a more appropriate position in the police, ultimately revealing its contents once the nobles lose the power to rewrite history in their favor.
• Unexpected Successor: Being the third child in his family, he had little chance of inheriting his family's viscountcy, only doing so because his elder brothers died in combat.
• Vindicated by History: In-universe. Although Reinhard chose not to use Grimmelhausen's memoirs immediately, the Lippstadt rebellion would ultimately prove that the old man's observations of the High Nobles were all too correct.

Klaus von Lichtenlade

Duke Klaus von Lichtenlade

Voiced by: Kōhei Miyauchi (main series), Hiroshi Ito (Gaiden), Kazuo Oka (Die Neue These) (Japanese), Barry Yandell (Die Neue These) (English)

A Marquis, later Duke, who served as Minister of State and de facto Prime Minister of the Galactic Empire under Kaiser Friedrich IV and, briefly, Erwin Josef II.

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• A Taste of Their Own Medicine: Whether or not Lichtenlade really was plotting to dispose of Reinhard, he's nonetheless condemned by the very Goldenbaum-era standards he'd spent his whole career upholding and using against others.
• Adaptational Attractiveness: Downplayed. The OVAs had Lichtenlade resemble a decrepit if dignified Prussian nobleman. His DNT incarnation, meanwhile, looks healthier but otherwise similarly comes across as an aging stone-faced bureaucrat.
• Ambiguous Situation: It's left vague whether Lichtenlade really was plotting to depose Reinhard behind everyone's back, or if it's just Oberstein making it up wholesale to justify toppling the last real obstacle to seizing power. Either way, Lichtenlade was on borrowed time the moment the Lippstadt Rebellion's days were numbered.
• Arc Villain: Lichtenlade served as one to Reinhard outside the Imperial military as he rose through the ranks, ultimately becoming the last true hurdle to assuming total control over the Empire.
• Authority in Name Only: Downplayed. While having little influence outside the palace and lacking any private military force of his own, despite his standing as a Marquis (and later Duke), Lichtenlade nonetheless wielded tremendous authority over the Empire by virtue of representing his monarch. On the other hand, he's constantly jostling against the High Nobles, especially Braunschweig and Littenheim, aware that his own influence is dependent on the Kaiser being alive. He's eventually forced into an alliance of convenience with Reinhard von Lohengramm in a bid to shore up his own power after Friedrich IV's death.
• Big Bad Wannabe: Even if Lichtenlade never said it openly, he considered himself the real master and kingmaker of the Empire. Yet though competent enough to hold the status quo together, however, he was constantly stymied by the High Nobles in his efforts to assert his authority, while his self-serving complacency made him an Unwitting Pawn to the likes of Rubinsky. He's likewise too stubborn to step aside peacefully while he still could, and paid for it when Reinhard's Fleet decided to oust him.
• Cruel Mercy: He's put on the receiving end after being apprehended by Reinhard's Fleet. The women and children of his family would be spared, in exchange for Lichtenlade himself being forced to commit suicide.
• Dragon-in-Chief: While Kaiser Friedrich IV was an absolute monarch in name, in practice, the Empire was ruled by Lichtenlade in his sovereign's place.
• Enemy Mine: Seeking to shore up his own power, he formed a partnership of convenience with Reinhard due to their mutual disdain for the other High Nobles. This alliance proved to be short-lived after Reinhard's subordinates swiftly apprehended him at the end of the Lippstadt rebellion for allegedly plotting against him.
• Evil Chancellor: He was effectively leader of the Empire's civil service, as the position and title of Prime Minister had been left vacant and taboo since the time of Otfried III. He's also responsible for trying to maintain the status quo and exploiting it in the process, even as Reinhard undermines it.
• Evil Old Folks: Regardless of which version, Lichtenlade is consistently portrayed as old man keeping the Empire's decadent status quo afloat while also abusing it whenever it suits him.
• Face Death with Dignity: Downplayed. While indignant and shocked upon being apprehended by Reuenthal, Lichtenlade ultimately, if begrudgingly, accepts his fate with little fuss.
• Hypocrite:
  • Often espouses that he believes in sticking to traditions. Traditionally, a Goldenbaum prime minister is supposed to step down when his monarch dies. He doesn't and it ends up coming back to bite him.
  • When those same Goldenbaum-era traditions are used against him upon being apprehended by Reuenthal, he protests how unfair and ludicrous they are, despite being all too happy to use them against others for even pettier reasons.
• Ignored Expert: He's initially one of the handful among the Imperial government's old guard who caught on to Reinhard's gamble to usurp the Goldenbaum dynasty. Upon trying to advise and warn Friedrich IV of this, however, he's ignored, though only because the Kaiser saw the writing on the wall and deliberately encouraged it.
• Laser-Guided Karma: Reuenthal manages to corner Lichtenlade with the charge of conspiring to kill Kircheis and plotting against Reinhard, by invoking the Goldenbaum dynasty's laws about not requiring proof to secure an arrest. He's thus laid low by the very status quo he'd been working so hard to preserve.
• The Last DJ: By the start of the Lippstadt Rebellion, Lichtenlade was the last high-ranking old guard official on Odin, still upholding the old Goldenbaum status quo yet tolerated by Reinhard due to his political influence. His arrest and suicide following the end of said rebellion marks the point wherein the first widespread reforms could be made, signaling the true beginning of the end.
• Pragmatic Villainy: While Lichtenlade is more than happy to exploit the status quo, he still makes an effort to keep the Empire's day-to-day affairs in order, if only to make sure there's still a status quo to benefit from.
• Regent for Life: It's all but stated that with Friedrich IV's death, Lichtenlade had been trying to position himself as the sole regent for the young Erwin Josef II, allowing him to cling onto his position and privileges indefinitely. Reinhard, however, has other ideas.
• The Resenter: He became increasingly concerned over Reinhard's rapid rise to power threatening his own, and tried to advise Friedrich IV to curb that rise while he still could.
• The Starscream: Whether or not he really was plotting to dispose of Reinhard Lichtenlade's contempt towards "Regent von Lohengramm" is palpable enough that the notion that he'd turn on him sooner or later seems plausible.
• Status Quo Is God: Lichtenlade is a genuine believer in the Goldenbaum status quo, having spent just about his entire life upholding it. It's revealed, however, that a big motivation for this is in how said status quo benefits him the most.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: His working relationship with Reinhard is far from harmonious, constantly finding ways to circumvent if not outright block his erstwhile partner's authority. Which also makes it much easier for Reinhard's Fleet to rationalize disposing of him and framing him for being complicit in Kircheis' death once the Lippstadt Rebellion winds down.
• Too Good for Exploiters: Despite jostling for power against the rest of the Empire's Decadent Court, Lichtenlade had no interest in changing the Goldenbaum dynasty's status quo, as it benefitted him the most. This comes back to haunt him when Reuenthal has him arrested using the very same system he'd been defending for so long.

Hermann von Lüneburg

Rear Admiral Hermann von Lüneburg

Voiced by: Nachi Nozawa

A former commander of the Alliance’s Rosen Ritter who later defected back to the Empire. He stands as a rival for Reinhard during the Gaiden series until he is killed via the political machinations of the Imperial Court, and more directly by his former comrades-in-arms.

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• Arranged Marriage: Lüneburg got himself into one in an attempt to cement his place in the Imperial Decadent Court. While rather dysfunctional, and himself being responsible for the death of his wife’s fiancée, he's nonetheless shows a modicum of respect and propriety towards her.
• Face Death with Dignity: Realizing that his military superiors won't be covering for him though unaware that elements of the Imperial Court have also set him up to be killed indirectly, Lüneburg decides to meet his fate, confronting (and dying to) Schönkopf.
• Fallen Hero: He's seen as such to the Rosen Ritters. Even Schönkopf, after killing him, still had enough respect for the man to give him a dignified sendoff.
• Fake Defector: It's implied that Lüneburg, on top of returning to the Empire, was never sincere about his defection to the Alliance in the first place.
• Foil:
  • To Reinhard von Musel. Lüneburg specialized in land battles as a former Rosen Ritter commander while Reinhard was better at space battles. Lüneburg is also what Reinhard could have been if he had neither Kircheis nor Annerose in his life: he did not see women the same way as him, and he favored political machinations than his merits in combat. Furthermore, despite his attempts, he had very few friends in the Imperial Court and was killed indirectly as a result of such whereas Reinhard gained even the Kaiser’s favor.
  • Also to Walter von Schönkopf. Despite being a womanizer, Schönkopf still genuinely cares for the wellbeing of women to a degree while Lüneburg is decidedly less so. Moreover, while Schönkopf consistently stays true to his convictions despite his irreverence, Lüneburg is shown as being far more opportunistic and backstabbing, however much he hides all that under a veneer of propriety.
• Nepotism: Part of the reason he'd been able to return to the Empire in relatively good standing is because of his supposed bloodline connection with the ruling Goldenbaum Dynasty.
• Karma Houdini Warranty: Despite seemingly succeeding in defecting from the Alliance and having some legitimacy to the Goldenbaum throne, Lüneburg's ultimately slain by Walter von Schönkopf, one of the very Rosen Ritters he betrayed, in single combat.
• Riddle for the Ages: Was he really a Royal Bastard of the Goldenbaum Dynasty or just saying that in an attempt to gain the throne?
• The Rival: To Reinhard, which gets on his nerves during their brief time under Vice Admiral Grimmelshausen. Unfortunately for Lüneburg, the then Admiral Grimmelshausen favored Reinhard more.
• Royal Bastard: Speculated to be this as part of the Goldenbaum Dynasty.
• Secret-Keeper: He remains silent of the fact he was responsible for the death of his wife’s fiancée. Grimmelshausen, on the other hand…and even then, he only partly reveals the truth as it was her brother who got him killed.
• Starter Villain: Of sorts for Walter von Schönkopf. Lüneburg's death would cement his reputation as commander of the Rosen Ritters, and his later rise to being one of Yang Wen-li's most trusted officers.
• Welcome Back, Traitor: Despite having served in the Alliance, Lüneburg is able to use his noble background and political connections to gain a foothold, however small, in the Empire's Decadent Court.

Franz von Mariendorf

Count Franz von Mariendorf

Voiced by: Tadashi Nakamura (main series)

A member of the High Nobility, he is best known for pushing and helping implement major reforms during the final years of the Goldenbaum Dynasty and for being the first Minister of State of the Goldenlöwe Dynasty, as well as being the father of Empress and Regent Hildegard von Lohengramm.

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• Adaptational Badass: In the manga adaptations, Franz von Mariendorf plays a more direct role in ending the Castrop Rebellion by shooting the rogue aristocrat from behind.
• Cincinnatus: Following his daughter's full ascension as empress, Franz von Mariendorf resigns from his position as Minister of State to avoid a conflict of interest.
• Early-Bird Cameo: He makes an appearance early on during the Castrop Rebellion, even before his more renowned daughter makes her debut.
• Establishing Character Moment: When he's first introduced as a captive during the Castrop Rebellion, Franz von Mariendorf is shown consistently having concern for the people, calling for change and standing up to the rogue aristocrat despite the risk to his own life. This comes to bring Siegfried and Reinhard around to the idea that they may find genuine reformers among the High Nobles.
• The Good Chancellor: He's shown to be a competent and genuinely benevolent administrator especially after being made Minister of State by Reinhard.
• Good Parents: Franz von Mariendorf is shown to be highly supportive of his daughter's "un-ladylike" and political career, which was pretty unusual for a High Noble. He not only hands Hildegard the reins of power over his noble house but even gives his blessing to Reinhard's marriage with her.
• Internal Reformist: He's also part of the reformist clique among the Empire's aristocracy, actively pushing for change within the system without drawing too much ire. Yet while he was still respected to a degree within the Decadent Court, this also sidelined him from any major political position, as implied by his otherwise middling (for a High Noble) rank of Count. His work would be vindicated upon being named Minister of State by Reinhard following his coronation.
• Foil:
  • Franz von Mariendorf is one to Littenheim and Braunschweig in the Imperial Civil War. He has the lowest rank (with the other two being a Marquis and Duke respectively), has no higher ambitions, and doesn't have his own military force. He is also the only one of the three who listens to sound advice. Littenheim and Braunschweig use their daughters to secure the Imperial throne, whereas Mariendorf just leaves it in his daughter's hands, because he knows she'll lead the family eventually anyway. Littenheim and Braunschweig's daughters end up banished, Mariendorf's daughter ends up on the throne.
  • He's also one to Marquis (later Duke) Lichtenlade. While similar in being political animals lacking any private armies to fall back on, he neither has the Kaiser's patronage at least until Reinhard and eventually his own daughter assume power nor abuses the privileges granted to him by his station. Unlike Lichtenlade, however, Mariendorf turns out to be a genuinely benevolent administrator, isn't obsessed with power and has the dignity to step down when circumstances call for it, rather than testing his luck by clinging on as Lichtenlade finds out the hard way by being deemed the last real threat to Reinhard's bid for power.
• Neutrality Backlash: When the Lippstadt Rebellion breaks out, he's initially inclined to stay neutral if not even be passively supportive of Duke Otho von Braunschweig, though more out of pragmatism and mitigating further damage than any loyalty to the system. He's convinced by Hildegard, however, to side fully with Reinhard, both to save their house and act as an inspiration for other reformist aristocrats to follow.
• Only Sane Man: Franz von Mariendorf was one of the handful of High Nobles who not only stayed on good terms with Reinhard, but was also among the relative handful who weren't decadent or abusive.
• Reasonable Authority Figure: Among the High Nobles, he's notable for being empathetic, rational, and willing to hear others' opinions, including those from his daughter, before making decisions.
• Reassigned to Antarctica: It's implied that Mariendorf's "assignment" to bring the insubordinate Maximilian von Castrop back in line, which in turn led to his capture and the Castrop Rebellion, may have been an attempt by the Imperial Decadent Court to not only have him internally exiled but potentially killed.
• The Remnant: He winds up among the handful of reformist High Noble houses and minor nobility who come to form the aristocracy of Reinhard's Empire.
• Secret Test of Character: It's implied that his initial plans of staying neutral during the Lippstadt Rebellion may have been a challenge to see whether Hildegard is cut out for the road ahead. Tellingly, after being convinced by her, he not only makes no further objections but effectively cedes political control over his noble house over to her.
• Shipper on Deck: He's shown to not only approve of his daughter's relationship and marriage with Reinhard, but even wonders casually if they've "done it" properly.
• So Proud of You: If nothing else, Franz von Mariendorf is more than happy to consider his daughter as a worthy heir.
• Uriah Gambit: It's suggested that his suffering at the hands of Castrop may have been an attempt by other High Noble rivals to dispose of him.

Maximilian von Castrop

Duke Maximilian von Castrop

Voiced by: Tadashi Nakamura (main series)

Maximilian von Castrop is an Imperial noble who ruled the planet Castrop. He is notable for instigating the Castrop Rebellion against the Empire early in the series, which was subsequently crushed by newly-minted admiral Siegfried Kircheis.

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• Adaptational Attractiveness: Downplayed. While the OVAs portray Maximilian von Castrop as a rotund troglodyte roleplaying as a Roman emperor, DNT depicts him as being more fit and dressed as a conventional nobleman. He's consistently portrayed as brutish and despicable-looking, however.
• Aristocrats Are Evil: Heir to a High Noble house, Castrop aptly embodies the decadence, corruption and hubris that define many aristocrats in the Empire. He's also shown to give no regard to his own private retinue, which he treats as expendable peons, and expects them to die for him simply due to his title.
• Bad Boss: The threat of brutal punishment (as well as the Artemis Necklace) is pretty much the only thing keeping Castrop's retainers from just deserting their posts. The moment he loses his precious Kill Sat system and he orders his subordinates to launch an all-or-nothing assault, they dispose of him.
• Dies Differently in Adaptation: While Castrop's death is consistent, how he dies varies considerably.
  • In the OVAs, he's stabbed by his subordinates, echoing the infamous death of Julius Caesar as portrayed in Shakespeare's play.
  • In the manga, he's instead shot from behind by Franz von Mariendorf, while Kircheis's ships fire missiles into his compound.
  • In DNT, he's shot by his own subordinates while attempting to lead a futile charge with his private fleet, much like in the novels.
• General Failure: Maximilian von Castrop has no real military acumen whatsoever, relying instead on his long-oppressed private retinue and his Kill Sat network to get things done. In the end, he even winds up being the only casualty, in part thanks to Kircheis' clever strategies.
• Kill Sat: His main ace in the hole is an Artemis Necklace similar to what's used around Heinessen in the Free Planets Alliance.
• Screw the Rules, I Have Money!: Part of the reason Castrop launches his rebellion involves protecting his family's wealth, much of which being ill-gotten funds his father siphoned off from when he was Minister of Finance to Kaiser Friedrich IV. As if to flaunt it, he even uses it to purchase an Artemis Necklace as a deterrent.
• Small Role, Big Impact: While Castrop's defeat would help cement Kircheis' rising fame, the former's purchase and use of an Artemis Necklace would catch Reinhard's attention, eventually setting his sights on Adrian Rubinsky as such a weapon system could have only been acquired through Fezzan.
• Starter Villain: Of sorts. Dealing with him is Kircheis' first challenge as an admiral in his own right.
• Unwitting Pawn: To Rubinsky and a lesser extent the Terraists, though this doesn't become clear until much later.
• We Hardly Knew Ye: He dies in the same episode as he's introduced, but he gives a good early impression just how screwed up the Goldenbaum Dynasty's nobles are.

Michael Sigismund von Keyserling

Baron Michael Sigismund von Keyserling

A former Imperial Vice Admiral introduced in the Gaiden series. He is attributed to the fiasco at the Battle of Arlesheim, where he was discharged by the military yet pardoned by the Kaiser. Kircheis suspects him of being behind a thyroxin smuggling ring, though the truth is a bit more complicated.

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• General Failure: Subverted. He had a decent plan during the Battle of Arlesheim. His failure was merely out of bad circumstances rather than poor planning and insight.
• Shoot the Dog: He shoots the one he loved and swore loyalty to so he could clear his name.
• What Happened to the Mouse?: He only exists during the Dishonor arc of the Gaiden series. What happens to him afterward is unknown.

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