Space Battleship Yamato III
A stray proton missile threatens Earth's sun.
Space Battleship Yamato III (宇宙戦艦ヤマトIII, Uchū Senkan Yamato Surī), also known as Star Blazers: The Bolar Wars, is a Japanese military science fiction anime series from Academy Productions. It follows Be Forever Yamato, created by Yoshinobu Nishizaki and Leiji Matsumoto, and aired on Yomiuri TV in Japan from October 11, 1980 to April 4, 1981. Some elements were later remade in 2024 as Be Forever Yamato: Rebel 3199.
The story begins when a stray proton missile, fired during a battle between the Galman Empire and the Bolar Federation, strikes the Sun, causing nuclear fusion to accelerate dangerously. The Yamato and its crew are sent on a mission to find a new world for humanity within one year. Along the way, they become entangled in the Galman-Bolar conflict. The Galmans are revealed to be the ancestral race of the Gamilas. After the Dark Nebula Empire destroyed the planet Gamilas, Desler and his remaining forces searched for their ancestral home, found Galman enslaved by the grey-skinned Bolars, liberated it, and sparked a galaxy-wide war.
The Yamato eventually catches up with Desler, who regrets dragging Earth into the conflict. He sends a team of Gamilas-Galman scientists to try to restore the Sun, but their effort fails. During the mission, the Yamato rescues Ruda, the exiled queen of the hidden planet Shalbart. She is worshipped by peace-seeking factions in both empires and is wanted dead by both governments, which fear her influence. This strains the fragile Earth-Galman alliance and leads the Bolars to declare outright war on Earth.
Earth is saved when the Yamato brings Ruda to Shalbart. She gives the Earthlings the Hydro-Cosmogen Gun, a device that can restore the Sun's natural fusion balance. Success comes only after some of the Yamato's crew make ultimate sacrifices.
- Japanese title
- 宇宙戦艦ヤマトIII (Uchū Senkan Yamato Surī)
- Alternative title
- Star Blazers: The Bolar Wars
- Production company
- Academy Productions
- Creators
- Yoshinobu Nishizaki and Leiji Matsumoto
- Network
- Yomiuri TV
- Airdate
- October 11, 1980 to April 4, 1981
- Sequel to
- Be Forever Yamato
Lore & Background
The plot centers on the drama that ensues when a stray proton missile, from a battle between the Galman Empire and the Bolar Federation, crashes into the Sun, causing nuclear fusion to accelerate to unsafe levels. The Yamato and its crew must set out on a mission to find a new world for the human race in less than one year. Over the course of the story, the Yamato and crew must complete their mission amidst the strife caused by the Galman-Bolar conflict. The Galmans are revealed as the ancestral race from which the Gamilas came. After the battle with the Dark Nebula Empire destroyed the planet Gamilas, Desler and his remaining forces searched for this ancestral homeland, found Galman enslaved by the Bolars, liberated it, and a galaxy-wide war ensued. The Yamato crew eventually catch up with Desler, who is remorseful that Earth has been dragged into the conflict. Desler dispatches a team of Gamilas-Galman scientists to attempt to restore the Sun, but this effort ultimately fails. During the mission, the Yamato rescues Ruda, the exiled queen of the hidden planet Shalbart, who is worshipped by peace-seeking factions in both empires and wanted dead by both governments. This strains the Earth-Galman alliance and causes the Bolars to declare outright war on Earth. Earth is saved when the Yamato brings Ruda to Shalbart, and she gives the Earthlings the Hydro-Cosmogen Gun, which can restore the Sun's natural fusion balance, but only after some ultimate sacrifices by the crew.
Reader's Guide
Space Battleship Yamato III is notable as the direct sequel to Be Forever Yamato, continuing the saga of the Yamato and its crew. The series aired on Yomiuri TV from October 1980 to April 1981, and was later remade in 2024 as Be Forever Yamato: Rebel 3199, indicating its lasting influence. The story introduces the Galman Empire and Bolar Federation, expanding the universe established in earlier Yamato entries. The plot's central threat—a stray proton missile accelerating the Sun's fusion—creates a time-limited mission that drives the narrative. The series also deepens the character of Desler, showing his remorse and his failed attempt to restore the Sun. The introduction of Ruda and the Hydro-Cosmogen Gun provides a resolution that requires sacrifice, underscoring the series' themes of duty and loss. The cast includes notable voice actors such as Noriko Ohara, Kei Tomiyama, and Yōko Asagami, among others.
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