TV-Series
Description
"Cobra The Animation" is a science fiction anime series that adapts the classic manga "Space Adventure Cobra" by Buichi Terasawa. The story centers on Cobra, a spacefaring adventurer with a mysterious past and a cybernetic arm equipped with the powerful Psychogun. Cobra’s life takes a dramatic turn when he encounters a young woman named Armaroid Lady, an android with a human-like appearance, who is being pursued by the Pirate Guild, a ruthless criminal organization. Together, Cobra and Lady embark on a journey to uncover the secrets of the Pirate Guild and its connection to the mythical Planet of the Gods.
The narrative unfolds across multiple arcs, blending action, intrigue, and exploration. Cobra’s quest leads him to confront powerful enemies, including the enigmatic Crystal Bowie, a high-ranking member of the Pirate Guild with a personal vendetta against Cobra. As the story progresses, Cobra discovers that Lady holds the key to a hidden treasure known as the "Crimson Light," which is tied to the fate of the universe. The search for the Crimson Light takes Cobra and his allies to various planets and space stations, each presenting unique challenges and adversaries.
Key characters include Cobra, whose roguish charm and combat prowess make him a formidable protagonist; Lady, whose android nature and hidden memories drive much of the plot; and Crystal Bowie, whose complex motivations and rivalry with Cobra add depth to the conflict. The series also features a supporting cast of allies and enemies, each contributing to the overarching narrative of adventure and discovery.
Themes of identity, freedom, and the clash between humanity and technology are woven throughout the story, as Cobra’s journey forces him to confront his own past and the consequences of his actions. The series balances episodic adventures with a larger, interconnected plot, culminating in a climactic confrontation that reveals the true nature of the Crimson Light and its significance to the universe. "Cobra The Animation" delivers a blend of classic space opera elements, dynamic action sequences, and a richly detailed sci-fi setting, making it a notable entry in the genre.
The narrative unfolds across multiple arcs, blending action, intrigue, and exploration. Cobra’s quest leads him to confront powerful enemies, including the enigmatic Crystal Bowie, a high-ranking member of the Pirate Guild with a personal vendetta against Cobra. As the story progresses, Cobra discovers that Lady holds the key to a hidden treasure known as the "Crimson Light," which is tied to the fate of the universe. The search for the Crimson Light takes Cobra and his allies to various planets and space stations, each presenting unique challenges and adversaries.
Key characters include Cobra, whose roguish charm and combat prowess make him a formidable protagonist; Lady, whose android nature and hidden memories drive much of the plot; and Crystal Bowie, whose complex motivations and rivalry with Cobra add depth to the conflict. The series also features a supporting cast of allies and enemies, each contributing to the overarching narrative of adventure and discovery.
Themes of identity, freedom, and the clash between humanity and technology are woven throughout the story, as Cobra’s journey forces him to confront his own past and the consequences of his actions. The series balances episodic adventures with a larger, interconnected plot, culminating in a climactic confrontation that reveals the true nature of the Crimson Light and its significance to the universe. "Cobra The Animation" delivers a blend of classic space opera elements, dynamic action sequences, and a richly detailed sci-fi setting, making it a notable entry in the genre.
Episodes
Staffel 1
1The Key of Shiva
On Christmas Eve,Cobra drives on Venus when a truck fleeing Pirate Guild fighters crashes into his vehicle. The truck's passenger, a woman named Secret, hands him the Key of Shiva before losing consciousness. Secret resembles Dominique, Cobra's former partner. Cobra fires his psychogun and destroys one attacking fighter, but the wreckage crushes him. Highway Patrol transports the injured Cobra and Secret to a hospital. Cobra's body heals at an accelerated rate, and he leaves his bed within hours. Pirate Guild operatives enter Secret's room seeking the key, but Cobra intercepts and kills them. He captures their pilot, Blackborn, who reveals that Secret works for the Galaxy Patrol. A nearly indestructible enemy named Zoros, wearing a golden ram's mask, attacks Cobra. After surviving the assault, Cobra agrees to help Secret deliver the Key of Shiva. Secret explains that the planet Galon, an artificial world, has broken orbit and will collide with the sun in one week, destroying the solar system. The key must activate Galon's drive system to change its course. Cobra and Secret travel to Galon and land at an excavation site. Mysterious figures wearing domed helmets approach them as they arrive.
2Episode 2
Cobra and Jane land at the spaceport on Urisia to trace stolen Galactic Bank bonds. A woman calling herself Venus approaches and offers to lead them to the bonds. She guides them through secured corridors into an underground hangar. Once inside,Venus’s crew surrounds them, and she announces she is the Pirate Queen Venus collecting Cobra’s bounty. Cobra evades the first laser volley and returns fire with his pistol. Jane hacks the hangar controls and seals blast doors to isolate Venus from her soldiers. With the soldiers separated, Cobra deploys his left-arm psychogun and destroys their assault vehicles in three rapid shots. Venus activates a combat mech from the hangar ceiling and pilots it herself. Cobra targets the mech’s cockpit but hesitates to give her a chance to surrender. Venus refuses and attacks, forcing Cobra to destroy the mech with a single psychogun blast that leaves her unharmed but pinned. After the battle, Venus reveals she staged the fight to test Cobra’s power before offering a partnership against a rival pirate fleet holding the bonds. Cobra accepts the coordinates but binds Venus for local authorities. The episode ends with Cobra and Jane’s ship launching toward the asteroid field where the rival fleet waits.
3The Man with the Six-Shooter
Cobra and Lady Armadoid land on the planet Mado to follow a clue to the pirate queen’s legendary treasure. The town they enter lives under the control of a gunslinger called the Six-Shooter Man,who resolves all disputes through duels. This gunslinger, Captain Zero, confronts Cobra and demands a duel to test the reputation of the man with the Psychogun. Cobra accepts, knowing that defeating Zero will remove the obstacle blocking his investigation. The duel takes place in the main square, where Cobra’s Psychogun destroys Zero’s six-shot revolver and the android operating it. Zero’s wreckage emits a signal that activates a buried warship beneath the town. Lady identifies the ship as belonging to the pirate queen, confirming the treasure’s location. The activation alerts local authorities and rival hunters, forcing Cobra and Lady to move quickly toward the ship. As they approach, the warship’s automated defense systems power up and open fire, turning the advance into a direct assault.
4The Ghost of the Golden Paradise
Cobra enters the final fight against Garcia while still suffering from the paralysis drug administered through a woman's kiss. Garcia strikes him repeatedly,taking advantage of his limited movement. Cobra steels himself despite believing he might die without knowing his true identity. He defeats Garcia with a single powerful blow, and his memories return in full force. Remembering his mission, he takes Bonny and heads for the planet's propulsion power plant. They find Secret trapped under an active gravity barrier, where she has remained for over a day. The barrier prevents Cobra from reaching the control switch or using his Psychogun. Bonny leads him to the central control unit located thirty meters below their position. She recounts how a woman named Midora threw herself into the machinery a month earlier. Cobra deduces that Midora's body merging with the system restarted the propulsion, now steering the planet toward the sun. Midora, now part of the machine, projects illusions to block Cobra from reaching the circuits. Cobra destroys her physical form with the Psychogun, which shuts down the propulsion system and stops the planet's collision course. The Galron arc concludes with Cobra having saved the planet and its inhabitants while restoring his full memory.
5Legend of the Wandering Beauties
Cobra arrives at a port to meet his friend Johnny,a treasure hunter, but finds him missing. Local fishermen report Johnny sailed toward Baron Island, a place they avoid due to legends of underwater ghosts. A boat captain offers to take Cobra for a high fee, mentioning Johnny frequented the Angel Kiss bar. At the bar, owner Baccus confirms Johnny found treasure but others pursued it as well. A gang member ambushes Cobra that night, seeking the same treasure, but Cobra kills him. The next morning, Cobra meets Ellis Lloyd, a history student who also wants to go to Baron Island. They find the boat captain murdered and sail the vessel themselves. Ellis explains the island's ancient civilization drowned virgins in jeweled garments as offerings to the gods two thousand years ago. Cobra dives and discovers Johnny's boat, Johnny's body, and coordinates leading to the treasure location. Gang members attack underwater, and Cobra eliminates them. At the designated coordinates, Cobra and Ellis find the wandering beauties—preserved corpses carried by an extremely cold current that prevents decay. After returning to the boat, Cobra kills two more gang members but realizes Ellis commands the group. Ellis dives into the water, and Cobra shoots her. Her body joins the frozen procession of drowned women circling the island.
6Climbing Mt. Kagero
A passenger plane carrying twenty tons of gold bars explodes mid-flight and crashes into a mountain,killing all aboard. Search parties later find no trace of the wreckage, and no mountain exists in the area. During a snowstorm, eight strangers gather in a remote cabin, waiting for a ferry and discussing the legend of Mt. Kagero, a mountain that materializes once every ten years. Cobra enters the cabin under the alias Johnson, immediately recognizing the others as wanted criminals: Leo the Killer, the Crazy Mouse sibling thieves, and the con-man Lucky Jack. Linda Windsor admits that every person in the room seeks the lost gold. Despite the continuing storm, the ferry owner Geronimo transports the group across the sea, and they agree to split the treasure eight ways. The travelers spot Mt. Kagero through the swirling snow, but a violent wave capsizes the boat and throws everyone into the water. They deploy handy-jets to escape the sea and reach the mountain’s base, fighting off snow sharks during the swim. Only Frank fails to survive the attack. Geronimo begins leading the party up the steep slopes when a massive block of ice and rock breaks loose and tumbles directly toward them.
7To the Summit
Cobra splits a falling icy rock with a piton and uses an exploding cigar to divert an avalanche,saving the climbing party. Bucky loses faith in the mountain’s existence after the close call; the mountain vanishes beneath him and he falls to his death. That night Linda attempts to seduce Cobra, but he refuses her. The following morning the group discovers Daisy frozen to death inside her sabotaged barrier-tent. Linda publicly reveals Cobra’s identity, prompting con-man Lucky Jack to attack; Cobra kills him with his Psychogun. Cobra then identifies Father Sebastian as the true traitor, Bull’s-eye. The group shelters from a storm in crevices. Later they find Father Sebastian hanged, while Linda has left alone for the summit; she hears a mechanical voice declaring the mountain an illusion and falls to her death. A mechanical arm cuts Leo’s rope, causing him to fall, but another climber saves him. Cobra deduces Father Sebastian is a cyborg responsible for the sabotage. Sebastian cuts Cobra’s lifeline, but Cobra arrests his fall. Sebastian reaches the summit wreckage and the gold, but Cobra arrives and confronts him. Sebastian admits to planting the bomb on the plane that originally carried the gold, giving Cobra the reason to kill him. Geronimo reveals he climbed to prove his father reached the summit. Cobra finds Armaroid Lady moments before her systems fully shut down, and the two depart, leaving the gold behind.
8黄金の伝説 後編
Cobra wakes imprisoned in a stone cell aboard the pirate vessel. He uses his psycho-gun to burn through the bars and silently eliminates two guards. He finds Catherine confined in another room and learns she is the daughter of Captain Nelson,the pirate leader. Catherine explains she originally joined the pirates to locate the Golden Legend treasure but now seeks to prevent her father from unleashing its destructive power. Nelson’s crew captures them again during the escape attempt and brings both before him in the island’s central temple. Nelson forces Catherine to translate the inscriptions on the golden Buddha statue, which reveals that the treasure is a weapon designed to self-destruct. Cobra breaks free by shooting the chains with his psycho-gun and engages Nelson in a duel. Nelson fires a volley of missiles from his prosthetic arm, but Cobra counters with precise shots that disable the launcher. Defeated, Nelson admits he only wanted the weapon to end the planet’s wars, then collapses as the temple’s self-destruction sequence activates. Cobra carries Catherine out while the statue and the island erupt in a volcanic explosion. On a small boat drifting away, Catherine decides to stay behind to aid the surviving pirates, parting ways with Cobra. As Cobra sails alone, the Lady arrives overhead, signaling the start of their next confrontation.
9The Black Bullet
Cobra enters the Meteorace,intending to steal the race's proceeds. He competes against the reigning world champion, Pamela Lee. Cobra wins the race but intentionally crashes his vehicle into a tunnel, allowing him to disappear while everyone assumes him dead. Later that night, Cobra meets Pamela in a hotel lounge. She reveals she knows he stole the race's earnings and asks him to stop the Black Bullet. Pamela then vanishes from the lounge after a scream is heard from the bathroom. Cobra later stops a runaway police car controlled by the Black Bullet. A police officer informs him that the armored vehicle has destroyed over 100 cars and killed 200 people. The police trap the Black Bullet, but it escapes, and Cobra's Psychogun shots have no effect on it. Cobra meets the inventor who reveals he built the Black Bullet for Pamela. Following her sister's death in a car accident, Pamela developed a split personality that harbors a violent hatred for all vehicles. Cobra sets a trap using a hologram of her deceased sister to startle her. When Pamela opens the cockpit in shock, Cobra shoots her with the Psychogun, destroying the Black Bullet and ending its rampage.
10Galaxy Knights
In a town called Gizla,several warriors receive invitations to recapture Shiva Castle. The Chaos Army wiped out the Shiva royal family twenty years prior. Each invitation contains a mission plan and a spade playing card, and the recipients adopt the card numbers as their identities. Queen of Spades, a professional killer, joins the gathering. She identifies two other invitees as Chaos agents and executes them immediately. Cobra arrives last, holding the Ace of Spades. Chaos Beast Mechas then launch a sudden attack on the group. Only four of the original members survive the assault. Cobra leads the survivors as they escape on the roof of a moving train. The mission requires a thirteenth member named King, who alone knows a way into the castle. King remains trapped in a prison facility. To preserve his sanity, his soul mate, a fairy named Ellis, resides in a nearby cell. The group must rescue King from a slave trader's mansion to proceed. Queen of Spades enters the mansion alone, wearing a cocktail dress instead of her battle attire.
11The Thirteenth Man
Cobra's team infiltrates the mansion of the slave trader Zahl to locate King,the only person who knows the secret passages to Shiva's castle. The Queen of Spades enters through the front door while Cobra, Jack of Spades, and the two-headed cyborg Seven and Eight use a different route. Seven makes an error while picking a lock, which leads to Cobra being captured and forced into the arena to fight for Zahl's entertainment. In the underground prisons, Cobra meets Elis, a young fairy who remains loyal to King. Cobra kills a Zoraian prisoner who attacks him and must take the prisoner's place in the fighting matches. His first opponent, a large green Guldonian named Hercules of the Hell Desert, falls from a single punch from Cobra. The defeated Guldonian is then fed to a sea creature in the arena. Cobra's next opponent is King himself, the man his team came to rescue. During their fight, Cobra quietly explains his mission to King, and the two agree to continue fighting until the rest of the team creates a diversion. When the diversion begins, Cobra and King escape into a cavern. Seven releases the other prisoners, who then take their revenge on Zahl. The episode ends with Cobra and King escaping together, setting up their approach to Shiva's castle with the newly gained knowledge of the secret paths.
12The Devil of the Temple
Cobra and his companions arrive at the Fairy Forest of Saldora on the island of Shiva Castle,a location Cobra previously visited. They encounter the Rogs, a frog-like partisan group actively fighting the Chaos army, who inform the group that the underground waterway entrance to the temple is sealed. Ellis uses her psychic projection powers to infiltrate the temple and open the passage, but Chaos soldiers capture her. Sensing her danger, King rushes ahead alone to rescue her, only to be captured and taken inside the temple as well. Cobra follows with Seven and Eight, the bickering husband-and-wife cyborgs who previously revealed to Cobra their origins as safecrackers trapped in a single mechanical body after a fatal explosion. Inside the temple, Cobra witnesses High Priest Engola preparing to sacrifice Ellis to the dark god, prompting him to order Seven and Eight to create a diversion. Cobra rescues Ellis, but the waterway door requires human blood to open; the group slays Engola, and his blood unlocks the passage. Beyond the door, an energy dragon holds King prisoner, and Cobra frees him before they proceed to the basement. Chaos Beast Mechas pursue them, and the Rog partisans intervene to help the group escape to their submarine. King suffers severe wounds in the fighting, yet his injuries trigger the slow return of his lost memories. As King begins to question Cobra’s possible connection to the destruction of Shiva Castle twenty years earlier, the episode sets up a direct confrontation between the two over a past betrayal.
13The Day I Become a Legend
Cobra breaches the Pirate Guild’s central stronghold and confronts Salamander inside the throne room. Salamander reveals his true body fused with a massive bio-mechanical construct,negating Cobra’s Psychogun through reflective armor. Cobra evades sustained energy attacks and uses the environment to create an opening, striking the weak points Salamander attempted to conceal. The three sisters—Dominique, Catherine, and Jane—override the guild’s control systems from the detention block, disabling the fortress’s defensive barriers. Salamander triggers a self-destruct sequence to eliminate Cobra and the sisters together. Cobra redirects the explosion’s force by collapsing the chamber’s structural supports, channeling the blast outward. The sisters escape aboard the Turtle, while Cobra remains behind to ensure Salamander’s complete destruction. The guild’s central command detonates, erasing the organization’s leadership and database. Cobra emerges from the debris and reunites with the sisters, who now possess the data needed to restore their stolen memories. With the Pirate Guild dismantled and the sisters free, Cobra departs alone, resuming his interstellar drift as new threats surface from the guild’s surviving splinter factions.
Cast
- Eight
- Armanoïde LadyGabrielle Jeru
- Secret
- Queen
- Secret Sanders
- Pamela
- BonnieGabrielle Jeru
- Elizabeth
- Black BoneEve Lorach
- Armaroid Lady
Comment(s)
Staff
- DirectorKeizō Shimizu
- Screenplay
- Episode DirectorJōhei MatsuuraAtsushi YanoTakahiro OkaoAkira ShimizuToyoaki NakajimaMitsutaka NoshitaniTakatoshi Suzuki
- Original creator
- Art DirectorJirō Kōno
- Mechanical designYosuke MiuraYoshihito Ichihara
- Director of PhotographyKeisuke Nakamura
- Series CompositionKazumi Koide
- StoryboardMasao ŌkuboJōhei MatsuuraSusumu NishizawaKenichi MaejimaKeizō ShimizuHideo AmemiyaYukimatsu Itō
- MusicYoshihiro Ike
- Character Design
- Chief Animation Director
- Sound DirectorTomoaki YamadaSatoshi Katō
Production
- Animation ProductionMagic Bus
- ProductionHappinet PicturesGuild Project
Relations
Music
Insert songs
Ep. 1
“Jingle Bells" (ジングル・ベル)”
Ep. 1
“Silent Night" (きよしこの夜)”