TV-Series
Description
Princess Invidia is a prominent antagonist in the anime Star Blazers: The Comet Empire, the story arc that forms the series' second season. She is the English-adaptation version of the character originally known as Lady Sabera in the Japanese series Space Battleship Yamato II, and the American version reworked her position within the imperial family, making her the daughter of Prince Zordar, ruler of the Comet Empire, rather than the emperor's consort as in the original continuity.
In terms of background, Invidia is one of the highest-ranking figures in the Comet Empire's hierarchy, serving alongside the imperial command staff that directs the Empire's military campaigns. Visually she differs from most of her people, who are shown as green-skinned humanoids; Invidia has pink skin, a feature that sets her apart and emphasizes her privileged place within the Empire's inner circle. The character also appears in the related theatrical film Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato, whose story the television arc expands.
Her personality is marked by ambition, sharp political instincts, and a belligerent confidence in the Empire's military might. In war councils she is quick to argue for aggressive action, insisting that Earth's defenders must be crushed decisively rather than given any chance to recover. She is not merely a passive figure at her father's side; she actively involves herself in strategy and court intrigue, and she is willing to move against fellow commanders when she believes the throne is threatened.
Her central motivation is the preservation and success of the Comet Empire and, by extension, her own standing within it. She views the alliance with Desslok, the deposed Gamilon leader who has taken service under Zordar, with deep suspicion. Convinced that Desslok's influence and ambitions pose a danger to the throne, she works to undermine him, and she persuades Zordar that Desslok is a threat and should be arrested. This act of political scheming is the most consequential action of the character, because her interference ruins the plan to destroy the Argo and significantly contributes to the Empire's eventual defeat, as the internal conflict weakens the alliance at a critical moment.
Invidia's role in the story is therefore that of an imperial insider whose loyalty to the Empire is genuine but whose pride and paranoia lead her to strike at an ally. She stands as a secondary but influential enemy, shaping events from within the Comet Empire's command structure rather than through direct combat. Her key relationships reflect this position. With Prince Zordar she is connected by rank and, in the English version, by blood, yet her independent scheming outlives its usefulness; at the end of the arc the emperor never forgives her, and she is left behind amid the Empire's destruction alongside other abandoned officers. With Desslok she is openly hostile, and their conflict forms a driving thread of the later episodes.
Her development traces a downward arc from confident royal adviser to overreaching conspirator. Early in the war she is an assertive voice urging escalation, but her decision to remove Desslok destabilizes the Empire's plans and inadvertently hastens its fall. She ends the story isolated, having helped bring about the ruin she wished to prevent.
In terms of abilities, Invidia possesses no supernatural powers or notable combat skills. Her strengths are political and rhetorical: she is persuasive, observant of the ambitions of those around her, and capable of directing the Empire's resources, such as ordering an arrest, through her authority as a princess. Within the Empire she holds enough influence to shape military councils, and that influence, rather than any personal fighting ability, is her defining trait.
In terms of background, Invidia is one of the highest-ranking figures in the Comet Empire's hierarchy, serving alongside the imperial command staff that directs the Empire's military campaigns. Visually she differs from most of her people, who are shown as green-skinned humanoids; Invidia has pink skin, a feature that sets her apart and emphasizes her privileged place within the Empire's inner circle. The character also appears in the related theatrical film Farewell to Space Battleship Yamato, whose story the television arc expands.
Her personality is marked by ambition, sharp political instincts, and a belligerent confidence in the Empire's military might. In war councils she is quick to argue for aggressive action, insisting that Earth's defenders must be crushed decisively rather than given any chance to recover. She is not merely a passive figure at her father's side; she actively involves herself in strategy and court intrigue, and she is willing to move against fellow commanders when she believes the throne is threatened.
Her central motivation is the preservation and success of the Comet Empire and, by extension, her own standing within it. She views the alliance with Desslok, the deposed Gamilon leader who has taken service under Zordar, with deep suspicion. Convinced that Desslok's influence and ambitions pose a danger to the throne, she works to undermine him, and she persuades Zordar that Desslok is a threat and should be arrested. This act of political scheming is the most consequential action of the character, because her interference ruins the plan to destroy the Argo and significantly contributes to the Empire's eventual defeat, as the internal conflict weakens the alliance at a critical moment.
Invidia's role in the story is therefore that of an imperial insider whose loyalty to the Empire is genuine but whose pride and paranoia lead her to strike at an ally. She stands as a secondary but influential enemy, shaping events from within the Comet Empire's command structure rather than through direct combat. Her key relationships reflect this position. With Prince Zordar she is connected by rank and, in the English version, by blood, yet her independent scheming outlives its usefulness; at the end of the arc the emperor never forgives her, and she is left behind amid the Empire's destruction alongside other abandoned officers. With Desslok she is openly hostile, and their conflict forms a driving thread of the later episodes.
Her development traces a downward arc from confident royal adviser to overreaching conspirator. Early in the war she is an assertive voice urging escalation, but her decision to remove Desslok destabilizes the Empire's plans and inadvertently hastens its fall. She ends the story isolated, having helped bring about the ruin she wished to prevent.
In terms of abilities, Invidia possesses no supernatural powers or notable combat skills. Her strengths are political and rhetorical: she is persuasive, observant of the ambitions of those around her, and capable of directing the Empire's resources, such as ordering an arrest, through her authority as a princess. Within the Empire she holds enough influence to shape military councils, and that influence, rather than any personal fighting ability, is her defining trait.