TV-Series
Description
Danbei Makiba co-manages the Makiba family ranch with Genzo Umon near the Space Science Laboratory. His short, stocky frame, bald head, long eyebrows, mustache, and overbite are often seen beneath a cowboy hat, crowning his old western-style clothing befitting a ranch owner. His design draws inspiration from Daemon Abashiri of the *Abashiri Ikka* manga. He is father to Hikaru and Goro Makiba. Initially lazy about ranch duties, he preferred scanning the skies for UFOs from a water tower telescope, founding the "Friends of the Aliens Association" to welcome extraterrestrials. The Vegan Empire's attack on his ranch, which injured Hikaru and invaded the Space Science Laboratory, shattered his pro-alien views, leading him to rename his group the "Association to Protect Earth." This marked a significant worldview shift.
His personality mixes comical delusion—like blaming himself for not inviting the Vegans to a party—with fierce loyalty and bravery when his family or ranch is endangered. He exhibits extreme protectiveness over Hikaru, aggressively confronting her potential suitors with shouts and warning shots from his pistol. Despite an often idle demeanor, he possesses surprising combat skill, trained in Ninjutsu and Aikido, enabling him to fight groups of Vegan soldiers. His arsenal includes a lasso, a revolver, and a semi-automatic rifle effective against small enemy units like MiniFOs. He is a skilled horseman, though less adept than Hikaru. He also serves as a chief mechanic for the Grendizer robot in some narratives. In the alternate Gosaku Ota manga, his discovery of ancient Mycenae Empire artifacts linked to Planet Fleed inadvertently provokes Duke Fleed's rage, escalating tensions that contribute to broader conflicts. He provides comic relief through exaggerated reactions, such as mistaking Koji Kabuto for an alien and attempting communication in gibberish. His catchphrase underscores his stubborn independence: "I won't count on anyone but myself." The etymology of his name combines "group" (団, dan) and "soldier" (兵衛, bei), while Makiba means "shepherd" (牧, maki) and "leaf" (葉, ha/ba).
His personality mixes comical delusion—like blaming himself for not inviting the Vegans to a party—with fierce loyalty and bravery when his family or ranch is endangered. He exhibits extreme protectiveness over Hikaru, aggressively confronting her potential suitors with shouts and warning shots from his pistol. Despite an often idle demeanor, he possesses surprising combat skill, trained in Ninjutsu and Aikido, enabling him to fight groups of Vegan soldiers. His arsenal includes a lasso, a revolver, and a semi-automatic rifle effective against small enemy units like MiniFOs. He is a skilled horseman, though less adept than Hikaru. He also serves as a chief mechanic for the Grendizer robot in some narratives. In the alternate Gosaku Ota manga, his discovery of ancient Mycenae Empire artifacts linked to Planet Fleed inadvertently provokes Duke Fleed's rage, escalating tensions that contribute to broader conflicts. He provides comic relief through exaggerated reactions, such as mistaking Koji Kabuto for an alien and attempting communication in gibberish. His catchphrase underscores his stubborn independence: "I won't count on anyone but myself." The etymology of his name combines "group" (団, dan) and "soldier" (兵衛, bei), while Makiba means "shepherd" (牧, maki) and "leaf" (葉, ha/ba).