Movie
Description
Susumu Kodai, born in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, was the younger son of Tsuyoshi and Noriko Kodai, with an older brother named Mamoru. His early life shattered when a Garmillas planetary bombing killed his parents and extended family; he survived only because he was meeting Mamoru at a spaceport. This tragedy seeded deep trauma and vengeance, transforming his pacifist nature into aggression. Mamoru gave him their father’s harmonica, a memento Kodai carried into adulthood.
Following Mamoru’s path, he enrolled in the Space Officer Training Academy, studying under Headmaster Ryu Hijikata and instructor Isami Enomoto. His classmates included closest friend Daisuke Shima and Hajime Hirata. After graduation, he joined the 7th Air Wing Space Tactical Division as a third-class air captain.
In December 2198, stationed on Mars for Operation M, Kodai and Shima rendezvoused with alien emissary Sasha Iscandar. They retrieved a wave-motion core from her crashed vessel but found her dead. Returning to Earth, Kodai blamed Admiral Juzo Okita for Operation M’s casualties and Mamoru’s death at Pluto. Despite friction, Okita assigned him as Tactical Division Officer aboard the new battleship Yamato, promoting him to lieutenant. Kodai commanded main batteries, torpedoes, fighter wing, and the wave-motion gun.
During the 2199 voyage to Iscandar, Kodai’s hotheadedness clashed with Executive Officer Shiro Sanada. He prioritized combat over exploration, violating protocols like ignoring anti-submarine tactics orders during a dimensional submarine encounter. Responsibilities and Okita’s mentorship gradually matured him. His relationship with Operations Officer Yuki Mori thawed from cold dismissal to romance, partly due to her resemblance to Sasha Iscandar. Kodai reconciled with Okita after learning of Mamoru’s respect for him. As Okita’s health failed, Kodai assumed temporary command, proving leadership in crises like the Battle of the Rainbow Star Cluster.
In *Odyssey of the Celestial Ark*, Kodai commanded Yamato during a Gatlantis attack with senior officers absent. He navigated to a planetary refuge and survived confinement on Shambreu alongside Garmillas soldiers, building trust between enemies. This reinforced his commitment to peace, aligning with Mamoru’s ideals.
Back on Earth, Kodai faced political isolation opposing the Earth Federation’s "Wave-Motion Gunboat Corps" policy. By 2202, he captained the destroyer Yuunagi while engaged to Yuki Mori. When goddess Teresa summoned Yamato’s crew to Telezart, Kodai rebelled against Earth’s government to recommission Yamato. This voyage forced him to grapple with the wave-motion gun’s ethics and endure a "devil’s choice" on Planet Stravase, where Mori offered her life to spare him anguish. Meeting Teresa strengthened his resolve; she identified him and Yamato as a "great sum" essential against the Gatlantis Empire.
Later, Kodai led the 65th Escort Corps during the Salezar System diplomatic mission (2205) and inspected the Saturn Restoration Project aboard Ginga. In Operation DAD (2207), he returned to Earth amid a Dezariam invasion but failed to rescue Mori, leading Admiral Yamanami to dismiss him as Yamato’s captain.
The live-action film depicted an alternate background: guilt over accidentally causing his parents’ deaths drove Kodai to scavenge after leaving the Earth Defense Force. He re-enlisted as Yamato’s gunner and sacrificed himself to save Earth.
Kodai’s journey traces trauma, growth, and reconciliation—a path from vengeance-driven cadet to reluctant commander, torn between wartime pragmatism and pacifist ideals, shaped by Mamoru’s legacy and mentors like Okita.
Following Mamoru’s path, he enrolled in the Space Officer Training Academy, studying under Headmaster Ryu Hijikata and instructor Isami Enomoto. His classmates included closest friend Daisuke Shima and Hajime Hirata. After graduation, he joined the 7th Air Wing Space Tactical Division as a third-class air captain.
In December 2198, stationed on Mars for Operation M, Kodai and Shima rendezvoused with alien emissary Sasha Iscandar. They retrieved a wave-motion core from her crashed vessel but found her dead. Returning to Earth, Kodai blamed Admiral Juzo Okita for Operation M’s casualties and Mamoru’s death at Pluto. Despite friction, Okita assigned him as Tactical Division Officer aboard the new battleship Yamato, promoting him to lieutenant. Kodai commanded main batteries, torpedoes, fighter wing, and the wave-motion gun.
During the 2199 voyage to Iscandar, Kodai’s hotheadedness clashed with Executive Officer Shiro Sanada. He prioritized combat over exploration, violating protocols like ignoring anti-submarine tactics orders during a dimensional submarine encounter. Responsibilities and Okita’s mentorship gradually matured him. His relationship with Operations Officer Yuki Mori thawed from cold dismissal to romance, partly due to her resemblance to Sasha Iscandar. Kodai reconciled with Okita after learning of Mamoru’s respect for him. As Okita’s health failed, Kodai assumed temporary command, proving leadership in crises like the Battle of the Rainbow Star Cluster.
In *Odyssey of the Celestial Ark*, Kodai commanded Yamato during a Gatlantis attack with senior officers absent. He navigated to a planetary refuge and survived confinement on Shambreu alongside Garmillas soldiers, building trust between enemies. This reinforced his commitment to peace, aligning with Mamoru’s ideals.
Back on Earth, Kodai faced political isolation opposing the Earth Federation’s "Wave-Motion Gunboat Corps" policy. By 2202, he captained the destroyer Yuunagi while engaged to Yuki Mori. When goddess Teresa summoned Yamato’s crew to Telezart, Kodai rebelled against Earth’s government to recommission Yamato. This voyage forced him to grapple with the wave-motion gun’s ethics and endure a "devil’s choice" on Planet Stravase, where Mori offered her life to spare him anguish. Meeting Teresa strengthened his resolve; she identified him and Yamato as a "great sum" essential against the Gatlantis Empire.
Later, Kodai led the 65th Escort Corps during the Salezar System diplomatic mission (2205) and inspected the Saturn Restoration Project aboard Ginga. In Operation DAD (2207), he returned to Earth amid a Dezariam invasion but failed to rescue Mori, leading Admiral Yamanami to dismiss him as Yamato’s captain.
The live-action film depicted an alternate background: guilt over accidentally causing his parents’ deaths drove Kodai to scavenge after leaving the Earth Defense Force. He re-enlisted as Yamato’s gunner and sacrificed himself to save Earth.
Kodai’s journey traces trauma, growth, and reconciliation—a path from vengeance-driven cadet to reluctant commander, torn between wartime pragmatism and pacifist ideals, shaped by Mamoru’s legacy and mentors like Okita.