Captain Harlock emerges as a stoic, honor-bound space pirate across multiple continuities, his Germanic roots anchored in a clan of pirate-knights from Heiligenstadt, Austria. Though early life specifics remain sparse, his narrative consistently rejects Earth’s corruption, positioning him as a self-exiled outlaw compelled to shield humanity from annihilation. *Arcadia of My Youth* unveils his past as a Solar Federation officer turned resistance leader against the Illumidas invasion, a conflict costing him his right eye under ambiguous circumstances. His bond with Tochiro Ōyama, the Arcadia’s creator, forms an emotional cornerstone, their shared ideals of freedom enduring beyond Tochiro’s death as his consciousness merges with the ship’s systems—a recurring motif across adaptations. The 1978 *Space Pirate Captain Harlock* pits him against the Mazone, plant-humanoids reclaiming Earth. Leading a renegade crew including vengeful youth Tadashi Daiba and navigator Kei Yuki, Harlock maintains an austere demeanor, prioritizing mentorship over camaraderie. The 2013 CGI film reimagines his crusade as a dark matter-fueled bid to reset Earth’s timeline, defying the Gaia Coalition’s tyranny while atoning for ecological collapse linked to his past. *Endless Odyssey* thrusts Harlock into battle with the Noo, ancient entities erasing Earth’s history, testing his morals when forcing Tadashi to choose vengeance or loyalty. *Harlock Saga* recasts his saga within a Wagnerian framework, echoing *Der Ring des Nibelungen* as he navigates cosmic power struggles. Spin-offs like *Gun Frontier* transplant his essence into alternate realities, such as a 19th-century gunslinger version upholding rebellion alongside Tochiro in the American West. Iconic design elements persist: a black cape, occasional eyepatch, and attire marked by the number 42—a Japanese cultural nod to mortality. His philosophy spurns blind allegiance to authority, upholding personal honor and conscience, even as covertly safeguarding Earth that shuns him. Relationships with figures like Queen Emeraldas, a pirate ally, balance his lone-wolf persona with unyielding loyalty to chosen kin. Continuities diverge: *My Youth in Arcadia* hints at a romantic history with Maya, omitted elsewhere. Motivations oscillate between anarchistic defiance and reluctant duty, yet his identity as humanity’s defiant guardian endures, crystallized through sacrifice—Tochiro’s death birthing the Arcadia’s sentience, or Harlock’s acceptance of eternal exile to secure mankind’s survival.