Maya Tōmi is a central figure in the Fafner series, first appearing as a fourteen-year-old resident of Tatsumiyajima. She is the younger daughter of Dr. Chizuru Toomi and has an older sister, Yumiko, who works as a doctor alongside their mother in a small clinic attached to the family home. Initially assigned to the CDC as an operator, Maya carries a sense of guilt over being unable to pilot a Fafner while her friends go into battle. Her aptitude data was secretly altered by her sister in an attempt to keep her safe, but when the truth emerges, she is revealed to have the second-highest pilot aptitude among her peers, after Kazuki Makabe. She becomes the pilot of the Fafner Mark Sieben, an air-combat type unit, and later its upgraded form, the Mark Sieben Kai (also called Azrael). She is noted as the group’s best sniper, specializing in long-range support.

Personality-wise, Maya is gentle, compassionate, and deeply observant of others’ emotions. She has a quiet inner resolve that surfaces under pressure, allowing her to remain calm and make clear decisions even in dangerous situations. She is willing to stand up to authority when she believes it is wrong and shows selfless courage in protecting those she cares about. In combat, her demeanor becomes almost mechanically cold, with little visible fear, anger, or agitation, though she retains her concern for her comrades. In the Exodus storyline, she is the only pilot of her generation still actively operating a Fafner as the others reach the limits of their piloting ability. She also trains as a fighter pilot under Mizoguchi, which further sharpens her air-combat skills.

Maya’s motivations are rooted in a desire to fight alongside her friends and to honor the memory of her close friend Shouko Hazama, whose death during an earlier battle left a deep emotional impact. She struggles with the fear of losing more loved ones and channels that into her determination to protect the island. Over the course of the series, she develops strong feelings for Kazuki Makabe, though she is initially hesitant to express them out of consideration for Shouko’s own feelings. Her relationship with her father, Mitsuhiro Bertrand, is a source of conflict; after learning of his true intentions, she ultimately chooses to sever ties with him.

Maya possesses a unique sensitivity to the Festum, the alien enemy, which allows her to perceive them more clearly than other pilots. This ability makes her a valuable asset in battle but also isolates her and increases the risk of mental assimilation. Because her Festum-assimilation rate is faster than most, she requires regular doses of suppressant medication. Throughout Exodus, she demonstrates continued growth as both a pilot and a person, learning to balance her emotional attachments with the cold efficiency demanded by her role. Her development from a guilt-ridden observer into a steady, reliable fighter is a key element of her arc in the series.