Hailing from a lineage of aerial warriors, the character traces his ancestry to Phantom F. Harlock I, an early 20th-century explorer who vanished during an expedition through New Guinea’s Owen Stanley Mountains. Phantom I’s autobiography hints at survival amid encounters with the spectral Owen Stanley Witch, leaving his fate unresolved. His descendant, Phantom F. Harlock II, a World War II Luftwaffe pilot, defied orders to aid Japanese engineer Toshiro Oyama’s escape to Switzerland, forging a blood pact of eternal friendship between their families. Harlock II’s rebellion against oppressive systems cemented a legacy of defiance. By the late 30th century, the character resurfaces as a Solar Federation officer confronting an Earth enslaved by the Illumidus Empire. Disillusioned by humanity’s apathy, he rallies resistance fighters, including Toshiro’s descendant Tochiro Oyama and the enigmatic space pirate Emeraldas. Together, they construct the battleship *Arcadia*, its name honoring the ancestral Harlock-Oyama pact. The vessel becomes a beacon of rebellion, symbolizing unyielding resistance against tyranny. Physically marked by a hereditary facial scar—its origin shrouded in mystery—the character bears a severe eye injury from a clash with Illumidus forces, underscoring his tenacity. His philosophy rejects compliance, defying both external authority and societal apathy. Actions like retaining the warship *Deathshadow* and prioritizing individual agency over collective surrender reflect a personal code of honor. The phrase “just paying rent,” inherited from Harlock II, embodies his view of duty as a debt to history, even when detached from modern contexts. Key relationships define his path: Maya, a resistance leader and lover, dies fueling his resolve; Emeraldas offers tactical prowess while balancing neutrality; and the Tokargans, former Illumidus collaborators, redeem themselves by sacrificing their lives to shield the *Arcadia*. Exiled by Earth’s collaborationist regime after vanquishing Illumidus commander Zeda, he flees with a crew of dissenters, embarking on a nomadic quest for freedom. Subsequent tales chronicle his endless struggle against oppression, with narrative details shifting across adaptations. Ancestral ties bind him to Heiligenstadt, a region of vague geopolitical significance, while his ethnicity remains intentionally undefined by creator Leiji Matsumoto, framing him as an emblem of universal resistance and individualism.