Heikurō Tōdō holds the rank of Commander-in-Chief of the Earth Defense Force during the events of the conflict with the White Comet Empire. A pragmatic and experienced strategist, he prioritizes established military protocols and hierarchical authority over what he might consider speculative risks. This cautious and institutional mindset is demonstrated during an Earth Defense Force council session when he dismisses Susumu Kodai’s urgent warnings about the approaching Comet Empire, viewing them as unsubstantiated. His skepticism contributes directly to the decision by the Yamato crew to undertake an unsanctioned mission to confront the new extraterrestrial threat.

Despite his rigid adherence to duty, Tōdō is not without nuance or a hidden depth of respect for the crew of the Yamato. He privately acknowledges the validity of Kodai’s concerns even as he publicly rejects them, and he shows a degree of paternal concern for Yuki Mori regarding her personal affairs. When the Yamato crew stages a mutiny to steal the ship and set out on their mission, Tōdō’s reaction is notably restrained and allows their departure without immediate intervention. This tacit approval suggests a quiet, unspoken confidence in their abilities and their faith in their cause, as he ultimately respects them as being Admiral Juzo Okita’s chosen crew.

Tōdō meets his end during the devastating assault by the Comet Empire on Earth. He is killed when the enemy overwhelms the planet’s defenses and destroys the Earth Defense Headquarters in Tokyo, where he had been coordinating the defense fleet’s engagements. His personal history reveals that he was a former civilian official at the top of the Defense Forces, and that he raised his only daughter, Saki Tōdō, by himself after his wife Chiaki passed away during the early years of the war with Garmillas. In an alternate timeline, his granddaughter Akiko Tōdō serves as his secretary. Throughout his career, he engages in clandestine strategic planning alongside General Kotetsu Serizawa, including debates over large-scale projects for planetary evacuation and counter-operations against formidable enemies.