Hikaru Ichijo entered the world on November 4, 1992, in Japan. Raised solely by his pilot father after his mother’s early death, he endured further tragedy when his father perished in a plane crash. Hikaru cultivated extraordinary flying abilities from childhood as a stunt pilot in his father’s flying circus, mastering Fokker D.VII biplanes under mentor Roy Focker. By age sixteen in 2009, he claimed victory in seven amateur competitions, showcasing innate talent for aerobatics like the boost-to-inverted climb. His youth blended a carefree spirit with devotion to assembling plastic model aircraft, especially vintage designs such as the VF-X-4 and XB-70 Valkyrie. On February 7, 2009, Hikaru unintentionally intercepted the SDF-1 Macross launch ceremony in his Fan Racer, colliding with the Zentradi assault. Compelled to operate a VF-1D Valkyrie, he accidentally engaged Battroid mode, wreaking havoc across Macross City. Amidst the turmoil, he saved civilian Lynn Minmay; both survived the ship’s space fold near Pluto by hiding within its structure for two weeks. Isolation forged their bond through shared dreams, with Hikaru spacewalking to scavenge supplies. This ordeal drove him to enlist in UN Spacy, though he initially recoiled from military duty due to his aversion to lethal force. Advancing from Staff Sergeant to Captain in Skull Squadron under Roy Focker’s guidance, Hikaru commanded Vermilion Team and inherited the VF-1S "Skull One" after Focker’s combat death, assuming responsibility for subordinates Maximilian Jenius and Hayao Kakizaki. His leadership fused technical prowess with unwavering duty, though he acknowledged Max’s superior combat skills. The war scarred him deeply through Focker’s and Kakizaki’s losses, fueling depressive episodes after Earth’s near-annihilation. Hikaru’s personal life entwined with Lynn Minmay and superior officer Misa Hayase. Initial infatuation with Minmay shifted toward Misa through pivotal moments: rescuing her from a Mars base detonation, a tactical "mission kiss" to showcase human culture to Zentradi, and profound conversations during extended Macross confinement. Minmay’s rising stardom intensified his emotional turmoil. After Earth’s devastation, he pulled Misa from Alaska Base’s wreckage, expressing contentment in surviving with her. Despite lingering ties to Minmay, he chose Misa, wedding her on October 10, 2011. Their daughter Miku Ichijo arrived in 2012. Post-conflict, Hikaru tested the VF-4 Lightning III for six months on the Apollo moon base before aiding Earth’s restoration. In 2012, he and Misa received appointments as captain of the escort Valkyrie group and commander of the SDF-2 Megaroad-01, respectively. At the ship’s launch, Hikaru passed Minmay a microphone during her farewell concert, cementing their lasting friendship. The Megaroad-01 departed carrying Hikaru’s family and Minmay on a deep-space colonization voyage. Contact ceased near the galactic center in July 2016, with all passengers declared missing. Hikaru’s legacy echoed in subsequent chronicles. The Macross 7 fleet dramatized his wartime exploits in a stage play, while Macross Frontier exhibited his original VF-1S Valkyrie atop Mihoshi Academy. Pilots like Alto Saotome replicated his signature color schemes, solidifying his enduring emblematic status across the franchise.