Live action TV
Description
Hajime Saito is a non-commissioned officer in the United Nations Cosmo Marines who commands the Space Cavalry 1st Armored Division. His name is derived from the historical captain of the Shinsengumi, Saitō Hajime. One of his most distinctive physical traits is a star-shaped scar on the left side of his face, the result of an unspecified injury sustained during his military career.
Saito is a highly skilled martial artist with mastery in judo, karate, and wrestling. He is renowned within the Marines for his exceptional hand-to-hand combat proficiency, a reputation that forms a core part of his identity as a soldier. His personality is characterized as uncouth, belligerent, confident, and aggressive, especially in combat situations. He is fiercely loyal to the Cosmo Marines and deeply protective of Earth, viewing his service as a sacred duty. This straightforward and often brash demeanor means he does not let protocol stop him from showing indignation when he feels his fellow soldiers or the Marine's reputation is disrespected, a trait that quietly impresses Admiral Ryu Hijikata.
His primary motivation is to defend Earth and prove the value of ground forces, or Space Cavalry, in an age of interstellar naval warfare. He harbors a strong distrust of aliens, a xenophobic trait that stems from witnessing many of his soldiers killed by the forces of the White Comet Empire. This distrust once put him at odds with the Yamato crew and even led to a confrontation with Daisuke Shima regarding the alien entity Teresa. Outside of combat, he demonstrates a playful and protective side, particularly with Mikage Kiryu, the daughter of his late friend, Colonel Goro Kiryu, whom he regards as a younger sister.
In the story, Saito and his division are stationed on Planet 11 when they are ambushed and devastated by an attack from the White Comet Empire. Rescued by the starship Yamato, he and his men are initially frustrated at being reduced to the role of passengers, leading to frequent conflicts with the ship's regular crew. However, during ground operations on the planet Telezart, inside Dessler's flagship, and within the Comet Empire's space station, Saito and his Space Cavalry prove their indispensable worth in direct combat.
One of his key relationships is with Susumu Kodai, the Yamato's tactical officer. Saito and Kodai are often at odds, clashing over tactics and authority until they eventually develop a mutual respect and friendship. In the final battle against the White Comet Empire, Saito joins Kodai on an infiltration mission into the enemy's mobile city base, Gatlantis. As the last surviving member of the boarding party, Saito makes the ultimate sacrifice. He stays behind to detonate explosives in the Comet Empire's power center, buying time for Kodai to escape. He is fatally shot after taking numerous hits from enemy soldiers but succeeds in dealing a crippling blow to the enemy's fortress.
In the remake continuity depicted in Space Battleship Yamato 2202, Saito's fate is more complex. He is initially killed during the attack on Planet 11 but is secretly revived as a living being by the enemy Emperor Zwordar, serving as an unwitting relay of information to the Gatlantis Empire. Upon discovering this, he is horrified by his condition. In a final act of redemption, he uses his body to absorb concentrated wave energy to prevent a catastrophe and fights alongside an ally to destroy a critical enemy structure, ultimately disappearing as his body disintegrates. A memorial service is later held for him at Heroes Hill, where the surviving Yamato crew pay their respects.
Saito is a highly skilled martial artist with mastery in judo, karate, and wrestling. He is renowned within the Marines for his exceptional hand-to-hand combat proficiency, a reputation that forms a core part of his identity as a soldier. His personality is characterized as uncouth, belligerent, confident, and aggressive, especially in combat situations. He is fiercely loyal to the Cosmo Marines and deeply protective of Earth, viewing his service as a sacred duty. This straightforward and often brash demeanor means he does not let protocol stop him from showing indignation when he feels his fellow soldiers or the Marine's reputation is disrespected, a trait that quietly impresses Admiral Ryu Hijikata.
His primary motivation is to defend Earth and prove the value of ground forces, or Space Cavalry, in an age of interstellar naval warfare. He harbors a strong distrust of aliens, a xenophobic trait that stems from witnessing many of his soldiers killed by the forces of the White Comet Empire. This distrust once put him at odds with the Yamato crew and even led to a confrontation with Daisuke Shima regarding the alien entity Teresa. Outside of combat, he demonstrates a playful and protective side, particularly with Mikage Kiryu, the daughter of his late friend, Colonel Goro Kiryu, whom he regards as a younger sister.
In the story, Saito and his division are stationed on Planet 11 when they are ambushed and devastated by an attack from the White Comet Empire. Rescued by the starship Yamato, he and his men are initially frustrated at being reduced to the role of passengers, leading to frequent conflicts with the ship's regular crew. However, during ground operations on the planet Telezart, inside Dessler's flagship, and within the Comet Empire's space station, Saito and his Space Cavalry prove their indispensable worth in direct combat.
One of his key relationships is with Susumu Kodai, the Yamato's tactical officer. Saito and Kodai are often at odds, clashing over tactics and authority until they eventually develop a mutual respect and friendship. In the final battle against the White Comet Empire, Saito joins Kodai on an infiltration mission into the enemy's mobile city base, Gatlantis. As the last surviving member of the boarding party, Saito makes the ultimate sacrifice. He stays behind to detonate explosives in the Comet Empire's power center, buying time for Kodai to escape. He is fatally shot after taking numerous hits from enemy soldiers but succeeds in dealing a crippling blow to the enemy's fortress.
In the remake continuity depicted in Space Battleship Yamato 2202, Saito's fate is more complex. He is initially killed during the attack on Planet 11 but is secretly revived as a living being by the enemy Emperor Zwordar, serving as an unwitting relay of information to the Gatlantis Empire. Upon discovering this, he is horrified by his condition. In a final act of redemption, he uses his body to absorb concentrated wave energy to prevent a catastrophe and fights alongside an ally to destroy a critical enemy structure, ultimately disappearing as his body disintegrates. A memorial service is later held for him at Heroes Hill, where the surviving Yamato crew pay their respects.