Legend of the Galactic Heroes

1988 • TMDB 8.6 • 4 seasons • 110 episodes • Animation, Drama, Sci-Fi & Fantasy, War & Politics

Overview

For 150 years, the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance have fought a war that has shaped the fate of humanity among the stars. Legend of the Galactic Heroes, adapted from Yoshiki Tanaka’s novels and released as an original video animation series, follows the two brilliant commanders who come to define that conflict. On the imperial side stands Reinhard von Lohengramm, a dazzling young admiral determined to overthrow the corrupt Goldenbaum dynasty and unite the galaxy under his own rule. Opposing him is Yang Wen-li, a reluctant Alliance strategist who would rather study history than fight, yet whose tactical genius keeps winning battles he never wanted. Around them swirl court intrigue, flawed democracies, loyal friends and ruthless schemers, from Siegfried Kircheis and Frederica Greenhill to the cold-eyed Paul von Oberstein. The series is famous for its huge fleet battles, its philosophical debates about power, freedom and duty, and its refusal to treat either side as simply good or evil. Few anime attempt storytelling on this scale, and fewer still sustain it across 110 episodes.

Main Cast

• Kei Tomiyama as Wen-li Yang (110 episodes)
• Ryo Horikawa as Reinhard von Lohengramm (110 episodes)
• Kazuhiko Inoue as Dusty Attenborough (110 episodes)
• Yoshiko Sakakibara as Frederica Greenhill (110 episodes)
• Masashi Hironaka as Siegfried Kircheis (110 episodes)
• Nozomu Sasaki as Julian Minci (110 episodes)
• Katsuji Mori as Wolfgang Mittermeyer (110 episodes)
• Masako Katsuki as Hildegard von Mariendorf (110 episodes)
• Kaneto Shiozawa as Paul von Oberstein (110 episodes)

Seasons Snapshot

Legend of the Galactic Heroes ran for 4 seasons and 110 episodes in total, released as an original video animation series. Season 1 premiered on January 8, 1988, with 26 episodes, covering the first two volumes of the novels as Reinhard rises within the Empire. Season 2 premiered on June 21, 1991, with 28 episodes, covering volumes 3 to 5, as the Goldenbaum dynasty falls and the Alliance is occupied. Season 3 premiered on July 1, 1994, with 32 episodes, covering volumes 6 to 8. Season 4 premiered on October 1, 1996, with 24 episodes, covering volumes 9 and 10, and concluded with “Seeing a Dream Through to the End” on February 1, 1997.

Why Watch Legend of the Galactic Heroes?

• One of anime’s most acclaimed space operas, with a story told on a truly galactic scale.
• Reinhard and Yang are among the medium’s greatest rivals — brilliant, principled and flawed.
• Political intrigue and philosophy sit alongside spectacular fleet battles.
• Neither side is painted as purely good or evil, which keeps the drama genuinely surprising.
• A complete, self-contained epic: 110 episodes, one finished story.

Trailer

Watch the official trailer on YouTube (Sentai).

Where to Watch

As checked on JustWatch US on October 29, 2026, Legend of the Galactic Heroes (1988) is not available for streaming in the United States, and no rental or purchase option is listed for the original series. Note that the 2018 remake, The Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These, streams on Crunchyroll — it is a separate series and is not the 1988 original covered here.