This era concerns the first two chapters of Robotech, adapted from the first
Macross TV series, and related stories, otherwise known as
The First Generation.
Rick Hunter Richard "Rick" Hunter is a character in the
Robotech television series. At the start of the
Macross Saga, his role is that of an amateur stunt pilot — throughout his numerous appearances and mentions in primary sources, he quietly evolves into an Admiral of Earth's last fleet, as he attempts to lead the liberation of Earth from numerous alien threats. In the
Macross Saga, Rick Hunter's original appearance and an adaptation of
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross, Rick is based on
Hikaru Ichijyo. He is voiced by
Tony Oliver.
Original television series Rick Hunter first appears in
Robotech television series. The first episode begins with Rick Hunter arriving as a visitor to Macross Island to watch the launching of the
Super Dimensional Fortress One and to visit his "big brother",
Roy Fokker. When the
Zentraedi forces attack, the SDF-1 takes the island and its inhabitants of Macross City including Rick to the orbit of
Pluto on the edge of the
Solar System. During this encounter, Rick rescues and falls for a young girl named
Lin Minmei and the two become close. Although he is not initially open to the idea, he signs up with the Robotech Armed Forces becoming an
ace fighter pilot. During his time on the SDF-1, Rick has many dealings with
Lisa Hayes and the two do not get along. Rick increasingly looks toward Minmei, who has now become a popular singer and pageant winner, as a source of inspiration and happiness. After a mission to rescue Lisa, Rick is promoted and given command of his own squadron and two
subordinates (
Max Sterling and
Ben Dixon). While on a
reconnaissance mission Rick is captured along with Lisa, and Ben by the enemy Zentraedi, and interrogated by Supreme Commander
Dolza,
Breetai, and
Exedore. While captured, Dolza grabs Lisa and orders to tell him by what process humans become human-size. Lisa refuses to respond, and Dolza tightens his grip around her. Rick yells at him to stop squeezing her and explains that humans are born at their current size when a man and woman love each other. When Breetai asks how "this love" is expressed, Rick responds that it is often done by kissing one another. Dolza orders a demonstration, and Lisa tells Rick to kiss her. The action shocks Dolza and the other Zentraedi present. They are eventually rescued shortly afterwards, and after reaching
Earth during a battle
Roy Fokker is killed resulting in Rick obtaining Roy's fighter
spacecraft. Shortly thereafter, his second
wingman Ben Dixon is killed in the
line of duty which devastates Rick even more. When his best friend Max falls in love with
Miriya, and explains his plans to marry her Rick initially objects due to her being an enemy Zentraedi. Max introduces Miriya to Rick though, and after seeing her is amazed at how beautiful she is causing him to change his mind. That night while laying in bed, he thinks on how happy Max is to be married even though Miriya is an
alien of a hostile race. His thoughts drift to Lisa as he tries to sort out his feelings. In the battle against the Zentraedi, Rick is devastated as he watches them fire on Earth and destroy almost all life on the planet. Rick fears for Lisa, who had been assigned to Earth and unable to leave. In the subsequent battle he picks up a distress signal from the Base where Lisa is. Rick flies into the heavily damaged base and reaches her. As the base starts collapsing, Rick flies his
fighter out of the base and lands it on the planet's surface. They look and watch the SDF-1 land safely nearby, marking the end of the First Robotech War. As the survivors rebuild Earth, Rick again becomes obsessed with Minmei as he feels uncomfortable around Lisa. Meanwhile, Lisa wishes that Rick could understand that she loves him. When Lisa gives Rick photos of her for his
photo album in an attempt to compete with Minmei, he is not sure how to react. After Minmei is kidnapped, Rick leads a
rescue operation to save her resulting in a fight with Lisa later on. Rick lashes out at her and says to stay out of his personal life but later realizes he was wrong to behave the way he did. Rick decides to ask Lisa out for a picnic shortly afterwards, which she accepts. Minmei however, calls him to have lunch with her which he reluctantly agrees to hoping he can finish early enough to meet Lisa. After an unexpected Zentraedi attack he tries to salvage the day but Lisa learns he has been with Minmei and storms away from him in anger. Minmei goes out in search of Rick, rekindling their love during the holidays and sharing a kiss on Christmas Eve. Lisa is devastated and initially decides to resign from the military as she feels she cannot serve beside Rick due to her feelings for him. Rick eventually begins to realize though that he cannot relate to Minmei anymore, as his experiences in combat have changed him and that Lisa understands him better than Minmei does. When
Khyron attacks New Macross City and the SDF-1, Rick leaves Minmei to attend to his
duty. Minmei cannot accept that Rick must constantly risk his life in battle and begs him to leave the military. Khyron eventually launches a
suicide attack at the SDF-1, killing himself and everyone aboard except for Lisa, who was pushed into an ejection pod at the last moment by Admiral
Henry J. Gloval. As Rick realizes that Lisa is alive, the two run into each other's arms as Minmei watches nearby. Rick realizes that his love for Minmei is based on
euphoria, while his love for Lisa is greater than he had ever realized.
Lisa Hayes Lisa Hayes, (voiced by: Melanie MacQueen under the alias of Aline Leslie) is a fictional character in the first
Robotech anime television series. Lisa takes her position as
First Officer with the rank of lieutenant commander aboard the
SDF-1 as it prepares to launch approximately ten years after it crashed on Earth. However, the sudden arrival of the
Zentraedi in Earth's orbit marks the beginning of the First Robotech War. In the initial battle, Lisa protects the SDF-1 as it fights against the Zentraedi forces. On one such occasion Lisa puts her life on the line to save the SDF-1 but is rescued by Rick Hunter whom she regards as immature. The rescue earns Rick a
medal and he is promoted to Group leader, much to the initial dislike of Lisa. Lisa, along with Rick Hunter and
Ben Dixon, are eventually captured by the enemy Zentraedi and interrogated by Supreme Commander
Dolza,
Breetai and
Exedore. While captured, Lisa orders Rick to kiss her in a demonstration that shocks Dolza and the other Zentraedi present. After being rescued, Lisa shakes off the event and immediately returns to duty. Lisa cannot help the feelings she develops for Rick though, and soon becomes jealous of his obsession with
Minmei. Lisa and Rick's relationship continues to mature, into an uneasy friendship. Before the battle against
Dolza's armed forces, Lisa returns to Earth to meet with her father and finds herself prohibited from returning to the SDF-1. During this time she is promoted to the rank of a full commander. Lisa is working as an operations/communications officer at an underground base when the battle begins. Although the base survives the initial bombardment, it sustains heavy damage, trapping Lisa deep inside and killing her father when he tries to defend it. While in his transformable fighter Rick heads towards Lisa after receiving her distress call. Rick flies deep into the base, and reaches Lisa. The two then fly to a safe location and watch the SDF-1 land after its victory. Following the defeat of the Zentraedi fleet, Lisa settles down in New Macross City and works toward rebuilding Earth after the devastation from the war. However, Lisa continues to struggle with the feelings she has for Rick which are not returned as Rick continues to pursue Minmei. Later Lisa is promoted to the rank of captain, along with Rick while Max, Miriya and Claudia participate in an operation to capture the last remaining Zentraedi Satellite Factory in deep space. During the mission, Lisa tries to talk to Rick about their troubled relationship, but she is interrupted. Rick and Lisa kiss on screen in front of the hostile Zentraedi (who have had no exposure to human emotions) to disorient them long enough for the rest of the plan to be executed. Rick initially refuses but Lisa forces him to kiss her, to his dismay. When Rick rescues Minmei when she is kidnapped by
Khyron, Minmei runs to Rick's arms and the two embrace. Lisa then gets into a fight with her concerning Rick. After a failed attempt at reconciling, Lisa then decides that Rick will never be with her due to his feelings for Minmei, and she gives up and deciding to resign her military career after nearly suffering a nervous breakdown from the ordeal. Lisa eventually earns the command of the
Super Dimensional Fortress Two which requires her to leave Earth; before leaving Lisa stops by Rick's home to tell him of her promotion and tells him that, despite it all, she truly loves him. While she is commanding the SDF-2, it is destroyed in a suicide run along with the SDF-1 by
Zentraedi renegade
Khyron. Lisa is nearly killed but Rick comes to her rescue and helps her the rest of the way. At the start of the series, Minmei is staying with her Aunt Lina and Uncle Max at the restaurant on Macross Island, where the SDF-1 had crashed ten years earlier and was about to be launched. The sudden attack by the Zentraedi results in Minmei being caught in the midst of the fight, only to be rescued by Rick Hunter. Both she and Rick are swept into space along with the SDF-1, Macross City, and a large portion of Macross Island when the SDF-1 initiates an emergency teleport. While on board the ship the two become close, and they are rescued allowing her to go back to her family in the newly rebuilt Macross City. Minmei, who remains upbeat despite the circumstances, convinces her aunt and uncle to reopen their restaurant, an act which serves to inspire other refugees into returning to a sense of normalcy while on the long voyage back to Earth. Minmei also convinces Rick to join the Robotech Armed Forces, where Rick excels. The mayor of Macross City decides to enter Minmei into the Miss Macross Contest, where she becomes the unexpected winner. Minmei goes on to become a music star, with her songs becoming popular to all of Macross City. However, her newfound fame and Rick's devotion to his new role cause their relationship to slowly split apart. In addition, an attraction between
Lisa Hayes and Rick slowly forms. As the First Robotech War rages on, Rick and Minmei continue to grow farther apart. Upon the SDF-1's return to Earth, the United Earth Government denies permission for the civilians on board to be evacuated to Earth, as their knowledge of the alien threat (which has been kept secret by the military), could lead to panic among the population. However, permission is granted for Rick to take Minmei to her home town in Japan to visit her mother and father. However, her third cousin, Lin Kyle, who feels that he must protect Minmei, returns with them to the SDF-1. Rick dislikes Kyle due to his
pacifism and his hatred of the military. Following their return to the SDF-1, Kyle and Minmei star in the first movie filmed in space. Kyle, who is attracted to Minmei despite the fact that she is a distant relative, attempts to kiss her, but she pushes him away. Unfortunately, Rick witnesses this and decides that any romance they once had is over. Minmei's fame continues to grow, and she sings at almost every important event on the SDF-1, including the wedding of
Max Sterling and Zentraedi defector
Miriya Parina, the first union of a Zentraedi and a human being. Minmei's music turns out to be a powerful weapon against the
Zentraedi, who have had no exposure to human emotions or customs. Minmei becomes despondent after the Zentraedi Grand fleet blasts Earth, destroying 95% of the surface, and killing virtually all human life on the planet, including her parents. However, Minmei is able to sing "We Will Win" while the SDF-1 and the allied Zentraedi under
Breetai launch an assault on Dolza's planetoid homebase. Her song incapacitate the Zentraedi commanders, throwing the fleet into chaos, allowing the SDF-1 to penetrate into the center of the base and launch its entire quantity of missiles. The base explodes and Minmei's song is the last thing Dolza hears before he is vaporized. The explosion of the base, combined with the firing of Earth's grand cannon, destroys virtually the entire Zentraedi fleet. Following the war, Minmei resumes her singing career with Kyle as her manager. However, Minmei becomes increasingly uncomfortable with Kyle's drinking and his obsession with making money. Minmei tries to rekindle her relationship with Rick, who still has feelings for her despite his feelings for
Lisa Hayes, who by now is in love with Rick and is increasingly upset about Rick's obsession with Minmei. When Minmei and Kyle are kidnapped by the rebel Zentraedi leader
Khyron, Rick Hunter again comes to her rescue by leading an operation, called "Starsaver", in which he blasts his way into Khyron's fortress in his transformable fighter and rescues her and Kyle. Later, after landing his fighter at a nearby base, Minmei runs crying into Rick's arms while Kyle and
Lisa Hayes look on in anger and disgust. Gloval commands the SDF-1 throughout the First Robotech War, leading the ship through numerous battles against the
Zentraedi. Gloval routinely clashes with the United Earth Government (UEG) regarding their belligerent and uncompromising attitude toward the Zentraedi and their refusal to try to make peace. Gloval finally makes a plea for peace with the Zentraedi as he speaks at the wedding of
Max Sterling and Zentreadi defector
Miriya Parina. Dolza realizes though the threat that human emotions and culture now pose to his command. He orders his entire fleet into Earth's orbit to destroy the planet, the SDF-1 and all of the Zentraedi under Breetai who have rebelled. Although Gloval is unable to stop Dolza's fleet from devastating Earth, he develops and commands a successful operation. Utilizing the singing of Lin Minmei and a special attack developed by
Lisa Hayes Dolza is defeated. The attack also results in the destruction of virtually the entire Zentraedi fleet.
Max Sterling Maximillian "Max" Sterling (voiced by
Cam Clarke) is one of the fictional characters in the
Robotech anime television series. He is a young fighter pilot assigned to Rick Hunter's various commands (Black Group, Vermilion Team, and Skull Squadron) along with
Ben Dixon. He is 19 years old at the beginning of the Robotech's "Macross Saga". Max having nine confirmed kills in his first combat encounter earns the attention of
Roy Fokker, the SDF-1's air group commander. Roy then assigned both Max and Ben under the command of Rick Hunter. Rick then sent him on a reconnaissance mission to scout
Zentraedi targets. Max and Rick become friends and later serve together with the Robotech Expeditionary Force. His fighting style gains the attention of Zentraedi
Miriya Parina, who fights him in a furious battle that finds its way into the streets of Macross City. Unknown to Max, his defeat of the Zentraedi force's finest pilot made him
marked for death by Miriya, who becomes obsessed with finding him. After several more near encounters, Max and Miriya finally confront each other in a video game clash at an arcade. Max again defeats Miriya which has her conclude that Max is the pilot who had bested her in real combat. As Miriya storms off in anger, Max asks her to go out with him on a date which she accepts. She secretly plots to kill him though when they meet. Max arrives at the park where he eagerly awaits Miriya's arrival. Miriya then attacks him, but despite the surprise he is able to dodge her first attack. Miriya reveals that she is a (micronized to human stature) Zentraedi warrior and that her mission is to take revenge against him. She then attacks Max again, but he is eventually able to point a knife at her face while holding her down. Beaten for a third time, she falls to her knees while crying asking him to kill her as she believes she cannot live with the shame of being defeated. Max however, says that he could never harm her because she is "so beautiful". Miriya realizes that the feelings that Max has awoken within her are not of hate but of love and the two passionately kiss. Max asks Miriya to marry him to which she accepts though not knowing what marriage is. Captain
Henry J. Gloval speaks at the wedding to congratulate the two lovers and to call for peace between the two races. The Zentraedi observe the wedding by way of intercepted television signals. Many watch with curiosity and become more attracted to the human way of life questioning their current austere lives as warriors. Although difficult, they leave Dana on Earth with her godfather, General
Rolf Emerson and his wife Laura. Dana, the only child of a human/Zentraedi union, was deemed by Professor
Lazlo Zand to be too scientifically valuable to risk going with the REF. Events keep the SDF-3 away from Earth for the rest of Dana's childhood. Dana eventually graduates from the Robotech Military Academy, following in the footsteps of her parents. During the mission, Max assumes Rick's former role as commander of the Skull Squadron. The REF expedition, which fails to return to Earth against the
Robotech Masters, gets caught in a war with the
Invid on a number of planets, as chronicled in
Robotech II: The Sentinels.
Miriya Parina Miriya Parina Sterling (voiced by:
Edie Mirman in the TV series, and by
Catherine Battistone in
Robotech II: The Sentinels), is one of the fictional characters in the
anime television series Robotech. She is a combat pilot that serves in the
Zentraedi forces. Miriya is a female warlord and is considered the greatest warrior of all the Zentraedi. She is a fearsome warrior who pilots the
Zentraedi Power Armor and she considered herself to be unbeatable in combat. When the Zentraedi attack the
SDF-1, Miriya leads several raids against the human forces, including one in which ace pilot
Roy Fokker is killed. Miriya enjoys combat and takes great pride in the fact that she has never once failed to defeat a foe in combat. She takes upon a challenge from
Khyron, who says that there is a human ace pilot aboard the
SDF-1 that even she could not best. Intrigued, Miriya takes it upon herself to engage him in combat, but finds herself frustrated as she cannot defeat him, a situation which she had never faced before, nor did she think was possible. Determined to maintain her reputation, Miriya decides to be shrunk down to human form so she can infiltrate the SDF-1 and kill him. After infiltrating the SDF-1, Miriya explores Macross City and marvels at human culture. At a video game arcade (which Miriya believes is a combat training facility), she is challenged to a duel by
Max Sterling, whom Miriya had dueled against in real combat. Max defeats her, and Miriya correctly concludes that Max is the ace pilot whom she faced in real combat. Miriya is furious that she has been beaten again but as she storms off, Max asks her out on a date. Miriya accepts, although she secretly plots to kill him. When Max arrives, Miriya launches a surprise attack. She reveals that she is a Zentraedi warrior, and that her mission is revenge against him. Max gains the upper hand in the attack and ends up pinning her down. Beaten for a third time, Miriya becomes emotionally despondent, and her anger and hatred give way to sadness. She asks Max to kill her as she believes she cannot live with the shame of being defeated. Max however, says that he could never harm her because she is so beautiful. Max and Miriya look into each other's eyes and Miriya realizes that the feelings she holds toward Max are not of hate but of love. Max wipes a tear from Miriya's cheek and, although he admits it sounds crazy, asks her to marry him. Miriya, with no idea what marriage is, accepts his proposal. In an effort to get their hands on a piece of equipment to repower their warship, Khyron and Azonia kidnap Lin Minmei and her cousin Lin Kyle and attempt to ransom them for the SDF-1. The plan however is foiled when a rescue operation led by Rick Hunter, dubbed Operation Star Saver, is able to free both Minmei and Kyle. He is the second oldest Zentraedi (only
Exedore is older) and is the largest of his race, standing 17.5 meters (57.4 feet) tall, although in the
Jack McKinney Robotech novels, Dolza is described as being over 24.4 meters (80 feet) tall. Dolza is ordered by the
Robotech Masters to find and recover the lost spaceship that had crashed on Earth. The ship, stolen by the disciples of Zor, contains a vital component, a protoculture matrix, which the Masters desperately need to ensure the survival of their civilization. Although Dolza and his Grand Fleet are eventually defeated, the cost to Earth and human race is astronomical reducing the population from billions to only 70,000. Approximately 95% of the Earth's surface is "devastated" in the "Zentraedi Rain of Death."
Exedore Exedore (voiced by: Ted Layman) is a fictional character who appears in the first generation
Robotech series. Exedore is a
Zentraedi who serves as adviser to Fleet Commander Breetai during their search for the SDF-1. Because of the constant battles with the Earth humans, numerous Zentraedi become enthralled by the culture of the Micronians involved and their lifestyle. To avoid widespread cultural contamination, Supreme Zentraedi commander Dolza orders the extermination of Breetai and Azonia's fleets. Anticipating this, Exedore travels to SDF-1 as an emissary and proposes an alliance with Earth. His proposal is well received and Breetai and Azonia's fleets offer well needed assistance in Earth's defense against Dolza's armada. Exedore later serves as an advisor to the Robotech Defense Force in the reconstruction years following the successful defeat of Dolza's armada.
Roy Fokker Roy Fokker, (voiced by:
Dan Woren) is a fictional character is the first series of Robotech. He is Rick Hunter's surrogate father figure and mentor. Roy is a well-reputed ace fighter pilot and leader of the Vermilion team's Skull Squadron. According to Robotech Art 1, Rick was a member of Roy's aerobatic team prior to Roy's joining the Robotech Defense Force (RDF).
Ben Dixon Ben Dixon is a character based on
Hayao Kakizaki of the original Japanese series,
The Super Dimension Fortress Macross. Ben, along with his best friend
Max Sterling, become rookie wingmates under the command of newly promoted Lieutenant Rick Hunter, forming the Vermilion Squadron with
Roy Fokker. He and Roy are fellow jokesters and often team up to tease Rick over the love triangle he's involved in with
Lin Minmei and
Lisa Hayes. Ben is killed when a malfunction of the SDF-1's defenses causes them to explode. Following the recent loss of Roy Fokker, Ben's death comes as another painful blow to Rick, Max, and Lisa.
Macross operators The
Macross operators, also known by fans as the
Bridge Bunnies, — Vanessa Leeds, Kim Young, and Sammie Porter were three minor fictional characters in the first saga of
Robotech. They were attractive girls who managed the various functions of the
SDF-1 Macross's bridge under Captain Gloval. In episode 36 (
To the Stars) the three died at their posts defending Macross City from
Khyron's
suicide attack.
Donald Hayes Admiral
Donald Hayes (adapted from
Takashi Hayase of the
Macross series) is the father of
Lisa Hayes. In Episode 15 of the series, he tells Captain
Henry J. Gloval to leave the Earth with the
SDF-1 Macross and not to allow the civilians on board to disembark. He also convinced that the Grand Cannon will be able to wipe out a Zentradi invasion force despite clear warnings of how powerful the enemy is. The character shares the same fate in both
Robotech and
Macross. During
Dolza's attack on the SDF-1 Macross and the Earth, the Admiral uses the Grand Cannon but only manages to destroy 800,000 of the invasion forces' 4.8 million capital ships. The cannon is hit by enemy fire, and he eventually dies in the ensuing explosion. His daughter
Lisa Hayes is saved by Rick Hunter. ==
The Masters characters ==