Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu
English title: Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Japanese title: 銀河英雄伝説
Alternative titles: LoGH, LotGH, Gin'eiden, GinEiDen, Heldensagen Vom Kosmosinsel
Type: OVA
Source: Novel
Episodes: 110
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Jan 8, 1988 to Mar 17, 1997
Duration: 26 min per ep
Rating: R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
Studios: K-Factory, Kitty Film Mitaka Studio
Producers: TV Tokyo, Kitty Films, Tokuma Shoten, Tokuma Japan Communications, Wright Staff
Licensors: Sentai Filmworks
Genres: Drama, Sci-Fi
Themes: Adult Cast, Military, Space

The 150-year-long stalemate between the two interstellar superpowers, the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance, comes to an end when a new generation of leaders arises: the idealistic military genius Reinhard von Lohengramm, and the FPA's reserved historian, Yang Wenli.

While Reinhard climbs the ranks of the Empire with the aid of his childhood friend, Siegfried Kircheis, he must fight not only the war, but also the remnants of the crumbling Goldenbaum Dynasty in order to free his sister from the Kaiser and unify humanity under one genuine ruler. Meanwhile, on the other side of the galaxy, Yang—a strong supporter of democratic ideals—has to stand firm in his beliefs, despite the struggles of the FPA, and show his pupil, Julian Mintz, that autocracy is not the solution.

As ideologies clash amidst the war's many casualties, the two strategic masterminds must ask themselves what the real reason behind their battle is.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Legend of the Galactic Heroes was adapted from a series of ten novels, published 1982–87, by Yoshiki Tanaka. The novels won the Seiun Award for the best long-form Japanese science fiction in 1988. At the start of its production the anime was distributed through a subscription system in which episodes were mailed to existing fans of the novels. It was made in four separate tranches over nearly a decade, with the production of side-stories continuing for several further years. The main series has the largest voice cast of any anime, with well over 300 voice actors, and it is the longest OVA series ever made. The novels have also been adapted into a manga, a stage musical by the Takarazuka Revue and a number of games.