is an anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

 series created by Yoshiyuki Tomino

Yoshiyuki Tomino

is a Japanese mecha anime creator, director, screenwriter and novelist. He was born in Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, and studied at Nihon University's College of Art...

 and Hajime Yatate

Hajime Yatate

is a pseudonym for the collective contributions of the Sunrise animation staff.-Name:"Hajime Yatate" is considered named after a quote of Matsuo Bashō's Oku no Hosomichi:-Credited series:...

, and produced by Sunrise

Sunrise (company)

is a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise. It is a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings. Its former name was Nippon Sunrise, and prior to that, Sunrise Studios...

. It was first broadcast on Japanese TV in 1978. The series lasted for 40 episodes. The opening theme Come Here! Daitarn 3 is sung by Makoto Fujiwara. Despite a relative unsuccess in Japan

Japan

Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...

, the series became very popular abroad, especially in Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

 during the 80's.

Plot

Sōzō Haran was a brilliant scientist that was conducting research on Mars

Mars

Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun in the Solar System. The planet is named after the Roman god of war, Mars. It is often described as the "Red Planet", as the iron oxide prevalent on its surface gives it a reddish appearance...

. He created a form of cyborg

Cyborg

A cyborg is a being with both biological and artificial parts. The term was coined in 1960 when Manfred Clynes and Nathan S. Kline used it in an article about the advantages of self-regulating human-machine systems in outer space. D. S...

 life with the ability to think for itself. These cyborgs, dubbed the , soon ran out of control and killed Dr. Haran along with his whole family, save his youngest son, the 16-year-old Banjō Haran. Banjō escapes from Mars on a rocket with a solar-powered super robot called Daitarn 3, which was built with the special metals of Mars. Now 18 years old and living on Earth in a luxurious mansion, Banjō fights against the meganoids and their leader, Don Zauser and his second in command Koros, with the aid of his faithful butler

Butler

A butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In great houses, the household is sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantry. Some also have charge of the entire parlour floor, and housekeepers caring for the entire house and its...

 Garrison, his two gorgeous companions, Reika and Beauty, and an orphan boy named Topo. Together they must stop the evil meganoids which aspire to turn all humans into cyborgs and thus "improve" the human race.

History

Some of the staff fresh from Zambot 3 worked with Tomino on the Daitarn 3 project. The suave nature of the hero, Banjō Haran, was a direct attempt at capturing some of the spirit of the James Bond

James Bond

James Bond, code name 007, is a fictional character created in 1953 by writer Ian Fleming, who featured him in twelve novels and two short story collections. There have been a six other authors who wrote authorised Bond novels or novelizations after Fleming's death in 1964: Kingsley Amis,...

 movies, which can be seen in the fact almost as much action takes place with Banjo, Reika Sanjō (ex-Interpol

Interpol

Interpol, whose full name is the International Criminal Police Organization – INTERPOL, is an organization facilitating international police cooperation...

 agent) and Beautiful Tachibana (also called "Beauty") playing superspies as Banjō fighting against Meganoid robots in Daitarn 3.

Other important characters were Garrison Tokida, Banjo's trusted butler and Toppo, a comic-relief character who gets rescued from a Meganoid-hijacked city block in ep. 2 and then stays with Banjō & C. for no apparent reason.

An interesting point to note is a light comedic element running through the whole series - the Meganoid foot soldiers exert some of their own personality with witty banter, bringing a fresh change to the silent drones which permeated super robot series previously.

Mecha

• Daitarn 3

The robot Banjō uses against the Meganoids. Originally built to test the Megaborgs.

Height: 120 meters

Weight: 800 tons

Power Source: Solar Energy-powered Pulse Ion Engine.

Weapons:

Daitarn Zanber

Daitarn Fan

Daitarn Javelin

Daitarn Hammer

Daitarn Missile

Daitarn Snapper

Daitarn Web

Big Web

Cross Dart

Sun Laser

Final Weapons

Sun Attack

This attack is usually followed by the "Daitarn Crash" (Daitarn finishes the enemy with a flying downward kick).

Sun Attack Scattershot

A modified version of the Sun Attack, which attacks at a weaker but wider arc capable of destroying large numbers of lesser enemies.

• Daifighter

Daitarn's plane/spaceship form.

Length: 80.0 meters.

Width: 50.0 meters.

Max Speed: Mach 20. Near lightspeed in outer space.

• Daitank

As the name suggests, the tank-like form of Daitarn.

Length: 80.0 meters.

• Mach Patrol

Banjō's car (resembling a police vehicle) which can transform into a plane. When in plane form, it is referred to as the Mach Attacker.

Megaborg and Megaborg-like Entities

• Sandrake: Appears in episode 1. Powers include Powers include a double sided mace, a pink electric ray from the abdomen, spike missiles from the shoulders, a whip on each arm, a sword in the right foot, and a spiked ball from the halves on his shoulders. Appears in Super Robot Wars Alpha 2.
• Neros: Appears in episode 2. Powers include a Chinese sword, a green laser from the right eye, levitation
  Levitation
  Levitation is the process by which an object is suspended by a physical force against gravity, in a stable position without solid physical contact...
  
  , shoulder missiles, shoulder sonic bombs, right wrist crescent blades, and a mouth flamethrower. Appears in Super Robot Wars Impact.
• Benmel: Appears in episode 3. Powers include punches called the Mega Smack, levitation, a separable double sided ax that can act as a boomerang when in half, and a missile launcher on each side of the head. Appears in various Super Robot Wars
  Super Robot Wars
  is a series of tactical role-playing video games produced by Banpresto, which is now a Japanese division of Namco Bandai. The main feature of the franchise is having a story that crosses over several popular mecha anime, manga and video games, allowing characters and mecha from different titles to...
  
   titles.
• Des Sander: Appears in episode 4. Powers include a solar powered beam from the scalp called the Death Beam and two grenade launchers on each wrist.
• Brandol: Appears in episode 5. Powers include dual shoulder cannons, launching his head and arm guns, levitation, machine guns all over his body, brick-like grenades, and using his head like a bomb.
• Aneval:
  • Aneval Form 1: Appears in episode 6. It is not really a megaborg as much as it is a mechanical synthetic lion used by Animad; it is later turned into a true megaborg.
  • Aneval Form 2: Appears in episode 6. Powers include levitation, pink eye sonic waves, paw missiles, a mouth flamethrower, and reinforced fangs. It appears in Super Robot Wars Compact 2 and Impact
• Daston: Appears in episode 7. Powers include a double sided ax, levitation, and can teleport short distances. Appears in Super Robot Wars Impact.
• Jira: Appears in episode 8. Powers include a crystalline body, a crystal sword, and firing crystal shards from her torso.
• Franken: Appears in episode 9. He is not really a megaborg as he is instead a meganoid discipline director with a very tough body.
• Mettenger: Appears in episode 9. Powers include flight, claws, and a launchable drill from the foot. Much like Aneval it does not have a meganoid form. It also appeared in various Super Robot Wars titles with the added ability to release green lightning bolts from the mouth.
• Wong Law: Appears in episode 10. Powers include martial arts skills, nunchucks, speed, levitation, a chinese sword, and a broadsword.
• Hessler. Appears in episode 11. Powers include toe and knee missiles, electrical surges from the treads on his shoulders, a tank cannon in each shoulder that can combine into a bazooka, and can use his tank treads as coiling tentacles.
• Nibelgun: Appears in episode 11 and was rebuilt in episode 34. It is not really a meganoid as much as it is a triple barreled tank created by Hessler. Powers include three main guns, thick armor, single barreled guns around the bottom, and three double barreled guns at the base of the main guns. Appears in various Super Robot Wars titles.
• Wenner: Appears in episode 12 and is rebuilt in episode 34. Powers include a missile launcher in each pectoral, emitting sonic waves that distort the brain via hypnosis, thirteen remote controlled discs that release flames from their mouth, and levitation.
• Donaun: Appears in episode 13. He is not a megaborg as he is a meganoid imperial guard. He also pilots a robot identical to Neros.
• Miragloa: Appears in episode 13. It is not really a megaborg as it is a 2800 meter tall carrier ship that produces an illusion field using the underside of its head and launchable "hands" that cause illusions and radio interference.
• Gildon: Appears in episode 14. Because he was killed off in his death battle by Koros under orders from Don Saucer his megaborg form is not shown.
• Jurabird: Appear in episode 14. They are not megaborg as they are actually three gigantic pteranadons buried beneath the Arctic with freezing breath.
• Zenoia: Appears in episode 15. Powers include extendable arms, slime-like tentacles from her waist, flight, probing fingers used to impale enemies in their body, a high resistance to radiation that allows her to resist normal Sun Attacks, red sonic waves from the eyes that can nullify dimensional barriers, and pink eye beams. Appears in Super Robot Wars R.
• Rad: Appears in episode 16. Powers include levitation, a sword, a round shield that launches red fire balls, using its his mummy-like bandages to constrict, and energy surges from the body. Unlike other megaborgs it is formed from four meganoid soldiers rather than a single commander.
• Damdes: Appears in episode 17. Powers include yellow eye beams, body curved blades with launchable ones on the shoulders, dual chest missile launchers, levitation, flames from the forehead, using energy from his environment to dramatically increase his body temperature and allow him to resist radiation based attacks, and emitting electrical surges.
• Special Fist: Appears in episode 18. Powers include flight, a double tipped spear, an electric rope in the side of the spear with coiling abilities, and turning his body in an energy glob. He is not really a meganoid as much as he is a prototype cyborg commanded by Don Zauser.
• Buncher: Appears in episode 19 and was rebuilt in episode 34. Powers include throwing rods, emitting lightning from his back, launchable fists connected by energy, five rockets from the ring on his back, twin rockets disguised as head horns, and regeneration. At his disposal is a large killer saw called the Buttagirun, which appears in Super Robot Wars Alpha 2.
• Death Spider: Appears in episode 20. Powers include flight, lightning bolts from its three ant-like mouths, energy webs from the spinneret, and teleportation for escaping,
• Radik: Appears in episode 21. Powers include levitation, summoning flying buzzsaws from a set of clash cymbals
  Clash cymbals
  Clash cymbals or hand cymbals are cymbals played in identical pairs by holding one cymbal in each hand and striking the two together.-Terminology:The technical term clash cymbal is rarely used...
  
  , sharp head horns, and strength.
• Jimmy Dean (not to be confused for the actor of the same name
  Jimmy Dean
  Jimmy Ray Dean was an American country music singer, television host, actor and businessman. Although he may be best known today as the creator of the Jimmy Dean sausage brand, he became a national television personality starting in 1957, rising to fame for his 1961 country crossover hit "Big Bad...
  
  ): Appears in episode 22. Powers include flight, a broadsword, a comb that spawns star-like missiles and fires needle missiles, and a rose that can become gigantic and consume opponents.
• Jenoba: Appears in episode 23. Powers include homing lava balls from the fingers, summoning giant rock pillars, three remote devices that harvest lava from beneath the earth's crust, flight, and mouth flames.
• Garu: Appears in episode 24. Powers include agility, needle missiles from the abdomen, a whip, nine missiles stored in the flap on his torso, an ax, and a large fan used to redirect spores.
  • Mutant Mushrooms: Appear in episode 24. Powers include acidic telepathic spores and consuming opponents alive. They are actually experiments created by Garu fueled by the energy within children he kidnaps that ironically destroy him.
• Katroff: Appears in episode 25. Powers include drills all over the body, projectile resistance, and head detachment.
• Magellan: Appears in episode 25. It is actually a large flying aircraft carrier used by Katroff that used artificial intelligence and went rogue. It's weapons included many double barreled turrets and a double barreled energy cannon strong enough to destroy islands and proved much stronger than Daitarn 3's Sun Attack.
• Mileena: Appears in episode 26. Powers include flight, a sword that fires pink bolts that cause mind control, a flamethrower in the pelvis, and constricting hair. Appears in various Super Robot Wars titles.
• Edwin: Appears in episode 27. Powers include a flying carpet, razor cards, a remote cape that emits pink electrical bolts that cause fissures, and a blinding light from his forehead. Appears in Super Robot Wars Reversal. Edwin has a brief cameo in his meganoid form in episode 14 of the original Mobile Suit Gundam
  Mobile Suit Gundam
  is a televised anime series, created by Sunrise. Created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, it premiered in Japan on Nagoya Broadcasting Network on April 7, 1979, and lasted until January 26, 1980, spanning 43 episodes...
  
  .
• Beltori: Appears in episode 28. Powers include an ax, super sonic flight, and converting his body into a swarm of mechanical locusts. Appears in Super Robot Wars Reversal.
• Lisa: Appears in episode 29. Powers include finger electric bolts that can form into a net, twin orange head beams, levitation, spinning very fast, and fusing with Ica to form Giant Combined Megaborg who fires finger beams and a radiation cannon from the torso called the Twin Electron. Appears in Super Robot Wars A in both regular and combined forms.
• Ica: Appears in episode 29. Presumably has the same powers as Lisa. Appears in Super Robot Wars A.
• Mazoni: Appears in episode 30. Her only known power is a double sided spear.
• Zeta: Appears in episode 31. Powers include levitation, bladed discs from the fingers, energy blasts from her composite mirror, five restrainer rings, a redirecting purple energy barrier, and hypnosis from her eyes.
• Trays: Appears in episode 32. Appears in Super Robot Wars A. Powers include a pair of grenade launcher clubs, flight, and summoning kamikaze jets from his torso.
  • Panda Bot: Appears in episode 32. It can only tackle.
  • False Daitarn 3s: Appear in episode 32. They are actually 20 meter clones of Daitarn 3 that can only tackle. They appear in Super Robot Wars Impact.
• Doil: Appears in episode 33. Powers include torso missiles, a missile launcher on each wrist, a pair of pendulum blades on each end of a chain, a broadsword, and super sonic flight.
• Anton: Appears in episode 34. He pilots a robot similar to Wong Law.
• Jiraiya: Appears in episode 35. Powers include a scythe, a large frog with an extendable tongue, a mouth flamethrower, and radiation neutralizing purple acid, and strong breath.
• Freud, Jaruki, and Taimer: Appear in episode 36 and fuse into one megaborg. Powers include levitation, wrist swords, throwing stars from the mouth of the torso face that emit green electricity, a rocky body, and six swords in each of its three faces,
• Kidowa: Appears in episode 37. Powers include levitation, six swords, a double sided spear, and agility. Appears in Super Robot Wars Alpha 2.
• Blue Bird of Happiness: It is actually a cosmic entity and appears in episode 38. Powers include space flight, teleportation, and a body made of electromagnetic pulses.
• Ume, Take, and Matsu: Appear in episode 38 and fuse into one megaborg called Kouh Sei. Powers include space flight, six arms, green energy bolts from the fingers, laser chains from the wrists, and emitting electrical surges.
• Robot Dinosaurs: Appear in episode 39 and are actually robots used by Nedol.They are each armed with a weapon such as a mace, an ax, or a large flyswatter.
• Nendol: Appears in episode 39. Powers include a highly elastic body, levitation, a 3-tube missile launcher in the left pectoral, and regeneration. Appears in Super Robot Wars R.

External links

Daitarn III (Anime Mundi), detailed production information