The following is a list of Area 88

Area 88

is a Japanese manga series by Kaoru Shintani serialized between 1979 and 1986. The story is about a young pilot named Shin Kazama and his experiences at Area 88, a mercenary air force base secluded in the desert of a war torn country...

 characters

Fictional character

A character is the representation of a person in a narrative work of art . Derived from the ancient Greek word kharaktêr , the earliest use in English, in this sense, dates from the Restoration, although it became widely used after its appearance in Tom Jones in 1749. From this, the sense of...

.

Main

Shin Kazama

A Japanese pilot who was supposed to be employed at Yamato Air Lines (YAL), Shin was tricked into fighting for the Asranian air force in the country's civil war by his friend, Satoru Kanzaki, by letting him place his signature in an Asranian military sign up sheet after getting him drunk at a local bar. Shin became the top ace at Area 88, though he gradually felt his humanity slipping as his time at the Area passed.

Because of this, he was cold to most of the people inside Area 88; he would make friends with Mickey Simon, Kim Aoba, Kitori Palvanaff, Roundell and his commanding officer, Saki Vashtal. All his aircraft (which include an F-8 Crusader

F-8 Crusader

The Vought F-8 Crusader was a single-engine, supersonic, carrier-based air superiority jet aircraft built by Vought for the United States Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps, replacing the Vought F7U Cutlass...

, an F-5E, F-20A, and a Saab

Saab

Saab AB is a Swedish aerospace and defence company, founded in 1937. From 1947 to 1990 it was the parent company of automobile manufacturer Saab Automobile, and between 1968 and 1995 the company was in a merger with commercial vehicle manufacturer Scania, known as Saab-Scania.-History:"Svenska...

 J-35 Draken) sported a flaming unicorn

Unicorn

The unicorn is a legendary animal from European folklore that resembles a white horse with a large, pointed, spiraling horn projecting from its forehead, and sometimes a goat's beard...

 head painted on the tail - likely a symbol of the fabled kirin

Kirin

Kirin may refer to:People*Ivica Kirin , politician, former Interior Minister of Croatia*Kirin Kiki , Japanese TV and film actressCompanies* Kirin Brewery Company, a Japanese brewing company...

. Determined to survive the war without losing his humanity, Shin's principle motivation is to save enough money to buy out his contract.

Voiced by: Kaneto Shiozawa

Kaneto Shiozawa

Kaneto Shiozawa , real name was a Japanese voice actor from Tokyo affiliated with Aoni Production. He had a distinctive cold, calm voice which usually typecast him in roles as villains or anti-heroes....

Kim Aba

A young pilot of an African nation, he was mocked by most of the base's freelance pilots and other personnel as they doubted his success to be in Area 88 as a hired mercenary since he was quite young to be fighting in Asran's civil war. Saki, Roundell, Mickey, Kitori and Shin regard the boy as someone that they can rely on in a matter of crisis, consider Kim as a friend and a good pilot. Kim only appears in the manga and 2004 anime; in the latter, his emblem consisted of a red swan with golden wings, and his fighter is the AV-8 Harrier II.

Mickey Simon

An American pilot who signed up to fight for the Asranian government in its civil war after serving in the Vietnam War with the VF-33 Starfighters

VF-33

Fighter Squadron 33 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy. The first VF-33 was originally commissioned in 6 August 1942 and disestablished on 19 November 1945. A second VF-33 was then reactivated on 11 October 1948...

 in the OVA and VF-96 Fighting Falcons aboard the USS Enterprise

USS Enterprise (CVN-65)

USS Enterprise , formerly CVA-65, is the world's first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and the eighth US naval vessel to bear the name. Like her predecessor of World War II fame, she is nicknamed the "Big E". At , she is the longest naval vessel in the world...

 in the series. Addicted to the life of an air warrior, Mickey is unable to adjust to life at home. The self-proclaimed "number-two" pilot in Area 88, he was Shin's closest friend in the war, and is found in all three versions of Area 88. In the English language comic version, he flies an F-100 Super Sabre

F-100 Super Sabre

The North American F-100 Super Sabre was a supersonic jet fighter aircraft that served with the United States Air Force from 1954 to 1971 and with the Air National Guard until 1979. The first of the Century Series collection of USAF jet fighters, it was the first USAF fighter capable of...

 at first, eventually moving up to an Grumman F-14 Tomcat. The insignia found on his plane is a rabbit head resembling the Playboy bunny

Playboy Club

The Playboy Club initially was a chain of nightclubs and resorts owned and operated by Playboy Enterprises. The first club opened at 116 E. Walton Street in downtown Chicago, Illinois, United States, on February 29, 1960. Each club generally featured a Living Room, a Playmate Bar, a Dining Room...

, similar to the "Black Bunny" tail art sported by VX-4 Evaluators

VX-4

VX-4, Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Four, , commonly referred to by its nickname, The Evaluators) was a United States Navy air test and evaluation squadron based at Naval Air Station Point Mugu, California...

 (and its successor, VX-9 Vampires

VX-9

VX-9. Air Test and Evaluation Squadron Nine, is a United States Navy air test and evaluation squadron based at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, California...

). He is spotted reading "Playgirl" magazine in episode 12. .

Saki Vashtal (Saki Vashutarl)

A member of the royal family and a commissioned officer (Lt. Colonel) in the Asranian air force, he is distinguished by his black shades (which in the manga was due to an eye injury) and an X-shaped scar on his forehead. Saki is the son of Abdael, the eldest son of the late former king of Asran. Asran was, at the time, the only middle eastern country not exporting its oil. Saki's grandfather did not wish to sell out to the West or to Communists and suspected that Abdael was having dealings with either. For this reason, on his deathbed, he declared his younger son, Zak, the next king. Humiliated, Abdael, along with his other son Rishaal, became leader of an anti-government rebel force backed by various communist countries. Saki, remained loyal because of his late mother's love for Asran and is Area 88's commanding officer, though it is clear that Saki feels shame for betraying his own father and perceives that his late mother would be saddened by his father's actions. The scar on his forehead is self inflicted as a symbol of this shame. (In the Eclipse, English language comic, Saki scarred himself early in the war when, as a commander of Asran's regular Air Force, he allowed himself to be tricked by his father - allowing anti-government forces to successfully attack Saki's base.) Saki appears in all three versions. He is the cousin of Kitori Palvanaff. Though not incompetent, Saki is not exactly considered an outstanding leader by the pilots but they follow his orders for the most part simply because it's what they are paid to do - and if they don't he will either dock their pay or shoot them. Although shown as a capable pilot in the manga and OAV, efficiently flies the Kfir

KFIR

KFIR is a radio station licensed to Sweet Home, Oregon, USA, the station serves the Willamette Valley. Albany, Corvallis, Lebanon, Salem, Sweet Home. News/Talk with Dennis Miller, Glenn Beck, Lars Larson, & Coast to Coast weekdays. The station is currently owned by Radio Fiesta Network,...

, the TV series restricts Saki to the control tower.

Ryoko Tsugumo

The daughter of CEO Tsugumo of Yamato Air Lines, she met Shin and Satoru when she was introduced to flying airplanes for the first time. Ryoko became infatuated with Shin before he left for Paris to conduct his pilot training. She became furious at Satoru when she found out that Shin was forced to serve in the Asranian air force against his will, refusing Satoru's wishes for them to get together. In the 2004 TV series, Makoto visited her on the day of her supposed wedding and gave her a photo of Shin's F-5 jet. Realizing that Satoru lied to her, she ran away on their wedding day, forcing her father to postpone the wedding. In the manga and OAV series, she consents to let Kanzaki have his way with her sexually if he will purchase her share of Yamato airline stock at full price, allowing her to raise enough money to buy out Shin's contract. She is saved from doing so when police come to the hotel room to arrest Kanzaki on several accounts concerning recent scandals involving Yamato Airlines.

Satoru Kanzaki

Shin's friend from the orphanage. He grew jealous of Shin due to his relationship with Ryoko and tricked him to serve with the Asranian military -- intending that he be killed in action

Killed in action

Killed in action is a casualty classification generally used by militaries to describe the deaths of their own forces at the hands of hostile forces. The United States Department of Defense, for example, says that those declared KIA need not have fired their weapons but have been killed due to...

. CEO Tsugumo picked him to be his successor in Yamaoto Air Lines and arranged for him to get married to Ryoko. In the manga, Tsugumo is forced to resign by shareholders when Kanzaki makes an underhanded purchasing deal with a shady jumbo jet manufacturer, assuring himself a large percentage of stock which installs him as the new president of Yamato Airlines. The jets turn out to be defective, causing an accidental crash which kills all aboard, thus opening Kanzaki to investigation. In the end, his wedding plans are ruined when Ryoko learns Shin's whereabouts after meeting Saki Vashtal and he is arrested for embezzlement, tax evasion, and his involvement in the plane crash. The OVA, having moved the end of the story to an earlier point, has Kanzaki simply being arrested as his final fate. In the 2004 TV series his fate was left unknown, though it can be inferred that since Ryoko ran away, the marriage did not take place, thus his shady deal was derailed. In the manga, the arrest is hardly the end of Kanzaki as he returns with a number of schemes until the end of the manga where he dies in an air duel with Shin.

Freelancers

Morris

An American pilot briefly seen in the Eclipse comic series. Morris is a skilled ground attack pilot flying a T-6 Texan

T-6 Texan

The North American Aviation T-6 Texan was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1950s...

, a single-engined prop-driven plane used to train pilots in World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, and the oldest warplane on the base. Strongly urged to get a jet, he prefers the familiarity of the Texan. Ironically, his preference saves the base from nuclear

Nuclear weapon

A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...

 attack by the anti-government forces. As the enemy missile approaches, the runways are suddenly covered by swarms of locusts, preventing the jet-powered planes from flying. Morris's Texan is able to launch and clear the runway - allowing others to launch and intercept the missile. Unfortunately, the Texan is disbaled by the swarm nonetheless, and Morris is killed.

Mario Bandini

A young Italian mercenary hungry for action but lacking any sense of teamwork. He arrives shortly after the onslaught of the Wolfpack, immediately making himself unwelcome. Skilled in aerobatics - a vet of the Frecce Tricolori

Frecce Tricolori

The Frecce Tricolori , officially known as the 313° Gruppo Addestramento Acrobatico, is the aerobatic demonstration team of the Italian Aeronautica Militare, based at Rivolto Air Force Base, in the north-eastern Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, province of Udine...

 - Bandini finds combat much more traumatic than he expected.

Greg Gates

A bearded Danish mercenary, he is noted by the base's mercenary force for being the only person who couldn't die, sometimes apparently oblivious or apathetic to the danger he faces. Greg serves as comedic relief and humor, as his actions lead him to trouble with his comrades and his officers, not to mention unintentionally making the civil war even worse. Pilots the A-10(OVA), and A-4 Skyhawk

A-4 Skyhawk

The Douglas A-4 Skyhawk is a carrier-capable ground-attack aircraft designed for the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. The delta winged, single-engined Skyhawk was designed and produced by Douglas Aircraft Company, and later McDonnell Douglas. It was originally designated the A4D...

(2004 anime), Greg appears in all versions of Area 88.

Kitori Palvanaff

Only daughter of the King of Asran and cousin of Saki Vashtal, she was sent to Area 88 as the base's only female freelance pilot. She lived in Area 88 as one of the boys, fighting alongside them under the base's terms. She takes a liking for Kim for being the youngest freelancer to serve in the Asranian air force and loves to tease him. Later on, she also take a liking for Makoto as she finds him friendly. She was mystified with Shin's personality, finding him cold and alone, though the two are on good terms. Kitori only appears in the 2004 anime. Kitori sports an emblem consisting of three red arrows against a red bow, and flies a Mirage F1. She appears in the manga as Seilane Balnock, who dies with Mickey in the final battle.

Nguyen Van Com

A former pilot for the South Vietnamese Air Force. He encountered Mickey several times during the Vietnam War, and he was known as the "Shark of Tonkin Bay

Gulf of Tonkin

The Gulf of Tonkin is an arm of the South China Sea, lying off the coast of northeastern Vietnam.-Etymology:The name Tonkin, written "東京" in Hán tự and Đông Kinh in romanised Vietnamese, means "Eastern Capital", and is the former toponym for Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam...

". He frequently argues with Shin, mainly because Shin shot down a friendly fighter whose pilot was blinded. Flying the F-105 Thunderchief

F-105 Thunderchief

The Republic F-105 Thunderchief, was a supersonic fighter-bomber used by the United States Air Force. The Mach 2 capable F-105 conducted the majority of strike bombing missions during the early years of the Vietnam War; it has the dubious distinction of being the only US aircraft to have been...

, Nguyen enjoys the killing of enemy pilots, and even shoots an enemy pilot as he ejected from an aircraft. Despite his disagreements with Shin, he comes to respect him. He suffers the fate of the pilot he shot down, being shot as he ejected from an aircraft. Nguyen appears in the OVA and manga series but not in the Eclipse comic series.

Invulnerable Charlie

A pilot who once flew at Area 88. He returns because he was hired by Kanzaki to kill Shin. He uses the confusion caused by battle with the Wolf Pack to kill Shin. However, he is killed by birdstrike when a seagull slams into his cockpit and causes him to lose control. Shin is able to bail out from his plane and survive. Charlie appears in the manga and the OVA. The OVA English dub calls him Phoenix Charlie. Aspects of his character, however, are merged with Rocky for the character of Makoto Shingo in the 2004 TV series. In the Elipse comic, he is known as "Killer Charlie" and is killed dogfighting with Shin.

Bowman

Bowman initially gained Shin's dislike by shamelessly trying to borrow money from his fellow pilots so that he could pay the penalty for turning down a mission he was too scared to go on. Eventually he goes and returns only to brag about his kill record for that mission, ignoring the fact that it was at the cost of his wingman who got killed watching Bowman's back. Bowman appears in the manga, the Eclipse comic and the OAV although the OAV does not explore his character.

Hoover Kippenburg

A former pilot in the West German Air Force

Luftwaffe

Luftwaffe is a generic German term for an air force. It is also the official name for two of the four historic German air forces, the Wehrmacht air arm founded in 1935 and disbanded in 1946; and the current Bundeswehr air arm founded in 1956....

, a guilt-ridden Hoover joined after an accident while training rookie pilots. He flew too low and into the sun and this trainees, trying to follow, accidentally crashed into a mountain. Well liked by the other pilots, Hoover was temporarily entrusted with Saki's position as flight leader. Indeed, many of the pilots prefer Hoover over Saki in the position. Hoover only appears in the manga, including the Eclipse version.

Boris

A former British Royal Air Force

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...

 Pilot, Boris is haunted by the ghosts of his former wingmates. He is afraid to sleep with the lights off, for in his sleep, the ghosts of his dead comrades come to visit him in his dreams. In the OAV and the 2004 anime, Boris is shot down and killed by anti-aircraft fire. Boris and Shin are the only pilots in area 88 to fly the F-8 Crusader

F-8 Crusader

The Vought F-8 Crusader was a single-engine, supersonic, carrier-based air superiority jet aircraft built by Vought for the United States Navy and the U.S. Marine Corps, replacing the Vought F7U Cutlass...

. Boris appears in all three versions.

Escape Killers

Three pilots of African (Black) descent, it was assumed that they came to Area 88 because the Central African conflicts pay so poorly. This trio of enigmatic pilots, seems to regard everyone at Area 88 with suspicion and keep to themselves. Shin, frustrated after a massive setback, plans to desert in the dead of morning only to encounter the three African pilots waiting for him. Mick appears, stating that he remembered stories about three Black pilots in Africa who specialize in hunting down deserters. Soon, the other Area 88 pilots defend Shin on the grounds that the Escape Killers are harassing an innocent person who could have just been taking an early morning walk. Saki and the other pilots convince the Escape Killers to leave. The Escape Killers were called Enforcers in the English translation of the manga. They also appeared in the OVA trilogy.

Jess

One of the Area 88 pilots in the OVA. Pilots a Kfir

KFIR

KFIR is a radio station licensed to Sweet Home, Oregon, USA, the station serves the Willamette Valley. Albany, Corvallis, Lebanon, Salem, Sweet Home. News/Talk with Dennis Miller, Glenn Beck, Lars Larson, & Coast to Coast weekdays. The station is currently owned by Radio Fiesta Network,...

. Shin has to make an important choice when Jess cracks in the middle of a fight. He appears briefly but reflects Shin's change from sympathizer to hardened soldier.

Patrick Reed

Patrick is Mickey's wingman back in Vietnam. The Oklahoma native suffered a trauma during a dogfight when he hesitated to fire at an enemy MiG, which led to the development of a panicky dogfight style in which he barrel rolls while firing his guns. Years after the Vietnam war, Patrick becomes a pilot for the enemy of the Kingdom of Asran. During a dogfight against Asran mercenaries, he was gunned down by Mickey. The two talked over the radio, and Patrick said (maybe not exact words), "Finally. I can go back home to Oklahoma

Oklahoma

Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

 to farm again." Then, Patrick dies, going down with his MiG-23 Flogger fighter in the desert.

Base personnel

Gustav

Head of the base's technician group. Supports the freelancers by doing field repairs to their jets before and after a sortie against the rebels. Gustav appears only in the 2004 anime.

McCoy

The base's scrounger and head of the Area 88's PX shop, deals with American dollars as a means of currency transaction. He provided the mercenaries with most of the items that they need such as fighter planes and weapons, with civilian items as well. McCoy's items are notorious for often being second hand and unreliable, particularly when he offers them at a discount. At one point, he admits selling spare parts scavenged from planes shot down near the base. McCoy appears in all version of Area 88.

Big Sammy

The codename used for the radar controllers of Area 88. Responsible for sending out tactical data of planes to the pilots and Saki.

Officers

Roundell

An old man of British descent, Major Roundell has his right eye replaced by an eyepatch. He serves as the base's executive officer and the confidant of Saki Vashtal. He is also an excellent fighter pilot, specialising in Low level assaults, flying the Blackburn Buccaneer

Blackburn Buccaneer

The Blackburn Buccaneer was a British low-level subsonic strike aircraft with nuclear weapon delivery capability serving with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force between 1962 and 1994, including service in the 1991 Gulf War...

 with ease, at least in the 2004 remake. Roundell appears in all three versions of Area 88.

Others

Goh "Rocky" Mutsugi (Makoto Shinjo in the TV series)

A SO news reporter sent to Area 88 to cover the rumor of foreign freelance pilots fighting in the Asranian civil war, he was intrigued by Shin's presence as the only lone Japanese pilot to fight for the Asranian military. One of Rocky's photos, with Shin in the background, was seen by Ryoko in a magazine article on Asran and this convinced her that Shin was alive. He dies in the OVA rendition after he joins a pilot on a patrol, and is shot down. In the 2004 TV series, he survived the series and eventually confessed that his sponsor was Satoru Kanzaki because he wanted to get a photo of Shin's dead corpse as proof to Ryoko that he died in action, forcing her to get married to him. However, he later help thwart the marriage. In the Eclipse comic, he survives being shot down, but is severely injured in the ordeal. Rocky travels the world, apparently having no ties back 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...

, telling the mercenaries that a photographer leaves nothing behind but his camera. Rocky appears (with different names, hair colors and physical builds) in all three versions of Area 88.

Prince Rishaal

Saki's younger brother. Rishaal's mother died giving birth to the prince, but Saki does not resent his brother for this, and in one pre-war flashback, the two are apparently close. Unlike Saki, Rishaal followed their father and went over to the anti-government forces, though his true loyalties remain unclear. When Mickey Simon is captured by anti-government forces, Rishaal arranges for his immediate release. In the Eclipse Manga, Rishaal is shown plans to destroy Area-88 using a bomb attached to a large subterranean drill. While seeming to approve the plan, he secretly intends to thwart it.

Taeko Yasuda

Mr. Tsugumo's secretary and Ryoko's confidant, she takes an immediate dislike and distrust to Kanzaki. She is attractive and intelligent, but also lonely - and in the Eclipse version, it's suggested that she is growing insecure about her age. In the manga and OAV, by happenstance, she sees the magazine article on Asran's civil war and the photo taken by the late Rocky, a photo in which Shin appears in the background. Taeko's friend pins down the location and deduces that Shin was at Area 88. Taeko also saves Ryoko from allowing Kanzaki to use her in a compromising position in order to have him willing to buy her stock share (at full price) and use the money to buy out Shin's contract. Taeko appears in all three versions, but is never specifically identified in the 2004 anime.

Giuseppe Farina

A Paris based Mafia don whom Kanzaki requests to contract a hitman on Shin's life. It is through Farina that Charlie is hired as an assassin to return to Area 88. In return, Kanzaki would purchase airline parts from companies under Farina's control. Unfortunately for Kanzaki, Farina and Maxwell Corporation (the company with which Kanzaki dealt for the defective airbus), both plan to use Kanzaki as a fall guy in a takeover of Yamato airlines. Farina appears briefly in the OAV but does not seem to have no other involvement beyond the assassination attempt. In the manga, Farina has a much larger role and is later involved in supplying weapons to the Anti-Government forces. He does not appear at all in the 2004 TV series.

The Wolfpack

A rival mercenary squadron that is working for the anti government forces. They fly exclusively the Mig-23 and are considered a very serious threat to the Area 88 pilots. In the original manga, they cause a major setback by bombing Area 88 and destroying all of the pilot's planes and McCoy's warehouse. In the OAV, they attack Area 81 instead. In the Eclipse comic, where the Wolfpack's plane is identified as a "MiG-27D", both bases are attacked. Both instances, however, lead to a ferocious air battle in which the Wolfpack is ultimately defeated. There is no mention of the Wolfpack in the 2004 TV series, although a squadron of MiG-23s (led by Patrick Reed) did in fact appear to challenge the pilots of Area 88.

The Sniper

A lone gunman who is very effective with the use of his rifle. He singlehandedly shuts down Area 88 operations with accurate fire on aircraft, equipment, and crew, but is finally defeated when his position is located and he is strafed by Shin's aircraft. His ultimate fate is left unknown, as his body is never found. He only appears in the 2004 TV series.