Space Warrior Baldios (宇宙戦士 バルディオス, Uchū Senshi Barudiosu) is a 1980 Japanese super robot mecha anime. A film with the same title was released on December 29, 1981. In North America, the series and movie are licensed by Discotek Media[1] and the series is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.[2] The anime television series was produced by Ashi Productions and Kokusai Eiga-sha however, the show was cancelled. In 1981, a feature film distributed by Toei Company was produced featuring footage from the TV series as well as newly animated footage to properly conclude the series. The TV series was released in Italy under the name Baldios - Il Guerriero Dello Spazio

Space Warrior Baldios
Screenshot of Baldios
宇宙戦士 バルディオス
(Uchū Senshi Barudiosu)
GenreAdventure, mecha
Anime television series
Directed byKazuyuki Hirokawa
Written byAkiyoshi Sakai
Music byKentarō Haneda
StudioAshi Productions
Kokusai Eiga-sha
Licensed by
Original networkTokyo Channel 12
Original run June 30, 1980 January 25, 1981
Episodes34 (31 aired)
Anime film
Directed by
Written byAkiyoshi Sakai
Music byKentarō Haneda
StudioAshi Productions
Kokusai Eiga-sha
Licensed by
ReleasedDecember 29, 1981 (1981-12-29)
Runtime117 minutes

Story

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The TV series begins on S-1, a futuristic world whose wartime pollution has forced its occupants to live underground. Its emperor is assassinated by military fanatic Zeo Gattler and his followers, who frame the team of scientists who recently found a solution to their planet's environmental decay. Gattler's followers invade the head scientist's laboratory, killing the environmentalists and destroying their work.

Gattler loads the civilian population aboard a fortress, the Algol, and flies off to conquer a new planet. Angered by Gattler's devious actions, the lead scientist's son (protagonist Marin Reigan) tries to escape. Before he can, he is caught in the Algol's warp drive and finds himself near Earth in the year 2100.

When he sees a Martian colony destroyed by Gattler's Aldebaren Army, Marin joins the military organization Blue Fixer. His ship becomes part of Blue Fixer's mecha, the space warrior Baldios. Marin and the Blue Fixer team (Jamie Hoshino, combat pilots Jack Oliver and Raita Hokuto, researcher Ella Quinstein and commander Takeshi Tsukikage) defend Earth against Gattler and the S-1 force.

The conflict ends when Gattler triggers a massive tsunami by melting Earth's polar ice caps with artificial suns, flooding the planet and killing millions. Blue Fixer is helpless to stop it, and Marin watches the waves in horror. They remove the radioactive core of the World Union submarine base, which threatened to contaminate Earth, transporting it to the Aldebaren fleet where it kills Gattler, his troops and Commander Tsukikage.

The Baldios film contains a final confrontation between Marin and Gattler. In the series and the film, S-1 and Earth are the same planet. Gattler and his troops' time travel caused the same pollution which forced them to leave S-1, closing the time loop.

Video Games

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Baldios would make its video game debut in the Super Robot Wars franchise, specifically 2008's Super Robot Wars Z for the PlayStation 2. Baldios would appear in the game's two part sequel, 2nd Super Robot Wars Z (Hakai Hen and Saisei Hen) as well as the 2015 mobile game, Super Robot Wars X-Ω.

For this appearance Marin was voiced by Takumi Yamazaki as his original voice actor Kaneto Shiozawa had died in 2000.

References

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  1. ^ "Discotek Licenses Giant Robo, Kimagure Orange Road, Galaxy Express 999, More". Anime News Network. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  2. ^ "Watch Space Warrior Baldios on Crunchyroll". Crunchyroll. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
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