Saitou, Hajime

斎藤始

Hajime Saitou commands the Space Cavalry 1st Armored Division, which is stationed on Planet 11 and was rescued by the Yamato following a fierce attack by the Comet Empire. He is skilled in judo, karate, and wrestling. Boorish and aggressive, he and his men refuse to show respect to the crew of their new home and frequently engage in fights, frustrated by their reduced status as "passengers." However, Saitou and his men demonstrate their value in ground combat on the surface of planet Telezart, inside Desler's flagship, and within the Comet Empire's own space station. Saitou is the sole survivor of his team and sacrifices himself to detonate explosives in the Comet Empire's power center.
His Japanese name is derived from the real-life Shinsengumi captain Saitou Hajime.