Space Battleship Yamato is one of the most highly regarded and influential franchises in anime history. Continually building upon its storyline with new twists and turns, not to mention containing very mature themes for its time, the series was instrumental in pushing anime into the medium that it is today. It's also connected, in one way or another, to several other classic anime titles from that time period.

Newer entries in Yamato have been sporadic throughout the decades, with most of them acting as sequels to the original series. More recently, however, the show has been rebooted for a new generation, even bearing a name that Western fans might recognize. Here's a look back at the history of Space Battleship Yamato and how to watch the different versions.

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The Plot of Space Battleship Yamato

Battleship Yamato From Space Battleship Yamato

Space Battleship Yamato is set in the far-flung future of 2199, and it's a grim set of events indeed. Humanity and planet Earth have been ravaged by the Gamilas aliens, who have bombarded the planet with radiation that threatens to kill them. However, humanity soon receives help from the unlikeliest of sources. A message from the alien queen Starsha informs them that her people can save the Earth from radiation, all while giving the human race the means to get there.

Receiving the blueprints for faster-than-light technology, the people of Earth build the Yamato -- a space-faring craft made from the remains of the WW2 Japanese seacraft of the same name. Making their way into space, they soon discover the truth behind Queen Starsha's people, as well as the true intentions of the Gamilas.

The story of Space Battleship Yamato was heavily inspired by stories such as Japan Sinks, Lord of the Flies and The Poseidon Adventure. Themes of humanity triumphing over all adversity in the face of external and self-inflicted problems put it a cut above the typical fare of Japanese cartoons at the time. Thus, the series quickly entered the same pantheon as franchises such as Mobile Suit Gundam and the Macross series of space operas. It also has a tentative "continuity" with creator Leiji Matsumoto's other works, such as Galaxy Express 999 and Space Captain Harlock.

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Where to Read the Space Battleship Yamato Manga

Yamato-Manga (1)

A manga adaptation of Space Battleship Yamato debuted about a month after the anime. It was written by the show's director Leiji Matsumoto, with Akita Shoten handling the art. Running for roughly half a year, the manga mostly retold and condensed stories from the anime, although the shortened content meant that certain elements were missing.

The Yamato manga is available in a series of collections called the Space Battleship Yamato Classic Collection. Physical versions of these volumes can be bought through Amazon, Walmart and other major book retailers. Readers can also purchase cheaper digital versions of the series through Kindle and Comixology.

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Where to Watch the Space Battleship Yamato Anime and Its Remakes

starblazers space battleship yamato remake

The original Space Battleship Yamato ran for 26 episodes from 1974 to 1975. Its popularity led to a movie retelling, a sequel to that film and then an official anime series sequel titled Space Battleship Yamato II. The original series would be brought over to the West as Star Blazers, which actually retained many of the original themes and mature elements. The first Yamato would later be remade in 2012 as Star Blazers: Space Battleship Yamato 2129, homaging both the Japanese and American titles. There were considerable changes made in updating the classic, but the basic premise is still there. It was followed by the film series Star Blazers: Space Battleship Yamato 2202, which was a remake of the second anime series.

The classic Yamato anime are pretty hard to come by, both in streaming form and in terms of physical media. Only low-quality DVDs of the original can be found on Amazon. Thankfully, the remakes are a lot more accessible, making them the best way to enjoy the original story. The DVD and Blu-ray collections for Star Blazers: Space Battleship Yamato and its sequel are widely available through Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy. Both shows can also be streamed through a subscription to the Funimation streaming service and bought digitally per episode or entirely on Amazon Prime Video.