The WORST episodes of Galaxy Express 999
Every episode of Galaxy Express 999 ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Galaxy Express 999!
Galaxy Express is a manga written and drawn by Leiji Matsumoto, as well as various anime films and TV series based on it. It is set in a space-faring, high-tech future in which humans have learned how to transfer their consciousnesses (but not their consciences) into mechanical bodies, thus achieving practical immortality. The manga won the Shogakukan Manga Award for shōnen in 1978.[6] The anime series won the Animage Anime Grand Prix prize in 1981.
#1 - The Vision of Youth! Farewell, 999 (1)
Season 1 - Episode 112 - Aired 3/19/1981
The 999 reached its final destination, the planet Promethium. Once on the surface, Tetsuro and Maetel were escorted by Mirai, who brought them to the sanitarium where Tetsuro had up to 24 hours to contemplate his decision on adopting a mechanical body. Maetel warned Tetsuro to think wisely before leaving him with Mirai to meet her father, whose consciousness was encased in a pendant. In the sanitarium, Tetsuro realized that the life of a cyborg was empty and disappointing, and decided not to take his machine body. He also witnessed a cyborg committing suicide and, in his last moments, warned Tetsuro of Maetel's intentions, and that she was the daughter of the Queen of Promethium. In a confrontation between Tetsuro and Maetel, Mirai explained that Maetel was to bring courageous young boys like him to help construct an eternal mechanized empire.
#2 - The Holy Woman Who Devours Souls (1)
Season 1 - Episode 77 - Aired 6/12/1980
The Rainy Pond was the next stop for the 999. A pilgrim warned the passengers of a witch who devoured life, and wanted the Conductor to leave the planet earlier. A flood came, and all the passengers were stranded on the hotel. A woman (revealed to be Arc in the second part) offered a boat ride for a price. A businessman tried to pay his way, but a young man, Columbus, took his money and pushed him into the water. He took the ride along with his girlfriend, Poem, who did so reluctantly. When the hotel was finally destroyed, the pilgrim drifted away, and Tetsuro lost sight of Maetel. Tetsuro was washed up on an island. He entered a lighthouse and was greeted by Arc and the Queen of the planet, Cueflame. Cueflame was the one who extract life flames from her victims to consumed them to attain eternal life. Her next victims were Columbus, Poem, and Maetel.
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#3 - The Holy Woman Who Devours Souls (2)
Season 1 - Episode 78 - Aired 6/26/1980
Cueflame began extracting life flame from Maetel, but Tetsuro took the flame before she could consume it. In a confrontation Tetsuro discovered that Arc was a cyborg who was working for Cueflame to reclaim her human body. Meanwhile, Columbus woke up and pledge his service to Cueflame, on the condition that he and Poem could also consume the life flames. After Columbus captured Tetsuro, the Queen rewarded him with the life flame, but killed himself when he was told that the flame was extracted from Poem. The Queen asked Arc to extract Tetsuro's life, but instead she restored Maetel's life, and extracted her own. The Queen became weak after drinking Arc's flame (since she was only a cyborg), and was killed when her fortress collapsed. Maetel and Tetsuro raced back to the train as the planet was ripped apart by natural disasters.
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#4 - A Tale of a Short Life
Season 1 - Episode 82 - Aired 7/24/1980
The next station for the 999 was called Butterfly's Dream. The inhabitants had wings (like butterflies) but they also have a very short lifespan (also like butterflies). They met Leaf and Kureha. Leaf, an artist, was wingless and was shunned by the locals because of it. Kureha was in love with Leaf, but she was also engaged to Hanza. Kureha called off the engagement and went to the forest with Leaf, but Hanza took her back with the help of thugs. When the 999 was about to leave, the autumn wind signalled the end of Kureha and Hanza, but Kureha found Leaf before she died in his arms.
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#5 - The UFO of the Planet of Forgotten Parents
Season 1 - Episode 86 - Aired 8/28/1980
The 999 was interrupted by an UFO near the Planet of Forgotten Parents. The rustic planet got its name when the youth left their parents behind to find new lives. The innkeeper mistook Tetsuro for his son, Tetsuo, but his wife explained that he went mad while waiting for him. The real Tetsuo to a factory as a slave. He killed the slavemaster and escaped in an UFO. A secret agent located Tetsuo and took him back to the slave planet, but Tetsuro offered her to take him instead, so that Tetsuo's father would not have to suffer. The agent was moved by Tetsuro and released both of them.
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#6 - Elza from the Sea
Season 1 - Episode 87 - Aired 9/4/1980
The 999 was searched by Brittenian soldiers when it landed on the God Given planet. Maetel and Tetsuro met Nasuka, one of the soldiers who was sleeping on the job. Tetsuro later found Nasuka, who was taking a boat to Honiara Island, where the planet elder resided. The two entered a cave and found the elder, who informed them that the planet was about to enter an ice age, but this would also waken the sea-dwelling Suraoids. On their journey home, Tetsuro and Nasuka found his lover Elza, a Suraoid injured in an underwater attack. They were discovered by fellow Brittenian soldiers, and the captain arrested Tetsuro and ordered the execution of Nasuka and Elza. Maetel appeared and drove the troops away. Nasuka and Elza left to find a place to live their lives in peace.
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#7 - Planet of the Crossroads of Destiny
Season 1 - Episode 88 - Aired 9/11/1980
The 999 approached the Planet called Crossroads of Destiny, where its blue satellite planet was about to go extinct. The planet was inhabited by a people who returned to a survivalist society when it ran out of natural resources. Tetsuro met Yaku, a weak hunter who was experimenting with new weapons. When his companion Aya decided to leave him for Mu, Yaku went to confront Mu, but was badly beaten. However, he managed to kill a saber-toothed tiger with a crossbow he constructed, saving Aya and Mu. Though Mu laughed for his lack of physical strength, Yaku was satisfied that a new age of knowledge had started with him.
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#8 - Gunman's Elegy
Season 1 - Episode 89 - Aired 9/25/1980
The 999 arrived at the Hangman's Planet, where all the outlaws in Andromeda gather. Tetsuro met Mimoza, who wanted to help her father build a music hall. However, her father was killed during a hold-up. The Sheriff appeared and told Maetel and Tetsuro of a feud between the White and Black gangs, over the control of a gold mine. A gunman named Wester joined the White gang, despite urging of Tetsuro otherwise. Maetel was mugged at the hotel, and Tetsuro joined the Black gang to exact revenge. A gunfight between the two gangs anhiliated each other, but Wester insisted a duel with Tetsuro. Wester was mortally wounded, but in his dying wish he wanted Tetsuro to give his gang earnings to Mimoza.
#9 - The Snow Woman of Andromeda (1)
Season 1 - Episode 90 - Aired 10/9/1980
Maetel and Tetsuro arrived at Snowica, and Tetsuro was warned of the Snow Woman, who had the power to kill when the victim made eye contact. They met Tsuru, the most reputable ramen cook in Andromeda, but business was slow for him when people adopted mechanical bodies. While Maetel was away (discussing her mission on Tetsuro with C62), Tetsuro went to Tsuru's shop, and Tsuru told him a story of Yuki, a woman she used to love. But the Snow Woman appeared, who also wanted a bowl of ramen. To Tetsuro's surprise, he did not die when he made eye contact with her. However, the Snow Woman was disappointed when her ramen turned to ice when she touched it. Tetsuro sympathized with her and they left together. Tetsuro told her of his desire of a mechanical body, she promised to bring him to a place where he could receive one for free. The episode ended with Maetel looking for Tetsuro in the snow.
#10 - The Snow Woman of Andromeda (2)
Season 1 - Episode 91 - Aired 10/16/1980
Maetel ran into Snowlock, a broker for mechanical bodies who was collaborating with the Snow Woman. Snowlock brought her to his workshop, but Maetel managed to destroy it. Meanwhile, the Snow Woman wanted to take Tetsuro's body so that she could eat hot ramen without freezing it. Tetsuro promised to make her ramen, but it also turned to ice when she touched it. The Snow Woman told Maetel that she was Yuki, and was in love with Tsuru. Maetel then brought Tsuru to her home and his ramen finally made her heart warm again. She died in Tsuru's arms as her ice body melted away.
#11 - Keiko of the Insect Planet
Season 1 - Episode 93 - Aired 10/30/1980
The next stop of the 999 was the Insect Planet. It used to be paradise for insects before the humans colonization, and the Conductor warned Tetsuro and Maetel of the recent murders that have been taking place. Maetel and Tetsuro came a cross a man murdered, and his caged insects were released. They went to the house of Futoshi, Keiko, and their family, where Tetsuro saw the murderer ran into, but they did not find the perpetrator. In the following morning, Keiko met Tetsuro, and pleaded him to become an insect with her. A group of insect people appeared and tried to kidnap Tetsuro, but Maetel appeared and saved him. They returned to Keiko's home to find that she was transformed into an insect. She was, indeed, the one behind the recent killings. Keiko asked everybody to leave the house, blew up her room and killed herself.
#12 - Yayaball's Tiny World (1)
Season 1 - Episode 94 - Aired 11/6/1980
Yaryabol, instructed by his mother, altered the course of the 999 to his home world, where everything was of miniature proportions. As they entered the hotel, they received a dinner invitation from Yaraybol. Maetel was trapped in the elevator and Tetsuro was ambushed route and was captured by Yaryabol. Maetel escaped and found Tetsuro resting in Yaryabol's residence, where, true to his word, Yaryabol they proceeded to dinner. When Maetel told Yaryabol that his mother died in an accident some time ago, Yaryabol became enraged and insisted that she was still alive. In the meantime, the 999 was ordered to leave Yaryabol's world immediately, leaving Maetel and Tetsuro stranded.
#13 - Yayaball's Tiny World (2)
Season 1 - Episode 95 - Aired 11/13/1980
Maetel and Tetsuro remained in Yaryabol's mansion to find out what actually happened to his mother. But instead Tetsuro was lured to a trap designed to kill him but managed to (barely) escape. Maetel confronted Yaryabol but was herself restrained by Yaryabol's mother, who ordered him kill Maetel. Though initially reluctant, Yaryabol succumbed to his mother, only to be stopped by Tetsuro. Tetsuro discovered that Yaryabol's mother was a crude robot, and her consciousness was transferred to a supercomputer by Yaryabol. Tetsuro destroyed the computer in a final confrontation, and Yaryabol was devastated believing he was unable to achieve anything without his mother on his side. Meanwhile, the Conductor managed to convince C62 to reverse its course to retrieve Maetel and Tetsuro.
#14 - Flying Kuro (1)
Season 1 - Episode 96 - Aired 11/20/1980
Tetsuro and Maetel travel to a planet where a robot cat fights against the government oppressors. they are arrested when they are believed to have a connection to the robot cat. Also they meet some cute black cats that can fly for no reason. Ultimately Maetel causes a man to kill himself by showing him whats inside her bag, and then the robot cat steals Tetsuro's pass.
#15 - Flying Kuro (2)
Season 1 - Episode 97 - Aired 11/27/1980
Tetsuro meets the robot owner of the robot cat, Neko. Meanwhile all the robot cats on the planet stage a rebellion. Armys of robot cats fill the skies. The army tries to fight them off but is ineffective against their small size and sheer numbers. Flying Kuro, who is just a flying cat and not a robot cat is caught in the crossfire, but is rescued by the robot cat from before. The army then takes Flying Kuro hostage. Tetsuro and Neko have a disagreement over the value of life, and the cats stop rebelling. However then all the cat robots are gassed to death. Neko is arrested but then she blows up a truck and is shot to death. Flying Kuro then walks away into space and leaves the planet behind, Tetsuro and Maetel get back on the 999 and do the same.
#16 - The One Book Left in the Universe
Season 1 - Episode 98 - Aired 12/4/1980
Tetsuro meets a couple who spend their final days writing a book about their planet blowing up. Then it does, but they finish the book and launch it into space, while they burn to death inside a tree house.
#17 - The Four-Dimensional Elevator
Season 1 - Episode 99 - Aired 12/11/1980
Tetsuro gets lost taking an elevator that takes him to the fourth dimension. Maetel rescues him and he shoots a flashy dude who turned out to be a cyborg, then they get out and happilly continue on.
#18 - The Monster of the Loose Zone
Season 1 - Episode 100 - Aired 12/18/1980
The train passes through a loose zone where everyone becomes loose and lazy and otherwise irresponsible. Tetsuro gets thrown out of the train somehow and the Conductor and the train are too lazy to look for him. Maetel is virtually unaffected. Tetsuro then ends up in a giant trash heap where he is chased by a monster made of trash. Eventually Maetel rescues Tetsuro on an uninhabited garbage planet. When the 999 leaves a much larger garbage monster attacks it but then collapses.
#19 - The Planet of the Queen's Rebellion
Season 1 - Episode 102 - Aired 1/8/1981
Tetsuro travels to a planet where humans evolved from bees and hornets, and the two of them are poised to have a war. Tetsuro tries to make peace between them but just ends up thrown in jail. Then an all out War starts. Everyone dies but a film is left behind. Tetsuro and Maetel continue on.
#20 - The Continent of Sakezan
Season 1 - Episode 29 - Aired 4/5/1979
Sakezan is the only human living in a jungle world named after him. He is a parody of Tarzan and, as his name suggests, is very fond of saké. Sakezan captured Maetel when the 999 took a quick stop there and she became her slave/companion. In an attempt to rescue her, Tetsuro was defeated by Sakezan and ended up in a prison cell.
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#21 - The Gimme Planet of 1,765,000,000 People
Season 1 - Episode 74 - Aired 5/8/1980
The Gimme Planet was the next stop of the 999. It is a planet where begging was the only way of life. Maetel explained to Tetsuro that in the past, the planet was divided into an impervished working class, and an extremely corrupt ruling class. Idleness eventually became the only means to combat corruption, so everyone on the planet turned to begging. Two beggars, Ikari and Nasake, could not tolerate the attitude of the people and became bandits. They sneaked into the 999, robbed the train and took Tetsuro hostage. However, Tetsuro was persuaded by their determination of not willing accepting charity, and his convinced the Conductor to disconnect their car so that they could go free to another planet. Maetel told him that, though their future is unknown, his trust and friendship gave them hope to start a new life.
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#22 - The Pioneer from the River of Purgatory
Season 1 - Episode 71 - Aired 3/27/1980
The River of Purgatory was a barren planet, and crops often grew with great difficulty. Almost all of the pioneers sent to the planet either died or left. Gombei and Yosaku, father and son, were the only two left on the planet. While Gombei kept on ploughing the field, believing that one day his hard work would prevail, Yosaku wanted to leave the planet. A giant bird flew to Gombei's field and picked Gombei's crops. Though Tetsuro managed to chase it away, it came back and started eating off Yosaku's field. Gombei tried to drive it off but was injured. Seeing this, Yosaku came to his father's defense. Tetsuro gave the fatal blow to the bird, and Yosaku, decided to remain on the planet, and worked the land until it became fertile.
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#23 - The Idle One's Mirror
Season 1 - Episode 59 - Aired 12/27/1979
The 999 stopped on the planet Idle One's Mirror, where everything is automated by machines. Tetsuro disembarked the train alone, and was taken by an automated taxi around the city. Once the taxi brought him to a residential area, he found out that the all residents are obese from the lack of physical work.
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#25 - Queen of the Primitive Planet
Season 1 - Episode 23 - Aired 2/15/1979
The 999 arrives at the Battle Torn Planet, a planet that was split in two due to arguments over whether the planet should be scientifically advanced or primitive. Soon after disembarking, Tetsuro is kidnapped and Maetel is viewed as Queen by the planet's primitive occupants.
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