The BEST episodes of Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden
Every episode of Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden ever, ranked from best to worst by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The best episodes of Legend of the Galactic Heroes Gaiden!
These short stories fill in the first part of the background of Reinhard von Lohengramm and Siegfried Kircheis before the start of the main Legend of the Galactic Heroes series.
#1 - The Duelist: Kapitel IV
Season 2 - Episode 22 - Aired 6/23/2000
Being pressured by Sussanna von Beenemünde and wanting to uphold his pride, the assassin who previously duelled with Reinhard von Müsel challenges him again to another duel. Reinhard, feeling equally dissatisfied with the outcome of the previous duel, accepts the challenge. Through his accurate reading of the assassin's situation and with some help provided by Siegfried Kircheis beforehand, Reinhard is able to defeat his much more skilled opponent. The assassin, unable to get over his defeat, commits suicide. Once again, Beenemünde's plot to kill Reinhard fails.
#2 - Silver-White Valley: Kapitel IV
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 2/9/1998
Reinhard von Müsel, feigning ignorance of Captain Herder's plot to kill him, tries to convince him to attack the Free Planets Alliance base on Kapche-Lanka. Herder accepts Reinhard's suggestion, thinking it as another opportunity to kill him. As the attack plan proceeds, Herder orders Reinhard and Siegfried Kircheis on a separate assignment to isolate them. He then attempts to ambush Reinhard, but is foiled when Kircheis brings the base second in command, Commander Martel, to witness Herder's act. With his crime exposed and fearing the punishment for high treason, Herder commits suicide by leaping off a valley. Although Reinhard and Kircheis are unable to expose Sussanna von Beenemünde as the mastermind for plotting their demise, they are promoted for their contributions in the successful attack on the Alliance base and are soon transferred out of Kapche-Lanka.
#3 - Silver-White Valley: Kapitel III
Season 1 - Episode 3 - Aired 2/9/1998
Reinhard von Müsel and Siegfried Kircheis successfully ambush a Free Planets Alliance tank advance unit and secure not only fuel, but also information about an upcoming Alliance surprise attack on their base. Suspecting that their base commandant Captain Herder was responsible for their predicament, they decide to wait for any of his accomplices to appear. Eventually, Lieutenant Hugenberch finds them and after he shows hostile intent, Reinhard kills him. They then return to their base and finds the surprise attack already started. Kircheis manages to disable the attacking Alliance tanks by transmitting to them a code he wrote based on stolen data from the tanks he and Reinhard previously ambushed, enabling the Imperial forces at their base to successfully counter-attack and end the Alliance surprise attack.
#4 - Disgrace: Kapitel IV
Season 1 - Episode 12 - Aired 2/12/1998
Despite admitting to Siegfried Kircheis his awareness of Christopher von Basel's role as the leader of a thyoxin trafficking organisation, Michael von Keyserling refuses to testify against him. Kircheis then visits Johanna von Basel, who reveals that she was already aware of her husband's wrongdoings and was in fact the mysterious informant who tipped the police of Kreuznach III about the imminent arrival of the leader of the thyoxin trafficking organisation.
#5 - A Hundred Billion Stars, A Hundred Billion Lights: A Dangerous Man
Season 1 - Episode 17 - Aired 9/26/1998
The Imperial attack on the Alliance rear support base continues. Despite inflicting heavy losses on the Alliance forces, the Imperial forces are unable to break through the Alliance defensive line easily due to unfavourable geography. Meanwhile, the 5th Fleet finally arrives in the vicinity of Van-Fleet 4-2, only to find itself engaging with the main Imperial fleet in Van-Fleet Starzone. Soon, the remaining Alliance fleets also converge outside Van-Fleet 4-2, and the battle turns into a chaotic mêlée as both Alliance and Imperial warships try to engage each other in the limited space around Van-Fleet 4-2.
#6 - A Hundred Billion Stars, A Hundred Billion Lights: Night of the Party
Season 1 - Episode 21 - Aired 9/26/1998
Reinhard von Müsel attends a party celebrating Admiral Grimmelshausen's recent promotion. In the party, he clashes with Hermann von Luneberg and almost gets into a fistfight with him, if not for the timely intervention from Ulrich Kesler, who is appointed by Grimmelshausen to maintain the security of his residence for the party. After both Luneberg and Reinhard depart, Grimmelshausen calls for Kesler and entrusts him with a task. Siegfried Kircheis reveals to Reinhard what he found out about Elizabeth von Luneberg's former fiancé. Kaiser Friedrich IV settles on the Lohengramm countship as the one he plans to award Reinhard with. A military campaign outside the Iserlohn Corridor is announced.
#7 - The Mutineer: Kapitel II
Season 2 - Episode 16 - Aired 4/7/2000
During a patrol in the Free Planets Alliance side of the Iserlohn Corridor, the destroyer Hameln II and the unit it is part of is ambushed by an Alliance squadron. Hameln II is struck first, and the resulting damage severely injured the captain, Lieutenant Commander Adenauer, who then passes command authority to Reinhard von Müsel, the highest ranking officer present on the bridge before losing consciousness. Reinhard immediately orders the ship to break course away from the rest of the ambushed patrol unit.
#8 - The Mutineer: Kapitel III
Season 2 - Episode 17 - Aired 5/26/2000
Lieutenant Beltram decides that there is no way to escape from the Free Planets Alliance ambush and plans to self-destruct the destroyer Hameln II and die an honourable death as an Imperial military officer, completely ignoring a plan proposed by Schmidt, an enlisted soldier who studied astrophysics before being drafted into the military. Siegfried Kircheis, after learning about Beltram's plan and his rebuffing of Schmidt, decides to release Reinhard von Müsel from detention, even if that means starting a mutiny.
#9 - Disgrace: Kapitel I
Season 1 - Episode 9 - Aired 2/12/1998
In November 795 UC, Siegfried Kircheis arrives in the artificial resort satellite Kreuznach III for a vacation, as instructed by Reinhard von Müsel, who had to remain in the Imperial capital Odin to prepare for his receiving of the countship of Lohengramm. While he is checking in at a hotel, he saves an old man from a knife-wielding drug addict. The old man turns out to be Michael von Keyserling, a disgraced former Vice Admiral who was demoted and discharged from the military after his disastrous defeat in the Battle of Arlesheim on 792 UC. Kircheis then proceeds to the local police station, where he meets Superintendent Hoffmann, who implores him to assist the local police in a major thyoxin trafficking case which he believes is related to the seemingly random assault on Keyserling. Kircheis, having nothing constructive to do in Krueznach III, reluctantly agrees.
#10 - A Hundred Billion Stars, A Hundred Billion Lights: Refugees
Season 1 - Episode 15 - Aired 9/26/1998
Walter von Schönkopf, worried that his superior Otto Frank von Wahnschaffe, the regimental commander of the Rosen Ritter who is leading the Alliance reconnaissance mission, might have encountered Imperial forces, sets off with his trusted subordinates to find him. Along the way, they discover that Hermann von Luneberg, who is revealed to be the former regimental commander of the Rosen Ritter, is commanding Imperial troops on Van-Fleet 4-2. Although they manage to rendezvous with Wahnschaffe, they are soon ambushed by Luneberg's troops and are only able to retreat after suffering considerable losses, including the life of Wahnschaffe.
#11 - A Hundred Billion Stars, A Hundred Billion Lights: Chronicle of the Aftermath of a Free-For-All
Season 1 - Episode 18 - Aired 9/26/1998
The Imperial forces attacking the Alliance rear support base succeeds in breaking into the base headquarters, inflicting heavy damage to it. Reinhard von Müsel manages to capture the Alliance base commander, Sinclair Cerebrese, alive with some help from Siegfried Kircheis. They then return to where their fleet is stationed upon receiving retreat orders. Outside Van-Fleet 4-2, the battle between the Alliance and Imperial fleets rages on inconclusively and only ends near the end of April 794 UC when both sides decide to withdraw from the Van-Fleet Starzone entirely. For his efforts, Reinhard is promoted to the rank of Rear Admiral. His superior Vice Admiral Grimmelshausen and Hermann von Luneberg are also promoted by one rank. However, Kircheis is not promoted, which infuriates Reinhard.
#12 - The Mutineer: Kapitel I
Season 2 - Episode 15 - Aired 4/7/2000
In August 791 UC, following their transfer out of Kapche-Lanka, Reinhard von Müsel and Siegfried Kircheis are posted to the destroyer Hameln II, currently docked in Iserlohn Fortress, as its chief navigator and security officer respectively. While the captain of Hameln II is impressed of their achievements and welcomed them on board, the rest of the crew are less than enthusiastic, especially the enlisted ranks who view Reinhard's position as a blatant example of favouritism. They then decide to test Reinhard by pitting him with another young enlistee, Rolf Zaidel, on a spacewalk challenge. However, when Rolf lands himself into trouble during the spacewalk, Reinhard risks his life to save him, thus earning him the respect of the enlisted ranks.
#13 - The Mutineer: Kapitel IV
Season 2 - Episode 18 - Aired 5/26/2000
Reinhard von Müsel proceeds with the plan of using a predicted solar eruption to provide the destroyer Hameln II the necessary speed boost to escape from the rapidly closing in Alliance ambush squadron. One bridge crew member, fearing that the ship will be drawn by the gravity of the star into oblivion if the predicted eruption does not occur, tries to escape in an escape pod but is prevented with the combined effort of Reinhard and Siegfried Kircheis. Meanwhile, repairs on the ship's engines are unable to be completed due to a malfunctioning thruster that has to be repaired from the exterior of the ship. Lieutenant Beltram volunteers to take on this extremely dangerous outboard mission, hoping to atone somewhat for his killing of Rolf Zaidel.
#14 - The Duelist: Kapitel III
Season 2 - Episode 21 - Aired 6/23/2000
The duel between the respective agents of the Schafhausen and Herxheimer families begins. Reinhard von Müsel, sensing a malicious intent from Herxheimer's agent, decides to heed Siegfried Kircheis's advice of leaping sideways the moment the first shot is fired; a technically legal, but frowned upon, move. Both sides thus miss their first shots. In their second shot, Reinhard manages to hit Herxheimer's agent on his right shoulder, while the latter hit Reinhard's left arm. Reinhard realises that had he not used his left arm as a stabiliser to his right hand, the bullet would have hit his chest and killed him.
#15 - Dream of the Morning, Song of the Night: Kapitel III
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 2/10/1998
Reinhard von Müsel and Siegfried Kircheis attend Karl von Reifeisen's funeral. Reinhard notes that Moritz von Haase's eulogy for Reifeisen is formal, but lacking in emotion. After offering condolences to Reifeisen's family, Reinhard confides with Kircheis on his views about the Imperial populace that has been repressed for over four centuries. At night, Reinhard receives news that his father Sebastian von Müsel has passed away. The next day, he attends the funeral of his father with Kircheis and meets up with his sister Annerose von Grünewald briefly. Upon their return to their alma mater, they are informed that another murder has occurred in the school; the victim being one of the top students of the school. After viewing the murder scene, Kircheis begins to suspect that Haase is colour-blind and that he might have committed the murders to conceal evidence of his defect.
#16 - Dream of the Morning, Song of the Night: Kapitel IV
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 2/10/1998
Reinhard von Müsel and Siegfried Kircheis revisit the location of Karl von Reifeisen's death to look for new clues. A falling bag of flour which almost crushed Reinhard gives him a brainwave and he quickly asks Kircheis to confirm something for him. Soon after that, he and Kircheis report their findings thus far to Geahard von Steger, the principal of their alma mater, and insinuate to him that the murderer is Moritz von Haase and even summoned the latter to prove his colour-blindness. However, this is just a ruse to make Steger reveal that he is the actual perpetrator.
#17 - Disgrace: Kapitel II
Season 1 - Episode 10 - Aired 2/12/1998
After his meeting with Superintendent Hoffmann, Siegfried Kircheis returns to the hotel he is staying in, only to find an invitation by Michael von Keyserling to a dinner in a restaurant as a gesture of thanks for saving his life. Kircheis decides to take up the invitation. During the dinner, he learns a little about Keyserling's past and that Keyserling is planning to meet up with his old friends, whom he says will not arrive till the next day. After the dinner, Kircheis meets up with Hoffmann again, who reveals to him that Keyserling's would-be assailant used to be a subordinate of his when he was in active service. While it is highly probable that Keyserling himself would not remember a low-ranking subordinate, their links with each other are too good to be a coincidence.
#18 - Disgrace: Kapitel III
Season 1 - Episode 11 - Aired 2/12/1998
Siegfried Kircheis is introduced by Michael von Keyserling to his old friend Christopher von Basel, a retired Vice Admiral. Kircheis notes that Basel continues to claim that he and his wife have only just arrived instead of the day before as revealed by Superintendent Hoffmann. Later the day while alone in a café, Kircheis finds a suspicious-looking man and begins to tail him. The man turns out to be a bait to trap Kircheis inside a flying ball court, where he faces five knife-wielding assailants. Kircheis holds off long enough before Hoffmann leads the local police to intervene.
#19 - A Hundred Billion Stars, A Hundred Billion Lights: Bloodstained April
Season 1 - Episode 16 - Aired 9/26/1998
Hermann von Luneberg and Reinhard von Müsel prepare for the ground assault on the Free Planets Alliance rear support base at Van-Fleet 4-2. Reinhard, who is assigned as sub-commander for this operation, is frustrated at being under the command of Luneberg despite both of them having the same rank. He is further infuriated when he receives an offer from Luneberg to work under him in the future. Meanwhile, Walter von Schönkopf, now the interim regimental commander of the Rosen Ritter, is facing numerous disadvantages in the organisation of the Alliance defence against the incoming Imperial assault, including inferior weaponry, inadequate supplies, a substantial numerical disadvantage and a lack of coordination between the Rosen Ritter and other Alliance ground-based troops. His plan is therefore to hold the line long enough for fleet reinforcements to arrive. On 6 April 794 UC, both sides finally clash with each other.
#20 - A Hundred Billion Stars, A Hundred Billion Lights: A Candidate for Comital Succession
Season 1 - Episode 20 - Aired 9/26/1998
Siegfried Kircheis returns to his hometown for a short trip to visit his parents, whom he has not met for eight years since joining the military. During his short trip, he reminisces about his childhood and unexpectedly meets up with an old acquaintance. A few days later, Kaiser Friedrich IV reveals that he is planning to award Reinhard von Müsel with a countship upon his twentieth birthday to Admiral Grimmelshausen, who concurs with the plan wholeheartedly. Within a day, news of the plan spread like wildfire throughout the Imperial Court and eventually reaches Reinhard's ears, who, in an uncharacteristic manner, looks forward to it enthusiastically. The reaction of the high nobles towards the Kaiser's plan is however one of outrage and hostility. Meanwhile, another rumour emerges in the Imperial Court, this time revolving around the background of Hermann von Luneberg.
#21 - A Hundred Billion Stars, A Hundred Billion Lights: The Sixth Battle of Iserlohn
Season 1 - Episode 23 - Aired 9/26/1998
The Sixth Battle of Iserlohn begins. The Alliance forces proceeds with Willem Holland's plan of using the main fleet as a diversion to keep the attention of the Imperial forces and allow Holland's squadron to close in to Iserlohn Fortress and breach its walls with a missile bombardment. Holland's plan works initially; however, he is intercepted by Reinhard von Müsel, who has anticipated this move. Reinhard then continues to make full use of the narrow geography of the Iserlohn Corridor and wreak havoc on the Alliance main fleet with his squadron.
#22 - The Retriever: Kapitel II
Season 2 - Episode 24 - Aired 6/23/2000
The cruiser Hässliche Entlein successfully infiltrates Free Planets Alliance space from the Iserlohn Corridor undetected. After an uneventful journey to the exit of the Fezzan Corridor, the Hässliche Entlein finally catches up with Count Herxheimer's ship. Reinhard von Müsel orders a swift attack to disable Herxheimer's ship and destroy its escort while Siegfried Kircheis leads a boarding party into Herxheimer's ship. The directional Seffle particle generator prototype is located and secured; however, the entire Herxheimer family has died, except for the Count's daughter, due to a decompression accident while trying to escape. Reinhard then orders the Hässliche Entlein and Herxheimer's ship to retreat and evade an incoming Alliance patrol squadron that is alerted by the destruction of Herxheimer's escort ship.
#23 - The Third Battle of Tiamat: Part Two
Season 2 - Episode 28 - Aired 7/21/2000
The Third Battle of Tiamat continues. The 11th Fleet under Willem Holland dominates the battlefield for a few hours with its wild "pioneer-like" tactics. However, just as it reaches its limit of expansion, Reinhard von Müsel orders his fleet to conduct a long range pinpoint attack against the heart of the 11th Fleet and succeeds in destroying a significant number of ships, including Holland's flagship Epimetheus. With the loss of its commander, the 11th Fleet is quickly routed by the other Imperial fleets. Further damage is minimised though with the timely intervention of the 5th Fleet and 10th Fleet, who cover the retreat of the surviving ships from the 11th Fleet before withdrawing completely from Tiamat Starzone.
#24 - The Retriever: Kapitel IV
Season 2 - Episode 26 - Aired 7/21/2000
Margareta von Herxheimer accepts the deal proposed by Siegfried Kircheis, in which she will reveal the access code for the directional Seffle particle generator prototype in exchange for her freedom to defect to the Free Planets Alliance along with all the assets of her family. Lieutenant Commander Bendling, an officer dispatched by Imperial Military Intelligence to oversee the entire secret mission, unlocks the prototype in the presence of Reinhard von Müsel and Kircheis.
#25 - Spiral Labyrinth: Thread from the Past
Season 2 - Episode 12 - Aired 2/25/2000
Yang Wen-li and Fyodor Patrichev, having received transfer orders out of Econia, accompany Christopf von Köfenhiller to Heinessen. During a layover on the planet Masszitt, Köfenhiller recounts his participation of the Second Battle of Tiamat and the circumstances that triggered his interest in investigating the connection between Martin Otto von Siegmeister, Christoph von Michaelsen and Bruce Ashbey. Soon after he finishes his tale, he dies in the spaceport terminal.