Seasons & episodes

Just as Earth officials are leaving to sign the surrender agreement, the Star Force begins its surprise undersea torpedo attack. They roust the fortress aloft. After a frantic fighter battle above Earth, in which we later learn that pilot Hardy has died, a desparate invasion task force -- Wildstar, Sandor, Conroy, Knox, et al. -- penetrates the Comet Empire through openings in the bottom side. Sandor's bionic leg is blown off the ensuing shoot-out. Sgt. Knox manages to reach the Comet Empire energy centre. He tells Wildstar and Sandor to return to the Argo, and that he will follow. Once they are outside the Comet Empire, Knox manually sets off the small hydrogen bombs that destroy the energy center (and actually Knox too, though English dialogue denies this). The Star Force launches one, final, all-out barrage against the powerless Gatlantis fortress. The rubble churns into fire. When victory is thought won, a deadly black ship, Zordar's dreadnaught, rises from the ruins. Zordar threatens to leave Invidia and General Dire behind in the exploding fortress for all their meddling (actually, in the Japanese version, he does!).

Zordar's dreadnaught blasts the Argo, then begins to incinerate Earth with its giant plasma cannon. Many of the Star Force crew are killed in this attack (including Orion and Royster) though this is not shown in the American version. Wildstar orders the surviving crew to abandon ship. Dr. Sane's line is, "We have 18 wounded, Wildstar, including Sandor. We're all ready to evacuate them in the rescue ships..." -- Sane This subtly suggests that there are 18 surviving (which happens to be the exact number of crewmembers surviving in the Arrivederci Yamato movie). Wildstar tricks Sane, locks out the controls for the rescue ship, and secretly stays behind intent on driving the Argo into Zordar's ship. Nova appears, apparently realizing what he is planning. Subtle English dialogue indicates that Wildstar plans to jump ship just before the impact, but this is not really so. He plans to go down with the ship, and Nova's unexpected presence does not seem to deter him. Wildstar admits his desire to marry Nova. The two sit down in the Captain's command console (a second chair having mysteriously appeared), and set the Argo on its final mission. The Argo, battered and nearly inoperable, slowly returns to Earth.