This is a list of the characters from the manga and anime series Knights of Sidonia by Tsutomu Nihei.
Main characters
The series main protagonist, who was raised by his grandfather Hiroki Saitō deep inside Sidonia, thus he did not undergo the special genetic treatment to develop the ability to sustain himself through photosynthesis and must eat on a daily basis like a regular human for nutrition. Later it is revealed he is actually Saitō's clone, inheriting not only engineered features like fast wound recovery and immortality, but also Saitō's natural talent as a pilot and warrior. Trained since childhood on a Garde simulator, Nagate is entrusted with Saitō's Garde, the legendary Type-17 , and just like his "grandfather," he eventually becomes Sidonias top ace, saving the ship from the Gauna invasion on several occasions. Nagate later is entrusted with most advanced units, like the first prototype of Sidonias Type-19, an upgraded version of Tsugumori, the , and the first prototype of Sidonias Type-20, labeled . Initially assigned the call number TS-028, he is later designated unit 704 when he is promoted to full pilot status. Nagate later fathers a child with Tsumugi, whose consciousness now resides in one of the captured Crimson Hawk Moth samples, after Sidonia defeats the Large Mass Union Ship and colonizes the Lem star system.
A fellow Garde pilot, ranked number two among the trainees, who Nagate meets and becomes his love interest. Initially assigned to call number TS-336, she is assigned to unit 702 when she is promoted to full pilot. She is later killed and absorbed by Gauna 490, which uses her DNA and memories to develop a powerful Garde-like Gauna known as . A placenta sample resembling her is also retrieved by Nagate, and Ochiai impregnates it using human DNA to create Tsumugi and Kanata.
A Gauna/human hybrid created by Kunato Developments for fighting against the Gauna. Tsumugi is similar in size to a Garde, but has a Gauna-like appearance in the shape of a young woman wearing a dress. Tsumugi eventually becomes friends with Nagate and Izana, usually interacting with them using a tentacle she sneaks in through the ship's ventilation system while the rest of her body stays in her chambers. Tsumugi displays a gentle, curious, child-like demeanor under most circumstances, but her prowess in combat is rivaled only by Nagate's. Just like Shizuka, she eventually develops feelings for Nagate and much to her surprise, he ends up accepting them, despite her inhuman form. Tsumugi is equipped with an organic artificial kabi cannon and retractable claws made of artificial kabi. She also has a hollow chest cavity holding an organic cockpit that allows a pilot to direct and support her in battle. Tsumugi naturally generates Heigus particles within her body and is able to easily out-fly even the most advanced Garde models. Tsumugi eventually sacrifices her hybrid body to rescue Nagate from the Lem star after his battle with Chimera Ochiai, using her body as shield to protect him from the heat. Her consciousness is later transferred to one of the captured Hoshijiro-like Gauna samples from the Crimson Hawk Moths and she enters a true relationship with Nagate, eventually giving birth to a daughter, . According to Tsumugi, Hoshijiro's memories still reside within her new body, though they are vague.
Belonging to an intersex third gender that originated during the hundreds of years of human emigration into space, Izana is also a Garde pilot and quickly becomes Nagate's best friend and eventual roommate, later falling in love with him. This attraction causes Izana's body to undergo a transformation into that of a female. Izana loses an arm and a leg during a battle against the Gauna and has them replaced with prosthetic limbs that allow her to operate complex machinery with far more skill than an ordinary person. A system is also installed on Izana's Garde unit that funnels sensor and radar information directly into her brain via her artificial arm, granting her unparalleled detection abilities surpassing even Sidonias systems. She is often assigned to recon and spotting duties in battle. Initially TS-291, Izana is later assigned to unit 723. Ten years after the destruction of the Large Mass Union Ship and Sidonias colonization of the Lem star system. Izana is one of several crew members to depart on a repaired Sidonia to parts unknown.
A friend of Nagate and Izana, who later develops feelings for Nagate and competes with Izana for his attention. Initially a Garde pilot in-training with the call number TS-256, Yuhata is promoted to commander's aide after Seii returns to full-time piloting duty, eventually moving into Nagate's home. Yuhata makes a hobby of building and customizing plastic model kits of Garde units in a spare time. Ten years after Sidonia colonizes the Lem star system, Yuhata becomes commander of a repaired Sidonia, which continues on in search of more planets to colonize.
A gynoid developed with the purpose of avoiding detection from the Gauna, she is the sole survivor of a colonization expedition on the planet Lem VII. Despite refusing Nagate's help, claiming that he is responsible for the Gauna attacking Sidonia, she is rescued by him nonetheless and, without a place to return to, she is taken under his guard. Teruru claims to be unconcerned towards Nagate, but her actions usually imply otherwise. She later joins the war effort as the pilot of one of Sidonias new Mizuki-class warships. Her body has a special automatic defense mechanism built in, which activates when she feels threatened or flustered. This causes her artificial skin to harden, leaving her with a more robotic, puppet-like appearance. Being a machine, Teruru is able to survive in the vacuum of space without support, even if her body is severely damaged. Teruru is one of several crew members who decide to stay on the repaired Sidonia, departing to search for more planets to colonize.
Garde pilots
A fellow male Garde pilot with long white hair, heir of Kunato Developments, the company developing the Type-18 Gardes that currently compose the majority of Sidonias main force. Norio ranked first during pilot training and had little respect for other trainees, developing a rivalry with Nagate given the special treatment he receives, unaware of his background or circumstances. He is initially assigned the call number TS-001, and is later assigned to unit 701 before becoming unable to pilot out of anxiety from guilt for directly causing Hoshijiro's death. His body is later taken over by Ochiai's mind and discarded once Ochiai's plan to transfer his mind to Kanata's body is complete. Norio barely survives, albeit with no memories of his time under Ochiai's control, and becomes a pilot once more. Having trained on a Tsugumori combat simulator since childhood just like Nagate, Kunato is entrusted with the Tsugumori Custom 2 after Nagate receives the more advanced Yukimori. Kunato is one of several crew members to stay on Sidonia once it is repaired.
A brown-haired female Garde pilot with the call number TS-290, Yamano is hostile and curt towards Nagate and is similarly cold and unfriendly towards her other squadmates. Yamano is in Nagate's squad during his first mission outside Sidonia and is quickly killed by the target Gauna, making her the first Gauna-related death in a century. Said Gauna takes on her form, causing much distress for her squadmates and causing Nagate to experience recurring nightmares until he eliminates the Gauna.
Leader of the Akai squad and designated unit 001. He was the youngest Gravity Cup winner and held it for 13 successive cups. Akai is killed along with his entire squad, including his girlfriend and Yuhata's older brother, during a Gauna attack on Sidonia.
Mochikuni Akai's girlfriend and member of his squad, designated unit 002. She is killed during a battle against Gauna 487.
Member of the Akai squad and designated unit 003. He is killed during a battle against Gauna 487.
Yuhata Midorikawa's older brother and a member of the Akai squad, designated unit 004. He is killed during a battle against Gauna 487.
Leader of the Samari squad and designated unit 005. A senior pilot and the original test pilot for the Type-19, before it was reassigned to Nagate due to an emergency. She is the highest ranked pilot following the deaths of the Akai squad, usually acting as field commander during missions. It is implied that Samari enters a relationship with Seii following the colonization of the Lem system.
Member of the original Samari squad and designated unit 006. He is killed during a battle against Gauna 492 when a Heigus particle blast is reflected back.
Leader of the Tsuruuchi squad and former member of the Samari squad, designated unit 007. A running gag is Tsuruuchi making advances on Samari just to be rejected by her with comic results. During the fight against Chimera Ochiai, Tsuruuchi sacrifices himself in an attempt to take it down. He is later discovered alive, albeit severely injured, and manages to eventually make a full recovery.
Leader of the Seii squad and designated unit 026, Seii is initially assistant commander before passing his post to Yuhata Midorikawa. Seii is one of the more serious and experienced Garde pilots. In the manga, Seii wears a distinctive vintage helmet that covers most of his face. Seii is the one who initially spreads the rumor about Samari photosynthesizing with male pilots who rack up high kill counts to boost pilot morale. It is implied that he eventually enters a relationship with Samari and fathers several children.
Leader of the Imada squad (Nakazono squad in the anime), designated unit 139. He is killed along with his squadmates units 011, 217, and 312 during the initial battle against the Crimson Hawk Moth.
Eiko Yamano's younger brother, he becomes a Garde pilot and Kunato's wingmate to avenge his sister's death. Tōtarō is later hailed as a war hero for being the one to deliver the killing shot to the Large Mass Union Ship's True Body, destroying it once and for all.
Honoka sisters Several identical clone sisters who pilots Gardes, they are chronologically five years old and have undergone accelerated growth and compressed mental training. So far twenty-two Honokas have been created, in two batches of eleven. All of the Honoka sisters possess enhanced physical strength and agility, able to leap vast distances effortlessly and cause heavy damage to objects with simple punches and kicks. Their given names are all characters that reference fire.
Oldest of the Honoka sisters, she is initially assigned the call number TS-203 and is later designated unit 703. She is critically injured in the battle against Gauna 488, the same battle Shizuka was killed in, remaining in a coma for several months. En holds some distaste for Nagate, thinking he is a pervert for walking in on her and her sisters naked more than once. She also blames him for the accident that injured her.
Pilot of unit TS-205, then unit 705. She is killed in a battle against the Crimson Hawk Moth.
Pilot of unit TS-206, then unit 706, she befriends Nagate after he helps her avenge Hō by defeating the Crimson Hawk Moth with a heavy mass bullet she saved for the occasion. She and En are often found together, with Ren being the more polite and level-headed of the two, especially where Nagate is involved. Ren defends En's behavior by stating that because of the way the Honokas are raised, they are immature despite being physically teenagers and have difficulty controlling their emotions.
Pilot of unit 707.
Pilot of unit 708.