Galaxy Express 999: The Movie

In Megalopolis, twelve-year-old Tetsuro Hoshino longs for a mechanized body advertised as eternal life. He attempts to swipe a pass for the Galaxy Express 999 but is stopped by mechanical police, losing a scarab locket in the fray. A mysterious woman who resembles his late mother intervenes, taking the locket and offering him a ticket if they travel together. Tetsuro agrees, setting his course for the 999’s voyage.

Maetel explains the ticket's condition and binds their fates as they narrowly evade pursuit. They board the Galaxy Express 999 as Earth falls away behind them. Tetsuro declares his revenge against Count Mecha for his mother's death. The journey toward the Andromeda Galaxy begins.

The first stop is Saturn’s moon Titan, terraformed with a hospitable atmosphere. During a daylight murder, Maetel is kidnapped by the Grape Valley Bandits, and Tetsuro is knocked out. An elderly woman helps him escape by arming him with Tochiro’s clothes, hat, and a gun, and teaches him more about Titan’s 'paradise law'. Antares, leader of the bandits, confronts them and hints at a larger fate tied to Count Mecha.

Antares tests Tetsuro and Maetel, confirming they are not mechanized and expressing interest in their mission. He reveals the fate of many orphans Count Mecha has taken and hints that the Time Castle will be their next appearance. Sensing the danger, they press on and prepare to seek Emeraldas for more answers about their path.

The train reaches Pluto, where the bodies of those who chose mechanization are kept in ice. Tetsuro encounters Shadow, a machine woman whose original body is kept in a glass casket. Maetel saves him from Shadow and confronts the sorrowful machine woman about choosing life as a machine or a human. They also meet Claire, a glass-bodied waitress who hopes to buy back her old body from Pluto.

The Queen Emeraldas’ ship briefly passes the train, and Tetsuro’s show of desperation draws Emeraldas aboard, where she recognizes Tochiro’s hat and Maetel’s ties to him. Emeraldas confirms Tochiro’s importance and warns that the Time Castle will next appear near Trader’s Fork. Claire pleads to pass Heavy Melder, but the Conductor refuses, intensifying the journey’s stakes.

At Trader’s Fork, Ryuzu performs in a saloon, drawing Tetsuro’s attention. An old bartender directs him to Tochiro’s downed ship, where Tochiro explains he is dying and has prepared Tetsuro for the Time Castle. Tochiro reveals the Time Castle will appear beyond Mt. Gun Frontier and urges him to shoot Count Mecha in the head. Before he dies, Tochiro’s consciousness transfers into the Arcadia, linking Tetsuro to Harlock and Tochiro’s legacy.

Tetsuro reaches the saloon and is assaulted by thugs who steal his gun. Harlock bursts in, defeats the assailants, and explains the debt he owes to Tochiro. He joins Maetel and Emeraldas, and the group steels themselves for the Time Castle’s arrival near Mt. Gun Frontier.

Tetsuro climbs toward the Time Castle, discovering the taxidermied remains of his mother inside. Count Mecha waits with his forces, while Antares returns to buy Tetsuro time and help him reach the fortress. Antares sacrifices himself when his own bullets detonate, and Ryuzu betrays Count Mecha by hesitating to advance time, leading to her death as the capsule shatters.

Tetsuro shoots Count Mecha in the head to prevent him from advancing time, and the Time Castle begins to crumble. The battle ends as Ryuzu dies, and the castle’s power fades into dust, leaving Tetsuro and his allies free to escape.

Outside, Harlock and Maetel question what Tetsuro will do now that his mother's death is avenged. He realizes revenge by killing Count Mecha is not enough and resolves to end mechanization itself, rejecting a future as a fully mechanized being. Maetel hints at deeper truths behind her identity as they prepare for their next move.

The 999 arrives at Andromeda, the mechanization homeworld, where Maetel reveals her body is an organic copy of Tetsuro’s mother and that she travels through cloning. Dr. Pan’s pendant is used to unleash enough energy to disrupt Andromeda’s mechanized empire, while Claire sacrifices herself to save Tetsuro and seemingly destroys Promethium. Arcadia and Emeraldas arrive to assist, and Maetel and Tetsuro barely escape back to the 999.

The 999 returns to Earth, where Maetel tells Tetsuro she will return to Pluto to reunite with her original body. She hints that their next meeting may find him unrecognizable. Maetel then kisses him goodbye as the train departs, leaving Tetsuro to the uncertain future of a life not yet chosen.