Zentradi

The Zentradi are a militaristic extraterrestrial race of giants and often the primary antagonist in The Super Dimension Fortress Macross anime series and Robotech adaptation. It is transliterated as Zentradi, Zjentohlauedy, and Zentraedi for the Japanese Macross series, with the Zentraedi spelling being the one most used in the Robotech adaptation. In both the Macross and Robotech universes, humans and Zentradi are capable of interbreeding.

In Macross

The Zentradi were created as proxy warriors by the first civilization in the galaxy, Protoculture. As war broke out with the Supervision Army, the Zentradi entered into combat with their fearsomely powerful force of warships and legions of expendable clone troops. After the end of the war with the Supervision Army, Zentradi travelled the galaxy in search of Supervision Army survivors until they encountered the human race in the Space War I (2009-2010).

In order to better maintain control of the Zentradi, the Protoculture trained them only in the limited mix of skills which were necessary for the soldier's particular role in the Zentradi military. It seems that no Zentradi were trained in the repair and maintenance of their equipment, making them dependent on easily controlled supply stations and factory asteroids. The Zentradi were also segregated so that males and females could not mix, which might lead to love and or natural procreation. Female Zentradi are called Meltlandi, the word "Meltlan" meaning "female" in the Zentradi language. Finally, the Zentradi were forbidden culture, and instilled with orders to never interfere with culture-bearing planets and civilizations, again apparently to suppress independent thought and keep an iron loyalty in the Zentradi force.

The downfall of the Zentradi warrior culture came in Space War I, where the materially inferior but spiritually superior "Miclones" (humans) were able to reach the buried emotions of the Zentradi through their actions, especially music and acts of love and kindness.

After 2012, the Zentradi are estimated to have 1000-2000 fleets of sizes similar to the 4.8-million-ship Boddole Zer Main Fleet in Space War I. However, the UN government of allied Humans and Zentradi became the reigning hegemon in near-Earth galactic space.

Some of them use their minaturizing cloning technology known as micloning (maikuro-n ka in Japanese) to coexist with humanity.

Notable Zentradi:

Vrlitwhai Kridanik | Exsedol Folmo | Boddole Zer | Quamzin Kravshera | Milia Fallyna Jenius

Notable Zentradi-Human Hybrids:

Komilia Maria Fallyna Jenius | Guld Goa Bowman | Mylene Flare Jenius

In Robotech

The history of the Zentraedi is different in Robotech. In Robotech, the Zentraedi were created as slave clones to the Robotech Masters, to be the perfect warriors.

To control them, the Robotech Masters psychologially impaired them by orienting nearly the entire population to the sole purpose of war to the exclusion of all else. They had no arts, no learning beyond what was directly related to war; even sophisticated medical and technical skills were denied which restricted any advanced task with these skills to the automatic functions at special bases built by the Masters. In addition, the sexes were strictly segregated to minimize the chance of sexual reproduction which could profoundly alter the worldview of the race. To that end, the population was indoctrinated to view any sexual activity disgusting and dangerous.

The Zentraedi under Breetai discovered their tragic origins in 2013 (one year before the destruction of the SDF-1 and the death of Khyron) and swore enmity to their former masters; Zentraedi soldiers and spacers formed a major portion of the fleet contingent of the Robotech Expeditionary Force.

Notable Zentraedi:

Breetai | Exedore | Dolza | Khyron | Miriya Parina Sterling

Notable Zentraedi-Human hybrids:

Dana Sterling

External links

• Zentradi at the Macross Compendium
• Macross Nexus