Maetel

Maetel is a mysterious tragic woman from the Galaxy Express 999.

Production
Maetel was created to be an attractive character without unneeded fan-service like in some shonen manga, portraying a mature yet beautiful adult character that is warm and comforting. Maetel herself is modeled after Takako Kusumoto, the granddaughter of Philipp Franz von Siebold who was also modeled for Starsha from Space Battleship Yamato. However over time, some of Maetel's other traits such as the ideal she represents was modeled after Kaoru Yachigusa, an actress known for her membership of Takarazuka Revenue and her successful career after her departure as well as Tokiko Kato, a singer.

Appearance
Maetel has the standard appearance of many major women designed by Leiji Matsumoto: tall, willowy, beautiful, long flowing blonde hair, long eyelashes, and narrow eyes with Maetel's colored brown. She is best known for wearing a black dress coat with a long black hat and boots that have a mourning theme. Alternatively her clothes have appeared as white when she was younger, blue (Cosmo Warrior Zero), or even fuchsia (Space Symphony Maetel) in some circumstances. During times of relaxing such as at a hotel's pool, Maetel wears a one piece swimsuit while wearing a black bikini on worlds that have higher temperature.

Body Status
Maetel's body on whether it is flesh and blood or a highly advanced Machine Body has been long debated. When put under an X-ray she showed a skeleton. However, it was later revealed that Maetel conceals her body's inner workings through camouflage underwear and through a pendant. On Pluto, Maetel was also seen being teary eyed on a body that resembled her own and some iterations wanted her mind to be back inside of it. Maetel had also refused to get a Machine Body after her mother's decision for all of La Maetel's citizens, putting this status into further debate. Some people speculate that Maetel is able to control android bodies from her real body like Promethium and Emeraldas. Other people say that Maetel's body is cloned from people who appear similar to her such as Kanae Hoshino. When the debate was brought up to Leiji Matsumoto, he commented that Maetel is "human" but given how the concept is so vague with Matsumoto's works, this only furthers questions. It is also possible that given the nature of her work, Maetel prefers to keep her body's status a secret so as not to take sides.

Personality
Maetel is known for her calm and caring nature while also contrasting her mysterious motives and unhesitating towards anyone who would do her or anyone under her care harm. Maetel admires people of true courage and passion and dislikes the related emotions of bravado, arrogance, and anger seeing them as self-destructive means to an end. As such, Maetel is highly against anyone who would do any action merely on the act of self-preservation and implores people who have not fallen such as her escortee Tetsuro Hoshino to look at people's perspective from an insightful point of view.

When she was younger, Maetel still had her view on true strength, rejecting her mother's plan to convert every person on La Metal into androids. Yet she was rather naive and wanted to take any chance to reconnect with her mother in spite of Emeraldas' protests. Her numerous battles and encounters with Emeraldas, Captain Harlock, and Tochiro Oyama leads Maetel to become a hardened yet compassionate person who seeks to find the very best of people who can find an enlightenment beyond what has become established.

Parents
Maetel was once very close with her mother, Queen Promethium, even after their fallout Maetel tried her best to reconnect with her. When it comes to her father Dr. Ban however, Maetel blames him for his part in her mother's conversion into a monster. In spite of this, she keeps his consciousness in a pendant and brings him along on her journey to find a person to bring to end Promethium's reign to fulfill both of their wishes. Because of how things turned out with her mother, this in turn made her bitter towards anyone with a similar mindset.

Emeraldas
Maetel has always been close to her sister Emeraldas despite their differences. While Maetel dislikes conflict compared to the more aggressive Emeraldas, she can always rely on Emeraldas whenever things get bad.

Conductor
After joining the Galaxy Express 999, Maetel maintained a healthy relationship with the conductor. They share a mutual trust when it comes to the train and its guests.

Tetsuro Hoshino
Maetel met Tetsuro after his mother was killed by human hunters. Maetel allowed Tetsuro the choice of gaining a Machine Body by riding on the Galaxy Express to the final destination. While this was mainly because she was forced to find a new Living Screw for the Machine Empire, Maetel respected Tetsuro's desire for a machine body since it was his mother's wish for him to gain eternal life. While not completely into the idea due to her past with the Machine Empire, Maetel instead has Tetsuro gain insight on the nature of the subject and make a decision on whether he wants to go through with the procedure or not. Maetel is also very protective of Tetsuro whenever he is threatened. Their overall relationship is very similar to a mother and son (ironic considering many female characters including Maetel and Tetsuro's mother resemble each other).

Harlock and Tochiro
Maetel encountered Harlock and Tochiro during her final stand against La Metal. Maetel respects Harlock as a man who can decide his own destiny regardless of circumstance and Tochiro for his love of life and its endless possibilities. Maetel would later encounter Harlock again several times with Tetsuro with both of them agreeing that their paths in life influence each other and how Tetsuro brings back good memories of the late Tochiro.

Abilities and Equipment
Maetel being a La Metalian has an exceptionally long lifespan able to live for thousands of years without illness or apparent signs of age. Maetel's brain is altered to interact with computers of complex machines like the 999 allowing them to interact with her and even guide ships. Her physical abilities are also impressive as she is able to move away from lasers before they are fired and could even tear off superalloy chains off of Tetsuro. Her many experiences made Maetel into a powerful and thorough person who can get out of most situations.

Weaponry
Maetel is very skilled at handling weapons particularly with guns such as the rifle mode of the Gravity Saber enabling her to fight on equal footing her sister as well the powerful Dimension Recoil Gun. Her marksmanship is so great that the best of Machine Bodied humans cannot keep up with her. Maetel is also skilled with a whip, particularly the Blitz Whip she carries that can destroy a 30 cm thick wall, grasp objects from afar, and can even be used as a sword. Maetel often uses the Blitz whip with a ring that can shoot powerful beams.

Immune System and Healing Factor
Maetel has a high tolerance to alcohol, able to stay conscious even after ingesting the strongest drinks. While Maetel can still be injured, she is able to heal from most injuries with rest as well as the pendant she carries.

Music
Maetel has been shown to be play instruments including the flamenco guitar, often with the Revolt of C62.

Trunk
Maetel's carries a special trunk that stores her belongings including clothes as well as serve as a communication device.

Pendant
Maetel is in possession of a pendant that contains the 'soul' of Dr. Ban who helps keep Maetel's true identity a secret and gives her instructions on some tasks. The pendant also has the power to destroy La Metal by taking control of the central computer.

Other Equipment
Maetel in some incarnations is in possession of items such as a dream sensor that can help and monitor people's dreams, earrings that can be used as bombs including flash and smoke bombs, and a palm-sized communication device.

Etymology
Maetel's name came from the Greek word for mother referring to her relationship with Tetsuro; it is also has some features from the word for machine and the English word Metal referring to her origins.

Trivia

 * Maetel's clothing is symbolic of her age as well as mindset throughout the times of her life:
 * Maetel's white clothes in Maetel Legend represent her younger and more innocent self before her world started to crumble.
 * Maetel's red and black clothes represent her still young but no longer naive mindset after accepting the horrible outcomes of her past.
 * Maetel's blue clothes represent her growth by getting involved in major events.
 * Maetel's iconic black clothes represent an experienced life as well as a mourning for her mother who by this point is no longer similar to who she once was.
 * In the French version of the Galaxy Express 999 animated series, Maetel is called Marina. In an earlier version, She is called Manéta.