Tochiro Oyama

Tochiro Oyama is a major character in the overall lore of series by Leiji Matsumoto, in spite of being dead in most of them. In most of his appearances, he is the best friend of Captain Harlock and the creator of the space battleship Arcadia. He is also the lover of Emeraldas and the father of Mayu. He is well known for his short height and his sheer tenacity. Even after death, Tochiro left behind a legacy that was picked up by others.

Appearance
Tochiro is modeled after Noboita Oyama from Otoko Oidon. Tochiro is very short and stout, as such he cannot use kinetic guns very well. He wears large round glasses over his eyes that cover his irises. He has shoulder length wavy hair. When shown, Tochiro has a big grin and teeth. For clothing he is always seen wearing a brown weary poncho and a hat filled with bullet holes. The very same hat was later inherited by Tetsuro Hoshino.

Personality
Tochiro was well known for his love of what life had to offer, managing to live out through the bad and never take anything for granted. He had a love for machines that stretches throughout many parts of his life, having a keen interest in pieces that are considered antiques. Tochiro had a belief that waste and play were necessary even in times of crisis, building the Death Shadow Island as a way to both keep supplies but also relax and enjoy life.

He was a drinker, keeping a stash of wine nearby him for use. In spite of his jolly nature, Tochiro was stated not to be very hygienic almost refusing to wash his clothes and usually had to be stripped down to his underwear by others to wash up.

While Tochiro's appearance and mannerisms suggest both naivety and idiocy, he was best known for his great tenacity and beliefs. When met with hostile force, Tochiro would confront them with adamancy, withstanding anything from both physical wounds or outright humiliation. This showed his deep love for planet Earth in spite of how far the government powers had fallen, and why Harlock decided not to attack Earth directly. He also had a very deep sense of honor and justice, refusing to turn his back on an enemy and would never allow an unneeded sacrifice of a precious partner. At times, Tochiro would comfort a depressed friend and even offer a drink to them while offering some words of solace. It were these traits that earned Tochiro the love and admiration of Harlock, Emeraldas, and many more.

Relationships
Due to his loving attitude as well as his tenacity, Tochiro made many close relationships with people throughout the known galaxy while also leaving an everlasting impression on them after his death.

Captain Harlock
Tochiro and Harlock have been best described as lifelong best friends. When Tochiro was still alive, they were hardly ever seen apart. Their relationship seems to even extend to their ancestors from years time by centuries. Ever since he and Harlock took the Death Shadow, they traveled the far reaches of space looking for their freedom and place. By the time Tochiro died, he left Harlock the Arcadia as well as a few keepsakes to continue their journeys. Harlock in turn grew to respect Tochiro's view on life as well as Earth in spite of all the hardships and torment they were put through. What even Harlock does not know is that Tochiro was always with him and the Arcadia literally in spirit as his mind was uploaded to the Arcadia itself, acting as a guiding system as well as an emergency auto pilot in times of crisis. This act showed Tochiro's desire to stay by his friend's side, even after his body gave out.

Family
Tochiro's family life is best described as complicated as there was not much to go on or the contradictory history of the Leijiverse. However his mother Setsuko kept Tochiro's hat in memory of him even as she had traveled all the way to Neptune before giving it to Tetsuro as he had reminded her about Tochiro's nature as well as his dreams. He was also rather close with his sister Shizuku, having loved him dearly. While never getting to personally know his daughter Mayu, Harlock had always made sure Mayu knew what her father meant to him and others.

Emeraldas
Tochiro was rather awkward around women especially when they attracted him. Emeraldas herself did not have a good first impression of Tochiro. However, Tochiro's good nature and tenacity started to have a very good impression on Emeraldas, shown when Tochiro would risk everything for her or anyone close to them. They eventually became lovers and even sired a daughter named Mayu. However due to their lifestyles and personal wishes, they seemed to have been doomed to be apart. After Tochiro's death, Emeraldas continues to think about him; remembering the times she fell in love with him as well as see how people begin to influence her the same way Tochiro did.

Others
Tochiro was a major influence in the people he had met in life including Miime, the bird that stays with Harlock, and even Emeraldas' sister Maetel. His positive feelings made them all feel close to him while inspiring them to continue to go on with their own lives.

Abilities
Tochiro has been called a genius with no bounds for his feats in engineering. Having started from the smallest and most humble of tools and antique engines, Tochiro had a fondness for classic levers and buttons as well as old style ships, implementing a galleon-like port on the Arcadia. His talents were so impressive he created a habitable zone within an asteroid with a body of water inside with the area functioning like a beach all while giving it the ability to move on a fixed course with the Arcadia. Tochiro was no slouch when it came to gunsmithing either as he developed some of the most powerful handguns in the known galaxy, the Cosmo Dragoon, a deadly weapon that can even destroy a person with a Machine Body in one shot. The technology that Tochiro developed is considered so advanced that many people thought it was impossible for someone who lived in poverty to create something that even Earth's militaries cannot replicate. This is best shown when Tochiro, before his body died out, transferred his consciousness into the Arcadia itself. It was even stated that Tochiro is one of the smartest people in the Leijiverse, with his intelligence comparable to Dr. Sanada, Dr. Adachi, Dr. Amenomori, and even Dr. Ban.

Tochiro's fighting abilities were somewhat hindered due to possessing myopia as well as his small body, making him unable to use guns at long range. At close range however, he was very powerful particularly with the Gravity Saber as either a melee or ranged weapon. In fact he was one of the very few people to equal Emeraldas in combat.