* Based on Tanaka Yoshiki's series of science fiction novels by the same name.

It is late into the 36th century in the ancient Christian calendar; mankind, having developed the technology to travel faster than light speed and colonize many planets, has taken a hold of space, to the point of abandoning Earth almost entirely. Two superpowers comprising almost all the human population have now for one and a half centuries waged to a long stalemate a war for interstellar supremacy: the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance.

When he was young and poor, Count Reinhard von Lohengramm, a military genius born a noble in name only, saw his sister, Countess Annerose von Grunewald, turned into an Imperial concubine; having once helplessly watched her being practically sold to Kaiser Friedrich IV as merchandise, he now seeks to crush the Emperor and free her. Meanwhile, Yang Wenli, an Alliance commander of similar calibre who really wanted to be a historian and not a soldier, wishes only for some peace and quiet; yet, as he unwillingly grows in relevance, he'll see himself duty-bound to protect the Alliance's democracy from the threat of the autocratic Empire. The collision of those two masters of tactics and strategy may bring the war to a close, provided, of course, that they aren't first backstabbed by their respective countries' rotten internal politics...

— written by Hinoe

Note: The original OVA release of mail-order VHS tapes were grouped into seasons as follows:
Season 1: 01-26 (21.12.1988 to 20.06.1989)
Season 2: 27-54 (21.06.1991 to 20.02.1992)
Season 3: 55-86 (20.07.1994 to 16.01.1995)
Season 4: 87-110 (??.09.1996 to 14.03.1997)

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Prequel: Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu: Aratanaru Tatakai no Overture
Alternative version: Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu: Die Neue These