Macross Delta Movie 1: Passionate Walkure

n 2067, Freyja Wion marches through the snow on planet Windermere IV, vowing that she’ll join Walkure no matter what. Across the Brisingr Globular Cluster, planets are beset by the mysterious Var Syndrome that causes violent outbreaks. In response, the private military contractor Xaos set up the tactical sound unit Walkure to combat Var Syndrome with music. Now, Walkure is holding auditions on planet Ragna for a fifth members. Many young women audition and are rejected based on readings of their Bio-Fold Waves. On a Cargo Transport, two crewmen search for Freyja, who is hiding on the ship as a stowaway. On Windermere, Prince Heinz Nerich Windermere sings the Wind Song, which causes a Var outbreak on the Cargo Transport and on planet Ionideth. NUNS Nightmare Plus pilots succumb to the Var and begin attacking their allies. In response, Xaos deploys the carrier Aether and Walkure to stop the outbreak. Rookie pilot Hayate Immelmann prepares to launch alongside the other members of Delta Flight. Walkure takes to the stage and starts singing “Walkure Won’t Stop.” Delta Flight launches and begins disabling Nightmare Pluses, but they soon also come under attack from the Draken IIIs of Windermere’s Aerial Knights. Hayate has trouble with a Nightmare Plus, but Mirage Farina Jenius provides him with support. Messer Ihlefeld is attacked by White Knight Keith Aero Windermere, and Hayate is amazed watching them fight and bounce between asteroids. Three Var-infected crew corner Freyja, but Walkure’s song reaches them and stops the infection. Bogue Con-vaart asks Theo and Xao Jussila to join him in attacking Walkure, and Chuck Mustang asks Alpha and Beta Flights to intercept them. The Aerial Knights break past the Kairoses and launch missiles at Walkure, but they’re protected by the Aether’s pinpoint barriers. Bogue comes in close to finish them off, but Messer chases him away. Heinz begins singing the Wind Song again, which causes a Var resurgence. Hayate picks up Bio-Fold Waves from the Cargo Transport and decides to investigate. A Var-infected crewman comes after Freyja, but she starts singing “Love! Halation! THE WAR” to hold him back. Hayate boards the ship and comes under attack from another crewman. The members of Walkure hear Freyja’s song, which cures the infected men. Hayate asks Freyja if she’s OK and introduces himself. He says her singing was pretty good, and she collapses from hunger. As she eats onigiri provided by the crew, she tells Hayate that she left Windermere to avoid getting married and to audition for Walkure on Ragna. Hayate tells her that the auditions happened last week and no one got in. Messer and Arad Molders examine the data on the Draken IIIs, which employ visual jamming to prevent identification. Arad asks Kaname Buccaneer about Freyja, and Kaname explains that she has a high level of fold receptors. After the Aether returns to Ragna, Freyja walks with Hayate through Barrette City and thanks him. She’s amazed when she looks up at Xaos’ headquarters, the Macross Elysion, and she vows that she’ll get into Walkure. She jumps onto a signpost and vows that she wants to sing for as long as she can.

Freyja sings for her audition, although her fold receptor readings are low. Tests reveal a small level of Bio-Fold Quartz in the rune she has on her head. Kaname supervises as Freyja dances with Mikumo Guynemer, Reina Prowler and Makina Nakajima, but Freyja screws up her timing. Later, Freyja joins them on a run through the rain with a tire tied to their waists, but she slips and falls. Reina tells her that she won’t get into Walkure if this is all she’s got. Freyja gets up and starts running, but trips again. Freyja later sings again, but her fold receptor levels bottom out. Kaname wonders if Freyja is the type who performs better under pressure, like when her life is at risk. However, Mikumo thinks that Freyja lacks resolve. Hayate takes Freyja out for a night flight in her Siegfried, and he makes fun of her creepy laugh. She starts singing “When My Rune Sparkles” as he performs aerobatics. Hayate says that he feels good and lets the Siegfried go into free fall for a moment. He tells Freyja that her singing makes him feel good. Freyja responds that she wants to do the same for people as Lynn Minmay, Fire Bomber, Ranka Lee and Walkure did with their music. Messer pulls up in his Siegfried and threatens to open fire if Hayate doesn’t return to base. Mirage runs up to the flight deck, and Messer asks if she was trying to stop Hayate before he could find out. He tells her that she’s soft, and Hayate interjects that he’s the one who should be criticized. Messer answers that there’s no point, and when Freyja tries to defend Hayate, Messer responds that her carefree attitude will get her killed. Hayate states that Freyja and Mirage have nothing to do with this, and Messer answers that this is Hayate’s fault for being insubordinate, so he can either follow orders or leave. Freyja returns to the dorm and is teased by Makina and Reina for being out on a secret nighttime date. Kaname explains that they’re having a Walkure welcome party, so they all go for a swim in the pool, but naked. Freyja feels nervous as Reina gropes her and Makina looks over her body. Makina is reminded of when she started out, and Kaname mentions that she began as a solo idol, but never got a big break. Freyja asks for more info, and Kaname explains that Lady M was forming a music unit at Xaos, and she joined because she figured she could at least sing again. Kaname asks Makina why she joined, and Makina answers that though she hails from a long line of mechanics, she also loved singing and dancing. Makina says she was naïve about how things would go, and early on she didn’t get along with Reina. An early member quit, and Walkure started becoming more popular after Makina designed colorful new outfits. Kaname starts singing “Teary-Eyed” and is joined by Makina, Reina and Freyja. Freyja cries after hearing what everyone went through, and Kaname mentions that another member quit, which is when Mikumo showed up. She was added to the group without an audition, but everyone quickly recognized the power of her singing. Everyone then hears Mikumo singing from a nearby rock.

Later, the team deploys on a mission and Mikumo asks Freyja what feeling she sings with. Mikumo tells Freyja to answer with her songs and warns that if she can’t accomplish that, Walkure doesn’t need her. Walkure’s Shuttle enters an atmosphere, and Delta Flight performs a flyby with a trail of lights. The members of Walkure jump out of the Shuttle and land on stage for their concert, but Freyja flubs her landing and hits the floor. Mikumo announces that they’re going to sing “Change!!!!!” and then tells Freyja that she’s done for if she screws up. Elaborate visual effects show each member dancing on free floating glowing cubes. Roid watches the concert from Windermere and orders the Aerial Knights to attack. The Aerial Knights fly by the concert stage and disrupt Walkure’s multi-drone plates. Nearby, Zentradi soldiers hear Heinz’s Song of the Wind and succumb to Var Syndrome. Suddenly, NUNS and Zentradi soldiers attack  Delta Flight and Walkure, and Arad orders his people to return fire. Hayate and Mirage wonder if there’s another way to stop the NUNS and Zentradi pilots instead of killing them, but Messer tells them this is a populated area and that the pilots knew what kinds of risk they were signing up for. Messer dodges missile barrages from the Jussila brothers and gives chase, but Keith then arrives to provide them backup. Kaname pushes Freyja off a building before a missile hits it, and Freyja tumbles down to street level. A Regult Type-104 fires a barrage of missiles at Mikumo, but she emerges unharmed. As Messer chases Keith, he struggles against Var Syndrome. Mikumo leads everyone in singing “Forbidden Borderline,” and Freyja feels an overwhelming desire to sing. A Super Glaug targets Freyja, but Hayate’s Siegfried knocks it aside. Hayate picks up Freyja with one of the Siegfried’s hands and tries to protect her while dodging attacks from the Super Glaug, a Regult Type-104 and Type-106. Mikumo sings directly to a Queadluun-Rhea pilot and causes him to return to normal. Walkure’s singing also causes several Nightmare Plus pilots to return to their senses. Freyja’s singing causes Hayate to feel like he’s riding the wind. Messer returns to normal and lands on the ground to protect Kaname from the Aerial Knights. Reina scans Freyja and detects that her fold receptors are active. Ernest calls Delta Flight and tells them this was all a diversion because Windermere just occupied planet Voldor with no resistance. The Aerial Knights then drop the visual camouflage on their Draken IIIs and reveal themselves publicly. A large hologram of Roid appears and announces that the Kingdom of Windermere is declaring war against the New UN Government. 

Messer later wakes up from a nightmare where he recalled his Var infection and the destruction of his planet. Kaname calls Messer and thanks him for saving them so many times. Arad conducts a briefing for Walkure and Delta Flight, explaining that King Grammier of Windermere recently died and was succeeded by his 12-year-old son, Heinz, which has shaken up the political structure. Mikumo asks Freyja if she’s a Windermerian spy but then says she probably wouldn’t make much of a spy. Arad moves on and states that Lady M believes that Windermere is responsible for the Var outbreaks and that the purpose could be to use mind control on people. He notes that Voldor surrendered without resistance, and Mikumo recalls hearing a boy singing at the time. Freyja thinks about it and is reminded of the Singer of the Stars, an old Windermerian myth. After the Aerial Knights return to Windermere, Roid tells Keith that he plans to activate the Protoculture ruins to boost Heinz’s singing. Roid also tells Keith that one of their own, Freyja, is part of Walkure, so it’s only a matter of time before humans examine her rune and learn about the connection between music and the Protoculture ruins. Before that happens, Roid wants to activate all the Protoculture ruins in the Brisingr Global Cluster to complete the Fold Wave Amplification and Transmission Field. Roid believes that because Windermerians can detect Bio-Fold Waves through their runes, it makes them the rightful heirs to the Protoculture. Keith doesn’t care about the galaxy and says the skies of Windermere are enough for him. Elsewhere, Bogue visits the graves of his family and vows to avenge them all. Hermann Kroos asks fellow Aerial Knight Kassim Eber-hardt how old he is, and Kassim answers 32, which Hermann notes exceeds the average Windermerian lifespan of 30 years. At the Rag-Nyan Nyan restaurant on Ragna, Makina tells Mirage, Hayate and Reina that they should plan a surprise party to cheer up Freyja because she feels saddened by Windermere’s declaration of war. Makina notes that it’s Freyja’s birthday in two days, so she volunteers herself and Reina to plan the party. Chuck offers to handle the catering, and Makina reminds everyone to bring a present. The next day, Hayate and Mirage go to the mall to find a present, but he has no idea what Freyja likes aside from singing and apples. Mirage asks Hayate if he likes Freyja, and he answers that she’s not boring and he never gets tired of watching her. Later, the restaurant is decorated for the party, and everyone is surprised to see Messer there on crutches. Hayate hasn’t arrived, and Mirage wonders if he’s still looking for a present. Freyja walks into the darkened restaurant and is surprised by the party because she actually forgot it was her birthday. She notices Hayate’s absence, and Mikumo arrives to sing “Happy Birthday” to Freyja, which everyone else joins in on. Chuck presents Freyja a cake for her to blow out the candles, and she thanks everyone for what they’ve done. Elsewhere, Hayate hurries back to the restaurant. Freyja tells everyone that when she was young, she was exposed to Earth music and loved it, but then the war happened seven years ago and everything changed. Even though Freyja lost her parents, she still had her songs, so when she heard that Walkure saves people with music, she knew she had to join. Freyja is happy to see Hayate arrive and says that turning 15 is an important event for a Windermerian because it’s the midpoint of their life. People go outside and are surprised to see snow, which Hayate set up with snow generators. Hayate wishes Freyja a happy birthday as she lays in the snow and looks up at the stars. Freyja’s rune begins shining, and she sings “God Bless You” to Hayate. Freyja and Hayate then toss snowballs at each other, and Mikumo tells Kaname she has no memory of anyone ever celebrating her birthday. She adds that she also has no memories of her parents or of growing up. Messer shows Kaname his bracelet that plays her old song “AXIA,” and he explains that the song saved him two years ago when he nearly succumbed to Var. He says that her singing means everything to him, but he can’t protect her anymore. 

On the Macross Elysion, Ernest tells Kaname that Messer’s test results show that repeated exposure to Var has damaged his organs, so his body can’t take anymore. Kaname asks Ernest if he knew, and he explains that he and Arad got special permission from Lady M for Messer to fly. Kaname thinks that they went too far, and Ernest agrees. Keith remembers meeting Roid when he got buried under snow as part of his Aerial Knights hazing. At a Xaos briefing, Arad explains that during the battle on Al Shahal, Bio-Fold Waves were detected from the Protoculture ruins. Xaos believes that Windermere is using the power of the ruins to amplify their mind control song. Their next mission is to infiltrate Windermere-controlled Al Shahal and have Walkure activate the ruins to collect readings. Walkure announces on the Galaxy Network that they plan to hold a virtual concert since the Windermerian occupation of the Brisingr Cluster prevents them from doing in-person anti-Var concerts. Walkure opens the concert with “Love! Halation! THE WAR” and Arad comments to Chuck about how the broadcast data contains a hidden virus created by Reina. Arad explains to Hayate that the virus will spread throughout the Galaxy Network to any connected device. A video of Makina in sexy lingerie goes on sale during the concert, generating extra revenue for Xaos. On a Windermerian battleship, Bogue yells at some soldiers for watching the Walkure concert, and he quickly becomes flustered while watching Reina. The virus spreads throughout the entire Brisingr Cluster, creating a wide-scale communication failure. At this time, Delta Flight and the Walkure Shuttle enter Al Shahal’s atmosphere and head toward the Protoculture ruins. Walkure’s singing catches Heinz’s attention, and Roid tells him to sing the Wind Song to counter them. Heinz’s singing causes a reaction at the ruin and causes two gigantic Protoculture structures to appear on Windermere and Al Shahal. Mikumo suddenly has a flash of different memories. Freyja’s hand starts to crystallize, and everyone is knocked back on both sides. The Aerial Knights open fire on Delta Flight, and Chuck regrets that they don’t have Messer with them. Keith chases after Hayate, and he dodges Hayate’s attacks when Hayate maneuvers behind him. Keith damages Hayate’s Siegfried but gives up pursuit when he senses Messer’s approach. Arad asks Messer what he’s doing, and Messer answers that he heard what happened. Bogue shoots at Kaname, but Messer knocks him aside and protects her. He then asks Kaname to sing for him before he’s fully turned by Var. Messer takes off as Kaname sings “AXIA,” and his Var-influenced state allows him to dodge Aerial Knight attacks. Messer and Keith chase each other in the sky and fire barrages of missiles at each other. Hayate and Chuck are shocked that Messer turned Var but is somehow still in control. Messer damages Keith’s Draken III, and Keith sees that he can ride the wind too. Keith sacrifices a Lil Draken for defense and fires a pinpoint shot from a cannon at Messer’s cockpit, but Messer dodges at the last second. Messer bleeds profusely as he presses his attack, further damaging Keith. Messer’s Siegfried then crashes near the ruins, and he bleeds out in Kaname’s arms. As he dies, Messer tells Kaname that he could hear her song. Hayate and Mirage suffer damage from Aerial Knight attacks. Just then, the Protoculture battleship Sigur Berrentzs de-folds above the ruins.

On Ragna, Ernest meets with Arad and Chuck to outline the situation: Messer was killed in action, and the Windermerians captured Walkure, Hayate and Mirage. Ernest tells Arad that the Protoculture structures have appeared at ruins on seven planets, including Ragna. Roid then broadcasts a statement that the activation of Protoculture ruins confirms that the Windermerians are the successors of the Protoculture. He then announces that Walkure has joined the fight against the New UN Government. Kaname tells Freyja and Reina that they have to keep it together because they’re Walkure. The three are then taken by guards to see Roid, and Kaname demands to know where Makina and Mikumo are. Roid explains that Makina is receiving medical attention and that analysis by scientists confirmed that Mikumo is a clone. Reina notes that cloning is banned by the Galactic Treaty, but Roid says humans have broken that treaty before. Roid concludes that they didn’t know that Mikumo is a clone of Windermere’s Singer of the Stars, which was made possible by New UN Spacy stealing the genetic material seven years ago. Roid believes that NUNS handed over the genetic material to Xaos’ Lady M, which resulted in the creation of Mikumo as a musical weapon. Keith tells them that their singing and the creation of Bio-Fold Waves could be weaponized, and Freyja counters that not all humans are bad. Bogue angrily interjects that humans started the war seven years ago, and Roid asks Freyja if they’re worth risking her life for. He then pulls up videos of groups of people denouncing Freyja and the rest of Walkure as traitors. Roid says that if Walkure and Heinz joined forces, their songs could spread across the entire Milky Way Galaxy. He also says that using Mikumo’s genetic information could halt and possibly reverse Freyja’s crystallization. Roid asks again if it’s worth risking their lives for humans, and Freyja answers that even if her rune’s wind fades and it’s just for one person, Walkure will always sing. Roid orders the guards to place them in solitary confinement, and Keith tells Kaname that he heard her song and felt the Grim Reaper’s noble wind. The Macross Elysion takes off from Ragna to launch a surprise attack on Windermere. Ernest addresses the crew and says that it’s believed their prolonged exposure to Walkure’s music will protect them from Var Syndrome. Roid tells Keith that Heinz’s Bio-Fold Waves are extraordinary, but Mikumo’s are even stronger, so he thinks studying Walkure could help cure Heinz. Roid is informed that an incoming enemy fleet has been detected. Elsewhere, Hayate and Mirage sneak around on a Windermerian battleship, which they were able to infiltrate after ejecting from their planes in EX-Gear. They conclude that Walkure must be on a different ship, and Hayate tells Mirage that they have to carry on for Messer’s sake. The Macross Elysion de-folds near Al Shahal’s asteroid belt, followed by sister ships Macross Grasion and Macross Megasion, along with other ships. Ernest signals the start of Operation Ragnarok, and Arad and Chuck take off in their Armored Siegfrieds. The Macross Elysion destroys a Windermerian ship as it tries to break through the asteroid field. Arad unleashes a barrage of missiles to clear the way, and the three Macrosses transform and fire their Macross Cannons at Sigur Berrentzs. An energy barrier protects Sigur Berrentzs, and Hayate and Mirage spot Messer’s Siegfried in a hangar. Hayate gets in the Siegfried’s cockpit and finds it has printed photos of Delta Flight and Walkure, along with Messer’s old unit, which Mirage heard got wiped out by Var. Hayate is surprised to see Messer smiling in the older photo, and Mirage thinks he was fighting on for the sake of his fallen comrades. She also thinks he did the same for them, which is why he showed up and sacrificed himself. Hayate realizes that Messer was more than a Grim Reaper and didn’t have to play the tough guy.

Roid takes Mikumo to the Protoculture stage and tells her she’s now the Singer of the Stars. Mikumo refuses to cooperate, so Roid utters a phrase known only to the royal family – “Rudanjaar Rom Mayan.” Upon hearing the phrase, Mikumo comes under Roid’s control and starts singing the Star Song. A large hologram of Mikumo appears over Sigur Berrentzs, which fires its cannons and destroys the Macross Megasion. Hayate and Mirage notice that even Windermerian soldiers are being controlled by Mikumo’s song. Mirage steals a Draken III and changes its IFF code and its color scheme to her purple colors. Mikumo sings “Do You Remember Love?” and Freyja, Reina and Kaname each sense something wrong about her singing. Hayate and Mirage escape from the battleship and head for Sigur Berrentzs. Ernest is informed that abnormal Fold Waves have been detected at the Protoculture structure on Ragna. Sigur Berrentzs folds to Ragna, but its fold bubble brings with it Chuck, Arad and the two Macrosses. Roid connects his runes to a device that emits waves of energy. Keith asks what’s going on, and Roid declares that he’ll activate the Protoculture System and link the consciousnesses of all people. The Bio-Fold Network will create one gigantic intelligence and become the ultimate form of life intended by the Protoculture. Ernest sees that Roid intends to spread the Star Song to the entire galaxy to put everyone under mind control. Roid takes control of the Macross Grasion’s crew and has them open fire on the Macross Elysion, causing it to crash into the ocean. Mikumo says that this is who she is and what she was created for. Freyja reaches out to Hayate, and he repeats her name despite being under mind control. Freyja starts singing, and Hayate hears it through the fold quartz in his necklace. Hayate breaks free of the mind control and flies toward Sigur Berrentzs. Reina and Kaname join Freyja in singing “If I Love Only Once” and manage to break out of their cells. They get shot at by guards, but they keep singing and walk through the hail of bullets that misses them. Makina wakes up and is rescued by Reina. Mikumo hears their singing, and Roid issues orders to stop Walkure. Two Draken IIIs blast open the hull near Walkure and target them, but Hayate comes to the rescue. Mirage arrives to provide backup when fresh enemies attack. The four other members of Walkure stand on the surface of a battleship and tell Mikumo that she’s not alone. She wants to sing with them and regains control of herself. Hayate and Mirage destroy several Draken IIIs to protect Walkure, and she engages in melee combat with Bogue. Reina notes that all their Fold Receptors are off the scale, and Makina wonders if Lady M created Mikumo to control the Protoculture System. Mikumo says it doesn’t matter because music isn’t a weapon of war. Walkure starts singing “Absolute 5,” and Hayate vows to risk his life to protect Freyja’s song. Roid says that people will be able to live forever once the galaxy is connected, and he starts emanating a sorrowful wind that causes people to collapse. Freyja jumps off the battleship and sings for Hayate as he falls through the sky. The others also jump off the ship and start singing. Bogue hears Walkure’s singing and feels overwhelmed. Roid fires the ship’s cannons and has the Macross Grasion charge its Macross Cannon again. However, the Macros Elysion emerges from the water and fires its own cannon, canceling out the shot. The Macross Grasion then performs a Daedalus Attack, but the Macross Elysion punches at the same time and aims its cannon at the Macross Grasion’s bridge.

The members of Walkure land on the Macross Elysion and use multi-drone plates to project their images onto the battlefield. Keith sees that they’re risking their lives to sing just as Heinz does. He believes that everyone lives by their own winds and that combining them all is wrong, so he tells the Aerial Knights to assist Walkure. Keith announces that the Aerial Knights will provide support to Walkure. Roid becomes agitated, and his energy causes many Draken IIIs to turn white. They unleash a barrage of missiles at Walkure, but Arad and Chuck block the attack. Hayate and Mirage blast their way into Sigur Berrentzs and are confronted by more possessed Draken IIIs, but Keith destroys them. He declares that he’ll handle Roid, and Hayate fires his rifle to damage the Protoculture System. Keith ejects from his plane and stabs Roid with a sword. Keith asks Roid why he did this, and Roid explains that it’s to surpass their limited lifespans and achieve eternity. Keith tells Roid that he already felt eternity when they used to fly together. Keith’s Draken and a possessed unit explode, killing him and Roid. All the mind controlled people return to normal as Sigur Berrentzs flies away and the Protoculture structures disappear. Heinz wakes up and vows to create a new wind. Ernest tells Arad that Windermere is now seeking to negotiate a peace. Arad wonders if the New UN Government will accept, and Ernest notes that NUNS is at its limit, but there’s also the issue about stealing the Singer of the Stars’ genetic material. Freyja’s crystallization reverses, and Hayate and Mirage bring Mikumo back to the others. Later, Delta Flight and Walkure conduct a Ragnan funeral for Messer. Chuck explains to Hayate that an old Ragnan legend holds that the dead return to the sea and become light jellyfish. The jellyfish heal as they drift through the ocean and are eventually reborn. Hayate and Mirage release a small wooden boat shaped like Messer’s plane into the ocean. Mikumo gets into the water and starts singing “Giraffe Blues,” with the rest of the group getting into the water to join her. Hayate wants to keep flying, and Mirage vows to him and Freyja that she won’t lose either. Mikumo tells everyone that their singing gave life to her artificial body, and Kaname answers that music is life. Scores of light jellyfish emerge from the water and float into the sky.