Locke the Superman – Millennium of the Witch
Entry updated 15 December 2025. Tagged: Film.
Japanese animated film (1984; original title Majo no Seiki; vt Witch Era; vt Locke the Superpower; vt Star Warrior). Nippon Animation. Based on the Manga Chōjin Rokku by Yuki Hijiri. Directed by Hiroshi Fukutomi. Written by Atsushi Yamatoya. Voice cast include Toshiko Fujita, Keiko Han, Keiichi Nanba, Taeko Nakanishi and Yoshito Yasuhara. 120 minutes. Colour.
The galactic Federation (see Galactic Empires) is threatened by a force of Espers organized by millionairess Lady Kahn (Nakanishi), who wants to build a thousand year empire: rebellion is fomented on many planets (we see giant Robots) which secede from the Federation. Army intelligence officer Colonel Yakami (Yasuhara) decides ex-soldier "Locke the Superman" (Nanba) is the best chance of frustrating her ambitions: Locke is a powerful Esper, over a century old (in the manga he had been around for thousands of years) but looking like a teenager. Yakami ponders whether this is his way of combatting the genetic predisposition to love War that afflicts many adults. Locke is currently a flute-playing shepherd on a Pastoral planet, so Yakami pays a visit, winning him over by helping to deliver a lamb: after an initial refusal, Locke agrees to help.
Kahn has created a school for Espers (see Education in SF), whose pupils are instilled with the belief that once they control the universe it will be an eternal paradise (see Utopia). The star pupil is Jessica (Han), who can neutralize Psi Powers, so – on learning Locke will be opposing them – Technology is used to implant a memory (see Memory Edit) of Locke murdering her parents; she then undergoes intense training under the wing of another Esper, Cornelia Prim (Fujita). An accident is arranged so Jessica can be rescued by Yakami: she has been given Amnesia, but with an inbuilt trigger whereby the sight of Locke will restore both her Memory and her fury. All goes as planned – including Yakami falling for her and Locke being defeated – but when Yakami tries to intervene and is injured, it traumatizes Jessica: her instructions say he must be killed too, but she genuinely loves him, so retreats into a coma.
Locke is now able to read Jessica's mind and learns Kahn is on a World Ship, to which he and Yakami travel: there is brief space battle, followed by Locke Teleporting the pair of them aboard. After fighting Cornelia and other Esper assassins, he discovers Kahn – who, desiring Immortality, has become part of a giant Computer, with her Cyborged body enclosed in a transparent container on wheels. She threatens to kill Yakami if Locke uses his powers, then impales him (her vehicle has spikes): but Cornelia has overheard Kahn ranting and, disenchanted, kills her. Without Kahn controlling the world ship, it descends towards the sun it closely orbits: Locke, though able to create a surrounding barrier, fails to prevent its fall. Fortunately Yakami has it fly through the sun and come out the other side: because the sun is "composed of hot gases. We'll be safe as long as we avoid the core". And so it proves. After telling Jessica what really happened, Cornelia is put on trial and punished with mind alteration (see Crime and Punishment), thereby losing her memories – including those of Locke, who has fallen for her, leaving him forlorn.
Society displays some Paranoia and hostility towards Espers (see Pariah Elite), which is why many, such as Cornelia, support Kahn. There are nods to fascism (see Politics) in the depiction of Kahn's plans – many of the pupils at her school are known as "Holy Mothers", female Espers with "superior genes" whose children will establish a new order (see Superman). Despite some plotting problems (in the English versions at least) this is a reasonably solid Anime: though Locke does seem over-powered, with his only real threat put into a coma two-thirds of the way through, the storyline avoids having him dominate events, with Cornelia killing Kahn and Yakami being the one who realizes how to save the world ship.
There were subsequently three OVAs featuring Locke: Locke the Superman: Lord Leon (1989; original title Rōdo Reon); Locke the Superman: New World Command (1991; original title Shin Sekai Sentai, vt Locke the Superman: New World Battle Team) and Locke the Superman: Mirror Ring (2000; original title Mirā Ringu). [SP]
links
- Internet Movie Database (gives title as Star Warrior 2: The Final Battle and year of release as 1983, referencing a different film, but otherwise seems to cover this anime)
- Anime News Network
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