In the year 1999, an abandoned alien battle fortress crash-lands on the planet Earth. Our most brilliant scientists and engineers spend the next ten years reconstructing the damaged ship, and studying its highly advanced technology, known as Robotech! A race of warriors from deep space, the Zentraedi, enter the scene, bent on recovering the lost ship and destroying Earth's civilization. A battle for our planet's survival is on, and young Rick Hunter finds himself caught up in the war, piloting an unfamiliar fighter plane, with sophisticated engineering he can't begin to understand!
The aliens strike in full force, and the desperate battle for the planet Earth reaches the very streets of Macross City. Human courage and skill are tested to the limit, against the superior weapons of the Zentraedi. A heroic rescue attempt (by Rick Hunter, to save Lynn Minmei) turns into a nightmare experience.
The Zentraedi invaders continue to close in, and the battle for planet Earth becomes even more intense. Attempting to escape the superior alien forces, Rick & Minmei become stranded in space, while trying to rejoin the others. Captain Gloval makes a desperate decision to execute a hyperspace jump, which may take his ship to safety, or which might mean the end for everyone!
Rick & Minmei learn they have landed in a closed-off and forgotten section of the SDF-1. Try as they may, they can find no way out, and no one aboard the ship has any idea where they are! Time passes slowly and cruelly for the imprisoned pair, as what started out to be a fun adventure, turns into a deadly nightmare of hunger and exhaustion, driving them to the edge of hysteria.
The citizens of Macross Island attempt to normalize their life aboard the giant battle fortress. Human drama is played out against the backdrop of interplanetary war, as the Zentraedi forces follow after the SDF-1, and continue the war begun back on Earth. Captain Gloval must make a life-or-death decision, which will determine the fate of nearly 70,000 refugees!
The Zentraedi are still puzzled by the actions of the SDF-1. However, Breetai, their Commander, is beginning to enjoy the challenge. Captain Gloval plans a trap for the marauding aliens, only to have it backfire among the incredible rings of Saturn. And Rick is trapped inside a Zentraedi warship!
The planet Mars is the setting, as Breetai calls for reinforcements in order to capture the SDF-1. Captain Gloval drives his grew to the brink of exhaustion, as he attempts to keep the overwhelming Zentraedi forces at bay.
As Minmei's 16th birthday approaches, Rick finds himself constantly on duty, defending the hard-pressed battle fortress from attacks by the relentless Zentraedi armada. Rick's thoughts are torn between his duty to the SDF-1, and his waning love for Minmei.
The charming Minmei prepares herself for a different sort of battle; a battle to determine the most beautiful girl in Macross City! While the beauty contest rages, Rick Hunter is called into action by his superiors, to defend the giant space battle fortress.
The crew of the SDF-1 maintain constant vigil against the threat of attack by the ever-present Zentraedi armada. An unauthorized assault by the evil Khyron damages the main radar tower of the space battle fortress.
Rick Hunter, Lisa Hayes, and Ben Dixon are captured, and brought before the Supreme Leader of the Zentraedi civilization. Helpless prisoners, they witness the awesome power and destructive capability of their alien adversaries.
Held captive in a Zentraedi prison cell, Rick, Lisa, and Ben try to figure a way off the massive alien ship, and report their findings to Captain Gloval & the crew of the SDF-1. Breetai & Dolza also begin to make plans to recapture their lost battle fortress.
Captain Gloval plays a dangerous game of cat & mouse, as he maneuvers the SDF-1 into battle, which will determine the fate of the SDF-1 and its population of 70,000 refugees. If he's successful, he'll return to Earth victorious. If he fails, then his quest will end.
Now that the giant space battle fortress has been safely returned to Earth, Captain Gloval looks back on the past two years. Years filled with memories of combat & strategy, while trying to keep the forces of an alien armada from capturing the Earth's defender, the SDF-1.
Rick is secretly ordered to fly Minmei to Japan to visit her family. The reunion is cut short, when Minmei says she will not leave the SDF-1! Meanwhile, Captain Gloval & Lisa Hayes try to convince the United Earth Government that continued fighting with the Zentraedi will lead to the total destruction of the Earth.
Lisa meets Minmei's cousin Lynn Kyle, who reminds her of Carl Riber, her lost fiancee. But these melancholy reflections soon fade away, as a Zentraedi raiding party, led by Khyron, plans a sneak attack on the unsuspecting SDF-1.
Rick Hunter lies in a hospital bed in critical condition, after barely surviving a Zentraedi attack. While his body fights for life, his mind races through an emotional journey, which tries to make sense out of his relationship with Minmei and his growing attraction to Lisa Hayes.
As Rick recuperates, Roy tries to convince Minmei to break away from her busy schedule, and drop in on her injured friend. But the Zentraedi threat looms large in the skies above Earth, and Roy prepares to go into battle... perhaps for the last time.
Captain Gloval begins a journey, which he believes will end with the resettlement of the nearly 70,000 refugees stranded on the SDF-1. Meanwhile, Khyron's flotilla responds to the developments with an attack on the battle fortress. Captain Gloval is torn between saving the citizens of Macross City, and his oath to protect the Earth.
The Zentraedi monitor the activity of the SDF-1, as Captain Gloval prepares to relocate the refugees of Macross City. But everyone's hopes for returning to a normal life back on Earth are dashed forever, as the Zentraedi attack without warning!
The spotlight is on Minmei, as she prepares for the premiere of her first motion picture. Huge lines form around the theater, and even Rick & Lisa find time to catch a glimpse of a rising star.
The Zentraedi campaign to capture the SDF-1 escalates out of proportion, as Khyron leads a direct attack against the space battle fortress. Yet, through all the fighting and confusion, Minmei still manages to sing for the bewildered citizens of Macross City, giving them a small ray of hope in their darkest hour.
Confused by the actions of the orbiting SDF-1, the Zentraedi attack in full force! Captain Gloval's army stands off the attack, as the stage is set for an ultimate showdown between Earth's displaced heroes and the misguided Zentraedi led by Khyron.
Lisa Hayes makes a rash decision to return to Earth, to try for a final time to convince the heads of the United Earth Government to negotiate with the Zentraedi armada. The journey back to Earth is not without incident, as Rick & Max cut a path through the enemy lines.
Max's budding romance with Miriya takes a dramatic turn, as the once-proud Zentraedi warrior considers the unthinkable: marriage with a Micronian! The main Zentraedi likes the idea even less, and plans to do something about it.
An uneasy truce is called, as the Zentraedi send an envoy (Exedore) to discuss a tentative peace plan. This move not only shocks the citizens of the SDF-1, but also fuels the already smoldering fires of ambition in Khyron.
The Earth is surrounded by Dolza's armada of over four million vessels, sent to destroy the Earth & the SDF-1. It's a time for final reflections, and a last attempt to defeat the vastly superior forces of the Zentraedi by Earth's Robotech Defenders!
The crew of the SDF-1 assess the damage that has been dealt to the Earth. It's a time for reflection and reevaluation, in the wake of the near-total destruction of one alien culture, and the catastrophic remains of their once beautiful planet.
War begins to creep back into the lives of those who have fought for the preservation of Protoculture. Some of the Zentraedi have returned to their violent ways. It is up to Admiral Gloval and the alien Exedore to come up with a solution to the current problem.
A liaison is established between Breetai and the survivors of the SDF-1, to convince the remaining Zentraedi warriors, stationed at a Robotech Factory, to join in an alliance for peace.
Rick Hunter patrols the skies of Earth's new civilization, on a constant vigil against alien attack. The personal tragedies of the survivors pale in comparison to Khyron's plans, as he attempts a comeback by destroying the new society before it has had a chance to develop.
Khyron succeeds in capturing Minmei & Kyle! He uses them in a plot to gain control of the SDF-1. The mission to rescue Earth's most honored celebrities becomes near pandemonium.
Claudia gives Lisa Hayes a lesson in perseverance, as she recalls the first time she met the charismatic fighter pilot, Roy Fokker.
A Zentraedi rebellion forms the dramatic backdrop, as Rick tries to sort out his feelings for Minmei & Lisa.
Khyron plans his ultimate revenge, targeting the SDF-1, and the currently under-construction SDF-2.
A new generation of warriors has been called into battle. They face the threat of the Robotech Masters, who have made the 15 year journey to Earth to retrieve their lost Protoculture Factory. Dana Sterling relates the courtship of her parents, Max & Miriya, to her pal, Bowie Grant.
A new threat has surfaced, for the next generation of Robotech Defenders, who have grown up in the wake of Earth's first victory over their alien invaders. Calling themselves the 'Robotech Masters', this ancient race of techno-voyagers has come to the Earth to claim the mysterious substance known as Protoculture.
The Robotech Masters bring the war to Earth, as they attempt to reclaim their lost Protoculture. The 15th Tactical Armored Corp is put to the test.
The United Earth Defense forces plan a daring mission which could decide the fate of the entire world! Answering a call for volunteers, Dana Sterling offers the services of the 15th Tactical Armored Division in an operation to reestablish communications with Earth's triple satellite com-link, Space Station Liberty. The assignment throws Lt. Sterling & her squad into the lap of Marie Crystal, Dana's friendly rival. The action is heavy as this band of Robotech Defenders work together toward a common goal.
The Robotech Masters try to establish a base on Earth, near the vicinity of the fallen SDF-1. Once here, under the direction of Zor Prime, the alien force hopes to extract the Earth's remaining supply of Protoculture. A routine patrol for Dana & Bowie turns into a nightmare.
The war against the Robotech Masters has escalated into a serious military confrontation, with neither side willing to make even the smallest concession to avoid turning the planet Earth into a living battleground. The United Earth Defense Forces plan to take the battle into space, to protect their homeworld and challenge their alien foes. Using the main bulk of their Tactical Armored Space Corp, the Robotech Defenders plan to test the mettle of their mysterious enemies.
The war returns to the Earth, as the Robotech Masters press the attack. The control of Protoculture is essential, if the Robotech Masters are to maintain their hold on the interplanetary syndicate that they've created. And so, a battle which starts out with regimented discipline, and high hopes for victory on both sides, degenerates into a brutal and undefendable, high tech brawl.
Dana Sterling leads her 15th Tactical Armored Corp, into the fallen flagship of the Robotech Masters, in daring recon mission ordered by the supreme leaders of the United Earth Defense forces. This military tactic was anticipated by the Robotech Masters, who relish the opportunity to capture a few human specimens, dead or alive!
Dana Sterling tries to keep her mind on business, while she struggles to shake off the aftereffects of a near fatal meeting with the warriors of the Robotech Masters. Her mind fills with haunting memories, which lead her to believe that she is related in some strange way to the mysterious aliens who have come to Earth to claim their lost Protoculture Matrix.
The Robotech Masters subject human prisoners to a series of mental probes, to determine the extent of their knowledge of Protoculture. Their concern is twofold: without Protoculture, their civilization will crumble; and eventually their archenemies, the Invid, will sense the presence of Protoculture on Earth... and come looking for it!
An advanced recon vessel blasts into the vicinity of Earth from hyperspace, only to find their home planet surrounded by an armada of gigantic alien warships! Unable to make contact with Earth, and remembering what happened to their planet in the past when it was invaded by the Zentraedi, the crew of this heavily armed starship make a desperate decision, to meet the alien armada with a surprise attack. The outcome of their effort is uncertain.
Lt. Nova Satori begins a complex psychological profile on a captured alien Bioroid pilot, identified only as Zor. The Supreme Command of the Army of the Southern Cross believes that the debriefing of this particular alien, might provide them with the key to unlock the riddle of this new interstellar war. Meanwhile, Dana practices on a battle simulator hoping to explain her empathy for this captured alien, and to end any doubts about her ability to defend the planet.
The Earth is invaded by a race of aliens calling themselves the Invid. They have come to the Earth to cultivate its vast supplies of Protoculture, a multipurpose energy source & foodstuff, which is of prime importance to their race. Without Protoculture, the Invid Colony could wither and die. With enough, their race could grow and become the most powerful in the universe. Their invasion & conquest of the Earth is swift and complete. A huge interstellar fleet is sent to Earth by Admiral Rick Hunter to appraise the situation and test the strengths of this new alien threat. The test ends in failure, as the Invid meets the challenge of these new Robotech Defenders with swift and conclusive action! Few of these defenders survive the Invid attack. One survivor, Scott Bernard, decides that, even if it means his own destruction, he must carry out his orders to find and destroy the Invid's main base, a complex hive known as Reflex Point. Luckily, Scott finds that he is not alone!
