Table of Contents
  1.1 What is Robotech?
  1.2 How many Episodes does Robotech have?
  1.3 What is the Robotech Universe About (The Beginning)?
  1.4 What are the Three Saga's about (Introduction) (No Spoilers)?
  1.5 What Alternative Saga Titles are there?
  1.6 Why do we label it The Southern Cross instead?
  1.7 Is Robotech still on TV/Cable?
  1.8 Why didn't Cartoon Network show The New Generation?
  1.9 Is Robotech Available on VHS or DVD?
  1.10 Can I download Robotech episodes from the Internet?


     1.1 What is Robotech?
              Robotech is a Japanese Animated (Anime) series that was created in 1985 that used three completely unrelated Anime TV shows that a company named Harmony Gold merged together with a new storyline that created a vast universe of its own. These three TV shows from Japan were called: Super Dimensional Fortress: Macross, Super Dimensional Cavalry: Southern Cross, and Genesis Climber Mospeada. They were completely unrelated to each other, but a man named Carl Macek was able to combined them into one series and one universe where they were all interrelated and made sense. The three shows became the Three Sagas of Robotech that are known as "The Macross Saga", "The Southern Cross", and "The New Generation" in that order. Together, they created a universe known as Robotech, that thousands of fans are addicted to even today.

     1.2 How many Episodes does Robotech have?
              The Robotech TV series contain 85 episodes which are spread over three sagas.

     1.3 What is the Robotech Universe About (The Beginning)?
               The vast Robotech universe begins with Zor, a genius alien scientist from an unknown alien world. Over 500,000 years ago Zor discovered and developed a mysterious substance known as protoculture. This substance was a pure energy source with the properties that could be used in science and technology. Protoculture is believed to be the most valuable energy commodity and the most revolutionary science of the universe.
               Zor also discovered and developed the science of Robotechnology which is an incredibly complex combination of computer and machine. Protoculture is the essence of this technology. Robotechnology can be ships, mecha, weapons, and all forms of advanced technology powered through the use of Protoculture. Knowing the inner secrets of Robotechnology, Zor designed himself a very powerful advanced Robotech ship known to us as Zor's battle fortress.
               With these discoveries of protoculture and Robotechnology, history records Zor as the first Robotech Master. It is either Zor's inner circle of co-scientists and allies or new beings created from the genetics of Zor that became known as the original Robotech Masters.
               Zor's race and allies were extremely proud of their advanced and powerful civilization. Just after discovering Robotechnology, they decided with the help of Zor to develop an intergalactic police force to protect themselves from any hostile alien life forms. Through proto-genetic engineering, a race of giants was created solely for the purpose of fighting to keep the peace, but the newly created giants had ideas of their own. Aggressive behavior combined with their physical size proved to be a problem. Soon they began fighting among themselves, but then they realized they were so superior physically compared to their creators, that nothing could stand in their way.
               During the series of devastating wars with the genetic engineered giants, Zor was seeding a planet with protoculture spores when a terrible explosion threw him to the bottom of a deep crevasse. The most influential and significant scientist of the known universe was dead. It was only Zor who understood and possessed the inner secrets of Protoculture and Robotechnology, and with his death they were lost.
               After Zor's death, his civilization was still caught in the crossfire of the fighting giants they had created. These devastating wars were far too much and the great Robotech civilization collapsed.

     1.4 What are the Three Saga's about (Introduction) (No Spoilers)?
              THE MACROSS SAGA
               In the year 1999, high above Macross Island in the South Pacific, a phenomenal event occurred in the skies, which altered the course of human history. A gigantic alien spaceship broke through the very fabric of hyperspace, on a collision course with the Earth. The craft measured nearly three quarters of a mile in length and there was no sign of the alien crew. The armored hull had taken the brunt of the damage, leaving much of the sophisticated technosystems intact. What remained of the giant battle fortress gave evidence of a civilization that was light-years ahead of Earth's most advanced thinking.
               Global war ravaged the Earth at that time, but even this devastation paled by comparison to the threat of invasion from outer space. A ceasefire was ordered and world leaders banded together to form a united Earth government. Under the new government, the world's most brilliant minds formed a research team to study and restore the alien space fortress. Deciphering parts of documents found on board, they labored to unravel the secrets of an incredibly complex technology called Robotech. Convinced that the scientists had solved this complex riddle, world leaders ordered a celebration.
               For 10 years, the total resources of an entire planet had been focused on the restoration of the space fortress. A great city had grown up around the Robotech project and today, on the eve of the ship's maiden flight, every citizen--man, woman, and child-- was gathering to celebrate their achievement, and to witness the launching of their planet's new defender.

              THE SOUTHERN CROSS
               After fifteen long years, the Robotech Masters have finally reached their destination. They have come to Earth in search of the last known supply of protoculture as a result of the Zentraedi failure to accomplish this fifteen years earlier. Without the technology to develop protoculture on their own and the secrets of its production lost with Zor's death, They find themselves in a desperate situation. All attempts to re-discover the secrets through the cloning of Zor, have ended in failure. Now, the Robotech Masters are forced into confrontation as a final alternative --- They must try to recapture the abandoned Protoculture Factory, hidden on Earth, before their civilization literally collapses around them. Their efforts are not unchallenged as Earth's new generation of Robotech defenders are ready to protect their planet from any alien threat.

              THE NEW GENERATION
               In a distant corner of a far-off galaxy, a race of protoplasmic creatures receives telepathic sensor reports indicating a huge build-up of protoculture on an insignificant planet in the fourth quadrant of the known universe. Responding to this important message, the Invid Regis, the supreme ruler of a race of alien parasites, sends her entire civilization on a crusade to locate and harvest the fruit of their flowers of life. The location happens to be the Earth and the reason for the large build-up of protoculture is directly attributable to the final battle of the second Robotech war.  The Regis wastes no time in calling for a complete invasion of the planet. Within a matter of minutes, the Invid have turned the already devastated planet into a wasteland. The armies of the Southern Cross, weary from constant battles with the Robotech Masters, are no match for the inspired battle-hungry Invid.


     1.5 What Alternative Saga Titles are there?
               Over the last 20 years, the Robotech sagas have gained many different alternative titles due to the different producers of Robotech merchandise and sometimes the fandom. The sagas themselves never actually had real saga titles printed onto the Robotech episodes themselves, but Harmony Gold did select them in 1985. They chose the title "The Macross Saga" for episodes 1 to 36, "Robotech Masters" for episodes 37 to 60, and "The New Generation" for episodes 61 to 85.
     (Note: The Robotech Remastered Edition now places ADV Films' saga titles onto the opening animation themes.)