| Berg Katse | |
|---|---|
| |
| Kanji |
ベルク・カッツェ |
| Rōmaji |
Bergu Katze |
| English |
Berg Katse |
| Race |
Genetically modified Human |
| Gender |
Cyclical hermaphrodite; shifts between being male or female at will |
| Occupation |
Commander of Galactor Forces |
| Status |
Alive (Gatchaman episodes 1-105), Dead (Gatchaman episode 105) |
| Relatives |
Unnamed mother |
| Voice Actor |
Mikio Terashima, Hiroko Mori (episode 31), Toshiko Sawada (episodes 32-33, 46, 70), Aiko Konoshima (episode 102) (as Female Commander), Kaneto Shiozawa (OVA), Ai Orikasa (female form, OVA) |
| Anime Debut | |
For the antagonist from Gatchaman Crowds see Berg Katse (Crowds)
Berg Katse was the second-in-command officer of Galactor, working directly under the true leader, Sosai X and a major antagonist in Science Ninja Team Gatchaman. They appeared in every episode to carry out the plans of Galactor for world domination. They are later revealed to have been manipulated to join Galactor by X in order to become his pawn.
Background
Berg Katse was created by the alien Sosai X to lead the terrorist organization Galactor to take over the world. They are a gestalt entity created through the fusion of fraternal twins while they were still in the womb. Because their component parts were male and female, Berg Katse was prone to switch sexes almost every year in their life, forcing him to hide their identity until they could control it in their adulthood, becoming a master of disguise as a result. This bizarre burden led to them to be easily recruited and manipulated by Sōsai X when he contacted Katse and convinced him that they were a superior being.
Katse being composed of two people also enabled them to bear an exceptionally high IQ, although their intelligence was only displayed when they were a female student, as professors who taught their male form believed the boy to not be as intelligent.
Appearance
Berg Katse's most recognized appearance consists of a purple bodysuit and matching mask with long, cat-like ears. They wear a long purple cape with a red interior, a black belt with a large shield-shaped buckle, and red boots and gloves. Katse also notably wears lipstick.
Throughout the series, Katse takes on many disguises, both of men and women, and can easily shed them off. Their unmasked appearance is revealed in episode 102, confirming that they are the same person as the mysterious female Galactor commander. Katse appears noticeably effeminate when unmasked, with long dark blond hair and grayish-blue eyes. These traits are also seen in the female commander.
OVA
Katse's design was somewhat updated and altered for the OVA. Instead of eye lenses on their mask, Katse has a blue visor. Their mask also has pointed extensions protruding off of it, and squared-off ears. They wear a violet and red bodysuit, beneath layers of a white overcoat and deep purple cape.
Their unmasked appearance is also feminine, though their hair is a much lighter blond.
Personality
Berg Katse is known for their dark mood swings to the point of hysteria. They are incredibly loyal to Sosai X, as Galactor was the only place that they were accepted without prejudice. Katse has a strong hate for the world for rejecting them and believes that they are serving justice by helping Sosai X conquer the world.
Abilities and Equipment
Disguises
Berg Katse is a master of disguise, having been switching between a man and woman for most of their life. They are able to blend into environments of people, and can fool everyone (even the most advanced technology).
Intelligence
Berg Katse, as a result of having a pair of brains fused together, has an IQ of 280 or higher. This allows them to formulate complex plans that would normally take years of consideration for the average person. In the field, they can command plans on the fly even when they go awry.
Combat
Berg Katse is a highly skilled fighter, able to fight against several enemies at once, even the whole Gatchaman team with all of their skills and equipment.
Bolster
Katse commands a flying saucer where they command their troops. They are capable of piloting it in a manner that not even the God Phoenix can pursue it.
History
Eventually, Katse learned that Sōsai X was only using them and that he had no more need for them or the Earth. They commit suicide by jumping into a pit of lava, rather than continuing to live with the knowledge that they were just a freak of nature.
In the OVA remake, they are fatally stabbed by Ken.
Alterations in English Adaptations
Katse was renamed "Zoltar" in "Battle of the Planets" and was described as an alien overlord from the planet Spectra who wished to conquer the galaxy. Mark attempts to unmask him at one point, revealing a long mane of blond hair, but Zoltar manages to get away. Katse's female form was adapted into at least four different women: Zoltar's twin sister "Mala", a Spectra agent named "S-9", a Spectra agent named "Ms. Ostric", and yet another Spectra agent named "Hannah". This adaptation did not get to Episode 102, where the female commander and Katse are revealed to be one and the same. In addition, Gatchaman episode 88 was one of the earliest episodes that Sandy Frank had translated that involved the female commander, causing a massive rewrite to the plot to remove any possible hints or connection between "Hannah" and Zoltar. The episodes featuring "Mala" were among the last episodes to be dubbed, where the writers finally decided upon a familial connection.
In "G-Force: Guardians of Space", Katse was renamed "Galactor" (which was previously only the name of the organization) and once more described as an alien being. The female commander's early appearances made it into this adaptation, although she explains that she's simply a follower of Galactor, and goes by aliases such as "Ms. Tompkins" or "Veronica". The early pitched version of "G-Force" had Katse renamed to be "Commander Zol".
Saban's "Eagle Riders" mentions Katse in passing early on as the alien invader "Lukan", and states that he was the father of Mallanox. However, this remains in question due to Saban's inconsistent dubbing practice and attempts at rewriting Mallanox's origin.
The Harmony Gold dub of the OVA renamed Katse to "Solaris", and once more described him as an alien.
Trivia
- Berg Katse's name came from the german words for mountain (Berg) and cat (Katse) which can also be translated as wildcat and alludes to their cat-like costume. Their name is also alternatively spelled "Berg Katze" due to this, and appears that way in Gatchaman Crowds.
- Initial plans for the series had Katse as a woman working in disguise as a man, rather than being a sex-changing mutant. X was to also be a computer AI that she created that wound up becoming a monstrous entity, rather than her alien ruler.
- The model sheets and planning notes also gave Katse's age as 29 years old, although this is never commented upon in the series. In the compilation movie, Katse is stated to be 30.
- Katse's character notes state that they also like to tame wild animals, a trait that is also never seen in-series.
- Katse's initial design was to have them wearing a green, lion-like costume. While this design was scrapped, it did get recycled for the Turtle King commander in episodes 1 and 2.