They get drunk off power and control, and easily send millions to their death in the name of “protecting democracy and freedom”. Here on earth, democracy is a buzzword, used by those in power to control those below them, promising an “equal” playing field in regard to politics, a stable economy, and protection for everyone, when in fact, those above us in power are just as greedy, as hungry, crazed, and as evil as any other human. This episode displays the democratic and “free” world of the Alliance as something far more sinister, manipulating, and cult-like, a drastic opposite of what we in the normal world view as “democracy”. One thing to notice, specifically about this episode, is how the line between “good” and “bad” gets blurred to such a extent that it makes you wonder about the reality of your own world, and wether or not it’s truly as “good” as you think it is. As episode 3 begins, we get more juicy, juicy world-building, as the capital of the Free Planets Alliance, Heinessenpolis, received us with a statue of a prominent figure, an establishing shot of it’s landscape, and finally, the setting for our first scene: A memorial service in the Strategic Planning HQ regarding the casualties of the Battle of Astate.

Legend of the galactic heroes episode 3