A Variable Fighter is a series of fictional transforming aerospace fighter mecha primarily designed by Studio Nue's Shoji Kawamori for the animated series The Super Dimension Fortress Macross and later related projects. It is also known as Valkyrie in the Macross universe, due to the great popularity of the first known variable fighter model used during Space War I, the VF-1 Valkyrie.
Their most notable feature is the ability to transform—usually into a humanoid giant robot called Battroid and an in-between mode called GERWALK (Ground Effective Reinforcement of Winged Armament with Locomotive Knee-joint), in which the nose and wings have a pair of "chicken walker" legs extending underneath enabling VTOL, and two arms reaching forward from the sides. Another prevalent (but not universal) design point is the use of a detachable gun pod instead of an internally mounted gun that can be a hand-held weapon in GERWALK and battroid modes. Variable fighters usually also have one or more trainable head-mounted lasers in battroid mode, which are internally stowed or used as fixed armament in fighter and GERWALK modes.
In the original series, the discovery of the "Zentradi" race—giant, humanoid aliens genetically engineered for military conquest—prompted the development of the variable fighters' Battroid mode. Although humanity hadn't yet met any Zentradi, the discovery of the SDF-1 Macross and its accommodations for humanoid giants justified the development of a weapon that could enable mankind to fight the aliens on their own environment (Battroid mode) on the ground (Gerwalk mode) and the air (Fighter mode). Thus, research into alien Overtechnology culminated in the development of the variable fighters for the U.N. Spacy.
(Items in parentheses indicate the game or series where they first appeared)
Stonewell/Bellcom VF-X - Non-transformable flight test vehicle
Northrop Grumman/Stonewell/Shinnakasu VF-0 Phoenix (Macross Zero) - Atmospheric-use prototype for the VF-1 Valkyrie deployed in 2008
Sukhoi/Israel Aircraft Industries/Dornier SV-51 (Macross Zero) - Atmospheric-use variable fighter used by anti-UN forces
VF-X-1 - Transformable flight test vehicle
Stonewell/Bellcom VF-1 Valkyrie series (Macross) - U.N. Spacy main variable aerospace fighter from 2008 to 2013
Stonewell/Bellcom/Shinnakasu SDP-1 Stampede Valkyrie (Macross: Remember Me) - U.N. Spacy anti-capital ship assault variable fighter
VF-X-2
VF-3/VF-X-3 Star Crusader (Macross: Remember Me) - U.N. Spacy prototype variable space fighter-interceptor based on the VF-1 Valkyrie.
Stonewell/Bellcom/Shinnakasu VF-3000 Crusader (Macross M3) - Atmospheric-use variable fighter
VF-X-4
Stonewell Bellcom VF-4 Lightning III (Macross Flashback 2012) - U.N. Spacy main variable fighter from 2013 to 2030 It was created by mechanical designer Shoji Kawamori. In the fictional Macross universe, the VF-4 fighter was developed by Stonewell Bellcom in late 2009, and was promoted as the "next generation" variable fighter for the UN Spacy by the company.
VF-5
Shinsei Industry VF-5000 Star Mirage - Atmospheric-use variable fighter
VF-6
VF-7
Zentradi Variable Glaug (Macross M3) - A transformable version of the Zentradi Roiquonmi Glaug Command Battle Pod.
General Galaxy VF-9 Cutlass (Macross M3)
Shinsei Industry VF-11 Thunderbolt (Macross Plus) - U.N. Spacy main variable fighter from 2030 to 2040
General Galaxy/Messer VF-14 Vampire (Macross 7) - This fighter design was adapted by the Varauta army of the Protodeviln.
VF-15
VF-16
General Galaxy VF-17 Nightmare (Macross 7) - Updated into the VF-171 variable fighter. Modelled after the real-life F-117.
Neo Glaug - Human-designed variable drone fighter.
Shinsei Industry YF-19 "Alpha One" or "Eagle One" (Macross Plus) - Prototype for the VF-19 Excalibur variable fighter.
Shinsei Industry VF-19 Excalibur (Macross 7) - Production model of YF-19. First deployed in 2046
Shinsei Industry/Macross Frontier Arsenal Original Development/L.A.I VF-19ADVANCE Excalibur Advance (Macross Frontier: The Wings of Goodbye) - Customized VF-19 Excalibur piloted by Isamu Alva Dyson to participate in the battle in the Vajra Homeworld. Features similar designs from the VF-25 Messiah and colors from the YF-19. It is equipped with the same FAST pact used by the VF-25.
General Galaxy YF-21 "Omega One" (Macross Plus) prototype of VF-22 Sturmvogel.
General Galaxy VF-22 Sturmvogel II (Macross 7) - YF-21 production version. Used as special forces/ace pilot fighter in 2046
General Galaxy/Messer-Varauta Fz-109 Elgerzorene (Macross 7) - Standard Protodeviln fighter based on a U.N. Spacy design. Equipped with a beam that extracts Spiritia energy from enemy pilots.
General Galaxy/Messer-Varauta Az-130 Pantserzorene (Macross 7) - Protodeviln attack fighter based on a U.N. Spacy design.
Northrom and Grumman/Messer-Varauta FBz-99 Saubergeran (Macross 7) - Protodeviln attack fighter based on a U.N. Spacy design. Often assigned as first-wave strike weapons due to heavy missile load.
Zentradi Variable Device "Pheyos Valkyrie" (Macross Digital Mission VF-X2) - Renegade Zentradi advanced variable fighter.
General Galaxy VF-171 Nightmare Plus (Macross Frontier) Standard-issue NUNS Fleet variable fighter in 2059.
Shinsei Industry/General Galaxy YF-24 Evolution (Macross Frontier) - Delta wing Prototype for the VF-25 Messiah and VF-27 Lucifer variable fighters.
Shinsei Industry/Macross Frontier Arsenal Original Development/L.A.I. YF-25 Prophecy (Macross Frontier The Movie: The False Diva) - N.U.N.S. Frontier fleet prototype for the VF-25 Messiah variable fighter.
Shinsei Industry/Macross Frontier Arsenal Original Development/L.A.I. VF-25 Messiah (Macross Frontier) - New fighter craft of the N.U.N.S. Frontier fleet first deployed by the private military company S.M.S. (Strategic Military Services) to evaluate its combat performance under field conditions. Includes VF-25F, VF-25G, VF-25S, and RVF-25 variants
Macross Galaxy Variable Fighter Development Arsenal (Guld Works) VF-27 Lucifer (Macross Frontier)
General Galaxy VF-171EX Nightmare Plus EX (Macross Frontier)
Shinsei Industry/Macross Frontier Arsenal Original Development/L.A.I. YF-29 Durandal (Macross Frontier: The Wings of Goodbye) - Advanced version of the VF-25 variable fighter first deployed by the private military company S.M.S. Features include canards, forward swept wings and built-in boosters. Incorporates the "Philosopher's Stone"; natural-shaped, highly purified fold quartz and the Fold Wave System into the variable fighter's body.
Shinsei Industry/Macross Frontier Arsenal Original Development/L.A.I. YF-30 Chronos (Macross 30: The Voice that Connects the Galaxy) - New prototype Variable Fighter first deployed by the private military company S.M.S.
Sūrya Aerospace VF-31A Kairos mass production version of the YF-30 Chronos. Operated by the private military company Xaos (Kaos). Features include built-in arm gunpods in battroid mode.
Sūrya Aerospace/Kaos Valkyrie Works VF-31 Siegfried (Macross Delta) - Improved mass production version of the YF-30 Chronos used by the "Tactical Sound Unit Walküre's Delta Squadron". Features include forward-swept wings in fighter mode and built-in arm gunpods in battroid mode.Includes VF-31C, VF-31E, VF-31F, VF-31J, and VF-31S variants.
SV-262 Draken III (Macross Delta) - New double-delta wing advanced variable fighter used by the "Kingdom of Wind's Aerial Knights Valkyrie Fighter Team", modelled after the real-life Saab 35 Draken.
Northrom Grumman VA-3 Invader (Digital Mission VF-X2) - A variable bomber that entered service with the U.N. Spacy during the period between Macross Plus and Macross Frontier.
VB-6 König Monster (Digital Mission VF-X2) - A fully transformable version of the original Macross series' Viggers/Centinental HWR-00 Monster Destroid.
Note: None of the variable fighters from Macross II were designed by Shoji Kawamori. The mechanical designs for Macross II were actually created by the team of Junichi Akutsu, Jun Okuda and Koichi Ohata.
VF-XX Zentradian Valkyrie - Valkyrie designed for use by micronized Zentradi pilots.
VF-2SS Valkyrie II - Standard U.N. Spacy variable fighter. Can be equipped with a Super Armor Pack, which contains a large beam cannon and additional missile pods. Designed by Koichi Ohata.
VF-2JA Icarus - Atmospheric-use version of the VF-2.
VA-1SS Metal Siren - Advanced combat-capable variable fighter prototype equipped with an EMP anti-capital ship device, missiles, and energy weapons. Appeared in Episode 3.
VC-079 Civilian Valkyrie (SNN Valkyrie) - Unarmed civilian variable fighter only capable of changing into GERWALK mode.
