Captain Harlock (宇宙海賊キャプテンハーロック, Uchū Kaizoku Kyaputen Hārokku?, lit. Space Pirate Captain Harlock), (known as Albator in the French version) is a fictional character created by manga artist Leiji Matsumoto.

Harlock is the archetypical romantic hero, a space pirate with an individualist philosophy of life. He is as noble as he is taciturn, rebellious, stoically fighting against totalitarian regimes, whether they be earthborn or alien. In his own words, he "fight[s] for no one's sake... only [...] for something deep in [his] heart".

The character first appeared in Adventures of a Honeybee (1953). The first series featuring Harlock in the lead role is 1978's Space Pirate Captain Harlock. As with most of Matsumoto's works, continuity is not a crucial issue. An appearance of any particular version of the character does not necessarily connect to any previous or following versions, and the interconnectedness of the various series is a common subject of speculation among fans.

Source: Wikipedia