is one of the principal fictional characters of the Japanese anime series Super Dimension Fortress Macross, which launched the eponymous franchise. She is a central figure in the series’ primary romantic storyline, forming part of a widely noted love triangle with pilot Hikaru Ichijyo and pop idol Lynn Minmay.
Created by Shōji Kawamori and designed by Haruhiko Mikimoto, Misa holds a higher rank than series protagonist Hikaru Ichijyo, a structural dynamic noted by Kawamori in discussions of the character’s design. manga reinterpretations by original designer Mikimoto, and several audio drama productions that expand her story and characterization across supplementary franchise material. In the original Japanese productions, both audio and visual, she was voiced by Mika Doi, a standing that persisted as she ranked 7th overall in NHK's 2019 franchise-wide "All Macross Big Voting" poll. In subsequent academic analysis, Misa was noted as one of the first, if not the first, "strong female characters" of the Real robot anime genre, contributing to what has been described as the maturation of the genre through the integration of complex love stories and mecha action.
In Macross
Within the fictional continuity of Macross, Misa Hayase is depicted as a career military officer born into a long-established Japanese military family, the only daughter of Admiral Takashi Hayase.