<p>It's been a while since this was asked and is pretty much covered in the comments, but here's an answer.</p>

<p>Captain Kobayashi is part of the immortal council and therefore doesn't age. If she walked around never aging people would notice, hence the mask. It probably also serves as a way to hide emotion from the crew, show strength and all that.</p>

<p><strong><a href="http://sidonia-no-kishi.wikia.com/wiki/Kobayashi" rel="nofollow">Sidonia's wikia page is pretty barren, but there is some stuff there.</a></strong></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-08-21T00:13:07.757Z
Also allows her to walk around looking like a doctor, but not being known as the captain - it gives her the "disguise" of her own face.
EngrStudent
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-01-28T15:34:25.373Z
2015-01-28T15:34:25.373Z
Tsugumori-704
<p>I can't help but think that the mask is random and serve no particular purpose as with a lot of things in the show.</p>

<p>We see the Captain with the mask sometimes, and then we see her without in front of people, the mechanic team, some of the trainees. Same goes for Yunatose, at times she wears a mask then other times, even when she is at work, she does not. </p>

<p>As for the aging thing, I believe the Council takes turn to be Captain so they will change hand every couple of decades or so without the average people knowing about them. They will just assume that the Captain got old and replaced with a new guy. Also how come nobody mentions the teddy bear, how is she even around and nobody noticed she is immortal? So I guess it's just the mismatch of the writers.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2017-07-19T17:33:01.717Z
2017-07-19T19:36:14.550Z
2017-07-19T19:36:14.550Z
Teddy
<p>Whenever the commander is in the battle room, her face is always covered by a white mask. </p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/gGFI3m.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p>I thought it might be some unexplained atmosphere thing, but when Yuhata is in the command center, she is perfectly fine without one.</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/9L6v9m.png" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p>And it's not covering up a hideous wound, because we've seen her face before:</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/9OVLXm.jpg" alt="enter image description here"></p>

<p>Maybe this was explained before and I missed it, but why does she wear this during battle?</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-20T16:22:58.867Z
I think the anime has already explained/gave hint about it, but not in much details. She has undergone DNA treatment (or something similar) so that she can live beyond the age of a normal human. (I'm not 100% sure, but she got such treatment because she was one of the few who was left after the 4th Gauna War). Normal people are not supposed to see her face, because they would realize that she does not age at all during decades under her rule.
nhahtdh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-20T16:30:20.420Z
Ah, that seems to ring a bell - I must have either forgotten or skipped over it when I was watching - you should post that as an answer
Toshinou Kyouko
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-07-20T17:00:10.933Z
I probably will post an answer tomorrow, since I need to get all the details straight.
nhahtdh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2014-08-16T19:39:52.823Z
I was reading up on this and there are other characters who have lived equally as long, such as http://sidonia-no-kishi.wikia.com/wiki/Lala_Hiyama and http://sidonia-no-kishi.wikia.com/wiki/Yure_Shinatose, who don't seem to wear them.
Toshinou Kyouko
<knights-of-sidonia>
Why does the commander wear a mask in the command center?
# Why does the commander wear a mask in the command center?
Posted by: username_0 on 2014-07-20
Whenever the commander is in the battle room, her face is always covered by a white mask.

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/gGFI3m.jpg)

I thought it might be some unexplained atmosphere thing, but when Yuhata is in the command center, she is perfectly fine without one.

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/9L6v9m.png)

And it's not covering up a hideous wound, because we've seen her face before:

![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/9OVLXm.jpg)

Maybe this was explained before and I missed it, but why does she wear this during battle?
**Tags:** knights-of-sidonia
> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: I think the anime has already explained/gave hint about it, but not in much details. She has undergone DNA treatment (or something similar) so that she can live beyond the age of a normal human. (I'm not 100% sure, but she got such treatment because she was one of the few who was left after the 4th Gauna War). Normal people are not supposed to see her face, because they would realize that she does not age at all during decades under her rule.  
> **username_0**: Ah, that seems to ring a bell - I must have either forgotten or skipped over it when I was watching - you should post that as an answer  
> **username_1**: I probably will post an answer tomorrow, since I need to get all the details straight.  
> **username_0**: I was reading up on this and there are other characters who have lived equally as long, such as http://sidonia-no-kishi.wikia.com/wiki/Lala_Hiyama and http://sidonia-no-kishi.wikia.com/wiki/Yure_Shinatose, who don't seem to wear them.  
---
## 2 answers
### Answer by username_2 on 2015-01-28. Score: 2 | Accepted answer
It's been a while since this was asked and is pretty much covered in the comments, but here's an answer.

Captain Kobayashi is part of the immortal council and therefore doesn't age. If she walked around never aging people would notice, hence the mask. It probably also serves as a way to hide emotion from the crew, show strength and all that.

**[Sidonia's wikia page is pretty barren, but there is some stuff there.](http://sidonia-no-kishi.wikia.com/wiki/Kobayashi)**
> **Comments:**
> **username_3** (2015-08-21): Also allows her to walk around looking like a doctor, but not being known as the captain - it gives her the "disguise" of her own face.  
---
### Answer by username_4 on 2017-07-19. Score: 1
I can't help but think that the mask is random and serve no particular purpose as with a lot of things in the show.

We see the Captain with the mask sometimes, and then we see her without in front of people, the mechanic team, some of the trainees. Same goes for Yunatose, at times she wears a mask then other times, even when she is at work, she does not.

As for the aging thing, I believe the Council takes turn to be Captain so they will change hand every couple of decades or so without the average people knowing about them. They will just assume that the Captain got old and replaced with a new guy. Also how come nobody mentions the teddy bear, how is she even around and nobody noticed she is immortal? So I guess it's just the mismatch of the writers.
---
