Optical unit and display device

An optical unit comprising:

• a first panel provided with a first light-emitting element;
• a second panel provided with a second light-emitting element;
• a third panel provided with a third light-emitting element;
• and
• a dichroic prism including a first incident surface on which image light emitted from the first panel is incident as first image light of a first wavelength region, a second incident surface that faces the first incident surface, and on which image light emitted from the second panel is incident as second image light of a second wavelength region that is different from the first wavelength region, a third incident surface that is provided between the first incident surface and the second incident surface, and on which image light emitted from the third panel is incident as third image light of a third wavelength region that is different from the first wavelength region and the second wavelength region, an emission surface that faces the third incident surface, a first dichroic mirror that reflects the first image light toward the emission surface and allows the second image light and the third image light to pass through, and a second dichroic mirror that reflects the second image light toward the emission surface and allows the first image light and the third image light to pass through, wherein
• a single polarization element, which allows, of first polarized light and second polarized light having different polarization directions, the first polarized light to pass through, is arranged in an optical path from one light-emitting element of the first light emitting element, the second light emitting element, and the third light emitting element, to the dichroic prism,
• at least one of the first dichroic mirror and the second dichroic mirror has polarization separation characteristics, and
• two of the first image light, the second image light, and the third image light are unpolarized at respective incident surfaces of the dichroic prism.