The Best Military Anime of All Time
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25.4K votes
5.4K voters
5 reranks
Voting Rules
Vote for the best military anime series that deserve the highest honor.
A common theme among popular action anime is that some kind of military force or army is often the driving force behind the show's story. From intricate uniforms in sci-fi wars like the gear in Attack on Titan to normal guys trying to get by in historical warfare, like Kingdom, there's a story for everyone. If you're a fan of these kinds of plot lines, then soldier up and help us vote on this list of the best military anime of all time. Many of the anime on this list revolve around warfare and the ranks of an army or military, including Code Geass, Full Metal Panic! and Strike Witches. However some of the shows listed here have a military in them, but don't strictly revolve around it.
Fullmetal Alchemist, for example, follows Edward Elrich and his journey to find the Philosopher's Stone, all while showing him become a dog of the military and dealing with the higher ups that give him orders. The shows on this list include both older and new military anime, so vote for your favorites and watch them rise to the top!
Most divisive: Utawarerumono
Over 5.4K Ranker voters have come together to rank this list of Military Anime
1Brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric search for the Philsopher's Stone.- 2Lelouch Lamperouge, a Britannian student, uses the mystical "Power of Kings" to take down Britannia.
3Three friends join the Survey Corps to try to take their world back from the Titans.The 22 Most Gut-Wrenching 'Attack On Titan' Deaths That Shattered UsSee all
- 1Sasha Blouse1,132 Votes
- 2Zoe Hange1,041 Votes
- 3Petra Ral1,991 Votes
- 4A Japanese salaryman who insults God moments before his death, is reborn as a 9-year-old girl.
- An exiled prince with special powers wages a war to overthrow his father's oppressive monarchy.
- 6The Republic of San Magnolia has been attacked by its neighbor, the Empire.
- 7
Gate Jieitai Kanochi Nite Kaku Tatakaeri
- 8A team of mercenaries smuggles goods around Southeast Asia.
9In the fictitious country of Amestris, two young brothers, Edward and Alphonse Elric, are bestowed with the gift of alchemy - the supernatural ability to transform matter. This becomes a burden after their mother dies from an illness before they figure out how to use their alchemic skills. Edward loses his left leg and Alphonse's entire body is unusable. The boys replace their deformities with prosthetic limbs and become Full Metal Alchemists as they seek out the legendary Philosopher's Stone to heal themselves.- 10The greatest warriors from across diverse eras and worlds, thrust into battle.
- Koko and her bodyguards sell weapons while trying to avoid rival arms dealers and the government.
- 12In ancient China, two orphaned boys dream of escaping and proving themselves on the battlefield.
- 13
Alderamin on the SKy
14
15Anti-terrorist unit tries to protect a high school student.All Full Metal Panic! Characters, Best to WorstSee all- 1Sousuke Sagara138 Votes
- 2Kaname Chidori140 Votes
- 3Melissa Mao92 Votes
- 16The opposing stories of Reinhard von Lohengramm and Yang Wen-li.
17Tanya the Evil
18Valkyria Chronicles
Set in an alternate timeline of Europe in 1930s, the country of Gallia has come under attack by East European Imperial Alliance who value the country's abundance of ragnite ore—which can be refined into a powerful fuel. Welkin Gunther, son of Gallian war hero General Belgen Gunther, leads a team of soldiers in a desperate bid reclaim their war-torn neutral nation from enemy control.- 19High school girls compete in the martial art of armored tank combat.
20Darling in the FranXX
21The Celestial Being military organization employs Mobile Suits called Gundams.- 22Teenagers pilot giant fighting machines to stop otherworldly monsters from wiping out humanity.
- A 12-year-old must master his powers in order to save the world.
24Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid
- 25Soldiers armed with special weapons fight to destroy the monsters that have taken over planet Earth.
- 26
Heavy Object
27Mobile Suit Gundam SEED (JNN, 2002) is a Japanese action sci-fi mecha anime series from Sunrise animation studio and the 9th installment in the Gundam franchise. Coordinator Kira Yamato becomes involved in the war between the two races, the Neutrals and the Coordinators, after a third, neutral faction's space colony is invaded by the Coordinators.
28A thousand years after humans flee from Earth, Sidonia defends against alien monsters called Gauna.- 29
Schwarzes Marken
Action, Military, Sci-FiSchwarzes Marken (LIDENFILMS, 2016), also known as Schwarzesmarken, is a Japanese mecha anime series based on the Muv-Luv visual novel franchise. A special-response force called “Schwarzes Marken” is tasked with assaulting BETA forces in 1983 East Germany. - 30Swordsman Guts embarks on a journey filled with beasts and gruesome vengeance.
31Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu (Fuji TV, 2003) is a Japanese action comedy anime series based on the on the light novels written by Shoji Gatoh and illustrated by Shiki Douji from Kyoto Animation studio, and the second season of Full Metal Panic! It's back-to-school mayhem with Kaname Chidori and her war-freak classmate Sousuke Sagara as they encounter more misadventures in and out of Jindai High School.- Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam is a television anime, part of the Gundam series and a sequel to the original Mobile Suit Gundam. The show was created and directed by Yoshiyuki Tomino, with character designs by Yoshikazu Yasuhiko, while the series' mechanical designs is split among Kunio Okawara, Mamoru Nagano, and Kazumi Fujita. The series was originally aired on Nagoya Broadcasting Network and its sister ANN stations between 1985 and 1986. Between 2005 to 2006, the series was reproduced and compiled into a movie trilogy, Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam: A New Translation. Though still directed by Tomino, it involved many changes in the original storyline.
- Appleseed is a 2004 Japanese computer animated anime science fiction action film directed by Shinji Aramaki and based on the Appleseed manga created by Masamune Shirow. It features the voice acting of Ai Kobayashi, Jūrōta Kosugi, Mami Koyama, Yuki Matsuoka, and Toshiyuki Morikawa. The film tells the story of Deunan Knute, a former soldier, who searches for data that can restore the reproductive capabilities of bioroids, a race of genetically engineered clones. Although it shares characters and settings with the original manga, this film's storyline is a re-interpretation, not a true adaptation. This Appleseed film should not be confused with the 1988 OVA which was also inspired by the manga. Appleseed received a theatrical release on April 17, 2004.
36Macross Frontier (MBS, 2008) is a sci-fi action romance anime series from Satelight animation studio and the third series set in the Macross universe. A human space colony fleet tries to find a habitable planet near the center of the Milky Way Galaxy while facing a crisis of alien origin.
37A mysterious man must protect the people who nursed him back to health.- Strike Witches combine magic and technology to defend the world.
39A young amnesiac discovers that demons are trying to invade the world.- 40Mobile Suit Gundam (Nagoya TV, 1979) is a Japanese action sci-fi mecha anime series from Sunrise animation studio and the first installment in the Gundam franchise. In the futuristic world known as Universal Century 0079, war wages between the Principality of Zeon and the Earth Federation with the latter unveiling a new giant robot known as the RX-78-2 Gundam piloted by the young mechanic Amuro Ray.
- 41Zipang is a twenty-six episode Japanese anime television series directed by Kazuhiro Furuhashi and produced by Studio Deen. It aired on the Tokyo Broadcasting System in Japan from late 2004 to early 2005, and was licensed for release in North America by Geneon Entertainment with DVD release starting in September 2006. It was adapted from the manga of the same name by Kaiji Kawaguchi.
- Gundams and their pilots protect colonies from mobile suits.
43Library Wars
Library Wars is a 2013 drama film directed by Shinsuke Sato. 在架空世界的日本，为了公序良俗等理由，政府制定了侵犯人权的“媒体良化法”（媒体优质化法），并成立了“媒体良化委员会”（媒体优质化委员会）与“良化特务机关”（优质化特务机关）来进行媒体检阅工作。与这个强权机关对抗的唯一组织，即为“图书馆”。一群热爱图书馆自由的人们，武装自己与良化机关进行战争，守护图书馆的自由。笠原郁在高中的某一天看到了想买的书，却遇上了良化委员会的成员，这时却出现了一名图书队员，使对方离开。西元2019年（正化31年），笠原郁加入了战争……- 44
NANBAKA
- An easygoing crewman is suddenly given command of a space cruiser in the midst of a space war.
46Banner of the Stars
- Kanata Sorami is a bugler in the army in a post-apocalyptic world.
49Banner of the Stars II
- Now and Then, Here and There (Ima, Soko ni Iru Boku) is a 1999 anime series directed by Akitaro Daichi and written by Hideyuki Kurata. While trying to save an unknown girl, young Shuzo "Shu" Matsutani is transported to another world which may be the Earth in the far future. The world is desolate and militarized, and water is a scarce commodity.
- RahXephon (2002, G4) is a romance, mecha anime created and directed by Yutaka Izubuchi. The series follows 17-year-old Ayato Kamina, his ability to control a mecha known as the RahXephon, and his inner journey to find a place in the world.
