Summary
War anime captures the brutality of conflict, whether set in the past, present or future. It is a brutal struggle for survival and power. War stories in anime can range from battles against supernatural creatures to political conflicts between nations, showcasing the horrors of combat. War anime explores heavy themes such as revenge, trauma, the consequences of monarchy, and the search for unity, offering a unique perspective on the realities of war.
Means of cartoon may not be what first comes to mind when you think of war stories, but there are actually many classic anime series that focus on telling the story of a war where everything hangs in the balance. . While some anime treat war as just a small piece of the puzzle, others make war the main focus, telling the story of how one great nation fell to another. any.
The best war anime large scale, capturing the importance of what war is and what it means for two countries to go to war. The main character could be a great hero of this war, or they could be an ordinary soldier out in the trenches, experiencing a much less glamorous side. War anime can be set in the medieval past, the modern day, or the distant future, but regardless of the setting, the realities of war often remain the same. It’s kill or be killed on the battlefield, and that’s true whether one has a sword, a machine gun, or a spaceship.
9 Attack on Titan – Supernatural battle for survival
Created by Hajime Isayama, animated by Wit Studio and MAPPA
Attack on Titan tells the story of Eren Yeager, who lives peacefully with his mother until attack Titans, monstrous humanoid creatures that eat people, come and destroy their home along with hundreds of others and killed his mother. Eren vows revenge on the Titans that day and joins the Survey Corps to train on how to destroy them. However, Attack on Titan isn’t just about fighting Titans; there is another political entity that exists in this world that seeks to completely destroy these people, ultimately creating human-to-human conflict. A story full of wild twists and turns, Attack on Titan certainly doesn’t shy away from the horrors of combat.
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8 Records of the Grancrest War – The fantasy war for peace
Created by Ryu Mizuno, animated by A-1 Pictures
Record of Grancrest War is a fantasy anime from 2018 about Siluca, a young magician girl, and Theo, a noble with a plan to bring peace to a world that has fallen into complete chaos after a disastrous wedding. severity of political union. The story follows Theo’s rise as they travel the world and take steps to end the conflict between the Fantasia Alliance and the Factory Alliance. Although it has a fantasy setting and involves magic, The Grancrest War record depicts the brutality of war and its impact on the wider worldeven for non-combatants.
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Created by Shoji Gatoh, animated by Gonzo Digimation
Full metal panic! is a mecha anime series set in a modern-day equivalent and follows Sosuke Sagara, a former child soldier from Afghanistan who now works for the anti-terrorism military organization called Mithril. Sagara is entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring the safety of Kaname Chidori, a Japanese female student who is pursued by many groups of people for unknown reasons, at least to Sagara. The series has its share conventional combat in addition to mechanical combatbut one thing it does particularly well is show the trauma Sagara experiences from his time as a child soldier and how Kaname helps him build his trust for the first time.
Full metal panic! there was a silly spin-off series, Fumoffu, in addition to two proper sequels: The Second Strike and Invisible Victory, which continued the story.
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6 Vinland Saga – Away from War
Created by Makoto Yukimura, animated by Wit Studio and MAPPA
Vinland Saga tells the story of Thorfinn, initially a young boy on a mission to avenge his father’s death. Thorfinn is caught up in the conflict between England and Denmark, and despite his father’s warnings about violence, he ends up in the middle, courting his own death at every turn. Vinland Saga truly captures desire revenge is what helps sustain large-scale conflicts, as new warriors join to avenge the fallen on both sides. The second season, which still stars Thorfinn, is a pretty big departure from the first, but it continues many of the war themes with ease.
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5 Alderamins in the Sky – From nobody to war hero
Created by Bokuto Uno, animated by Madhouse
Alderamin on the Sky follows lazy young genius Ikta Solork, a boy who wants nothing to do with heroes or fighting. However, when a war broke out between the Katjvarna Empire’s homeland and the Kioka Republic, Ikta ended up joining the army along with his childhood friend Yatorishino. The story revolves around a boy who doesn’t want to be a hero but ends up becoming one, and how he faces this truth is the main element of the series. It explores What it feels like to have greatness weigh down on youand how difficult it is to live up to someone else’s image of you.
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4 The Heroic Legend of Arslan – The Glory and Horror of War
Composed by Yoshiki Tanaka, animated by Liden Films and Sanzigen
The Heroic Legend of Arslan is a 2015 anime adaptation of the manga, adapted from the light novel written by Yoshiki Tanaka of Legend of Galactic Heroes fame. Arslan follows the eponymous character, a prince of a land called Pars (based on Persia), who sees his country taken over by the neighboring nation of Lusitania after a plot to poison evil deposes the King. Arslan, who could barely escape, must now Gather your army and retake your homeland, and become the rightful king he always wanted. Arslan touches on heavy topics like slavery, religion, and the troubles of the monarchy, but handles them expertly. Although the setting is somewhat fictional, the war aspect is very much based in reality.
3 Mobile Suit GTA 00 – The eradication of war
Created by Hajime Yatate and Yoshiyuki Tomino, animated by Sunrise
After the exhaustion of fossil fuels and the transition to solar energy from space, three great forces have come to dominate Earth in Mobile Suit Gunma 00. However, these forces make many small countries than have no access to solar energy and are constantly at war with each other. , leading to the creation of the private military organization known as Celestial Being, which uses gundams in an effort to keep the peace. The story follows Setsuna Seiei, one of four pilots working for Celestial Being. When three powers combine to try to crush Celestial Being, a war that aims to end all wars that begin.
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2 Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These – An epic battle in space
Created by Yoshiki Tanaka, animated by Production IG
Legend of the Galactic Heroes is based on the series of novels by Yoshiki Tanaka and follows two heroes on opposite sides of a war: Yang Wen Li, a genius who wants nothing to do with war in The Alliance of Free Planets, and Reinhard von Lohengramm, a genius noble no less than the Galactic Empire. Yang and Reinhard make compelling contrasts as protagonists, and their different perspectives on war are an inherent part of their personalities. Its a grand tale of strategy, underdog heroes, political intrigue and of course, warThere is no other series like it.
Die Neue This is a remake of the late 80s/early 90s anime Legend of Galactic Heroes, which is also an excellent war story.
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Kingdom 1 – The mission to unify the warring nations
Created by Yasuhisa Hara, animated by Studio Pierrot
Kingdom is a film set in China during the Warring States period in Chinese history, following a war orphan, Xin, as he begins his journey to become the kind of war hero who could finally unify China for the first time in hundreds of centuries. year. Please become friends with the King of Qin and become a top general for him, helping the King achieve his dream of unifying China. The story involves a healthy dose of politics alongside war drama, and explores both high-level and low-level perspectives on war. While this is certainly one of the longest movies on this list, it’s also easily tops.
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