Robot anime, or Mecha anime, is a widely popular genre among the anime fandom. If you are still determining what kind of anime falls in this category, then Neon Genesis Evangelion and Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch might hint at what it is all about.
We have noticed that most anime fans avoid robot anime because they prefer watching only some of the plot surrounding giant robots, giving little to no attention to the plot and character development.
But we have noticed so far that it is not true; it’s just an assumption based on what they have heard from their peers. There are a great variety of options that you can explore in robot anime, but you have to choose from the best.
This list might be handy if you are thinking of giving robot anime a chance or are curious to explore more robot anime. We have sorted out some of the best robot anime you might like to try.
Also Read: 42 Disaster Anime Which Are Too Good To Miss Out!
1) Date A Live
The series follows Shido Itsuka, a high school student who has the unique ability to seal away the powers of the Spirits, mysterious creatures who have the potential to destroy the world. The only way for him to achieve this is to date them. Date A Live is an action-packed anime with stunning animation and fantastic fight scenes.
The characters are also well-developed and likable, making it easy to become invested in the story. The music is also great, with powerful, fast-paced tracks that make the action scenes even more exciting.
2) FLCL
FLCL is a cult classic and a must-watch for any anime fan. Created by the renowned studio Gainax and directed by Kazuya Tsurumaki, it follows a young boy named Naota and his interactions with a strange alien named Haruko.
FLCL
The series moves at a breakneck pace, switching between comedy and drama instantly. As viewers follow Naota’s journey, they’re introduced to a colorful cast of characters and intriguing themes.
3) IS: Infinite Stratos
It tells the tale of Ichika Orimura, a 15-year-old boy who discovers he is the only male capable of piloting the IS (Infinite Stratos). As the story unfolds, Ichika is enrolled in an academy that trains pilots and learns from his fellow female pilots about the dangers that come with piloting an IS.
As the story progresses, Ichika and his friends find themselves in between the conflict between two nations, and must fight to protect their country. Along the way, Ichika discovers secrets about IS and must use his newfound knowledge to protect the world from destruction.
4) Bubuki Buranki
Bubuki Buranki is set in a world where mechanical beings called Bubuki exist. They are linked to humans through “Bubuki users”, special people who can wield Bubuki in battle.
The story follows Azuma Kazuki, a Bubuki user who returns to Japan after 10 years of being away and finds a mysterious girl named Kogane Asabuki. Together, they search for the scattered Bubuki and the memories of their past to find out the truth behind their world.
5) Re:Creators
It is set in a world where stories and characters from various media, such as manga, anime, games, and light novels, exist in physical form. These characters have been granted sentience and are now living in the real world. As such, humans and characters from different stories and universes are now forced to fight and work together in order to save their world.
The main characters in the story are Souta, the military veteran, and high school student; Selesia Uptiria, a protagonist from an anime series; Meteora Österreich, an AI character from a game; Alicetaria February, a princess from a light fantasy novel; Mamika Kirameki, a magical girl from a manga series; and Blitz Talker, a mysterious villain from an unknown origin.
6) Undefeated Bahamut Chronicle
The show follows the adventures of Lux Arcadia, a former prince of the Old Empire who has been living in exile due to a mysterious power he possesses. One day, he is dragged into a battle between two factions vying for control of the new kingdom of Arcadia.
With the help of his friends, Lux must learn how to control his power and use it to protect Arcadia from those who wish to destroy it. Lux finds out that Lisesharte is the princess of another empire and is attending the academy to fight against the growing threat of the old Arcadia Empire.
7) Hundred
It follows the story of Hayato Kisaragi, a transfer student at the Little Garden Academy, and his mission to defeat the mysterious Savages. Terrorists have risen, wreaking havoc on the citizens of the world, and the only thing that can stop them is a group of brave souls.
A group of five teenagers, all from different backgrounds and cultures, have come together to form a team of powerful fighters. With their different abilities, they must battle their way through an ever-growing army of terrorist-controlled robots.
8) SSSS.Gridman
Gridman is created by Tsuburaya Productions and Trigger. The story follows Yuta Hibiki, a high school student who gains the power to merge with a sentient computer program known as Gridman. With it, Yuta and his friends fight against kaiju, monsters created by an evil computer virus known as the Sigma Infinite.
As Yuta and his friends battle the monsters, they must also try to uncover the secrets behind the Sigma Infinite and its creator, Hyper Agent Akane. As the series progresses, Yuta learns more about his past and his connection to Gridman, as well as the mysterious power held by the Hyper Agent.
9) Destiny of the Shrine Maiden
Kannazuki no Miko is a romantic action anime series about two high school girls named Chikane Himemiya and Himeko Kurusugawa, who are best friends despite their differences. On the day of their school’s annual festival, they discover that they are the reincarnations of the solar and lunar mikos, and they are destined to battle the evil Orochi.
To protect the world from destruction, Chikane and Himeko must form a pact and become the legendary Kannazuki no Miko.
10) Knight’s & Magic
The series follows the story of Tsubasa Kurata, a mecha otaku from Japan who perishes in a car accident and is reincarnated into a fantasy world. In this new world, he is known as Ernesti Echevarria. Ernesti is a genius engineer who aspires to create a giant humanoid robot known as a Silhouette Knight.
The anime follows Ernesti and his friends as they battle evil forces, protect their kingdom, and strive to perfect the Silhouette Knight. Throughout their journey, they learn important lessons about friendship and courage and gain a greater understanding of the world they inhabit.
11) Knights of Sidonia
The series follows Nagate Tanikaze, a young gardener living in the underground of Sidonia, a massive spaceship that has been traveling through space for over a thousand years. After discovering his true identity as the last of a long-lost race of genetically engineered humans, Nagate embarks on a mission to defend Sidonia from the alien Gauna, who has been hunting the ship since it left Earth.
12) Cross Ange: Rondo of Angel and Dragon
It is a mecha anime series. The story follows the life of a princess, Angelise Ikaruga Misurugi, who was born into a world of privilege. She had a perfect life until it was discovered that she was a “Norma,” an individual who can negate the power of Mana, a magical power that exists in the world.
As punishment for being a Norma, Angelise is exiled from the Misurugi Empire and sent to the remote island of Arzenal, where she is forced to join the military and fight against creatures known as DRAGONs.
13) Tenchi Muyo! War on Geminar
The story of Tenchi Muyo! War on Geminar revolves around 15-year-old Kenshi Masaki, who is transported from his home in Tokyo to the alternate world of Geminar. There, Kenshi is forced to join the Holy Land Academy and become a meister in the special art of wielding a weapon known as a Sacred Mechanoid.
With the help of his friends and the mysterious princess, Lashara Earth, Kenshi must master the Sacred Mechanoid to protect Geminar from the evil forces that threaten to take control.
14) Robotics; Notes
Robotics; Notes is a science-fiction anime series set in the near future. The story follows two high school students, Kaito Yashio and Akiho Senomiya, who are members of the school’s Robot Research Club.
Kaito is an avid gamer, and Akiho is an aspiring robotics engineer, with a dream of creating a giant robot. Along with their friends, they strive to make their dreams a reality. However, their work is soon interrupted by a mysterious organization called the Committee of 300.
15) Active Raid
It is set in a near-future Japan, where the police are equipped with powered exoskeleton suits known as Willwears. The story follows Unit 8 of the 5th Special Public Security Section’s Third Mobile Assault Division—better known as “The Eighth”—who use their Willwears to fight crime in the city.
The story follows a young man named Asami Kazari, who is assigned to Unit 8 of the 5th Special Public Security Section’s Third Mobile Assault Division. Asami is a prodigy with the Willwears, but her inexperience and impulsive behavior often lead her into trouble.
16) Macross Frontier
It follows the story of some group of individuals living in the Macross Frontier colonization fleet. The fleet is made up of two separate fleets, the N.U.N.S. fleet and the S.M.S. fleet, led by the Macross Quarter.
In the year 2059, the Macross Frontier fleet is attacked by a mysterious alien race called the Vajra, and the protagonists must battle the enemy and save the fleet from destruction. The series focuses on the relationship between a young girl named Ranka Lee and a pilot named Alto Saotome.
17) Samurai 7
The story of Samurai 7 is set in a post-apocalyptic world, where the remnants of feudal Japan are overrun by giant mechanical creatures called “Nobuseri”. The Nobuseri was created by a powerful warlord named Ukyo and is used to enforce his will and terrorize the people of the land.
Kambei, a stoic and wise samurai, is recruited by a village in need of his assistance. The story is filled with action, adventure, and plenty of drama as the samurai fight to protect the village and discover the secrets behind the war. Along the way, the group discovers the truth about their pasts and the true nature of the Nobuseri.
18) Gunbuster
Gunbuster is a classic mecha anime series created by Gainax studio. It tells the story of Noriko Takaya, a high school student who enrolls in a special military program to become a space pilot. Her father, a famous space pilot, has disappeared on a mission to fight an alien race known as the “Space Monsters”.
Noriko is paired up with the experienced and taciturn Kazumi Amano, and the two become pilots of the powerful Gunbuster mecha. With the help of her instructor, Coach Ohta, Noriko learns to pilot the Gunbuster and becomes the ace pilot of her team. Together, they must confront a mysterious alien race called the Space Monsters, who threaten to destroy the human race.
19) SSSS.Dynazenon
In the near future, a mysterious life form known as “Yomotsuheguri” emerges from the sea, attacking the human race and turning them into monsters.
The human race forms the “Gaiark”, an organization dedicated to combating the Yomotsuheguri, and recruits four teenage pilots Yomogi Asanaka, Koyomi Yamanaka, Gauma, and Yume Minami to pilot the Dyna System and save the world from destruction.
20) Knights of Sidonia: Battle for Planet Nine
The story of Knights of Sidonia: Battle for Planet Nine follows the adventures of Nagate Tanikaze, a young man who was found and raised in the bowels of the Sidonia, a massive spaceship that is home to thousands of human refugees trying to escape the threat of alien creatures known as Gauna.
When Nagate is chosen to pilot a powerful mech suit known as a Garde, he and his fellow pilots must battle the Gauna in order to protect the Sidonia from their attacks.
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21) Star Driver
The story takes place on the fictional Southern Cross Isle, an island in the south of Japan where supernatural events take place. Takuto Tsunashi, a young energetic teenager, transfers to the island after hearing a mysterious voice.
He discovers that the island is the home of the Glittering Crux Brigade, a secret organization whose members are known as cybodies. Takuto soon finds himself in the middle of a battle between the Glittering Crux and the shadowy organization known as Sigma.
22) Heroic Age
The story follows the adventures of the main protagonist, Age, a young boy from the Bronze Tribe who is chosen to be the savior of his people. With the help of the Nodos, Age embarks on a journey to unite the races of the galaxy and ultimately save the Bronze Tribe from their impending doom.
23) Schwarzesmarken
Schwarzesmarken is an anime series based on the light novel series of the same name. The story follows the East German Army’s 666th TSF Squadron in the mid-1980s. They are tasked with defending the country from an alien force known as the BETA, which is determined to exterminate humanity.
The squadron is composed of young girls with special abilities and is led by the strong-willed and stubborn Second Lieutenant Theodor Eberbach.
24) Comet Lucifer
Comet Lucifer is an anime series set in a far-future world on the planet Gift, where a mysterious and powerful gem called the “Cometstone” is said to have the power to grant any wish. The series follows a young orphan named Sogo Amagi, who is living in a rural town named Garden Indigo.
Sogo is a passionate enthusiast of Gift’s underground realm, “Granbell”, and dreams of exploring its depths. Amagi then discovers a mysterious girl named Felia in a Giftjium mine, and together, they search for the missing fragments of a legendary weapon called the Golden Fragment.
25) Aquarion Evol
The series begins with Apollo being sent from the mysterious organization DEAVA on a mission to protect the city of Neo-Venezia from an invasion of Shadow Angels. He is helped by the mysterious Silvia, a young girl with a mysterious past. Along the way, he is joined by two other pilots, Andy and Mikono, with whom he forms the Aquarion Evol mecha.
The story follows the adventures of Amata Sora, a young Element User and the latest pilot of the Aquarion. Along with his friends at the Neo-DEAVA Academy, Amata must learn how to control the Aquarion and protect the planet from the Shadow Angels.
26) Macross
The series is set in a fictional site where humanity is embroiled in a protracted intergalactic war with the Zentradi alien race. The Macross story centers around the journey of the Macross, a human-built super-dimensional fortress capable of traveling faster-than-light, as it carries a mix of human and Zentradi survivors on a voyage of discovery across the galaxy.
The series follows the adventures of Hikaru Ichijyo, a young pilot who is assigned to the Macross as part of the United Nations Space Force. Along the way, Hikaru and the crew of the Macross must face off against the threat of the Zentradi, a race of giant humanoids bent on destroying the human race.
27) Asura Cryin
The story follows Tomoharu Natsume, a high school student who, following the death of his parents, moves in with his childhood friend, Misao Minakami, and her family. While unpacking, he discovers an antique box that belonged to his father, which contains the spirit of a girl named Shuri Kurosaki.
Tomoharu soon learns that he and Shuri are connected by a powerful ancient weapon called the Asura Machina, which is capable of destroying entire cities. Asura Machina, Tomoharu and Shuri join forces with the mysterious organization called the Strangers and battle against the forces of the Shadow Line, who desire to use the Asura Machina for their own sinister purposes.
28) Nobunaga the Fool
The story follows the life of Nobunaga Oda, a young man from the Eastern Planet who is destined to become the savior of the two worlds. He is joined by a mysterious girl named Jeanne Kaguya d’Arc, who is from the Western Planet, and together they set off on a journey to try and bring peace to the two worlds.
Along the way, they battle enemies from both sides of the Great Wall, discover powerful artefacts, and learn about the secrets of their pasts.
29) Eureka Seven AO
The story is set in Okinawa in the year 2025 and follows Ao Fukai, a young boy whose life is thrown into chaos when a mysterious girl named Eureka arrives. Ao discovers that he has the power to control a mecha called the Nirvash and joins a group of rebels known as the Generation Bleu to fight against a secret organization known as the Secret Organization.
The series follows Ao and his friends as they uncover the truth behind the Nirvash, the Secret Organization, and their mysterious agenda.
30) Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse
Muv-Luv Alternative: Total Eclipse follows the story of Yui Takamura and Yuya Bridges, two pilots of the United Nations forces in Japan, as they fight against the mysterious BETA, an alien race that invaded Earth in the year 1973.
As the war continues to rage, Yui and Yuya must battle their way through various fronts and battle the BETA in an attempt to end their invasion of Earth.
31) Scrapped Princess
Scrapped Princess is an anime series written by Ichiro Sakaki, with illustrations by Yuuki Kikuchi. The series follows the adventures of Pacifica Casull, a young girl who prophesied in an ancient text to bring about the end of the world. Along with the help of her adoptive siblings, Pacifica embarks on a quest to discover the truth behind the prophecy and to clear her name.
32) Broken Blade
Set in the continent of Cruzon, the story follows a young man named Rygart Arrow, who is the last known person to possess the rare ability of “un-sorcererry”, which allows him to wield ancient golems. When the Kingdom of Krisna declares war on the neighboring country of Athens, Rygart joins forces with the royal family of Krisna to fight against the invading forces.
Along the way, he discovers powerful secrets about the war and the world he lives in, as well as begins to understand the power of his unique ability.
33) The Big O
The Big O is set in an alternate version of the 1940s, where the world has suffered a mysterious blackout of all its memories, including the memories of its own past. The protagonist, Roger Smith, is an arbiter, a negotiator between the world’s factions, who also doubles as a private detective.
He is aided in his work by his butler Norman, the android R. Dorothy Wayneright, and the mysterious Big O, a giant battle machine from a bygone era.
34) Buddy Complex
Buddy Complex is a mecha anime series created by Sunrise Studio. The story centers around high school student Aoba Watase, who lives a normal life until his classmate Hina Yumihara suddenly appears and transports him 70 years into the future.
Aoba finds himself in the middle of a conflict between two powerful forces: the Great Zogilia Republic and the Dorssian Military Pact Federation.
36) Vandread
The story focuses on a group of misfits who find themselves thrust into a war between two separate civilizations, the all-female Taraak and the all-male Mejere.
In the middle of the war, the two civilizations discover an ancient spaceship called the Vandread, which they then use to attempt to bring peace between the two civilizations.
37) Blue Gender
Blue Gender is a mecha anime series that follows the story of Yuji Kaido, a young man who is cryogenically frozen after being diagnosed with a mysterious terminal illness. After being revived 200 years in the future, Yuji finds himself in a world overrun by giant insectoid aliens known as the Blue.
Yuji and the group of elite soldiers known as the “S.E.E.D” to battle the Blue and save what remains of humanity.
38) Gun x Sword
The series follows the exploits of Van, a lonesome traveler on a quest to find and defeat the mysterious Armor of God and avenge his fiancée, who was murdered by the Claw, a powerful organization led by a man called the “First”. Van meets up with Wendy, a young girl with mysterious powers, and together they travel the world of Endless Illusion in search of the Armor of God.
Along the way, they face off against the Claw and other strange creatures and enemies. The series is set in a post-apocalyptic Western-style world, where the only remaining technology is that of swords and guns.
39) Sousei no Aquarion
The series is set in a futuristic parallel universe in which a race of super-beings named Shadow Angels threatens the existence of mankind. To combat the Shadow Angels, a group of humans known as the Elements employ the use of an ancient mecha known as Aquarion.
A young boy, Apollo, as he is unwillingly thrust into the conflict between the Shadow Angels and the Elements. In the course of defending humanity from the Shadow Angels, Apollo discovers his true identity and the secrets of Aquarion.
40) Macross Delta
Macross Delta is set 8 years after the events of Macross Frontier. Protagonists Hayate Immelman and Freyja Wion join the private military organization known as Strategic Military Services (SMS) and their Delta Squadron to battle the Var Syndrome, a mysterious phenomenon that slowly spreads across the universe and can turn people into berserk monsters.
The main antagonist is the mysterious Aerial Knights of the Windermere Kingdom, who use their ancient Windermerean biotechnology to control the Var Syndrome.
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