Military anime has long been associated with the inspirational genre. Although warfare has evolved as new weapons and technologies have been developed, the fundamental concept has remained the same, which is to kill the other person before he kills you. The topic of war is a prominent one in anime and manga. While enjoying ourselves, we’ve all seen massive harm inflicted by fights among individuals or organizations. The military forces in these anime series battle with tanks, spaceships, gas-powered vehicles, and whatnot. The weapons are often advanced and far above our imagination.
If you have seen anime for quite some time now, you will have noticed Japanese animation has a long history with the war genre. It covers how the brass and grunts are organized, how a unit operates, and how they go about their daily lives. There are around 400 military anime series, according to data. Military-themed anime is a subset of heavy action and weapon-based anime. There are numerous action anime stories that revolve around a military unit or army, starting from Gunslinger Girl, Attack on Titan!, Girls & Panzer, and Strike Witches. While some of the shows featured below have a military subject, they have much more than that can even be magical warfare. Without further ado, let us get started with the list.
Joker Game
The plot revolves around war. While World War II looms, knowledge of the social and economic realities of other countries is essential. Because of this, Japan created the D Agency specifically for the goal of obtaining this weapon. Lt. Col. Yuuki has sent eight operatives to infiltrate some of the most powerful countries on Earth and report on any war-related activity they may encounter. These people have studied a wide range of subjects, including communications and languages, to be able to carry out these dangerous duties. They excel in persuading people to help their country by providing them with knowledge.
The anime is themed on military and historical events. This play is more akin to the calm before the storm than a lightning strike. The series is set around the eve of World War II and delves into the world of spies. As you go through the anime, you learn the information game where you’re aiming to outsmart your adversary. It also deals with how to read communications, get information from persons, and distribute fabricated details, among other skills. It is deserving of inclusion on the list. Overall it views the events leading up to a massive conflict in a more or less realistic manner.
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Pumpkin Scissors
After the war, troops suffered from disease and poverty, and many resorted to crime in order to survive. Assisting the 2nd lieutenant Alice and Corporal Randel, the Pumpkin Scissors plan to assist restore order during this difficult time period. Despite the presence of tanks, they lack semi-automatic weaponry and wireless communication. It has been agreed that the peace between the Royal Empire and the Republic of Frost shall last eternally. Gangs are formed by ex-soldiers who engage in robbery, banditry, and other criminal activities after the war. Within a year, a state section of the Imperial Army had been formed by the Pumpkin Scissors unit.
2nd Lieutenant Alice L. Malvin is an inspirational character in the anime. She believes that a pair of scissors must be used to cut through the layers to achieve justice. This pattern seems to be recurrent. Many in the army and Empire saw the unit as a propaganda tool for the government. Randel Oland, an enigmatic veteran, joins their ranks, laying the groundwork for the plot.
Code Geass
The Japanese anime Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion was created by Sunrise. The anime is not just military-based but also has its own set of suspense laid down for its audience. While there are other characters throughout the series that possess Geass, the best-known and most important Geass is that of exiled prince Lelouch vi Britannia Lamperouge. Lelouch’s Geass grants him the power to issue a single unbreakable order to whomever he makes eye contact with. Not only is this the first Geass to be portrayed in Code Geass, but it also has a significant similarity to Geass’s legendary beginnings.
Code Geass is a tremendously successful political thriller that blends science fiction, drama, and action. In the plot, the Britannian student Lelouch Lamperouge gets caught in the crossfire between the Britannian and Area 11 rebel armed forces. However, he can depart because of the outstanding presentation of a mysterious girl named C.C., who bestows to him Geass the “Power of Kings.” Recognizing the immense potential of his newly acquired “power of absolute obedience,” Lelouch embarks on a perilous journey in the disguise of Zero. He embarks on a bloody assault on Britannia to exact vengeance.
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Full Metal Panic
Shoji Gatoh is the author of the Full Metal Panic! light novel series. Sousuke Sagara is a member of the shadowy anti-terrorist private military corporation. In the series, Mithril guards the life of the fiery Japanese teen Kaname Chidori. As a private military company, Mithril’s mission is to eliminate all forms of international terrorism and threats to world peace. People with “Whispered” powers and the ability to build strong robots run the company.
He is Kaname Chidori’s protector, a 17-year-old Mithril sergeant named Sousuke. Enrolling in her high school class and developing a close friendship with her are both encouraged for him, as long as he can pass as one of their classmates and avoid revealing his true identity. To safeguard Kaname, Sousuke, who was reared on a battlefield, must adapt to high school life. A familiar opponent is stalking the Whispered girl, and Sousuke will soon find it.
Jormungand
A traveling trader named Jormungand and a beautiful Scandinavian woman named Koko Hekmatyar are the two main characters in the film. Koko Hekmatyar is a juvenile weapons dealer who sells firearms via an international shipping company. She is also involved in an illegal smuggling operation. As one of the company’s unregistered weapon dealers, she distributes guns in various countries while eluding local and international authorities.
In addition, Koko is supported by a supportive community of pals. That pleasant slice of life ends when we learn that Koko is a weapons dealer. She is one of the most powerful and most influential people as her cheerful bodyguards are elite troops who are “the best of the best” in something. As an example, one is a professional commando, while another is a bomber, and so on. Koko Hekmatyar, a traveling guns trader who is considered a genius by many, is the subject of Jormungand’s attention.
On the other hand, Jonathan Mar is a child soldier reared in a war zone, despises weapons and gun dealers. However, when Jonah is hired as one of her bodyguards by Koko Hekmatyar, an international arms dealer, he is compelled to equip himself. Jonah, along with Koko’s other bodyguards, most of whom are former special-ops forces, has been tasked with safeguarding Koko and her too idealistic goal of world peace from the many dangers inherent in her line of work.
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Seraph of the End
In the wake of a mysterious sickness that kills everyone over the age of 13, vampires come to power and take over the world in return for blood donations. Mikaela Hyakuya and Yuuichirou are the only survivors. Given their past in the orphanage, they used to be best friends. Later they were kidnapped from an orphanage and held hostage. Mikaela, fed up with being treated like a piece of meat by the vampires, devises a strategy of rebellion, and Yuuichiro is adamant about saving him.
Yuuichirou is the lone survivor found by the Moon Demon Company, a Japanese military organization dedicated to eradicating vampires. He is determined to punish his family’s killers years later as a Japanese Imperial Demon Army soldier. Owari no Seraph is a post-apocalyptic supernatural tale about a young man seeking revenge while battling friendship and loyalty.
Gate
We meet Youji Itami, an otaku on his way to a doujin convention in Ginza, Tokyo. Suddenly a bizarre portal in the shape of a gigantic gate appears. Assaulting the city, weird animals, and troops in medieval armor destroy everything in their path. While the remainder of the JSDF repels the invasion, Youji saves as many lives as he can.
A JSDF task force sent a special recon operation to the “Special Region” three months after the incident, and Youji has been charged with leading it. To build friendly connections with the reigning monarchy, they must travel to this mysterious territory and get to know the locals. It will be a bloodbath on both sides of the gate unless they intervene.
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Attack on Titan
Eren Jaeger, Mikasa Ackerman, and Armin Arlert combat massive Titans as humans in a post-apocalyptic world. When a Colossal Titan destroys their town’s wall, they destroy it, and in the midst of it, one of them kills Eren’s mother. Eren becomes a member of the elite Survey Corps, which is tasked with combating Titans. Eren and the Survey Corps confront the Titans and discover their origins in Attack on Titan.
Cities are built to protect mankind from Titans, enormous humanoid creatures who attack at random and eat them. While Eren Jaeger and his boyhood pals Armin Arlelt and Mikasa Ackermann run away, Eren’s mother is all killed by the Colossal Titan. Here, their lives are forever changed. Three of the Scout Regiment’s members join the fight against Titans beyond the Walls: Eren, Mikasa, and Armin. There is a large and active fandom for Attack on Titan that spans the globe. Its gloomy themes and plot have been well received by critics and audiences alike.
Hellsing Ultimate
The series chronicles the mysterious Hellsing Organization’s battles against vampires, ghouls, and other supernatural adversaries. The manga chapters were collected into ten tankobon volumes by Shonen. Creatures of darkness and evil wander the night, savagely eating any unlucky victims they encounter. On the other side, Hellsing is committed to eradicating supernatural powers that pose a threat to the well-being of mankind. Integrated Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing leads a formidable army and fights the undead.
However, Integra’s most lethal weapon is Hellsing’s vampire exterminator Alucard. To keep Hellsing safe, Alucard and his new vampire servant Seras Victoria will have to take on the forces of good and evil alike. It shows that looks may be misleading and that the greatest weapon can be one’s worst fear.
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Legend of the Galactic Heroes
There’s a fight brewing in the distant future between the monarchical Galactic Empire and the democratic Free Planetary Alliance. Both Yang Wen and Reinhard von Lohengramm’s tales are told as antagonists in the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance. Both Reinhard von Lohengramm, an idealistic soldier, and Yang Wenli, an FPA historian, are leaders of the next generation.
Reinhard must overcome the war and the collapsing Goldenbaum Dynasty to rescue his sister from the Kaiser and unite humanity under a single lawful king. Meanwhile, on the other side of the galaxy, Yang, a devout supporter of democratic ideals, must stand firm in his convictions in the face of the FPA’s challenges and demonstrate to his pupil. Amid the war’s many casualties, the two strategic masterminds must consider why they are fighting.
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Eighty-Six 86
There have been losses in the Giadian Empire’s continuous struggle with San Magnolia, despite what they claim. The eighty-sixth group is a hidden jail for those with various looks, while the silver-haired Alba of the Republic is protected behind a wall. Republican Handlers of the Empire lead a breakaway Legion against which the Eighty-Six is compelled to battle.
Vladilena Milize assumes command of the Spearhead squadron instead of its prior Handler. While supporting Eighty-Six, she battles her coworkers’ virulent racism. Shinei Nouzen commands the Spearhead squadron. Even though he has been the only survivor of each company he has worked for, he retains the memories and wishes of those who have gone before him. These young people’s lives are about to come together, but no one knows will they be for better or worse.
Drifters
The manga was serialized by Shonen Gahosha’s Young King Ours in early 2009. On a distant planet, magicians are entrusted with rescuing their homeworld from a group of historical characters. During the Battle of Sekigahara, Toyohisa Shimazu, a wounded soldier, wakes in a stark white corridor. A stoic guy called Murasaki pulls Toyohisa into the closest door, which has dozens of entrances on each side.
Exotic monsters and long-dead warriors from Toyohisa’s realm live in this bizarre territory. Toyohisa quickly learns about the political unrest on the continent from Nobunaga Oda, the notorious warlord, and ancient archer Yoichi Suketaka Nasu. Also known as “Drifters,” they’re fighting the “Ends,” who formed the Orte Empire and are attempting to wipe out the Drifters. Elves and other demihumans are likely to endure further persecution in the future, according to less extreme predictions. Unconventional heroes such as Toyohisa and his gang must face the Ends in order to save the Empire’s people and safeguard their territory.
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Black Lagoon
Roanapur in Thailand is a crime-ridden, corrupt city where even the government and the churches are tainted. Local criminal syndicates often use the area as a hub for their illicit activities and operations. By means of Southeast Asia, Rokurou Okajima, a dreary Japanese businessman, is afforded a little respite from his monotonous routine. The Black Lagoon mercenary organization kidnaps Rokurou in Roanapur, ruining his business trip.
In the event that a deal cannot be reached, the organization intends to use him as a negotiation chip. After being abandoned by Black Lagoon, Rokurou decides to rejoin the organization. He must swiftly adjust to his new surroundings and prepare himself for the devastation and suffering that await him. One of the greatest psychological thrillers of all time is Black Lagoon. As he transitions from a businessman to a violent mercenary, Rokurou tries to maintain his core principles and ideals.
The Saga of Tanya the Evil
In recognition of her vicious rage and tactical skill, Tanya Degurechaff has earned the nickname “Devil of the Rhine.” He was a guy who was reincarnated into the body of a small girl. He challenged Being X, the self-proclaimed God, to a battle of wits-to-wits.
There’s only one thing stopping Tanya from rising to higher and higher levels in her country’s military as worldwide warfare intensifies, and that’s Being X. The Empire is transformed into one of the most powerful countries in history as a result of her wisdom and battle prowess.
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Berserk
The story revolves around Guts, a lone mercenary, and Griffith, the commander of the “Band of the Hawk.” When Miura made his debut film, it was called Berserk. Monthly Animal House distributed the series in a sporadic manner. After Miura’s death in May 2021, a chapter was released.
Guts, who has been sentenced to death and is cursed to be hunted by demons until he dies, sets out to resist his destiny. He has vowed to avenge the death of a person he previously regarded as a friend and admirer. Puck, a little elf, and Isidro, a teenage thief eager to learn swordsmanship from the former mercenary, are among the individuals he becomes friends with. In order to help Guts on his quest, the motley gang will have to endure a great deal of peril.
God Eater
Humanity is on the edge of extinction due to the development of man-eating “Aragami” creatures that are impervious to conventional weaponry. They eradicated the land, consuming almost everything in their path. As a last-ditch effort to save humanity, Fenrir gathered a group of humans known as “God Eaters,” who were infused with Oracle cells, enabling them to wield the God Arc, the only known weapon capable of killing an Aragami.
Heavily armed with a God Arc, Lenka Utsugi is a New-Type God Eater. Fenrir’s most powerful weapon, the God Arc, must be defeated by Lenka in order to fight the Aragami. As the human race struggles to make it through the night, the monsters keep coming in droves. Humanity’s demise is just a matter of time for the Aragami.
