In the animated genre known as mecha, commonly referred to as robot anime, futuristic machines engage in combat with one another. The epic battles and strange technology that are typical in mecha anime serve as the genre's defining characteristics. These riveting stories take the audience on perilous adventures that extend beyond the action and into uncharted worlds.
It is not unusual for mecha anime to combine aspects of sci-fi and hair-raising horror into a single narrative. Contemplative and psychologically terrifying, some mecha anime are sure to appeal to fans of both horror and giant robots.
10 The Vision Of Escaflowne Is A Dark Schoolgirl Mecha
Hitomi Kanzaki is a typical 15-year-old high school student who enjoys esoteric hobbies, like reading tarot cards and performing divination. However, even these dark interests couldn't prepare her for when a mysterious boy and a powerful dragon suddenly appeared in the sky one night. The next thing Hitomi knows, she's been whisked away to Gaea, a bleak world under siege.
Hitomi soon learns that the boy, who is named Van, is actually a prince of the kingdom. Van dons the guymelef Escaflowne, a mechanized war suit passed down through his family, in an effort to protect his kingdom. As this new duo fights to save the kingdom, mysterious, long-lost forces also awaken in The Vision of Escaflowne.
9 Knights Of Sidonia's Machines Are More Important than Humans
A thousand years after shape-shifting aliens devastated Earth, humanity flees to the stars in hundreds of enormous spacecraft created from the planet's ashes. Knights of Sidonia follows the journey of the ship Sidonia, which clones humans, asexually reproduces, and genetically engineers photosynthesis.
This new civilization's elite also possesses a powerful secret: they are immortal. Knights of Sidonia is a futuristic and dark mecha that is sure to interest fans of machinery. Much of the anime centers around the weapons used to defend the Sidonia. The mecha itself is as much of a character as the humans.
8 Code Geass Is A Royal Tragedy
Code Geass opens with Prince Lelouch of Britannia in exile. His sister Nunnally lost her sight and mobility after witnessing their mother's horrific murder in the castle. Lelouch resents his father for failing to discover and punish the killer of his mother and sister.
This already bleak plot continues down a dark path. Their father, the King of Britannia, sends Lelouch and Nunnally to Japan as political pawns. Themes of betrayal, manipulation, family trauma, and power run throughout this dark mecha.
7 Kishin Houkou Demonbane Is A Harem Mecha
Despite its cute moe characters, Kishin Houkou Demonbane explores adult themes. The protagonist, detective Kurou Daijuuji, is struggling financially. The story opens up with a new client asking him to find a magical book for her. After first declining, she entices Kuro by offering him a substantial sum of money. Kuro then encounters another lovely girl while looking for the book.
This story builds a complicated love triangle for the protagonist, all while he struggles to make ends meet. Shortly after, one of the girls summons the deus machina Demonbane to attack a mechanical beast from the Black Lodge. Thus, an epic battle begins.
6 The Animatrix Expands On The Iconic Matrix Series
This nine-part film anthology explores the technological anxiety of the early 2000s. Produced by the Wachowskis in 2003, this collection tells the backstory of the American Matrix film series. It recounts the original conflict between humans and machines from the 1999 film Matrix. Like the original Matrix film, the Animatrix explores human corruption, exploitation, and the rise of machines.
The first Animatrix film kicks off in the mid-21st century when vanity and corruption have tainted civilization. With the creation of sentient AI robots to serve humanity, more people are freed from labor. However, instead of creating a peaceful utopia, many have become lazy, egotistical, and corrupt. This all comes to head when a robot is accused of killing the family it serves.
5 Robot Carnival Flirts With A Robotic Frankenstein
Released in 1987, Robot Carnival is an anthology film that dives into psychological horror. The most memorable of the eight shorts, Yasuomi Umetsu's "Presence," is shown in the middle. This narrative follows a man who creates a beautiful robot companion. However, after the robot gains sentience and her own personality, the man must examine himself and his inner demons.
Not only are the themes thought-provoking, but the visuals are also stunning. This '80s anime used hand-drawn cel animation with a full 24 frames per second. The candy-colored palette is also certain to captivate audiences.
4 Power Makes Haruto Immortal In Valvrave
Set in a futuristic world where 70% of people have left Earth, Haruto Tokishima lives on another planet called Module 77. True to the mecha genre, Valvrave thrusts a normal high schooler into action to defend his home from invasion. However, after piloting the mecha, Haruto realizes he has become immortal and there is a price to pay: he has to eat other humans.
This dark anime explores other genres like gothic vampire tales and hippie culture. Themes of coexistence and peace boil to the surface as the teenagers of the story are forced to fight and feed on each other.
3 End Of Evangelion Turns Up The Fright Factor
The original 26-episode series Neon Genesis Evangelion was startling enough. After a series of bloody battles, the last two episodes pushed Shinji to the brink of insanity. The retelling of the finale is the hour-and-a-half film End of Evangelion. With all-out battle and otherworldly grotesque imagery, this film brings abstract horror into reality.
Viewers are stunned along with Shinji as he witnesses the deaths of his friends and the world around him. Instead of the hopeful "congratulations" ending of episode 26, Shinji finds himself in a blood-soaked world. His only companion is an injured Asuka, who he tries and fails to strangle.
2 Ghost In The Shell Asks What It Means To Be Human
Set in the year 2029, people can now replace all body parts thanks to major advancements in cybernetics. The story follows Major Motoko Kusanagi, a strong-willed member of the security team and a fully synthetic human. She leads the investigation into the "Puppet Master," a mysterious hacker who wipes the memories of their victims.
The Puppet Master, like many individuals in this world, has superhuman strength from extensive robotics use. Ghost in the Shell's plot follows the elusive criminal, dealing with the case's intricacy and Kusanagi's own security team's participation. Motoko realizes the Puppet Master has the answers to philosophical questions as she contemplates existence.
1 Blue Gender's Yuji Wakes Up To A Ruined Earth
At the opening of Blue Gender, protagonist Yuji Kaido's future looks bleak. He has been diagnosed with B-Cells disease, for which there is no cure. His only option is to be cryogenically frozen until a cure is available. He agrees to take this route and when he is woken up, he finds himself in a very different world.
Set in the future, an alien race, called the Blue, has taken over planet earth. Humans find themselves at the bottom of the food chain. As a last resort, they build a space station called Second Earth in the hopes of returning home someday.