The mecha genre is one of the most celebrated in anime. Seeing two giant robots fight is exciting. Some mecha series are even considered classics. Mecha throughout the decades have proven to be timeless series. Unfortunately, some find it hard to stick the landing in the final minutes.
Some mecha series start out fine, but as the show goes on, they seem to lose their way. Some shows get to the end and decide to kill everyone off. Others go in a direction that makes no sense whatsoever. Whatever the case may be, mecha series don't always end the way audiences hope they would.
9 Space Warrior Baldios Ends With Massive Flooding
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Space Warrior Baldios was an anime from 1980 that focused on changes to the environment. Scientists had found a way to cure the planet of its environmental woes, but a military enthusiast framed the scientists for the death of the planet's leader. The series itself is like the dime-a-dozen mech anime from the era, though it did have great action.
The series ends with Gattler, the antagonist, triggering a massive tsunami. This triggers massive flooding and wipes out almost all of humanity. The hero should have done something about all of this, but protagonist Marin just sits idly by and watches the destruction of Earth.
8 Gurren Lagann Disappointed Almost Everyone
Gurren Lagann was one of the most popular mecha anime of the 2000s. It certainly grabbed the attention of fans with its over-the-top action and never say die attitude. The series was set up to have a happy ending, but the writers had other plans.
At the very end, humanity is living on the surface again. Simon, however, is a random homeless guy wandering the streets. After Princess Nia suddenly disappeared, Simon just left Team Gurren and now wanders aimlessly. Talk about a bummer. The hero of the story doesn't even get a piece of the glory.
7 Gundam 0080 War In The Pocket Is A Depressing War Story
Mobile Suit Gundam is no stranger to telling stories about the horrors of war. Creators like Yoshiyuki Tomino create stories that prove that war is a horrific thing that no one should have to go through. Following Char's Counterattack, Sunrise developed an OVA that told a personal story about a boy and his brush with war.
War In The Pocket is a massively depressing story that, while poignant, is not for the faint of heart. Protagonist Al goes from a happy-go-lucky kid going about his everyday life to a saddened boy who lost someone precious to him. Possibly the saddest Christmas story ever told, War In The Pocket shows viewers that Zeon's pilots are just as human as the Gundam Meisters.
6 Aldnoah Zero Has One Of The Dumbest Endings In Recent Memory
Aldnoah Zero was a two season anime about a war between Earth and an alien race. Plotted by Gen Urobuchi, Aldnoah takes some dark turns despite being mostly a fun mecha anime, even if a bit generic at times. Things had been looking up for the show — or at least until the last two episodes.
Slaine, the main antagonist, is finally given the downfall that had been teased since the beginning. However, protagonist Inaho allowed him to live. Then, stupid decision after stupid decision by the writers in the final minutes led audiences to believe there was no point to anything in the series. The ending just didn't live up to the rest of it.
5 Code Geass Had A Bad End For Many Of Its Central Players
Code Geass was one of the most popular anime of the 2000s. Its "Death Note meets Gundam" sort of mish-mash and use of an anti-hero protagonist made Code Geass one of the most compelling and cerebral shows of its time. The series had momentum on its side during the final episodes but wound up slipping and falling in its final minutes.
Protagonist Lelouch is slain by Suzaku and events quickly unfold that lead to peace for Area 11. The characters are shown to have moved on from life on the battlefield, but it's the final seconds of the series that shocked fans. C.C. is seen relaxing and turns away from the camera and refers to someone as "Lelouch." This made the entire finale utterly pointless.
4 Macross Pretty Much Ends With A Stalemate For Both Sides
Super Dimension Fortress Macross was a show from the 1980s that was a hit worldwide. Granted, it was part of the Robotech series in the United States, but it still garnered legions of fans in the '80s. The tale of love on the battlefield resonated with so many people.
Unfortunately, Macross's ending was a disappointment. Earth and the Zentradi forces essentially almost wiped each other out. Peace talks only came about because both sides were so devastated. The series sort of ended with a whimper as Earth and the Zentradi learned to live together.
3 Mazinger Z Ends With Humanity On The Brink Of Destruction
Mazinger Z was a classic mecha show created by anime legend Go Nagai. It helped establish the Super Robot genre as well as popularize mecha well into the 1980s. Kouji Kabuto is one of the premier mecha protagonists and his show was so hot-blooded it was awesome.
The ending was a bit of a downer, though. Kouji killed Dr. Hell, but one of his other foes, the Mykene Empire, destroyed a bunch of major cities in the aftermath. They destroyed several robots, including Mazinger-Z. In the sequel Great Mazinger, it was revealed that Dr. Hell survived, making the entire original series utterly pointless.
2 Neon Genesis Evangelion Deconstructed Itself Into A Corner
Neon Genesis Evangelion is a divisive anime. Some people love its sci-fi-inspired deconstruction and hail it as a hallmark of postmodernism. Others see it as garbage that didn't have any real direction. Either way, Evangelion is one of the most popular mecha anime in existence. Around episode 18 or so, fans could tell the show was being derailed.
Everything was looking bleak and there didn't seem to be any signs of hope for the heroes. Then, the last two episodes came. The last two episodes are nothing but psychoanalysis of the characters. On top of that, the animation budget had basically run out, so the visuals were less than appealing. The series turned out to be pointless, and wouldn't be rectified until the Rebuild films.
1 Zeta Gundam Proved Tomino's Reputation
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam was the direct sequel to Mobile Suit Gundam. It continued the conflict of the Universal Century timeline and had some great action. Kamille is a memorable protagonist and a brilliant pilot. It's just too bad how he ended up at the end.
Toward the end of Zeta, Kamille loses almost everyone close to him in the war. As a result, he has a breakdown and loses sight of what he was trying to accomplish. Zeon, the villains of Mobile Suit Gundam, becomes a formidable nation once again. This means doom for Earth.