Anirban Bhattacharya
Mecha is the genre in which teenagers get to pilot big badass robots to protect Earth against any kind of threat. Though its fanbase is declining, this genre is one of the popular genres in anime. The high point for this genre must be in the 80s and the 90s since a lot of mecha anime were produced during those years. Mecha was hugely popular back in those days but now it’s supporters are limited and many companies which used to produce this type of stuff are closing down. But still it is a fun anime to watch. So why not look at the list of top Mecha anime ever made. You can watch many of these mecha anime on Crunchyroll, Netflix or Hulu.
15. Tenkuu no Escaflowne (1996)
If you are fun of shoujo and mecha anime then there’s a great chance that you will find ‘Tenkuu no Escaflowne’ entertaining. There are 26 episodes in this series and each episode is about 24 minutes in length. Hitomi Kanzaki is a normal teenage girl. She is quite interested in fortune-telling and loves tarot cards. Hitomi also has the ability to have a premonition and this helps a boy by the name of Van defeat a vicious dragon that fell from the sky along with him. But then suddenly a pillar of light engulfs these two. Hitomi and Van are now in a mysterious land called Gaea. Here the Earth hangs from the sky. There they run into trouble and Van unsuccessfully tries to fend off the attacks on him via a mecha known as Escaflowne. Now, they are on the run and must figure out what to do next if they are to survive.
Read More: Best Anime Cats
14. Full Metal Panic! (2002)
In this anime Mithril is an organization which tries to safeguard peace and neutralize all threats and terrorists. They are the ones who have the latest weaponry and technologies. This is thanks to the ability of gifted individuals knows as ‘Whispered’ who have the ability to create such marvelous and effective pieces of machinery and weaponry. But these individuals are under constant threat. One such whispered is Kaname Chidori. It seems that enemies are going to get to her. To safeguard her and prevent her from falling into the wrong hands Mithril sends Sousuke Sagara to watch over her but keep his identity hidden by disguising as a high school student. But it seems that the enemy is already making its move and Sousuke would have never thought that the threat would come from someone so familiar.
Read More: Best Anime Foxes
13. Top wo Nerae! Gunbuster (1988)
‘Top wo Nerae! Gunbuster’ is an original video animation. There are six episodes in this OVA series and each episode is about 30 minutes in length. This anime received mostly positive reviews. It is set in a time when humans have become quite advanced in space journeys. This greatly improves the distance humans can now travel. But venturing into the far reaches of the galaxy did not bring good news. Turns out there’s a race of insectoids known as ‘Space Monsters’ who are getting closer and closer to Earth and plan to destroy the planet. Humans decide to strike back by creating giant robots whose pilots are few special youths. Noriko Takaya gets into the training for being the pilot for one of this mechas but is she even skilled enough to do the job?
Read More: Best Anime Girl Eyes
12. Yuusha-Ou GaoGaiGar (1997)
‘Yuusha-Ou GaoGaiGar’ is one of the popular mecha anime that came out in the 90s. The anime series has a total of 49 episodes and each episode is 25 minutes long. If you feel that this anime is quite long you can watch the first 20 episodes in fast forward mode. These episodes are just introduction to the plot and the characters. The anime is set in the year 2005. Tokyo is having a bad time since it is under an attack by the aliens known as Zonders. These aliens have come from the underground and start causing havoc. Gutsy Geoid Gard is an agency with advanced tech. They are the only hope for defeating the Zonders via their big powerful mecha known as GaoGaiGar. In this team is Guy who got into a space accident two years before but is saved. His father heals him by converting him into a cyborg. He hoped that Guy will someday protect Earth from alien invaders.
Read More: Best Anime Dragons
11. Guilty Crown (2011)
This anime is set in the year 2039. A decade ago a catastrophe took place which shattered the country of Japan. This catastrophe was the outbreak of the deadly ‘Apocalypse Virus’. To restore order in the country an independent military organization by the name of GHQ has taken charge. But their rule is all about public oppression and torture. To counteract the unjust actions of the GHQ, a guerrilla rebel group know as Funeral Parlor has emerged. Shuu Ouma is unsocial and weak but a run-in with one of the members of the Funeral Parlour gives him a special power which can be used to take back the country from the GHQ.
Read More: Best High School Anime
10. Break Blade 1: Kakusei no Toki (2010)
‘Break Blade 1: Kakusei no Toki’ is an anime movie which has a short runtime of around 51 minutes. This anime contains some violence and profanity so younger viewers might need to watch out for this. The story is quite simple and so are the characters but where this anime does better is its decent art and sound which sort of brings everything together. The anime is set in the continent Cruszon. There two big kingdoms by the name of Kindom of Krisna and nation of Athens have rising tensions between them. War seems inevitable. Rygat Arrow is one of the rare souls who are not able to use the ability of quartz. But this might make him fit to pilot the ancient mecha which might give his kingdom an edge.
Read More: Best Samurai Anime
9. Sidonia no Kishi (2010)
Being a hero is a tough job. But it is tougher if you are suddenly pushed into a position that demands you to step up. Gauna is a race of aliens who are hell-bent on destroying the remnants of humanity. They destroyed Earth long back forcing the humans to flee across the galaxy in giant seed ship. One such ship is Sidonia. Aboard this ship is Nagate Tanikaze who along with his friends are put in a situation which demands action. The Gauna are back and they want to destroy the remaining hope for human survival. Now, Nagate must immediately get into fight mode to destroy these aliens before they destroy Sidonia. It is high time that he takes the role of a hero to save humanity from the trouble he had no idea about a few moments ago.
Read More: Best Slice of Life Anime
8. Macross (1982)
‘Macross’ was a popular mecha anime in the 80s. At times of dire need, it is fruitful to put aside petty personal difference and work towards the mutual goal. This anime tries to portray the above theme. The entire world is suddenly made aware of the fact that they are not alone in the universe. This is because of the mysterious spaceship that crashes on Earth. Putting aside all conflicts and discords all nations unite under the UN and begin repurposing the alien spaceship. They name it Macross. But during its first voyage, it comes across an alien fleet and acting on its own shoots them. This sparks a galactic war and when Macross tries to escape, its pilots and the city it was present in are all transported to space. Now, it’s time for the people to work with the Macross pilots so that they can survive.
Read More: Best Anime Animals
7. Koukyoushihen Eureka Seven (2005)
Renton Thurston is a 14-year-old boy who feels that his life is nothing short of mundane. Thus, he wishes to go on exciting adventures by joining the mercenary group known as Gekkostate. But his grandfather pressures him into being a mechanic like his father. It seems that dreams really are far-fetched. But one day opportunity falls right down the sky. Renton finds that a large robot has crashed on his garage. The pilot of that mecha is a girl by the name of Eureka who is a member of Gekkostate. She requests Renton to help her fix her ride. Once done she offers him to join the group as her co-pilot.
Read More: Best Sports Anime
6. Ghost in The Shell (1995)
Though right now we are going to discuss the first ‘Ghost in The Shell’ movie it is obvious that most of the products under this franchise are pretty dope. One of the main reason is the protagonist Major Motoko Kusanagi. Personally, I like her more when she is on her known kicking some ass rather than riding a giant robot. The anime is set in a time when people can modify or replace entire parts of their body via advancement in Cyberkinetics. Motoko Kusanagi’s body is completely prosthetic owing to an accident when she was a child. She works in the Public Security Section. She and her diverse team are on a mission to discover the identity of the dangerous hacker known only as the ‘Puppetmaster’.
Read More: Best Black Anime Characters
5. Isekai no Seikishi Monogatari (2009)
If you like watching ecchi anime and are looking for some of that stuff in the mecha genre then ‘Isekai no Seikishi Monogatari’ might be of some interest to you. This anime is also for people who love the harem genre. A mysterious organization transports Kenshi Masaki to a world by the name of Geminar. There, male mecha pilots are rare and they are willing to send him home if he pilots a mecha and kills Lashara, the ruler of Shtrayu empire. But the Lashara catches and imprisons Kenshi when his mission fails. After learning of his trouble they offer to take him home if he becomes Lashara’s slave. Further, he needs to pilot a mecha for their kingdom.
Read More: Cutest Anime Girls
4. Mobile Suit Gundam 00 (2007)
This anime is one of the most popular mecha anime. It is set in the distant future when human beings have dried up the fossil fuel resources of Earth. But since they still need the energy they have started using Solar Power. Three major Superpower has emerged during this crisis who have access to solar energy generator which provides limitless energy. This is a major blow to countries whose livelihood depends on the fossil fuel trade. Soon, war and internal strifes start taking place and there’s little hope of peace. But then a paramilitary organization, ‘Celestial Beings’, comes with Mobile Suits which they want to use to end all war and achieve peace. But will it go smoothly? Will it be able to achieve long-lasting peace?
Read More: Best Fantasy Anime
3. Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann (2007)
The surface of Earth is now a wasteland and people live in underground villages. Simon and Kamina are the inhabitants of an underground village. They have an adventurous spirit and want to explore the surface of Earth. One day while excavating they stumble upon an ancient artifact which is a sort of mecha. They call it Lagann it comes in handy to fend off a sudden attack from the surface. Yoko Littner is a bikini wearing badass who helps them during their fight. The trio forms a group and ventures out into the surface of the Earth.
Read More: Best Shoujo Anime
2. Neon Genesis Evangelion (1995)
No list about mecha anime is complete without the mention of one of the most popular anime in the genre, ‘Neon Genesis Evangelion’. This anime is so much more than giant robots fighting extraterrestrial beings bent on destroying Earth. This is an anime about discovering self-worth, finding out one’s purpose, and accepting oneself. Shinji Ikari lives an average life and has not been in touch with his father for years. But when Nerv, an organization Shinji’s father heads, chooses him as a pilot for a mecha his life begins to change. This anime is set in the year 2015. Angels are huge monsters who are pushing humanity to the brink of extinction. Nerv is an organization who trains youths to pilot giant Mechas known as Evangelion, which are our last hope of defense and offense.
Read More: Best Comedy Anime
1. Code Geass: Hangyaku no Lelouch (2006)
Holy Empire of Britannia has become one of the most powerful nations and is slowly starting to conquest other nations and kingdoms. Japan tries hard but gets a swift defeat. But Japan, now Area11 after defeat, is not going to sit back let this tyranny go on. Several rebel forces have taken arms against the empire of Britannia. Lelouch Lamperouge is an ordinary student who gets into the middle of the crossfire between the two oppositions. Thankfully a mysterious girl saves him. She also bestows upon him the ‘Power of Kings’. Lelouch decides to use his power to forever end the tyrannous rule of Britannia.
Read More: Best Anime on Hulu
