The mecha genre has become a cornerstone of anime history. These shows go beyond just cool robots, they tell stories about people facing impossible odds, finding their place in the world, and questioning what it means tofight.
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Here are six of the best mecha anime series that define the genre. Some follow pilots on deeply personal journeys, while others dive into intricate political conflicts. Each one has left a lasting impact andcontinues to inspirenew series today.
6Guilty crown
A King’s Burden, A Nation’s Fate
Guilty Crown
Guilty Crown arrived in 2011 with incredible production values and a premise that initially captured viewers' attention. Set in 2039 Tokyo, the story follows Shu Ouma, ahigh school studentwho obtains the “Power of Kings,” allowing him to extract weapons or tools from other people’s hearts, which represent their personality and skills.
After a devastating pandemic called the Apocalypse Virus ravaged Japan, the country fell under the control of the GHQ, an international organization supposedly there to help. Shū becomes involved with a resistance group called Funeral Parlor after meeting the mysterious singer Inori Yuzuriha, who pilots the mech Endlave.
The mecha in Guilty Crown, primarily the Endlaves, are remotely operated combat robots used by both the GHQ and resistance forces. These designs, along with the futuristic Tokyo setting, showcase the stellar animation work from Production I.G, complemented by a memorable soundtrack by Hiroyuki Sawano.
Spanning 22 episodes, Guilty Crown is available with an English dub from Funimation.
5Eureka Seven
Surfing The Skies On Mechanical Waves
Eureka Seven Vol. 2: The New Vision
Eureka Seven offers a unique take on the mecha genre by combining giant robots with surfing aesthetics. Set 10,000 years in the future, the story follows 14-year-old Renton Thurston, who dreams of joining the mercenary group Gekkostate and riding the planet’s trapar waves on a lifting board called a ref.
His life changes when Eureka, a mysterious girl piloting the Nirvash TypeZERO mech, crashes into his grandfather’s garage. Soon after, Renton joins Gekkostate and discovers the truth about the world he lives in, including the nature of the Scub Coral that covers the planet and the military organization hunting Eureka.
The original series ran for 50 episodes from 2005 to 2006, followed by a movie and severalsequeland prequel series, including Eureka Seven: AO. The show’s mecha, called LFOs (Light Finding Operations), are unique in that they ride the trapar waves like surfers, making for visually stunning aerial battles that flow like choreographed dances.
Eureka Seven excels in worldbuilding, gradually revealing the complex history and mechanics of its universe while developing a large cast of characters. The English dub by Bandai Entertainment features Johnny Yong Bosch as Renton and Stephanie Sheh as Eureka,
486: Eighty-Six
When The Oppressed Become The Shield
86: EIGHTY-SIX
As one of the newer entries in the mecha genre, 86: Eighty-Six quickly established itself as a modern classic when it aired in 2021. The story is set in the Republic of San Magnolia, which claims to have developed unmanned drones to fight against the autonomous machines of the neighboring Giadian Empire, ensuring a war with “zero casualties.”
The truth, however, is far darker. The drones are actually piloted by the Eighty-Six, an ethnic minority stripped of their citizenship and forced to fight and die in battle. The series follows the relationship between Vladilena “Lena” Milize, a handler from the republic’s majority Alba population, and Shinei “Undertaker” Nouzen, an Eighty-Six squadron leader.
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Based on the light novels by Asato Asato, the anime skillfully addresses themes of racism, genocide, and the dehumanization that occurs during warfare. The mech designs are uniquely insectoid, with the Eighty-Six piloting spider-like units called Juggernauts that reflect their disposable status in society.
86: Eighty-Six consists of two cours (parts) totaling 23 episodes, with a split-cour format that allowed for higher animation quality throughout. The series is available with an English dub from Crunchyroll, featuring Aleks Le as Shin and Suzie Yeung as Lena.
3Mobile Suit Gundam- Series
The Grandfather Of Modern Mecha Anime
Mobile Suit Gundam
Mobile Suit Gundam, created by Yoshiyuki Tomino, revolutionized the mecha genre when it premiered in 1979. Before Gundam, giant robots in anime were typically portrayed as super robots with supernatural powers. Tomino introduced the concept of “real robots”, mechs that functioned as military hardware with realistic limitations.
The original series, set during the One Year War between the Earth Federation and the Principality of Zeon, follows Amuro Ray, a civilian teenager who finds himself piloting the Federation’s new prototype mobile suit, the RX-78-2 Gundam. The show depicts war as a complex conflict with valid perspectives on both sides, rather than a simple good versus evil narrative.
Though the original series was initially canceled due to poor ratings, it found success in reruns and through model kit sales, spawning a franchise with over 50 anime series and films across multiple timelines and universes. The Universal Century timeline of the original series remains the most developed, exploring the long-term consequences of the conflicts introduced in the first show.
What makes Mobile Suit Gundam endure is its balance of exciting mecha action with thoughtful anti-war messaging. The English dub of the original series wasn’t widely available until relatively recently, but newer Gundam series typically receive English dubbing within months of their Japanese release.
2Neon Genesis Evangelion
Where Giant Robots Meet Existential Crisis
Neon Genesis Evangelion
Few anime have impacted the medium like Hideaki Anno’s Neon Genesis Evangelion. Set in a post-apocalyptic 2015, the story follows Shinji Ikari, a teenager reluctantly recruited by his estranged father to pilot a giant bio-mechanical mech called Eva Unit-01 to defend humanity against mysterious beings known as Angels.
What begins as a seemingly straightforward mecha vs. monster series gradually unravels into a profound exploration of depression, human connection, and the very nature of existence. The Evangelion units themselves aren’t traditional mechs but living beings with artificial restraints, adding another layer of psychological horror.
The original series ran for 26 episodes from 1995 to 1996, ending with the controversial final episodes that divided fans. This led to the release of the film The End of Evangelion, which offered an alternate conclusion to the story. In 2007, Anno began releasing the Rebuild of Evangelion film series, reimagining the original story with modern animation.
The series is available with both subtitles and English dubbing, with the Netflix redub from 2019 making the show accessible to a new generation of viewers despite some controversial translation choices that altered iconic lines from the original English dub.
1Code Geass: Lelouch Of The Rebellion
A Chess Game With Giant Robots As Pawns
Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion
Code Geass takes place in an alternate timeline where the Holy Britannian Empire has conquered Japan, now referred to as Area 11. The story follows Lelouch Lamperouge, an exiled Britannian prince who gains the power of “Geass,” allowing him to command anyone to follow his orders once.
With this power and his tactical genius, Lelouch adopts the persona of Zero and leads a rebellion against Britannia using advanced mechs called Knightmare Frames. The series masterfully balances political intrigue, personal relationships, and high-octane mecha battles.
The first season aired in 2006, followed by a second season in 2008, totaling 50 episodes. Code Geass stands out in the mecha genre for its morally complex protagonist and the way it questions what true justice means in a world of warfare and oppression.
The series features some of the most iconic mecha designs in anime, particularly the Lancelot piloted by Suzaku and Lelouch’s Gawain and later Shinkiro.
For those who prefer English dubs, Code Geass has an excellent English version from Bandai Entertainment, with Johnny Yong Bosch delivering a memorable performance as Lelouch. The show’s popularity spawned several films, OVAs, and a spinoff series called Akito the Exiled.
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