15 underrated military animes to watch
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Military anime offers intense battles, strategic warfare, and deep character development, but some incredible series don’t get the recognition they deserve. Whether set in historical eras, futuristic battlefields, or alternate realities, these underrated military anime bring gripping action, tactical brilliance, and emotional depth. If you're a fan of war stories, political intrigue, or mecha warfare, this list will introduce you to hidden gems that deserve more attention!
15 military animes to watch
| No. | Anime |
|---|---|
| 15 | Alderamin on the Sky |
| 14 | Lord Marksman and Vanadis |
| 13 | The Heroic Legend of Arslan |
| 12 | Altair: A Record of Battles |
| 11 | Record of Grancrest War |
| 10 | 86 Eighty-Six |
| 9 | Aldnoah.Zero |
| 8 | Argento Soma |
| 7 | Angolmois: Genkou Kassenki |
| 6 | Cross Ange: Rondo of Angel and Dragon |
| 5 | Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan |
| 4 | Kaiju No. 8 |
| 3 | Saga of Tanya the Evil |
| 2 | GATE |
| 1 | Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These |
15. Alderamin on the Sky
Ikta Solork is a carefree young man who only wants two things in life: a woman on his arm and a place to nap. Unfortunately, his peaceful life is destroyed when war breaks out between the Katjvarna Empire and the neighboring Republic of Kioka. Ikta and his childhood friend, Yatorishino Igsem, join the army as military officers, where they meet the infantryman Matthew Tetojirichi, the sniper Torway Remion, and the medic Haroma Becker on a boat heading for the military exam site.
However, after a rogue storm sinks their vessel, the five of them end up in enemy territory near a military outpost. There, they discover that the heir to the Katjvarnan throne, Princess Chamille Kitora Katjvanmaninik, has been taken hostage. The five are able to rescue her, and as a reward, each one of them is granted the title of Imperial Knight—one of the highest honors a soldier can receive. It seems that Ikta will have to put his dream of tranquility on hold, as he must now become the hero he never wanted to be.
14. Lord Marksman and Vanadis
In a fantasy version of Europe, a war between enemy countries is brewing. One of these countries, Zhcted, has its seven regions ruled by War Maidens, known as Vanadis. Equipped with powerful dragon-carved weapons, Eleonora "Elen" Viltaria, one of the Vanadis, launches an invasion against their neighboring rival country of Brune. Eventually, Tigrevurmud "Tigre" Vorn, a young archer and an earl for Brune's region of Alsace, has his entire army decimated at Elen's hands. In a strange twist of events, Elen spares Tigre, and gives him the order, "Become mine!" What could be the meaning behind this new alliance?
Adapted from the light novel written by Tsukasa Kawaguchi, Madan no Ou to Vanadis is an epic adventure filled with complex war tactics and beautiful women. Trapped in a multinational conflict, Tigre and Elen are swept up in a war filled with dark secrets, conspiracies, and corruption.
13. The Heroic Legend of Arslan
The year is 320. Under the rule of the belligerent King Andragoras III, the Kingdom of Pars is at war with the neighboring empire, Lusitania. Though different from his father in many aspects, Arslan, the young prince, sets out to prove his valor on the battlefield for the very first time. However, when the king is betrayed by one of his most trusted officials, the Parsian army is decimated and the capital city of Ecbatana is sieged. With the army in shambles and the Lusitanians out for his head, Arslan is forced to go on the run. With a respected general by his side, Daryun, Arslan soon sets off on a journey in search of allies that will help him take back his home.
However, the enemies that the prince faces are far from limited to just those occupying his kingdom. Armies of other kingdoms stand ready to conquer Ecbatana. Moreover, the mastermind behind Lusitania's victory, an enigmatic man hiding behind a silver mask, poses a dangerous threat to Arslan and his company as he possesses a secret that could jeopardize Arslan's right to succession.
With the odds stacked against him, Arslan must find the strength and courage to overcome these obstacles, and allies who will help him fight in the journey that will help prepare him for the day he becomes king.
12. Altair: A Record of Battles
Tuğrul Mahmut is a young pasha serving on the Divan of the Türkiye Stratocracy. The clouds of war are gathering over his country due to the threat of an aggressive Empire. With the Divan split between warmongers and the pacifists, Mahmut begins his quest to keep the peace at any cost. As he finds himself deeper and deeper in the politics of the ancient world, new enemies and allies surface. Who will prevail? What will Mahmut do if war proves to be inevitable?
11. Record of Grancrest War
The continent of Atlatan once again finds itself devoured by the flames of war after a horrific event known as the Great Hall Tragedy. What was supposed to be a joyful occasion that would establish peace between the Fantasia Union and the Factory Alliance, the marriage of Sir Alexis Douse and Lady Marrine Kreische, was instead a tragedy. As the bride and groom walked down the aisle, the ceremony was suddenly interrupted by a powerful convergence of "Chaos," a dark energy from another dimension that corrupts the land and brings forth monsters and demons into the world. From within that energy appeared the Demon Lord of Diabolos, an evil being who instantly murdered the archdukes of both factions, shattering any hope for peace between them.
Having failed to prevent this disaster, Siluca Meletes, an Alliance mage, is traveling through the Chaos-infested countryside to study under a master magician. When she is intercepted by a group of soldiers working with the Federation, Siluca is rescued by Theo Cornaro, a young warrior carrying a mysterious "Crest," a magical symbol that gives its wielder the ability to banish Chaos. Bearing no allegiance to a specific domain, Theo hopes to attain the rank of Lord so that he can liberate his home town of Sistina from its tyrannical ruler and the Chaos spreading within it. Impressed by his noble goal, Siluca enters into a magical contract with Theo, and the two embark on a journey to restore balance to their war-torn land.
10. 86 Eighty-Six
According to the Republic of San Magnolia, their ongoing war against the Giadian Empire has no casualties—however, that is mere propaganda. While the silver-haired Alba of the Republic's eighty-five sectors live safely behind protective walls, those of different appearances are interned in a secret eighty-sixth faction. Known within the military as the Eighty-Six, they are forced to fight against the Empire's autonomous Legion under the command of the Republican "Handlers."
Vladilena Milizé is assigned to the Spearhead squadron to replace their previous Handler. Shunned by her peers for being a fellow Eighty-Six supporter, she continues to fight against their inhumane discrimination. Shinei Nouzen is the captain of the Spearhead squadron. Infamous for being the sole survivor of every squadron he's been in, he insists on shouldering the names and wishes of his fallen comrades. When the fates of these young souls from two different worlds collide, will it ignite the spark that lights their path to salvation, or will they burn themselves in the flames of despair?
9. Aldnoah.Zero
The discovery of a hypergate on the Moon once allowed the human race to teleport to Mars. Those who chose to settle there unearthed a technology far more advanced than that of their home planet, which they named "Aldnoah." This discovery led to the founding of the Vers Empire of Mars and a declaration of war against the "Terrans," those who stayed behind on Earth. However, a battle on the moon—later called "Heaven's Fall"—caused the hypergate to explode, destroying the moon and leading the two planets to establish an uneasy ceasefire.
Their peace was a fragile one, however. Fifteen years later, high school student Inaho Kaizuka witnesses the plotted assassination of the Vers Empire's Princess Asseylum Vers Allusia, who had come to Earth in hopes of repairing the relationship between the empire and its homeland. The ceasefire is shattered, and the Martians declare war on the Terrans once again. In the face of this insurmountable enemy, Inaho and his friends must now fight against the Vers Empire to settle the war once and for all.
8. Argento Soma
The 21st century was supposed to mark the beginning of mankind's golden age of space travel. However, humanity's lingering dreams of the stars are shelved when Earth suddenly comes under attack by alien entities. Trampling across the planet's surface, these giant invaders leave nothing but death and destruction in their wake.
Having suffered personal losses from the invasion, Takuto Kaneshiro joins the fight against the extraterrestrial enemies. In his quest for vengeance, the disillusioned young Takuto must seek out any possible allies, but the line between friend and foe is dangerously thin. When old powers crumble and new opportunities arise, many are prepared to capitalize on the chaos. Takuto soon realizes that the aliens may be the least complicated obstacle to uncovering the greater truth behind the catastrophic invasion.
7. Angolmois: Genkou Kassenki
The year is 1274. After conquering most of the known world, the Mongols turn their sights on Japan and their first step on the road to a full invasion of the mainland is taking Tsushima Island. Kuchii Jinzaburou and a group exiles are sent by the Kamakura Shogunate to the island at the request of Princess Teruhi. There they will face overwhelming odds and the fate of Tsushima will be decided!
6. Cross Ange: Rondo of Angel and Dragon
Angelise Ikaruga Misurugi is the first princess of the noble Misurugi Empire. The kingdom has seen great power and prosperity due to the advancement of the revolutionary technology known as "Mana," an abstract bending of light that has reduced the world's problems of war and pollution to a timeless peace.
However, not all are blessed with the ability to wield Mana. Those who cannot are labeled "Norma," outcasts of society who are considered a threat to civilization and live under constant persecution, and Angelise herself is one of many who want the Norma exterminated. But as Angelise's sixteenth birthday commences, it is discovered in a shocking revelation that she is actually a Norma. Chaos ensues, the public is outraged, and the once adored princess is exiled to Arzenal: a remote military base where Normas are forced into conscription.
Now, the former royal must adapt to a harsh and vastly different lifestyle; piloting mechanical robots known as "Paramail" to fend off large, devastating beasts referred to as DRAGONs. However, a sinister truth about these savage creatures threatens to change everything.
5. Dragon Pilot: Hisone and Masotan
Seeking to find purpose in her life, Hisone Amakasu enlists in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and is stationed at Gifu Airbase. During a visit to a part of the base she did not know existed, she stumbles upon the JASDF's largest secret: the Organic Transformed Flyer , a dragon that has the ability to camouflage itself as an aircraft. After being swallowed up and spit out by the OTF, her commanding officers inform her that this encounter means that she has been chosen to be the next in a long line of Dragon Pilots.
Together with her fellow pilot cadets and "Maso-tan," her own OTF, Hisone must overcome her insecurities in order to discover her true potential as a Dragon Pilot and unravel the secrets behind the OTFs.
4. Kaiju No. 8
After the destruction of their hometown, childhood friends Kafka Hibino and Mina Ashiro make a pact to become officers in the Defense Force—a militarized organization tasked with protecting Japan from colossal monsters known as "kaijuu." Decades later, the 32-year-old Kafka has all but given up on his dreams of heroism. Instead, he cleans up the remains of the slaughtered kaijuu after they are defeated by valiant soldiers—including Mina, who has successfully achieved their shared goal.
Upon meeting his new coworker, Reno Ichikawa, Kafka faces a mirror of his past self: an ambitious young man whose one desire is to fight as a member of the Defense Force. Unfortunately, the two are soon involved in a freak encounter with a rogue kaijuu. Though Kafka demonstrates his innate heroic nature and rescues Reno from certain doom, he is left gravely injured.
While both men recover in a hospital, Kafka is seemingly attacked by another one of the beasts. As a result, he gains the ability to transform into a humanoid kaijuu with the strength and powers of the massive monsters menacing Japan. Dubbed "Kaijuu No. 8" by the military, Kafka resolves to use his newfound gifts for the greater good. Tied together by mutual respect, Kafka and Reno set out to join warriors like Mina at the forefront of the Defense Force.
3. Saga of Tanya the Evil
Tanya Degurechaff is a young soldier infamous for predatorial-like ruthlessness and an uncanny, tactical aptitude, earning her the nickname of the "Devil of the Rhine." Underneath her innocuous appearance, however, lies the soul of a man who challenged Being X, the self-proclaimed God, to a battle of wits—which resulted in him being reincarnated as a little girl into a world of magical warfare. Hellbent on defiance, Tanya resolves to ascend the ranks of her country's military as it slowly plunges into world war, with only Being X proving to be the strongest obstacle in recreating the peaceful life she once knew. But her perceptive actions and combat initiative have an unintended side effect: propelling the mighty Empire into becoming one of the most powerful nations in mankind's history.
2. GATE
Three months after the attack, Youji has been tasked with leading a special recon team, as part of a JSDF task force, that will be sent to the world beyond the gate—now being referred to as the "Special Region." They must travel into this unknown world in order to learn more about what they are dealing with and attempt to befriend the locals in hopes of creating peaceful ties with the ruling empire. But if they fail, they face the consequence of participating in a devastating war that will engulf both sides of the gate.
1.Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These
For over a century and a half, two interstellar states have wrested for control of the Milky Way. The Galactic Empire, an absolute monarchy ruled by Kaiser Friedrich IV and an entrenched nobility, seeks to suppress the rebels daring to oppose the inviolable crown. The Free Planets Alliance, a representative democracy led by a corrupt High Council, degenerates as its elected leaders use war and conflict as a way to win popular support.
But this long-standing stalemate between the Empire and the Alliance ends with the rise of two opposing military geniuses. Reinhard von Lohengramm, a minor noble and High Admiral of the Empire through his strategic brilliance and his sister's position as the favored concubine of the Kaiser, dreams of conquering the galaxy and uniting mankind under his iron fist. Meanwhile, Yang Wen-li of the Alliance, an avid historian and reluctant commodore hailed as the Hero of El Facil, uses his tactical prowess to navigate around his leaders' incompetence—and to carve the path to lasting peace. As the war rages on, Reinhard and Yang each strive for their ideals and to secure their place among the stars as the leaders of a new era of galactic heroes.
From overlooked classics to hidden modern masterpieces, these military anime prove that war stories can be just as thrilling and thought-provoking as mainstream hits. Whether you’re into large-scale battles, strategic warfare, or character-driven conflicts, there’s something here for every military anime fan. Have you watched any of these, or do you have a favorite that deserves more recognition? Let us know!
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