Great Political Mecha Anime

Summary

• Broken Blade merges a Medieval setting with advanced mecha controlled by magic for a unique story.
• Aldnoah.Zero showcases a ceasefire between Earth and Mars, with a divide within the Vers Empire.
• Full Metal Panic delves into geopolitical conflicts and military intervention in the modern world.

In the realm of Mecha anime, the story usually goes in one of two directions. There’s the “monster” approach, where the big manned mecha are tasked to go against giant Kaiju in order to save the world. Some of the big names on this side of the mecha spectrum are Evangelion, Knights of Sidonia, and Darling in the Franxx, to name a few.

The second one is the “political” approach where different warring factions go to battle with their mecha. The tension happens on the battlefield and at the negotiation table. This is the type of mecha anime that we’ll talk about in this list. With that in mind, here are seven great political mecha anime.

7

Broken Blade

A Geopolitical Conflict with Mecha and Magic

Despite its solid mecha-based action sequences and a story deeply rooted in military and political conflict, Broken Blade is quite possibly the least-known anime on this list. This is a shame because this series has a lot of unique story elements to offer, such as a world that combines advanced mecha technology with a medieval setting, or the fact that the giant mecha called “Golem” is controlled by magic.

In Broken Blade, the powerful nation called the Athens Commonwealth seeks to colonize a smaller nation called the Kingdom of Krisna. For the survival of its people, the Kingdom of Krisna decides to engage in a defensive war against the relentless attacks of the Athens Commonwealth. The story itself unfolds through the lens of Krisna’s King and Queen, who have to make difficult political and military decisions, and the frontline soldiers of both nations who battle each other with their Golems.

6

Aldnoah.Zero

A Civil War With Alien Technology

In Aldnoah.Zero, the Earth has been at war with a Mars colony. It all began decades ago when the colony found an ancient alien technology called the Aldnoah. Armed with this advanced tech, they declared independence, established the Vers Empire, and even waged war with Earth. There has been a ceasefire for the last 15 years, but tensions between the two factions remain high. This tension is especially felt by the people on Earth, who know that they have no answers to the Verse Empire’s advanced weaponry system.

What they don’t realize, however, is that there is division within the Empire. The nobles and their unquenchable greed managed to seize control of most of the Empire’s military, also known as the Orbital Knights, from the royal family. These people not only want to get rid of the royal family, but they also want to invade Earth. All they need is a justification to launch their all-out attacks. That’s where the story begins, with an assassination attempt on the First Princess of the Verse Empire who is on a diplomatic mission to Earth.

Enforcing Peace Through Military Intervention

Of all the series on this list, Full Metal Panic is the one that feels closest to the real world. After all, the story takes place in the modern world, with factions, motives, and military approaches and strategies that are familiar to most viewers. Yes, there are giant mecha in it, but for the most part, the series does its best to depict a contemporary world and its many problems that its audience will recognize and understand.

Underneath its high school drama and lighthearted comedy, Full Metal Panic is a story about geopolitical conflicts, black ops warfare, and military interventionism. At its heart is an independent paramilitary organization called Mithril. This organization is ready to conduct secret missions and military intervention in the name of justice. But it doesn’t take long to realize that Mithril, and other shadow organizations like it, have been influenced by the big nations to further their agenda and conduct proxy wars all over the world.

4

Mobile Suit Gundam

A Political And Military Conflict That Spans The Universe

Almost every series within the Gundam franchise has a deep element of politics embedded within its mecha-based warfare. But if viewers want to focus on politics, then there’s no better place to look than the series that started it all, the original 1979 Mobile Suit Gundam. In Mobile Suit Gundam, the Earth Federation governs all of humanity on Earth and the many Space Colonies across the universe. Unfortunately, their questionable rules and demands lead to unjust treatment, especially for the people who live in the colonies.

It get so bad that one of the colonies decides to declare independence and rename itself the Principality of Zeon. In its effort to quench the rebellion, the Earth Federation launches an attack that takes the lives of many innocent people in the colonies. Likewise, in its effort to counter the Federation’s forces that are many times larger than them, the Principality of Zeon resorts to inhuman tactics that take the lives of many innocent people on Earth. So begins a long and arduous conflict full of propaganda, betrayal, and death.

3

Super Dimension Fortress Macross

Mecha And Culture As Weapons Of War

Though the Macross franchise may not be as popular internationally as the Gundam franchise, it is actually one of the oldest Mecha franchises in anime history, with the first series dating back to the early 80s. Each series within the franchise has its own stories to tell, but most of them have an element of politics woven into the story. The one series where politics takes center stage is none other than the original 1982 Super Dimension Fortress Macross.

The two warring factions are humanity under the United Nations Government (UNG) and a genetically engineered warrior race of aliens called the Zentradi. Interestingly enough, despite being at war with each other, the two are actually a lot more similar than they might seem. After all, both humanity and Zentradi are under authoritarian leadership who prioritize strategic warfare over civilian welfare. Not only that, but the UNG also uses culture as a political weapon through wonderful songs and performances designed to distract the people from the true conflict.

2

Eureka Seven

The War-Torn Path To Coexistence

Beyond the mesmerizing sight of Eureka Seven’s main mecha—the Nirvash typeZero—surfing freely and stylishly through the sky, there’s a multifaceted story about love, conflict, and the intense politics between two different species who want to occupy the Earth. On one side, there’s humanity, the native denizens of Earth who were driven out of their homes and forced to live in space for centuries.

On the other side of the aisle, there’s a race of aliens called the Scub Coral that currently occupy the Earth. The deeper viewers go into the story, the harder it is to decide who is right and wrong, because both parties have shed their fair share of blood. Even humanity itself is divided into factions with different ideas of what the future should look like. There are deaths, betrayals, and propaganda all throughout this series, but at its core, Eureka Seven is a story about the struggles and challenges of coexistence.

1

Code Geass: Lelouch Of The Rebellion

A Rebellion Against Tyranny And Colonialism

In the world of Code Geass, the great Britannia Empire and its overwhelming military forces—spearheaded by its cutting-edge mecha known as the Knightmare Frames—have been expanding their territory rapidly across the globe. This ruthless colonization effort brings death and tragedy to the innocent citizens of the countries that are unfortunate enough to be the target of this massive empire.

Thankfully, amidst the chaos rises a hero. He is known by his nickname, Zero. He leads those oppressed by the Empire in a rebellion that not only manages to hinder the Empire’s plan, but also destroys some of their strategic strongholds. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take long for Zero to realize that stubbornly sticking to the righteous path won’t allow him to defeat the tyrannical Empire.

So, for the sake of winning the war, he begins to employ tactics that are just as ruthless as the Empire’s. He is willing to sacrifice the few for the sake of the many. He manipulates both allies and enemies alike. He engages in deceptions and psychological warfare. He doesn’t even shy away from using propaganda to gain public support. To him, the ends justify the means. In his quest to overthrow a tyrant, Zero slowly becomes one himself.