Best War Anime, Ranked

War never changes. It’s still one of the most expensive activities humanity has come up with. Even anime that depicts war tend to have expensive problems. One can’t make an anime about war but skimp out on the action, after all, and animating large-scale action is costly. Consequently, that’s also likely one of the reasons why war anime are rare. At least, they are rare when compared to other genres that don’t necessitate too many action sequences and spectacular moments. That’s why war anime needs to be cherished and appreciated as they appear. One will want to start with the best of them, however.

Many great recommendations in this genre will sate the viewers’ craving for action, strategy, and bloodshed. Of course, the best anime about war doesn’t glorify this act. The best ones of the lot have more human stories that show how wasteful this act is. Many people lose their lives for no reason in the fight for a greater good that is almost always subjective. It can be rather tough to tackle such mature concepts… but the best war anime around does a great job of highlighting this facet, among many others.

Updated on February 10, 2024, by Ritwik Mitra: Many anime focus on war because of the compelling storylines and engaging action that such a setting can allow. This is a sensitive subject that requires a lot of tact to approach, so it’s always great to see anime do justice to this setting and letting viewers enjoy some high-stakes plotlines. In these stories, characters, factions, nations, empires, and everything else put it all on the line to ensure that they come out victorious.

24 Valvrave The Liberator

MyAnimeList score: 7.12

• Release Year: 2013
• Setting: Galactic factions that are constantly at odds with each other

A mecha anime where galactic nations are at odds with each other, Valvrave the Liberator focuses on the story of Haruto Tokishima. His life is turned upside-down when a fleet from the Dorssia Military Pact Federation (the anime’s version of Space Russia) appears in the neutral territory of Japan and Islands of the Oceanian Republic (JIOR). In doing so, they steal the Valvraves, powerful tools of war that can change the course of battle.

It’s a great mecha anime for fans who love large robots going to town on their enemies. While the trope of a high schooler being important enough to save the world may be tiresome, fans who overlook this will have a great time watching Valvrave the Liberator.

23 Record Of Grancrest War

MyAnimeList score: 7.22

• Release Year: 2018
• Setting: Action, Fantasy

Record of Grancrest War had something interesting going for it. Most viewers loved the first nine episodes for being compelling, if somewhat generic. However, since the series doesn’t follow the light novel all that accurately, some people are bound to have issues with how this series is structured.

However, viewers who check out Record of Grancrest War with an open mind will certainly like what’s on offer here. The pacing can be a bit too fast for most people’s liking, but people who manage to look past this issue will enjoy a fun, underappreciated series. The anime may be simple and rudimentary compared to others that deal with heavier themes, but people who just want to enjoy an easy watch will find this show to be decent.

22 Sengoku Basara: Samurai Kings

MyAnimeList score: 7.33

• Release Year: 2009
• Setting: Historical Sengoku Period in Japan

The warring states era of Japan is rife with epic war stories. The most prominent warlord among them is Oda Nobunaga; his plight to unify Japan under his iron fist is nothing short of violent. That’s what Samurai Kings portrays in its romanticized form.

Except, Nobunaga is treated as some kind of villain here. He’s a warmonger who forces two warring underdog clan leaders to set aside their differences to oppose the oncoming giant who’s after their territory. Viewers can expect large-scale samurai combat and more historically accurate fighting (at least when compared to the vast majority of samurai anime).

21 Aldnoah.Zero

MyAnimeList score: 7.39

• Release Year: 2014
• Setting: A war between Mars and Earth

After humanity reaches Mars and finds a powerful technology called Aldnoah there, the world is thrust into a war between the Vers Empire of Mars and the Terrans who stayed back on Earth. The destruction of the moon prompted a shaky ceasefire that was broken when Princess Asseylum Vers Allusia was assassinated on Earth during an effort to strengthen relations between the two nations.

While the story focuses on a high school studen who’s tasked with saving the world, it’s not that big a deal once fans get into this excellent mecha anime. It may not touch upon any new ground, but is worth checking out for fans of a classic mecha series with enough sci-fi tropes to keep them satisfied.

20 Zipang

MyAnimeList score: 7.48

• Release Year: 2004
• Setting: World War 2

There’s a war anime featuring World War 1 so naturally, there’s also one set in World War 2. Zipang is a battleship war epic where a modern-day destroyer and its crew somehow find themselves mysteriously transported to the past, specifically in the Battle of Midway between the US and Imperial Japan in 1942.

Being afraid that their interference might change the course of present-day history, they make themselves scarce and anonymous. However, it suddenly dawns on them that they can also change the present day for the better.

19 Altair: A Record Of Battles

MyAnimeList score: 7.55

• Release Year: 2017
• Setting: Historical Ottoman period in Turkey

Speaking of anime period pieces, Altair: A Record of Battles is one such anime that will delight history buffs. It’s a war epic based on the Ottoman Empire (Turkey in the modern world) which ran from around 1300 – 1922 CE. That’s a long period but the anime picks the medieval portion of that spectrum.

Thus, there’s plenty of Islamic iconography as well as somewhat realistic battle tactics and war strategies employed during the depicted time period. Tughril Mahmut is the protagonist and his small country is being threatened by the Ottoman Empire’s aggressive expansion, so he must do everything within his power to defend his land and people.

18 Valkyria Chronicles

MyAnimeList score: 7.57

• Release Year: 2009
• Setting: Action, Romance

Valkyria Chronicles is a video game series that focuses on a war between fictional kingdoms, telling many interesting stories using this backdrop. It helps that the stories told here are riveting. The series was ripe for an anime adaptation that could do justice to the worldbuilding and lore of this IP.

While there’s no denying that some aspects of Valkyria Chronicles‘ anime adaptation are threadbare at best, there’s a lot of heart in this project that is visible for anyone to see. The animation itself may not be anything remarkable, but the great music and characters carry this experience for most viewers. It’s easy to see why so many people consider Valkyria Chronicles to be one of the most underrated anime around, even if there are some caveats surrounding this title that need to be mentioned.

MyAnimeList score: 7.60

Full Metal Panic! offers a more muted and subtle approach to war despite being a mecha anime. Because primarily tells its story through espionage. Sousuke Sagara is a young veteran mech pilot who was tasked with posing as a high school student to protect Kaname Chidori.

Chidori is one of the key beings to protecting the world from threats of conflict as she’s an experimental human who would later activate her knowledge of designing advanced technology. Sure enough, other nefarious factions are also after Chidori and it’s up to Sousuke to defend her while also keeping up his cover.

16 Knights Of Sidonia

MyAnimeList score: 7.64

Knights of Sidonia shows how humanity can band together when they have to face off against a common threat. However, this doesn’t always lead to a happy ending. The series focuses on the aftermath of a war against aliens that has led to humanity abandoning Earth and surviving on a colossal spacecraft called the Sidonia as they are constantly on the run from this oppressive threat.

The setting is a horrifying one, which is precisely what makes humanity’s victories so amazing and heartwarming to watch. While it may not explore its themes in a manner that is thought-provoking, the execution of its concepts is brilliant and makes Knights of Sidonia well worth a watch… even if the CGI used in some scenes can be somewhat lacking.

15 The Heroic Legend Of Arslan

MyAnimeList score: 7.66

• Release Year: 2015
• Setting: Based on Medieval Persia

While on the topic of war anime set in the Middle East, The Heroic Legend of Arslan is heavily based on pre-medieval Persia. In fact, the fictional country in the anime is even named The Kingdom of Pars. They didn’t even try to deviate too much from the wordplay.

In any case, Arslan is the crown prince of the Kingdom of Pars and he sets off for war against their neighboring kingdom of Lusitania. The problem is that Arslan’s father is suddenly assassinated while he’s away, setting off a chain of political events that threatens the Kingdom of Pars’ stability.

14 Mobile Suit Gundam Titles

MyAnimeList score: 7.74 (Mobile Suit Gundam SEED)

There’s no shortage of Mobile Suit Gundam anime so consider the franchise as a nigh-endless pool of sci-fi war epics featuring giant beautiful mecha. All Gundam anime involve a war of some sort. The most political or philosophical of them would be Gundam Seed or its Destiny sequel.

Regardless, most of the wars in Gundam titles have always been political in nature. They involve some complex geopolitics that serve as a backdrop and green light for the boy band protagonists to ride their favored blue-and-white mechs to combat.

MyAnimeList score: 7.77

• Release Year: 1983
• Setting: World War 2

Many people know Barefoot Gen for the infamous scene that shows the atomic bomb exploding over the city of Hiroshima, burning many people alive and causing untold death and destruction. The visceral manner in which this scene is depicted does a great job of showing how savage this bombing was, destroying the city and annihilating a major chunk of the population.

The worst part is that this movie takes place through the eyes of a child who had no reason to suffer these consequences. Children are supposed to be protected by these conflicts, and watching this young boy’s life change forever as his family is ruthlessly killed by the destruction caused by the atomic bomb is truly heartbreaking to watch. Barefoot Gen offers a great look into the casualties of war and how innocents suffer for the sins of adults.

12 Jormungand

MyAnimeList score: 7.80

• Release Year: 2009
• Setting: Contemporary

Jormungand tackles a lot of controversial material stemming from the contemporary world. Its protagonist, Jonah, is a former child soldier who was compelled to become a bodyguard for an idealistic illegal arms dealer and mercenary leader who wants to bring about world peace.

Sounds ironic but the anime is willing to tackle that debate while unraveling the complexities of its characters— all of whom have a history of modern conflict. Jormungand is thus a unique anime set in a contemporary world that isn’t afraid to drag its viewers out to bask in the harsh realities of the world all the while spinning its fantasy tale.

11 Legend Of The Galactic Heroes

MyAnimeList score: 7.87

For those looking for one of the longest sci-fi war anime in existence, Legend of the Galactic Heroes should more than suffice. It ran for nearly a decade and has seen many improvements in its animation due to the anime’s length. The whole anime is a classic case of a dictatorship empire versus a free people’s alliance but in the glory of space opera battleships and laser beams.

It draws inspiration from many historical figures such as the art university reject who started World War 2, Frederick the Great, Qing dynasty power players, and even Alexander the Great. Likewise, there’s a heavy emphasis on strategy and tactics as inspired by said historical figures.

10 Macross Frontier

MyAnimeList score: 7.89

• Release Year: 2008
• Setting: Futuristic Sci-fi

Macros Frontier is not unlike Gurren Lagann but with a mix of Mobile Suit Gundam. In it, humanity is forced into artificial space vessel cities called the Macross Frontier after an alien race conquers Earth. As humans enjoy relative peace brought about by their distance from their destroyed homes, an unprecedented threat looms over the horizon.

During one fateful concert aboard the Macross Frontier, an unknown species of alien robots attacked by surprise, once again reigniting humanity’s will to fight. Luckily for them, an ace combatant and pilot named Alto is on their side and he’s ready to have his finest hour.

9 Kingdom

MyAnimeList score: 7.92

Those expecting an adaptation of the Three Kingdoms era of China will have to look someplace else. Kingdom sets its sights on an earlier (but still war-torn) time period in China’s long history (circa 476 BC to 221 BC). Regardless, it’s still one of the most intense periods in the said nation since it ended in the unification of China – for a limited time.

Thus, Kingdom follows the story of two aspiring war orphans who yearn to someday become generals in this long period of turmoil and conflict. It has rich source material and of course, massive battle sequences that capture the ferocity of the period.

8 The Saga Of Tanya The Evil

MyAnimeList score: 7.96

Believe it or not, The Saga of Tanya the Evil is both an isekai and war anime set in World War 1. It begins after a modern-day man challenges a godly being in a battle of wits. Unsurprisingly, the man loses and as punishment, he is reincarnated as a girl from World War 1.

Hell-bent on defying his new role, the man, now named Tanya, rises through the ranks of the military. Tanya also becomes known as the “Devil of the Rhine” as he/she drives his/her fatherland to victory while skirting around war crimes through her inherent kawaii-ness as a gun-toting blonde girl.

7 86

MyAnimeList score: 8.29

Mecha anime can be a tough sell for people who aren’t into the whole idea of giant robots duking it out. It’s a niche genre, and trying to convince people to check out a show that is more than what its genre implies can be pretty challenging. However, people who decide to dive into this genre will be more than happy with what 86 brings to the table.

This series is expertly paced and adapts the source material in a manner that elevates the overall product, which is what most anime should strive to achieve. The execution of the plot’s themes is done gracefully, leading to a great, thought-provoking watch that makes 86 an underrated gem in the eyes of many fans.

6 Grave Of The Fireflies

MyAnimeList score: 8.51

There’s a reason why Studio Ghibli has attained such a commendable reputation in the industry — this production house does a great job of charming viewers with its unique visuals and bright, colorful worlds. However, while many people have inaccurately associated the studio with creating content for all ages, Grave of the Fireflies is a great example of how well this esteemed production house can tackle more mature themes too.

Watching the war orphans struggle after the death of their mother is a truly heartbreaking watch that will move many people to tears. The masterful storytelling and the tragic tone that is rife in this film effectively portray the impact war has on the innocents who don’t deserve to go through such trials and tribulations.

5 Attack On Titan

MyAnimeList score: 8.54

Attack on Titan‘s setting is more of an odd fantasy cross between the Victorian era and the Industrial Age where giants roam around a certain continent and its endangered inhabitants have to wage a defensive war against them. That’s what’s happening for the first three seasons.

After that, the whole anime becomes a full-blown war epic complete with bombs, zeppelins, and automatic-mounted weaponry. It’s also proof that war anime is expensive to make. Attack on Titan keeps getting delayed supposedly due to studio issues and the dizzying scale of its combat.