Looking for strategic anime involving wars between peoples? In this article, we will see the best anime of the genre, we will divide it into sub-genres involving world war, medieval war, intergalactic and others. I hope you like the conflict anime.
Wars occur for many reasons, from racial tension to political maneuvering and old-fashioned pranks and games, with consequences ranging from genocide to the loss of land and power.
Table of Content
Medieval Warfare Anime
Medieval War animes take place among ancient peoples. Many animes mix a fantasy and magic world with medieval wars. Some war animes take place in the Feudal Japan with Samurais and Ninjas or Japanese mythology.
Villa Saga
By the end of the millennium, Viking, the most powerful but atrocious tribe, was spreading far and wide. Thorfinn, the son of the greatest warrior, spent his childhood on the battlefield. He was looking for the dreamland called Vinland. This is the story of a true warrior in a time of turmoil.
The anime that actually speaks the Seinen language. Life brings us difficulties and decisions to make, it's unfair, it's difficult, it's cruel and this anime shows that, you can relate to the difficulties that many characters go through.
While it may seem like a mere revenge story at first, this 24-episode series acts as a meditation on revenge and war, as well as the thrills and horrors that await. Some say that this anime looks like Berserk.
Kingdom
Set during the Warring States period of ancient China (475 – 221 BC). Xin and Piao are war orphans in the kingdom of Qin, and each dreams of being world-renowned generals, proving their worth on the battlefield.
However, Piao is taken to the palace by a minister and Xin is left behind in his village. This, of course, becomes the first step on a very difficult journey for Xin. In time Xin meets Zheng, a boy who could be his friend Piao's twin.
Despite the CG so hated… it's worth watching. The plot, characters, action and feel complete and very satisfying. Kingdom is incredibly moving and addictive, it really deserves far more recognition than it has received.
Konohana Kitan
It is June of the year 1923 AD. A young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, Tanya Degurechaff has taken her steps towards a brilliant career as an aviation mage… but things have taken an unexpected turn.
The anime tells the story of a war in Europe from a parallel world with wizards involving a loli badass reincarnated. The story follows a certain squad with the protagonist who is quite crazy, although he appears to be only 10 years old.
In this anime soldiers use magic through weapons. The platoon basically fights a few battles and we see some strategies happening at the HQ. The anime and its release gained prominence for leaving the clichés of isekai.
Attack on Titan
Earth's history changed forever when giant monsters called Titans first appeared. These beasts have a taste for human flesh, forcing humanity to hide in walled cities to survive.
The walls have made fragile peace possible for over a century, but when the walls crumble in a new attack by the Titans, peace goes with them. With its barriers now broken, humanity must fight the enemy if it is to survive.
What will be the secret behind the titans? Did the military manage to stop them? Don't miss one of the most popular and frenetic anime of all time. There are more than 4 seasons of war and pain for you to watch.
Other Medieval War anime
GATE — Youji was an off-duty Japan Defense Force (JSDF) officer on his way to an anime convention on his day off. Then, a portal opened, scattering monsters and knights that kill anyone in their path.
See some more medieval war anime that we recommend:
- Arslan Senki;
- Nobunaga the Fool;
- Nobunaga Concerto;
- Basilisco;
Intergalactic War Anime or Robots
The animes on the list below are about intergalactic wars, where in most cases there are Giant Meka robots, which is why I merged the two categories together. If you want to see animes about giant robots, we recommend reading the article on animes meka.
Code Geass
One of the best anime I've watched in my entire life. Even those who don't like the Mecha Genre will like this anime. Here the world is dominated by an Empire called Britannia. In the anime we see a young man end this empire.
Lelouch Vi Britannia He is the Emperor's son, but he hates his father's empire and lives in hiding with his blind sister at a school in Japan. The Japanese are kind of enslaved, Lelouch's best friend being a Japanese.
One day Lelouch gets an ability that allows him to give an absolute order once to a person who looks into his eyes. Using his wits and this skill, he vows to end the Empire of Britannia.
Aldnoah Zero
Fifteen years have passed since the collapse of the hypergate on the surface of the moon — a catastrophe known as the Fall of Heaven. The war between Earth and the VERS Empire of Mars is now in a ceasefire. (I love the soundtrack of this anime).
Princess Asseylum Vers. Allusia descends to Earth as an ambassador in hopes of encouraging reconciliation while some citizens are unwilling to compromise. A sabotage allegedly attacks the princess, sparking a new war.
Inaho Kaizuka, an Earthling high school student… and Slaine Troyard, who swears allegiance to Princess Assylum… Their fates cross as both societies watch in horror as this new war unfolds and the survival of both peoples.
Legend of the Galactic Heroes
The war between the monarchical Galactic Empire and the democratic Free Planets Alliance raged incessantly across the galaxy for more than a century, with the fleets of both powers having fought countless battles. (There are several anime and seasons).
The conflict revolves around the strategic Iserlohn Corridor, one of only two space passages through which the two forces can access each other. Here the Empire has built the fortress of Iserlohn, whose deadly weaponry thwarts the Alliance's repeated efforts to capture it.
Phezzan, a neutral mercantile state, controls the other corridor. The long war has resulted in an indecisive stalemate, but there are two men who will change everything. Their loves, struggles, triumphs and failures traverse an interstellar phase of intrigue, war and death.
Space Battleship Yamato 2199
In the year 2199, relentless attacks from the planet Gamilus forced all life on Earth into underground dwellings and raised radiation levels to near-toxic levels.
The only way to clean up all this harmful radiation is by using the Cosmo Cleaner, which the Queen of the planet Iscandar has generously given to humanity. Unfortunately, Iscandar is 148,000 light-years away, but Earth has only one year before rising radiation levels make it uninhabitable!
The only ship capable of making the voyage is the Yamato — a ship equipped with advanced technology and modeled after the famous battleship of World War II. Can the crew of the Yamato reach Iscandar and return before all life on Earth goes extinct?
Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Simon lives a boring life in the underground village of Jeeha, where his main job is digging tunnels. His close friend Kamina, however, longs to escape his oppressive existence and reach the surface world, where open skies and adventure await!
One day he finds the head of a robot and soon after another giant robot invades the underground village with a girl named Yoko. After helping the girl defeat the giant robot, they go to the surface and discover the truth about humans.
On the surface, Simon, Kamina and Yoko encounter enemies more powerful than they could have imagined. Your fight for adventure has just turned into a war for the survival of the human race that reaches even to the skies.
Mobile Suit Gundam
Gundam is a long series of anime and movies about giant robots, practically the flagship of the mecha genre. There are so many animes that we even made a complete guide to Gundam anime.
Gundam is a highly elaborated anime, its science fiction genre revolutionized the market with its advanced universe theme and its war tactics that included robots and space battles.
Their stories were also meticulously elaborated so as not to generate conflicts in the plot, both in the main plot and in the plots of the anime series that would later stray from the main story.
Other intergalactic war or meka anime
See below some more war anime involving Meka and universal war:
- Darling in the Franxx;
- Lâmina quebrada;
- Eureka Seven;
- macros;
- Argento Soma;
- Kakumeiki Valvrave;
WWII anime
There are few animes set during World War II, the vast majority are films. In addition to those listed below, there are some animes that we will mention as honorable mentions, namely: Joker Game; Azur Lane; Animentary Ketsudan; Trapp Ika Monogatari.
hotaru no haka
Hotaru no Haka is a Japanese war film by Studio Ghibli, written and directed by Isao Takahata. In Brazil it is known as Túmulo dos Vagalumes, one of the saddest and most moving films on the face of the earth.
The anime shows two brothers surviving during World War II after losing their mother to an aerial bomber. Soon after being rejected by his aunt and living alone in an abandoned bomb shelter.
The movie begins on September 21, 1945, after the end of World War II, a teenager, Seita, dies from starvation at a train station in Kobe, Japan. To avoid giving spoiler, I prefer that you watch it, it’s just a movie.
zip
In today's Japan, during what should have been a routine training exercise, Captain Umeza and the battleship Mirai are suddenly hit by a storm, sending them back in time to the middle of WWII.
Armed with cutting-edge technology, the Mirai could alter the course of history; but for its crew, the situation presents a moral dilemma: do they have the right to interfere in history, even to prevent the most terrible tragedies of war, when even the smallest acts can have unforeseeable consequences?
Despite being old, this is one of the few anime that takes place during World War II. This anime is a must for military fans. And especially those who love ships and advanced technologies used in modern warfare.
Shuumatsu no Izetta
Before World War II in a re-imagined Europe, abrupt full-scale war and bloody battles are taking place across the world. Eylstadt is a small country without a large military force or natural resources.
Finé, being the crown queen of Eylstadt, decides to use a secret weapon against the larger countries. Her secret weapon is a witch named Izetta and her magical strength. The work provides an entirely different view of war, nationality and morality.
Each episode is filled with joy, drama, comedy, epic explosions, heartbreaking romance and characters full of personality. There are tons of twists to the engaging and intellectual plot, peppered with a realistic and intriguing setting.
WWII anime movies
When searching for WWII anime, I was able to find few, many are old. Probably because Japan doesn't like to remember the war, something little discussed. What we have are films that depict the horrors of war.
Below we will leave a list of anime movies that take place in World War II, there are many, the names are in English, but you can easily get information about them. Let's aim to list the ones with the highest scores first.
| Neste Canto do Mundo | 2016 |
| O Vento Levanta | 2013 |
| Giovanni's Island | 2014 |
| Barefoot Gen | 1983 |
| Tsushima Maru: Sayounara Okinawa | 1982 |
| Ushiro no Shoumen Dare | 1991 |
| Anne no Nikki | 1995 |
| On A Paper Crane: Tomoko's Adventure | 1993 |
| Glass on Usagi | 2005 |
| O Vento Levanta | 2013 |
| Himeyuri | 2012 |
| Giovanni's Island | 2014 |
| Momotaro, Sacred Sailors | 1945 |
| Momotaro's Sea Eagle | 1943 |
| Junod | 2010 |
| Neste Canto do Mundo | 2016 |
| Kuro ga Ita Natsu | 1990 |
| Tsushima Maru: Sayounara Okinawa | 1982 |
Warfare Military Anime
The anime on the list below are wars with no giant robots, no outer space, no magic, no samurai sword fights and the like. Here soldiers wear uniforms and battle strategically. (Other similar ones will be in other categories).
Record of Grancrest War
The massive Katvana Empire is at war with the neighboring republic of Kioka. In a corner of the empire, a young man is about to be caught in the flames of war. His name is Iwata Soroku. He is lazy, a womanizer and hates war.
He's as far from a soldier as you can get. On his way to the next phase of the officer qualification exams, he and his childhood friend Yatorishino Igsem are joined by a trainee nurse, a member of the former military faction, and others.
This anime shows very well the intelligence and war strategies and great character development. Despite being set in a military academy, the anime is quite promising and deserves some attention.
Jormunand
Jonah Mar despises guns due to his background as a child soldier, so naturally he's less than thrilled when his job takes him as a bodyguard for an international arms dealer.
With armies, militias and a host of other buyers in front of them, and CIA teams constantly chasing them from behind, Jonah's new mission is anything but easy.
Other anime with military
Fullmetal Alchemist — Although it is not focused on wars, it tells a lot about the history of the military. A very famous anime with an exciting story, an anime you need watch before you die.
Golden Kamuy — Another anime that takes place in the middle of wars and with characters who are military. The anime is very cultural showing the history of Ainu tribes in the Hokkaido region.
- PsychoPass
- Full Metal Panic;
- Irresponsible Captain Tylor;
Other War Anime
There are some anime in War, but it's not really the focus of the anime. I will mention the anime that I found in the War category, but that I couldn't fit into any of the previous categories below:
No Game No Life — Both the anime and especially the movie No Game No Life: Zero presents a war between peoples and territories. The only difference is that the wars of nations are decided through trivial games.
Sword Art Online — In the second and third seasons of this anime, we have weapons and turf wars. A great war in the virtual world takes place in the Alicization arc. We can see many strategies and large number of soldiers battling.
Girls und Panzer - An anime full of fan service with lolis who pilot tanks;
A Canção de Amor do Piloto — A romantic anime that shows conflict between people and airplane pilots;
List of War Anime
Below we will share a complete list of war anime that I did not include in this article, but that fit into the War category according to Anime-Planet. The anime are ordered from best to worst by release year.
| Vinland Saga | 2019 |
| Mo Dao Zu Shi | 2018 |
| Violet Evergarden | 2018 |
| Dororo (2019) | 2019 |
| Star Blazers: Space Battleship Yamato 2199 | 2012 |
| Youjo Senki: Saga of Tanya the Evil | 2017 |
| Super Dimensional Fortress Macross | 1982 |
| Banner of the Stars II | 2001 |
| A Lenda Heroica de Arslan | 2015 |
| Legend of the Galactic Heroes: The New Thesis | 2018 |
| Mobile Suit Gundam Wing | 1995 |
| Xam'd: Lost Memories | 2008 |
| A lenda dos heróis lendários | 2010 |
| Crest of the Stars | 1999 |
| Kingdom | 2012 |
| Banner of the Stars | 2000 |
| Utawarerumono | 2006 |
| Valkyria Chronicles | 2009 |
| A Ambição de Oda Nobuna | 2012 |
| Now and Then, Here and There | 1999 |
| Thunder Jet | 1994 |
| Broken Blade Anime | 2014 |
| Armored Trooper Votoms | 1983 |
| Lord Marksman and Vanadis | 2014 |
| zip | 2004 |
| Lost Song | 2018 |
| Registro de Grancrest War | 2018 |
| Star Blazers: A Busca por Iscandar | 1974 |
| Valve the Liberator | 2013 |
| Altair: A Record of Battles | 2017 |
| Cat Shit One | 2010 |
| Angolmois: Record of Mongol Invasion | 2018 |
| Maria the Virgin Witch | 2015 |
| Our Last Crusade or the Rise of a New World | 2020 |
| Shoukoku no Altair | 2015 |
| Macross Delta | 2016 |
| Saikano | 2002 |
| Izetta: The Last Witch | 2016 |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms (2010) | 2010 |
| A História da Família Trapp | 1991 |
| Flag | 2006 |
| Souten Kouro | 2009 |
| Dog Days | 2011 |
| Super Robot Wars OG: Divine Wars | 2006 |
| "Intrigue in the Bakumatsu: Irohanihoheto" | 2006 |
| "Horizon in the Middle of Nowhere" | 2011 |
| Rapid Rouge | 2015 |
| Madlax | 2004 |
| Romance of the Three Kingdoms | 1991 |
| Aura Battler Dunbine | 1983 |
| Kantai Collection: Kan Colle | 2015 |
| Tide-Line Blue | 2005 |
| Para as Feras Sagradas Abandonadas | 2019 |
| O Que Acontece Antes da Guerra | 2016 |
| Super Dimension Century Orguss | 1983 |
| Chou Seimeitai Transformers: Beast Wars Neo | 1999 |