Mecha is an anime genre that sends viewers on journeys across space or places them in a war on a foreign planet. Mobile Suit Gundam has ruled the mecha genre for decades with consistent releases of new series and animated films that introduce exciting characters and interesting stories. The latest release is Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury, a fresh take on the Gundam franchise set in the Ad Stella universe.
The series recently debuted its first episode and has received positive reviews for its characters and animation. While The Witch From Mercury gets started, there are plenty of other mecha anime similar that fans can watch to hold them over. Here are some of the best anime to watch if you like Mobile Suit Gundam: The Witch From Mercury.
7 Darling In The Franxx
Darling in the Franxx is an action mecha anime with a splash of romance set in a post-apocalyptic earth that is ravaged by giant monsters called Klaxosaurs. Humanity now survives on domed cities and utilizes giant robots to fend off the monster menace; these robots are piloted in Boy and Girl pairs as cockpit use takes a significant toll, both mental and physical.
Hiro is an aspiring pilot; unfortunately for him, he has been incompatible with all the other female co-pilots available. Hiro begins to lose hope until He encounters a mysterious girl with horns known as Zero Two, with a reputation for leading all her male co-pilots to their deaths. As luck would have it, Zero is the only female that hiro seems capable of piloting with; against the wishes of his friends, who fear for his safety, Hiro places his fate in Zero’s hands.
6 Mobile Suit Gundam: Thunderbolt
Mobile Suit Gundam: Thunderbolt is a series set in the Universal Century timeline, based on the manga of the same name; Mobile Suit Gundam: Thunderbolt follows two rival pilots set in a neverending conflict between the Earth Forces and remnants of Zeon.
Lo Flemming is a hot shot adrenaline junkie pilot of the Full Armor gundam who has an infatuation with Jazz; he is an extraordinarily talented and ruthless pilot that has been massacring the Remnants on the front line for months. Daryl Lorenz is a member of the “Living Dead” Division of Zeon, made up of disabled and disfigured pilots who have been fitted with prosthetic limbs to extend their piloting capabilities. In the series, after a run-in with Flemming, Daryl undergoes an operation and sacrifices his legs to be able to pilot the Psycho Zaku. The series erupts into a bloody catastrophic battle where both sides shed their fair share.
5 Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam
Mobile Suit Zeta Gundam is the second series in the franchise; after the events of the original Gundam anime, the focus of the show shifts to a new pilot named Kamille Bidan. The series takes place several years after the One-Year War and explores the remaining conflicts that the Earth Forces go through with what remains of Zeon.
Multiple characters return to the series from the original anime, such as Amuro Ray, Bright Noa, and even Char Aznable, who resurfaces as a spy for Axis as Quattro Bajeena. Kamile pilots the new Zeta Gundam and shows exceptional talent, but the weight of war and killing to survive forces Kamille to adapt to the pressure like the Gundam pilot before him.
4 Code Geass
Code Geass upset the Mecha Genre with its incredible concept and story; Lelouch vi Britannia is a banished prince on a mission for revenge against the murder of his mother. Along the way, he decides to destroy the nation of Britannia, which has colonized the world with its capital city in what was formerly Japan.
However, when Lelouch is gifted with a special power of suggestion, he puts his plan into motion and takes advantage of the growing conflict between Britania and the Japanese people, who have been rebranded as numbers. A winding tale of betrayal, love, friendship, and duty takes fans on a wild ride where no one gets a happy ending.
3 Aldnoah Zero
Adnoah Zero follows a group of child soldiers as they protect the Earth from Martian invasion by the Vers Empire. Inaho Kaizuka is a reserved, somewhat detached young boy with an analytical mindset; he and his friends are dragged into conflict when Vers armies descend on Earth, and they are the first line of defense.
The Vers Empire is made up of earthlings who migrated to Mars centuries ago and discovered advanced technology left behind by previous civilizations; however, with no hubris, they are bested at every turn by the tactical prowess of Inoha. Along with the exciting action of the series, strong political side stories erupt as Inoha befriends a martian princess who seeks peace between the empire and Earth.
2 Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny
Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Destiny is the sequel series to Mobile Suit Gundam SEED anime; the story revolves around the previous protagonists of the SEED anime and introduces several new ones. Seed Destiny is a complicated story as it follows multiple viewpoints, showing both sides' arguments, struggles, and beliefs, giving viewers a lot of information to process. There are three main protagonists that have their own legitimate reasons for fighting in the war between Zaft and Earth, proving not everything is black and white; A Hero is just the villain in another's story.
1 Neon Genesis Evangelion
Neon Genesis Evangelion stands at the apex of mecha alongside Gundam; the concept on which Evangelion is based on is one of the most innovative and unique in all of anime. In a world where cosmic beings called “Angels” invade earth, humanity has constructed monstrous machines of war called Evas. The Nerve military organization fights on the frontline to defend Japan from the Angels using three Evas piloted by young high school students, one of which is the Director’s son.
Shinji Ikari, Asuka Langley, and Rei Ayanami put their lives on the line and experience tremendous mental trauma for the sake of saving the world. Evangelion has an extensive form of storytelling and dives headfirst into several of humanities defining factors such as mental health, maturity, sexuality, and religion.