7 Exciting War Anime Series to Watch While Learning History

7 Exciting War Anime Series to Watch While Learning History

War anime is one of the genres A favorite for those of you who like strategy, military conflict, struggle and history.

In war anime, not only does it present war but there is also drama, sacrifice, strategy, friendship in war conditions, and moral values.

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Sometimes watching war anime also makes you nervous because you see the characters who have to suffer.

Even war anime also gives a picture of war as very brutal, harsh and has high values of courage and brotherhood.

This article will discuss recommendations for war anime that you can watch during your upcoming vacation!

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War Anime

Anime War anime is an anime that has the theme of war, military conflict, major battles, wars between countries, kingdoms or groups such as traditional war, modern war and futuristic/mecha/alien war.

The point is that the conflict involves many people, strategy, violence, not just personal stories.

In this genre, war anime features troops, politics between countries or clans, military warfare, civilian casualties, sacrifice and betrayal.

However, in war anime there are also messages of humanity, justice, suffering and the consequences of conflict.

Besides that, war anime has various settings such as History (wars between Kingdoms, ancient nations and feudal times), Fiction/Fantasy (wars between Kingdoms, magic or monsters) and Futuristic/Sci-Fi (wars between countries in the future with advanced technology or space wars).

Sometimes political elements and even moral and social dilemmas are added which makes it exciting to watch.

If you enjoy anime that makes your heart race, full of conflict, strategy, struggle and history, this war anime is perfect for you.

List of the Most Exciting War Anime

Below are some of the best and most exciting war anime that you can watch later, including the following:

Attack on Titan

The first war anime was “Attack on Titan” is an anime adaptation of the manga by Hajime Isayama which was published on September 9, 2009 – April 9, 2021 in Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine.

Attack on Titan was produced by Wit Studio for Season 1 to Season 3. Then, in the Final Season it was taken over by Studio MAPPA.

This anime was directed by Tetsurō Araki for Attack on Titan Season 1 to Season 3.

The script for Attack on Titan Season 1 to Season 3 was written by Yasuko Kobayashi, while Attack on Titan Final Season was written by Hiroshi Seko.

The background music is by Hiroyuki Sawano as the iconic composer in Attack on Titan.

Attack on Titan has 4 seasons, with Seasons 3 and 4 divided into several parts.

Attack on Titan Season 1 aired on April 7, 2013 – September 29, 2013 with a total of 25 episodes.

Attack on Titan Season 2 aired on April 1, 2017 – June 17, 2017 with 12 episodes.

Then Attack on Titan Season 3 is divided into 2 parts, Part 1 aired on July 23, 2028 – October 15, 2018 and Part 2 aired on April 29, 2019 – July 1, 2019 with a total of 22 episodes.

Meanwhile, Attack on Titan Season 4 (The Final Season) aired on December 7, 2020 – November 19, 2023 with a total of 35 episodes + 2 special episodes.

Part 1 aired on December 7, 2020 – March 29, 2021 with 16 episodes, Part 2 aired on January 10, 2022 – April 4, 2022 with 12 episodes.

Part 3: Special Version aired on March 4, 2023, Part 3: Episode Version aired on November 5, 2023.

Meanwhile, Part 4: Special Version will air on November 5, 2023, and Part 4: Episode Version will air on November 19, 2023.  

After the anime finished, a final compilation film was made with the title “Attack on Titan: The Last Attack” to conclude the saga.

In Japan, Attack on Titan is broadcast on TV channels such as MBS, NHK General TV, Tokyo MX.

You can watch Attack on Titan on Crunchyroll, iQIYI, Netflix and Vidio with Indonesian subtitles.

The story of Attack on Titan is set in a dystopian world, where humans live within giant walls to protect themselves from Titans.

Eren Yeager saw his mother being eaten by a Titan which traumatized him so much that he joined the Survey Corps to eradicate Titans.

In Attack on Titan Season 1, introduced the world of walls, unfair life, the fight against Titans.

Then in Attack on Titan Season 2, Titans began to arrive, the secrets of the walls were revealed, and internal politics between humans.

In Attack on Titan Season 3, it begins to show political intrigue, betrayal, historical mysteries, epic battles, sacrifices and decisions between truth and safety.

Meanwhile in Attack on Titan Season 4 (Final Season), humans fight Titans, the conflict between humans is getting hotter, the war is getting worse.

The entire story has themes of humanity, destruction, sacrifice, hope for life in the midst of war.

Attack on Titan has elements of horror, politics, tragedy, humanity and emotion.

Apart from that, Attack on Titan also shows struggle, betrayal and severe trauma.

With its long broadcast and consistent story, Attack on Titan has become the most popular anime in the world.

86 Eighty-Six

The second war anime is “86 Eighty-Six” which is an anime adaptation of a light novel by Asato Asato and illustrated by Shirabii.

The anime adaptation was made by A-1 Pictures, directed by Toshimasa Ishii, written by Toshiya Ono, the characters were designed by Tetsyuya Kawakami, the background music was composed by Hiroyuki Sawano and Kohta Yamamoto.

The genres themselves are mecha, Sci-Fi + Military, War, Drama, Psychology and Action.

This anime only has 1 season but with a “Split-Course” format (Two parts).

Part 1 aired from April 11, 2021, to June 20, 2021, with a total of 11 episodes. Meanwhile, Part 2 aired from October 3, 2021, to March 19, 2022, with 12 episodes. This makes a total of 23 episodes.

You can watch 86 Eighty-Six on Crunchyroll, Netflix, iQIYI and Vidio with Indonesian subtitles.

The story tells of the Republic of San Magnolia which is at war against the Giad Empire.

The Republic of San Magnolia government uses automated combat drones called “Juggernaut” to prevent any soldiers from dying.

However, they instead used humans from “Sector 86” as their Juggernaut pilots.

These people who came from 86 were instead discriminated against, experienced racism and were ignored.

Shinei Nouzen as the captain of the "Spearhead" squadron is the "Single Suvivor" of each team. He became an icon of suffering, guilt, heavy trauma and strong determination.

Then there is also Vladilena Milize as Handler who leads 86 and she is very idealistic and has a high sense of humanity.

Initially, young people were forced to fight, experiencing discrimination, racism and trauma.

As the story progresses, the conflict escalates. It's not just a simple war, but a struggle against oppression and a hope for the future. 86 Eighty-Six depicts war, humanity, and human sacrifice.

This anime successfully combines elements of war, sci-fi, and mecha with emotional drama and criticism. It also showcases trauma, high hopes, and a sense of humanity.

With the Sci-Fi setting and technology, this makes the war there seem more modern, but still shows a sense of loss, discrimination and death.

The Heroic Legend of Arslan

The third war anime is “The Heroic Legend of Arslan” which is adapted from a novel by Yoshiki Tanaka.

The novel was then adapted into a manga by Hiromu Arakawa and serialized in Bessatsu Shōnen Magazine on July 9, 2013.

The anime adaptation is produced by Liden Films and Sanzigen, directed by Noriyuki Abe, written by Makoto Uezu, and composed by Taro Iwashiro.

The Heroic Legend of Arslan has 2 seasons with 33 total episodes that have finished airing.

The Heroic Legend of Arslan Season 1 aired from April 5, 2015 to September 27, 2015, with a total of 25 episodes. Meanwhile, The Heroic Legend of Arslan Season 2 aired from July 3, 2016 to August 21, 2016, with 8 episodes.

In Japan, The Heroic Legend of Arslan is broadcast on MBS Channel and Channels under JNN.

Globally, it's distributed by Funimation in North America. You can also watch it on Netflix, BStation, Crunchyroll, and Apple TV.

This anime tells the story of Arslan, the crown prince of the Kingdom of Pars, who is depicted as a weak and immature figure.

One day, the Kingdom of Pars was attacked and destroyed by the Kingdom of Lusitania through deception and conspiracy. Luckily, Arslan was saved by a knight named Daryun.

From there, he began to devise strategies, ask for support and assistance, unite allies to reclaim his kingdom.

This anime shows great battles, military warfare, betrayal, struggle, justice, loyalty, politics and leadership.

Having an epic story about war, throne, courage and sacrifice makes this war anime suitable to watch.

The Saga of Tanya the Evil

The fourth war anime is “The Saga of Tanya the Evil” which is an anime adaptation of the Japanese light novel by Carlo Zen and illustrated by Shinobu Shinotsuki.

This novel combines fantasy, military and war elements with Isekai and Reincarnation elements.

The anime adaptation of The Saga of Tanya the Evil is produced by Studio NUT, directed by Yutaka Uemura, written by Kenta Ihara and featuring music by Shūji Katayama.

This anime is a war, fantasy genre with a military setting, magic, conflict between countries and empires full of strategy and sacrifice.

The Saga of Tanya the Evil is planned to have two seasons. Season 1 of The Saga of Tanya the Evil aired from January 6, 2017 to March 31, 2017, with a total of 12 episodes.

After season 1 began, a film entitled “The Saga of Tanya the Evil: The Movie” was made which was released on February 8, 2019. This film continues the story from the series and adds new conflicts.

In 2025, The Saga of Tanya the Evil was announced to be making a comeback with Season 2, which will air in 2026.

For The Saga of Tanya the Evil Season 2, it is still produced by Studio NUT, but directed by Takayuki Yamamoto.

You can watch The Saga of Tanya the Evil Season 1 on Crunchyroll and Netflix. The Saga of Tanya the Evil: The Movie is now available on Apple TV and Netflix.

The Saga of Tanya the Evil tells the story of Tanya Degurechaff, a salaryman who challenges the entity of God regarding the existence of morals and coincidence, she is also reincarnated into another world as a little girl.

But in that world, Tanya Degurechaff is caught in a great war with magic and military power.

Tanya Degurechaff has the rationality and logical mind to lead the Mage Troops.

The conflict concerns life and death, military honor and humanity, loyalty and survival, and brutal warfare.

The anime also features battle scenes, military strategy and magic, civilian casualties and betrayal.

The film also shows a major war with many soldiers and geopolitical issues.

It is this story that makes it fall into the category of war anime with its massive wars, magic and military, heavy conflicts and sacrifices.

Kingdom

The fifth war anime is “Kingdom” which is an anime adaptation of the manga by Yasuhisa Hara which was serialized on January 26, 2006 in Weekly Young Jump.

Initially produced by Studio Pierrot for Kingdom Season 1 – 2. Then, this Studio collaborated with Studio Signpost for Kingdom Season 3 and so on.

The genre is historical fiction, war, action and drama with a setting in ancient China which has political intrigue, great war, ambition and loyalty.

To date, Kingdom has 6 seasons with a total of 155 episodes from the six seasons.

Kingdom Season 1 aired on June 4, 2012 – February 25, 2013 with a total of 38 episodes.

Then, Kingdom Season 2 aired on June 8, 2013 – March 1, 2014 with a total of 39 episodes.

Kingdom Season 3 aired on April 6, 2020 – October 18, 2021 with a total of 26 episodes.

Then, Kingdom Season 4 aired on April 10 – October 2, 2022 with a total of 26 episodes.

Kingdom Season 5 aired on January 14, 2024 – March 31, 2024 with a total of 13 episodes.

Meanwhile, Kingdom Season 6 aired from October 4 to March 2026 and reportedly consisted of 13 episodes.

In Japan, Kingdom airs on NHK BS Premium or NHK General TV. Globally, it's available on Crunchyroll, Netflix, Vidio, and Amazon Prime Video.

Kingdom is set in the “Warring States Period”, a situation full of war, power struggles and kingdom conflicts.

This anime tells the story of Qin, an orphan and war slave with Piao as his best friend.

In the early seasons, it shows slaves who have to fight to survive and achieve their dreams.

Then the conflict escalated with wars between countries, military tactics, power struggles and betrayal.  

Qin troops fought against other countries to fight and defend honor and power.

This anime also shows big battles, political ambitions, human suffering and ambitions.

In the new season, it is even more brutal, where the war between the Kingdoms is more severe, political conflicts occur, suffering and the struggle of humans to survive.

Golden Kamuy

The sixth war anime is “Golden Kamuy” which is an anime adaptation of the Japanese manga by Satoru Noda which was serialized on August 21, 2017 – April 28, 2022 in Weekly Young Jump.

This anime was produced by Geno Studio for Seasons 1 to 3 plus OVA (Original Video Animation) and ONA (Original Net Animation). Then, it was directed by Hitoshi Nanba, written by Noboru Takagi and background music by Kenichirō Suehiro.

The genre itself is action, adventure, history, survival which has elements of war and conflict in the post-Russo-Japanese War era.

This Golden Kamuy anime has 4 seasons to date plus there are OVA and ONA.

Golden Kamuy Season 1 aired on April 9, 2018 – June 23, 208 with a total of 12 episodes.

Then, Golden Kamuy Season 2 aired on October 8, 2018 – December 24, 2018 with 12 episodes.

Golden Kamuy Season 3 aired on October 5, 2020 – December 21, 2020 with 12 episodes.

Then, Golden Kamuy Season 4 aired from October 3 to June 26, 2023, with 13 episodes. This season was delayed due to production issues.

It also has OVA and ONA plus extra versions of shorts, side-stories and content.  

Golden Kamuy aired on Japanese TV channels such as Tokyo MX and was aired on Crunchyroll, Amazon Prime Video and Netflix.

The story of Golden Kamuy has a post-Russo-Japanese War history in Japan in the Meiji era or early 1900s.

Saichi Sugimoto is a former war soldier. After the war was over, he looked for gold to fulfill a promise to his dead friend.

He hunts for gold in the wilds of Hokkaido, there he meets Asirpa, an Ainu girl, and they have to face criminals, hunters, military and political groups.  

As the story progresses, there are wars between groups, struggles for power, survival, Ainu tribal identity and social conflicts.

Apart from that, there are many battles, betrayals and brutal life in war and survival conditions.

Each season has a major conflict, ranging from individual, criminal, military and social conflicts.

The combination of war, adventure, culture with highly motivated characters makes this anime the best war anime.

All elements of war such as tactics, violence, morals, betrayal, loyalty and warfare are present in this anime.

Of course it has elements of adventure, friendship and struggle to survive.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes

The last war anime is “Legend of the Galactic Heroes” which is an anime adaptation of the novel by Yoshiki Tanaka which was published on November 30, 1982 – November 15, 1987.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes tells the story of intergalactic war, politics, strategy and drama.

The anime first appeared as a short-movie entitled “My Conquest is the Sea of Stars” released on February 6, 1988.

Then an OVA (Original Video Animation) was made which was released on home video in December 1988 – March 1997.

In addition, a remake series entitled “Legend of the Galactic Heroes: Die Neue These” was also made by Production LG in April 2018.

The main OVA has 110 episodes released on home video from January 1988 – March 1997.

Then, this OVA was divided into 4 parts, where Part 1 consisted of 26 episodes which were distributed in December 1988 – 1989.

Part 2 consisted of more than 28 episodes distributed in 1991 – 1992. Part 3 consisted of more than 32 episodes distributed in 1994 – 1995. Part 3 consisted of more than 24 episodes distributed in 1996 – 1997.

The remake version (Die Neue These), for the first season aired on April 3, 2018 with a total of 12 episodes.

Then continued with “Season/Parts” in the form of a film called “Seiran/Stellar War Part”.

For Season 2, namely the film/trilogy released in 2019, then Season 3, namely the film released in 2022 plus ONA/ONA released in 2022 for “Collision / Gekitotsu.

OVAs are released as home videos distributed on DVD or Blu-ray. They are sometimes broadcast on some TV channels in Japan.

The remake version (Die Neue These) is available on legal streaming services such as Crunchyroll or Netflix.

Legend of the Galactic Heroes tells the story of an intergalactic conflict between the Galactic Empire and the Free Planets Alliance, which has been at war for hundreds of years.

From this conflict, two heroes emerged, namely Reinhard von Lohengramm and Yang Wen-Li.

Each season presents political intrigue, a massive intergalactic war with rockets, battles, betrayals, idealism and ambition, the morality of war and the system of government and freedom.

Then in the remake version (Die Neue These) the story is simplified but still with galactic conflicts, space wars and political and military philosophy.

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That's a list of the most exciting war anime you can watch this holiday season. Which ones are on your watchlist?