Summary
Mostanimefeature teen protagonists, but there are some kid heroes as well. It depends on the anime type, but when it comes tomecha anime, especially, teen characters are usually chosen as the leads, and there aren’t many that featureadults as the protagonists. There may be supporting adults, but they aren’t the stars.
For example, Amuro Ray is the teenage hero ofMobile Suit Gundam,who is aided by adult pilots and crew members who try to teach Amuro how not to act like a child.Neon Genesis Evangelionis another teen-centered mecha show with Shinji Ikari as the bratty hero. However, this list seeks outthe adult protagonists, who are at least in their twenties or are vaguely within that range, in mecha anime and ranks them based on their coolness and how good the anime is.
Gurren Lagannis an interesting anime that skirts the line because it’s both a teen-centered mecha show along with an adult-oriented one. It begins with Simon and his spiritual brother, Kamina, digging in a mine and finding a face-forming mech, which then leads to them breaking out and starting a rebellion against a race of animal humanoids.
After getting to the final boss, as it were,time skips aheadseven years to find Simon basically the head of state, ruling over a now peaceful society. That is, until fate comes knocking. It’s a great anime on its own, showing how a bratty teen turned into a more competent man, but because the anime is split, it gets a lower rank.
Promareis another slight cheat for two major reasons. It’s an anime film that was produced by Trigger and not a series, and its male lead, Galo Thymos, is never given an exact age. He belongs to a group of futuristic firefighters who battle sentient fires with magical powers, weapons, and most importantly, mechs.
Because he’s part of an established adult-oriented job, it’s safe to assume Galo must be in his twenties at least. Either way,Promareis a must-see film, especially for those who enjoy other firefighting anime, such asFire Force,and appreciate badass male leads who never back down from a fight.
6James Links (Z.O.E. Dolores, I)
A Delivery Gone Wrong
Z.O.E. Dolores, Iis a prequel anime series that takes place before the firstZone of the Endersgame. It follows new characters and there is a different Orbital Frame, the mechs of this universe, at its core called Dolores instead of being another origin point for Jehuty.
The story follows the oldest protagonist on this list without a doubt, James Links, who is a family man and space trucker at the end of his rope. Upon accepting a delivery gig to escort Dolores away, James finds himself embroiled in a conflict that is way over his head, which leads to some good comedy and mech battles.
Flagis one of the more interesting mecha series ever created, as it follows a photographic reporter instead of a pilot. Saeko Shirasu gained fame by taking a picture of a flag during wartime, a flag that has since disappeared. She’s then asked by the military to aid an elite group of pilots to find it.
There are plenty of war stories that follow journalists alongside soldiers, such as the recentCivil Warfilm in American cinema. Still, it’s not exactly a subject often covered in mecha-based anime. The subject alone makes it a must-watch to see how Saeko navigates the peaceful and horrific aspects of war.
4Seijuro Kamiyama (Sakura Wars: The Animation)
A Hidden Sequel
Sakura Warsstarted on theSega Saturn as a series of RPGsfeaturing mechs that looked like eggs and romance options between the male lead character and his squadron of female-empowered mech pilots. Seijuro Kamiyama was the male officer in the 2019 reboot game, andSakura Wars: The Animationis a direct sequel that many fans may not even be aware of. It made sense to turn it into an anime since the core concept was a blend of a mecha and harem anime.
The game and anime are set in an alternate version of the 1940s where steam has led to the production of more futuristic machines like the separated egg-based mechs. Seijuro is a great leader, a good pilot in his own right, and he is aided by a squadron of over-the-top female pilots, which leads to some unintentional comedy.
3Noa Izumi (Patlabor: The Early Days)
Cops With Mechs
Patlaboris a classic franchise that originated in the 1980s and evolved into several projects that are now difficult to track down due to their extensive manga, movie, and OVA releases.Patlabor: The Early Daysis an OVAthat follows Noa Izumi and her team in the Patlabor police unit, set in a then-near-future version of Tokyo. Mechs called Labors are used for everything and, because crime is still common, there is a need for police to use Labors as well.
Getting to know Noa and her unit can be like a slice-of-life anime, but then the mech battles deliver some of the best animation 80s OVAs have to offer. While the exact age of Noa is unknown, she was born in 1978, she’s a cop, and the series does take place in the then-near-future setting of Tokyo, which is presumed to be in the late 90s. It makes sense that she must be in her 20s at least, like Galo fromPromare.
2Roger Smith (The Big O)
Paradigm City’s Negotiator
Roger Smith is the hero ofThe Big O, an anime set in Paradigm City, whereeveryone loses their memoriesafter a fatal incident. Roger is a Negotiator for the city who gets himself into sticky situations to resolve issues big and small, which gives him a rich life complete with a human and a robot butler.
Also, Roger can drive a giant mech named the Mega Deus whenever crimes get way out of hand. Viewers can think of him as Bruce Wayne and Batman combined, without the secret identity, and if Batman used a mech for his toughest battles.
TheGundamfranchisefeatures a lot of capable adult pilots throughout its various seasons and series, but Shiro Amada fromMobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Teamis one of the most beloved and relatable characters. It’s a short OVA, mostly taking place within the jungles of Earth, featuring guerrilla warfare with mech suits, which was an interesting idea that reflected real-world issues at the time.
The animation still looks amazing, and while the story is small in scope, it is engaging throughout. Shiro is a capable leader and pilot who puts his men before the mission, and he leads a handful of excellent battles in the series short runtime.
