The 15 Anime With Kingdoms And Empires At War

Anime manage to represent quite well war and its consequences like kingdoms or even empires at war, be it on planet Earth or even in space.

The most interesting feature of these series is the organization of the kingdoms and how they react to conflicts.

Anime with a medieval setting will follow a different route and highlight different problems compared to those with a futuristic background.

Let’s check what are the best shows telling the story of kingdoms at war and why you should watch them.

15. Hortensia Saga

Hortensia Saga is a medieval-themed fantasy series released in 2021, consisting of 12 episodes and based on a video game.

If you appreciate classic anime with a rich tapestry of political intrigues and betrayals among kings and knights, then we are confident that you will thoroughly enjoy it.

We also suggest considering playing the original video game, available for mobile platforms, if you find the series intriguing.

In the kingdom of Hortensia, a 700-year peace is disrupted when a violent rebellion erupts in the state of Camelia, accompanied by the appearance of monstrous demons.

This turmoil forces the kingdom into a war that the vassal states of Olivier and Camelia had worked hard to prevent.

The main characters in this picture are a group of young knights who, inevitably, find themselves entangled in the unfolding conflict.

14. Altair: A Record of Battles

A war-fantasy anime with exotic atmospheres and names, released in 2017 in 24 episodes.

Mahmut is a young councilor under the orders of the general of Türkiye, where the air of war is thickening due to the menace of the Balt-Rhein Empire. But Mahmut will do what he can to prevent a conflict from breaking out in the country, which would bring death and destruction.

An interesting change of perspective from the other names on the list, showing us the war from the eyes of an advisor who wants to stop it before it even starts.

13. How a Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom

An isekai anime from the classic elements of the genre, but all in all very entertaining and enjoyable.

Kazuya Souma is summoned to another world and his adventure begins in a rather drastic way.

After presenting his plan to strengthen the country economically and militarily, the king suddenly hands over the throne to him.

Souma finds himself in a difficult position, plus he is in a difficult relationship with the former ruler’s daughter.

The country is indeed at war with neighboring states and the whole situation is everything but easy.

A light-hearted, humorous and noncommittal isekai, combining comic and at times ecchi and harem elements with war.

12. The Record of Grancrest War

The youngest anime on the list, released just in 2018 and consists of 24 episodes from the light novel of the same name that combines fantasy elements with warfare.

On a continent where war is rampant, the lords possess the power of the coat of arms, with a mission to protect the people.

However, this principle has been lost and these powers are used to fight wars between two factions, the Fantasia Union and the Factory Alliance. One day a group of warriors decides to stop this havoc.

An anime unlike any other that combines medieval, fantasy, and magical elements with warfare giving birth to an interesting mix of elements.

11. RahXephon

Born directly as an anime, RahXephon, consisting of 26 episodes, was born in 2002.

Ayato Kamina is a teenager who lives inside Tokyo Jupiter, a city enclosed in a large energy sphere that causes the inhabitants to live in a separate time and dimension.

Through an encounter with Major Haruka Shitow Ayato will discover many truths about which he had always been kept in the dark, such as the ongoing war with the multi-dimensional creatures called MU.

An anime that falls strictly into the mecha genre, and consequently deals with intergalactic wars and battles.

There will also be a hint of mystery and sentimentality, which give the whole thing an extra touch.

10. Kochoki Wakaki Nobunaga

One of many anime about the legendary leader who made Japanese history: Oda Nobunaga.

This time we won’t see his exploits as an adult, where he unified the country in his conquest, but in his youth.

In fact, we will see him involved in a series of internal wars within his clan to claim the position of heir. The menace will consist in Nobunaga brother, Nobuyuki.

If you are a fan of the character and want to see his exploits even as a boy, then we should not be the ones to tell you to see it.

And likewise, if you are interested in discovering the exploits of the legendary Japanese warrior in a fictional key, this might be a good place to start.

9. The Heroic Legend of Arslan

An underrated war-themed and political anime with an exquisitely compelling fantasy world as its backdrop. We are talking about The Heroic Legend of Arslan, a 2015 anime based on a shonen manga.

In the prosperous kingdom of Pars resides the capital city of Ecbatana, a brilliant city ruled by King Andragoras.

Arslan is the young prince of Pars, but he does not seem to have the qualities to be a respected king like his father because of the bad figure he made during his first battle.

He will thus embark on a journey suitable for his redemption, gathering faithful followers on his path to protect his kingdom from the menace of the Lusitania.

A compelling anime that tells the war discourse from a new point of view, that is not that of the warriors fighting it but of a prince who just has to redeem himself to become a warrior.

You will hardly fail to end up sympathizing with his crusade and not feeling like a comrade of his in turn.

8. Code Geass

A famous anime released between 2006 and 2007 by the collaboration between Sunrise studio and the world-famous female mangaka group CLAMP.

Japan has become a colony of the British Empire and is now known as Area 11, putting the country at war. Lelouch gets caught in the crossfire and manages to escape after receiving the Geass from C.C., a mysterious girl.

This power enables him to have absolute power over others simply by direct eye contact, allowing him to control their minds. This is where his revenge against the British Empire began, sparking a war between the British Empire and Japan.

An anime that nevertheless deserves to be watched, for its deep psychological and tactical approach to warfare. Indeed, Lelouch will fight the conflict with his mind and not with force.

7. The Vision of Escaflowne

From the same creator of the popular Macross comes The Vision of Escaflowne, an extremely ambitious project that it prompted no less than Bandai to allocate as much as 30 million yen per episode for their production.

The story revolves around Hitomi Kanzaki, an ordinary high school girl with two great passions: running and tarot cards. Thanks to the latter she has a vision one night where she dreams of finding herself in an unknown world completely different from Earth.

But believing that the whole thing is just a strange dream, she does not give it too much thought. She will be forced to believe it, however, when a dragon and a swordsman named Van Fanel appear before her one night during a training session.

After killing the dragon by saving Hitomi, the two are mysteriously sent to the warring planet Gaia, where the war against the Zaibach empire is heating.

One of the best fantasy anime ever, combining different elements. To begin with, there are elements of the isekai genre, mixed with war themes with fighting under the banner of the Mecha genre.

6. Saga of Tanya the Evil

Saga of Tanya the Evil is a 12-episode anime based on the light novel of the same name written by Carlo Zen. The protagonist of the story is a cynical salaryman who, after firing one of his employees, will be killed by the latter.

Finding himself facing God, not believing in it, the man for punishment will find himself catapulted into a parallel world at war in the guise of Tanya, a young girl.

He will have to redeem himself here to have his sins forgiven. Thus begins his military career.

The anime begins with a conflict that initially pits the Republic against the Empire on one side and then becomes in effect a full-fledged world war against the Russian Federation, United Kingdom, and the Confederate States.

A real breath of fresh air for the Isekai genre, which offers a whole new vision in a realistic war scenario and with one of the best female MCs in a fantasy anime.

5. Attack on Titan

A dark fantasy anime masterpiece and one of the most popular works in recent times if not the most in the period when his manga was at the finish line, Isayama’s Attack on Titan does not need much of a premise.

In an alternate world humanity is hunted by giants, huge humanoid life forms that feed on people, becoming natural predators of them. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin will have to live with this threat, training to kill these life forms to get revenge.

The element of war between kingdoms and factions is there, as many of you already know. The point is that this mechanic is introduced in the final story arc of the entire series, so for those who have not yet seen the work, we cannot anticipate anything.

The battle between these two factions, however, we assure you will be among the most intricate and best.

4. Gundam

The Gundam series is immense, with 11 timelines and many movies/OVAs. But what they all have in common is the theme: war and its consequences.

The most important timeline is the Universal Century (UC), which brings the entire universe alive and doesn’t simply focus on the main cast.

In fact, Gundam manages to give us a complete perspective on war and describe the conflicts between factions in the most impartial way.

This is proof that Tomino, the author, wants to show us that war is negative and that the conflict between two or more parties is just a proxy to get his message through.

The use of technology and realistic scenarios is relative and not an unlikely possibility for the future of humanity.

3. Vinland Saga

One of the most interesting and followed works of recent years, animated in two seasons still running by Wit Studio and based on the manga of the same name by Makoto Yukimura.

The plot follows the life of the warrior Thorfinn, in a precisely Viking world inspired by real historical events.

Thorfinn is a warrior who became one to avenge the death of his father Thors, who was killed by the pirate Askeladd on behalf of King Sweyd because he had deserted years earlier to retire to a quiet life.

The war in this case will be between the vichings of Denmark and England.

An anime with very psychological traits dwells on the choices that must be made when on the battlefield.

2. Kingdom

Set in the year 245 B.C. Kingdom tells the story of Shin and Hyo, two war orphans. The two, now reduced to servants, spend their time dreaming of fighting.

One day Hyo is noticed by Shobunkun, adviser to Crown Prince Ei Sei, who takes him with him to become a servant in the capital city of Kanyou. Upon his return nothing is as before.

To give some war context, the story of Kingdom is an adaptation of the real-life Chinese historical period known as the Warring States Period, which ended in 221 B.C. when Ying Zheng, King of Qin, completed the conquest of the other Chinese states by unifying them.

Probably the Olympian as far as war-themed anime is concerned, boasting a very long serialization with over 650 chapters and multiple animated seasons. A true colossus of the genre.

1. Legend of the Galactic Heroes

An OAV series about the devastating and interminable war that has raged now for 150 years between the Galactic Empire led by the Goldenbaum dynasty and the Alliance of Free Planets.

Set in the distant future when humanity has now colonized and made the entire cosmos its own, we see two protagonists pop up in the great turmoil of the war: Reinhard von Lohengramm and Yang Wen-li.

This is an anime that sees war and political entanglements as its main themes but also dwells on side stories designed to illustrate the different lives of the social classes in the futuristic world in which it is set.

Not to mention that it stars two of the strongest male MCs in a fantasy anime.