Summary
- Teen heroes are common in mech anime, but some adult protagonists exist, like Seijuro Kamiyama.
- Galo Thymos from Promare and James Links from Z.O.E. Dolores, I are examples of adult mech heroes.
- Patlabor: The Early Days features Noa Izumi, a cop in her 20s piloting mechs in a near-future Tokyo.
Most anime feature teen protagonists, but there are some kid heroes as well. It depends on the anime type, but when it comes to mecha anime, especially, teen characters are usually chosen as the leads, and there aren’t many that feature adults as the protagonists. There may be supporting adults, but they aren’t the stars.
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For example, Amuro Ray is the teenage hero of Mobile 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 Evangelion is another teen-centered mecha show with Shinji Ikari as the bratty hero. However, this list seeks out the 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.
8 Simon (Gurren Lagann)
Showing Progress
Gurren Lagann
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2007 - 2007
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Gainax
- Number of Episodes
- 27
- Age: 21 (Second Half)
Gurren Lagann is 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 ahead seven 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.
7 Galo Thymos (Promare)
Fighting Sentient Fires
Promare
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- May 15, 2019
WHERE TO WATCH
- Cast
- Kenichi Matsuyama, Taichi Saotome, Ayane Sakura, Hiroyuki Yoshino, Tetsu Inada, Mayumi Shintani, Rikiya Koyama, Taiten Kusunoki, Ami Koshimizu, Nobuyuki Hiyama, Katsuyuki Konishi, Ryôka Yuzuki, Mitsuo Iwata, Mao Ichimichi, Tsuguo Mogami, Yu Okano, Kendo Kobayashi, Arata Furuta, Masato Sakai
- Runtime
- 111 Minutes
- Director
- Hiroyuki Imaishi
- Studio(s)
- TRIGGER, XFLAG
- Age: Unknown
Promare is 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, Promare is a must-see film, especially for those who enjoy other firefighting anime, such as Fire Force, and appreciate badass male leads who never back down from a fight.
6 James Links (Z.O.E. Dolores, I)
A Delivery Gone Wrong
- Director: Tetsuya Watanabe
- Studio: Sunrise
- Released: April 7, 2001
- Episodes: 26
- Age: 49
Z.O.E. Dolores, I is a prequel anime series that takes place before the first Zone of the Enders game. 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.
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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.
5 Saeko Shirasu (Flag)
A Photographer Out Of Bounds
Flag
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 2006 - 2007-00-00
- Network
- Bandai Channel
- Directors
- Kazuo Terada
- Seasons
- 1
- Age: 25
Flag is 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 recent Civil War film 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.
4 Seijuro Kamiyama (Sakura Wars: The Animation)
A Hidden Sequel
- Director: Manabu Ono
- Studio: Sanzigen
- Released: April 3, 2020
- Episodes: 12
- Age: 21
Sakura Wars started on the Sega Saturn as a series of RPGs featuring 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, and Sakura Wars: The Animation is 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.
3 Noa Izumi (Patlabor: The Early Days)
Cops With Mechs
- Director: Mamoru Oshii
- Studio: Studio Dean
- Released: April 25, 1988
- Episodes: 7
- Age: 20s
Patlabor is 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 Days is an OVA that 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.
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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 from Promare.
2 Roger Smith (The Big O)
Paradigm City’s Negotiator
- Director: Kazuyoshi Katayama
- Studio: Sunrise
- Released: October 13, 1999
- Episodes: 13
- Age: 25
Roger Smith is the hero of The Big O, an anime set in Paradigm City, where everyone loses their memories after 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.
1 Shiro Amada (Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team)
A Smaller Scale Conflict
Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team
Display card tags widget Display card community and brand rating widget Display card main info widget- Release Date
- 1996 - 2013-00-00
WHERE TO WATCH
- Seasons
- 1
- Studio
- Sunrise
- Number of Episodes
- 12
- Age: 23
The Gundam franchise features a lot of capable adult pilots throughout its various seasons and series, but Shiro Amada from Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team is 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.
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