[Top 15] Best War Anime With Intense Action

[Top 15] Best War Anime With Intense Action

15. Black Lagoon

The story follows a team of pirate mercenaries known as the Lagoon Company that smuggles goods in and around the seas of Southeast Asia in the early to mid-1990s. Their base of operations is located in the fictional harbor city of Roanapur in east Thailand near the border of Cambodia (somewhere in the Amphoe Mueang Trat District, likely on the mainland north/northeast of the Ko Chang island or on the island itself). The city is home to the Japanese Yakuza, the Chinese Triad, the Russian mafia, the Colombian cartel, the Italian mafia, a wide assortment of pickpockets, thugs, mercenaries, thieves, prostitutes, assassins, and shooters. The city also has a large Vietnamese refugee population following the Vietnamese refugee exodus after the Communist takeover of Vietnam in 1975.

Lagoon Company transports goods for various clients in the American-made 80-foot (24 m) Elco-type PT boat Black Lagoon. It has an amicable relationship with the Russian crime syndicate Hotel Moscow. The team takes on various missions—which may involve violent firefights, hand-to-hand combat, and nautical battles—in various Southeast Asian locations, even going as far as Phu Quoc island of Vietnam. When they are not working, the members of the Lagoon Company spend much of their downtime at The Yellow Flag, a bar in Roanapur which is often destroyed in firefights.

Despite not being number one, Black Lagoon will always be a personal favorite of mine. Its stories are often heartrending, especially from Rock’s perspective, and I think that’s what makes it all so real. Things like drug and weapon trafficking, the porn industry, and the mafia are real beyond Black Lagoon, yet Black Lagoon manages to portray them with frightening accuracy. It’s definitely the most realistic out of the list and should be appreciated for that.

Why Black Lagoon Is Great

• Black Lagoon has to be the most interesting anime out of the list because it is the most realistic. One could argue that Prohibition 91 is the most realistic since Prohibition took place, but there are still some fantastical elements to it. Meanwhile, excluding the Vampire Twins, Black Lagoon holds the most realistic spot because things like that are happening right now, and we all know it. It was also incredibly researched, and the way it interacts with reality is downright jarring.
• Every character is likable in their own way, as they’re all so well written. Balalaika is a clear and consistent villain, but she’s such a force of nature that you can’t help but admire her when she takes down someone who has pissed her off. Revy is a terrible person, but the fact that she readily admits this mostly accepts it and makes it funny almost forces you to enjoy her presence.
• One of the best parts about this show is Rock himself and how he reacts to the violence and horrors in his new world. Loathe as we are to admit it, Rock’s reaction to all of this mirrors what we would do in that same situation, and that’s what can make the violence in Black Lagoon so real it’s frightening.

14. Fullmetal Alchemist

 

Edward and Alphonse Elric live in the city of Resembool with their mother Trisha and their father Van Hohenheim, who left. After Trisha died of illness and the Elric brothers finished their alchemist training, they tried to bring their mother back using alchemy. This ended horrifically, with Edward losing his left leg and Alphonse losing his body. 

After Edward sacrifices his right arm to bring back Alphonse’s soul, binding it to a suit of armor, the brothers search for the Philosopher’s Stone to restore Alphonse. However, they aren’t the only ones looking for it, and they face many obstacles along the way.

Fullmetal Alchemist is incredibly critically acclaimed, with a 9.1/10 on IMDB and a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. The animation is beautiful, the story complex, and the characters well developed. There isn’t much to say in terms of criticism, as Fullmetal Alchemist has proved itself a giant among many.

Why Fullmetal Alchemist Is Great

• The emotion behind the intense story is something that the show has going for it. Relationships are portrayed as not just a thing, but as the only thing, and it’s one of the few anime that does that and does it successfully. It dregs up feelings and beautiful moments, and it’s worth a watch.
• Fullmetal Alchemist is surprisingly dark, but it’s subtle enough to come across surprisingly well. Its darkness and depth set it apart from the other fantasy anime it competes against, and it works perfectly in every way. 
• The characters are extremely well developed and intricate, and Edward especially embraces his flaws and everything about the world he lived in and nearly destroyed. The relationships are fun, endearing, and everything about them is particularly heartwarming.

13. Tears To Tiara

As the Holy Empire rises to power, the neighboring lands begin to fall under its control gradually. The Empire's conquest eventually reaches the small island of Erin, home to the Gael tribe. A priestess named Riannon is kidnapped to be offered as a living sacrifice to the demon king Arawn, a malevolent being rumored to have caused untold destruction in the past.

First Warrior Arthur, Riannon's brother, rescues her when Arawn suddenly materializes before them as a handsome grey-haired man. Hiding his true identity and remaining enigmatic, Arawn pledges his power and leadership to the tribe's cause and joins Arthur, Riannon, and their merry band of friends—including a talented swordsman, an agile hunter, and a group of ecstatic pixies—as they fight back against the Empire while uncovering the dark secrets of the land along the way.

Tears To Tiara is interesting because it feels directed more towards younger viewers with mature themes in mind. It does this extremely well, and its overall concept was received well by the anime community. It was appreciated for its lighthearted commentary and its quite serious moments as well. Tears To Tiara is definitely an anime worth watching.

Why Tears To Tiara Is Great

• It’s actually quite a cute show in certain moments. The protagonists are endearing, funny, and the designs of some of the characters are indeed cute. It’s definitely a fun show that puts a slightly lighthearted spin on some darker themes.
• The world-building is amazing. Integrating war and supernatural creatures into the mix is fun, unique, and creates the most interesting dynamics among characters out of many fantasy shows in existence. Overall, a world that is amazing to explore.
• Finally, the animation is a big highlight. It’s fun, adventurous, fits the theme of the story it’s trying to tell, and overall has an extremely entertaining air to it when it comes to action scenes and character interactions. Tears To Tiara, in general, is a very underrated anime and deserves more attention than it’s currently getting at the moment.

12. Azur Lane

As a seasoned and experienced fighter, the "Grey Ghost" Enterprise shoulders Azur Lane's hope for ending the war. But behind her stoic persona hides a frail girl, afraid of the ocean. Even so, she continues to fight as she believes that it's the only purpose for her existence. Meanwhile, Javelin, Laffey, and Unicorn—three ships from the union—stumble upon Ayanami, a spy from the Red Axis. Strange as it may seem, they try to befriend her, but as enemies, their efforts are for naught. Still, they persevere in hopes of succeeding one day.

Amidst the neverending conflict within humankind, the keys that could unite a fragmented race might exist: a soldier coming to terms with her mysterious personality and camaraderie between those with different ideals.

Why Azur Lane Is Great

• Azur Lane is based on a video game, making the graphics stellar and the overall story amazing. Not to mention the vehicles of war have the most intense detail and well-done aspects.
• The portrayal of war is authentic and relatable in terms of the struggles the characters face concerning said war. It feels very authentic.
• The animation is beautiful; the details themselves utterly amazing and gorgeous. Definitely worth a watch.

11. Claymore

When a shapeshifting demon with a thirst for human flesh, known as "youma," arrives in Raki's village, a lone woman with silver eyes walks into town with only a sword upon her back. She is a "Claymore," a being manufactured as half-human and half-youma, for the express purpose of exterminating these monsters. After Raki's family is killed, Claymore saves his life, but he is subsequently banished from his home. Raki finds the Claymore, known as Clare, and decides to follow her on her journeys with nowhere else to go.

As the pair travel from town to town, defeating youma along the way, more about Clare's organization and her fellow warriors comes to light. With every town cleansed and every demon destroyed, they come closer to the youma on which Clare has sought vengeance ever since she chose to become a Claymore.

I love Claymore because it feels so different, especially in terms of style. I was a little put off by it at first, but the storyline and overall character development won me over. Clare is a stoical character balanced out by the cheerful Raki, and I appreciate character dynamics like that. Claymore is original and beautiful despite being violent, and I will always love it for that.

Why Claymore Is Great 

• Raki absolutely steals the show here, at least until we’re introduced to more characters. He’s incredibly likable, kind, smart, and even brave to some extent. That’s what makes him unique from most of the main protagonists on this list.
• Clare and Raki have a genuine relationship that develops properly over time instead of being totally rushed. They’re both incredibly awkward but also decent characters when it comes to plot development.
• Claymore doesn’t let its violence distract from its good story and decent world-building. Instead, it compliments it entirely. The visuals are a little strange, but they work with the story, and it’s wonderful. 

10. Berserk

Along the way, he encounters some unlikely allies, such as a small elf named Puck, and Isidro, a young thief looking to learn swordsmanship from the former mercenary. As the ragtag group slowly comes together after having decided to join Guts in his quest, they will face incredible danger unlike anything they have ever experienced before.

Berserk is violent, fun, and an adventurous ride. Everyone loves it for its storyline, animation style, character development, and more. Berserk is an interesting story from the start and beyond popular with anime fantasy fans overall.

Why Berserk Is Great

• The animation. Everything is fluid, detailed, complex, and very sharp. It all blends extremely well, not distracting from the story or taking away from it but also adding to it.
• Speaking of the story, another great aspect. It’s adventurous, entertaining, and absolutely never leaves you bored. Watching Berserk will take you to a fantasy world where you’ve easily never been in all your days of watching anime, making it highly interesting.
• The characters are complex, well developed, and have distinct personalities from one another. Their interactions and relationships serve to better further the story itself instead of hindering it like some anime characters do with each other. 

9. The Heroic Legend Of Arslan

With the odds stacked against him, Arslan must find the strength and courage to overcome these obstacles and allies who will help him fight in the journey that will help prepare him for the day he becomes king.

Everyone loves an underdog, and Arslan is no exception. The show itself is exciting, entertaining, fun, and you can’t take your eyes off the action for a single second. The story never gets boring or slow, and the characters Arslan interacts with help to push the action at every turn.

WhyThe Heroic Legend of Arslan Is Great

• The story itself is fun, dynamic, and the underdog typical character doesn’t feel so typical. Stereotypes aren’t necessarily portrayed in the worst way as they are in some shows. Arslan uses character stereotypes to its advantage to make the story more interesting and entertaining. 
• The animation is smooth, crisp, and very hard to ignore in terms of quality. The landscapes are breathtaking, and the character designs so intricate that they look like a piece straight out of a museum. 
• Arslan himself is a great protagonist. He isn’t typical; he’s well-rounded, nothing about his character screams oversimplification or stereotyping, and he’s a great hero that a viewer can get behind—a true success in terms of the main character. 

8. Dororo

When all of the stronger candidates join together, those left behind must create a party together to survive: Manato, a charismatic leader and priest; Haruhiro, a nervous thief; Yume, a cheerful hunter; Shihoru, a shy mage; Mogzo, a kind warrior; and Ranta, a rowdy dark knight. Despite its resemblance to one, this is no game—there are no redos or respawns; it is kill or be killed.

It is now up to this ragtag group of unlikely fighters to survive together in a world where life and death are separated only by a fine line. 

Grimgar as a show is definitely one of the darker ones on this list, but that doesn’t stop it from being good and overall very intriguing. A show focusing on war and knighthood at the same time is an exciting and underrated concept, which is why Grimgar definitely deserves more attention than it’s currently getting.

Why Grimgar Of Fantasy And Ash Is Great

• The way that this show operates in terms of world-building is absolutely stellar. Everything feels incredibly unique in terms of story, beautiful and intricate in terms of design, and complex overall development. Grimgar does things successfully like no other.
• Everything about the characters is interesting and complex. They all have distinct personalities from one another instead of every side character blending into the protagonist. Every character overall has a unique storyline that deserves to be explored and eventually is.
• The darkness surrounding this show is one of the most amazing parts of it. It definitely has a darker storyline, something that should be appreciated. The focus on war intertwining with a knighthood is a fun, dark way to look at a fantasy world, and Grimgar does that amazingly. 

5. Ulysses: Jeanne D’Arc

Jeanne is a knight anime that stands out from the rest because of its strong, female heroine in a time period where women were stereotypically dependent on men and lacking the overall strength to defend themselves, let alone a cause. The anime itself is filled with action, an interesting story, and the setting itself is gorgeous and well developed overall. In general, it truly represents the knight genre as one of the best.

Why Ulysses: Jeanne D’Arc Is Great

• The animation is beautiful. Everything is fluid, smooth, intricate, and well detailed. The coloring is sharp, and nothing feels faded or outdated. Everything blends extremely well and is generally very well down.
• The world itself is developed in the best way. Historically, nothing feels out of place or inaccurate in terms of design, story, or characterization. It all works out perfectly in terms of working out a story.
• The characters are amazingly well written. They’re complex, interesting, and have all of the makings of individuals with intricate stories to tell. They don’t come off as cliche or as stereotypical at any point.

4. Freezing

One of these limiters is Kazuya Aoi, whose late sister was a Pandora. While attending West Genetics Academy in Japan, Kazuya meets Satellizer el Bridget, a powerful Pandora, nicknamed the Untouchable Queen, for her ruthless personality and her intense aphephobia. Despite warnings from his schoolmates to keep away from Satellizer, Kazuya befriends her, and asks to be her Limiter. After helping her through several fights against school rivals of varying ranks and classes, Satellizer agrees to partner with him, although she soon encounters a rival in romance named Rana Linchen, who thinks Kazuya is her soulmate. Their rivalry is put aside when the Novas attack their school using Pandoras under their control to access the school's underground lab.

Sometimes it feels as if each episode ends on a cliffhanger, which I love. The female characters are all portrayed as strong warriors, and there isn’t anything too sexualized about them other than a few key moments. The lore of the world is fascinating, and the particular setup of this post-apocalyptic world was done extremely well with its semantics. The character designs are also incredibly unique, and nothing feels like a carbon copy of one standing next to it.

Why Freezing Is Great

• The story has a heart. Amidst the fighting and arguing when it comes to protecting the world, as well as the blood, it never loses its original message. This is especially impressive of a violent anime.
• Vibrant and colorful characters also help set the stage for a great story. Despite not seeming so at first, everyone is genuinely likable, and you want to cheer them on in terms of survival.
• Freezing itself is based on a manga, and the overall adaptation is stellar and very well done. Not many shows can pull off doing justice to their source material while still being unique, so Freezing must be perceived that way. 

3. Hellsing Ultimate 

There exist creatures of darkness and evil that plague the night, devouring any human unfortunate enough to be caught in their grasp. On the other side is Hellsing, an organization dedicated to destroying these supernatural forces that threaten humanity's very existence. At its head is Integra Fairbrook Wingates Hellsing, who commands a powerful military and spends her life fighting the undead.

Integra's vast army, however, pales in comparison with her ultimate weapon: the vampire Alucard, who works against his own kind as an exterminator for Hellsing. With his new vampire servant, Seras Victoria, at his side, Alucard must battle not only monsters but all those who stand to oppose Hellsing, be they in the guise of good or evil.

In a battle for humanity's survival, Hellsing Ultimate proves that appearances are not all they may seem, and sometimes the greatest weapon can come in the form of one's worst nightmare.

Another vampire anime that I actually found better than Shiki. I thought the animation was cleaner, I thought the characters had a bit more depth, and I simply liked the premise more. After all, Van Helsing always was the ultimate vampire slayer and nemesis. I always thought the story had more substance and that it was a lot cleaner when there was violence. Overall, another great vampire anime for you.

Why Hellsing Ultimate Is Great

• With Hellsing Ultimate, the storyline makes the violence seem more intriguing and oddly entertaining, making you not want to look away. This anime is a good example of how a good story does not have to be a byproduct of violence and vice versa. Overall, it does incredibly well story-wise.
• The characters have been accused of being dull, but Alucard is so well written that he can’t possibly help but steal the show. The same also goes for his assistant, Seras Victoria. Very well written and very authentic in terms of personality. 
• One of the few vampire animes with a vampire protagonist that isn’t either a side character or a hero, Hellsing Ultimate utilizes Alucard well as their signature anti-hero. He fits the world they built and also stands out from other vampire protagonists.

2. Fate/Zero

With the promise of granting any wish, the omnipotent Holy Grail triggered three wars in the past, each too cruel and fierce to leave a victor. Despite that, the wealthy Einzbern family is confident that the Fourth Holy Grail War will be different, namely, with a vessel of the Holy Grail now in their grasp. Solely for this reason, the much-hated "Magus Killer" Kiritsugu Emiya is hired by the Einzberns, with marriage to their only daughter Irisviel as a binding contract.

Kiritsugu now stands at the center of a cutthroat game of survival, facing off against six other participants, each armed with an ancient familiar and fueled by unique desires and ideals. Accompanied by his own familiar, Saber, the notorious mercenary, soon finds his greatest opponent in Kirei Kotomine, a priest who seeks salvation from the emptiness within himself in pursuit of Kiritsugu.

Based on the light novel written by Gen Urobuchi, Fate/Zero depicts the events of the Fourth Holy Grail War—10 years before Fate/stay the night. Witness a battle royale in which no one is guaranteed to survive.

Why Fate/Zero Is Great

• The weapon design for the characters, in general, is absolutely on point. Everything is intricate and detailed, and the words themselves actually do look like accurate medieval swords of their time. This is a particularly appreciated characteristic.
• The fights themselves are epic, exciting, and anything but slow or boring. They are extremely entertaining, fast-paced, and no part of the action ever feels as if it’s dragging in any way. 
• The story itself is unique, intense, interesting, and well developed. Compared to others, it is incredibly entertaining and a fun story to watch overall.

Top Anime About War: Attack On Titan

Centuries ago, humanity was slaughtered to near extinction by monstrous humanoid creatures called titans, forcing humans to hide in fear behind enormous concentric walls. What makes these giants truly terrifying is that their taste for human flesh is not born out of hunger but what appears to be out of pleasure. To ensure their survival, the remnants of humanity began living within defensive barriers, resulting in one hundred years without a single titan encounter. However, that fragile calm is soon shattered when a colossal titan manages to breach the supposedly impregnable outer wall, reigniting the fight for survival against the man-eating abominations.

After witnessing a horrific personal loss at the hands of the invading creatures, Eren Yeager dedicates his life to their eradication by enlisting into the Survey Corps, an elite military unit that combats the merciless humanoids outside the protection of the walls. Based on Hajime Isayama's award-winning manga, Shingeki no Kyojin follows Eren and his adopted sister Mikasa Ackerman and his childhood friend Armin Arlert. They join the brutal war against the titans and race to discover a way of defeating them before the last walls are breached.

This may be a typically popular anime, but it definitely hits hard. Visually, it’s absolutely stunning, and when I watched it for the first time, I was caught off guard by the intensity of it. But I enjoy the story; I love every character, the action is well animated and exciting, and there’s even a mystery concerning Eren’s father. Eren can get a little overbearing at times, but I think that’s his best personality trait in some cases.

Why Attack On Titan Is Great

• The animation is gorgeous. Everything is so finely tuned and colored; it’s straightforward to see that there was a ton of tough work put into it. Besides that, the facial expressions are so realistic they can be haunting when a character is in pain.
• Speaking of characters, they all have depth and passion in them. Each character is well written, and their stories are well executed. Not only that, but they all interact with each other in ways that no viewer can expect on some occasions.
• Finally, the violence. The significant violence it does have paired with the better story writing puts it at number one. Its overall balance between the two makes it the most appealing and interesting in an anime to watch.