There was a time when the word ‘anime’ was synonymous with giant robots since mecha anime were some of the earliest anime imports to the West. Since then anime is now known for every genre under the sun: drama, comedy, horror– you name it. However, the mechs still aren’t going anywhere and there’s almost always at least one new or continuing mecha anime every season.
In its history, the genre has made many iconic mechs. So in that spirit, we’re lining up these famous mechanical warriors and seeing which ones are the the most powerful.
7RX-78-2 Gundam - Gundam ‘79
You can’t beat a classic. Even though the RX-78-2 is outclassed by most modern mechs, it’s still worth a mention if only because it’s the codifier of the genre and the reason why when you hear the words ‘mech anime’ you think ofGundam. Though it seems quaint now, even withinthe Gundam multiverse, it’s easy to forget how powerful the RX-78-2 was compared to other mobile suits of its time.
It was a monster both on offense and defense, featuring experimental armor that shrugged off conventional weaponry and twin beam sabers that cut through most other mechs with ease. Its beam rifle was also notable in that it had firepower capable of matching battleships. It also has a form factor and paint job so iconic its aesthetics would be echoed throughout the various Gundam titles.
6VF-25 Messiah Series - Macross Frontier
This series of Variable Fighters are some of the most advanced in the Macross universe and though they were introduced in Macross Frontier, they’re still strong contenders as of Macross Delta, years later. It’s not hard to see why, since the VF-25 series is bristling with weapons but is still the fastest and most versatile fighter craft available.
Technically, the VF-27 Lucifer outperforms the VF-25 Messiah in speed and maneuverability, but cannot be mass-produced, and can only be piloted by cyborgs. In terms of firepower, some of the more specialized VF-25’s armaments outclass the VF-27’s.
Like all VF’s, it can switch forms between a fighter jet, a bipedal mech, or a middle mode that’s a little of both. But unlike other VF’s, the VF-25 has energy conversion armor in all three modes. The VF-25 can also be fitted with a Super Pack, giving it more armor, faster speeds, and even more weapons to its already formidable arsenal.
EVA Unit 01’s combat capability is difficult to compare with other mechs for two reasons: the S2 Engine and its AT Field. Without those two abilities, the rest of Unit 01’s kit is simple, even underpowered, consisting of mecha-sized pistols, rifles, and knives. Other than that, EVA Units are more agile than your average mech, moving like Olympic gymnasts writ large.
However, the S2 Engine gives them limitless energy as well as infinite damage regeneration as long as the pilot isn’t killed while AT Fields are powerful energy shields that can only easily be pierced by other AT Fields. However, as shown in the fight against Ramiel, they can be pierced with ludicrous amounts of energy.
Note: Except for Tabris, Ramiel has the strongest AT Field of all the Angels and the Positron Sniper Rifle pierced its AT Field with half the combined power of a post-Second Impact Japan (one of two shots). There is never an AT Field shown in the show that is comparable in power, so the average AT Field would likely take less energy to pierce.
4Big O - The Big O
Piloted by the smooth-talking and snarky Roger Smith, the Big O is a massive lumbering machine and one of the slowest mechs in all of anime. However, what it lacks in speed, it more than makes up for in offensive and defensive power.
Big O is a blocky steampunk monstrosity, whose thick armor makes it difficult to damage and weight lends even more power to its attacks. It has quite several moves suited to many situations, from energy beams, static shields, autocannons, and good old-fashioned missile spam. Its most powerful attack, Final Stage, is capable of destroying one of the show’s domed cities in one blast.
3Lancelot Albion/Guren SEITEN Eight Elements - Code Geass
The Lancelot Albion and Guren SEITEN Eight Elements powerhouses are the only ninth-generation Knightmare Frames in Code Geass and outclass every previous generation of KMF by leagues. They’re also so powerful that their pilots have to be superhuman and as such, they’re uniquely used by Suzaku Kururugi and Kallen Kozuki, respectively.
They share a spot because they are evenly matched, having fought each other into a draw. The Albion has an edge for sheer destructive power with its Hadron Cannon’s potential ability to level a mountain, while the Guren has the edge in speed. They’re otherwise pretty similar, both using cutting-edge tech like the Energy Wing System for flight and offense and Radiant Wave Shielding in place of normal armor for defense, further increasing their already impressive maneuverability.
2Ideon - Space Runaway Ideon
Dark, brooding, and occasionally inscrutable, Yoshiyuki Tomino’s first post-Gundam work is a doozy. In the middle of it is the titular Ideon, a combined mech composed of three starships. The Ideon’s armaments start out simple enough, with missiles and cannons, but get out of hand quickly after that.
According to Wikipedia, the Ideon destroys the whole Universe, but in both the series and Be Invoked, the blast looked as big as a galaxy at most and there were stars and planets left after the blast.
There’s the Black Hole Cannon, which fires off a micro singularity that destroys everything around the Ideon. It also has its Ideon Swords, which can cleave an entire planet in half and the Wave Leader Cannon which can destroy multiple planets in one blast. Even these pale in comparison to its final attack, which taps into the Ide, a plane of infinite energy to power a blast that destroys the galaxy. The Ideon itself is destroyed in the blast.
1Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann - Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann
Early on, Kamina tells Simon to do the impossible and kick reason to the curb. Well, it doesn’t get more unreasonable than this. In terms of power levels, the Super Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann is several orders of magnitude above any given mech. There is no comparison, if only because of its size, which is larger than the observable universe. The only thing that compares is the Antispiral and its universe, which is roughly the same size.
Gurren Lagann
We could go into its attacks, which include throwing entire galaxies and a drill big enough to destroy said Antispiral and other universes, but what would be the point? Ditto with its capabilities. How do you measure the speed of something that is the size of a whole universe? Its power? Trying to do so would result in a number followed by so many zeroes that this page would be unreadable.
