Top 10 Greatest Mecha Battles in Anime
For this list, we'll be looking at the most epic battles between giant robots and ranking them based on just how much of an impact they left on their respective series. Prepare yourselves for spoilers, because metallic heads are about to roll!
#10: Gundam Barbatos vs. The Hashmal
“Mobile Suit Gundam: Iron-Blooded Orphans” (2015-17)
Unmanned and practically undefeatable, the Hashmal was made purely for slaughtering humans, and without any pesky pilots at the controls, it was able to do its job quite well. Unfortunately, there’s not a Mobile Armor alive capable of besting the likes of Mikazuki! Despite nearly killing himself in the process, Mika was able to use the raw brutality of Barbatos to beat the mechanical monster into submission. It’s a brutal slugfest that truly encompasses just how much of a living weapon Mika and his Gundam truly are.
#9: Lancelot Albion vs. Galahad
“Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion R2” (2008)
How to make a battle between two knights a hundred times more epic? Simply add giant robots and superpowers of course! Following Lelouch’s ascension to the thrown of Britannia, the former leader of the Knights of the Round seeks to eliminate him. Unluckily for him, Lelouch’s on again off again best buddy Suzaku and his new kitted out Knightmare are sent out to end the old regime once and for all. Bismarck may be able to see into the future, but unfortunately that doesn’t count for much when faced with something like Britannia’s winged white knight.
#8: Strike Gundam vs. Aegis Gundam
“Mobile Suit Gundam SEED” (2002-03)
KIRA! ATHRUN! Oh, sorry we just caught up in all the screaming. Man, these two like to yell a lot. Overcome with grief at how both have killed off their respective friends, these two Coordinators pretty much lose their shit and push their Mobile Suits to their limit, helmed by nothing but the desire to kill each other. With nothing else left to lose, Athrun takes the totally underhanded route of blowing up the remainder of his Gundam to win the day. Still SEED at it’s best though.
#7: Gundam Alex vs. Zaku
“Mobile Suit Gundam 0080: War in the Pocket” (1989)
Can’t we all just get along?! Set during the One Year War, this exchange between two pilots isn’t so much an grand showdown, but a pure demonstration of how conflict leads to meaningless casualties, made all the potent here as both pilots, Christina and Bernie, had feelings for one another. Unware of each other’s identities as they both fight to the death, the image of the two Mobile Suits impaling each other all the while Al tries to cease the conflict is the perfect picture of the original ideology behind the Gundam name.
#6: Big O vs Big Duo
“The Big O” (1999-2003)
Well, they aren’t lying about being big, and you will indeed by crying out ‘O’ after you see this battle erupt. In a true clash of Titans, the always well-dressed Negotiator Roger Smith takes on the psychotic Schwarzwald as their respective mecha quite literally smash everything around them. While Big Duo may possess the power of flight and is armed to the teeth with missiles, it can’t stand up to the combined strength of Big O’s Sudden Impact and signature Steven Blum performance. Schwarzwald may not be guilty in the name of God, but he’s certainly guilty of getting his ass kicked!
#5: Gundam 00 Raiser vs Reborns Gundam
“Mobile Suit Gundam 00” (2007-09)
A battle so big two Gundams was not enough. Egotistical does not even begin to describe the character of Ribbons Almark. A true snake with a god complex the size of a Gundam, his final battle against the likes of Setsuna was immensely satisfying not only for the rapid pace of their battle, but also just seeing his slimy face get kicked in. After all, no amount of gloriously evil speeches or custom-made Gundams were going to save him from Setsuna’s Innovator abilities.
#4: Eva Unit-02 vs. Mass-Produced Evas
“The End of Evangelion” (1997)
Hats off to you Asuka! You really had them on the ropes…for a while. After Shinji’s Dad steps on too many toes, the NERV facility comes under attack courtesy of unmanned EVA units. The only thing standing between them is a pissed off Asuka and her own EVA unit. The landscape literally shakes as she manages to pummel her way through a whole hoard of them, using whatever she can to win. However, not even she can hold out forever, leaving to a very gruesome end for her.
#3: RX-78-2 Gundam vs. Zeong
“Mobile Suit Gundam” (1979-80)
A rivalry as Legendary as the franchise itself. With the One Year War seemingly reaching it’s climax, It’s up to the Red Comet to defend Zeon’s last line of defense from Amuro’s Gundam with the powerful but unfinished Zeong. An unconventional but dramatic battle, the two pilots use every technique in the book to put the other out of commission. And it all ends with quite possibly the most iconic scene in Gundam history.
#2: Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann vs. Granzeboma
“Gurren Lagann” (2007)
From the gritty to the absolutely ridiculous! In order to protect the cosmos from the living extinction event that is the Anti-Spiral, all members of Team Dai-Gurren unite for a final battle. With their unbreakable spirit combined with all of the Gunmen, they end up creating a mecha that’s many times bigger than whole galaxies. No seriously, they literally use them as weapons. Of course it doesn’t stop there, as Simon and the others best evil incarnate once and for all with, what else, a drill!
#1: The 08th MS Team vs. Norris Packard
“Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team” (1996-99)
Placed in an impossible situation, rookie commander Shiro finds himself in charge of a ragtag group of Earth Federation soldiers…only to find themselves confronted and quickly wiped out by Zeon’s ace pilot Norris Packard. What follows can only be described as one of the most hard hitting and strategic battles in Gundam history. In the end, Packard’s overconfidence ends up being his downfall thanks to Shiro’s sheer will and resilience. Mecha fans, you need to watch this!
