1 of the Most Underrated Mecha Anime Foreshadowed an Isekai Series Classic

ThemechaAnime genre was once one of the biggest genres in the medium, and over the years, it has played a major role in the development of anime around the world. This saw Super Robot anime and the more militaristic Real Robot anime rule the roost in the 1970s, 1980s, and even part of the 1990s. Ironically, one of the most underrated entries combined elements of these stories with aspects seen in isekai classics.

Panzer World Galientwas the final part of a spiritual "trilogy" of mecha anime, but it was vastly different from its predecessors. Eschewingmilitaristic "Real Robot" storytelling, it was instead a fantasy mecha anime, and easily one of the best examples of this subgenre. In fact, it arguably inspired the world of a notable mecha fantasy isekai anime, despite being much more esoteric in comparison.

Panzer World Galient Is One of the Best — and Most Underrated — Fantasy Mecha of All Time

Airing for 25 episodes between 1984 and 1985,Panzer World Galientis set in the world of Arst, a medieval fantasy setting that would, in most cases, seem like an odd place for mecha action. The protagonist is Prince Jordy Volder, who is one of many who use the powerful and gigantic armors known as Panzers. Using his own armor of Panzers is the evil conqueror Marder, who seeks to control other worlds after taking over Arst. Thankfully, Jordy's panzer, the legendary Galient, is able to take on many of these opponents.

Compared to more realistic mecha likeMobile Suit Gundam,Galientwas a mecha anime in a fantasy world, and the designs reflected this. Galient and other Panzers had regal, almost knight-like designs, all while still clearlylooking like giant robots. There were even centaur-like Panzers, taking the place of knights on horseback. It helps that the animation was especially good, making these designs truly pop. The anime's story also felt analogous to many fantasy tropes, with the protagonist being an adventurous young nobleman seeking to save his land and reclaim his throne. When combined with how popular mecha anime was at the time, this should have all been a recipe for success. Unfortunately, this veritable classic has been almost completely forgotten by all but the most hardcore mecha fans.

While the popularity of the mecha genre should have been an advantage forPanzer World Galient, it also helps to explain why works such asPanzer World Galientnever took off during the heyday of mecha. By 1985, the genre was finally seeing the release ofMobile Suit Zeta Gundam, the first sequel to the original 1979 anime. This release significantly undermined the popularity of other mecha anime, and it didn't help that there had already been so many major new mecha anime by that point. After all, by that time, fans were more than aware of the kinds of tropes they expected from the genre, so it might have been hard to sell a deviation from this path.

Toy sales were not exactly massive whenGalientwas released, especially since there seemed to be a disconnect between the aims of the anime and what the sponsors for its production wanted. This was an era in which sponsors were key to producing anime, and there was already a growing culture around it.model kits for mecha anime. Again, the change in tone and subgenre ofPanzer World Galientmay have added to this, as the military toys of other mecha anime had been very successful. As a result, the production forGalientwas somewhat muddled, and its intended 50-episode run was cut short to 25 episodes. Due to these issues, it somewhat makes sense that the anime went under the radar, and it wasn't brought to the West on physical media until 2024. Nevertheless,GalientHis influence was felt in a later anime that went on to be a much bigger hit.

Panzer World Galient Foreshadowed One of the Best Isekai Ever

The isekai genre was not always so overdone in anime, and it actually saw several entries in the 1980s and 1990s that are now considered classics. In fact, the 1990s featured one ofthe most beloved isekai anime ever made, withThe Vision of Escaflownebeing a beautiful blend of genres. Featuring elements of shojo romance, mecha, fantasy and isekai, it's the quintessential combination of these archetypes and highlights each of their strengths.

The Vision of Escaflownewas inspired byPanzer WorldGalient, with the designs of the latter reflected in howEscaflowneemphasized fantasy elements. Now,Escaflowneis seen as one of the best examples of the isekai genre, showcasing how many of the previous decades' examples of these stories compare to current fare. Today's isekai are often generic in how they utilizefantasy and medieval elements, typically coming off as tired parodies of old tropes. On the other hand, works such asGalientactually made their fantasy worlds feel alive, and the same goes for Gaea inEscaflowne.

The legacy of mecha isekai lives on, with the past decade seeing the success of another example.Knight's & Magicis an oddly-named anime that perfectly combines a fantasy world with giant robots, and the protagonist is even a reincarnated mecha anime fanboy who uses his knowledge of mechs in this new world. This was likely inspired by the rise of isekai, the renewed interest in fantasy anime and the similar revival of mecha anime. While it's unlikely thatGalientWill see any sort of revival as a major brand, but it has seen a slight reappraisal, with the Blu-ray allowing fans to finally give it the attention and praise that it deserves.

All 11 Titan Types in Attack on Titan Explained

Warning: Spoilers forAttack on TitanAttack on Titanunveils a plethora of different Titans, with certain types ranging from your basic run-of-the-mill average types that roam just outside Wall Maria and others that have the capacity and size to take that same wall down. Each Titan plays a pivotal role in expanding the narrative and power system set in Hajime Isayama’s world.

Titans are monstrous creatures, often considered to be the main antagonists in the series, along with some wicked humans. While some threats can be detected based on their appearance, others are much more hidden. The following includes all Titans featured in Attack on Titan, as well as their characteristics and most pivotal moments in the anime.

The Pure Titans

Pure Titans resemble humans but with varying levels of enlarged forms. The majority of the observed Titans, both in the manga and the anime, belong to this category, their overall feature being their inability to form and process thoughts.

Despite beingmade similarly to other Titan types, Pure Titans are mindless and tend to attack without discrimination. They are dangerous due to their sheer numbers, formidable strength, and enormous size.Pure Titans have been used as weapons of war, first by Eldia and then by Marley, and can only be killed by slashing the nape of their neck.

A notable example of a Pure Titan would be the humanoid nicknamed Bean, who first appeared when the gates of Trost District were broken byAttack on Titan'sEpic Colossus Titan. Bean was one of the two Titans kept alive for the purpose of experimentation in an attempt to better understand the nature of these beasts and their innate weaknesses.

The Abnormal Titans

The Abnormal Titans are one of the most bizarre Titan types.Abnormals are Pure Titans that display unusual behavior and intelligence., allowing them to perform unpredictable moves. They often tend to ignore nearby humans and move on to strategic locations to inflict more damage.

Abnormals are skilled at performing tremendous leaps, running, speed-walking, and in a few cases, communicating in human languages. An Abnormal Titan's ability to form thoughts and speech has been documented in the diary of Ilse Langnar, who encountered a hesitant Titan during an expedition massacre.

After Hange Zoe and Levi's squad found the diary, it is revealed that the Titan addressed Ilse as "Lady Ymir", mistaking her forAttack on Titan'sFounder, Ymir Fritz. Confused by the possibility that a Titan can experience emotions, Ilse became increasingly frustrated during her attempts at communication, ending with the Titan crushing her skull while shedding tears.

The existence of the Abnormal Titans forces humans to approach the beasts with a more nuanced perspective. This revelation proved to the remaining soldiers that not all Titans are mindless killers.

The Attack Titan

As the name suggests, theThe Attack Titan is an offensive powerhouse, standing 15 meters tall and characterized by a highly muscular build and jawless flesh.Eren Yeager would later improve the Attack Titan's metrics by drinking the Armor serum that allowed him to harden the Titan's skin during crucial moments.

As his default Titan Form, Eren was able to receive memories from those who possessed the Attack Titan and those who had yet to inherit it. This would later come to help himmanipulate his father, Grisha, to cause his own Titan creation subsequently. Although these memories allow the user to gain insights, they are often incomplete and short snippets.

The Armored Titan

Reiner Braun's Armored Titan stands at 15 meters and was initially inspired to share aresemblance to WWE Superstar Brock Lesnar. TheArmored Titan has thick, hardened plates all over its body, acting as a natural defense against external attacks, including cannon fire, steel blades, and vertical maneuvering equipment, making it the most defensively strong of the Titan types.

In addition to this, theseAttack on TitanTitans are able to harden their arms and feet, creating sharp claws in the process. The Armored Titan's only weakness seems to be the areas on the back of its exposed joints. The armor is not capable of withstanding high-power weaponry, such as the Mid-East Allied Forces’ artillery.

The Colossal Titan

Users of the largest Titan type,the Colossal Titan, can control the energy produced during their transformationTo create various effects, such as when Bertolt attacks the Trost District, and his transformation triggers a powerful wind blast. The Colossal Titan can also create a mushroom cloud of dust and rubble, leading to the death of many Survey Corps members during the Battle of Shiganshina District.

As indicated by its name, theColossal Titan is known for its enormous size, able to peer over the edge of Wall Maria and powerful enough to take down the outer gate with a single kick. They possess a unique ability to control the steam emitted from their bodies, burning and repelling attacks in proximity.

During his final moments in a fight against Armin and Mikasa, Eren's Titan form engages in a hand-to-hand fight with Armin, who is in his Colossal Titan form. While Eren surpasses Armin in terms of physical and strategic ability, Armin manages to immobilize him long enough for Mikasa to enter his Titan's mouth and kill him before kissing him goodbye.

The Female Titan

Much like other powerful Titans,The Female Titan exerts a certain degree of influence over Pure Titans through a scream-based ability.However, this attraction ability has its disadvantages: once arriving near the Female Titan, the others tend to attack and eat its body.

The Female Titan is known for its tremendous endurance and mobility, able to harden its skin at will in order to shatter blades of ultrahard steel upon contact. Interestingly, Annie can also emerge from her Titan's nape to create a hardened crystal cocoon around herself for protective purposes.

During the 57th Exterior Scouting Mission Arc, Mikasa succeeds in slicing the Female Titan's fingers off, allowing Eren to rip the Titan form apart. However, after winning the fight, he began to merge with the Titan and required Levi's help to remove him and stop the process.

The Beast Titan

The Beast Titan is slightly larger than most and exhibits animal traits that depend on the user. They are known to have displayed traits common in elk, birds, bulls, and wolves, among others.as shown inAttack on Titan'S Season 2 opening, while Zeke's Titan took on an ape-like form.

An interesting note in the series indicates that because Zeke's spinal fluid was used to transform Falco into a Titan, it later gave his Jaw Titan falcon-like epithets similar to those of the Beast Titan.

Moreover,Zeke's Beast Titan had the formidable ability to throw objects with great accuracy.and destructive capability, notably during the battle of Shiganshina District, wherein most of the Survey Corps were wiped out by crushed rocks. Due to his royal blood, Zeke’s Beast Titan holds the ability to turn Subjects of Ymir into Pure Titans.

The Cart Titan

Possessing greater endurance levels than Pure Titans and other members of the Nine Titans,The Cart Titan can participate in longer missions without having to pause for rest. This Titan's absorption resistance allows it to maintain its beastly form and wear armaments such as battle armor, mobile machine gun platforms, and cargo packs.

Unlike most bipedal Titans, the Cart Titan takes a quadrupedal form, which may hinder the user from standing upright in human form. Regarding weaknesses, the Cart Titan has lower defenses and slower regenerative abilities compared to others, and is more likely to be taken down by a fatal blow.

However, similar to the Jaw Titan, the Cart Titan possesses immense speed, such as when it defeated Zeke and Reiner during the Battle of Shiganshina. This shocking characteristic even managed to catchAttack on TitanLevi, the strongest soldier,off guard.

The Jaw Titan

As indicated by its name,The Jaw Titan has a powerful set of jaws that can tear through almost anything., even if it is considered to be theweakest ofAttack on TitanThe Titan ShiftersThey can move fast enough to catch some of the Nine off-guard and cause severe damage to armored opponents.

Those who hold the power of the Jaw Titan possess incredible speed and agility. However, the jaw manifests in slightly varying forms with respect to different users, such as Ymir only having hardened teeth, while Falco and Marcel had hardened, armored masks and jaw plating that were almost bulletproof.

The War Hammer Titan

Attack on Titan'sWar Hammer Titan has powersthat allow it to produce and manipulate structures made of hardened Titan flesh, weaponizing them in the form of spikes and blades with serrated edges. Theo Magath states that while a formidable asset, the War Hammer Titan’s structural hardening should be used in moderation, as constant usage can lead to serious exhaustion.

However, unlike the rest of the Nine, the War Hammer Titan can remove its control center from its nape, connecting the Titan and the host with a long cable of flesh, a unique ability that the rest of the Nine inAttack on Titando not possess.