Those otaku who seek thrills in action, adventure, and heroism have developed an interest in military manga. Today’s post is especially for those who love to read manga about war. We are not limiting ourselves to medieval settings or just a specific time period, but just all around war themed regardless of time period or (fantasy) settting.
Usually, such manga has historical themes and is filled with drama, so in the entries below, you can expect the same! Let’s not waste much time reading the introduction; here we go!
6. Baltzar Militarismus
This is the story of Baltzar, a soldier who has achieved a high rank in the military. Things in his life change when he starts working as an advisor at a military school in a neighboring land. This manga is a blend of politics, action, and suspense, and has a capable main character. Baltzar has extensive knowledge regarding war and does everything that suits his interests best.
Unlike usual stories where the MC is busy fighting off the bad guys, this anime highlights politics, history, and a complex plot with a compelling story. The story becomes interesting with the ups and downs that put Baltzar in tough spots. Watching the MC overcome all the problems with the best possible solutions makes this manga worth admiring.
5. Knights Of Sidonia
The manga highlights the war between humans and aliens, introducing us to a world where the aliens (Gauna) have destroyed the Earth, and the humans now live in spaceships. Unfortunately, humans still don’t lead a peaceful life as some supernatural creatures try to attack the spaceships.
In this story, we follow the life of a boy named Nagate Tanikaze, who impresses everyone with his abilities both on and off the screen. The story falls under the mecha genre, so those who love to read manga with robots, machines, and such will likely enjoy this one. The story is unlike typical mecha stories and becomes unpredictable with each passing chapter, making it highly enjoyable to read.
4. Gate: Where The JSDF Fought
I bet we’ve all thought about a day when aliens would invade Earth, right? Gate highlights the same idea by introducing a world where a mysterious gate opens, linking our world with another dimension filled with supernatural creatures.
Therefore, on the self-defense force’s orders, Itami Youji crosses the gate to learn more about the mysterious world. During his journey, Itami meets many people, makes friends and foes, and encounters a touch of politics and conspiracies. With plenty of action, suspense, and entertainment, Gate is a manga about war that is worth reading, especially with its medieval fantasy themes that add to the enjoyment.
3. All You Need Is Kill
This is one of the most spellbinding manga about war that I have read recently. It’s an action and sci-fi-based story that involves time-travel themes. The manga highlights a world in chaos after the entry of some weird creatures called mimics.
To fight the mimics, humanity unites and decides to fight evil altogether. Keiji Kiriya is our main character and a soldier who joins the military. However, things get interesting when he dies during his first mission.
Luckily, he opens his eyes and finds himself in the past. The story continues, and he dies many times, finding himself back in the past, making him realize he is stuck in a time loop. After reliving the same moments in life, he learns from his failures each time. Initially, he was weak, but as they say, practice makes perfect, so he becomes stronger every time he returns to life.
2. The Saga Of Tanya The Evil
This one also has military themes, making it a manga about war. It’s the story of a salaryman who is reincarnated as a girl named Tanya. Tanya joins the military and becomes impressively skilled in no time. The fact that she is still a child is surprising to many.
With her abilities and strength, she proves herself to be a significant source of power during the war. Usually, the lives of soldiers are typical and boring; however, hats off to the author for creating this masterpiece, a worth-reading one.
Tanya’s personality is very different from ordinary heroes, and she is an anti-hero with many likable traits. However, the deeper one tries to know her, the more one realizes that her behavior and attitude are justified. Besides, if you like reading historical manga, this will be your favorite. The story is indescribably exciting, and I personally admire its art, all thanks to the author for making this one a perfect piece of art!
1. Kingdom
This is the story of two friends and orphans, Piao and Xin, who share the same dream of becoming great generals one day. However, their lives take a different path when someone from the royal palace allows Piao to work there.
After some time, an incident changes Xin’s life forever, and that incident was meeting a near-death Piao. Piao’s death angers him, and he starts hating the one responsible for his friend’s death. Piao’s death forces him to meet Zheng, and he gets a huge shock seeing that he looks exactly like Piao.
A series of incidents bring them closer to each other, and they become comrades. Together they fight battles and vow to never give up on their mission. Meanwhile, Xin couldn’t forget the death of his best friend; therefore, he decides to take revenge.
Kingdom is considered iconic and the best for multiple reasons. In this manga, the reader learns how people are insane about power and how low they can stoop to achieve it. Apart from the story, how the author has highlighted the themes of politics, revenge, and betrayal is incomparable! This is the best manga about war, and everyone should read it, irrespective of their liking for war or not.
Conclusion
These are a few of the best manga about war that will entertain you thoroughly. You can randomly select anyone from the above entries; they are all must-reads. Give them a read and share your experiences in the comments below!