10 anime to watch if you like Full Metal Panic!

Full Metal Panic! is a popular mecha anime series that follows Sousuke Sagara, a member of an elite mercenary group called Mithril. He is assigned to protect a fiery high school girl named Kaname Chidori, a 'Whispered' with special knowledge.

This unlikely pair faces off against terrorists, mecha battles, and their own budding romance. Fans of Full Metal Panic! will enjoy its action, comedy, and romance mix. The show strikes a great balance between lighthearted high school antics and intense military missions.

Viewers also become invested in Sousuke and Kaname's unique relationship. If you're looking for more anime recommendations in the same vein as Full Metal Panic!, here are 10 more series to check out. They contain similar themes like action, mechas, school settings, and opposites-attract relationships.

10 best anime for fans of Full Metal Panic!

1. Code Geass

Code Geass is a popular mecha anime set in an alternate world where the Holy Britannian Empire has conquered Japan. The protagonist, Lelouch Lamperouge, discovers he has the power of Geass, which allows him to command anyone to do anything once by making eye contact.

With his newfound powers and his own incredible strategic mind, Lelouch becomes a revolutionary leader against the Empire as the masked Zero. Like Full Metal Panic!, Code Geass features intense mecha battles and high school drama.

Lelouch has a double life as a normal schoolboy and a larger-than-life revolutionary leader. Fans of Sousuke's double roles would enjoy Lelouch's thrilling transition between an average teenager and a mastermind tactician piloting advanced robot weapons.

2. Gurren Lagann

For viewers who love Full Metal Panic!'s giant robot action, Gurren Lagann takes those battles to the next level. The anime is set in a post-apocalyptic world where humans are forced underground while beastmen rule the surface.

Simon and Kamina discover ancient mecha technology and break through to the surface, inspiring them to launch a rebellion. Gurren Lagann features adrenaline-pumping action sequences with increasingly massive and creative mecha designs.

Like Mithril's high-tech weapons, viewers will be impressed with the mechas' firepower in this series. A sweet romance between Simon and Nia develops slowly, similar to Sousuke and Kaname's relationship.

3. The Vision of Escaflowne

The Vision of Escaflowne (Image via Sunrise)

The Vision of Escaflowne is a fantasy mecha anime series with a strong romance plot mixed into its war story. Hitomi Kanzaki is a regular high school girl who gets transported to the mystical world of Gaea. She meets Van Fanel and gets caught up in his fight against the Zaibach empire.

Along the way, Hitomi and Van begin to fall for each other despite coming from very different worlds. Fans of Full Metal Panic! will recognize similar themes, such as action-packed mech battles combined with an unlikely slow-burn romance.

Viewers will become invested in seeing standoffish loner Van open up to Hitomi over time, just as Sousuke starts understanding love through Kaname. Moreover, the series features amazing mech armor designs and fight sequences.

4. Eureka Seven

Teenager Renton Thurston dreams of joining the renegade group Gekkostate and their amazing mechas known as LFOs. One day, a chance encounter introduces him to Eureka, an enigmatic LFO pilot. As Renton gets closer to Eureka and the Gekkostate crew, he finds himself rising up to save the world.

Eureka Seven has very similar vibes to Full Metal Panic! with its well-choreographed mech action and tender teen romance plot line. Viewers will also enjoy the group dynamic of the Gekkostate crew, which is reminiscent of Mithril's tight-knit bonds beyond just professional duty.

And like Sousuke's unwavering dedication to his mission, Renton shows incredible devotion to protecting Eureka at all costs.

5. Neon Genesis Evangelion

Neon Genesis Evangelion (Image via Gainax)

In a post-apocalyptic world devastated by monsters called Angels, 14-year-old Shinji Ikari is forced by his father to become a pilot of Evangelion Unit-01, a giant bio-machine. As he fights the Angels, Shinji is forced to deal with his estranged father and the mysterious Rei Ayanami.

Evangelion has very compelling mecha action sequences, and angel monster designs that would appeal to Full Metal Panic! fans. There are also heavy mysteries and conspiracy elements to uncover in this series surrounding NERV and the Evangelion program, similar to Mithril's hidden agenda.

Lastly, as Shinji tries to find self-identity and connect with others, the psychological drama offers another layer to enjoy.

6. Broken Blade

On the Cruzon continent, those born with the ability to manipulate quartz crystals can pilot mechanized weapons called Golems. Rygart Arrow is deemed "un-sorcerer" as he lacks that skill.

But when the kingdoms of Krisna and Athens enter into war, he discovers an extraordinary ancient mech called Delphine that responds to his supposedly nonexistent abilities. Broken Blade is all about gritty mecha warfare if that's what viewers mainly love about Full Metal Panic!.

There is also political intrigue and themes about prejudices that serve to endear Rygart to audiences, much like following Sousuke's unwavering morals in his world full of moral grey areas. Broken Blade delivers spectacularly for an action-packed and thought-provoking mecha military story with hints of romance.

7. RahXephon

In a world where Tokyo has become encased in a giant spherical barrier, 17-year-old Ayato Kamina's life is turned upside down when secret government agents target him for mysterious reasons.

This inexplicable attack leads him to the RahXephon - a mysterious mecha that forms a special connection with Ayato, involving alternate realities and music themes. Just like the intricate worldbuilding that made Full Metal Panic!'s Mithril organization so intriguing, RahXephon also has heavy mysteries and secrets for viewers to uncover.

As Ayato pilots RahXephon into battle, stunning mech sequences and surprising plot twists will satisfy fans of Sousuke's adventures. There is also some romantic tension between Ayato and Reika Mishima that mirrors Kaname and Sousuke's push-and-pull relationship.

8. Darling in the FranXX

Darling in the FranXX (Image via Trigger and A-1 Pictures)

In a post-apocalyptic world where humanity now lives in mobile plantations, children are raised to become weapons pilots called "Parasites" to fight giant beasts called Klaxosaurs. Darling in the FranXX focuses on Squad 13, particularly Zero Two, a powerful Parasite, and Hiro, a rookie pilot who is deemed a failure until he partners with her.

Though seemingly mismatched, the two form a formidable duo. Darling in the FranXX combines intense mech action sequences against the Klaxosaur threats with the growing romance between Hiro and Zero Two.

Fans who got a thrill from watching Sousuke pilot the Arbalest would be invested in seeing Hiro master piloting Strelizia with Zero Two's help. The series also focuses on questions of identity when raised solely to fight, similar to Sousuke's stunted emotional growth.

9. 86

In an alternative reality where the Republic of San Magnolia battles unmanned drones from the neighboring Giadian Empire, young Major Vladilena Milizé commands the "86th unit"—a special unit comprised of Eighty-six.

These Eighty-Sixers are treated as equipment rather than human beings, remote-controlled to battle the drones on the front lines. When newly-assigned Lena communicates with the leader of the 86th unit, Shinei Nouzen, she is moved by the bonds among the squad members and their incredible resilience in the face of hopeless, sacrificial missions.

As Lena questions the Republic's ethics in how the Eighty Sixers are used as cannon fodder, she forms a deeper connection with the determined, distrustful Shinei. Viewers who enjoyed the camaraderie of Mithril and moral tension surrounding Tessa’s decisions in Full Metal Panic! would find thought-provoking parallels in the 86 series.

10. Aldnoah.Zero

Set in an alternate history where humans have colonized Mars and the Vers Empire has declared war on Earth, Aldnoah.Zero follows the fates of Princess Asseylum of Vers and Terran pilot Inaho Kaizuka.

After a terrorist attack splinters relations between the planets, Inaho uses his tactical genius to face the overwhelming firepower provided by Martians’ “Aldnoah” technology. The mystery behind the believed-dead Asseylum's reappearance and connection to key Martian leaders is intertwined with Earth's desperate resistance.

With strategic battles between mechanized robots called Kataphrakts, Aldnoah.Zero delivers intense action for Full Metal Panic! fans. Viewers will also appreciate the chess-like maneuvers executed by Inaho to outthink opponents with superior weaponry.

Conclusion

Full Metal Panic! is an action-packed and romantic anime classic that left quite an impact on fans. With its memorable mix of comedy, drama, and mecha battles, the series paved the way for a whole new niche of high school mecha anime to become popular.

The 10 anime recommendations outlined above all contain some similar appeals to Full Metal Panic!. Whether you want more school settings combined with secret special ops action, political intrigue mixed into your mecha battles, or sweet teen romances set against intense conflicts, there is something here for every Full Metal Panic! fan to enjoy.